Lovely Sunflower Birthday

 Welcome, fellow crafters!  Today's card is one I made for my daughter whose birthday falls this month. My daughter has many sunflowers in her back yard. It's like a big ray of sunshine covering a section of her yard. Hence the sunflower theme I used to create her card.

I began by creating the base card first using white card stock. It was then layered with chocolate brown card stock. The focal layer was embossed using white card stock and adhered to the prepared base. This was put aside while I created the sunflower and sentiment.

The sunflower was die cut and assembled in yellow card stock for the petals and in 2 different shades of brown for the center. I added markings to the bottom of the petals with Copic markers and used a gold gel pen for the"seedlings". The leaves were die cut in green card stock and then shading added using  darker green ink. The sentiment was computer generated along with the butterfly and then die cut in both white and brown card stock. 

The above being done, the sunflower was adhered to the prepared base card with dimensionals as were the leaves. I overlapped the white and brown sentiment labels to give interest and dimension. This completed my project.

Here are the materials used:

Card Stock:  GKD Pure Luxury White, Sweet Corn, Warm Cocoa; SU Wild Wasabi; PTI Dark Chocolate

Ink:  Memento Bamboo Leaves (for shading on leaves)

Dies:  Honey Bee Lovely Layers - Sunflowers, Spellbinders Elliptical Ovals

Other: Lisa Horton Padded Quilt embossing folder, Copic Marker, gold gel pen, adhesive, dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by. 

Until next time, get those creative juices flowing and create something beautiful!

Stitched Daisy Border Birthday

 Hello, fellow crafters! Here is another stitched card I made, this one for a cousin's birthday. Stitching on cards is a challenge but it is worth the time and effort put into it. I feel the results are beautiful.

I began my project by die cutting the floral  pattern on  white card stock with Marianne Design Stitching Daisies die set Using embroidery thread the flowers and leaves were stitched. Then the outline die of the same set was used to create the border.

The base card was created in white card stock and a bottom border was created using a Spelllbinders Borderabilities die. The stitched floral panel was then adhered to the front of the base card. The sentiment was  computer generated and then die cut with a Spellbinders Eliptical Oval die and mounted on the base card.

This completed my project. Here are the tools used in creating this card:

Card Stock:  GKD Pure Luxury White

Dies:  Mariane Design Stitching Daisies, Spellbinders Borderabilities, Spellbinders Eliptical Oval 

Other:  embroidery needle and thread, adhesive, dimensionals 

 

Thank you for visiting my blog. Hope this project got your creative juices flowing. 

Until next time, happy crafting!

Three Square Stitched Floral Birthday

 Hello! I took a sabbatical from making cards due to having some home remodeling and landscaping done. But I'm back with this stitched floral birthday card. I love the new stitching dies. My hands and fingers got a good workout in creating the flowers on this card.

I began with die cutting the 3 squares panel in white card stock and mounting it on its zigzag counterpart with dimensional tape. This was then adhered to a green layer and then to a white card base. I put this aside to work on the die cut images.

The floral images were die cut in white card stock and then stitched with yellow embroidery floss for the petals and brown floss for the centers. The leaf branches were die cut in green card stock and the dragonfly was created using green card stock and green vellum. All images were adhered to the 3 square panel with dimensionals or adhesive.  The birthday greeting was computer generated.

Here are the materials used in creating this card:

Card Stock:  GKD White, SU Garden Green, Vellum

Dies:  Marianne Design Slim Line 3 Square Die Set, Spellbinders Stitched Flower Die Set, IO Dragon Flies Die Set.

Other: yellow and green embroidery thread, adhesive, dimensional tape and/or dimensionals

 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed this post and will drop by again.

Until next time.....make it a great day!

Garden Shutter Birthday Card

 

 Hello fellow crafters! I took a break from watching the war in Ukraine. It is just heartbreaking to watch the onslaught of human lives and the destruction of their homeland, which is my homeland. My parents were born in Ukraine but were taken by the Germans to work for them during WWII. I was born in Germany and as refugees, my parents emigrated to the US since my mother had an aunt who had emigrated several years before. I was very young and don't remember anything. My mother told me that we traveled from Germany to the US on the USS Hershey. No wonder I love chocolate!

 Anyway, here is a card I created for my niece (the wife of one of my nephews). It is a shutter card made from a Spellbinders die set (listed below). Directions are included with the die set. Also, there are videos that give step by step instructions as well. 

 

 

 When lower tab is held and upper tab is pulled

the shutters open to reveal the birthday greeting.

 

 Here are the products used:

Card Stock:  GKD Pure Luxury White, SU Wild Wasabi; patterned digital papers

Dies: Spellbinders Daisy Delight Garden Shutters Die Set, Labels Seventeen (for the pull tabs), Heartfelt Creations Delicate Asters (for the flowers), Sue Wilson Finishing Touches Classic Rose Die Set (for the leaves), Karen Burniston Butterfly Collage Add-ons Die Set

Ink: Distress Oxide Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint; GKD Dusty Rose, Passionate Pink

Other: adhesive, dimensionals, scotch tape, Fun Flock (for floral centers)

Thank you for stopping by! May your days be filled with happy crafting!

                                                                Please pray for Ukraine.

Orange Poppy Birthday

 

Hello fellow crafters!  Here is another "poppy" card I made which is similar to the previous one. My daughter requested a birthday card for one of her co-workers, one that was in bright colors. So....I decided on orange poppies as my focal point on ivory card stock.

Again, this was not a difficult card to make.  It just took time. Below are listed the products used.

 

Card Stock:  GKD Ivory, Tangerine Twist; SU Wild Wasabi

Dies:  Spellbinders Eyelet Lace Frame, Frantic Stamper Serene Poppy, Memory Box Prim Poppy

Other:  Copic Markers, adhesive, fun foam, dimensionals, computer generated sentiment 

Thank you for visiting! Hope you enjoyed this post. 

Please stop by again!

Birthday Poppies

 Winter greetings, crafters!  We have had over a foot of snow in my neighborhood here in NE Ohio. And with the drifts caused by gusting winds.....over 2 feet in some places. I couldn't open my side door until my driveway was cleared. Hoping there won't be more of this severe weather.

I love poppies and for my dearest friend's birthday I created this card. It was not a difficult project but still elegant so I will only list the products used. Also, the sentiment was computer generated on vellum.

 

Card Stock:  GKD pure luxury white, blue denim; vellum

Dies: Spellbinders Eylet Lace Frame; Memory Box Darling Poppies, Prim Poppy; Crafter's Companion Fluttering Motifs; Frantic Stamper Gifts and Bows: Avery Elle Doted Elle-MentsAdhesi

Other:  Adhesive, fun foam, dimensionals, white pearl for butterfly image

 

Thank you for stopping by. I always look forward to reading your comments.

 Until next time, stay safe and warm and .......get creative!

Autumn Sunflower and Pumpkin Birthday

 

Here is the other autumn themed card I made for a friend whose birthday falls this month as well. This one was made for my college roommate from way back when. Our birthdays are 4 days apart.

I began with die cutting the large pumpkin in white card stock and coloring it with Copic markers. The sunflowers were die cut in yellow card stock and its leaves in green while the fall leaves and acorns were  die cut in white card stock and were colored with Copics. The wheat image was cut in some gold card stock I had in my stash. These were all put aside in order to prepare my base card

The base card was prepared in white card stock and layered with brown. The focal panel, in white card stock, was then adhered to the prepared base card.

Now it was time to put it all together. The pumpkin was adhered to the focal panel using dimensionals. All the other elements were positioned and adhered as shown in the photo. As a final step, the sentiment was die cut in brown card stock and added to the panel. My project was complete.

Here are the products used in creating this card:

Card Stock:  GKD white, sweet corn, dark chocolate; SU garden green; gold (my stash)

Dies:  Honey Bee Fall Bouquet, Cottage Cutz Sunflowers, IO Wheat, Spellbinders Woodland Acorns, Memory Box Lovely Happy Birthday.

Other:  Copic markers, dimensionals, adhesive

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you will stop by often. Until next time, Happy Fall!

 

This card was entered into the following challenges:

Mod Squad Challenge Blog - Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere

Double D Challenge Blog -  Owls and/or Pumpkin

Four Seasons Challenge - Anything Goes Fall

Autumn Wreath Birthday

  

Happy Fall everyone! My favorite season has finally arrived. I just love the colors of autumn and the crisp air blowing the leaves off the trees. And fall themed cards are my favorite to make. This is one of two fall themed cards that I created this month for friends' birthdays.

For my first step, I die cut the wreath four times in brown card stock and adhered them together to give the wreath bulk.  Next,  the leaves, acorns, pumpkin and sun flowers were die cut in white card stock and colored with Copic markers. These were then used to position and layer over the twig wreath using adhesive.

The base was created using  white card stock and layered with dark chocolate followed by honey mustard card stock. The focal panel was die cut in ivory card stock and adhered to the base.  The finished wreath was then adhered to the focal panel using dimensionals. I added another pumpkin and leaves as well as some acorns and leaves on either side of the wreath to complete the theme I wanted to create. The sentiment was computer generated on ivory card stock, die cut and adhered to the middle of the wreath with dimensionals.

 

Here are the products used in this project: 

Card Stock:  GKD Pure Luxury White, Ivory, Dark Chocolate, Honey Mustard

Dies:  IO Twig Wreath, IO Fall Icon Wreath, Hero Arts Nesting Postage Stamp Infinity Die Set, Hero Arts Rectangle Infinity Die Set

Other:  Copic Markers, dimensionals, adhesive 

Hope you enjoyed this post and will be inspired to create some fall themed cards. 

Thank you for stopping by and and please stop by again to view the other fall card I created.

 This card was entered into the following challenges:

Mod Squad Challenge Blog - Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Everywhere

 Double D Challenge Blog - Owls and/or Pumpkins

Four Seasons Challenge - Anything Goes Fall

Sunflowers and Wheat Thank You

 

This card was created for my dearest friend who has been my best friend for over 60 years. There was a recent death in my family and she was there to share in my sorrow. I wanted to thank her from my heart.

I knew I would need a square layout so I created my 6x6 base card in ivory card stock. I layered it with Blackberry Bliss card stock followed by another layer of ivory card stock. This was put aside so I could work on my focal point.

The sunflowers were die cut in yellow card stock. After these were assembled I used a reddish brown velvet card stock that I had on hand to create the centers and adhere them to the sunflowers. The leaves were die cut in green card stock from the same die set. I used a subtle gold card stock to die cut the wheat heads. Blackberry Bliss card stock was used for the sentiment.

The die cut sunflowers, leaves, wheat and sentiment were then positioned on my prepared base card and adhered with dimensionals and glue dots. This completed my project.

 

Here are the materials used in this project:

Card Stock: GKD Ivory, Sweet Corn; SU Wild Wasabi, Blackberry Bliss; Velvet scraps

Dies:  CottageCutz Sunflowers, Impression Obsession Wheat, Sue Wilson's Shadow Box - In the Garden

Other:  adhesive, dimensionals  

 

Thanks so much for stopping by. Autumn is beginning next week and it is my favorite season. I will be making a couple of autumn birthday cards in the next couple of weeks so be sure to visit.

Until then.....make it a great crafting day!         

Gear up Birthday

 One of my nephews' birthdays fell this month. What to make?  What to make? Masculine cards take a lot of thinking to come up with unique themes. This is what came to mind for me.

I began with creating the base card in white card stock. Then it was layered with black card stock. I wanted to add some contrast to the black and white and thought the plaid layer would fit the bill. This was put aside while I worked on the focal panel.

I first die cut the racing flags, gears and race car. The flags were cut using black and white card stock, the gears with black mirror paper and the race car with black, silver and turquoise mirror card stock. I cut a strip of black card stock and created dash lines with a white gel pen to simulate a race track.

For the focal panel a piece of white card stock was cut using a stitched rectangle die. The black strip was positioned and adhered . Next, the race car die pieces were arranged and adhered to the black strip.  The race flags were positioned and adhered using dimensionals. The sentiment was computer generated, die cut and then positioned on the card with dimensionals. The gears were randomly placed to finish the theme.

Listed below are the products used:

Card Stock:  GKD white, black onyx; black, silver and turquoise mirror card stock, plaid digital paper

Dies:  Sue Wilson Double Stitched Rectangle, CottageCutz Race Car and Flags, Cheery Lynn Gears

Other: adhesive, dimensionals, Unibal white gel pen

 

Thanks for visiting! My next project will be fall birthday cards. Hope you stop by to view them.

In the meantime, enjoy the last several weeks of the hot summer! Stay safe!

Butterfly Glittered Birthday

 

Hello, crafting friends!  Hope everyone is safe and healthy. 

I had several birthday cards to make this month. This one was for my daughter. I wanted to make something different and special. So I decided to create this large butterfly card. Unfortunately, the camera did not capture the glitter which peeked through the top butterfly layer.

I began with creating the base card. White card stock was folded in half and the solid "scalloped" butterfly die was positioned on the folded card stock with the top of the die slightly above the fold, and cut. This created the base. Next, the same die was used on a piece of white card stock to cut another image which was layered on the base card in order to ensure a complete butterfly edge on top where the base was folded.

In the next step, the large butterfly image from the stamp set was stamped on vellum using Versamark ink, embossed with white embossing powder and then cut with the solid outline butterfly die (not the scalloped one). Using Distress Oxide inks, the back of the vellum image was sponged with various shades. Adhesive was applied only to the center of the butterfly wings (the body) and and then adhered to the base card. At this point glitter was added to the vellum image and set to dry.

For the final step, the top layer of this card was cut in white card stock using the intricate die. Adhesive was applied only to the center of the wings (the body) and then this was layered over the vellum. This completed my project.

Here are the products used:

Card Stock:  GKD White; Vellum

Stamps:  Heartfelt Creations Large Floral Butterfly Stamp Set

Dies:  Heartfelt Creations Large Floral Butterfly

Inks:  Versamark, Distress Oxide Gathered Twigs, Wild Honey and Fossilized Amber

Other:  embossing powder, glitter, adhesive, sponge daubers 

I hope you enjoyed this post and will visit often. Thank you for stopping by.

Until next time........stay safe and keep on crafting!

 

Chess Board Birthday

 

Hello, fellow crafters! Do you find it hard to come up with many different themes for masculine cards?  I know I do. I have 3 males that I make birthday cards for each year and each one is different. Trying to come up with ideas each time is not an easy task. The card above is a birthday card I made for my brother whose birthday falls this month and I decided on a chess theme,.

I began by creating my base card in ivory card stock. This was matted with a panel of kraft followed by a panel of black card stock. I searched on line for a chess board image and printed it out. Then I cut black squares and adhered them to the chess board image to give it some dimension. The chess board was then adhered to the prepared base card.  The chess pieces were die cut in black mirror paper and adhered to the chess board using dimensionals.  The sentiment was computer generated and adhered to the chess board with foam tape.This completed my project.

Here are the products/materials used:

Card Stock:  GKD Ivory, Kraft, Black Onyx; Black mirror paper

Dies:  Yvionne Creations Chess Game, Spellbinders A2 Distressed Edges

Ink:  GKD Sandy Beach (for sponging sentiment edges)

Other:  adhesive, dimensionals, foam tape, sponge dauber

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Come back again soon.

  In the meantime.....get creating!

Hang in There (Encouragement)

 

 A friend of my daughter's is going through some tough times and my daughter asked me to make a card. I thought this card would put a smile on their face and let them know that someone cares.

To create this card, I began with die cutting a front panel in blue card stock. Next, I cut out a cloud shape on the panel. At the same time, different sizes of cloud images were die cut, to be added to the panel later.

The tree image was stamped on white card stock, colored with Copics and die cut. The owl image was die cut and assembled. The sentiment was computer generated and die cut. 

Now it was time to put it all together. The base card was prepared in white card stock. The focal panel was adhered to the base using fun foam. Finally, the tree image, owl, clouds and sentiment were positioned and adhered using dimensionals. My project was complete.

Here are the materials/products used:

Card Stock:  GKD White, Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Pumpkin Spice (used my last sheet of this one...no longer available at GKD's; SU Spring Rain

Ink:   Distress Oxide Vintage Photo  (to sponge edges of the bird images)

Stamps:  Heartfelt Creations Sugar Hollow Hangout

Dies: Sue Wilson Double Stitched Rectangles, A Little Birdie Told Me; Poppy Stamps Fancy Clouds; Memory Box Mini Clouds; Elizabeth Craft Poppy the Owl; Heartfelt Creations Sugar Hollow Hangout;  MFT Die-Namics Inside & Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangles

Other: adhesive, fun foam, dimensionals, Copic markers, sponge dauber

 

Hope you enjoyed this post. Thank you for visiting and stop by again soon!

Vase of Flowers Birthday

 Hello again! I forgot to mention this birthday card that I created recently as well. This  one took me a while because those flower images were just to tiny for my hands. I somehow managed to get them die cut and positioned. But it was worth it because I was very pleased with the result.

 

Listed are the products used:

Card Stock:  GKD White, Blue Lagoon, various for floral images

Dies:  Sue Wilson Fancy Cut Border, Elegant Arrangements, IO Bouquet

Other:  adhesive, dimensionals, Wink of Stella 

 

Once again, thank you for visiting my blog. Hope you stop by again soon.

Happy crafting!

 

Thinking of You Get Well and Butterfly Birthday

 Hello Crafters! My sister-in-law fell and sustained an injury to her upper arm. Surgery is not an option at this time and her physicians want to wait and see if it heals on its own. Also, her birthday fell this month. Thus, these are the cards I made for her...one get well and the other a birthday card.

 Here are the products used for the get well card:

 Card Stock:  GKD white, Innocent Pink

Inks: GKD Passionate Pink (to blend around perimeter of card front)

Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp Garden Greetings

Other: Versamark, Gold EP, adhesive, blending brush

 

For the birthday card, these products were used:

Card Stock:  GKD White, Sweet Mango, Dark Chocolate 

Dies:  Sue Wilson Stamp Cuts Butterfly, Hero Arts Postage Stamps Infinity Dies,  Memory Box Lovely Happy Birthday

Other:  Distress Oxide inks to color butterfly, blending brushes, adhesive, dimensionals

 

Thank you for stopping by! I will have 3 more cards to post next month, all birthday cards. 

Hope you stop by to visit.  Until til then....make it a great day!