Festive Card for Time Out Challenge

Several weeks ago, a card I submitted to the Time Out Challenge blog was selected as the winner!  And they asked if I wanted to be a guest designer for them.  This is the week.

The Time Out Challenge #221 begins today, and the theme is FESTIVE!  You have two weeks to participate in the challenge and share your artwork on the blog.  So think of what is festive to you, and see how you can express that with whatever form of papercrafting you enjoy.

The challenge runs from Thursday, August 25 through Wednesday, September 7.  

 Click here to head over to the Time Out Challenge Blog for all the details.

This challenge is sponsored by Birch Press Design.  The winner gets $25 in store credit and an offer to Guest Design with us for a future challenge.  It could happen to you as it happened to me!

 

I chose to share a festive birthday celebration.  As our sons were growing, we always made birthdays pretty special.  Being a paper crafter helped me create themed parties on a budget.  They weren't quite as fancy as this, but they were always fun. 

I played with some new and retired thin cut dies from Close to My Heart, as well as my new Celebrate die from Scrapbook and Cards Today.  More information is at the end of this post.

I used lots of different elements in the shaker balloon.  These include both silver and gold star confetti, clear loose gems, and bright and bold bitty beads (all from CTMH).  These were small enough to move about freely in the smaller shaker window that the balloon provided.  

Here's a list of those dies I mentioned before -

Close to My Heart - Stitched Lattice background thin cut die, Round Balloon thin cut dies, For You thin cut dies, Small Circle Shaker Window thin cut die, Small Circle Shaker Window Foam & Acetate 

Scrapbook and Cards Today - Celebrate die

Thanks for stopping my corner of blogdom.  I hope you have fun creating a festive project!

 

 

JUST US GIRLS PHOTO CHALLENGE #642

 

The photo challenge over at the Just Us Girls blog this week made me think of a different way to use this floral stamp!   To give the look of the hanging vines, I just flipped the image and had it come down from the top of the card.  In addition, I didn't add any color to the flowers - just left everything green, giving the impression of the greenery shown in the photo.

I actually used one of the new colors from Close to My Heart - Seabrook - giving you a sneak peak of what is coming on August 1! 

I used multiple layers of the ink to get the depth of color I wanted, the true side of the cardstock, and die cut the Seabrook glitter paper for the sentiment.  That's harbour cardstock backing it!  The stamp is called "Language of Flowers" (#C1945) from CTMH.  

You can see some of those details a little better in this close-up photo.  

It's always fun to play with new colors for the first time - and I think this turned out well!  Love that they all coordinate.

 

I had so much fun with the single color usage, that I broke out another new ink pad - Periwinkle - and made a slimline card, rotating the floral image so it went both ways on the card.  The blank area was easy to cover with the circle sentiment.

I love challenge blogs, and was so glad for the inspiration provided by Just Us Girls this week.  Click on the blog link (highlighted above) and check out the other creations that have been submitted.   

Thanks for stopping by my blog - and I hope you have a great week!

IN A BOOK - ANOTHER CARD!

 

This is the second card I've made this weekend with this stamp set - In A Book (D2049 from Close to My Heart).  This one used only the stamp set - nothing extra!  And no surgery on any of the images.  But I did use a bit of paper piecing to get a more realistic look to the lady's shirt.  Some intricate cutting, but worth the effort for the look it gives.

I have several friends that are perfect recipients of this card.  Who would you send it to? 

I am entering this card in the current Time Out Challenge with a reading theme.  Click on the title of the blog so you can see other creations on this theme.  I love to see what's out there in the stamping community with all the cards people create.  Such fun!

Here's a link to the previous card I created - with details of the surgery I mentioned.

Well, thanks for stopping by - and I hope you are enjoying a good book.

IN A BOOK

 

This stamp set - "In a Book" from Close to My Heart - has been waiting for me to play with it.  Well, this was the week to finally do that.  I felt that the sketch at the Freshly Made Sketches challenge was perfect for my main project, although I needed to rotate it to a landscape orientation.  I then checked out the Time Out Challenges blog and found they had a reading theme, and I knew it was time!  By the way, you can click on either of the challenge names to head over to the blogs and see other creations using the same inspiration.

The main reason I bought this set was because my sons love to read - the oldest since he was a young child.  The younger one grew into it!  While the stamp set had a woman reading (you'll see that image soon), I knew that I could use the "Buddies" series of boys to create someone who looks like Jonathan as a child.  So - I started with "Ian" as a base (the hair and clothes were correct), but needed the glasses from "Joey"!  So I stamped and embossed Joey's head, then cut out only the glasses to add to Ian.  

Now I used the image of the woman from the "In a Book" set and cut out the book she was holding to read.  The problem I ran into was that Ian's arms were both straight down.  How was I going to get him to hold the book?  Well, a little "surgery" on the stamped image allowed me to rotate his arm so it was bent and could now hold the book.  

I had to stamp three sets of the bookshelf books to go across the card front, and I needed something to make them stand out a bit.  I found an edging stamp that was the right width, but I didn't like the design.  So, I switched it over and put the image side down on my stamp block and inked up the solid backing of the stamp to create my shortbread colored strip.  As I look at the card from a distance (not sure if it is visible in the photo), the books look as if they are popped up over the backing - but they are adhered straight down to the card front!  How fun that something as simple as that backdrop created a fun dimension.

I used LOTS of different markers to complete this project - but had I not had the Spectrum Noir TriBlends, it would have been a lot more!

I'm working on another card with this same stamp set - but using the woman reading as the focal point.  Here's a link to the post with that completed card.

But I did think you might like to see the card I made recently for the younger son's birthday using the "Buddies" sets.  It took three sets to create the correct Nathanael!

 

I used "Ian" for the body because that fit Nathanael's outdoor attire.  But, Nathanael has curly hair, so I had to use "Ezra" to get that.  And of course, I needed "Joey's" glasses to make it complete.  At least no surgery was required for this card!  These "Buddies" sets are pretty versatile, and really fun to see what you can create.

Just so you know, these "boys" are both in their 30's now, but it was fun to go back to those younger years and create for them.

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of blogdom!  I hope you have a great day.

Clean & Simple Floral Card

 

I love the rustic look of this wheelbarrow.  The flowers inserted into the slot brighten it up!  I used the stamp/die set from the new Backyard Bliss Cardmaking Workshop Kit (CTMH #G1260) for the images and sentiment and the Stitched Lattice Background Die (CTMH #Z3681) for the background. 

I love that with the die, the background white space is still clean, but gives some dimension to the card front.

I used my Spectrum Noir TriBlend markers to color the images.  I love how easy they are to use and create such a beautiful final product.   Just a little foam to get those flowers to pop out of the wheelbarrow!

I am entering this card into two challenges this week - you can pop over to each of these blogs to see other great creations by clicking on the links below:

• AAA Cards Challenge with a sketch and flowers
  
• Paper Players Green Thumb challenge
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  Thanks for stopping by!  If you are interested in any of the products used, just click here and enter the product number listed in the description.
  

SOMETHING FOR MY MOM!

 My husband and I are heading to Nebraska soon to help my mom celebrate her 93rd birthday!  This photo was taken last year for her 92nd.  I knew that I had to do something special with this photo.  when I saw the "Forever a Friend" (D2084) stamp set from Close to My Heart, I knew that floral MOM would be perfect.  Then it was off to find what else would work!

The paperboard plaque that I used as the backing has been sitting on my shelf for years!  I keep moving it, thinking I should just donate it since I didn't have a use for it.  Well, this is one of those times I'm glad I hung onto it!  It was perfect.  I covered the plaque with ModPodge and a sheet from the "In Full Bloom" paper pack.  The elements on the paper helped me as I built my collage.

The bottles are from April's "Message in a Bottle" stamp of the month set, the leaves from "Sprigs & Sentiments", and there are several black acrylic heart shapes.

The doilies that you see - the really large glacier one and the smaller lagoon and peacock - are a sneak peak at products available for the May/June celebration of National Scrapbooking Month.  They are so fun to work with, and provided the perfect backdrop for my project.

The floral MOM and the sentiment are from that inspirational stamp set - Forever A Friend.   The butterfly is from the In Full Bloom die cut shapes.

For that floral MOM title, I played around with colors for a while.  The lighter glacier blue wasn't strong enough, but the lagoon by itself wasn't quite right with my mom's jacket!  So, I pulled out the retired peacock ink pad, and after stamping the flowers in the lagoon ink, I rolled the edges in the peacock ink, I got the look I wanted.  Luckily, the leaves were a separate stamp!

The Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog's current project guidelines were to include flora or fauna on your artwork.  Well, I think I've got that covered!

And the Shopping Our Stash challenge theme is "What a Difference You've Made in My Life."  My mom has always been there for me, supporting me, and teaching me, no matter how old we both get!   

You can click on either of those blog titles and you'll pop over to the blogs, where you can enjoy the projects created by others using the same themes.

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy those in your life that have made a difference to you.

 

COFFEE HELPS - The Paper Players Sketch Challenge

 

I've just finished my first cup of coffee for the day, so I guess I'm ready to do some work!  This set - "Coffee Helps" - is a sneak peak at products from the upcoming May/June catalog from Close to My Heart.  Once available, I'll come back and add some details of the items used.

The design of this card was based on the sketch this week at the Paper Players Challenge Blog.  I certainly took up more space on my card with the images, but it's still the same basic style.  

The background was cut from mint cardstock using the "Decorative Texture Background Thin Cut" die. 

The "Postage Frame Thin Cut" dies were cut from mocha cardstock, with a little of the retired almond cardstock as backing.

I love that the stamp set has coordinating dies to cut out the images.  I used Spectrum Noir TriBlend markers to color them - ice grey blends & shades, red brown blends, gold yellow blends, jade green blends, tan blends & shades, coral blends & shades, and of course, the blending marker!

Click on this link so you can pop over to the Paper Players Challenge Blog to check out the other creations using this sketch. 

Thanks for stopping by - and enjoy your coffee!

A TERRARIUM IN A FAUX SHAKER CARD

 

I just discovered that terrariums were first developed in the 1800s.  And I thought they came into being while I was in high school, when I decided to follow the trend and fill a jar with soil and water for my plants.  But it was SOOOO heavy!  Tough to move that thing around.  I think the paper terrarium is a much better way to go!

Message in a Bottle (S2204) is the May Stamp of the Month from Close to My Heart.  That means that you can get this set ONLY during the month of May.  You can pay regular price for it, but with a $50 purchase, it’s yours for only $5.  And if you happen to be a VIP member, then withthe same purchase, the stamp set is FREE!

I used one of the bottles in the set to create this dimensional terrarium.  It uses the principles of a shaker card, but nothing inside the bottle moves – it’s all glued in place. 

The succulents are from a stamp set called “Succa For You” (D2077).  There are many options of plants in that set, but I limited it to three for my terrarium.  The background plants are stamped directly to the paper (after I stamped the bottle) and then I fussy-cut the front plant and used a it of foam under it to lift it above the others.  Finally, I put some glue on top of the soil I had colored, sprinkled some of the yellow Bright Bitty Beads (Z3784) over the glue, and pressed them down so they would stay in place.

I cut the cover piece for the bottle from the Stitched Rectangle Frames thin cut dies (Z4260) and stamped the same bottle again.  This time, I took my micro-tip scissors (Z534) and cut the bottle - working from the center to cut away all of the black line of the stamped image.  I wanted the entire image from the bottom bottle to show through.  However, I did lay the piece down and used a fine-tip black marker to go around the cut-out image to give it some definition.

The sentiment (from the “In Full Bloom – Cardmaking” set C1932) was stamped below the bottle.  Now it was time to assemble the faux-shaker!

A piece of acetate from my stash was adhered to the backing of this stitched rectangle,  and regular 3D foam tape (Z1151) was added to the edges of the cut-out shape as well as the edges of the rectangle.  Placing it directly over the dimensional plant bottle was a little tricky – so I started by pulling off a bit of the backing on the foam so I could move it around a little before exposing all of that adhesive!

The background paper is from the Wood Grain Paper Pack (X8028) in the Core Catalog.  A little kraft paper (Z1375) provides the mat for the stitched rectangle bottle, and a few loose gold sequins (Z4235) were added for a bit of sparkle.

All of the products can be found on my CTMH website – just click here and then put the product number in the search box.

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blog world.  I hope you enjoy creating a faux-shaker of your own.

Cake Day Cardmaking - a different take on the kit!

 The Cake Day Cardmaking Workshop (G1250) stamp set has a large interactive cake on it, but it also has this nice little cake image, the banner and the sentiment.  I used these elements of the stamp set along with one of my favorite sheets of paper from the Cake Day paper suite (X7278S), and created this card.  This card was not one of the four designs provided in the kit.  I love that these stamp sets are versatile on their own.

I only used two colors on this card - glacier, which is the color of the letters for HAPPY BIRTHDAY that are spread over the paper, and Wild Berry, which happens to be the focus of the CTMH special sale this month!

You can see several details I added that weren't a part of the cardmaking workshop set.  The ink splotch behind the cake is from Perfectly Imperfect Patterns (D2051) gave just the right backing for the cake.  The scallop border is from the Festive Borders stamp/thin cut die set (Z3996).  It is a birthday themed set, so it seemed appropriate to use it here.

The little dots you see are the Wild Berry Enamel Dots (Z5008), which just happen to be on sale this month!  Don't miss out if you like this color.  I also added just a tiny strip of Wild Berry Glitter Paper (Z2538) along the edge of that scallop border.  Just the right pop of sparkle!

The papers in the suite, as all of the Close to My Heart papers do, have a zip strip at the top.  It's nice to have that little extra design when creating.  I used it on the bottom of the inside of the card, and used the banner stamp again along with another one of the birthday greetings.

I am entering this card in three card challenges this week.  Be sure to check out each of these blogs to see other creations that have been shared.  Just click on the name of each blog and you'll pop right over to it!

Heart 2 Heart Challenges - Anything Goes! 

Seize the Birthday - Challenge #235 - Stripe it Up - OR - Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More - Make Your Mark

All of the products that I used are from Close to My Heart, and you can find them all on my CTMH website.  Click here to head over there, then put the item number you are interested in seeing in the search box.