Feel Better

There has been so much illness in our church lately that I have depleted my stock of get well cards. Today I am working on replenishing them. Had to stop to do a couple of challenges.
From The Heart Stamps sketch

combined with Tuesday Throwdown challenge of "Things with Wings",
I have a cute chickie dispensing Feel Better Syrup

The image and sentiment are both From The Heart Stamps. Colored with Prismacolor pencils. I die cut the oval frame from a scrap of neon green. On the  Stamping' Up! Real Red  card base, I used a Darice impression folder of chevrons. Then I had to chuckle--appropriate image as it reminds me of tire tracks. You can certainly feel like you've been run over by a truck when you have the flu.
All these Birdbrain images by From The Heart Stamps sure make me smile so I know this will certainly bring cheer.

Spectacular

I won a free digi stap from Sami Stamps and just had to play with it immediately.

Isn't it just the cutest?  Check out her designs, there are lots of adorable ones.
And I found this sketch image at CAS(E) This Sketch that fits with the card I made. Usually, you find a sketch and then make the card. This time, I had the card made and was blog hopping and found this new sketch. Karma!!

Instead of making my own background, I used paper from SU. The image is colored with Prismacolor pencils. I added some Wink of Stella to the glasses lenses and then some great big froggy eyes. The sentiment is a digi by From The Heart.  Inside, I typed a message: "So have an eye popping spectacular birthday."  

Stained Glass

I have another Easter Card to share. This is a NBUS die from Die-Versions.

I cut the image from black paper and glued it onto vellum.  Then I turned it over and using the negative of the die to cover the edges, I sponged on Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade, and Melon Mambo--all from Stamping' Up!. It gives a bit of a stained glass look. Then I attached the vellum to a white card stock base with small clear mounting squares at the corners and covered them with Candy Dots. 

I learned this technique from Karen at Karen's Creative Cards. This is her gorgeous card

This is for the challenge at The Paper Players

Easter Cards

I have been doing some Easter Cards for Send A Smile 4 Kids. Thought I better get them posted while their Easter Card for Kids challenge is still going on.

This one features a free digi from Dearie Dolls Digi Stamps. I used the precolored version here. The sentiment is a From The Heart digi.  The polka dot papers are by Bo Bunny. I added 3 little stamped and colored eggs to balance out the image.

This one is a From The Heart digi, again I used the precolored version. The sentiment is also FTH. I added some punched flowers at the base.

Chalkboard

We have a good friend who has been a teacher and now is a high school principal. He is going through chemo treatments and I wanted to make him a special card. One thing I really like about making my own greeting cards is that they can be personalized to the recipient. The whole time I am making one of these special cards I am thinking of and praying for the individual.

I used some chalkboard paper that I think came for Stamping' Up! but I can't really remember as I have had it a long time. It has a bit of a slick surface and takes white StazOn ink really well. I sponged some white around the edges and then lightly stamped some script with white. The banner is some cork board looking paper from my stash. The school lined writing paper is from Tim Holtz. The sentiment is Lawn Fawn.  I anchored my cork paper with 2 brass brads to look like thumb tacks.
These brads are my favorite for masculine cards.
I am submitting this to Tuesday Throwdown where the challenge is "Favorite Embellishments"

Cat Pout

This digi stamp by From The Heart is called "Birthday Cat Pout".  Too many candles? Too many birthdays? Or not enough cake? Just not a happy kitty.

I colored the image with Prismacolor pencils. The banner strips are all from the paper stack Cherry on Top by SU.
Inside sentiment was done on the computer.  This sentiment actually comes in the set in the same cute font used on the front. When I was trying to get it onto the page, I accidentally pasted when I should have copied. Didn't realize it until it was too late to undo. Duh! I can do stupid moves on the computer sometimes. Other than repurchasing the whole set, I don't think I can get it back.
I added a tiny cupcake to reinforce the sentiment.

Submitting to From The Heart weekly sketch challenge.

Cracked Eggs

Here is a fun pun for an Easter card.

The image is a From The Heart digi colored with Prismacolor pencils. The egg border is an old, old stamp as set of 3 eggs, repeated 3 times. Cut out and glued to the border. The blue and white polka dot DP is from my stash. The white ribbon behind the image has white polka dots on it also.
The layout is from Tuesday Morning Sketches

Gift Bag

There is no way I could use a purchased decorative gift bag when I am giving a gift and personal handmade card. So I buy the plain white and Kraft gift bags from Hobby Lobby. They are less than a dollar apiece when you use their coupons.

I spotted my first robin yesterday. And the tulips have popped their heads above ground. That means spring is soon here. WooHoo!! So I am definitely thinking spring. I used a digi by From The Heart and used Prismacolor pencils to make a robin and pink flowers. I think the label die is from Sizzix. To balance the image, I made a "river of grass" with a die from the Swirly Bird set by SU. Then punched out 2 colors of pink flowers and accented them with yellow centers of  Candy Dots from SU. The are then attached with glue dots.
I often use card sketches to decorate gift bags so I am submitting it to Tuesday Morning Sketches using this sketch inverted

Spring

It is February and soon we will be seeing robins return to the area. We have had some spring like weather already so I don't think it will be long.  Thinking of that today, I used a bird digital image by From The Heart Stamps for their new sketch challenge.

The pretty paper is from Bo Bunny. I love the soft green for spring. I colored the image with Prismacolor pencils. The pink "candy dots" from SU reflect the colors of the flowers. The sentiment is with the digi set and after I had the card all together, I see it is not exactly centered.  Still learning things about the Mac Pages program.
Inside, I did a sentiment on the computer and added some flowers from SU's Painted Petals. I think a bit of decoration inside give a special touch.

Here is the sketch that I flipped sideways. I just couldn't use the twist of Snow Day because I am so done with snow for this winter.

Birdday Chick

At my age--starting a new decade soon--my friends and I have to laugh and joke about our birthdays.
And I love a good pun so here goes. I love the expression on this chick--so perplexed, like how did I get so many birthdays so fast?

The sentiments and the bird with balloon are From The Heart digs. The inside chick is just an old stamp I have had forever. DP is from SU Cherry On Top paper stack. The next circle up to back the chick would have been too big for the card so I cut a square and rounded the edges. \

I am using the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch

Mother's Day Bouquet

I have no idea why I am making a Mother's Day card already. This sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches just seemed to be shouting Mother's Day to me.

Who am I to deny that voice in my head? So here is what I did.

I like this sentiment from SU. It takes up a lot of presence on a card, makes a great focal point. The bouquet is made with the dies from Botanical Blooms by SU. I added some yellow dots in the background of the sentiment with a stamp from Swirly Bird. B/W polka dot Washi tape anchors the whole scene.  AAACK! the spell checker kept wanting to change Washi to Washington. Computers think they are so smart1

Birthday Cupcakes

I love cake--especially cupcakes. All flavors, except coconut.  I would rather have cupcakes for a birthday celebration than regular cake.

I just love this PigWits digital by From The Heart Stamps whose challenge this month is a sketch with a twist--birthday cake and/or a color selection.

You can win a gift or just by participating, you get a $1.00 store credit.
I colored the image with Prismacolor pencils. After adding "sprinkles" with dots of colored star gel pens, I coated the frosting with clear glitter glue. I did the sentiment on the computer.
Inside is decorated with a row of cupcakes that is also a digi from the same set.

The inside sentiment is also computer made.

Beautiful Dog

I am making cards for Send A Smile 4 Kids For the Girls Challenge.

This may seem like a strange image for a girl's card. But keep in mind these are seriously ill girls and some of the treatments they go through can effect their self image. So anything to bring a smile to their faces and make them feel beautiful is a plus. Even scraggly dogs are beautiful.

The dog is an American Art Stamp, colored with Prismacolor pencils. I didn't have a small enough purple ribbon so I rubbed violet dye on a linen string for the bow tie. The sentiment is something I saw on a wall plaque a few years ago and have done on the computer. The polka dot papers are Bo-Bunny and the pink roses a scrap. 2 little hearts and a star sequin from SU finish it off.  To dress up the inside, I added another rose banner. I know this will cheer up a little girl especially one who owns a dog.
Speaking of dogs, have you ever watched The Puppy Bowl before the Super Bowl? It is so cute. Puppies are put in a small play area and drag toys to one end or the other to score. You just have to fall in love over and over with all those adorable puppies.
Appropriate to that subject, Just Us Girls challenge word this week is Dogs.

Runner's Inspiration

One last quick card for Darnell's NBUS #10 challenge.  I am still hoping to win the Mini Misti.

I tried the bubble wrap technique Darnell used but I think I need a little more practice with that. Mine was a big mess and looked like a Rorschach test! LOL! All I saw were globs of ink!
So I have used another NBUS item from Papertrey Ink, Making Strides stamps, die cuts, and sentiments.

My granddaughter runs track and cross country. I will be sending this to her for some motivation.

Piggy

I am so glad that Faith, the owner and illustrator at From The Heart Stamps has recovered from her illness and is able to get the blog up and running again. They have this really cool challenge. If you use their digital stamp of the month and enter their challenge, you will receive for free the next month's stamp. As long as you keep entering the challenges, you will receive the next month's stamp.

This image is from the PigWits Valentine set. I have my Valentines done so went with this sentiment. Inside is blank so any message can be added. I colored the pig with Prismacolor pencils. The DP is a rose print from Hobby Lobby. I added a flourish from SU Timeless Treasures set all around the border with Melon Mambo ink. There was not room for a mat to the art piece so I just sponged some purple on the edge to match the purple bow tie. A little piece of a doily makes it even more feminine. This will be going in my collection to send to Send A Smile 4 Kids and also entering their Anything Goes Challenge.
I used a clean and layered style for the challenge at The Card Concept. I picked out the rose from their picture, featuring it in the DP.

Their challenge is love and romance. I guess you could write I love you inside and maybe add a few punched hearts on the front.