I make Christmas cards all year round so that I don't end up in December in a mad rush to get them finished. This one is made using ornament dies by Spellbinders, a snowflake embossing folder by Park Lane, and a die cut sentiment by Taylored Expressions. I used metallic silver thread to "hang" the ornaments from the card.
I'm still trying to make at least three cards with the same design, in order to replenish my card stash and to continue using up old stash. Here is my second trio of cards (can't seem to ever make more than three at a time without losing interest, haha!). I used a wood mounted stamp from the Michael's Crafts bargain bin, along with a sentiment by Hero Arts . Some card stock and patterned paper from my scrap stash, and a little bit of ribbon or jute twine, and I have three cards! It's like magic!
Here is the trio. The floral bloom is also a Michael's Crafts bargain wood mounted stamp.
I always like to have a few sympathy cards on hand, and I served two purposes by also using up some very old stash. This tag was recycled from a notecard sent to me by a friend years ago, and I combined it with paper by K&Co, and burlap by DCWV. The vellum pocket was made with my Scor Buddy and I just made it a little larger than the tag, and then die cut a circle for a peek a boo effect on the front. A little plain twine keeps it neutral, and the gold eyelet and sentiment finished it off.
Word Art Wednesday week 527-528
I always intend to make a fancy fold card for the Butterfly challenge, because Mrs. A does the most wonderful step-by-step tutorials. However, I'm usually too intimidated to jump right in, and then the moment passes. This time I was determined to try a Triple Point card, because it looks spectacular, while being fairly simple to make. I love that the card uses just one, folded 5 1/2 inch x 5 1/2 inch card, which you cut to form the triangular shapes. I used paper by K&Co, along with a fancy label die by Spellbinders, a stamped sentiment by Taylored Expressions, and a gorgeous butterfly stamp by BoBunny. I didn't have the right color card stock for my sentiment strip so I used a snippet of white card and colored it with an alcohol marker to match the butterfly.
We Love Stamping January challenge, stamped wings
Word Art Wednesday week 527-528
PIP challenge 2204, AG
Secrets to Stamping challenge 24 , fun fold
I had several thank you cards to make today, so took the opportunity to pull out my Concord & 9th Turnabout stamp set, and used winter blues to make my background. The turnabout stamps are really easy to use, once you figure out the instructions, and I love using different color combos to make it look different each time. The jaunty snowman image is by Avocado Arts, and I used a label die by Spellbinders.
Word Art Wednesday week 527-528
Papercraft challenge , winter wonderland
Colorful Options January challenge, Winter blue
While rummaging through my stash, I found a few shapes that I had cut with my friend's Cricut years ago. I love this modern and simple floral shape, so I turned it into a card. I layered it on papers from my scrap assortment and popped on an enamel dot. The sentiment is by Taylored Expressions and was cut with the Simple Strips Die, also by Taylored Expressions.
My uncle sent my family a generous gift, which deserved a thank you card made just for him. He is Japanese American, and loves raising bonsai trees, so I pulled out this old foam mounted stamp set by either All Night Media or Inkadinkado that I've had for at least 20 years. The rose gold metallic paper is by Recollections and I used dies by Nellie's Choice to cut the round circles..
I don't make many anniversary cards but when I do make them, I find it hard to come up with a design that works. My family isn't one for hearts and flowers so I try to choose either humorous or nature inspired designs for them. January is my son and his wife's anniversary, and they went to a Mexican resort for their honeymoon, four years ago. They liked it so much, that they went again last year. A tropical design seemed perfect for their card, and I used a stencil by Faber-Castell, along with an image by Janie's Originals that I colored and fussy cut . The sentiment is by Close to My Heart, and the yellow border along the bottom was masked and sponged. I try to keep a stash of stenciled and inked backgrounds on hand so I can just grab one and craft as the mood hits. Glad I did this time, because I didn't feel like pulling out all the inks and getting messy!
My blog friend Janis recently called my attention to a new challenge that features dragonflies, and I had to go check it out. I have quite a few papers with dragonflies, as well as one or two paper punches, and various stamps. The theme of Winter with dragonflies stamped me at first, because I don't associate dragonflies with winter at all. However, I pushed on ahead and finally came up with this. I used a slimline holly die by Creative Expressions, along with a snowflake background stamp by Hero Arts. The pretty vellum dragonflies were from a vellum booklet that I've had for years and years and the sentiment is by Taylored Expressions. Those icy blue colors were just perfect for the theme, don't you think?
Paper Dragonfly Challenge #1, winter dragonflies
Double D Challenges, blue and white winter
DL.Art's January linky
Papercraft Challenge 78, winter wonderland
Four Seasons challenge, winter
SSS Monday challenge, insects and birdsWith the weather outside all gray and dreary, it was a delight to pull out some fun papers by Heidi Grace, and butterfly stamps and dies by Clearly Besotted, to make this card for the Butterfly Spot Challenge #165. I ended up making a batch of 3 cards with the same supplies, and even used up some pre-made birthday sentiments that have been languishing in my stash forever. The circle dies are by Nellie's Choice.
While I had these papers and stamps out, I made this trio of similar cards. What a great feeling to use up some old stash and papers. Thanks to my blog friend Janis https://herpeacefulgarden.blogspot.com/for motivating me to start a mini-assembly line for multiples.
My son in law is very handy and my granddaughters think he can fix anything. So, when it came time to make his birthday card, I grabbed this fun tool kit die set that I got awhile back, and made this. The embossing folder is by Darice, and I used upcycled food packaging for the tool die cuts. I had to dig deep into my cupboards to find just the right shade of deep orange, which meant that my husband will have to guess at the contents of several packages. I found the sentiment online and printed it out on computer. It took some patience to layer the little tools, and to adhere that miniature nail, but my son in law loved this.
Cut It Up challenge 243, AG with a die
Creative Crafting Uncles challenge #25 , birthday
Someone on a forum that I frequent requested a card be sent to a friend of hers who is in hospice and could use some encouragement. She loves the color blue and fairies , so I inked up this image by Beeswax stamps and stamped her on an ink smooshed card base. The sparkles and the sentiment are by Winnie & Walter (sadly, no longer in business). I hope this card brings comfort to its recipient.
Looks like this is a week for making birthday cards, and a great excuse to pull out the balloon dies. This is the Balloon Coverup die by MFT, and I used sentiment stamps and the sentiment strip die by Taylored Expressions. The little bird die is by Spellbinders, and a few Nuvo Drop dots and white gel pen detail complete my design.
Double D Designs challenge , party balloons
SSS Wednesday Challenge, something NEW. The sentiment strip stamps and dies are new
Time Out challenge 204, soemthing new. New sentiment stamps and die, and new birthday!
This is what it looks like inside. The papers are held inside by the brads, and when you are done using a page, you tear it out.
Time Out challenge, something new. This is a new stamp set and a new project type for me.
SSS Monday challenge, something new.
SSS Wednesday, something new. This is a new stamp set and new technique
Today was a day for making a few snarky birthday cards, and this time I chose a sentiment by CASual Friday stamps. The balloon dies are by MFT (Balloon Cover Up die and Party Balloons), and I made my rainbow with nested oval dies by Sizzix. I used some enamel dots and stars, and a white gel pen to add shine to the balloons. Okay, so this sentiment always makes me laugh, but especially when paired with this rainbow and bright happy colors.
MFT sketch challenge 575. I combined the two sentiment strips into one and flipped the sketch.
If you're like me, you often buy items for your stash, and then have no idea what to do with them. I bought such an item years ago, and finally opened the package today. The fun chipboard images are by Etcetera, and were made in 2004, so it was about time I used them. I made my stenciled background with a stencil by Faber Castell and Distress Inks. The sentiment is from Bombs Away by Stampin'Up. I know just the friend who appreciate this gently snarky birthday card! As the sentiment is rather smaIl, it might be hard to read, but it says, "An occasion like this calls for a mediocre sheet cake from the grocery store".
A friend gave me this adorable alpaca stamp set by Park Lane for Christmas, and I used it to make her a thank you card. The papers are by Nikki Sivils, and I used a stitched label die by Stephanie Barnard. The the butterfly is also from the same set, and the sentiment is by MFT.
Bitten by The Bug, Layers and a die.
DL.Art's January challenge