I'm popping in to share a card I made for some friends who are celebrating their 17th anniversary tomorrow. I hope they like it.
I love butterflies. They add such a delicate and feminine element. The smaller butterflies were made with a Martha Stewart punch. The brown butterfly was punched from a piece of cardstock that had first been embossed in my Cuttlebug. That made it a bit more interesting and gave it some texture as well. I didn't do much to the pink butterfly except for sponge the edges with some distress ink. The larger green butterfly was made with a Sizzix embosslit. It's cool because it cuts and embosses at the same time. Then I sanded it to make the swirls from the embossing stand out a little more. I used linen thread (I love that stuff!) to attach the tag and discovered that once the ends were snipped, the linen thread took on the look of the butterfly's antennae. I chose A Muse's sheer ribbon to dress up the card, and the way I tied it almost gives the appearance of another butterfly. Cool, eh?
Here's the snowman I promised to share with you. My 6 year-old daughter, Livi made him out of socks, beans, string, buttons, and a toothpick. I think he's darling. He makes my heart happy. I will treasure him forever just because my sweet little girl made him just for me. Livi would *love* to know what you think. (((wink)))
I haven't made a tall card in a while, and come to think of it, I don't think I've ever made a monochromatic card before. I usually get bored with just one color and start adding others. Technically, this one might not exactly qualify either, but I say it's as close to monochromatic as I'm gonna get. Ok... enough of that.
I'm back today with another sweet Lollipop. Her name is Presley, and her bunny slippers are too cute! I'm not one for fancy corner punches, but I ran across this one the other day at JoAnn's, and I couldn't resist. Must be the scallops. Anyhoo... because I didn't plan this card out very well, I didn't have room to stamp the sentiment in its entirety, so I stamped it word by word on little tags. Most of the time when that happens, I end up pitching the whole idea and starting over. I hate it when that happens. I'm tickled when I'm able to salvage a card and make it work. This one's going to my little girl. She made a snowman out of socks and brought it home yesterday all wrapped up in a brown paper sack that she worked hard to decorate. It was so cute, and she was so proud of it. I'll have to post a picture of it.
My Stamping Bella package finally arrived yesterday, and I could hardly wait to ink up Ella Lollipop. I adore her polka dot dress and matching bow, and her skinny little legs just crack me up. She is total cuteness! I had enough kraft cardstock left over from yesterday for the card base, and seeing that my Stampin' Up goodies were still conveniently out on my desk, I decided to go shabby once again.
I'm a shabby girl at heart. It's the style I chose when I first started stamping over 6 years ago, and it's still my favorite. Everything about it makes my heart happy. It's so soft and inviting, and it makes me want to go back in time. This card features some of Stampin' Up's newest goodies, and they were just made for shabby.
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A few weeks ago, my sister lost her beloved black lab, Henry, to cancer. She rescued him, helped him get well, and took him into her home and into her heart. He was like one of the family. He was the sweetest dog, and we all miss him very much. I made her this card to let her know we share her sadness.
On a happier note, it's a snow day here. We're in the middle of a big blizzard that's hitting the midwest, and I'm content to stay home where it's warm and cozy. I was out scooping off the driveway this morning, when my neighbor from around the corner shows up with his heavy duty snow blower and insists on finishing it for me. How sweet was that! Looks like I've got another card to make!
Today I finally found a little time to try the brick wall technique that was featured in last week's Weekly Inkling. It's always fun to try something new, and although it was a bit time consuming, it was definitely worth it. Sure, it's not one of those techniques that lend themselves to mass production or quick cards, but it's certainly eye-catching and probably a bit addictive too. I dug out some beautiful stamps that have been sorely neglected, AND I was able to use some papers that have been hoarded away in my collection for way too long. This technique is perfect for a shabby and distressed look. Right up my alley!
I love Basic Grey's Lemonade collection... which probably explains why I've hoarded it for so long. This particular pattern is my favorite. It has such an antique feel to it. I also adore these two chickens. They're designed by Anna Wight, who just happens to be another favorite of mine. For some reason, Farmer and Adell are one of my "go to" stamps for anniversary cards. Probably because they make such a cute couple and something about them says they've been happily married for so many years they've started to look alike. ;)
Here's a baby card I made for a friend who's expecting in February. I ran across some of the sweetest little baby outfits while shopping at Kohls the other day, and you can't give someone a gift without a card, right? I've been anxious to try making my own paper blossoms, and they are perfectly sweet for a baby girl card. I wanted mine to look a bit on the shabby side, so I sanded the edges, crumpled them up, and then I gave the whole card several spritzes of wheatfield glimmer mist. I love that stuff! It adds such an aged look with just a bit of sparkle.
This chrysanthemum image is one of my favorites of the new release probably because it's so fun to watercolor. I've always loved the shabby look, so I gave my card a mix of shabby yet elegant. I wasn't sure I could pull off using gingham with the ever-so-elegant new petite damask shimmer couture papers, but the combination makes my heart quite happy, especially after I spritzed the gingham with a bit of pearl shimmer mist.
It's amuse-bouche time again, and I'm a little late jumping in on the sneak peeks. I've had a sick kiddo, so I haven't had much time to stamp. The new A Muse release is beautifully elegant. The new shimmer couture papers are down right breathtaking, and I'm thrilled that we have pearls in gorgeous colors to match!
Yesterday, my honey and I celebrated our 21st anniversary. I thought I'd share the card I made for him. That little snippet you see on the tag is a piece of A Muse's new *paprika* notecards. It reminds me of pumpkin pie. (I think about food too much.)
While I had my stamping stuff out, I thought I might as well whip out a few thank you cards. I made the moon using a circle punch and added a few A Muse twinkle stars. The ribbon I recycled from a shirt I bought a while back. It was stitched inside to make it easier to put on a hanger, but I hate those things 'cuz they always end up showing. The ribbon reminds me of pumpkin pie too. ;)
"Sometimes a cheering surprise just happens along." Isn't that sentiment perfectly sweet for a baby card? I recently started collecting Classic Pooh stamps. They're a bit hard to find, so my collection is pretty small. So far I've got Pooh at School, Letters from Pooh, Pooh Travels, and two different sets called Pooh-isms. I have no idea how many sets are out there, but I'm keeping my eye out for 'em!
I won an e-bay auction last week for a cute set of Classic Pooh stamps called Pooh at School. I bought them with every intention of giving them to my little girl, Livi, who loves to play school... but after stamping with them today, I think I might just keep them for myself!
Last month, A Muse released a new clear set called *school time*. I added the A+ and the row of abc's from that set to the front of the card. Then I decorated the inside with a sentiment and quote that is also from that set. I made this card for Livi's first grade teacher, Mrs. Kiddoo. I hope she likes it. Thanks for stopping by!
"You are what you eat, so eat something sweet!" Now that's my kind of thinkin'! I couldn't wait to pair up this sentiment with Mandy and her nine scoops of ice cream. She obviously thinks like me! Except her waist is a whole lot smaller than mine!
I'm having a hard time figuring out where the month of August has gone! Getting the kids ready to head back to school and settling back into the school year routine has left me little time for stamping.... but hopefully I'll be back in the swing of things soon.
Aren't these owls cute? I love their little heart shaped eyes. They're just perfect for an anniversary card. I've been eyeing this tree image and finally broke down and bought the Pendant Park set along with a few others from the new Stampin' Up catalog. I think the owls are pretty sweet perched up there in that tree, and A Muse's new woodgrain cardstock adds a nice warm and woodsy touch.
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