IT'S BEEN A MONTH!

...RIGHT TO THE DAY!

A lot has happened since my last post.  Sometime before the end of August I started feeling extremely tired.  I thought it was just a case of anemia, so I took iron pills; but other symptoms started up.  When I went to the doctor, she took a urine sample.  Since it was Labor Day weekend, it took a week to come back--I had a serious kidney infection.  The first round of antibiotics had to be repeated before it finally started to clear up.  It was actually quite scary, and it took 3 weeks to regain my strength; but I'm fine now.

Meanwhile, my elderly diabetic cat was also quite sick and losing weight.  After running numerous tests, the vet could not find any reason for her deteriorating condition, so we had to put her down.  It was very sad, especially since she was our last pet.

Yesterday was my first day back in the Stamping Tower, and I made 15 Christmas cards to give our pastor for his use.  Love that MISTI!  

FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY BIRTHDAY

Today is the first day I've used this tag die (using scraps, of course.)  I started by cutting the whole die in white.  Next, I cut the top part from green cs, and again the light blue; then I glued the leaves and birds on top of the white.

After stamping the verse and sponging the edges with the same Distress Oxide ink, I tied the silver cord around the tag and mounted it on the card front.

This is one of those cards that looks better IRL!

SO VERY BLESSED

Evelyn and I get together and stamp regularly, usually about once a week.   This card was one of several we made last week using only leftover materials.  It wasn't too hard a challenge since I rarely use all the sheets in a dsp pad, for instance, or everything in a kit.

These leftovers are from a SSS kit, some SU dsp, previously punched ferns and an untouched sheet of metallic gold cs. 

The challenge to make several cards using only what we have in our stash was mentioned at the end of a YouTube video from Cards and Coffee Time.  I can see myself doing this once every week or two.  It's a great way to use up large scraps or introduce elements we've forgotten we have!

SIMPLE SATURDAY

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...

PAPER PLAYERS #377

In designing this card, I wanted something that feels like Spring.  Are you as tired of winter as those of us up here in the Northeast?

This card was simple to do, as you can probably tell.  The only "tricky" part was coloring the wooden heart with Purple Distress Ink without getting ink all over the card from my fingers.  The heart, appropriately, is the only embellishment since I didn't want to distract from the airy flowers in the dsp.

One good thing about Winters is that it gives us a lot of free time to stamp!

THREE OF A KIND--Love

All three cards were done using the Love Stamp Set from Papertrey Ink, and the corresponding die.

For the first card, I inked up the stamp in Versafine Warm Gray and stamped off to make the image as light as possible.  Then I colored the flowers with yellow and accented them with a gold WOS brush.  The image is popped up on a yellow oval with pearls for embellishment.

The second card was started with Brusho powder and lots of water on a stitched rectangle.  After allowing the cs to dry overnight, I stamped the image and colored with a marker that best matched the dsp.  Then I coated it with clear WOS, stamped the greeting with dark gray in the space provided and popped it up with dimensionals.

For embellishment, I added a few sequins and assembled the card as shown.  It's still a little warped from all the water I had to use, and I'm hoping it will flatten out more in the mail.

The third card, which I like best because of the unusual color combo, started with choosing some coordinating dsp and gluing it to the card front.  I separated the two dsp designs by adding a sliver of the same blue cs used for the word "love."

Next, I gold embossed the image and die cut it.  After gluing the word to the image, I added some tiny gems and a wooden heart to finish the card front.



All three cards use an appropriate Bible verse from the stamp set for the inside.  These cards will go to three of my close friends.

MAKE IT MONDAY #305--Love of Layers

...or should I say "Layering Gone Wild???"

This card features seven layers (not counting the pearl or gem.)

Can one have too many layers?  I don't think so,

as long as you layer responsibly!

This was a fun card to make for this challenge.

The Papertrey Ink set is one of several "Splits" available

in their $5 Mini Stamp set series. 

 The coordinating die is also a $5 item, used here

for the stamped image and behind it (upside down.)

I have a variety of these mini sets and dies

in my stash which I enjoy using.

For more on this challenge, click HERE.

 

ANOTHER HALLOWEEN CARD

Can you tell I'm liking these window cards??

WINDOW CARD

The nice thing about a window card is that one greeting takes care of both the front and the inside at the same time.  In this case, the dsp gives it color and images appropriate for Fall.  More examples of window cards can be found on the Papertrey Ink blog HERE.

JUST US GIRLS--Die Cuts

It seems like I've been using dies more than stamps lately--how 'bout you?

This card used a total of 4 dies and 2 punches.  The fishtail frames are from Die-namics, and the leaves are from one PTI die snipped apart and glued in place at the stem end.  One think I like to do when attaching a flower or leaf is to glue just enough to keep it on the card, but loose enough so it  doesn't lay flat.

The butterfly antennae are made with blue wire and held on the back with a glue dot.

Check out the other entries for this challenge HERE.

SIMPLE SATURDAY #49

THREE OF A KIND--Psalm 145:18

I finally got a chance to use a new die which I purchased from Papertrey Ink.

These are pastor cards which I will deliver today.  I did them assembly line style in no time!

ROSE BLOCK

I came across this in my stash the other day, hidden behind something else on my table.  It's from Papertrey Ink, and I don't even remember ordering it.  Does that mean I have too much???......nah....

I colored the image with pencils and mounted it on a piece of gray dsp and then on top of a very narrow piece of Garden Green cs.  Putting it aside for a moment, I used a 3D ef for a basket weave panel, then mounted everything on the card front.

Easy card!  (I added a few tiny green sequins after the photo was taken.)

PAPER PLAYERS 332--Sentiment

Here's a sentiment with Biblical words of comfort and hope for those who believe in the Lord.  His "righteous right hand" is none other than Christ Himself, and He keeps His promises!  Thank you Paper Players for a card that will be going to our Pastor. Check out the other entries HERE.

As for the card, the challenge was to make the sentiment the focal point, and I chose a stamp that had some bold lettering large enough to fill up a lot of the space.  For the design at the bottom, I used the top half (upside down) of a split stamp set  from Papertrey Ink.(Just a Note.)  I stamped it in green to match the SU! dsp underneath.

We're having some unseasonably warm weather here in NW NJ, so I've been airing out the house a bit and getting a head start on Spring Cleaning.  I'm looking forward to longer, less dreary days ahead!

ANOTHER FAMILY VALENTINE

Using vellum for a background is tricky, as you probably know, because of the difficulty in hiding the adhesive used.  For this card, I solved that problem by mounting the vellum on a piece of white cs, folding it around the sides and securing it on the back with fuse tape.

Before placing the vellum panel on the card front, I embossed the front of the card with a hearts ef to give it some texture.  Using gold foil for the small hearts and "love"  gave it some shine.

No pop-up this time--just a quick and easy card that says "Happy Valentine's Day" inside.

FAMILY VALENTINE

 Once again, I got to use a $5 stamp set from Papertrey Ink.  (The "Love" greeting was a coordinating die for another $5.)  Since hearts and flowers go together, I used a blossom from the SU!  Botanical Blooms die and stamp sets, plus a Martha Stewart punch for the leaves.

Inside is a pop-up of hearts using the same dsp and solid red cs.

THREE OF A KIND--Dragonflies

The Dragonfly Dreams bundle from SU! was just too irresistable, and these cards lived up to my expectations!

I don't see any dragonflies here in New Jersey during the winter, so it's uplifting to see something summery on a card.  These were all easy to make, and they will be going to our pastor for his use.

THREE OF A KIND--Snowflakes

Since no two snowflakes are alike, these aren't either!

I came up with a much easier way to "quilt" these snowflakes.

First, I die cut each and mounted them on a square of dsp.

Next, I added just the vee pieces so that there would be some contrast.

After mounting them on the card with dimensionals,

I punched out the greeting and used dimensionals to adhere them also.

Then I placed a gem in the center of the snowflake.

Done!

VALENTINE POPPIES

 When I opened up my poppy die set, out fell these pieces from last year.  So I sponged the petals with black ink and assembled them on a couple of strips of double stick tape.  After adding the gold and black stamens, I mounted the flower on the card.  Then I added the stem and leaf.  The verse is from the same $5 Papertrey Ink set used on the previous post, except that it is on the front instead of inside.

The stamp I used inside is "Happy Valentine's Day" from a SU! set of  "Wacky Wishes."  This is also a pop-up card with various sizes of hearts that pop up when the card is opened.