Mom's Birthday, 2013

This is a little late being posted, but at least it's getting here.  My mom's birthday was at the end of October.  I've been very busy with life in general and kinda forgot to post.  So here it is.

This was very easy to do.  I used the faux letterpress technique found at Splitcoaststampers  http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/fauxletterpressmbossabilities/
I used the Moroccan embossing folder and brayered SU Bermuda Bay on it, then pressed it on my Big Kicks and wala!  Quick and easy!  The frame is a Spellbinders double cut, the leaves are a Cottage Cutz die, the flowers actually have a pearl look to them and pick up colors surrounding it.  They were made using the Cheery Lynn Lace Corner B164.  The happy birthday stamp is SU Elementary Elegance.  I used 2 pearl topped straight pins and the little white flower was cut using an old Provo Craft flower die with a pearl in the center.  The paper was Staples white and inked with Bermuda Bay, the frame, leaves and flowers used Metallic Mix from Stamponit.com. 

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

Cherie

John Wayne Birthday Card

Soon it will be my friend, George's birthday.  I find it difficult to make masculine cards, but this one wasn't too difficult.  I imagined it in my head with the stamp in brown and I wanted to do some faux leather, but that didn't work out.   I just kept putting pieces together until I felt it was finished.  I almost didn't put the cacti on it, but it was very bland and monotone.  I think they finished it off nicely. 

Here's how I made it:

This is a center step card which I found the directions on the internet.  Very easy to do.  These are the measurements I used:

The paper used was a mixture.  The base is SU natural which is what I used for the stamped image, wagon wheel and label.  And the brown is from a packet of handmade mulberry paper I've had for years.  The cacti were done in a green vellum paper that has "star bursts" printed on it.  It makes them look like they have needles. The John Wayne stamp I used I've had since April.  It's a Deep Red brand.  They make wonderful realistic stamps.  It's the 1st time using it and it stamped crisp and clean.  When I saw it in the store, I just knew I had to have it for a card like this.  The Happy Birthday stamp is a Stamps by Impression.  Both were inked with Memento Rich Cocoa.  The main image and frame were cut using Spellbinders dies, the brown side panels were run through an embossing folder for snake like texture, then distressed with Walnut Stain Distress Ink, the main image, wagon wheel and label were distressed using Distress Inks Antique Linen and Walnut Stain.  The cacti, wagon wheel and label were cut using my Slice Happy Trails cartridge. There's a gun brad which I just had to incorporate into this card.  Not sure I like it where it is placed, but it's there now.  I haven't finished the inside yet, but I have an extra cacti cut out that I'm going to try to incorporate.  LOL 

It was fun making this card.  Thanks for taking the time to look!

Cherie

Pink, Girly Card

A friend of mine asked me to make a pink or purple girly-frilly card for a his daughter's MIL.  I had about a week to come up with it.  So I started thinking right away.  These kind of cards are difficult for me because I don't have a lot of frilly Spellbinders and I don't do pink very well.  So during my Saturday ritual of doing things around the house, I came up with an idea and around 9pm I finally sat down to create.  Hope you like it.  I think it turned out good.

This is using the Asian Spellbinders.  The butterfly is an SU stamp that was just the right size.  I did chalk all the layers with a pink and orange chalk to go well with the DP.  Also the "happy birthday" stamp was chalked in the same colors.  And, of course, the bow was made with the Bow Easy.  I think everyone will be pleased with this card.

Jill & Jim's 50th Anniversary

On August 31 it my was good friend's 50th wedding anniversary.  Our friend Kathi and I planned a nice dinner for them and made an explosion box.  Designing it was a little difficult because we wanted it to have some pink roses, but not too frilly since it was a gift for both husband and wife.  The following pics shows what we made.

Outside with Lid

All the layers and pockets.

A better view of all the layers and pockets.

This view shows the trellis we made.

The trellis was made with paper.  The ends are glued to a piece of acetate bent upwards. The flowers were ribbon roses cut off the stems.  The greens are some punches and Cheery Lynn dies and there are beads on a string like you would find in a bouquet.  On top of the trellis are 2 rosettes fanned out and glued back to back with dove brads.

The bells were from a ribbon we tied and glued under the rosettes.  The heart shaped 50 was punched and strung on fishing line so it looks like it is floating.  I forget the name brand of the floor of the trellis.  It's little tiny stones in clear glue.  You spread it on with a knife and let it dry over night.  Really neat effect.

Six Months of Work

Christmas Ornament, 2012

I made this lantern for an ornament exchange in Dec. 2012. The black is just a generic black paper. I used the Heartfelt Creations Decorative Lace Border Die and turned it upside down. I folded it into 4's and that created the lantern shape. The white or opaque color is velum. I made my own box to fit inside the die. Then I decorated them with a Spellbinders Poinsettia Die and MS punch for the branches. The cardinal was stamped and then die cut using Spellbinders dies and stamps with MS punched branches and Cheery Lyn Mini Fanciful Flourish die. And then some bling added. I added a battery operated tea light inside so when it hangs on the tree, it glows. TFL

Sympathy Cards, 2013

In February or March my good friend Jill announced that her sister-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer. This is a very terrible and sad thing to be told. So when the day finally happened, I didn't know what else to do but to make some cards for the family. I sent one to Jill and her hubby, one to the brother and one to the other sister.

The technique of Acrylic Block Background is very simple. I didn't think I would be able to do it, but once I got the hang of it, I couldn't stop! LOL I really like this technique and will have to do it for some really jovial cards.

I used Distress Inks on all of them. The gray and teal I used the SU Fine Feathers stamp and made a tag. The purple and green one I used my friend's butterfly stamps and dies (not sure the brand, sorry). And the tan and blue one I used SU stamps. TFS

 

A Thank You Card for Sue, 2013

My friend George asked me to make a card for his friend's mother, Sue.  She is like a mother to him and does a lot of things a mother would do.  She recently GAVE him a computer that she couldn't use, so for Mother's Day, George asked me to make up a Thank You card and he would combine it with Mother's Day.

I went to a class in Lancaster, PA in March to learn how to color with Copics using the outline stickers as the base.  I colored this tulip at the class and wasn't sure what to do with until George asked me to make a card.  Since Sue is in her 80's, I thought this would make a very nice card and I made a stick pin in the bow that she can actually wear.  The background is a Cuttlebug EF and the the label is a SB.  The edge is punched with an MS punch.  TFS

My Mother's Day Card for My Mom, 2013

My inspiration for this card is found here: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2367950

I thought the flowers were so beautiful, I just had to try it myself. While my flowers didn't turn out like hers, I still like the way it turned out.

It took me a while to figure out how to cut the front piece without cutting all the way through. The paper is Bazzilla and scraps I had. The roses were an orange DP, but I distressed them to tone the color down. They are actually punched from a 5 petal punch using 3 different sizes. The little yellow flowers are the hydrangia punch and then I used the large Fanciful Floral Die and some leaf dies. The corners inside are Sizzix. My mom proudly displays this card in her dinning room. TFS

 

 

My Mother's Day Card for my Step Mom, 2013

 This is my 2nd attempt at making my own flowers. I really like the way this one turned out. I used the SU EF and SU butterfly punches. TFL

My Father's Day Card, 2013

This was my inspiration for this card: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2373162

The paper is SU and a little bit of generic DP. The base is Crumb Cake, then Early Expresso, Baja Breeze and Perfect Peach. The light house was a stamp I borrowed from my friend and stamped on natural paper and distressed around the edges. The 2 blue papera are Baja Breeze with Perfect Peach that I hand stamped. Twine and a button were added. The inside of the card has an anchor and the greeting. I forgot to get a picture of that. TFS

My Christmas Ornaments for Dec, 2013

 I worked real hard on getting this ornament done this weekend. I actually had planned that I would have this done by Memorial Day, but all that was done were the pieces cut out. My inspiration for this project is here: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1546570

This is my version. I used the SU pillow box die and a generic EF and smeared Sarah Sand ink on it then ran the Natural paper through the Big Kicks machine. It left the ink in the impressions and highlighted the wooden area. The red "wings" on the sides are actually blades that I hand cut and from a side view you can what they are. The red rounded piece on the front was also hand drawn and cut. I slit the pillow box at the perforation to stick in inside and taped it so it wouldn't come out. Then the wreath is made from an MS holly punch. I 1st ran the green through another EF then punched out the holly. The bow is made from red glitter paper and another MS punch used with a pearl in the center. The bar on the top was a label shape from my Slice that I cut in half. And a piece of twine tied to pull the sled. I made 22 of these to give away for my ornament party coming up in December. I'm hoping I'll have some left to give as gifts, too.

Now I need to concentrate on my Christmas Cards. What a project! Thanks for taking the time to look. Have a great week, everyone!