October Create and Recreate

Here's the card for this month's Create and Recreate at church tomorrow afternoon.

After having spent a number of hours today mowing the leaves that have fallen (since most of our snow from this week has melted and who knows when the next storm will arrive),
I wanted a card that would use Autumn colors and images.
I chose Stampin' Up! Fantastic Foliage, a set I've had for a long time with images.

I stamped the oak leaves onto Whisper White card stock in Versa Mark ink, then embossed them with Stamp-n-Stuff Copper Embossing Tinsel. This stuff is great because it combines glitter and embossing powder in one easy step. I then took a sponge dauber and sponged 2 of the images with More Mustard ink and 1 image with Really Rust. I used the Scallop Oval punch to punch out the images.

The main image is framed with a Large Oval punch in a coordinating color and then on a Nestabilities Scallop Square.

More of the leaves and some acorns were stamped in Dusty Durango on paper from the Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper from Stampin' Up! (3 5/8 x 4 1/4) which has had the edges distressed and this layer was mounted on a layer of Old Olive (4x4 5/8) which has the edges distressed and rubbed in Dusty Durango. The card base is Crushed Curry.

The cord is a copper cord from Stampin' Up! wrapped around the card front and tied.

I hope you like my latest creation. (And, I hope those that make it tomorrow like it too.)

Gifts of the Earth

Fall has definitely come here in North Dakota. Even my teenage daughter left for school this morning saying that it's winter coat time.

I made this card for today's sketch challenge on SCS. I used a new set that just arrived on Monday at my house called Gifts of the Earth from Stampin' Up! I love the images in the set.

The card base is Dusty Durango. The back panel is Crushed Curry embossed using the Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder and framed with Soft Suede. The image panel is framed with Crushed Curry and Dusty Durango and colored with SU markers and then the sky is sponged with Bashful Blue and Marigold Morning. The cross panel underneath the main panel is an image also from the Gifts of the Earth set.

I hope you like my creation. I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Fall Cards & a start on Christmas

I have worked on a couple new card ideas in the past week or so and thought I would share them with you.

The 1st is a card idea I got from looking thru the resources pages of Splitcoaststampers. It's called an Accordian card. I made 2 of these and adjusted the size of the second one just a little bit, but both sizes work out beautifully.

The pumpkin that pops out is made from the SU Round Tab punch. I saw this idea somewhere else for a table decoration and thought it would be fun for a pop out inside a card. The more tabs you add, the more full your pumpkin looks, but be careful to make sure your card will still close.








I used SU's Autumn Harvest set for the stamped pumpkins and leaves on these cards.

Remember to attach your ribbon to the outside of your card before attaching the image layers! It will help to secure the ribbon.











The next cards were done after seeing last Monday's New Technique challenge on SCS. It was to use aluminum foil to make a shiny embossed panel on your card. You just fold the foil around a piece of cardstock and run it thru your Big Shot, Cuttlebug, or whatever machine you have in an embossing folder.


It makes for an easy WOW effect on your card that doesn't cost a lot of $$$$. I figured it wouldn't hurt to get a start on my Christmas cards this way and this new stamp set from SU and the ornament punch to go with it made is easy as well.

Colors used for these cards are SU Rich Razzleberry, black and SU Whisper White.

Bon Appetit

I talked with my son today both by text and actually talked with him as well. It was good to hear his voice.

I decided to send him a care package with some homemade banana bread and some other treats as well as some vitamins. Four cases of H1N1 have been confirmed on campus. I'm hoping he's keeping himself healthy.

This card was made to add to the box. I hope he enjoys it. I used the colors from today's color challenge on SCS to decide what colors to use for this card.

The stamp set used is from Stampin' Up! and called Voila.
Cardstock and ink colors are Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry, black, and Whisper White. I cut out the chef and the dome to the tray separately and attached them with dimensionals. I think it makes his foot look like he's going to walk right off the front of the card.


I hope he likes the card and more importantly the goodies in the box.

Double Pocket Card

I started this card a while ago and just didn't know how I was going to finish the layers to go in the pockets.

Today it came to me and this is how the card looks completed.

This is a Double Pocket card and there is a wonderful tutorial here: http://jarfullofjoy.blogspot.com/2008/04/double-pocket-card-tutorial.html by Judy Rozema on how to make this great card starting with just one piece of double sided designer paper.


The stamp sets I used are from Stampin' Up! and are Kind & Caring Thoughts and God's Blessings. The papers are also from Stampin' Up!

Check out the tutorial and post a link to YOUR
creation in the comment section of this card.

Have a great rest of the week!

For those who know, my knee is feeling much better. It's kind of stiff and needs some strengthening, but it's much better than it's been in a long time. Thanks for thinking of me.

Our Daily Bread Designs

I received this image a long while back. The image is from a set from Our Daily Bread Designs.

This card was put together using the idea from this week's sketch challenge on Splitcoaststamper.

This card was made for a sympathy card. We lost a good friend and member of our congregation this week. He left church on Sunday after having taken communion and went home to his Savior.
It's a loss for us, but a blessing for him.

Shadow Stamping

Here's my card for today. Taken with Teal is such a pretty color. I thought I'd use it to show the shades that it can create when you stamp it twice. The main image is attached with dimensionals to give it more of a framed look.

The card is a trifold. I cut the cardstock at 5 1/2" x 11" and scored it at 3" and at 7 1/4" to create the correct card size.

Recipe:
Cardstock: Taken with Teal, Very Vanilla, SU To the Nines Designer Paper, Chocolate Chip 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Round Tab punch, Ticket Corner punch.

I used the Mat Pack to create the paper piercing on the 2nd layer. The spray is also stamped in Close to Cocoa on the 2nd layer and then again in the stamped off Taken with Teal on Very Vanilla cardstock on the inside of the card.

Autumn and Bears - What a treat!

I've been playing around with my stamps a bit in the past few days and came up with these cards.

The first one was done after seeing this card Extreme Snowboarding on Splitcoast Stampers. A link to the tutorial as to how to do the background is found in her blog. This is my try at that technique to do a fall type card with Lovely as a Tree and Autumn Days from Stampin' Up! as my stamp sets. I used a brayer for the sky and the grass and sponged the land and some of the fill-in for the colors.

The trees were stamped in in gray with the trees in the background having been stamped off 1st to make them look farther away. The pheasant was stamped 2 times - 1st in Dusty Durango - 2nd in Bermuda Bay without cleaning the stamp 1st so as to leave a little of the other color on the image. I then cut out the head and chest area and attached it to the original bird. The bird is attached to the card with a dimensional and the tail kind of curls outwards and looks more realistic this way.

My 2nd card today is from the new Beary Best Friends set that is coming to customers on Sept. 1st. I stamped a bunch of the bears and worked on different ways to color them. He is cut out and then attached with dimensionals. The Ballet Blue background layer is also attached with dimensionals to lift it off the page a little as well.

I hope you enjoy these cards. I'm looking forward to sharing them with others.

Wheat Harvest

Here is my submission for today's Sketch Challenge on SCS. I used my new Autumn Days set and the Tapestry technique found here. My embossing powder is a deep etch clear powder, so it shows up very shiny on the paper.

I used Pumpkin Pie and Creamy Caramel Craft Ink from SU for the background and stamped the wheat in Whisper White before embossing the whole background piece. The wheat for the main image was stamped in Creamy Caramel and sponged with Creamy Caramel Craft Ink. The entire work is framed with Soft Suede and mounted on a Creamy Caramel card base.

Build A Bear Workshop coming to a stamping workshop near you!

Yes, Build A Bear Workshop is partnering with Stampin' Up! to bring some fun images and craft ideas to you. Starting Sept. 1, customers will have a chance to purchase stamp sets and Sizzix items to create wonderful bear items.

Here is my first card made with the new Beary Best Friends stamp set.

I'm looking forward to sharing more with you in the near future.

Loads of Love Truck

I had a workshop last night and this is one of the projects we made for it. This card has a flap that folds down and lays underneath the main image panel for a closure. The main image and its mats are attached to the card with dimensionals just at the bottom of the image to leave the top open to use for the closure.

When you open the card, there is a space for your sentiment and for writing. There is also a slot cut out to insert a gift card or cash.

Here is the wonderful tutorial that gave me the idea to do this for my workshop last night: Dawn's tutorial Thanks for the great tutorial!

Check it out and try one of these.

Recipe:
Cardbase: Certainly Celery
DSP: Bashful Blue
Main image and mats: Ballet Blue, Barely Banana, Whisper White
Ribbon: Certainly Celery 1/4" grosgrain
Punches needed: Word Window Punch, Tag Corner Punch

Have a Razzle Dazzle 16th Birthday!

My daughter is turning 16 tomorrow!

I made this card for her to celebrate. I thought it looked like a great girl teenager type card.

The base of the card is Melon Mambo which has been embossed with the Texurz plate using the Big Shot.

The "cake" is made from Rich Razzleberry card stock stamped in Whisper White using the Razzle Dazzle stamp set from SU. I then sprinkled it with Dazzling Diamonds and heat set it. (Yes, there's glitter all over my dining room!) A piece of Melon Mambo polka dot ribbon is attached to brighten it up.

I then attached a small piece of Razzleberry Lemonade at the base and used the Round Tab punch to create the base.

The sentiment was stamped and punched with the Round Tab punch with layers of 2 add'l Round Tabs and a layer of a scalloped circle attached.

I love how this card turned out and I hope my daughter will too.

Loads of Stamping

I love this set from Stampin' Up. It's called Loads of Love and it has some great accessories to go with it. I stamped a number of the trucks one day and colored them with my Watercolor Crayons while watching some tv. What a great way to pass the time. I used the Autumn Harvest set as well. I thought it'd look fun to have a great big pumpkin in the back of the pickup. What a "HAPPY HARVEST" that would be!

Two of these cards also utilize the Movers and Shapers for the Big Shot. It cuts your card, scores it and will make a window in your card front as well.

I hope you enjoy my creations.

Have a great end of the week!

Faux Grid

I had to give the technique from Splitcoaststampers weekly technique challenge a try this week. The challenge was to use the faux grid technique.

My daughter and I took an overnight trip to do some shopping, spend some time together, and take her to the orthodontist before her birthday next week. I took along my Razzle Dazzle set from Stampin' Up!, a piece of SU grid paper, a small ruler, my new In Color markers and my Basic Black marker as well. I created the main image at the motel that evening while we were relaxing before going to bed.
I started with a 4x5 piece of Whisper White cardstock and used my Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry markers to color the main image from the Razzle Dazzle set and then stamped a few of the smaller flowers as fillers.
I then took my rulers and made lines at 1 inch intervals across the paper in both directions. I chose contrasting colors of Bermuda Bay and Crushed Curry to color in a few of the tiles to add some interest and focal points to the card.
When I got home today, I realized that cutting the image down just a touch would give some space for framing the image. I cut the image to 3x4 and framed it with Crushed Curry that is only 1/8" larger. The Bermuda Bay layer is 4x5 with a cardbase of Regal Rose.
I used my Modern Label punch and my Word Window punch to the sentiment.

We had a great couple of days together with fun conversation, great shopping (we found some great deals), and we were glad to get back home again.

Thanks for looking at my new creation. Why not try this technique yourself.

Shabby Chicks Nature Challenge

I made this card for today's sketch challenge on Splitcoaststampers and also for the Shabby Chicks Blog Challenge - Nature. Check out some of the other Shabby Chicks Blogs for more inspiration.

I love this set from Stampin' Up!, Lovely As A Tree. The images are very fun to work with and are very versatile.

The trees are stamped in Classic Brown then the grass and sky are sponged with (from bottom to top) Sage Shadow, Crushed Curry, Creamy Caramel, and Bordering Blue.

Cardstock colors include: More Mustard, Soft Suede, Sage Shadow and Whisper White.

I hope you like what I've done. Now, go create!

After having looked again at the 1st card, I realized it needed something more for a focus, so I added this image from Autumn Days.

Let me know what you think.

New Technique

I tried the Technique Learning Challenge from SCS today. I came up with 2 cards. This technique makes it so that the card is self-standing! Check here for the challenge and links to more information: TLC288
I wanted to use a set for Fall. I know, summer is just in full swing, but I know Fall card making will be just around the corner.

The 1st card is made using the technique called masking. I thought it would look great for a number of pumpkins. The pumpkins and leaves also have Crystal Effects added to add dimension. The greeting is a rub-on from Stampin' Up! and the stamp set is Autumn Harvest.

The 2nd card was done because I'd seen a sketch challenge somewhere today that got my creativity going. I thought the 3 pumpkins would look great sponged and then cut out and added with dimensionals to pop the up a bit.

Ink colors used for both cards are:
Dusty Durango
Crushed Curry
Mellow Moss
Soft Suede
Pumpkin Pie
Certainly Celery

Paper used:
Mellow Moss
Shimmery White
Whisper White
Razzleberry Lemonade

Circles and Swirls Fireworks

You know you're a stamping addict when you can watch the fireworks on the 4th of July and think about which stamps would recreate some of the beauty you're seeing in the night sky.

The swirl from the Wings of Friendship was the 1st stamp to come to mind. After that there were others, but the new Circle Circus is a great one for the fireworks idea as well.

I stamped the swirl from Wings of Friendship (a great new hostess set from Stampin' Up) in Melon Mambo on Shimmery White cardstock. the ribbon is attached just to the edge so that when tied a tiny bit of the polka dots would show thru. The tie was done so the tails would show the polka dots as well.

One of the scallop circles was done using the swirl as well. I stamped the swirl 3 times to form a circular pattern and then used the scallop circle punch to cut it out. Another stamp from the Circle Circus was used along with a dimensional to put over the top. The other 2 circles are also from the Circle Circus set from Stampin' Up as well.

The card base Rich Razzleberry, a new In Color from Stampin' Up for this year. It has a very rich deep tone to it that works great with the Melon Mambo, another new In Color.

This is a fairly simple card to put together. but very fun and can be used for many occasions just by adding a simple sentiment.

The fireworks were great and being in the company of my daughter was even better! We had a great time.

I hope this "sparks" your imagination and to get out your stamps and create some exciting new creations as well.

Roses, Roses, Roses

Along with the perennials I purchased on Saturday, I also picked up 3 new rose bushes for just $5 each. I love roses, only I have to keep them outside, so bushes work very well for me.






I already have established a peach, a yellow, and a red rose bush. Now, I've added 3 new red ones - 2 different varieties. I like that they come from a local greenhouse since then they should be able to stand the winters here in North Dakota. At $5 each it's worth trying.





I made these cards using the Manhatten Flower embossing folder from Stampin' Up! for the Big Shot. The red roses are embossed on Whisper White cardstock and then brayered with Melon Mambo ink. Two of these are brayered on the debossed side and one on the embossed side. The yellow roses are done on So Saffron with So Saffron ink lightly brayered on the embossed side.

Flower Beds and Flower Pots

I've been working on my flower beds. The local greenhouse had their annual "box" sale and I got carried away. Of course, I get carried away almost every year just like everyone else in the area!
I mostly purchased perennials so that they'd have a good chance of coming up again next year and the year after, etc......... At $8 a box for whatever you can fit without stacking, it's a good deal.

So, yesterday I spent quite a bit of the day working on cleaning and planting in my flower beds.

I spent some time in the evening working on flower pot cards for the local flower shop. I've had some there in the last month and ALL of them have sold and they want more. I'm doing this as one of the projects at my next workshop.

I cut my flower pot base for the card 3 1/2" x 8 1/2". This way I can get 3 flower pots out of one piece of cardstock. The cardstock is scored at 1 1/2" and 5" then folded.

The white insert is cut 2 3/8" x 4 1/2" so it fits in the flower pot and gives enough space on top to add the flowers.

This is a pull out card, so you write on the pull out. I like to put 1 flower on the pot itself to make the flower pot seem full.

Here is the spot I got my directions and ideas from: Stephanie Luman - Flower Pot card . I close up the flower pot with dimensionals on the edges rather than tie the ribbon to close the card. But, it's up to you as to how you want to make yours. I did try one using eyelets to close the pot, but this isn't the best because it doesn't give the card enough "wiggle" room.

I used SU's Petal Pizzaz stamp set and also the Simple Floser embosslit die for the flowers.

Inks: Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay, and Certainly Celery.
The cardstock for the flower pots is Dusty Durango
(You're gonnal love the new In Colors available July 1!)

Baptism card

There was a baptism at church today so I made this card for the family. The cardbase is Soft Sky (from my stash) and the scallop circle background is Apricot Appeal.

The cross is from Stampabilities and is stamped in Versa Mark and embossed with gold embossing powder. The white background layer is punched with the eyelet border punch from Stampin' Up. I am really falling in love with that punch.

I hope you like it.