CARD FROM SCRAPS

Except for the gray gingham, this card was made

entirely from scraps.  The vertical greeting is from the SU! set,

Vertical Greetings, appropriately.  The scraps are from cards I've been making

using designer papers from Carta Bella..

LONE PINE

I'm sure we haven't seen the last of snow and ice yet, so this

card will go out soon.  I stamped it, wrapped some cording

around the white panel and mounted it with dimensionals.

For a final touch, I attached the greeting on the side

of the panel and added some glitter to the branches.  Easy card!

GET WELL CARD

Sometimes, all you need for a card is an interesting background.  

This one is from the Carta Bella pad I just got which is full of

beautiful designs.

All this card needed was a bold greeting (for a very speedy

recovery) and a few green leaves.  The silver and white baker's

twine help tie it all together (no pun intended!)  I didn't time it, but

I'm sure it was under 10 minutes to complete the card.

PAPER PLAYERS--Sew Much Fun!

I'm not a quilter, but I always enjoy looking at them.  Last Fall I went to a local

quilt show with a quilter friend who pointed out the techniques

and workmanship of the many on display--a big help in voting for the 3 best quilts.
    I'm not sure it was really fair to put the results in the hands of people like me

 who know very little about quilting, but I did my best to evaluate them 
on more than how pretty (or card-like) they were.

It's the same way with cards.  Would non-stamper judges appreciate all that goes into

a CAS card, thinking it was too plain?  Would they be attracted to the card that

has many embellishments, but really didn't require much skill?  Would they know

anything about the rule of thirds or the color wheel or a technique used?

Hmm...something to ponder...

One thing I do know is that when we send someone a card with

carefully chosen words of encouragement, it's no longer "just a card,"

it's a ministry.

CASEd from BRANDY'S CARDS

This card too almost no time at all, thanks to Brandy Cox's video.

In fact, she has tons of Stampin' Up tutorials that are 

easy and fun, so be sure to check her out on YouTube.

MODERN BUTTERFLIES

 The colors in these Brutus Monroe abstract patterns make the best butterflies!

The butterfly stamps are from my stash and are

years old.  The larger one (below) is one of my faves.

 

The dsp is from a 6x6 pad of  various marbled colors.  Both

greetings are from a floral set, Botanical Blocks, by PTI.

 The antennae were made from colored wires

and attached on the back of the butterfly with a

dimensional.  I shape the wires with my thumb.

The gingham dsp is from another 6x6 pad

(Doodblebug Design) that arrived with the rest

of my Simon Says Stamp order this week.

It's been fun playing around with such different designer

papers and CASEing some ideas from various YouTube videos.

One of them is called Cards and Coffee Time.  Check it out for some

fresh ideas using SSS kits, 10 cards at a time!

 

RAINY DAY FUN!

It's been raining on and off all day,

but not in the Stamping Tower!  I just

finished making a stack of new cards using

some new Carta Bella dsp 6x6 pads

from Simon Says Stamp.

Thanks to the beautiful floral print featured here,

I think I'm beginning to like pink.  This will be another Easter

card to send out.  The silver twine wrapped itself

around the top and bottom of the banner and blossoms

for a final touch.

The blossoms were done with colored pencils

and a blender pencil.

(This is one of those cards that looks better IRL.)

GATE FOLD NOTE

This card will be going out today with a note inside.

The stamp is from a set of Bible verses by

Our Daily Bread Designs. 

DRAGONFLY BIRTHDAY

This card features the large dragonfly from a SU! set that I found in my stash already cut and ready to go.  Starting with a white card base, I added a wide dsp banner, a green circle and the dragonfly.  

After adding the birthday greeting (also from SU!) I assembled the card as shown.  For embellishment, I used black gems and a corner punch (SU!)  I then used clear WOS on the dragonfly body to finish the card.

BIRTHDAY Z-FOLD

This clean and simple z-fold card was a  quick one.  After folding back the front, I ran the flap through my Sizzix in an embossing folder.  The greeting is a large one (Altenew) which makes the message stand out.  The flower at the bottom is attached with double dimensionals to serve as a way to keep the front from popping open.

Now that I'm posting it, I see that it could have used a little extra embellishment in the upper left corner.

PAPER PLAYERS--Red, White and Kraft

Love this color combo! 
I highlighted the cherry with clear WOS.

For the inside, I wrote:

"...after chocolate, that is!"

Other Paper Player entries are HERE. 


 

GETTING AHEAD

Now that I'm done with February birthdays and Valentines, I'm on to March and Easter!  I'll be posting the cards I've made soon.  Meanwhile, this birthday card was inspired by a paper pad I've had in my collection literally for years.  (Sorry for the faded look on the bottom.)

Are you as anxious for Spring as I am???


 

CASEing THE IPAD

This card was inspired by one that I saw on

Yana Smakula's blog HERE.

Using the MISTI, I stamped each of the larger images one at a time.  Then 

I removed the panel and stamped the smaller images in

between.  After coloring in the three large images, I added

some clear Wink of Stella for some shine on the scissor and

craft knife blades and gold WOS on the pen.

The larger stamps are from the SU set, "Crafting Forever" and

the smaller ones are from my peg stamp drawer.  The

inside has a Valentine greeting.

Thanks, Yana, for a fun card design!

MARCH BIRTHDAY

Now that I've finished all the cards I need for February, it's time to start on March.  It's nice to see some flowers, even if only on paper.  This violet stamp has been in my stash for quite a few years, and I always love using it, although I usually use it for Easter cards.  It's from Our Daily Bread Designs, and the set includes some beautiful Easter sayings.

The card is pretty self explanatory, so enjoy!


 

PAPER PLAYERS #378--Sketch

This was an easy sketch to follow, 

and I will be able to use this card as a Valentine.

The inside reads "Love one another." John 13:34

Except for the floral panel, the rest of the card was made with scraps!

Love that scrap drawer...