All-purpose Card Updated

UPDATE: 7/29/09
I decided to add a dewdrop on one of the lower petals and a small matching button to the left of the greeting. Thanks for the suggestion, LeAnne!

A Card and a Cat

Here's a masculine card using the tree from La Jardin Botanique and some Ranger Distress ink mounted over a piece of BasicGrey paper. For glitz, I used some ribbon with gold threads and rust edges. Adding some dashes around the image with a SU Really Rust marker coordinates the colors in the ribbon and bg paper.

Meanwhile, Jenny kept me company on the "visitor's" chair while the rain came down--not good outdoor weather, but great for stamping or snoozing!

A MIGHTY TREE

What is it about trees that makes them so appealing? This one looks mighty and strong, which makes it ideal for a masculine card.

I stamped the tree on Soft Suede cs using black StazOn ink and cut it to size for the card. Then I edged the sides with Versamark and clear ep. To add color and "sunshine" highlights, I used a Close to Cocoa marker for the trunk and several branches, Mellow Moss marker for the leaves, and a yellow Gelly Roll pen for the splashes of sun on the trunk and left-side leaves. Before mounting the image on Very Vanilla cs, I used the leaf from Carte Postale with Versamark to create the background.

Be sure to click on the image for a closer view of the details!

BONJOUR, BUTTERFLY!

If you look closely, you'll see yet another card with Scor-Bug accents.

First, I stamped the butterfly in black India Ink, painted it with Twinkling H2O's, cut it out and set it aside.

Next, I inked up the SU French Script background stamp with 2 shades of Colorbox yellow inks, leaving some spots untouched for a mottled look. After stamping the plain white cs, I then used the Scor-Bug partway along the top, bottom and sides of the card.

Once the card was ready, I used dimensionals to attach the butterfly so that the left wing would extend out past the opening in the Scor-Bug dots. Then I used my SU coordinating oval punches for the greeting, which also extends beyond the lower dot border.

For bling, I added some tiny black gems to the butterfly body, his "trail" and the dot over the j in Bonjour.



Tip: As you can see, I use the dots in letter sets I can get at craft stores. They come in lots of different colors (black, red, pearl, rhinestone...) and are ideal for small touches on a card!

Scor-Bug Revisited

Here's another card using the Scor-Bug for accents on the top right and lower left. This time, I ran it with the dots facing up. (Click to enlarge.)

The flower is mounted over the leaf in the same set, with added ferns punched out of dark green cardstock using a Martha Stewart punch.

The inside greeting is for a birthday.

B is for Birthday

Using one of the K and Co. Designer cards I purchased recently at Michaels, I tried a few of my new "toys" on this one.

First, the large letter "B" was inked up with Ranger Distress Inks--a mix of "Peeled Paint" (green), "Tea Dye" (golden tan) and "Broken China" (blue). I swiped each ink pad on a plastic plate*, then smooshed the stamp around until it was covered enough. Then I stamped it on white for a marbled watercolor look. It matched the colors in the card stock perfectly.

Next, I cut out the images used and mounted them as shown. The bow is made with embroidery floss--two matching colors. For added interest, I tried out my Scor-Bug which arrived on Friday. If you look closely, you'll see the dots on the bottom and partway up the right side. A white gel pen in each dot helps make them stand out more. (Click to enlarge.)

I used a different "B" for the inside from a Hero Arts clear set and repeated the bee from the SU set. (For some reason my scanner cut off the plain bottom part of the card.)

The size of this card was a bit of a challenge since there's more space to fill, but I love the way the window worked out.

*BTW, plastic plates make the ideal pallet and/or liquid glue surface. The ridge around the edge keeps liquids from running onto my table. For gluing things, I put a few dabs on the plate and either dip embellishments into it or use an applicator direct to paper. The plates clean easily with baby wipes and are reuseable.

Fun with the Grandkids

Check out the fun we had at Aunt Carol's pool last week! There are photos and a video on my Fox Mountain blog--just click on link at right...

K & Company and "Just B"

My friend, Joan, gave me these pink and green embellishments ages ago, and I'm now just getting around to using them. They were just perfect for this cardstock!

The SU "Just B" set offers so many ways to be creative with it. Here, just because the "B" in that set is just a little too big, I used a Thickers chipboard letter, colored it with 2 shades of Colorbox green and added some shine with clear ep. For bling, I just added a pink gem in the flower center.



Since the reverse of the "Just B Cuz" card is a pale shade, it's just right for a little note later on. I made use of a few ribbon scraps in just a different way, and the green button and pink floss finished it of off just right.

K & Company Cards

Today I pulled out some older stamps to "play" with on my new K & Co. double-sided cards. They came in a pad of 24 pre-scored sheets.

For this first one, I cut off a piece of the bottom and reversed it to use as an anchor so the cat wouldn't look like it was just floating on the card. I love the richness of this tapestry print and the simplicity of the stripes as a contrast. Of course, the cat is sporting some feline bling!

Inside, the cat face is repeated alongside the SU Outline stamp, and both are placed to the left so that when I sign it, all will be in balance.

Workshop Card--Easy!

Since I plan on doing another workshop soon, I needed to come up with something simple. Here again, the background paper really helps make the card.

Inking up the tree with two colors, green on top and brown for the trunk, might be a little tricky for a beginner; but cutting it afterward for mounting is "safer" than trying to stamp it directly on a card.

I like how the button fit just right on the blue stripe. This makes for a good all-purpose or masculine card to have on hand!

HAPPY FOURTH!

I'll be at my sister's for a few days with my two oldest grandchildren. We plan to use her pool, soak up some sun, play some board games and dominoes and go to a nice sandy beach. Should be fun!

Meanwhile, I'll be keeping up on the latest blog entries from her computer and looking forward to stamping up a storm when I get back.

So sorry...

Here's a shutter card I had on hand that I decided to use for someone who just lost a pet. The cat's eyes are embellished with green gems, the collar with 3 tiny rhinestones, and the flowers at right with larger rhinestones.

The hearts were carefully punched to center a white dot on the dsp. The large section in the middle of the card will be used for a personal message.

Having had to say goodbye to several pets over the last few years, I know how sad it can be. I hope this card will help to let this someone know that I care.

NEW CATALOG EXCITEMENT!

I've been perusing the new catalog and can't wait to order some new sets!

Since I send out 100 Christmas cards, I like to start during the summer. The Gifts of Christmas set will be the one for this year--LOVE it!



For my grandchildren, I think the "Greetings, Earthling" set is adorable for a birthday or even just a Hello...



What a nice idea to offer sets for a sympathy card after the loss of a pet. There's one for dogs and another for cats, and each one includes images and sayings for other uses as well. Needless to say, I'll be getting the cat one.



There are new designer papers, punches and oodles of wonderful card samples on every page! My wish list keeps getting longer every time I look through it again. (uh-oh...)

Sometimes It Works...

...to let the background paper do some of the work, yes? The blue swirls in this SU dsp were just on one corner, so I cut it to use on this card. I wanted to cut off the SU words in the upper right corner, so I used my punch and trimmed it to fit. Then I rounded off just that one corner to highlight it a bit more. Little details like that really add a lot of interest, don't they?

Can you tell that I enjoy using the "God's Beauty" set? and the two oval punches?...and that I seem to be into question marks today?

Hope you're having a great summer! Remember, if you're stuck indoors because of high heat or lots of rain, it's good stamping weather!

Butterfly Bling

Here's a card I made yesterday. When I was done, even after adding some blue gems on the butterfly for bling and some tiny pearls in the flower centers, I thought there was still too much emptiness.

By adding just a few freehand dashes around the edges with a black marker, the images no longer "float" on the card front. The "frame" pulls the images together without distracting from them.

Isn't it amazing how one little change can make such a big difference!

Midnight Cat--UPDATE

Reminiscent of my own cat lurking in the hostas (scroll down a few days for photo) this one is hiding in the ferns at night. I got the idea from Stamp TV, using the technique called "Pullin' Pastels".

Just to show how "great minds DO think alike" take a look at Germaine's post where she made ATC's that look strikingly similar...amazing! (Click on Stampilicious link at right.) Since I like the way she put the moon in her background, I'm thinking of adding a half moon stamp in the upper left corner of my card. What do you think?

UPDATE: HERE'S HOW I ENHANCED THIS CARD TO GIVE IT A MORE FINISHED LOOK BY USING A WHITE GEL PEN. I ALSO ADDED SOME STARS TO GIVE IT A NIGHT TIME FEEL. THE HALF MOON IN THIS SU SET WOULD HAVE ADDED ANOTHER "FACE" WHICH I THOUGHT MIGHT DETRACT FROM THE CAT. I THINK IT'S DONE NOW!

Bright and Summery

Here's a card I made with one of my new dsp sets from SU--I took advantage of the buy 3-get-1-free special.

I chose the cardstock colors from the colors in the design.

The flower image is from Hero Arts.


Enjoy!

Deer Season!

Here's a new card with an old set.

I ran into some trouble with this one. To the left of the embroidery floss knot is a square eyelet that I smooshed with my Cropodile and had to improvise. Since I couldn't pull the floss through the hole, I made a new hole next to it, tied the knot and covered the eyelet with a green gem (not too visible in this scan.) Looks intentional...

There's always some way to save a card!

So Not Sewn!

Since I no longer have a sewing machine, I have to make my "quilts" look like they were stitched. Here's one I patterned after Lisa Johnson's post on "Poppy Paperie" using a paper piercer and a white gel pen for the "stitches."

The rose is done by tearing 3 circles out of paper, crinkling them up, then edging them with ink. (Similar method for the leaves, sans ink.) The leaves and bottom rose layer are attached to the quilt with ds tape, and the two top rose layers are secured with dimensionals. A gem in the center and alongside the saying finish it off with a little bit of bling.

I plan to use this masterpiece as a welcome card for a new Silver Stamper member.

ANOTHER CASE

This one is from Clean and Simple Stamping, and it certainly is both. For the square, I used my Score Pal to make grooves around the image. Then I used the white gel pen to add dots between the grooves.

To finish, I stamped another Pocket Silhouette on the bottom right with Versamark and overstamped the greeting with Olive Colorbox ink. The green gem adds a little bling.

Thank you Natasha Trupp for such an easy card!