Happy Friday!

Since many people are beginning their 4th of July weekend today, I thought I would post a red, white and blue card.  Wouldn't it be fun to be somewhere and come across a row of patriotic beach cabanas with fireworks above?  The palm trees are from Lawn Fawn's Life Is Good  stamp set and the cabanas are created using Avery Elle's Beside the Sea stamp.  Have a great weekend and safe travels for those going away. 

Two More

I am sharing two more birthday cards made specially for me.  The cute puppy card is from my friend, Kathy Z.  Kathy used one of my favorite stamp sets, Bella and Friends.  The paper is SU's designer series paper, A Little Foxy.  Kathy also used the Layering Square framelits~~very cute card! 


I received the pretty Birthday Wishes card from my friend, Nancy.  I have never made a card using this design, but I will in the future.  The front of the card has a piece of acetate between the top and bottom sections of the card front.  Nancy then added the stamped flower layer and it looks like it is holding the card front together.   Birthday Wishes is stamped on the inside of the card and shows thru the acetate.  As I said yesterday, I am blessed with great and talented friends.  Thank you all for your birthday wishes and gifts.  I truly appreciate the kindness and thoughtfulness of all.  Have a great day!

Pretty Yellow Cards

Today's cards are from Sydney and my friend, Paula.  They are both sunny, happy cards.  Sydney combined yellow with Melon Mambo.  The strawberry is cute and she knows how much Grandma Gay likes sequins.  A happy card from a happy child to a happy Grandma.  My other yellow card is from my dear friend, Paula.  When I see yellow and orange together, I think of sunshine and happiness.  The heart border is really pretty.  (I might have to borrow that one day.)  A happy card from one happy friend to another! Thank you Sydney and Paula.  I am blessed not only to have friends and family who care but they are talented, too!!  Have a great day!

My Birthday

Today is my birthday and I have received many pretty handmade cards.  So this week, I will be sharing some of those beautiful cards.  Today, I am sharing a pretty card and the prettiest little cake~~both from my friend, Cherie.  The card and cake were created using My Favorite Things' stamp and die sets, BB Mermazing.  I have been telling myself I do not need that stamp set since it was released.  Now I need it!  I don't know which I like more~~the card or the cake!  Have a great day!

Another Ellie Card

Since the WPlus 9 stamp set, Unforgettable, was still on my counter from the other day, I used the little elephant again.  I watched a Jennifer McGuire video on different ways to use dies earlier that day.  So, I tried one of the ways on today's card.  I placed the elephant die on the white layer just where I wanted it and ran it thru the Big Shot, leaving a negative space on the white layer.  I then stamped and colored another elephant on a piece of white cardstock a little larger than the negative opening, adhering that to the red card base.  After stamping the sentiment, I used strips of foam tape to adhere the white layer in just the right place on the red card base so the colored elephant would show thru that negative space.  Punched stars, a little balloon and sentiment were added to complete another cute card!  Have a great day.

Unforgettable

Last week a few friends were here and we were coloring.  One of the things everyone colored was the cute little elephant from the WPlus9 set, Unforgettable.  (Ellie is so cute!)  We used Spectrum Noir markers and then added a little color to the white card base using a Clarity Brush and Distress Ink.  Both Ellie and the balloon were die cut using coordinating dies.  (The thing to remember is that if you stamp directly on the card base and color the image with alcohol ink, then the ink will show on the back side.)  The note card used for this card  measures 5" x 3-1/2" and a pack of 20 envelopes/cards is only $6.00.  Even though they are smaller, they meet size requirements of the U.S. Post Office using standard postage.  Sequins and twine complete the card.  Have a great weekend and find yourself a little stampin' time!

Swan Family

Another camp card for Sydney.  I used Stampin' Up's Swan Lake stamp set.  The images are colored with alcohol markers. The stamped layer was adhered to the pretty cardstock that was die cut using a Lawn Fawn Fancy Scalloped Rectangle die. Another die I used is from My Favorite Things' Rectangle Word Window Frames.  The set consists of three sizes of frames.  Each die cuts the center and the outer rectangles.  I cut the word window twice~~once in Pool Party and the other in white (after I stamped the sentiment).  I am sure Syd will smile when she opens this mail.  Have a great day!

Just Lovely

Earlier this month I posted a card created with the Designer Series Paper, Whole Lot of Lovely.  I used the same paper for today's card and in keeping with the quick and easy cards I have been posting lately, today's card definitely fits in that category.  I adhered a piece of retired DSP to the black card base.  To that I adhered a piece of the Whole Lot of Lovely DSP which was mounted on a piece of craft foam.  The sentiment is from the retired Wetlands set, stamped on white cardstock and layered on black.  I spent the most time cutting out a little flower for the inside of the card! Today's card may be quick and easy, but it is very pretty!  Have a great day!

Camp Time!

This week Sydney is off to the Cub Creek Science and Animal Camp down in Rolla, Missouri.  This will be her fourth year attending this camp and she loves it.  Here she is with Snickers (an alpaca).  Since she is there for a week, we each send her with "mail" for two of the days.  That way, she has something to open each day without getting too much mail. 

Today's card was created after seeing something similar on Pinterest.  I used distress inks for the background.  The WPlus 9 Sending Sunshine stamp set and coordinating die were used.   After stamping "sunshine" on white cardstock,  I die cut the word three times, layering them so the word stands out a bit. Before adhering the word, I stamped "hello".  I adhered the white layer on a piece of orange polka cardstock that I had left over from Amuse~~a company that shut down a couple of years ago.  A Green Galore card base and pretty sequins complete this summery card.  Have a great day!

Dad's Day

This is the card I made for John for Father's Day.  With a Smokey Slate card base, the Basic Gray cardstock layer was die cut using a die from Gina Marie Designs.  The card was a little too plain so I used my score tool to create the embossed lines around the edges.  After adding the sentiment, stamped on Smokey Slate, I added the two Candy Dots that are now retired.  I really like those dots and I wish I would have stock piled more than I did.  Have a great day! 

A Different Daisy

The other day I was looking through things in my storage area and I found some papers that I forgot about.  Among those papers, I found this pretty daisy paper.  The daisy from Stampin' Up's new daisy punch was a little too big, so I punched a daisy from a smaller punch I have had for quite some time.  I used a yellow card base, a layer of white cardstock and then the daisy paper.  You cannot see it well, but the paper is very delicate and it has a light amount of glitter on it.  I added the sentiment and once again~~a quick and simple card!  Have a great weekend and find yourself a little stampin' time!

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Elegant Eggplant Daisy

Another one of my quick and easy cards!  After stamping the daisy twice using Elegant Eggplant ink, I die cut and sponged the daisies lightly.  Only stamped the center on only one daisy before adhering them together since only one would show. I then used a die from My Favorite Things to cut the square in the white cardstock layer.  Once the sentiment (Sheltering Tree) was stamped, I adhered the white layer to the Elegrant Eggplant card base and adhered the daisy to the center of the square.  And there you go~~a pretty card that was quick and easy!  Have a great day!

Colorful Birthday

What a fun birthday card!  After die cutting the white cardstock using Avery Elle's Wonky Stitches die, I used Stampin' Up's Little Letters framelits and a variety of cardstock scraps to create the card front.  Originally, I stamped "happy" (retired Endless Wishes set) directly on the cardstock but it ended up crooked.  So, I covered up the error completely.  The balloons were created using the balloon punch~~another favorite punch of mine.  Then adhering the pieces began.  I think the card is cute and good for just about any age. 

Changing the subject, today is Flag Day!  I think we will see more flags than usual.  Have a great day!
 

Watercolored Flamingo

With  the hot weather we are having, I thought I would post a tropical card.  Once again I used the Fabulous Flamingo stamp set.  This time I stamped the image on watercolor paper using black Versafine ink and then watercolored the image using Melon Mambo ink and an aqua painter.  Since I only used two of the flamingo images (the body outline and the legs), it went much quicker than my earlier flamingo card.  The palm fronds and sea grass are included in the Fabulous Flamingo set and I stamped them in Old Olive ink.  The tropical background paper is from a Close To My Heart pack of paper.  The black piece of cardstock pulls everything together.   Now I just need to decide what sentiment to add in the upper right corner.  Keep cool and have a great day!

Swan Lake

On Friday we went to see our beautiful granddaughter's recital at the Schaumburg Prairie Center For The Arts and I am sharing this beautiful photo  of Sydney from that day.  The swans are in the background and that prompted me to create a swan card.  A new set in the new annual catalog, Swan Lake consists of a number of images to color and pretty sentiments.  For this card, I stamped the images using black Memento ink and then colored with Spectrum Noir markers.  The graceful swans at the Schaumburg Village Hall are definitely white.  But, I wanted to add a little color to the image so this swan is light gray.  After coloring the images I used the Oval framelits to die cut the scene.  And in order to get a little something to match the new Tranquil Tide cardstock, I added a little dragon fly and colored it in using Tranquil Tide ink and a blender pen. The Tranquil Tide cardstock was embossed using the Seaside embossing folder.

Sydney danced beautifully in the ballet number.  Her tap and jazz numbers were fun to watch and she did a great job during those dances, too.  (I am just partial to her ballet numbers.)  We are all so proud of her.  Have a great day!

Such Pretty Paper

My very favorite item in the new catalog is the Designer Series Paper Pack Whole Lot of Lovely.  The colors and the patterns really caught my eye.  And now that I have the paper in hand, I wish I would have purchased the coordinating stamp set!  Since I did not have that set, I used the Wood Words set and the little tag from the wood crate framelit set.  The Tangerine Tango cardstock was a little too bright for the tag~~at least for me~~so I used a scrap of the retired Crisp Cantaloupe cardstock.  I also used retired black checked ribbon to tie the tag.  Have a great weekend and find yourself a little stampin' time!  

New

I received my new catalog order on Tuesday evening and after thinking about which item I should use first, the Fabulous Flamingo stamp set won out~~no surprise!  The flamingo actually uses 4 stamps for various layers and I did have to practice on quite a few flamingos!  I used Black and Flirty Flamingo inks for the flamingo on today's card.  After stamping the water, I added blue using an aqua painter and Marina Mist ink.  The word "thanks" is part of the stamp set; "many" is from another set.  The Flirty Flamingo twine is also new in the annual catalog.  There will be more flamingo cards in the future!  Have a great day!

A Pretty Thank You

Today's card was created using an old Sale-a-bration set, What I Love.  The set actually includes the three-step flower, but I only used two of the steps.  The outline of the flower was stamped using Dapper Denim and for the layer of color in the flower I again used Dapper Denim ink, stamping off once.  For the background, I stamped off twice to create the powder blue image.  The sentiment is also from the What I Love stamp set, stamped in black.  I fussy cut the flower and adhered it using dimensionals on top of some silver twine.  The card needed a little more something~~sequins!  Have a great day and find yourself a little stampin' time!

Number of Years Flowers

Since I had the Number of Years stamp set on my counter and the new Bermuda Bay ribbon, I decided to make a card using both.  I stamped the flowers and then used a Stitched Square framelit to die cut it, layering it on a Bermuda Bay piece of cardstock.  I stamped the leaves in Olive Green and then the flowers in Bermuda Bay.  The stamp set being photopolymer made it easy to stamp the flowers in the proper places.  I wanted to keep the stitched look on the white pieces of cardstock, so I used a die from Lawn Fawn's Stitched Rectangle set for the larger white piece of cardstock.  I wrapped that in the pretty Bermuda Bay ribbon after stamping the sentiment.  The centers of the flowers were colored in using a Zig orange glitter pen. Retired Old Olive adhesive dots complete the card.  Have a great day!

50 Years

Over the weekend we celebrated the 50th anniversary of our dear friends, Mickey and Lenora.  The Flirty Flamingo card is so pretty.  I made this card for Matt to give to them.  I used the Large Number framelits for the "50" and the coordinating stamp set, Number of Years, for the flowers and sentiment.  Pretty little rhinestones added a little bling. 

The card we gave Mickey and Lenora was created using a 5-1/2" square card base.  I layered the card using Ivory and White cardstock, one layer embossed and one layer die cut.  I used the Large Number framelits again and finished off the card with a pretty white ribbon.  We had a great time celebrating with them at their anniversary party.  Have a great day!

Navy Just A Note

Lately I keep going back to the daisy punch and Daisy Delight paper.  Today's color combination is one I like~~Daffodil Delight and Night of Navy.  I tried something a little different with the punched daisy today.  I shaded the white petals using a gray colored pencil and two yellow/orange pencils for the center.  The daisy in the Daisy Delight stamp set would add an outline to the daisy, but the colored pencil looks a little more muted.  Next time I do this, I will use the colored pencil for the petals, but I will use the stamps for the center of the flower.   I stamped the sentiment with white craft ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  I was hoping it would be more prominent against the navy.  Next time, I will use white embossing powder.  The scallop edge and the little yellow embellishments are retired.  Have a great weekend and find yourself a little stampin' time!

Life Is A Beautiful Thing

Berry Burst is such a pretty color.  On this card I used a white card base and the white is nice and crisp against the Berry Burst.  The sentiment is from the Colorful Seasons stamp set, stamped in Versamark and then heat embossed using white embossing powder.  The flowers were stamped using the retired Special Reason stamp set and die cut using the Stylish Stems thinlets.  I can't forget to mention the pretty, new Berry Burst ribbon.  Everything is Stampin' Up with the exception of the Couture Creations embossing folder used for the Berry Burst layer.  Have a great day!