Count your blessings and give thanks!

Hello friends!

Today's project was inspired by one sheet of Ink Drops Vivid designer paper where the sage blue-greens faded to golden yellows.  I thumbed through the rest of my paper pads looking for prints that would harmonize and landed upon a few prints from Echo Park It's a Boy!  (Kinda nice to be able to use that paper pad for something besides baby boys, as much as I love 'em!  The colors work great together IRL but my camera kinda struggled to catch them accurately.)  

I'm also trying to use some of my "just shy of card-size" bits of card stock, so I went with something sort of like a buckle card using Tim Holtz tags.  I like that this layout gives an opportunity for those various prints to play together even from the inside.  

This photo shows how the tag (two pieces of designer paper glued together and scored so that they'll fold over the front edge) attaches to the inside.  I used the tag die cut to remove a portion of the white mat and designer paper layer to eliminate some thickness/heaviness, so the tag actually adheres to the gold card base.  

Since the "baby" paper print had leaves of various colors, I grabbed one of our other Fall sets to stamp and die cut a few leaves from scraps of the harmonizing prints and some card stock.  No coloring at all on this card!  Just stamped ink.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Autumn Blessings Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Harvest Bundle
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Tag Collection
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Farmhouse Signage (tiny heart)
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Vivid 6x6
• Echo Park It's a Boy 6x6
• May Arts 5/8" Faux Linen Canvas Ribbon Sampler - 27 yards
• Spellbinders ovals
• distress oxide inks

We Will Never Forget

It feels like a "God-wink," a Divine appointment, that just as I am sitting at the keyboard to write today's blog post, the commercial on the TV in the background is talking about how our brave firefighters run toward danger rather than away from it.  I will never ever forget watching the news coverage of September 11th when the firefighters and first responders of FDNY ran bravely toward those two towers still determined even while understanding the horrific danger.  

Our policemen, firefighters, first responders, and our military make me so very proud to be American.  I'm so grateful for them!  They came running when the ginormous tree fell onto our home in September of 2004 from Hurricane Jeanne, and they even came to change a smoke detector battery that is so high up that we couldn't get to it ourselves!  Our Station #22 is awesome!  And hey, speaking of hurricanes, please include the linemen in this group...they come from far and wide to get our power going again after the storms knock everything out.  Another reason to be extremely grateful!

This is an easy card to make and looks like a traditional card when closed, but reveals an extra fold on the inside once opened.  The base is a standard 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch piece of card stock folded portrait style, with another 5 1/8 x scant 8 1/2 inch piece (scored at 4 and 6 1/4) adhered to the inside.  The window die-cut into the card front allows the circular focal point to peek through from the inside.  

Here's the card half-opened.  The right half of the circular element is adhered to the interior fold.  

When fully opened, the date, pledge, and "Patriotism" sentiment become visible.    

To get the cleanest ink impressions, plan your layout and stamp the sentiments before adhering the various elements together.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - The American Eagle Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - The Pledge of Allegiance
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Patriotic Sentiments
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Welcome Baby Basics (baby star)
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles SM
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles LG
• echo-park-let-freedom-ring-6x6
• Luxury Pearlescent Metallic 105# Cardstock - Gold 6 ct
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Countdown
• Memento ink, Copic markers
• Faded Jeans and Fired Brick distress oxide inks for sentiments

With Heartfelt Sympathy

Hello everyone.  I'm here today with a sympathy card for one of our dearest friends whose father passed away in the wee hours yesterday morning.  We were close enough to this sweet, gentle, kind man to call him "Abuelo."  He always had a huge smile on his face and was quick to offer a hug and a soft word of encouragement. We loved him, and he will be sorely missed.

I wanted the card for his family to be filled with the kind of Light and Life that his life represented so I selected some designer paper in lovely Summer sky colors paired with a bright and colorful sunflower.  

The sentiments are from a couple of our Sympathy sets.  These sets come separately or in various bundles, and include a nice selection of sentiments to choose from.       

Here's the inside, clean and simple with another strip of that Retro Summer designer paper and a stamped sentiment.  

I hope to go to the florist in the next day or two to purchase a sunflower bouquet to go along with my card.  When we were in Michigan visiting Patrick's family we purchased a gorgeous sunflower bouquet at the farmer's market.  Those blooms were spectacular (nearly plate-sized!), so I'm hoping to find something similar here.    

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Sunflower Season Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Deepest Sympathy
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Sympathy Sentiments Set 1
• Craft Consortium Retro Summer 6x6
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Espresso Truffle
• Gems
• Copic markers

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Hi friends!  I have been working on some crocheted squares for a remembrance blanket for a crafter who loved purple, so I was drawn to these colors for this week's card as well.  I recently spent some time with another friend who is a real book lover (real physical books of paper and ink, not digital) and so the idea came to me to make this project a relatively clean and simple bookmark card.  The bookmark can be sliced off the side of the card and tucked into a card while the card remains intact.   

I wanted to keep this card relatively thin and low profile so I stamped the sentiments directly onto the designer paper using Versamark ink and gold detail embossing powder.  

I can't see these sentiments without singing them!  I wanted the first to be visible from the outside, 

and the second to be visible once the bookmark was flipped open. This inside sentiment was a little wider than the bookmark flap, so I used a little fishtail banner to hide the part that was peeking out a bit too far.

Here's the inside.  I love using these "royalty" colors for a "King" card like this.  I used pretty pearly white paper for the cross, although if I'd had it I might have chosen the gold metallic (I need to order more...the gold is the one I always run out of first because I love it so much!).  A little smudge of gold ink through the die gave the white that little bit of gold lustre.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Worship & Praise
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Crosses
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• May Arts 5/8" Faux Linen Canvas Ribbon Sampler - 27 yards
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Vivid 6x6
• Luxury Pearlescent Metallic 105# Cardstock - Quartz White 6 ct
• Luxury Pearlescent Metallic 105# Cardstock - Gold 6 ct (if I had had gold I would've used it!)
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Rhinestones - Aqua
• VersaMark Watermark Stamp Pad
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• gold detail embossing powder
• gold metallic embroidery floss

Masculine Textures & Tim Holtz Numbers

Sometimes it is really fun to look through your deep stash and see whether you can find ways to extend the use of the images and sentiments in your stamp inventory.  Both of my cards for today started with Metal Textures, and numbers from various Tim Holtz die sets.

My older brother is into rehabbing old cars.  He bought an old car that looked all oxidized, rusted and green like this, but with a lot of elbow grease it turned out to be a gorgeous silver.  (I wish I had a photo to share with you!)

My husband is excited that college football season is nearly here!  In our household he represents Michigan and the Big 10, but I am cheering on my alma mater The University of Texas (hence the orange!) and my dad's alma mater, Ole Miss!  Patrick's dad was a big University of Tennessee fan, so I suppose this card could kinda do double duty.    

I can't even remember how long I have had these snap brads!  I used almost the whole pack on this one card!  I think I have used this same metal textures paper once before to make a basketball card.  I have no idea what metal texture it is supposed to represent, but to me it looks like pigskin!  I used thin strips of paper for the laces.  A little bit of a pain to make but I like the way it turned out, even if it might be a little bit corny!  The gesture will be appreciated!    

Here's the inside.  I thought this sentiment paired well with the idea of a player running for the goal line.  It always makes me smile when they take the time to give credit where credit is due after they score!  If they are wise, they know where their talent comes from!   

Birthday Odometer

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Birthday Sentiments
• Craft Consortium Metal Textures 6x6
• Luxury Pearlescent Metallic 105# Cardstock - Copper 6 ct
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Postale
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - A Man of Knowledge Books (gears)
• brads and a scrap of map paper from stash

Football!

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - A Godly Man
• Craft Consortium Metal Textures 6x6
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Collector
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Tag Collection
• May Arts 2" Wide Stripes - 25 yard Spool - Orange/White
• distress oxide inks
• very old snap brads from stash
• thin paper strips for laces

Vintage Peonies with Organic Seed Farm

Hello friends!  I'm here with a pretty Peonies card made with colors that I adore!  I'm actually spinning these colors right now too!  See that lovely little tulipwood Jenkins Kuchulu dressed in Inglenook Highland Heather there at "three o'clock?!"  

I love using these two sets together because they make a really elegant card with very little effort.  Patterned papers, a couple of passes through the die cutter, and a little bit of Copic coloring do the trick.  

I put an extra layer of patterned paper behind the flower because I just loved the subtle reflection of colors and how they played between the paper pads and stamped images.

Here's the inside.   Elegant and perfectly girlie pink!   

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Peony Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Seed Packet Bundle
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Vivid 6x6
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• Copic markers
• distress oxide inks

Another half-front card

This week's card is a variation of the half front card from last week, but with a "peek from underneath" wreath from one of our Seasonal Wreaths sets.  Without the bow it would be a perfect card to make flat-for-mailing.  You could substitute a vertical strip of patterned paper to keep things interesting.

I used a second layer of white card stock inside, as I knew I'd be using Copic markers and didn't want the colors to bleed through the back of my card.  I am running low in some colors of card stock so I needed to get creative about a border to emphasize the edges.  My solution was to make a loosely painted watercolor-y border using diluted distress oxide inks in colors similar to the Copics I used to color the pumpkins.  (Although this is the inside, it would make a lovely card front if you are so inspired!)

Here's a close-up of the corner with the focal image and sentiment.   I spattered the inside with the same distress oxide colors used in the border, along with some green and brown and also a little white acrylic paint. 

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Seasonal Wreaths, Fall/Winter
• Carta Bella Welcome Autumn 6x6
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles SM
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles LG
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Espresso Truffle
• Copic markers
• distress oxide inks for sentiments and "watercolor" border

These are quick and easy and great for those scraps of paper that are not quite long enough for a full card.  I think they're fun because they are just a little different from the norm. 

Christmas in July!

Card-making is so much fun when papers and stamps work together to form a cohesive theme or to tell a particular story.  Today's card uses two paper pads and one stamp set to set the scene for the beloved, familiar and heart-warming "T'was the Night Before Christmas." 

The idea for this card initially started with a leftover 4.25 x 9 inch scrap of white card stock (scored at 5.5) and a glance at our stockings/mittens bundle.  It was almost fully formed before I even made it to my desk.  This was one of those cards that practically made itself it was so quick and easy!  

The feeling brought forth by this stanza and these images is one of "All hearts come home for Christmas," the warmth of the holiday spirit, of faith, family, and friends.  So many wonderful, precious memories of Christmases past along with happiness and hope for the Christmases yet to come.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Christmas Stockings & Mittens Bundle
• Carta Bella A Wonderful Christmas 6x6
• Craft Consortium Brick Textures 6x6
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles SM
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles LG
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• May Arts 5/8" Faux Linen Canvas Ribbon Sampler - 27 yards
• Melissa Frances Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Cream

Enjoy our Christmas in July SALE from now through July 27th!  

Thinking of You...Be Strong!

Hello everyone!  I've been participating in Tour de Fleece since July 5, and everywhere I look it seems as though my fiber artist friends are spinning Summery "pool" colors.  As I was looking through my paper pads, my eyes were drawn to these lovely blue-greens, so I had to follow suit!  

 

This "splotchy" print looked almost like a map or globe, so I decided to stamp the Mackinac Bridge directly onto the designer paper.  I added a bit more blue and green to the stamped design in the appropriate spots, but most of the coloring was that grey-green for the bridge structure.  

I loved the way the colors of that paper were like spilled ink, so I took a piece of card stock and splashed and splattered it, then dragged it through some ink pressed onto my craft mat.  Then I added the sheet of designer paper stamped with a swan and sentiment.  (It's raining here today, so I may have to get a dry iron to completely dry and flatten the paper which was still a bit damp when this photo was taken).  

A very easy and fun card!  I hope you like it!

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Mackinac Bridge
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• Craft Consortium Beach Hut 6x6
• Craft Consortium Test of Time 6x6
• Seam Binding
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Latte
• various distress inks/oxides
• Copic markers

Sunflower Season!

 

Hello everyone!  I hope you have had a wonderful week!  It has been a busy one here since my birthday/4th of July and the start of Tour de Fleece!  

Sharon is hosting a sale of Stamp Simply's Florals through July 11th, so I thought it would be fun to feature one of those sets.  The sunflower set is one of my favorites, although I honestly love them all!  

I combined our vintage seed packet stamps/dies with the sunflower for this Summery card front.  I stamped the frame directly onto a sheet from Craft Consortium Grunge Light, bringing some of those pale pinks from the corner of the paper into my coloring.  Gradient colors get me every time!  (I might have to try my hand at dyeing some fiber or yarn to match the gradient of this paper!  It is SO pretty and so perfectly Summer!)  

It is full-on Sunflower Season in Florida right now!  Our grocery store is full of sunflower bouquets.  Giant blossoms!  

I used several distress oxide inks to splatter the entire card, hoping that it would give it a Summer-out-in-the-garden, hands-in-the-dirt kind of feel.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Sunflower Season Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Seed Packet Bundle
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
• Ric Rac
• button from stash
• Copic markers
• white acrylic paint, distress oxide inks for spattering

For those who are curious, here's what my Tour de Fleece is looking like so far!  I've got lots of spindles, in both Turkish and supported styles, and one wheel going.  Lots of wonderful color and a couple of natural undyed fibers as well. Tour de Fleece runs simultaneously during Tour de France...spinners set challenges for themselves according to their interests and skill level, taking rest days and challenge days right along with the Tour riders.  So much fun and always full of inspiration.  

Just Popping by to say Hi!

Recently one of my besties who is visiting the Pacific Northwest sent me a photo/video of a beautiful field of poppies, and that's what inspired today's project.  I was struck by the intensity of the colors and the peacefulness of the scene, the grasses and flowers bobbing their heads in the soft breeze and glowing in the light of that "golden hour."  I really wanted to try to capture that in a clean and simple card.    

The flowers in the photo were a variety of reds, oranges, yellows, and white but I chose colors here that would harmonize with this lovely designer paper.  I love the contrast of the paler portion of the background with the brightly colored blossoms.

I kept auditioning various ribbons and laces but in the end decided to just keep things really simple.  I stamped the sentiment directly onto the designer paper background and added some spatters to kinda tie it all together, hoping to let the paper and flowers shine all on their own.

Here's the inside.  I absolutely LOVE this "Just Because" sentiment since we really don't need a reason to send a card!  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Pretty Poppies Bundle
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• May Arts 5/8" Twill - 30 Yard Spool - Sage
• Melissa Frances Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Cream
• Memento ink
• Copic markers
• Distress oxides and white acrylic paint for spattering

Proud to be an American!

 

Hi y'all!

Since we live not so far from a naval air station patriotic cards are always in season, but I especially enjoy making them at this time of year.  Today's project was really fun, coming together with only one paper pad, one stamp set and a few dies.  

So fun and easy to mix and match these two-sided papers!  This patriotic floral is absolutely adorable.  

If you've been visiting here for a while, you've probably noticed that our fishtail banners die is one of my favorites!  The star is a Spellbinders die that I enjoy scoring and folding so that it is more 3-D.      

The easel fold is perfect for displaying a special card, but also adds extra "real estate" to show off more sentiments and stamps.  It's a 4.25 x 11 inch piece of card stock, scored at 2.75 and 5.5 inches.  Then an additional 4.25 x 5.5 inch card front is adhered to the bottom of the fold.

Here I have added the Pledge of Allegiance along with a heartfelt thank you.  I'm so grateful for our American service men and women and for all that they do to protect and defend our freedom.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Patriotic Sentiments
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - The Pledge of Allegiance
• Echo Park Stars & Stripes Forever 6x6
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Spellbinders Stars Five
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Classic Hearts

If you're lucky enough to already own one of our Old Glory dies (the stamp sets are in stock but the dies are currently sold out) here is another "stepped up" option for the front of today's easel card.  

Celebrate Juneteenth! Let Freedom Ring!

When Sharon mentioned that I would be posting a card on Juneteenth and suggested a card using this verse, my mind was filled with memories from when I attended PT school in Galveston!  

Celebrating the holiday is a big deal there since Galveston is known as the birthplace of Juneteenth, where the end of slavery in the United States was declared on June 19, 1865.  It had taken more than two years for the people of Galveston to finally receive the "news" that the slaves had been freed as a result of Abraham Lincoln's January 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.  

I was living in Galveston in 1980 (attending UTMB School of Allied Health Sciences from 1979-1981) when Texas became the first state to declare Juneteenth a state holiday, so of course, it made a huge impression upon me.  Galveston hosts Juneteenth celebrations annually  (I love the words of their intro on this year's website).  The date became a national holiday in 2021.      

So my card for today is not a traditional red, white, and blue patriotic card, but rather a tribute to Juneteenth and Galveston Island's rich history with colors and images representing the ocean, sand, boardwalk and seawall (which was built from October 1902 to July 1904 after the devastating, catastrophic hurricane of 1900).  

The date of the original Juneteenth is displayed using dies from Tim Holtz Collector die set.   There's a bit of cheesecloth "fisherman's net" and a mother-of-pearl button to carry the island theme throughout.  

The inside of the card has another sheet of that gorgeous Ink Drops Earth background paper that reminds me of ocean, algae, seaweed, etc.  (It's on the front too but mostly covered by the "sand/seawall concrete" and "boardwalk" papers/textures).  

Lots of symbolism on this card!  And for even more symbolism...notice that that little star is not entrapped in the net.  Let Freedom Ring!  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Liberty Bell
• Craft Consortium Beach Hut 6x6
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Earth 6x6
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Collector
• Dritz Cheesecloth - 36" x 3 yards
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Silvery Shimmer
• May Arts 1.5" Striped - 30 yard Spool - Light Blue/Ivory
• May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
• mother-of-pearl button from stash
• white acrylic paint for splashing