Sunflower Thank You

Cardz 4 Galz has a challenge to use coloring, any medium you choose. I love the look of water coloring but am just not very good at it. So I tried a new method using finger daubers and ink pads.

I used the sunflowers E/F from Stampin ' Up! I spritzed the paper before putting it though the Big Shot. It gave a nice deep impression. Then using Daffodil Delight, Mossy Meadow, Pumpkin Pie, and Crumb Cake inks, I lightly colored the flowers using finger daubers. To not cover up the flowers, I chose a small sentiment from SU and fussy cut it. To dress up a little more, I added a fold of yellow ribbon. I probably should go back and add a few sparkly gems but I already sent the card. 

I actually liked this so much, I made more for other occasions and I will definitely add some gems to them.

 

Leaves

I have been busy filling my stash in prep for a Holiday Market. But I wanted to take a time out to share this Thanksgiving card I made for The Paper Players  challenge of Clean and Simple leaves. 

The card base is Kraft. I stamped off with brown to make the leaves at the bottom. At the side is a "cork" paper  with a brown mat. The tree stamp is from SU. For the sentiment from SU, I found a coordinating color of paper in my scraps. Stamped and then sponged a bit with Tim Holtz Tea Dye ink.

Here is Paper Players inspiration photo.

 

Purple and Green

 Not your traditional Halloween purple and green. Those are the color challenge from Cardz 4 Galz

I still have bits of the Forever Lavender paper from SU. It fit nicely on the die cut fram som Sizzix. The paper does all the design work so I only had to add a sentiment and a butterfly. The butterfly is for Let's Craft and Create challenge to add wings.

Fancy Due Cuts

Cardz4Galz challenge is using dies or punches. 

The patterned papers are from Memory Box. 

The die cut label is from Sizzix

The sentiment is an old unlabled wood block stamp, I used a clear star gel pen to highlight the flowers.     3 flat sequins from SU. 

I tried a sheer pink ribbon through the lacy top of the label.

AUTUMN/FALL

Autumn/fall--my favorite season for card making.  The warm colors and textures--perfect for masculine cards. So I had to play along at Cardz 4 Guyz challenge.

Crumb Cake base. 2 papers from the stash, leaves I had already made, some twine, and a sentiment on a popped up deckled circle.  This was probably a 10 minute card only because I already had the die cut leaves done. The leaf die cuts are from SU. I cut them from white cardstock and sponged on yellow, orange and red colors. The twine bow adds texture.

Layers and E/F

 Can You Handle The Pressure challenge is always use an E/F and this week has an added twist of adding layers. Let's Craft and Create also has a challent to use lots of layers. So I have a two-fer with just one card.

I used a Real Red card base. The next layer is white with an all over snowing E/F from Cuttlebug.The next two layers are from Joyful Days Memories and More card pack from SU. The sentiment is an old SU one cropped to a small strip. I added enhancements with a punched gold star at the top of the tree, red star gel pen over the red dots. At the bottom, I swiped Pool Party at the bottom of the tree and then covered that with clear glitter glue.

If you have not tried the Memories and More card packs from Stampun" UP!, give them a try. You get 54 cards in the pack for $11.50. There are 6"x4 and 3" x4" cards. So far I have made 20 cards and have enough for 4 more. All you have to add is a card base and some embellishments. Some of them already have a sentiment.

This one has the preprinted sentiment. There are 2 layers of cards from the pack, one of the 6x4 trimmed to 51/4x4. I added a red mat to the sentiment card and then a red bow and 3 flat red sequins.

This one ia a single layer. The trees are printed on the card already. It was a 4x6 and I trimmed it to 5 1/4 x 4 size. I added a sentiment and used a snow maker pen to add fluff to some of the branches.

Gingerbread Man

 Playing today with this weeks sketch at Freshly Made Sketches

I love gingerbread for Christmas. We always made gingerbread men when I was  kid. We had so much fun decorating them

I used an e/f that reminds me of plaids. The SU plaid DSP are from. the scrap box. The gingerbread is from Sarasota Stamps.  The Santa hat and candy cane are from a retired SU stamp set.I can't decide where to put a sentiment. 

Halloween for Kids.

I am so excited to have been chosen as guest designer for Send A Smile 4 Kids. 

They collect cards for kids from stampers and distribute them to children's hospitals. I appreciate the volunteers who do the collections and mailings. It warms my heart to think I can bring a moment of cheer to a hospitalized child.  Check out their blog for rules. If you have extra cards appropriate for kids, I am sure they would be honored to receive your donations.

It may seem early to think about Halloween cards but they do have to be sent off several weeks early for the volunteers to get them to the hospitals.

The background paper has bubbles on it (you know double, double, toil and trouble, fires burn and cauldron bubble...) It is from SU. the b/w stripe is from the scrap pile. The witch's hat and shoes are also from SU. The ghost is an old unlabeled wood stamp, stamped on a scrap and fussy cut. I did a smattering of green behind the image to make the image pop.  The sentiment is an old SU retired stamp. That ghost just looked blah so I added googly eyes to bring him to life. Isn't he just too cute kicking up his heels to celebrate Halloween?

Just a fun not too scary card I think a kid will love.

Head on over to Send A Smile 4 Kids blog to check out the designers' inspirations.

Retirement Fun

I have a commission for 4 retirement cards. Here is the first. I cased a card I found on Pintrest by Tamie

Relaxing in a chair by the beach is certainly a favorite retirement activity.

The card base and the mat circle are SU's Crumb Cake. I used SU's wavy e/f on Pool Party for the waves. I die cut a circle and sponged on crumb cake, pool party, and balmy blue. The palm trees are from the retired (appropriate?) set Waterfront. I added a white burlap strip behind the circle. And an unlabled die cut beach chair in front. The sentiment is an old stamp in my stash. 

Sketch from Freshly Made Sketches. I ritated ti landscape and moved the circle over a bit to accommodate the chair.

Just Us Girls die cut week.

Cardz 4 Galz create a scene

Darnell's die week

Big Sunflower

Today's share is a big sunflower die cut I found in my stash. I knew it would be perfect for a Thanksgiving  card.

The greens are Old Olive from SU. The stripe was in my leftovers. I punched out 3 leaves and shaded them with Mossy Meadow. I slightly folded and then curled the ends of the leaves. The sentiment is an old one, die cut with an unlabled die, popped up on foam tape. 

I'm entering this at Let's Craft and Create where the challenge is anything goes with the option of stripes or polkadots.