Just Because and So Grateful

Happy Friday!  It's been very warm here, in the high 80's. So I'm hoping for a cool-down this weekend so I can turn off the A/C and just open windows for a cool breeze.

I posted two cards today that I made for this week's challenge at Joan's Gardens. The theme was to use a leaf design for the background, add purple flowers, use white, green and purple for the color theme and add a sentiment.

For my first card, I used white, grass green and wild lilac card stock from GKD. I used white for the card base, then cut a white panel and used Marianne Creatables Anja Edge die on the bottom edge of the panel.   I backed this panel with green card stock, trimming the green away around the die cut edge. This was then adhered to the white card base.  The leaf branches, cut from Memory Box Lorelei Leaf and Lorelei Outline Leaf dies, were adhered with adhesive. The flowers, including their centers, were made using Memory Box Bella Bloom dies and popped onto the leaf branches.  The sentiment, from PTI Asian Fusion stamp set, was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

My second card was also created using GKD white and grass green card stock. This time the card base was made using green paper with a white layer added. I die cut and adhered 2 leafy swirls, from Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish, to the layer. The flowers were made from wisteria vellum, using the flowers only, cut from Memory Box Bella Bouquet and then Ranger Liquid Pearls  in yellow were added to the centers. The sentiment is from GKD Autumn Splendor STV Kit and was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black on the oval, cut from Spellbinders Beaded Ovals and then layered onto a green oval, cut from Spellbinders Floral Ovals.

Thanks for stopping by and have a creative day!

These cards were entered in to the following challenge(s):

Joan's Gardens - JG0530

Tri-Fold Shutter Card

I happened to come across a challenge that required making a tri-fold shutter card. Never having made one, I thought I'd give it a try. I was going to enter it into a specific challenge but discovered that I hadn't used the colors that were required. So this one is on the house.

This card was not as difficult to make as I had expected. It just took time to cut all the panels and patterned paper and then adhere them all. But the final product was worth it. If you've never made a shutter card, there are dozens of tutorials and videos out there. Here is a link to a tutorial that I referred to: Tri-Fold Shutter Card. 

The base card was created with GKD ivory card stock. The layers added were from GKD Soft Sand and the patterned papers were various digital papers I had on hand. I did emboss the layers with the butterfly and flowers using Darice Wire Fence EF. The butterfly was die cut using Spellbinders Les Papillions Two and the flowers were cut  from Memory Box Wild Blooms. The sentiment is from PTI Butterfly Dreams and was stamped on a label created with Spellbinders Labels Seventeen.

And this is what the shutter card looks like when folded, ready to be put into an envelope for mailing. What a nice surprise when the recipient opens it!

Thinking of You Poppies

Yesterday's Copic/Promarker coloring challenge at The Outlawz was themed "One Layer" where we were to make a card with an image stamped and colored on the base card or use only one layer over the card base and place our image there. I opted to put a layer over my card base.

I chose tan leather card stock (GKD) to use for my base card. I embossed a white layer with a Darice Interlocking Circles EF. I left the center of the embossed layer smooth because I wanted to stamp and color an image in the center. The poppy image is a stamp from GKD's Stately Flowers I stamp set which I colored with Copics and added black Stickles to the center. The sentiment, stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black, is from GKD's Dogwood & Butterfly stamp set. I added a ribbon and made a cheater bow to complete the look. I liked the contrast between the base cardstock, the orange poppy and the white. Hope you like it as well.

This card was entered in the following challenge(s):
The Outlawz - Copic/Promarker Challenge CPC052413

Happiness Ever After

For this week's challenge at Joan's Gardens we were to create 2 cards, adding something to the second card to dress it up. The color theme was blue and white with lots of layers.

So....in making the first card I started out with a white card base (from GKD). I added a layer of blue (from GKD) which had been cut with Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles die. However, the die was not long enough to cover the layer so I had to manually create a longer layer. (Here is a link to a video I found showing how to extend a die: The Learning Lab). I embossed a white layer with a lattice pattern (no name on folder), adhered it to the blue layer and then added a ribbon around the layers. The heart frame was cut from a Memory Box Bingham Heart die and glued to the lattice layer. The sentiment was computer generated and then cut with Spellbinders Labels Trio. This time I had to make a smaller die cut from a larger die for the blue layer backing on the sentiment. And that completed the first card.

To dress up my card (as seen in the second photo) I cut a bouquet of flowers using Memory Box Bella Bouquet die and then cut he flowers off the stems, added blue pearls to the centers and popped them on the heart frame with dimensionals. I added some greenery (MS punch) to add a little bit more contrast. And that's it. What a difference those few flowers and pearls made!

This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
Joan's Garden - JG0523

Sympathy Vine

I enjoy sketch challenges. You are given a layout, a blueprint so to speak, and you grab your card making materials, imagination in tow, and go to work. My card is based on a sketch for a challenge at The Outlawz.

One of the criteria for the sketch challenge was to use a swirl(s) on the card. I opted to use a digital image that I had stashed away in my computer, already colored. This image is so soft and delicate looking I thought it might be a good image to place on a sympathy card so that's what I decided to go with.

I found an appropriate quote that I liked and printed that out on white card stock (from GKD) then cut it out with Spellbinders Labels Twenty Three and sponged around the edges while still in the die using Memento Rhubarb Stalk ink. I cut another label, same size,  in wine (also from GKD). I adhered the two labels, offsetting them, to give the illusion of a shadow. I did the same thing for the sentiment, using the smaller labels from the same die set. To fit my sentiment on the small label, I had it computer generated. To finish off my project, I added a fern leaf, in wine, created by a MS punch. All was adhered to a wine base card.

This card was entered in the following challenge(s):

The Outlawz - Sketch Challenge

Leafy Thanks

This is my entry for the sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches.  I love the pretty background which is digital paper from TADA. I was looking forward to using it and thought it would work well for the idea I had for this challenge. The focal strip is a die cut from Spellbinders A2 Locking Loops on which I stamped my sentiment, from GKD's Mountain Wilderness stamp set, using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. The leaf branch and leaves are from Spellbinders Foliage die which were popped on with dimensionals. All was put together on yellow card stock from GKD.

This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
Freshly Made Sketches - FMS87

Birthday Wishes in Purple

I entered this card into The Outlawz Purplelishious Greeting Card challenge.

The floral image is from Heartfelt Creations and was colored with Copic markers. The sentiment is from GKD's Elegant Florals stamp set. After stamping the image and sentiment, I cut the panel with Spellbinders Radiant Rectangles and backed it with wild lilac card stock from GKD. The butterfly was cut from Spellbinders Les Papillions Two. The purple polka dot background paper is from PTI. 

This card was submitted to the following challenge(s):

The Outlawz - GCC0520

Dear Friend and Butterfly Duo

 

Butterflies is the theme for a Joan's Gardens challenge this week. The challenge was to make a card using yellow and white as the color theme, include at least 2 butterflies, swirls of some sort and some polka dots. Up to 3 cards can be entered for this challenge. I made 2 cards

In the first card, for my background, I used a Darice embossing folder on white card stock for the swirls and attached it to a yellow card base.  In the center I used 2 different sizes of Spellbinders Gold Labels 4 and computer generated my sentiment on the smaller white label.

The butterflies on this card were cut from Spellbinders Les Papillions Two die set. The one in the lower left corner was stamped with a polka dot stamp from GKD Timeless Textures set and then embossed with white EP.

In my second card, I used yellow polka dots on white (digital paper) for my background. The swirl was cut with a Memory Box Amira Flourish die. I added a quilled flower, made from white vellum, to the middle of the swirls.

The 2 butterflies were cut with a Memory Box Moonlight Butterfly die and then embossed with a Cuttlebug polka dot folder. The sentiment, from GKD, was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on a white oval created with Spellbinders Classic Ovals Large and then layered on a yellow scalloped oval created with Classic Scalloped Ovals Large. Cardstock for both cards was from GKD.

These 2 cards were entered into the following challenge(s):

Joan's Gardens - JG0516 Butterflies
CDAC - Anything Goes

Wedding Wishes

I went shopping for plants for my flower beds today and what I saw all around me inspired me to create this card. I thought this would make a gorgeous and elegant wedding card.

I started out with red card stock for my base. I cut the large flourish (Cheery Lynn die) in gold mirror paper. The flourish had leaves which I cut off because I wanted to make red quilled leaves in place of the gold ones. I  adhered the flourish to a white layer, made the quilled leaves and adhered them to the flourish.  I then cut out the smaller flourish (Marianne die) and adhered it in the lower right corner.  Finally, I stamped my sentiment (GKD) with Versamark and embossed it with gold EP.  I was very pleased with the outcome. Now to find a wedding to go to.

This card was entered into the following challenge(s):

The Outlawz  -Twisted Thursday - TT051613

Just for You

I was busy today. Besides having a wonderful 3 hour lunch with a friend, I made another card, the challenge being to make a card using neutral colors plus a color that will make it '"POP". Well, I thought bright yellow would definitely make it POP! I used GKD pure luxury sweet corn for the base, a layer of black, and the focal layer in kraft. The floral images (Heartfelt Creations) were stamped with Versamark and then embossed with white. The sentiment, from GKD's  Spring Mix STV Kit, was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink. Finally, I added a yellow ribbon and bow. 

This card was entered into the following challenge(s):

StampTV - MIUM Challenge

Mountain Majesties

I love nature scenes. I think they are perfect themes for masculine cards.

The "nature scene" on this card, as well as the sentiment, were made with stamps from GKD. The birds are from Stampscapes. The card stock is also from GKD and the ribbon is from my personal stash.

I stamped all images with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. The sentiment was wet embossed using clear EP. I colored and shaded the mountain image with Copic markers. The background of the scene was made by sponging and the sun created by masking.

Entered into the following challenge(s):

MFPSpeedyTV - Sketch With a Twist Challenge 46

Such a Good Friend

Hello  and happy Monday!  

I love the background paper on this card and was looking forward to using it. It's digital paper from TADA. I used grass green card stock (from GKD) for the base card, adhered a white layer (also GKD) and then the patterned layer. The sentiment was stamped (from GKD) with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white and then the panel was die cut (Marianne). The butterfly is a digital image from Tiffany Doodles which was colored with Copics, cut out and adhered to the focal layer. I needed to add 3 embellishments to this challenge so I opted for 3 yellow pearls which, I felt, added just a touch of contrast. Hope you like it!

This card was entered into the following challenges:

CDAC - Easy as 1-2-3

The Outlawz - Greeting Card Challenge

STAMPTV - MIUM Challenge  (5/20/13)

Thinking of You Butterflies

Happy Mother's Day!  Hope your day was a special one.

I made this card for The Outlawz Sunday CAS challenge. Stamped images were from Heartfelt Creations and GKD stamp sets; inks used were from GKD (Black and Honey Mustard). Base card and white layer were from GKD card stock and the black layer was from my own stash. The white panel was cut on all 4 sides using craft decorative scissors.

Submitted into the following challenges:
CDAC Anything Goes  - Anything Goes
The Outlawz  - CAS051213

Thanks for stopping by!

Love

I made this card for the May 9 weekly challenge at Joan's Gardens. The background was created by hand stamping, using stamps from Heartfelt Creations. The side border is a die cut from Memory Box and a red ribbon was weaved through the border. The rose was created from vellum using Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms dies. The subtle faint color on the rose was acheived by rubbing ink on the petal tips. The sentiment is from the same Heartfelt Creations stamp set used to create the background.

Mother's Day Lilacs

This card was made for a challenge at The Outlawz. White card stock was used for the base card. Digital patterned paper was adhered to the base card for the background. A white die cut panel was created by Spellbinder's Marvelous Squares and adhered to the background. The lilac branch is a digital image that was printed onto white card stock, colored with Copics, a sentiment added (stamped) and then die cut with another die from the same Spellbinder's set. Glitter was added to the floral portion of the lilac to give it some shimmer. This panel was then "popped on" with dimensionals. A lace strip and bow were added to give it a finished look.

 

Submitted into the following challenge:

The Outlawz - GCC050613