CAS Sympathy

Good morning friends.  It's Friday and you know what that means.........  I'm well into my 50's, but I still love the feelings that the word Friday can evoke - all the possibilities!    Not that my life is THAT exciting, but I still LOVE the feelings of Fridays! :0)

Just a quick post today, but wanted to share a card that I was inspired by on Pinterest.  It is so clean and simple, but I think striking in it's simplicity.  Take a look:

Not a lot of light to work with, so the card is a little darker than it is in real life.  It's SO simple, but I think it turned out so pretty!  It's just 2 squares of cardstock (Wisteria Wonder & Almost Amethyst) and then a Cheery Lynne die cut.  I did sponge the edges of the squares, but it's hard to see in this photo.  The sentiment is from PTI's  "Heart to Heart #10.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a fantastic Friday and a wonderful weekend! :0)

Make it Monday #150 - Window Screen Cards

Good morning friends.  Today I am playing along with Papertrey Inks - Make it Monday challenge, and it is a great one by the very talented Melissa Phillips.  You can check out her video right here.  Melissa has challenged us to make a window card, and then to also use a cover plate design behind your window cutout.  If you follow Melissa at all, you know her cards are all about all the little details.  She makes it look so effortless, but I learn so much each time I watch one of her videos and even just visiting her blog! (Melissa's blog)    So anyway, I feel like I've finally created a Melissa like card - take a look:

And while I completely CASE'd  Melissa's card (it was just too perfect not to copy her layout!!), I had so much fun making it my own with different stamps and colors.  I also did not have any coverplates that I thought would work well with the heart cutout, so I improvised and used three die cuts from "Wonderful Words: Love".  The polka dot paper is a Melissa Francis, and the floral paper behind the heart is by The Paper Studio, and they are what I based my color scheme on.  I used PTI's "Birds and Blooms" stamp set for my flowers and Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Soft Sky, Calypso Coral, & Real Red inks.  (I double stamped the Calypso Coral & Real Red inks on top of each other to create a color more like the one in the design paper)  My heart cutouts are from PTI's "Limitless Layers - 2 1/4" hearts".  The sentiment is from PTI's "Heart Squared" set, and I finished with a seam binding bow (The Craft Spot) and flower (SU!).  I even made my card size like Melissa's (7 1/2" x 5 1/4" and scored at 3 3/4"), which is a little smaller than an A-2 sized card, and I have to admit, I really like the little bit smaller feel to the card! (I know it sounds crazy, but it almost feels more vintage with the smaller size!)  I forgot to take a picture, but I even made a matching envelope and lined the inside with some of the design paper.  I'm not sure who I will send this card to yet, but I know someone will appreciate the time and love that went into it! :0)

Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a wonderful Thursday.  We're supposed to get more snow today...how exciting! NOT!!!!!  Be back tomorrow with some more inspiration.  :0)

Merry Monday #93 - Ornaments

Good morning friends.  Don't you just love finding something in your stamping stash that you'd completely forgotten you had?  It's like getting a gift!! :0)  Usually it's a stamp that I'd forgotten I had, but today it's design paper I'd forgotten about, and I think I've had it for years!  I admit I'm a bit (ok, a LOT) of a hoarder, and when I see things I like I have a hard time saying no.  There's a sign in my local stamp store that says "inside this shop lies a disease for which there is no cure", and I think it totally applies to me! :0)  But anyway, this week at Merry Mondays, the challenge is to use an ornament on your card, and that's where this design paper by Debbie Mumm came in.  Take a look:

I absolutely love the richness of this design paper...it's warm, bright, and whimsical!  My first thought was to add a punched or stamped ornament to the card, and I actually did try that, but just didn't like anything I came up with.  So I started thinking about ornaments, and how they go on trees, and that's where the inspiration for this card evolved.  I stamped the lone pine tree image from SU!'s "Lovely as a Tree" set in Old Olive and Pear Pizzazz on kraft cardstock and then cut out with a Spellbinders die.  I added a bit of Bashful Blue with a sponge to the background and Dazzling Diamonds glitter for the snow, and then die cut from PTI's In the Meadow the 2 birds and the bunny (which I sponged a bit with Soft Suede ink).  Here's a closer up view:

I also added a seam binding ribbon that I dyed with Certainly Celery re-inker, and a little tag from PTI's Tiny Tags die and stamp set.  I'm really happy with the way this card turned out and hope you like it too! :0)

I also have a picture to share with you today of what winter looks like at my house this year.  I know I've made several complaints lately about enough is enough, and thought maybe a picture would show what I'm talking about.  Take a look:

.

I cannot see the street from my front window because the snowbanks are SO high!  Yes, enough is enough!  Unfortunately, the 8 day forecast is showing more snow...grrrrrr!!  I looooooong for Spring...sigh!

Thanks for stopping by today, and make sure you check out all the other great card entries at Merry Monday here.  Have a wonderful Wednesday and stay safe and warm if you're in my neck of the woods!

Valentine Love

Good morning friends.  Feeling grateful to be here today!  Had to take our youngest back to school yesterday, and let's just say the weather was not the most cooperative!  Did a LOT of praying, and thankfully we made it there and back safely.  I will be most happy when this winter is done!!!!  And on to a lighter note, I have 2 cards to share with you today! :0)  I've still been playing around with my new PTI dies and making Valentines cards, and here's what I came up with using the Framed Love die:

For the first card I made, I stuck with just a simple red & white theme.  Started with a white card base, and then stamped the largest flourish from SU!'s "Flowering Flourishes" (have I mentioned before how much I LOVE this set?!!) off to the left in Real Red ink.  I then die cut the Love die (PTI) from white cs and matted it with Real Red.  If you click to enlarge the photo, you'll be better able to see the detail.  Before mounting it with foam dots, I added a sheer white ribbon and heart tag (Tiny Tags - PTI).  I also added a few diamond dots to the flourish and heart tag to bling it up a bit.  Then I did the exact same layout for my next card, but used design paper behind the Framed Love die:

I started with a white card base again, and then used Smokey Slate ink to stamp the flourish.  I die cut the Framed Love from a shimmery black cardstock and then backed it with a piece of design paper (Lovely Roses - The Paper Studio).  I used a white and silver ribbon on this one and some silver nailheads (Gina K) on the flourish to finish up the card.  Which one do you like best?  I'm leaning more toward the 2nd one, but I do like the simplicity of the red & white one too. :0)

That's all for today friends.  Have a wonderful Tuesday and stay warm if you're in my neck of the woods.  And if you live somewhere warm...send some of it our way - PLEASE! :0)

"Whale You Be Mine?"

Good morning friends.  Anyone tired of snow yet?  I am definitely going to have to take a picture (if I can make myself go outside that is!) for you so you can see just how much snow we've gotten this winter.  It just keeps piling up and up and UP!!!  Oh well, it did make for a good stamping weekend, so I have lots to share with you over the next week or so (provided I get it all photographed!). :0)

The card I'd like to share with you today was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest a while back, and here's my version of it:

In the past, I never would have thought of putting these 2 colors together (Pool Party & Real Red), but after several Christmas card challenges last year using these 2 colors, I am hooked!  And I think they work perfect for Valentines Day too, don't you?  I'm trying to be more conscious of using stamp sets that I already have this year, and SU!'s "Oh, Whale", is one of those sets that I had to have and then only used it once for a baby card.  After noticing the "Whale you be mine?" sentiment in the set, I decided it would make a great Valentines card! :0)  I used a Darice ef for the Pool Party background, and a scrap of dp (The Paper Studio) for the inset background.  The stitched heart is from PTI's newest die set - Limitless Layers: Stitched Hearts.  A pearl, heart-shaped button, and some red & white twine (The Twinery) finished off my card.  And here's another shot to show you I'm doing well with my new years resolution to finish off the insides of my cards too:

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I'll be back with more Valentine inspiration tomorrow.  Have a wonderful Monday and stay warm if you're in my "neck of the woods"!!

January 2014 Blog Hop

Good morning friends.  Basically snowed in again, so I guess that means it's card making time...yeah!  The card I'm going to share with you today is for an order I'm working on for my cousin, and she wanted a "pink" and girlie Valentine's card for her daughter.  And guess what?  Papertrey Ink's blog hop challenge this month is to use pink, pink, and more pink!  I don't know if my card will totally qualify, because you're only supposed to use pink and neutrals (like white, black, gray, etc.), and I have 2 other colors on my card.  I decorated my heart with PTI's "Embroidered Blooms" stamp set, and I just couldn't bring myself to stamp the leaves any color other than green.  I also stamped the centers of the flowers in a stamped off Pool Party ink, so very subtle, but definitely NOT pink!  Oh well, the card is still 95% pink, so I'm going to enter it anyway!  Take a look:

   
I started with a pink card base, and then used SU!'s French Script background with Pretty in Pink ink.  We actually had mega sunshine the other day and I was so excited thinking my photos were going to turn out great, but you still can't see much of the background stamping....grrrr!  But trust me, it is there, and actually you can see it a little bit better in the 2nd photograph.  Next I stamped a panel with SU!'s "Pattern" background stamp and Pretty in Pink ink, and then outlined it with a straight 1/4" strip of silver glitter paper, and another strip that I punched out with a Martha Stewart tiny heart scalloped punch.  Next up I added the heart (PTI's Limitless Layers Hearts) that I stamped with the "Embroidered Blooms" (PTI) set.  I added a sheer ribbon to the top of the heart and a few iridescent sequins to bling it up.  I finished with the sentiment from PTI's "Heart Squared" stamp set and embossed it in silver.  I know it's not total pink, but I still think it turned out pretty!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and make sure you stop by Nichole's blog here to check out all the rest of the "pink" and pretty cards...you'll be amazed!  Have a great weekend and I'll be back with more inspiration next week! :0)  

Make it Monday #149 - Glitter Embellishments

Good morning friends.  Playing along with Papertrey Inks Make it Monday challenge today, which is to use glitter embellishments on your card.  Heather Nichols made a couple of really cute valentines in her video (here) using glitter and her Xyron sticker machine.  Some day I think I'm going to have to invest in one of those sticker machines...there's a LOT more you can do with those than meets the eye....like using multiple color glitters on your die cuts and having them look really cool!  However, because I don't have one of the sticker machines, my glitter embellishment is just a very simple heart, but I love the way it looks on my Valentine card.  Take a look:

I used PTI's "Heart Squared Mini" stamp set and die to make my frame and the LOVE die is also a PTI die.  The heart that was cut out when die cutting the word LOVE is what I used to glue and glitter and then set back in the heart space.  The "you" is from PTI's "Year of Flowers: Lily of the Valley".  The little hedgehog is a retired SU stamp from back in 2002...an oldie but a goodie! :0)  I embossed him with black ep and then colored him with my Copics.  A very CAS and cute card, and I really do like the silver glittered heart...just enough to add some sparkle! :0)

Off to bible study and knitting group this morning, and am hoping someone there is going to be able to help me with the baby bootie project, as I'm not having much success on my own!  Good thing I have a while before this grandbaby arrives! :0)  Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a wonderful Thursday!