Get Out Your Party Hat!

Another easy card!

First, I stamped the Hero Arts image and cut it out with postage stamp scissors. After mounting it on beige cardstock with SU dimensionals, I set it aside while I worked on the card itself with wavy scissors, a strip of patterned cardstock for the bottom and a piece of coordinating polka dot dp. A green button with a beige embroidery floss knot adds some detail.

After adhering the image to the card, I traced over it with a light brown marker pen and added some gems for bling--less than 10 minutes to complete...gotta love this Hero Arts birthday frames set!

Birthday Card for Someone Special

Don't you just love those cards that seem to "evolve" as you go along? This one started out with a leftover cuttlebug card and a scrap of black and red Basic Grey dp.

First, I split the dp (unevenly) so that the wide piece could hide some blank space along the fold and the narrow piece could go along the inside on the right. Next, I used some black embroidery floss along the edge of the dp. Then I found a red button in my stash with one large hole in the middle, into which I glued a black pearl. But then, what to do with all that blank space above...

Since Spring is here, with its promise of showy tulips and daffodils, I got out my Inkadinkado clear set of flowers and chose this showy tulip. I stamped it twice on red card stock so that I could pop out the foreground petals of the bloom with SU dimensionals.

After attaching it to the card, I did a little shading on the petals with a Versamark pen. To give it some "life" I added black Stickles and prisma glitter to the stamens. Done!

I just love it when a card comes together!

Mothers Class Does It Again!

This week, our class focused on House Mouse stamps. Although I had a wide variety of stamps, everyone seemed to choose the same ones. These little mice are just too cute!

Isn't it amazing how cards made with the same stamps can all turn out so different! Linda's card lies flat on the table because she chose to mount her image as a flap, like a mini-card on top of one piece, with the message underneath. The others stand up, some horizontal, some vertical. We had a lot of fun, and I'm sure the recipients of these adorable House Mouse cards will get a chuckle out of them.

One Last Easter Card

This one was for Evelyn, who has seen all my others. So I put this together just for her!




First, I stamped, heat-embossed, and colored the basket. Then, using my peg stamps from Rubber Stamp Tapestry, I "filled" the basket with leaves, ferns and flowers. Next, I added a tiny dragonfly enhanced with Stickles, and used a gray marker for a shadow and some dots around the image. Finally, a bow was attached with a glue dot.

After punching the notches on the corners, I taped the image on dark green Bazzill cardstock and mounted it to the card with SU dimensionals. All in all, an easy card to do--and fun!

Don't Throw Away Those FRAMES!

After using the die for another card, I was left with this outline. I got out my watercolor crayons and painted it to make a frame. After attaching it to the card with double-stick tape, I stamped the flowers and greeting. The flowers were painted with Twinkling H2O's, as are the dragonflies. (Unfortunately, the shimmer on their wings doesn't show up well here. Click on image for a better view.) The dragonflies are popped out with foam tape.

This is just one example of how to make use of leftovers from other projects!

Beautiful Butterflies!

Mothers class members made faux cloisonne butterfly cards this week, and they all turned out great!

(For instructions, see March 23, 2007 post--and don't forget to click on photo to see details.)

We decided to name them this time. One mother named her butterfly "Bob"... What can I say, they're an imaginative group...

Enjoy!

Keenagers Project

One of the reasons I haven't posted lately is because I've been spending hours and hours preparing for a special Easter project for the "Keenagers" (seniors) at my church. Since most of them are in their 70's and 80's, all non-stampers, I had to make up kits with everything pre-stamped, ready to assemble. Be sure to click on the photo to enlarge!

First, they put together a bag topper for Easter treats. They filled the bags with Easter grass, added the candy provided and sealed the zip-loc top. To make the cover, all they had to do was color in the image and tape down the paper strip and the scalloped oval.

Next, we did the purple card with the butterfly. Since the card was already folded and punched with my Fiskar's eyelet border, they basically just had to tape down the white strip, the butterfly and the inside greeting. This was the easiest project of the four.

Then we did the bunny card, which was a little more involved. They especially enjoyed using mini dots and pom poms for the bunny tail!

Last and smallest, but not least, they assembled the cross card. After wrapping the embroidery floss around the image and securing it on the back, they attached that piece with SU dimensionals to the darker cs and mounted it on the card. Earlier, Evelyn and I had made matching envelopes for the smaller size using our Envelopers.

There was lots of excitement in the room, especially with one woman who said in the beginning that she could never make these. I'm so glad we proved to her that she could!

Since this occurred on the same day as the Mothers classes, they were all happy to help. They jumped right in as leaders, and the older folks really enjoyed having younger moms there with them. All in all, the effort that went into making this a success was well worth it.

This whole event just goes to prove that stamping can also serve as a creative ministry! Every time we make a card and send it out to someone, it says "someone cares" enough to take the time to think about that person and express it in a personal way.