Saturday, May 11, 2013

Hello! Welcome to my blog and thank you for stopping by. I design and create handcrafted greeting cards. I like to call this passion of mine "visual poetry" ....imagery on paper. Please feel free to browse the photos of my cards and leave a comment.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

For You


Hello!  Happy Sunny Saturday! Hope your day is as beautiful where you are as it is here in my neighborhood....sunshine, warmth and a gentle breeze. Perfect weather!

Today's card that I'm sharing was made for Mod Squad's  "fast and easy" challenge. The products used in the challenge are as follows:

Card Stock  -  GKD pure luxury white, SU Blackberry Bliss
Stamps  -  GKD Stately Flowers 7, Signs of Spring
Ink -  Versamark
Dies  -  Spellbinders 6x6 Mattuig Basics A, Triple Floral
Other  -  white EP, Copic Markers, bleach, adhesive, dimensionals

For the floral image, I stamped it in Versamark and then embossed it with white EP. Next, I used the bleach technique to lighten the image. However, I don't feel it lightened it enough to give the result I wanted. I could have left the image as a white outlined form but I wanted to add color. .Because the image wasn't lightened enough, the colors I used didn't take all that well. Maybe it looks more like a water color image??? After a while it must have started to grow on me because I liked it....... a little bit more. 

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time..........make it a great day!


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

Mod Squad  -  Fast & Easy Challenge
Tuesday Throwdown  -  Challenge #252 - No Patterned Paper
Sister Act  -   Challenge #114 - AG
Word Art Wednesday  -   Challenge #191 - AG
Inky Impressions  - Challenge #217 - 2 or More Die Cuts
Papertake Weekly  -  July Challenge - AG 
TTCRD   -  July 7-13 Challenge  - AG
Fan-Tastic Tuesday  -  Challenge #93 - AG

Friday, June 26, 2015

Today and Always


Hello, everyone! I'd like to share with you that I was invited to be a guest designer on the Craft-Dee Bowz blog this month. I was honored to be asked and this is the card I created to capture the theme, which was "wedding". 

To me, there is something about weddings that calls for elegance. Maybe it’s the gorgeous attire of the bride and her bridal party or the beautifully decorated wedding reception halls. Traditional colors of ivory or white, accents of gold, and pearls and bows immediately come to mind. So, here is the card I created for June’s wedding theme. I do hope you like it.

I started with GKD (Gina K Designs) Pure Luxury Ivory card stock for my base. I cut a layer in ivory using a Sue Wilson’s Spanish Collection – Granada die and outlined the edges with a Sakura Gelly Roll gold pen. This was adhered to my base card. Next, I cut another layer in wedding designer paper using a die from Sue Wilson’s Spanish Collection – Seville set and layered it over the ivory layer.

A Poppy Stamp Claudette Oval Frame die was used to create my frame which was then stamped with a sentiment from GKD Elegant Florals stamp set using Versamark ink. The sentiment was then embossed with gold EP and adhered to my prepared base card using dimensionals.

In my final steps I attached a pearl spray to my card, created my bow in ivory satin, attached a lace butterfly and added a pearl to its center. This completed my project.

I hope you enjoyed this post and have been inspired to create a wedding card. You just never know when an invitation may arrive requesting your presence at another beautiful wedding!


This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
613 Avenue Create  -  Challenge #129 - AG
TTCRD  -  Challenge Jun 23-29  -  AG
Fan-Tastic Tuesday  -  Challenge #91 - AG
IIC  -  Challenge #215  -  Embellish It!
Word Art Wednesday  -  Challenge #189  - AG
Creative Moments  -  Challenge #71 - AG / Big Announcement
Papertake Weekly  -  Tri-Tastic Challenge
The Sisterhood of Crafters  -  Wedding Month Challenge
Sister Act  -  Challenge #112 - AG

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Birthday in Blue


Hello everyone! With this rainy season we're having I hope all are safe. We've had several days of rain and some areas have been flooded. More rain is on the way for a few more days. I do hope that the drought conditions in portions of the U.S. have been alleviated and, at the same time, that dry weather in Texas has aided with flood recovery. 

Today I'd like to share a birthday card that I made for a dear friend. It turned out to be such a soft and lovely card. 

My card base was  created from GKD white card stock. I added a layer of SU Mossy Meadow. Next I die cut another layer in PTI Spring Rain using a die from Spellbinders 6x6 Matting Basics B. My final layer was from GKD Floral Essentials paper pack and cut with another die from the Spellbinders 6x6 Matting Basics B die set.    

For my focal panel, I created a frame in PTI Spring Rain and cut it using a Poppy Stamps Claudette Frame die. Next, I used  a  die from Spellbinders Triple Floral die set and dry embossed the inside edges of the frame. I stamped my sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black ink using a stamp from GKD Always Autumn stamp set. The focal panel was then adhered to my prepared base with dimensionals.

The flower was stamped on vellum,, embossed with white EP and then cut using Heartfelt Creations Sun Kissed Fleur die. After assembling the flower it was attached to the focal panel. I added some Stickles to the center. The foliage was cut using Poppy Stamps Pine Sprigs and attached to the flower. My project was complete.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to make it a great day!

This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
613 Avenue Create    Challenge # 128 - AG
Crafting from the Heart  -  Challenge #64 - AG
Great Impressions  -  June Challenge  - AG
Papertake Weekly  -   Challenge June 16 - Ohhh So Pretty
Sister Act  -  Challenge #110 - AG
TTCRD  -  Challenge June 16-22  -  AG
Word Art Wednesday  -  Challenge #188 - AG

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Sharing in Your Sorrow




Hello crafting friends! It's always a sad day when you find yourself creating a sympathy card. This one was made for a co-worker from my working days who passed away last week. He was much too young to be taken away from us but he is in a better place now. My heart goes out to his spouse, children and family.

The supplies used for this card were as follows:

Card Stock  -  GKD pure luxury white, SU Mossy Meadow
Inks  -  Memento Tuxedo Black, Bamboo Leaves, New Sprout
Stamps  -  GKD Stamp Sets Country Road, Farm Life, Sending Sunshine; SU Thoughts and Prayers
Dies  -  L'il Inker Stitched Rectangles                        


Thank you for stopping by!  Hope you can make it a great day!
 And remember to cherish the ones you love for they can be taken away at a moment's notice.


Sunday, May 31, 2015

Birthday Suspenders


Hello everyone! It's been a little while since my last post. Like most of us, I've been busy with outdoor projects now that the good weather is finally here.

Today I have a cute masculine card to share with you. I made this for last week's Mod Squad Challenge where the theme was "masculine". And this challenge came just at the right time since I needed to make a masculine birthday card for my daughter's special guy. My daughter says his pants slide down somewhat when he bends over or stoops. You get the picture.  LOL   So I thought this would make a great card for him. I cut one of the pant's pockets open so I could insert the Happy Birthday pennant which slides in and out.

Here's a photo of the inside (the 2 suspender images were computer generated to create the effect of the inside panel being help up by them).

Card Inside


Products I used to create this card:

Card Stock  -  GKD Ivory, In the Navy, Soft Sand, other
Ink  -  Versamark, GKD white
Stamp  -  Sassafras Lass Stitched Borders
Dies  -  Spellbinders Pennants, Paper Smooches Dots & Dashes, IO Buttons
Embossing Folder  -  Marianne Designs Bricks
Wording & Sentiment  -  personally composed and then computer generated
Other  -  ribbon, white EP, silver EP, soda can tops, adhesives



I hope you enjoyed this card. I really love how it turned out...so stinkin' cute! This could double for a Father's Day card, simply change the greeting, sentiment and inside wording. Here's a basic link to create the T-shirt. Just add your own touches.

Have a great day creating or doing what you love! 


This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
Mod Squad  - May 27 Challenge - Masculine
Aud Sentiments  -  Challenge #132  -  Cute Plus a Sentiment
The Crafter's Cafe  -   Challenge #118  - One for the Boys
Fan-Tastic Tuesday  -   Challenge #87 - AG
Sister Act  -  Challenge #108 - AG
TTCRD  -  Challenge May 26 -Jun 1 - AG
Tuesday Throwdown  -  Challenge#246 - AG
Word Art Wednesday  -  Challenge #185 - AG

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Birthday Shoot





Good sleepy Sunday morning! I'd like to share a card I made for my brother's milestone birthday. His favorite hobby is photography and he takes some awesome photos of nature and landscapes. With this in mind I created a card with a camera theme.

I chose a wood panel digital paper pattern for my background and composed and computer generated my sentiment. This was then matted with black card stock. Using Die-Namics camera dies, 3 different camera styles were cut out. To make them a bit more realistic looking, rain dots were added for the lens. Then the cameras were adhered randomly on this panel. Having completed the focal panel, it was popped on a white base c0ard with dimensionals.

For the inside of my card, i used the same wood panel digital paper and computer generated my saying. I added a photo of my brother as a little guy, used a transparent piece to cover the photo in order that it imitated glass and then framed it in black and adhered it to the inside panel. This panel was matted in black and adhered to the inside of the card.  My project was complete.


Card inside

             I really, really love how this card turned out. I think my brother will get a big kick out of it.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope your day is filled with sunshine and happy thoughts and lots of creativity! Make it a great day!



Floral Feather Grass Birthday


Good morning crafting friends!  Do you have trouble not being able to sleep and just get up and start crafting? Well, last night was that kind of night. Insomnia ruled the entire night. So I got up and created this card for a friend's upcoming birthday.

I began by creating my focal panel in white card stock using a Spellbinders Triple Floral die. Next, I covered the cut out design on all four edges with Post-It notes. I wanted to use the emboss resist 
technique in this project so I stamped the feathery image on both sides of my panel in Versamark ink and then embossed it with white EP. Finally I sponged over the stamped images and around the panel with Memento Sweet Plum ink to create the emboss resist effect. The sentiment is from GKD Stately Flowers 8 and was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

The flowers were made by stamping images from HC Striped Sun Kissed Fleur  on vellum, embossed and then cut with HC Sun Kissed Fleur dies. Before attaching them to the focal panel, I prepared my base card in white card stock and layered it with coordinating plum colored paper. The focal panel was adhered to the base and as a final step the flowers were popped on.
 
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and check out  this project. Hope it inspires you to create!


This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
Mod Squad  -  Challenge 4/29/15 - Emboss Resist Technique
Word Art Wednesday  -  Challenge #181 - AG
Allsorts Challenge  -  Week 309 - April Showers Bring May Flowers
613 Avenue Create  -  Challenge #122 - AG
Brown Sugar  -  Challenge #144 - AG
Papertake Weekly  -   Take Your Pick Challenge  - Technique
Sister Act  -  Challenge #104 - AG
TTCRD - Challenge 4/28 - 5/4  - AG

Friday, May 1, 2015

Retirement Watch


Hello everyone! Happy Friday!
A friend and former co-worker retired a few days ago and this is the card I made to send him. 

I began by creating my focal panel in a wood panel digital paper pattern. Next, I made the watch band using a strip of brown card stock and then adding a stitch pattern along the edges using a die from Paper Smooches Dots & Dashes. I found a clock face on line that I thought would match my color scheme and cut it with a Spellbinders Standard Circles die and matted it with ivory card stock. Then I cut several gears from a Cheery Lynn Gears die set, adhered the clock face to the largest gear and then to the watch band which was popped on to the focal panel with dimensionals. The other gears from the gear die set were adhered randomly on the panel. The focal panel was then matted in ivory card stock and adhered to a brown card base.

My sentiment was composed and printed on ivory card stock and then all four edges were trimmed with craft scissors. On the inside I added my message/verse on an ivory panel that also had all four edges cut with craft scissors. Some gears were randomly adhered there as  well.



This completed my project. Thank you for visiting and leaving any comments. I sincerely appreciate them. Until next time, make it a great day!

This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
613 Avenue Create  -  Challenge #121 - AG
Brown Sugar - Challenge #144 - AG
Fan-Tastic Tuesday  -  Challenge 83 - AG
Inspiration Destination  -  Challenge #31 - AG
Sister Act  -  Challenge #104 - AG
ABC Challenge  -  Challenge 5/1/15 - I is for Inspire
TTCRD  -  Challenge 4/28 - 5/4
Word Art Wednesday  -  Challenge #181 - AG

Friday, April 24, 2015

Bargello Birthday Card


Hello crafting friends! I enjoyed this week's challenge at Stamp TV so much that I decided to make another card using the "bargello" technique.

This time I chose some brown and turquoise digital patterned papers and created my strips. The inspiration came from a unique card I saw on line using this technique. I used the step layout to present the bargello pattern. My sentiment was computer generalted and then cut with a die from Spellbinders A2 Tranquil Moments. I added some little flower petals that were cut from some Leane Creatief dies and added a pearl in the centers. The butterfly was cut with a Memory Box Kensington Branch die using one of the digital papers that the strips were created with. When my focal panel was done it was matted with turquoise card stock and then adhered to a brown card base.

This was such a fun card to make. What makes it fun is that there are so many variations to this technique. I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't already. You will be pleased with the results.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you'll come back often! Make it a great day!

This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
Stamp TV - STV15MON16 - Hello Bargello
Sister Act  -  Challenge #103 - AG
TTCRD  -  Challenge 4/21-4/27  - AG
Word Art Wednesday  -  Challenge #180 - AG

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Bargello Technique Card


Hello crafting friends! This week's MIUM challenge at Stamp TV was to make a card using the bargello technique. There are a few different ways to do this technique. One way involves cutting strips of one or several different patterned papers and adhering them to a card panel in a staggering manner to create a bargello pattern. Here is a video tutorial on the bargello technique.

I decided to use a little different bargello technique. I created my own patterned paper by using the emboss resist technique .Next, my patterned paper was cut into 1/2" and 5/8" strips and adhered in a staggering fashion (one strip higher, one lower) to a piece of  card stock and then cut with a die from Spellbinders Labels 36 die set. This was then matted with GKD Sweet Corn card stock. I put this aside to prepare my base card.

GKD Fresh Asparagus was used for the base card and layered with GKD ivory card stock which was die cut with a Lil' Inker Stitched Rectangle die.My focal panel was then popped onto my base with dimensionals. 

The sentiment is from GKD Dogwood and Butterfly stamp set and was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on ivory card stock which was then die cut with a die from Spellbinders 5x7 Detailed Scallops. The sentiment was then adorned with Marianne Anja's Vintage Swirls dies and all was adhered to the focal panel.

I felt something else was needed to make the project look finished so I decided to stamp a floral image in opposite corners of the ivory layer in GKD Fresh Asparagus ink using a stamp from GKD Fabulous Frame Fillers. That little "something" did the trick and made my eyes "happy".

Hope you enjoyed this post and will try this great technique. Thanks for stopping by and always make it a great day!


This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
Stamp TV - MIUM Challenge - Hello, Bargello!
Fan-Tastic Tuesday  -  Challenge #82 - AG with Twist: Stitching

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Birthday Blossom


Hello! It is windy as heck over here today. I went outside for a moment and was almost blown away by the strong gusts of wind. I just hope nothing comes falling down. Last time we had this kind of wind a tree branch hit my window and put a hole in my screen. Fortunately, the window was in tact but the screen had to be replaced.  Sigh.....Mother Nature can be cruel at times.

This was a a good day to stay indoors and so I made this card for this week's "Wheel in the Color"  challenge at Mod Squad. The requirements were to use any 3 colors of the color wheel. I chose orange, green and blue.

I created my base card in white and layered it with orange vellum. I cut another panel and used an IO Fancy Cutout Border die to create the pattern on the left and adhered it to my prepared base.

The flower was hand made using orange vellum and adhered to my front panel. The foliage was cut using  Memory Box Delicate Fern, Poppy Stamps Leafy Sprig and Pine Sprig dies and attached to the flower. The butterfly was made from GKD Ocean Mist card stock and cut using a die from Tattered Lace Butterflies. Black ink was sponged around the perimeter of the butterfly to make it stand out a little more. The sentiment is from GKD Signs of Spring stamp set and was stamped in black ink





Thanks for visiting my blog! And be sure to make it a great day!


This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
Mod Squad  -  Wheel in the Color Challenge
Dies R Us  -  Challenge #24 - April Showers Bring May Flowers
Sister Act  -  Challenge #102 - AG
The ABC Challenge  -  H is for Happy Birthday
TTCRD  -  Challenge Apr 21-27 - AG
Word Art Wednesday  -  Challenge #179 - AG
Aud Sentiments  -  Challenge #129 - Birthday Celebration
FB Challenge  - Challenge Apr 15 - 21  -  Birthdays


Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Take This Waltz


Hello! I'd like to share a card I made today for Monday's challenge at Stamp TV. We were to create a card that reflects a movie, any movie. I chose Take This Waltz  (2001) as my theme for this card. Here are the products used:

Card Stock - GKD white, dusty sage
Ink  -  GKD Black, Moonlit Fog
Stamps  -  GKD Because of You, Just a Note
Die  -  Spellbinders A2 Valiant Honor
Other  -  sentiment computer generated, adhesive, dimensionals

This really was a fun challenge. There were so many movies to choose from it was hard to choose just one. If you'd like to see the other entries for this challenge, here's the link. Or if you'd like to join in, you have until Sunday night to submit your creation to the Stamp TV - Let's Go to the Movies Challenge. 

Thanks for stopping by and make it a great day!


This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
StampTV - STV15MON15 - Let's go to the Movies
613 Avenue Create  -  Challenge #119 - AG
Inspiration Destination  -  Challenge #29 - AG
Sister Act  -   Challenge #101 - AG
Word Art Wednesday  -  Challenge #179 - AG

Monday, April 13, 2015

Feel Better Soon Ferns



 

Happy Spring! It has finally arrived. Today we are enjoying beautiful sunshine, the wind is blowing and the temp is a fabulous 82 degrees in my backyard! It feels soooo good to open the windows and feel the breezes flowing in, freshening everything up. I love it!

This lovely weather has its perks. It motivates me to create. And so I was inspired to make this card after viewing a video on Stamp TV hosted by Gina K. I only wish my camera had captured the true color of the ink I used to create the fern images and background. Here are the products I used for this project:

Card Stock:  GKD white, black onyx
Ink:  GKD Black, Moonlit Fog
Stamps:  GKD Triple Play Frame, Signs of Spring

 I just love how this turned out. And thanks to Gina for the great video.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a wonderful and creative day!

This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
613 Avenue Create  -  Challenge #119 - AG
Crafting from the Heart  -  Challenge #55  - AG
Crafty Cardmakers & More  -  Challenge #136 - Wings
Inspiration Destination  -  Challenge #28 - AG
Sister Act  -  Challenge #101 - AG
Word Art Wednesday  -  Challenge #178 - AG

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Flowers for You


Hello again! Here is the second card I made for this weeks Stamp TV challenge. Again, the criteria were to use black, red and white in our cards. This is what I came up with.

The products used in this project were as follows:

Card Stock - GDK white
Patterned Paper - dotted swiss (from my stash)
Stamps:  GKD Flowers Bloom, Signs of Spring
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Die - Spellbinders Opulent Ovals
Other - Copics, embossing powder, ribbon, adhesive


I am delighted that you stopped by. Thank you! And  please come back again. 
Hope your day is filled with creativity!


This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
Stamp TV  -  MIUM STV15MON14 - Riddle Me This
Word Art Wednesday  -  Challenge #178 - AG
Sister Act  - Challenge #100 - AG
613 Avenue Create  -  Challenge #118 - AG
Crafting from the Heart  -  Challenge #54 - AG
TTCRD - Challenge 4/7-4/13 - AG
Fantastic Tuesday  -  Challenge #80 - AG

Thanks a Bunch


Hello everyone! Today I made a couple of cards for a challenge at Stamp TV in which the requirements were to use the colors of black, red and white. This is one of the cards. The other is shown in the next post.

Here are the supplies I used:

Card stock - GKD white and black onyx
Stamps - GKD Flowers Bloom, You're My Favorite, Sending Sunshine, Thanks a Bunch
Inks - Memento Tuxedo Black, GKD Cherry Red
Dies - Spellbinders Radiant Rectangles
Other  -  ribbon, adhesive

Please go to my next post to see the seond card I made for this awesome challenge. 
Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you make it a great day!

This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
Stamp TV - MIUM - STV15MON14 - Riddle Me This
Word Art Wednesday  - Challenge #178 - Anything Goes