Monday Lunchtime Sketch

I'll be continuing with the Valentines theme here for a while, and since Mary Jo has been kind enough to include hearts in her next few Lunchtime Sketches, it works out perfectly!

Check out her blog for the sketch and details.

This stamp set (Moose You) has some cute animals with fun play on words. I love this little porky with the "stuck on you" sentiment.

I didn't really follow traditional Valentine's colors, but thought it would still work.

The pumpkin pie background has been dry embossed with a heart texture plate.

I'll be back next week with the next sketch challenge, but probably not before. Have a great week everyone.

Technostamper's 100th Sketch

Well, that wasn't a very long "blogging break," but I had to play along for Mary Jo's 100th Monday Lunchtime sketch.

Wow, I can't believe she has come up with 100 different card layout ideas! Way to go, Mary Jo!

I'm starting to think about Valentine's Day for my Etsy Shop. I'll begin putting cards in there in early January. So that was my theme for this sketch.

This is some very old designer paper (Loves Me), that I have just a few pieces of, so I thought I should use some of it up. The punched out hearts both have crystal effects on them. The "highlighted" words that the arrow is pointing to say, loves me."

Don't forget to check out Mary Jo's blog, and her cards this week.

Blogging Break

I'm feeling like I need to take a blogging break. Right now, it's not something I'm enjoying, but more feeling like it's a duty. I don't want this blog to be like that. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to continue the blog, or just quit it, so until then, I'm taking a break.

Thanks for understanding!

I should add, that this does not mean that I am not making cards. I still am, and am posting them in my Etsy shop. I just won't be posting anything new here for a while.

TSSC97--Sort of

I think I should just call this day "Mary Jo Monday," since most of my Monday posts are inspired by her wonderful sketches. (Check out her blog for all the details.)

I didn't follow this sketch exactly, just sort of, kind of. I think she wanted the card to be square, but since I'm posting it in my Etsy shop, and a rectangular card is easier to mail, I didn't do square.

I followed the layer and the rounded corners, up until you get to the focal image. Then there was supposed to be another rectangle. I was planning on putting the snowflakes down in a vertical line, but they looked better "blowing" across the card. So that's that. :)

You can't tell from this picture, but the snowflakes are sparkly too, with dazzling diamonds embossing powder.

I'm not sure if I will get anything else posted this week, since Thanksgiving dinner is at my house.

Have a wonderful week, and great Thanksgiving day! Eat lots...I know I will!

Sense Of Time

This card has a slightly masculine feel to it, but yet, I don't think it has to be given to a man. The sentiment says, "An unhurried sense of time is in itself a form of wealth."

I'm not always a big fan of sayings like this, but I do really like this one. I think because life is so busy, it's nice to think of just enjoy time.

Both of the clock centers have a brad in them, giving it slightly more dimension.

The brown cardstock has been dry embossed, and then sanded. It looks a little like suede. A great all occasion card for anyone!

Embossed Snowflakes

It's not too often that I pull out my heat gun, and heat emboss. It's a messy business, and I usually end up with fine, embossing powder all over that place. Once in a while though, it's worth the effort.

This card is like a gently falling snow. Each of the flakes is stamped on glossy white cardstock, and then sprinkled with clear embossing powder. Once the powder melts, you have a slightly raised image.

After that, I rubbed different shades of blue over the cardstock. The embossed images resist the ink, so they stay their orginal color.

The metal tag frames "joy," which is covered in an irridescent, sparkly embossing powder. It reflects the light just like fresh fallen snow.

She Keeps Me Going

I was going through a little bit of an unmotivated phase. I didn't know what to make, and therefore, I didn't feel like trying. Mary Jo, has inspired many of my cards with her wonderful sketches though, and that was were I started today.

This layout is for her Monday Sketch Challenge.

Make sure you check out her blog, to get all the details, and see what she's come up with.

At first I did not have any words on the front of this card, and it just didn't look finished. Once I added the sentiments though, I was happy.

I was having so much fun, that I made another card with the same layout:

And since I still had some time until the kids arrived home from school, I made a card with last weeks layout. I really meant to play along last Monday, but never had a chance to sit down and make the card. So, better late than never!

Thanks so much Mary Jo!

I love this fun flower peeking out of the corner. This stamp set is called Pick a Petal, and comes in different pieces. You can pick which petals, and which center to put together.

I don't know how well it shows up in this picture, but there is a "doodly" (I'm sure that's not a word, but I think you get what I'm saying) swirl in the corners.

A great thank you to send to someone you love, or even just like :).

Mini Thank You Notes

I made these mini thank you's with other Etsy sellers in mind. They are the perfect size to jot a handwritten thank you to customers, and stick it in with their order. Nothing too fancy, or fussy, but still pretty cute, in my opinion :).

One of My Favorites

This is one of my favorite cards. I love the colors (it shows the colors in my house), and the style. It may be too "fussy" for some, but not me.

The focal image is stamped on watercolor paper, and lightly watercolored. Nothing too bold, just a soft glow. The red cardstock behind it has a french script stamped on it, but then it was misted with water to "blur" the image, and "age" the cardstock. The celery card stock was also aged, and almost looks liek a piece of suede.

The chocolate cardstock has 3 seperate background stamps on it: french script, diamonds, and aida cloth (mesh).

Here's a close up:

The only sentiment on the card is "joy," so it would work for many different occasions.

Mini Notes

These mini notes are so much fun to make. They are perfect size for a lunch box note, a small gift note, or thank you card. Each one is covered with patterned paper, and then I add some coordinating felt flowers, and a colored brad. A piece of ribbon finishes it off.

The brown in the photo show darker than it actually is. It's really more of a chocolate brown. I also made a set of these in celery, olive and blue. Both of them are in my Etsy shop.

Batik Snowflakes

I love this vibrant background against the white snowflakes! It reminds me of sitting by a warm fire, with snow gently falling outside the windows.

Since there is a lot of moisture used to produce this background, I used a piece of watercolor paper. That is much thicker than regular cardstock, and much more absorbant.

First, the snowflakes were heat embossed onto the paper, using clear embossing powder. Then I used 4 different hues of blue ink, and added them to the paper with a very wet watercolor brush. They blend together , but the embossed snowflakes repel the ink, so they stand out so well.

Not that I'm ready for snow yet, but I do love the way it looks...on a card. :)

It Looks So Simple

There are times when I finish making a card, and think, how could it have taken me so long to make.

This card is a perfect example. I spent about 45 minutes on it. There is no special technique involved. I didn't have to think about the layout, since I used Mary Jo's Monday Lunchtime Sketch.

What happens is, even though I have a general idea of what I want to card to look like, I end up spending loads of time working out the little details. For example, I stamped a script background on the olive piece, and I tried it both with the writing running straight across, and then overlapping and at an angle. I decided to go with the angle. But then I decided to add the butterflies over the script, so I had to redo stamp it lighter, so the butterflies would show.

You know what though, that is really one of the things I love about making cards...all the time spent on the details. It's what makes each card unique and individual. I never know exactly how the card is going to turn out until I'm finished. So while I look at a card and think, it looks so simple, there is a lot of time and love that goes in to each one. :)

Make sure you check out Mary Jo's blog to see what she's come up with this week. I'm sure it's as wonderful as always!

Fall Leaves

Don't you just love it when you see something, and think,
"I can use that to make (blank-whatever your craft is)!" Maybe I'm in the minority on this, but often I see a pattern on someones clothes, or a picture or something and think..."That would make a great card."

The cards don't always turn out the way I have it visualized, but the process is always fun!

I think you know by now, that I love fall. I love the crips air, the crisp smells, the (usually) beautiful weather, and the wonderful blend of colors!

Walking with the dogs recently, I was enjoying all the beautiful leaves. They are almost at their peak color around here. Reds, oranges, yellows, and touches of green! I love the way some leaves have all of these colors togther too.

So it was the leaves that inspired this cards. This leaf was watercolored on watercolor paper (that's thicker than normal cardstock and can absorb more water). I only taped down the center of the leaf, and lightly curled up the edges so it looks like it's ready to blow away.

Highlighting

This is the time of year that DH is gone some. I take advantage of that time to make my own personal cards that I will need for next years occasions. I have a list of what, and who, I need cards for, and I keep them in a card box for when they are needed. That way, I'm not scrambling to make a card at the last minute. I'll be using this card for Father's Day.

I used Mary Jo's Technostamper Monday Sketch for the layout. Make sure and check out her blog for the sketch and details.

The Highlighting technique makes a detailed stamp easy to work with. This stamp has a lot of fine lined detail, so to color the entire image, it would take patience and time. By highlighting just a small area with color, you still get the "pop" that color brings, but it doesn't take as long.

The image is first stamped on the piece of paper that you will be using on the card. I then stamped in on second piece of paper, and colored in the area that Iwanted highlighted. I wanted the color to be vibrant, so I used stamp pad refills for the ink, along with a blender pen.

The area that had been colored was then punched out with a circle punch. You line it up with your uncolored image and adhere it in place. You can also put a small layer behind your highlighted area if you want to seperate it a little more, but this time, I wanted it to blend right in with the main image.

Here's a close up of the Highlighting:

Give it a try sometime. It's a fun technique!

And Weddings

In additon to all the babies that are being born this month (in our "circle"), we also have two wedding to attend this month.

So again, since I was making wedding cards, I thought I might add some to my shop.

This happily ever after stamp is so fun! The card has some formality to it with the background papers, but the stamp lightens it up a little.

As you can see, I love this sizzix embossing folder. I used it on both of these cards.




The image on this card is stamped on watercolor paper. I used watercolor crayons to color it. There is something so romantic and peaceful about this image.

I have a few more wedding cards in my Etsy shop, but that's all for today.

Thanks for stopping by!

Babies

October seems to baby month for us. Well, not us specifically, but for our family and friends. We know 3 families that are expecting their little one this month.





Since I needed to make some baby cards for them, I thought I would keep going and make some for my Etsy shop. Here are just a few.





The circle on this one has an embossed diamond pattern. The giraffe is cut out and applied to the card with foam dots. For the little sweet heart :)












I really like this one. Rock-a-bye baby is stamped along the bottom of the striped paper. The star and moon are both raised with foam dots. Even though the star is pink, I think this card is neutral enough to work for either a girl or a boy.





Speaking of girls, where are they all. Of the 3 we know who are expecting, 2 are having boys, one I'm not sure about. As a matter of fact, most of our friends that have had babies in the last few years (yes, years) have had boys.









I think this is one of my favorites though. It's simple and sweet, just like a new born baby. There is a 3/4 layer of polka dotted white. The sentiment under the old fashioned carriage says, "rubber baby buggy bumpers." I made this same card in pink as well.


Ahhh, babies...I sure do love them!

Man Card #2

When I made Man Card #1 (see previous post), it was the first time I had used this background stamp. As I was working with it, I thought it would be fun to try making the labels different colors and depths.

I stamped the main background image in one color, then stamped different portions in coordinating colors, cut them out and applied them to the card with foam dots.

One big grouping of labels in different colors. I might have to try this again in brighter colors.

Another perfect man card...not too much of anything, but not completely blah either. No sentiment on this one yet, so again, it would work great for any occasion.

Man Card #1

When I started making this, I didn't plan on making a masculine card, but that's exactly what I ended up with.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, man cards are some of the hardest for me to make. There can't be too much fluff, too much puff....too much anything.

I love the way this one turned out though. There is some color too it (but not too much). Some pattern, but nothing that takes over. Even an embellishment, but a very manly one. It doesn't show up in the picture very well, but the brad in the lower right corner has text on it, "fabulous: adjective, amzingly good;wonderful;superb."

This would work great for any guy occasion!

This card also led me to the next, which turned out to me Man Card #2...next post :)

She Gets Me With Another Circle

You all know how much I love Mary Jo's Technostamper Sketches. She helps me, inspires me, and has started many a card for me! It's been a few weeks since I've joined in for her Monday Sketch challenge. The few that I missed had many different circles, so it wasn't too hard to bow out. Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against cirlces on cards. I love circles...I just do Not! love making them!

I was in need of a few baby cards though, and once I started I thought I should make a few for my Etsy shop. I went to see what Mary Jo had in store for Monday's challenge, and knew this would work for a baby card. The thing that really worked for me was the fact that even though I had to cut out a circle, most of it is hidden. So any imperfections in the roundness are hidden as well :)

Thanks for helping me out with anothe card MJ!

Make sure you check out her blog for all the sketch details.

Bright Birthday

My color selection for the cards I make tends to shift with the seasons, but I never get tired of the bright colors! Turquoise and orange are such a lively combination. What's really neat about these colors is that they can be used for a male or female card.

This card was pretty simple, but I love how it turned out. I used the same layout as some of the Holiday cards I have in my Etsy shop right now. The front flap is a half-flap. The stamped words along the side are actually on the inside of the card, but are visible the entire time.

I stamped the words in orange first. Then on a seperate piece of carstock, I stamped them again in turquoise. I cut a few of the turquoise words out and glued them on to the orange. Voila!

More Post It Note Holders

Here are the last of these that you will see (for now). I'm telling you, these are fun, fun, fun. I just love these patterned papers.

I found these Post It notes that match the paper perfectly too! No more details today. You can check them out in my Etsy shop.

Thanks for stopping by!

Post It Note Holders

I'd like to tell you that these are extremely difficult to make. Something only a qualified artist should attempt. But, I wouldn't be telling you the truth.

I love these Post it note holders! They are a fun item to add to a desk or set by a phone. Once you have one of these, you won't be searching for the pad of post it's all the time either.

The basic elements are an acrylic photo frame, some patterned paper, ribbon, a barrel style ballpoint pen, and some very good adhesive (you don't want your post it's to come off).

If you are looking for a small gift for a hostess, teacher, or office co-worker, this is it! I just added 3 new designs to my Etsy shop, and will be working on some more soon!

Pumpkins

I knew that pumpkins tend to take over a garden, so we weren't going to plant any. My daughter talked me into buying seeds though, and am I ever glad we did!

Yes, the vines sprawled and spread over everything, but they didn't really harm the rest of the plants.

My front steps are now decorated with 7 large pumpkins, and loads of mini pumpkins and goards. I love 'em!

I don't generally send "season" cards to my family and friends, but know some of you do! So my pumpkins inspired this card. A great Fall load of pumpkins. I stamped them on watercolor paper and colored them with watercolor crayons.

Happy Fall!

Holiday Cards Are On Sale

This deal won't last much longer. Buy any 2 sets of Holiday Cards and receive either $4.00 off your purchase, or one free single greeting card of your choice. I added two new sets of Holiday cards this week, and am working on some more.


I know it's still early, but snap them up now and get the deal!

Neither of these sets are specific to any Holiday. Both are sets of 5 cards with matching envelopes.

This first one is simple, and elegant. River Rock cards stock with a fleur de lis in the background. A simple sentiment of "Peace, Love, Joy," in a beautiful script.




















This set is a little more whimsical. 3 different patterned papers were used (you can oly see two in this picture), with some fun snowflakes in matching colors. No sentiment was added to this cards, so it can be used for any winter greeting!

Done!

Tomatoes are done, windows are washed, and I'm ready to stamp again! Yeah! I've added some new Holiday card sets to my shop, which I might post here later, but today, I want to share a new card.

We have 2 weddings to go to this month. I made the cards for the couples yesterday, and then made a slighter different version for my Etsy shop. This one has a swirled embossed pattern on the vanilla background paper. I hand cut the butterflies, and then wanted to make them look like they were flying right off the card.

I glued the body down and raised the wings. I love the end effect!

Tomatoes

Is anyone else sick of their garden? The tomatoes just keep coming. I guess that's what happend when you plant 18 of them :) I'm ready to be done, but know I'll love it this winter.

I made loads of salsa this week, and it's very yummy! Next week will be more sauce.

Then it's window washing time. Something I've been trying to get done since the beginning of September.

After that I am offically declaring a craft day for me! I keep saying it, but I should be back to regular posts soon (I hope). Please don't abandon me :) I will return!

Back Into The Swing of Things

The kids are back in school, and I have a short list of projects I put off this summer. Once I finish those, I'll be ready to create! I am really looking forward to getting back into regular card making, and posting. I'm thinking that by the end of next week.....until then, enjoy this gorgeous fall weather!

Thinking Fall

It doesn't exactly look like fall yet. Nor, feel like it... well, maybe it's felt like fall most of the summer. It's been a cool summer here in Wisconsin. With school a little more than a week away, I'm starting to "think fall."

One of my most favorite things about fall is pumkins! Lots and lots of pumpkins. I usually have the front steps to the house full of them. This year, we planted pumpkins and gourds in the garden, and they are coming along very nicely!

So, while the garden bench isn't exactly a fall scene, the pumpkins most certainly are.

All the images were watercolored (is there any other way to make a beautiful pumpkin). :)
The pumpkins are raised with foam dots.

Have a great day!

What Inspires Me

By now, I think anyone who reads my blog knows, that a good sketch often inspires me. It's all I need to get started on a card.

But, there are other things that inspire me as well. There have been many times that I have seen an item of clothing, or piece of fabric, and think, "Wow, that would make a neat card." The card doesn't always turn out the way I envisioned it, but sometimes it does, and that makes me keep trying!

This card (actually it's a card set of 4 on Etsy) was inspired by another card though. My sister sent me a note for something, and I knew I had to make some cards similar to it. It's a very fun card!

All of the flowers are raised with foam dots. The row of flowers along the bottom are from a pun, with the flower center stamped on. This one turned out just the way I wanted it too...and so it's all good!

Happy Day!

Happy Card

I would call this card a "no-frills card." No special techniques used, nothing cut out, no pop -ups, glitter, etc.

Yet, it's such a happy card. The bright colors, and the fun, funky flowers! Wouldn't you just love the have a flower bed or pot of these things!

Of course, there is ribbon on the card! There almost always has to be ribbon on the cards I make. There just does! It's my #1 must have!

Stamp set: Kind and Caring Thoughts

Colors: Pink Passion, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun, Gable Green

Technostamper's Monday Sketch

Is it too early to be thinking snowmen? Notice I didn't say "snow," because I KNOW it's too early to be thinking about that!

I love snowmen! Even though, in reality, they are cold, there is something about them that is cute and cuddly!

Technostamper likes circles (at least I think she does, since she includes them in a lot of her sketches). And while I like circles, I DO NOT like cirlce cutters! Or, they don't like me. I have yet to find one that works without a hitch. I go thru more paper than I need to before I get one that turn s out....but, I love MJ's sketches, so I still play along :)


Here's a close up of the circle, so you can see the sparkly/glittery/blinged snowflake! First it's stamped directly on the cardstock, then I stamped a second one, cut it out, blinged it up, and adhered it with a foam dot.

The snowmen are colored with pure color pencils.

Hope your day is warmer than this card suggests!

Thanks again, Technostamper. Make sure you check out her card for the sketch!

Slight Variation to MJ's Sketch

I knew this sketch would be a lot of fun! I immediately thought of the new Razzleberry Lemonade Patterned Paper when I saw it. What a great way to show off all those colors and patterns.

Each square is 1/2 inch and individually placed on the white cardstock. Yes, it took a little extra time, but was well worth the effort! The "for you" sentiment measures 1" by 1/2", so it fit perfectly!

You can check out her blog for sketch details. There was supposed to be a circle along the bottom, but I didn't want to take any attention away from all those great patterns in the patchwork.

Technostamper's Sketch 83

This sketch was really fun! It has "patterned paper" written all over it, at least when I look at it :) But, I don't always see things the way other people do...so, yes, I am just rambling :)

I love patterned paper. I think that after ribbon, that would be my second must have for paper crafting. I have stockpiles of paper, and keep buying more, just because it's so much fun to use!

Now, on with the card! Because, yes, that is what this

blog is all about!

The name of this paper is Pink Flamingo. Only, I didn't use any of the Pink or the Flamingo-y part. :) I love turquoise and yellow together though! It's bright and lively.

The flowers come from the Delight In Life stamps set, and the sentiment from Kind and Caring Thoughts.

Have a great Monday, and make sure you check out Mary Jo's blog!

Firecracker Flowers

I can't guarantee any regular posts until after the kids are back in school, but I will try to get something new up at least once a week.

New SU colors here again! Wow, they are great! This is such a simple card. No fluff and puff, but I really love the clean look. The polka dot ribbon adds just a dash of fun too!

Corners are rounded on the focal image, and the entire square is raised with dimensionals. The sentiment is, "Hope your birthday is as happy as happy gets!" A great card for anyone! Well, except maybe a boy or man:)

Stamp Set: Kind and Caring Thoughts

Colors: White, Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry

Patterened Paper: Razzleberry Lemonade

Monday Sketch Challenge

Technostamper comes through again, with a great, inspiring sketch! Make sure you check out her blog, as she posts a new sketch each Monday, and has some wonderful cards to share as well!

When I saw this sketch, I couldn't quite figure out what to do with the two background squares. I wanted something subtle, so they didn't take over the card, but yet not entirely boring. This patterned paper worked perfectly. The flower pattern is very light, yet it shows up enough to give the card some extra life.

The two butterflies, and the dragonfly were stamped with Staz-on ink on watercolor paper. I watercolored them with re-inkers, then cut them out and adhered them with foam dots. Bugs really can be beautiful :)

Sets: Touch of Nature (butterfly)

Botanicals (butterfly)

Organic Grace (dragonfly)

On Your Birthday (sentiment)

Patterned Paper: Urban Oasis

Colors: Kiwi Kiss, baja breeze, not quit navy

Set of 4 Cards

I don't know if I have ever made a card with such clean lines as these 4, but I really like the way the fun images and sentiments stand out!

Each image has a matchings sentiment: "sew glad we're friends," "fan mail," "grateful for you," and "hope you perk up soon." Aren't they fun!

Each card comes with a white envelope and a coordinating envelope seal made out of patterned paper.

This card set would make a great hostess or teacher gift!

Technostampers Monday Sketch

Woohoo! I'm on a roll! I got another card made today, and it's for Mary Jo's Blog challenge ! The details should be posted on her blog Monday morning.

When you check out her blog, you will see that the original sketch had a "tilted" piece of cardstock where I have put the flowers. I let her know that I wasn't sure I was up for such a drastic move! LOL!

For some reason I just have a hard time putting a tilted image on my cards. I just like things to be lined up. So, MJ, you'll notice that a few of the flowers are leaning toward the left. That's as good as I could do!

Thanks for another great sketch Mary Jo. All supplies SU.

I Am In Love!

I absolutely adore Stampin' Up's new In-Colors. They are both rich and vibrant at the same time. Modern yet slightly retro. Very stunning!

It's been so long since I sat down at my stamp desk! It was great to take a little time today to make a few cards.

This new stamp set could have many uses, if you ask me. Birthday, thank you, sympathy, wedding. It's great, and it comes with some really wonderful sentiments!

I wanted to add a little more color, and depth to this card than I orginally had, so I cut out a few flowers in different colors and added them with dimensionals. Also, just a little bit of polka dot ribbon along the side for fun!

Stamp Set: Kind and Caring Thoughts

Colors:Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry

Patterned Paper: Razzleberry Lemonade

Not At All About Cards...

But here is a part of what has been keeping me busy! :)


Meet Murphy----->


He's sweet, and loving, and right now he is my favorite!













And meet Patrick--->

He's sweet too, and fun, and a little more adventerous.



They are both full of energy and mischief. We are having a great time with them! And wow, do they keep us busy!

On Summer Break

I'm so busy enjoying summer with my kids, that I am neglecting my blog. So, I've decided to go on Blog Summer Break. I'll return with regular post the end of August. I hope you are enjoying your summer too!

One Last Gift

Not only do you get the fun and cute pen (see last post) in this gift. You also get the great journal!

The front is covered with 2 coordinating pieces of patterned paper and a striped ribbon. The back cover also has patterned paper on it.

The journal is lined, and has 200 pages... all ready to be filled with your wit, wisdom or greatest longings! This journal is crying to you, wanting to come to your house, needs you :)

You can find this and a few other in my new gift section of my Etsy store.