LESS IS MORE--Sketch

This time the challenge was a one-layer card using the sketch shown HERE.

After masking the strip on the left side and sponging it with red ink, I spritzed it with Glimmer Mist Dazzling Diamonds. Hopefully, you can see the shiny spots in the photo.

Next, I stamped the small hearts down the strip and the line of hearts (one stamp) across. Using black ink, I overstamped "love" across the bottom. The results were very dull, and I was unhappy with the card. So I took my black marker, adding the tiny hearts and dashes by hand, and outlining the arrows and "tails." Now I'm happy with it.

Making one-layer cards truly IS a challenge!

Birthday Cupcake

When I realized I missed a friend's birthday on Jan. 2nd, I made this card using a cupcake clear stamp set (Hero Arts, I think.) The sentiment is from Impression Obsession, which I divided into two parts using a black marker. The inside reads "...the other food group."

I also divided the cupcake in two parts, using a piece of leftover chevron for the icing and a scrap of brown cs for the cake--chocolate, of course! The cherry is also from the same set, stamped on a piece of leftover red cs and colored over with glitter gel pens.

Hope she gets a chuckle out of this one!

Another Valentine

Here's what I came up with to make a chevron-like card for the upcoming Mothers class. Using the rick-rack die will make things go a lot faster! Moms in the class will have a choice of gems, hearts and pearls to embellish as they please

The Catalina wreath die is from Memory Box and is attached with Tombow multi glue, as are the zig-zag strips. The bottom corners are rounded, and they'll add a sentiment inside. Using kraft paper (SU Crumb Cake) will make it more masculine. We may also add a twine bow or knot later, too.

I'm looking forward to classes starting up again!

Chevron Design Card

This top fold Valentine card was inspired by Jennifer McGuire's video HERE.

After following her instructions for making the chevron strip, I added a Hero Arts flower with some red pearls, stamped "Love" on the front and attached a felt heart.

Next, I used a Fiskars corner edger scissor on the top right just to finish it off.

Although this was not difficult to do, it was too time consuming to use for a class. I'll be working on another design for Moms Club, which resumes on Feb. 1st.

Mothers Class Valentine

Here's the first card I designed for the Moms Club which starts up again on Feb. 1st. I started with a packet of single layer heart-shaped cards and envelopes, which really keeps it simple.

First I stamped the large scribbled heart in the middle. The stamp is from an Inkadinkado set, appropriately, "Hearts." Next I stamped "Love" from a SU set across the bottom. The "Be Mine" heart is a sticker I purchased at Hobby Lobby, to which I added a heart-shaped gem. The key is from a die cut set by Memory Box, which coordinates with their "Lock and Key" stamp set. The message I chose (from 7 in the set) is stamped parallel to the key on the card.

This should be a fun project!

TIP: When stamping close to something on a card, like the key here, mount your clear stamp upside down on the end of your acrylic mount and stamp from the open side.

FROM THE SCRAP DRAWER #12

It's been awhile since I raided the scrap drawer for a card! After sorting through all the scraps and pulling some out to give away, I cut down a few for this Valentine card.

To make the stripes for underneath the heart, I cut thin strips, lined them up the way I thought looked best and attached them to a scrap of white cs with double stick tape. Then I cut off the excess around the edges and taped it to the front of the card. Using a Cuttlebug die, I cut out the heart in the center of a square scrap, placed dimensionals in each corner and mounted it to the card. Not having a stamp small enough, I wrote "love" by hand with a Gelly Roll glitter pen on a narrow piece of white scrap cs. After embellishing with pearls and gems, I rounded the top corner and cut away some of the white space at the bottom of the card.

I'll be using up some more scraps later! Meanwhile, I'm determined not to buy any more dsp until I use up more of what I already have. Yeah, right...

I'VE BEEN PUBLISHED!

Imagine my surprise when I received this complimentary copy of "Just Cards!" magazine in the mail yesterday with a letter informing me that one of my cards was published! I'd forgotten that I sent it in; but there it was on page 51!

The only stamping on this card was the greeting inside (not shown.) To make it, I used some punches and a woodgrain folder for the birdhouse.

After running the red cs through the Cuttlebug, I punched a hole for the "door" and placed a small piece of black cs behind it. Then I cut the top corners at an angle for the roof and covered it with scalloped oval "slices." After punching out the bird and leaf (SU bird punch) and a small heart, I mounted everything to a kraft card using SU dimensionals and glue dots.

With the heart at the peak of the roof, this could make a cute Valentine!

TIP OF THE NEW YEAR!

Got a die that keeps hanging up on one side or section? Here's the solution: run it through your die cut machine with a piece of foil to sharpen the edges. Works like a charm!

CFC33--Kraft and Twine

First Challenge for me in the New Year!

Casual Friday's challenge is to make a clean and simple card using kraft paper and twine. I just reordered more Crumb Cake cs from SU, since I'm completely out. Fortunately, I had one last piece of scrap to use on this card.

Using stamps from two SU sets, I used the heart flowers from Valentine Defined and the greeting from Have a Heart (2002.) I then colored in the hearts with a red star gel pen for just a touch of sparkle. The tiny pearls are from a letter set (see my post on Nov. 19th.)

Check out the other entries HERE.