Valentines

 Red and Green-for Christmas, yes. But for Valentine's Day, why not?

I found inspiration for these on Pintrest. 

The papers and images are from SU. Ribbons from the scrap box. I did the sentiments on the computer and cut them apart. 

Here are closer views of each.

I am entering these for the Anything Goes at Tuesday Morning Sketches

Valentine Card

Not doing much prep for Christmas this year. We were with all our family at Thanksgiving. It will just be my husband and I. He is easy to please so probably not even an elaborate meal.

That gives me time to craft and start on Valentine cards.

I used some old papers I found in the Valentine supplies. The stitched label is from Pink and Main.

I used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches

 

Peaceful snowflakes

Whew! It has been a whirlwind few weeks. I participated in a Christmas Market sale. The next day, we traveled to my son's house for the week to celebrate Thanksgiving with the whole family. Then, we were home a week and packed up again and flew to Florida for some warm R&R. I have not made a card or blogged for 3 weeks. 

This year I decided to use this one digital Christmas Greeting to send to my family and friends via email and facebook.  Rather than send out individual cards, I decided to donate the Christmas cards I had made to a local assisted living facility for their residents to choose to send to their families and friends. I know it is hard for them to get out to shop for cards. Many won't be able to see their families this year. I do hope they enjoy sending my cards. 

The card is a total SU products card. The sentiment is embossed in silver. I used vellum snowflakes behing the sentiment panel as well as a panel of vellum.  Some silver sequins add a little more sparkle.

Inside is another SU sentiment and snowflakes.

Challenges:  Make the Cards Challenge #44

and: The House That Stamps Built D821 Christmas--Use Patterned Paper.

Valentine for my Sweetie

I may be done with Christmas cards. It depends on how many I sell at the Craft Market I am attending tomorrow. 

So I have been doing some Valentines. I found this swet couple digital image at Whimsy Stamps. I colored it with Stampin' Blends.

The heart E/F is Cuttlebug. The sentiment is via computer. Two strips of polka dot paper from the scrap pile.  I cut the image with a stitched die from Pink & Main. 3 punched glitter red stamped hearts for some bling.

Inside is the rest of the computer sentiment and a stamped message from SU.

I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches

Merry ChristMoose

The Card Concept blog is challenging us to make rustic holiday cards. I think a moose says country and rustic. Here is my clean and layered rustic card cased from one found on Pintrest

I used SU Real Red for the card base and added a strip of Old Olive. Then ran some Kraft paper through the corrugated roller. The tree is an old SU die cut. After cutting it I put it through a Sixxiz E/F to add some texture. The moose is an SU retired punch done with a scrap of red/green plaid. Adding more rustic is the raffia tied around the Kraft paper. The tag and sentiment are also SU

This is the inspiration photo from The Card Concept

I used the colors and achieved the rustic. But the horses in the picture got changed to a moose.

Also entering at Cardz 4 Guyz with the prompt to use gingham, checks, or plaid. My plaid is on the moose.

Elf on the Shelf

Elf on the Shelf came after my kids were grown. My grandkids do enjoy the tradition. Now the teenagers move the Elf for their little sister.  I think Mom is relieved about that because she kept forgetting. 

Every Christmas card collection needs at least one Elf card.

I used some scrap pieces of paper. The Elf is from Recollections. I stamped, colored and die cut it, then posed him on a circle that was lightly sponged with pale blue. The sentiment is from SU Itty Bitty Christmas.

I am using the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches

Honor and Remembrance

November 11 in USA is Veteran's Day, a day to thank, honor, and remember our veterans. Inspired by the laying of poppy wreath's in London, I have a thank you card for all the past and present service personnel.

 The poppy pattern is from retired SU's Peaceful Poppies. The sentiment banner is also SU. I didn't want to detract from those beautiful poppies so just used the sentiment banner and elevated it on foam tape.

Inside, I did a row of poppies from the same SU bundle.

The sketch is from Freshly Made Sketches

Bringing Home the Tree

 That is what I am calling it. The real name is "Truckin' Santa Paws", the new digital stamp of the month from Imagine That Digistamp. Enlarge the picture to see those cute critters loading up their tree for the trip home.

I used the colorized version of the digistamp and sized it at about 2 1/2 ". That image is then cut to 3' x 2" and backed with a gray which matches the truck. The SU Garden Green background paper is embossed with a forest of trees, an SU E/F. I lightly sponged on some white to look like snow on the trees. The word dies are in a box of several word dies that I didn't label. They are cut from silver sparkle paper and layered with a couple of black layers. The snowflakes a Martha Stewart punch in the same silver sparkle paper.

Inside greeting is an SU stamp. After stamping, I used the same E/F. You may need to enlarge to see that. With the textured paper, it might be hard to do a signature on this half but I can always use the top half to write a little note and sign.

Here is a view of the complete digistamp set which comes with some cute sayings.

I chose to change up the sentiment so I could enter the word week challenge at Just Us Girls

Valentine Paper

Okay, okay, I know what you are thinking. Valentine's already? I am in a ladies group at my church who plan to send Valentine's to our nursing home and shut in people. I volunteered to make the cards for them. Better get started since I need 40. 

 I purchased a paper share from SU's Mini Catalogue. There are a few DSPs in the catalogue that are not Christmas. You probably wouldn't think of Blackberry Bliss DSP as Valentines but this background paper works well.

The heart paper and polka dots are from the scrap box. I think of lace when making Valentine's so used a Fiskar border punch to make a lacy edge on the heart paper. 

The LOVE die cut is from Marianne Design. It reminds me of a sculpture by Robert Indiana. This is the one at Indiana University. Next time I'll try snipping off the "O" and put it at an angle. 

Inside the card, I did a computer sentiment and then lightly stamped a heart from SU's retired Hearts Aflutter.

I used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches 

I actually made 2 other cards with this sketch and posted them earlier in the week but forgot to link up to Tuesday Morning Sketches. You can see them here

More Poppies

I've been using up the last few papers from SU's Painted Poppies--now retired. One sheet of the paper has really large flowers. Cutting it into 4x5 1/2 portions would not adequately showcase the flowers. So I fussy cut them. to use as focal points.

The background is another design of the same DSP. Behind the blossom is a section of ombre green which is the reverse side of one of the papers. Accenting behind the blossom is a red polka dot paper from the scrap box. The sentiment is an old one now unlabled, stamped and fussy cut.

Inside, I did a computer made sentiment and another blossom trimmed down to fit the corner.

I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches

Thaksgiving

 I thought I was done with fall and thanksgiving cards but then the Cardz 4 Guyz challenge #283 this week is "Leaves".  This is my masculine Thanksgiving card.

The background paper is SU's Nature's Poem DSP. The wood planks is from the scrap box. I have a whole bag of "wood" paper scraps, I don't remember who makes this one. The chevron is also from the scraps--maybe the same Nature's Poem DSP? The wood slab and leaves (die cut) are from SU's Rooted in Nature set. To cover the stems, I added a raffia bow. Men can have bows too, right? Especially if they are a natural element. The sentiment is from an old set and punched out with an SU label punch.

In addition to Cardz 4 Guyz, I am posting to The Paper Players Tic-Tac-Toe challenge using the upper row, ribbon/twine, circle, die cut

Also Just Us Girls challenge who also has leaves as a challenge

While I was working with this sketch, I made a feminine version also using up some of the last pieces of Peaceful Poppies DSP

Summer Poppies

 Taking a break today from fall and Christmas. It is so dreary, cold and rainy here today, I decided some summer flowers would be in order.

I'm using some paper left from SU's DSP Peaceful Poppies. The strips across the center are from the backsides of the floral papers. I added a scrap of vellum behind the focus point to soften the brightness of the paper. The leaves and berries are from SU Forever Fern set. The poppy is cut from the paper. The sentiment is in the Woven Heirlooms set by SU.

This is the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches

Upcycling

 Every year, I receive a pack of Christmas cards from a charity organization. Of course as a crafter cardmaker, I can't send out factory made cards. So I take them apart and use portions to make my own cards. I call it upcycling instad of recycling--sound more artsy!

The snowman images were cut from an envelope. The Believe... portion was the flap of that envelope. The SU cardstock is Misty Moonlight. I found a gold embossed vellum piece in my stash and used alcohol inks  on the back and then backed that with a strip of white. I used a gold star gel pen to make the snowmen's candles glow. 

I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches

Masculine Christmas Cheer

 Green and gold--classic Christmas. For Make the Cards Challenge #38 with green as the challenge color.

I was to the point, my mojo was stifled by such a mess of Christmas paper, I couldn't decide on anything. I sorted and straightened my box of paper and found some cards from a SU kit. Green--just what I need at the moment. The green paper has feathers, deer, and poinsettias--odd combo you think? The kit came with gold metallic deer and star stickers. I put an accent strip of the green with metallic gold feathers behind the green and gold circles. The sentiment is from SU Itty Bitty Christmas. A gold metallic ribbon ties it all together.

Here is the inspiration for the challenge

Also submitting this to Cardz 4 Guyz #282 Any Animal

Fun in the Snow

I only like snow from inside my house, looking out. But I do like to see kids out building snowmen and having so much excitement and fun.

The card base is Misty Moonlight. The DSP is from Whimsey Wonder papers. There is a silver border all the way around but for some reason it doesn't show up on the left side. I die cut a snow hill and shaded it with Pool Party Ink. The SU snowman  looks like he is going to just slide right down that hill.  I punched out some big and small stars to accent the background. The sentiment is also SU.

I used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches

 

I loved the sketch so much, I decided to make more snowmen scenes.

These DSPs are also in the Whimsey Wonder collection.

Pretty Birthday

I've been replenishing my stash of birthday cards this week. I pulled out what I have left of Stampin" Up!'s Peaceful Poppies DSP. Pretty flowers for a pretty birthday card.

 I also needed to do my card for Tuesday Morning Sketches

I spotted this last strip of paper with the purple poppies. Then I found some purple paper to match the flowers. The die cut circle label is from the same SU bundle. I added some sprigs and berries from the Forever Fern and Botanical Prints sets. The sentiment is an old retired one from SU. You may have to do a close up look to see the gold thread behind the sentiment.

Cheryl, I don't know when your birthday is but this one is for you. I thought of you because you like purple so much.

Peace Dove

There is just something peaceful, serene, and elegant with white on white cards. 

The white panels embossed with 2 different snow Sizzix folders are backed with silver mettalic paper. The dove die cut is from Impression Obsession.  The sentiment is upcycled from a card I received last year. 

Do you save cards you received and upcycle parts to new handmade cards?

Submitting to Let's Craft and Create where the theme is "Things with Wings"

Singing in the Rain

 "Singing in the Rain" is such a happy song.  This cute little girl and her duck are having so much fun singing and splashing.

I used the pre-colored version of stamp of the month from Imagine That Digistamp. Check out their blog. They have a great way to build your digi collection. If you use their stamp of the month and post it to their blog, you get the next month's stamp free.

The background white card stock is embossed with a Sizzix folder. I sponged the dots lightly with SU Balmy Blue to look more like raindrops. 3 strips from the scrap box accent the lower corner. I think this will be a fun encouragement card for a shut-in from my church. 

I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches

Here is the complete free digi set

Winter Evergreens

 Sharing a book binding  fold card today using the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches

I used SU's retired Peaceful Boughs. Branches are in Old Olive and Mossy Meadow, the light and dark give some depth to the tree. I stamped several branches on the white piece on the binding side. Then I die cut 2 sizes of pinecones (from the same set) and glued them in place. I like raffia on nature cards so had to tie a bit around the binding fold.

Inside I stamped another SU sentiment and then an accent of a stamped pinecone.

Here is the Tuesday Morning Sketch which I flipped right to left so my book would open the right direction.