Catching the Last Rays

Yesterday when it was 50 degrees and raining, I decided I needed some sun and a dose of beach.

 The challenge at Let's Craft and Create is no patterned paper. I used a line stencil to create the background. Using green, tan, blues, oranges, and yellows I made a beach scene. The palm tree, sunbather, and umbrella are stickers. I popped up the umbrella top and glued  down the handle. The setting sun is from the retired SU set called Swirly Bird I also popped up the sun.

I left off a sentiment and just put a blank liner inside so it can have multiple uses. I've put this one in my stash to send to Send A Smile 4 Kids

Fun Puns

 I do love puns. These 2 cards fit the challenge at Send A Smile 4 Kids

I found this ruler paper at a local craft store and I have used it all already and cannot tell you who makes it. I wish I had bought more than one sheet as it is perfect for guy cards. The sentiment is my own done on the computer and cut out with a deckle rectangle die. I inked the edges to make it blend better with the background. 

This one is an inspiration from by blogger friend Cheryl. You can see her gears here. The gear stamp is an old unlabeled wood block stamp. The plaid was from the stash. The DAD stamp is a very old one from SU. The sentiment copied from Cheryl was done on the computer and die cut with a deckle edge circle.

Per SAS4K request, these are both blank inside so a personal message can be added.

If you have extra cards and would like to donate them, check out  Send A Smile 4 Kids to see what they need and where you can send your cards.

Fishing Father's Day

I bought a paper share from a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator. When I say the papers called Otterly Adorable I thought what am I going to do with this. I didn't care for the otter side but the reverse had some nice patterns for masculine cards. I pulled out the swimming schools of fish for some Father's Day cards for Send A Smile 4 Kids

I used a Pool Party base. On the side of the fish DSP I used a couple of colors of the water. The lighter blue has an edge made with Fiskar seagull scissors.  Another color of water is die cut to back the sentiment circle. I punched out 3 small anchors from some copper metallic paper for embellishments.

THe design is from the sketch by Freshly Made Sketches

Here are 2 more with the same DSP

Leftovers

I have a few leftover pieces from current papers from SU.. I found some that meet the challenge at Gardz 4 Guyz challenge of Bodies of Water. 

The images are from SU's retired Swirly Bird set. I think it is my all time favorite. I still use it a lot.

Art Deco

This week challenge at Cardz4Galz is Art Deco.  This was a challenge for me. First I searched Google for some art deco images. There was a print that reminded me of a page from a Recollections paper pad.  I do know there is a lot of gold in art deco. 

The card base is from SU. I have had them for several years so I am sure they are retired. It is preprinted with the gold edge. The designer paper is from Recollections. The sentiment is an old SU one embossed with gold and die cute in a hexagon shape. The decor is a premade gold frame and leaves. They were in a bag in my stash and unlabeled so I cant credit them. Amazing what you can find when you go searching through that mountain of stuff.

Also adding to The Negleced Stuff Challenge.  The card base and gold frames both qualify for neglected.

Graduation

 Can you believe it is near the end of another school year and almost time for graduations. When making graduation cards I like to use the school colors. Our local high school colors are red, white, and blue.

The mortarboard embossing folder is unlabeled. I used layers of red white and blue. The congrats is an old wood block stamp. I added some red and blue punched stars for accents. The black mortarboard is a sticker.

I'm playing along with  Darnell with her I.D.E.A.S plan,  this week being embossing.

And Can You Handle The Pressure I've used the anything goes but did not add the twist of rainbows or rainbow colors

Matchbook Fold

 The new challenge at Cardz 4 Guyz is fancy folds

I've used  matchbook fold.

I used all retired DSP from SU.  I fussy cut the tools from one of the papers.

Here is the opened inside view.

One hint. So the twine would not slip off, I cut a small notch on each edge. If you use a ribbon, you can put a small glue dot or double stick tape in the back to seure the ribbon.

Neglected Stuff Challenge is a new challenge for me. The premise is to use stuff laying around in your craft space that need some love again. 

There comes a time when you have to stop creating and spend some time cleaning. That is what I have been doing. I found some cards from a Memories and More card pack from SU. The label is long gone so I don't know the name of the set.

I love blues and this image just spoke Mother's Day to me. The background DSP is also SU. I made a banner of the sentiment by adding a foam square in the center and glue dots on the ends 

Mother's Day

I am furiously making Mother's Day cards for Send A Smile 4 Kids . This month their challenge is to use a sketch. So I pulled up this from Sketch Saturday        

My card is made with bits from my stash.

The sentiment is popped up with foam squares. The butterfly is on one of those jiggly things--I forgot what they are called. I think the kids will have fun with it.

Let's Craft and Create challenge is add flowers.

Paper Funday Challenges. anything with the letter B

Mother's Day

 In order for special cards to get to the kids on time, we have to be thinking ahead to the next occasion at Send A Smile 4 Kids So, I am working on some Mother's Day cards that the kids will select for their Mothers.

This one, I am linking up to Cardz 4 Galz  where the challenge is stripes.

The pattern in the Perennial Lavender  paper from SU represents the stripes. The circle bouquet is from a pad by Recolletions. The sentiment is  also SU.  I added a bow to the top and then 3 purple gems for accernts.