HEXAGON HUGS

Another hexagon card similar to one I saw in CardMaker Magazine.  This is going out with a hand-written message inside for a friend whose whole family has been sick (2 recovering from surgeries and she with the flu.)  It's been a long haul for all of them!

This is what I love about making our own cards.  It's such a wonderful way to bless a friend in need.  As I've said before, it's really a ministry.

For this card, I added texture with an ef and popped it up on the card front with dimensionals.  The hexagons were left over from my previous 2 cards and just happened to match a piece of light blue cs laying on my table (from who-knows-where...)  Very simple card to assemble.

ANOTHER HEXAGON CARD from the SCRAP DRAWER

Since I had some leftover hexagons on my table, I made another card.  This time I left a little bit of white cs around the border when I cut it down.  After wrapping some jute around the tan layering swatch (which I got from the Paper Cut) I stamped the greeting at the bottom and mounted it on the front of the card.

This time I kept the embellishments even simpler by adding a tiny flower with a blue gem on top of 2 layers from my SU Boho Blossom punch.

I've always liked the blue/brown combination, so I'm glad to have used it here.  Maybe I'll redo my living room in these colors!

FROM THE SCRAP DRAWER #14

Time to use up more of those scraps!  This time I came up with another hexagon design.

After using a Sizzix embossing folder on the front of the card, I mounted the hexagon panel with SU dimensionals.  To make the panel, I taped the hexagons onto a scrap of white cs and cut around the outside edges by hand.  Very easy...

I added the jute on the left and some pearls and gems on the hexagons for embellishment.  Then I stamped the greeting and inside message for a birthday card.

This just proves that simple is best, but doesn't have to be boring.

French Script for a French Friend

This is a duplicate of the card I made for Lucienne's birthday.  Since she is a French lady, I began with French Script which is inked up with 3 Distress Ink colors and spritzed with water before stamping on a white panel.  After sponging the edges with Forest Moss DI, I mounted the panel on the green card with dimensionals.

Next, I pulled out a favorite Hero Arts clear set (Big and Small Flowers) and stamped the flower in Wild Honey DI then colored it using my aqua painter with ink that I dabbed on my acrylic block.  Once I finished painting the blossom, I ran it through my CB in a Swiss Dots ef.  To complete the flower, I used some green scraps for the stem and leaves, gluing the stem down with TomBow Multi Glue.  After stamping the leaves with green ink and shading them with my aqua painter, I cut them out.  To attach them to the card, I folded them and added glue to just one side.  This was a great way to add some dimension!

Meanwhile, back at the flower, I used my Epiphany Crafts button maker and a piece of blue scrap dsp.  Instead of threading the embroidery floss through the tiny holes, I made a bow and attached it to the button with a glue dot.  I used another glue dot to add it to the flower.  The greeting was stamped with green ink, punched out, taped to the scalloped oval and attached with dimensionals.  Last, I used a variety of gems and pearls for the final embellishments.

Lucienne loved the card and the daisies I hand-delivered!

Valentine for an Out-of-this-world Husband

 This looks so much like him (not!) that I made this for Valentine's Day.  The eyes are glued on with TomBow Mono Multi glue.  The image was colored with my aqua painter using green and blue distress inks to match the dsp beneath.  I used dimensionals for the white panel and double-stick tape for the dsp.  Matching green embroidery floss was tied around the panel--no bows for a macho man!

Something a little more romantic will go inside.  The card front was inspired by Sylvia's blog HERE!

Thanks, Sylvia.  Your card is adorable.

MY TOWER IS A BIT NIPPY THIS WEEK!

Can you see me waving at the top???

(Click for a closer view.)


Just kidding...  This tower is on our street, barely visible in winter and completely hidden from our house when the leaves come out.  Temps have been in the teens and twenties by day and single digits by night...brr...

MOMS CLUB VALENTINE

What to do with so many ideas?  Put them all on one card!  Here's what I came up with for the Valentine class next month.

Starting with a chocolatey base of SU Early Espresso cs cut the long way, I folded it in half and then half again on the front to form a "Z fold" card. Then I decorated the front with various sized hearts--a great way to use up patterns from the scrap drawer!  I stamped the sentiment in red, cut it square and attached it to the front (left side only!)

Next I used the slot punch to create slits for the tube of  M&Ms which is inserted at the top and bottom and secured on the back with Scotch tape.  After adding the red and white bakers twine to keep the folded half closed, I cut a piece of dsp to fit the right side (4 x 5 1/4".)  I used the SU scalloped oval punch for the background of the inside message which is made using Memory Box alphabet dies and a quilled heart.

Finally, I slipped the large red heart under the candy tube and added a small heart-felt felt heart so there would be something decorative there after the candy is removed.

With so many steps for the card, this should take the class awhile to make.  They'll be making one for each child with a handmade envelope to present in person.  With such a thick tube inside, it won't be postage friendly...

NEW QUILT DIE

This is a small die, just right for a card, but a challenge for using such small pieces.  The first one I did had to be scrapped; but this one turned out great.  I ran the die through my CB four times, using 4 paper patterns.

Starting with a red square, I ran some snail along the edges and across the middle to hold the tiny pieces as I went along.  First I used one of the four outlines as a frame and filled in with the dsp.  Then I punched out a star for the center, added a light green gem and mounted it on the card with dimensionals..

Although they look symmetrical, I discovered that the diamond shapes fit only one way in the spaces--something to consider when applying them.  One thing I would change next time is the border punch.  I think it would look better with a pointy edge rather than the scallops with this design.

This card is going to a friend who needs some encouraging words.

UPDATE:  I cut off the scalloped edge and added a dark green strip on the right.  I think this added some depth to the card, and now I'm happy with it.

TIP:   When taking a photo of a card that keeps popping open, use some temporary tape to hold it closed.  Then remove the adhesive when you're done.

ANOTHER SWEET AND SASSY STAMP

 

This card presented some problems along the way.  I inked it in black and stamped off on a piece of scrap.  When I stamped it onto the white cs,  part of the image didn't print out; and it was right in the middle.  After coloring with markers, I found another flower in my stash that fit the spot perfectly, so I used it to cover up the empty space.  After adding the bakers twine bow and the sentiment, the card was done.  I mounted it with dimensionals on navy blue cs for some deep contrast.

This is a good example of how not to give up on a card!

NEW CAT STAMP

This card is going to a friend facing surgery next week who loves our Siamese cat.  It features a new cat set from Sweet and Sassy Stamps, "Purrfect Friend" and paw prints from an old, old Hero Arts set my husband gave me when I first started stamping.

After cutting out the image with a scalloped circle die and watercoloring the cat, I mounted it on the brown cs with dimensionals and added the brown bakers twine.  To finish it off, I added the paw prints at the bottom, the inside and the envelope.

As I've said before, cardmaking is not only an art--it's also a ministry.  This will be a blessing to our friend in letting him know we're keeping him in our thoughts and prayers.

SAME STAMP, ANOTHER CARD

Talk about easy...  This is a plain and simple card using the same stamp as the previous version in yesterday's post.  Somehow, using a monochromatic color scheme simplifies everything!

All I did was stamp it in green, add two flowers and some jute and mount it to the card with dimensionals.  The greeting was embossed in white.  Do you recognize the famous handwriting?  If you're a Kristina Werner fan, you got it right!




NOTE:  The cling stamp I used is from Hampton Arts, but there is no title on the package and no similar stamp on their site.  I don't remember where I got it.  (sorry)

NEW HOME CARD

 One of my good friends has moved to North Carolina from here in New Jersey, so I wanted to make an extra special card for her.

Using the Grand Madison Door die from Poppy Stamps, I created a door from the outline of the die cut and stamped it with the Hero Arts wood grain background stamp.  (I can use the door die cut later.)  With my ruler and a brown marker, I outlined the door panels and added a brass "kick plate" at the bottom.  To make the door knob, I placed a piece of scor-tape on the back of a shiny brass scrap and punched it out with my Cropodile, removed the backing and placed it on the door.

Next, I took three of my peg stamps and created the wreath (after practicing on a piece of scrap first) directly on the door panel.  Then I added the bow, mounted the door with dimensionals and clipped the corners of the card.

Inside, I created a banner at the top using the same peg stamps and inks as the wreath.  Instead of stamping a greeting, I hand wrote a brief message, clipped the corners to match the card and attached it inside.

This year, I plan to add interest to the inside of my cards as I make them.  Expressing a sentiment in my own handwriting is also a great way to personalize each card.

What changes/improvements are you planning to make in the New Year? 

Another New Stamp

This time, the stamp is from Hampton Arts and has flowers and background all in one stamp.  It took me awhile to decide how to use it.  Here's how it "evolved" to what you see:

It all started with a piece of heavy red cs already cut to 5 1/2 x 8 1/2".  Although I knew better, I tried folding it in half without scoring it first and ended up with crinkles.  (You've done that at least once, right?)  So, to cover up the crinkles, I found some leftover dsp that would go with the color scheme I had in mind and applied it over the fold and on the bottom of the inside.

Next I used the Fiskars border punch along the bottom; but that left me with very little room to mount the square stamped image.  Tilting it didn't work with horizontal script and vertical flower stems, so I added a piece of dark green cs which I tilted to provide a contrast between the dsp and the image.  (Are you still following this?)  This left a wide blank space in the upper right corner, so I added the twine to fill in.  This worked ok, but what to do with the rest of the blank space beneath it???  Out came the 3/4" punch and a small saying stamped on leftover dsp.

Meanwhile, back at the image, it was time to make that work.  First, I used my gel glitter pens to highlight the flowers; but I needed something that would make it pop.  I found 4 tiny white flowers in my stash and 4 pink flower gems from Hero Arts--perfect!  I still needed something to bring the whole card front together, so it was back to my stash where I found just the right sized butterfly already stamped and cut out.

Whew!  Now that was work; but at least it was worth it in the end.  I hope you enjoyed this story of how my card evolved.  (This card is not going to just anybody...)

NEW YEAR, NEW STAMPS

Now that the holiday rush is over, I can once again relax in the stamping tower and be more creative.    Today was the first opportunity I've had to try some of the new stamp sets that accumulated on my "new toys" spot.  I have a special place set aside to keep new stamps and products until I have time to use them.  With the holiday rush, some of them have been on the shelf for weeks.  So here we go!

First, I opened a clear stamp set from Sweet and Sassy Stamps, and do I love them!  These stamps ink up nicely and give an outstanding image, especially on the greeting.  This one from "Poppies and Greetings" came out better than I expected.  After coloring the image with colored pencils and mounting the two large blossoms (stamped separately on scrap cs) with dimensionals, I stamped the greeting above.  Since I wanted a bit more of the designer paper underneath to show, I used a Fiskars border punch.  Then I added the black lines freehand to frame it.  Before mounting it on the card, I used a light blue watercolor pencil to highlight the edges of the flowers and leaves.  (The black around the flowers is just a shadow from taking the photo with the sun coming in the window.)    After mounting the white panel to the card with dimensionals, I added some black glitter to the flower centers for the final touch.  Now that it's done, I think this card would make a nice Valentine for someone special!

Check back later for  more new stamps!

Embossed Metal Background

This card took all of 5 minutes to create!  I first ran a piece of metal sheeting, green on one side, silver on the other, through the Cuttlebug with a diamond embossing folder.  After sanding it lightly and tying a piece of silver cording around it, I attached it to the card front with double-stick tape.

Next, I stamped the Bible verse with black ink, used a Nestabilities label die, sponged the edges with green ink and added it to the card with dimensionals.  Done!

The verse is from a new Sweet and Sassy set I purchased weeks ago, but haven't had time to try until now.