Joy Fold Autumn Gift Card Holder

     For this card I took the directions for the Joy Fold card - made it square and added a gift card pocket. 

      To make the card base, cut 4 1/4 x 6 1/4, score at 4 1/4 and cut 3 x 6, score at 3. 
     The paper is from Gina K's Autumn Wishes and matted with Honey Mustard and Fresh Asparagus. The circles are die cut from Our Daily Bread's "Stitched Circles". The fall leaves punch is from ek. I used a 1 1/2" circle punch to make the pocket for the gift card. The embellishments include a wood maple leaf, green twine, edge punch poop, and gold Sakura gel pen. 
     I stamped the sentiment using Gina K's "Bounty of Blessings". 

Challenges

Stamp TV - Thankful Joy Fold - November 20

Woodland Foil

     This is the first card made in my new craft room in my new house. 

 
     Unfortunately my laminator and Minc are still in storage. I raided the kitchen pantry for these cards. 
     I wrapped a piece of cardstock with foil (dull side out). I ran the entire thing plus a Sizzix embossing folder, through the Big Shot. The card on the right is using the negative side of the embossing folder. I then rubbed antique gold metallic paint over the foil. It left the embossing clean to give an etched look. I used the Silhouette to create and cut white and black ovals to fit exactly on the embossed frame. 
     Couldn't decide which one I like the best, so I posted them both. Which one do you prefer?

Stamps: Dashing, Snow One Like You
Ink: Kraft, Christmas Pine,Turquoise Sea, Black Onyx
CUBS WIN!!!!!

Fall Photo #1

     Photo paper LOVES ink!!!   I discovered quite some time ago that all of that photo paper I have left from purchasing ink in packages with free photo paper, is great for card making. 
     To start this card I cut a piece of white card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches. I inked one side of an Darice embossing folder with Dark Chocolate ink. I centered the card stock in the folder and ran it through the Big Shot. 

       The stamp set I used was Gina K's "Painted Autumn". I trimmed a sheet of photo paper to 3 x 4 1/4 inches. "Give Thanks" is stamped with Dark Chocolate ink. The flowers and leaves are 3-way stamps. The flower in the upper right corner is stamped Wild Honey/Peach Bellini/Tomato Soup. The bottom right corner is Wild Honey/Mustard Seed/Spiced Marmalade. The leaves are stamped Wild Honey/Jelly Bean Green/Forest Moss. 
     The flowers are pop-dotted and I added 3 wood dots for embellishment. All of this is centered on a Dark Chocolate card base. 

 Inside of Card

Challenges

Stamp TV - Just a touch ... of red - *

Black-Eyed Susan

     I received an announcement for a 50th wedding anniversary today. I made this card to send. I used Melanie Muenchinger's "Stately Flowers 9" and Gina K's "Sending Love" stamp sets to make this card. I used Copic markers to color the black-eyed Susans. The butterfly and sentiment are heat embossed in gold.

Inside of Card

Challenges 
Cupcake Inspirations - Photo Inspiration - # 8 - Winner! (Eva's Pick)

Retro Rubber Challenge - Stamp (Purchased July 2015)RRCB48 - Tie Me Up! - #15 - Top Pick!!!

Robyns Fetish Challenges - Square Cards - #18 - *
Stamp TV - Heat Embossed - *
Stamp TV - Photo Insiration - *

Click for Photo Credit 

Watercolor Pickup

     I love the old postcard fibe I get from this card. I'm still practicing my watercolor stamping with Tim Holtz Distress Markers. For this card I used Theresa Momber's "Country Roads" that I purchased two years ago. The paper looks torn as I used torn Post-Its to mask the edges. The perfect masculine birthday card.

Inside of Card

 Challenges

Cards in Envy - Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall - #55 - *
Cardz 4 Guyz - Autumn Colours - #7 - *
Make My Monday - No Patterned Paper - #23 - *
Retro Rubber Challenge(RRCB48) - Tie Me Up - #1 - *

Stamp TV - Torn Edges - *

Watercolor Birdhouse

     I decided to try another watercolor card. For this card I primarily used Theresa Momber's "Birds & Blossoms I". The birdhouse is stamped on watercolor paper using watercolor markers (wilted violet). The bird and roof are Sepia.

      I also used some flower and leaf stamps from Theresa Momber's "Branching Out" and Gina K's "Handmade Botanicals". The flowers and greenery are fired brick, wilted violet, and peeled paint. 
      I have a new stamp set -- Gina K's "All About You". It has 5 sentiments that all contain the word "YOU". I thought that this was the perfect inside sentiment for "Happy YOU Day!".

Inside of Card

Dies Used: Little B - Scallops

                  Elizabeth Craft Designs - Jewels I

Challenges

Addicted to Stamps - Leaves - #72 - *
Die Cuttin Divas - Birthday - #6 - *
House of Cards - Birds - #36 - *
Paper Girls Challenge - Nature - #18 - *
Stamp TV - Make a Scene - *

Baby, It's Cold Outside

     BRRRRRR!!! You can feel the cold coming off of this card! A couple of weeks ago, I took a watercolor class - using my watercolor markers to color my stamped images. I threw my first snowman away. This is one is better, but I obviously could still use some more work on this. One thing I like about this technique is that there is lots of stamping. Most cards only require 2 or 3 stamps, but I stamped this snowman at least 7 times. 

     The stamp set I used is "Winter Cheer" by Gina K. I colored the image by coloring my stamp with watercolor markers and moving the color around with a paintbrush. The hat brim and ball are enhanced with clear Wink of Stella. It is distressed with Pumice Stone distress ink.

Inside of Card

Other supplies:
Dies: Darice - Nesting Wavy Squares
         Cheery Lynn - Allison's Ribbons
Embossing Folder: Sizzix - Poinsettias

 Challenges 

Christmas Card Challenge - Holiday - #13 - *

Cut It Up - Die Cut/Watercolor - #16 - *

Stamp TV - Favorite Technique - Watercolor - *

Stamp TV - Snow - *

Use Your Stuff - Watercolor - #3 - *

Winter Wonderland - Cute Character - #33 - *

Best of Show

     It's county fair time! At the JoDaviess County Fair as a child, I remember that there were contests for EVERYthing -- best jam, fruit, vegetable, quilt, art, livestock, and of course flowers.

       This one is a thank you card. The inside sentiment says it all.

Challenges

Stamp TV - MIUM - Fair Fun - *

Stamp TV - Release Challenge - Background - *

On the Farm

     This faded piece of farm machinery needs some touch-up paint in John Deere green. 

      This is a birthday card for my oldest brother.  My mom used to tell how he would carefully arrange her throw rugs on the floor and systematically plow, plant, and harvest each field over and over with his toy John Deere tractors. He is a retired farmer and now has quite a collection of antique John Deere tractors. He tinkers with them all of the time. He loads them up repeatedly and shows them off at fairs and such.
     These strips of green, embossed with different folders, reminded me of the throw rugs. 
     These stamps are all from High Hopes Stamps. They are the first I have ordered from this company. I thought they were such a good deal. If you mount them yourself you get them for a nice price.
Copics: Y00,04,06,08
              C1,3,5,7
              G00,02,05,09
              V12,15  
 

Inside of Card

Challenges

Aud Sentiments - Masculine Sentiment - #36 - Winner: Top 5

 Cards in Envy - Hip to be Square - #38 - *
Crafty Gals Corner - Emboss - #19 - Winner: Top 3

Fresh Brewed Blog - Pokemon Colors - #3 - Winner!

Bellsprout #69

High Hopes - High Hopes Image - #3 - *
Julia Spiri - Vintage - #59 -  *
NBUS - New Stuff - #44 - *
Through the Purple Haze - Countryside - #5 - *

Dressmaker's Window

     One of the secretaries at my husband's office is retiring; so he commissioned a retirement card. She is looking forward to sewing during her time off, so he said it needed to have that theme. 

 

      For this card I used Chocolate Baroque's "Sewing Room". The sentiments are from Claire Brennan's "Petite Patissarie" and Gina K's "Art From the Heart". 

     The pattern paper was some I found a couple of years ago in Destin, Florida. There USED to be a scrapbook outlet store there. (I was very disappointed last October when I got there and it was closed.) It was made by Creative Imaginations. The paper set my colors : gold and magenta. 

Inside of Card

          Since my husband is gifting a Joann's Card, I decided to try out my new Sizzix die set: Pocket with Scalloped Edge. It is just the right size to hold a gift card. It is attached to the back of the card. 

Back of Card

     When she pulls the ribbon a gift card - as well as - a special message handwritten by my husband will come out. 

Back of Card with Gift Card Removed

Challenges

Paper Minutes - Sewing - #5 - *
Simon Says Stamp - It's Hip to be Square - #57- *

 

Elephant Welcomes Baby

     I'm headed to a gender reveal party for my 3rd grandchild in a couple of weeks. No card is necessary for the party, but it put me in the mood to make a baby card. Didn't know whether to make a pink or a blue card so . . . I made one of each.

 

      For these cards I used Beth Silaika's "Bella Elephant". The elephants are colored with Copics (N1, N3, R11, White Gelly Roll). I used Weathered Wood and Pumice Stone inks and a cloud stencil to make the clouds behind the sentiment. 

 

Inside of Cards

Challenges

Cards in Envy - Hip to be Square - #31 - *
Challenge Up Your Life - Baby - #7 - *
Fresh Brewed Blog - Pokemon Colors - #2 - *

SlowBro #80

Simon Says Stamp - It's Hip to be Square - #10 - *
Stamp TV - Pop It Up! - Winner!!!

Stamp TV - Use Stencil/Patterned Paper - *
Unicorn Challenge - Animal Kingdom - #70 - *

First Day Sunburst

     Many are getting ready for that first day of school - students, teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and all. How about a card to wish them a great first day and good luck all year. 

     The alarm clock base is die cut from red holographic paper. The face of the clock is cut and embossed in one step. (Spellbinders: Rise & Shine) I added black gel pen to make the numbers readable. The black band on the bottom is dry embossed with type set embossing folder. I dragged a white pigment ink pad over the letters to give the chalkboard effect. 

Inside of Card

 Challenges

Crafty Addicts - Use Die Cuts - #5 - *
Crafty Creations - Letter Background - #4 - *
Crazy for Challenges - #8 - Back to School 
My Time to Craft - Dry Emboss - #23 - *

Stamp TV - Back to School -*

 

Sprinkle Fairy Spinner

     It seems I only have time for one card a week. I formally would make a card almost daily. We are in the process of selling our house and building another. I gutted my craft room. The realtor wanted me to completely shut it down and show the room as a bedroom. I have stored almost half of my crafting goodies and am working with only the essentials. This is my new house taken a couple of days ago. The craft room is two bedrooms with and arched doorway between. I will be just inside that front window on the left making cards - hopefully before Christmas.
 

     Anyway ... my granddaughter's 2nd birthday party is today. I combined challenge cards with her birthday to get both in this week.
 

     Splitcoasters posted a spinner card tutorial and I received my Gina K order with 5 new stamp sets - both this week. Claire Brennan designed this set: "Sweet Thing". I thought this cute little fairy should sprinkle this cupcake for Ellie's birthday. I placed the green card stock to block the bottom of the spinner, so none of the fairy's sprinkles are wasted on the cupcake wrapper (lol). 
     I stamped the cupcake wrapper on light pink CS and fussy cut it. The fairy is also fussy cut. I accentuated her wand with a star from the punch and a kite string from a die set.
 

Inside of Card

     As usual I used scraps to complete the inside of the card. You can tell what is laying on my craft table after a project by what is on the inside of the card. I added green circles and the "cherry on top".

Supply list: 
Stamps: Sweet Thing by Claire Brennan
Paper: Bubblegum Pink, Passionate Pink, Jelly Bean Green, Wild Dandelion, White, Layering White (Gina K Pure Luxury)
Punch: Diamond Star by Martha Stewart
Die: Standard Circles Large by Spellbinders
        Kites by Elizabeth Craft Designs
Ink: Tuxedo Black
Copics: Cupcake - E27. R22,24. 0. G21,24.
             Fairy - G21,24. R22,24. 0. E00,02,11. B0000. R83, 85
             Sprinkles - R83,85. B04. Y35. G24.
Wink of Stella: Clear (Wings) Yellow (Star)
Sakura Gel Pen: Gold Hair, Frosting)                               
2 Shiny Pennies      

Challenges

4 Crafty Chicks - For Kids - #16 - *
Aud Sentiments - Child Sentiment - #76 - *
Cards for Kids - For the Girls - #23 - *
Come and Get It - Punches & Dies - #8 - *
Crafting When We Can - Things with Wings - #22 - *
Penny Black and More - Stamped Image - #95 - *
Seize the Birthday - Birthday Theme - #38 - *

Stamp TV - Sketch - *

Merry Wonderland

     I am not a CAS kind of cardmaker, but today I decided to try the white on white. I trimmed a strip of white card stock to 1/4 inch wide. I glued the sentiment on it and pop dotted it to the card base. I really liked the effect, but I would like to try a slightly grayer white card stock behind the sentiment. That is the way it appears on the reindeer card which gave me the idea.

     The focal point is heat embossed as well as the snowflakes and sentiments inside the cards. I used a partial focal point heat embossed on the envelopes.  

Inside of Card

Challenges

Stamp TV - Christmas In July - *

Pink Rose

     We see inspiration everywhere we look. I have a rose figurine that was my mother's. I must have looked at it 100's of times, but today I saw it on a thank you card. Here they are pictured together.

     For the card I started with Gina K's large rose stamp from Frame & Flowers. This is a three stamp process, so my MISTI came in extremely handy! I embellished with a gold Sakura gel pen. The gold stem is from Elizabeth Craft die: "Rose". The sparkly flourishes as well as the curly ones are Elizabeth Craft: "Flourishes & Branches" with gold Starfoam stickers. The mat is Bazzill Feather Boa which is a sparkly paper. 

     I'm gifting this to a great friend for a lovely birthday present.   

 (Inside of Card)

Challenges

Stamp TV - Just One Flower - *

Gingham Bouquet

     This is my take on "fantasy flowers" -- making flowers that are not realistic. I thought this was a particularly fun assignment.
     This project is made almost entirely out of Gina K products. The colors for the ink and card stock are Jelly Bean and Wild Wisteria. The pattern paper is from the "Sending Love" collection. 

      The stamp sets are: "Frame & Flowers I" and "Tiny Textures". The die cuts come from "Frame & Flowers I and II", "Lace Corners Set", "Buttons 3", and "Dragonfly" (Elizabeth Craft). 
     I used a flower to tool kit to shape the flowers and leaves and placed purple twine in each flower center.
      Box cards are always a hit. Can't wait to gift this one. 

 Back of the box

 

Another pic ... just because.

Challenges

Cardz 4 Galz - Gingham - #2  - WooHoo - Spotlight Winner!!!

Double D Challenges - Simply Gingham - #17 - *

Stamp TV - Fantasy Flowers - *

Farm Portal

     Every year I make a farming birthday card for my oldest brother. For this one I used Theresa Momber's "Country Roads" stamp sets and Gina K's "Frame and Flowers".

     I used a die cut to cut the center of the frame and placed acetate between the black card base and the ivory. All of the stamps are on the front are from "Frame and Flowers" which came with dies. 
     The inside of the card was done using masking. I was trying to make a cornfield. Not sure how successful I was on that one. 

 Inside of Card

Challenges

Stamp TV - Birthday - *
Stamp TV - Use Acetate - *