Sweet Happy Birthday

I have been so busy making stuff and doing all kinds of interesting things that I have not gotten round to posting at all. That is not good....

But today, finally an update from me, and that because I wanted to enter my card into the Cutting Edge Challenge over at Art Impressions. It is no secret that I really like AI stamps and that I enjoy taking part in their challenges!

For my easel card I used the 'Tea Party Popcard' set  and I used the coordinating dies to do a partial cut over the fold of the easel. It was super easy to do.

I love all the dimension on the card! I cut out all the elements with the dies, while carefully avoiding the parts that cut the slits for the pop up mechanism. Again, that was super easy to do. I added thin foam tape and double foam tape layers to get the elements to stand away from each other nicely.

As a final touch I added the little butterfly with a piece of clear plastic so it can hover near the tulips.

I'm submitting this card for the 'Cutting Edge Challenge' over at the Art Impressions blog.

Edited to add : I'm delighted to have won an 'Honourable Mention' with this card! <doing a happy dance> LOL

Here is the stamp and die set I used -Tea Party Popcard #4942 - I'm looking forward to using the pop-up die with this set....the order is on it's way!

The 'Happy Birthday' sentiment is from the 'Reel Great Guys' set  and the 'Special Treat' sentiment is from the Cupcake BFFs set

Card - Sending Warm Fuzzies

We had so much snow recently that it made all the sense in the world to me to make a card with snowmen. The set is 'Build a Snowman' by Stampendous, but I've not been able to track it down on their website. Amazon here in Canada did list it at a rather crazy price, so you may be able to track it down somewhere.

I used Distress Oxide ink (Vintage Photo) for the stamping and I love how it turned out. The warmth of the brown looks delicious. Like hot chocolate. Or something like that...
Unfortunately even after leaving it to dry overnight it still reacted to the glitter glue that I added in a few places. I did the colouring with coloured pencils.

I covered the entire inside of the card with patterned paper (Forever in Time), before adding the snowbank strip, which I popped up with foam to make an edge for the easel card to push against. I added some stamped snowflakes too. These are from the snowmen set.

The sentiment is from a set by Hero Arts (with no name)  that I picked up at Michaels recently.
Just some die cut and punched snowflakes and a few more gems and I called it done.

Here's an image of the stamp set - I bought mine a few years ago at Michaels

Thinking of You - Card

I liked this image from Lili of The Valley -  and thought it would work well for an all purpose card.
I took the colour inspiration from some older designer paper I have in my collection and coloured the image with Derwent WC pencils. I find if I leave the digital ink jet images to dry for a few days the ink takes a small amount of water just fine with no, or a very small amount of bleeding.

I used an embossing folder to add interest to the front panel of the easel card as well as a die cut, and sentiment (an older ProvoCraft stamp) and a little bit of ribbon.

I also used dies to cut curved edges on the designer paper strips, on the inside and outside of the card. I added foam under the paper on the front strip to create an edge for the easel part to push against.

I stamped the top half of the card front with Versamark ink and a Friskars rose stamp. I like the way the Versamark ink looks on the kraft paper.

All in all a quick and easy card to make as a reminder to a dear friend that she is in my thoughts.

Sharing a Cuppa

Such a great image! And suitable for different occasions. I turned this one into a 'friends' card.

Colouring the image was quick to do using water soluble pencils (Derwent) I also added die cuts, punched floral details and a little glitter glue to the dots on the teacups

The image is from Lili of the Valley - Coffee Break.  The sentiment I found online and printed it using the font 'Pea Ana Banana' (free for personal use)

Floral Fresh Greetings

A little birthday greeting for a friend - another spring birthday!

This time I used the 'Summer' digital stamp from Lili of The Valley.

For this card I decided to remove the outer frame/border all together for a more 'open' look. Instead I blended some pigment inks onto the edges of the card to act as a frame.

The image was coloured using Derwent water colour pencils and colour pencils and I added a variety of die cut and punched pieces.

I used tiny flower punches and floral sequins as embellishments so as not to overwhelm the beautifully delicate sketched digital image.

For the polka dots on the dress, I mimicked the dotted designer paper using Tulip dimension fabric paint. Only do you see that squiggle on her shoulder? That was a mistake...the paint leaked out as I was getting ready to place that first dot! Yikes! I decided to leave it. It almost looks like it was intended to look like that!

All I can say is that if you're going to make a mistake, this is probably the best kind of mistake to make!

I bought the whole set of Seasons Girl digital Stamps and look forward to colouring the rest of them.

Spring Time Birthday

There is something very charming about a birthday in spring. Maybe because mine is when everything is very grey and very foggy, still...there is something about new flowers and birds singing that seems to make it a suitable time for a birthday.

I decided to use a Lili Of The Valley digital stamp for my 'spring feel' card. The one used for this card is called 'Spring'

I separated the frame from the image and also erased the leaves that come down from the top of the frame in the original image (see HERE) because I wanted to add a little dimension by including die cut and punched flowers. I copied the butterflies from the 'Summer' digi image (HERE) and added those around the figure.

The frame is popped up on foam tape for dimension and it also gave me a place to attach the banner greeting (best wishes)

A tiny bit of glitter on the butterfly wings and the headband finishes off the image coloured with Derwent water colour pencils and colour pencils. I also added tiny floral sequince and half pearls to the punched flowers at the top.

The easel card format allowed for the rest of the greeting to be displayed as well.

That pretty cool font used for the greetings is a free personal use font, called 'Pea Anna Banana'

I hope the card travels safely across the oceans...

Birthday Girl

Something about this little girl reminds me of myself when I was little. Only of course that little dress would have been the worse for wear were it on me...sitting still and staying out of trees was not my strong point.

I got the image at Lili of The Valley. At the time it was a give-away on their Facebook page. I cannot locate it on the website though, so maybe it is no longer available, but there is still loads of others to choose from (and at this posting all are on sale)

I coloured the image using coloured pencils, using colours to match the designer paper (from an old Provocraft pad)

I die cut a little doily for the sentiment and popped it up with a bit of foam tape to give the easel something to kick against.The die is from an Art-C set Doilies and Lace, that I picked up from my local Michaels

And finally a bit of glitter in a few places to make this festive for my little friend on her birthday.

Looking at the close-up I see that it would be good to just retrace those lines on the facial features a bit, so they will be solid black once more, and the card is ready to go in the mail!

Snowy Christmas

Quite appropriately, it is white with snow outside my window as I type this...now if only we could have a little over Christmas to keep things really cozy! Family, a cozy fire in the wood stove and a winter wonderland outside. That's the stuff memories are made of.

But now - on to my snowy Christmas cards.

Lili of The Valley carries some truly beautiful stamps, honestly it is so hard to narrow my wishlist down. I opted for digital stamps but they also carry clear and rubber stamps and cross stitch patterns.

Since I like my cards to be displayed and they were going to travel internationally (actually 'back' to the UK!) I decided to once again make easel cards.

I started by sizing the images and sentiments in Photoshop, preparing a document for printing.  Still undecided about whether I wanted to use the car or the church scene I included both.

Once that was set-up I could print multiple copies as needed. 

The church scene was quick to colour, using coloured pencils, after which I trimmed the image out and attached it to card front which was prepared with patterned paper.

The inside of the card is also lined with a snowy paper, while the sentiment strip is edged with a holly punch (Fiskars) I added a couple die cut and one punched snowflake. Some puffy fabric paint (Tulip) gives the snowflakes on the panel dimension and while the paint was wet I sprinkled on a small amount of super fine light blue glitter.

It was a quick make and I'm very pleased with the result!

Next up was the mailbox - very appropriate for an 'across the miles' greeting.

I used coloured pencils for the colouring as well as a silver Sharpie pen for the metal details on the postbox. Another print of the same picture provided me with a mailbox to trim out and pop up on foam for dimension. I also popped the birds and some of the holly leaves up to add a bit of depth.

Once again I used the puffy fabric paint for my snow and added glitter for that frosty sparkle. I also added glitter to the berries and some of the leaves. This card did take more time and more 'fussing' with all the trimming and layering, but I enjoyed every minute of making it.

I thought the envelope shape on the patterned paper made a very fitting place for the stamped sentiment. Some punched holly leaves and glittery berries was all I needed to add.

Some understated green patterned paper and a couple die cut snowflakes provided the final touches.

Both cards are on their way right now and will hopefully remind dear people how much they are loved...

Christmas Card - More Poinsettias

I had to make at least one more Christmas card this year featuring poinsettias. This was such a satisfying card to make!

I used a wide selection of cut files, dies, punches, embossing folders and patterned paper.

To make it an easy to display card, I turned it into an easel. I figure a Christmas card might as well become a decor item!

An online search for Christmas sentiments brought this one up, and I used the Silhouette pen feature and a gel pen to write it out for me. The holly border punch is by Friskars.

I'm pleased with how it turned out and since it will be hand delivered, the size - 6" square - as well as the dimension with all those bits and bobs makes no difference.

Christmas Cards - Comfort & Joy

I enjoy working with paper, I mean I really really really enjoy working with paper...

That is why this card was so rewarding to make. I envisioned it in pure white, with a bit of cream, but it kept begging me for colour. I relented a little, finally adding some red and a hint of gold. And called it done. I am very pleased with how this turned out!

I used cut files for the Silhouette Cameo for the main elements - The poinsettias are from 'Christmas Box Cards' by SVG Cuts (affiliate link) The greenery is from 3 D Wintergreens also by SVG Cuts (affiliate link) The holly and pine cones are by Sherri McCulley  I also used an embossing folder " Piroutte" by Anna Griffin for Cuttlebug on the background. I used a snowflake die as a lacy layering elements and a Fiskars punch for the holly detail on the raised element that keeps the upright portion of the easel card in place. The lettering was done using the Cameo and a gold gel pen.

And just because my eyes very asking for colour...I made a second card, similar to this, but in colour. I used mostly dye inks for colouring the different elements.

Love all the details in the flowers and the water coloured look that the dye inks give.

I used a combination of Thin Fonts (at Lettering Delights) and regular fonts for the sentiment.

 I added a thin strip of gold embossing to the edge of the raised piece to tie the upright piece in with the bottom area where the message can be written. I also gold embossed the flourishes

I wonder how many of these I would have to make before I've 'had enough of it'...

Got Chocolate?

This cat-in-a-cup image stole my heart. I mean what is not to love about this adorable 'Cup of Kitty'? I found it over at Tiddly Inks

And heading out to share a cuppa with a friend I thought I would take a card along...

I settled on an easel card with a sentiment from a set by Inkadinkadoo 'Friendly Advice' I chose to paper piece the cup and coloured the kitty with coloured pencils.

Inkadinkadoo 'Friendly Advice' - I got mine at my local Michaels store.

The colours I used are autumn ones...partly because it is that lovely cozy time of the year now, here where I live, but also because I am entering this into the TiddlyInks Challenge #192 'Happy Fall Y'all'

I customized the card a little...adding a note about a cup of tea...and a few of chocolates to share!

Summer Time and Flowers

It is so very nice to have an excuse to make lots and lots of flowers and since it has been a while, I found twice as much enjoyment as usual from making this gift box and card combination for a friend's birthday.

The box was just an empty chocolate box that was exactly the size I needed. I simply opened it up and copied the pattern. The papers are by Graphic 45. The colours from the paper set the colour palette for the rest of my embellishments. I coloured the light sand coloured cardstock doily, flowers and leaves with Memento Dye inks.
The leaves and flowers are a combination of punches and cutting files. There is also the odd 'petaloo' flower (I am not a fan btw) Links at the bottom of this post.

The card started off with an easel card base. I used an embossing folder for the texture on the background panel. It provided the perfect understated elegant detail I was looking for.

My Scrap Chick - Easel Cards
Flower Cut Files  and Leaf Cut Files - Sheri McCulley (affiliate link)
Cut Flower Vines only (affiliate link)
Cut Flower Scallops - flowers only (affiliate link)
Embossing folder - Anna Griffin's 'Pirouette'