A Hydrangea Birthday Card

This is a card I made for a friend whose birthday I thought was late next week, not this week.. Ooops.  I started with an Almost Amethyst SU cardstock, which I stamped with the Envelope Pattern stamp from Hero Arts in Victorian Velvet.  I added a pink bling Bazzil scalloped edge border on the left hand side. Using a piece of white cardstock, I stamped the Hydrangea  Hero Arts stamp in Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink.  Using some SU watercolour pencils, I coloured the hydrangea and leaves.  I  rounded opposite corners on the white cardstock, and adhered it to the amethyst  base.  I stamped Happy Birthday (Hero Arts) in Dusty Concord Distress Ink.

PDCC 72 Card

This is the card that I made for the Play Date Cafe Challenge 72.  The colour challenge this week was yellow orange, hot pink and navy.  I started with a card base of yellow orange, and stamped the Hero Arts Large Fabric Background in Wild Honey Distress Ink.  Taking some hot pink cardstock, I punched out 4 circles in different sizes, distressed the edges with the Tim Holtz Tonic Distress Tool, crumpled the circles, ran Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink over the mountains, and flattened the circles.  I used a hole punch to punch a hole through all four layers, then added a gold brad from my stash for the centre.  I used some sheer navy ribbon, and ran it down the length of the card.  I mounted the flower on the ribbon.  Using some scrap hot pink cardstock, I cut a 1 x 3 inch rectangle, distressed the edges with Tonic Distress Tool, edged it in Wild Honey ink, and stamped Hero Arts Happy  Birthday in Chipped Sapphire.  I foam mounted the happy birthday on to the card.

Please pardon the bad scans of my cards lately.  My camera just doesn't want to give crisp photos, and I am not sure if the camera is dying, or my apartment is just too dark.  The scans, although don't show the dimension as well as I'd like, at least it's more clear and crisp than my photos.  I am also putting this into the Hero Arts March challenge, which is birthday cards.

The Play Date Cafe Challenge 71 Card 02

This is a card that I did that works for both the Hero Arts birthday card challenge and the Play Date Cafe Challenge 71.  For this card, I started with a standard card base from shimmer black and white cardstock. Using some textured white cardstock, I stamped the Large Fabric stamp in Regal Rose ink (SU). I took a scrap of that black and white shimmer cardstock, and cut it to size, rounding the corners.  I cut scrap white cardstock a little smaller, rounded the corners, and stamped Happy Birthday in Regal Rose ink.  I taped it to the Large Fabric stamp, added some sheer white ribbon, and adhered it to the black and white cardstock. All stamps are Hero Arts.

A Very Productive Stamping Day :)

I was at a friend's house today stamping, and made some cards that fit in with the Hero Arts challenge this month, Birthday cards.

This is a card I made today.  I started with a 10x 5 inch piece of DCWV Luxury cardstock in light green, and scored it to make a 5 x 5 inch card.  Using some scrap white cardstock, I inked up the Musical Walk and Happy Birthday stamp ( from the clear set of birthday wishes) in Shabby Shutters Distress Inks.  I used a 2.5 inch circle punch to punch out the Musical Walk image, and I trimmed the sentiment image to size.  I then punched a 3 inch circle from dark green cardstock, and took a piece a little bigger than the sentiment.  I layered the white circle on the dark circle. I rounded the corners of the base cardstock, and the sentiment layers.  I adhered the Happy Birthday flat to the card, but after adding some sheer white ribbon, I foam mounted the Musical Walk image on the card.

For the Poppy card, I started with white cardstock, I used a SU background stamp (I think it's French Script) and stamped it in Barn Door Red. Taking some textured red cardstock, I stamped Poppy Background in Versafine black ink. I rounded opposite corners and adhered to the card base.  Using a SU punch, I punch out the label shape in the same red cardstock as the Poppies.  I edged it in black, and stamped Happy Birthday on it. I foam mounted the label on to the card. The Poppy and Happy  Birthday stamp are Hero Arts.

I started with some pink Bazzil bling cardstock.  I rounded opposite corners.  I stamped Silhouette Bells in Versafine Black ink on white textured cardstock, colouring in with Regal Rose and Green Galore markers (SU).  I rounded all the corners, then mounted it onto some light green shimmer cardstock.  I rounded the opposite corners again, making sure that I did the reverse of what was on the card base.  I added some sheer white ribbon, and stamped Happy Birthday on the bottom right. All stamps are Hero Arts.

I used some blue Bazzil cardstock, cut at 4 1/4 inches by 11 inches, scored at 5 1/2 inches.  I took the Dots cling stamp, and stamped it in Memories Soft Baby Blue ink. I then used Walnut Stain Distress ink to stamp the typewriter and Happy Birthday sentiment from the Type clear set.  I punched the typewriter out with a 2 1/2 inch  circle punch.  With some scrap brown ribbon I had on hand, I wrapped it around the front of the card, and adhered the Happy Birthday to it.  I edged the circle in Walnut Stain Distress ink, and foam mounted it onto the card.  All stamps are Hero Arts.

The Play Date Cafe Challenge # 71

This is the card that I did for this week's Play Date Cafe Challenge.. it's black and white with a splash of colour, the colour being the player's choice.  I went with gold.  I started with black cardstock, cut and scored to a standard sized card. I matted a gold layer on that, each side being 1/8 inch smaller.  I took a white piece of cardstock 3 3/4 inches x 5 inches, and stamped the Hero Arts Large Fabric Design stamp in Versafine Onyx Black.  On some scrap white cardstock, I cut to size, rounded the corners, and stamped Happy Birthday (Hero Arts CL350 set).  I layered the sentiment on some scrap gold paper, rounded the corners, then adhered it to the classic fabric piece.  I had some gold flowers from ages ago, and I used one on the bottom left hand corner, attaching it with a gold brad.  This card also fits the Hero Arts challenge for the month, which is birthday cards.

Hero Arts Layered Backgrounds

These are a couple of cards that I did today, when I was playing with the Layered Background technique that Shari Carroll showed on the Hero Arts blog today.  I didn't have all the stamps she did, so I improvised.   I used part of the Friend Definition for the text, I don't have the Envelope Pattern stamp (yet, it's in the mail) I used a retired SU Crosshatch stamp.  For the image stamp, I used the new Hero Arts Large Blossom stamp.  I did about a half dozen of these, using different Distress Inks.

For the green card, I used a mix of Old Paper to do the block inking, Wild Honey for the Crosshatch and a mix of broken China, Walnut Stain and Vintage Photo for the inks.  I did experiment, because I don't own a Ranger Craft sheet yet, but borrowed a friend's for this technique.  It's next on my list to buy:). 

For the Purple card, I started by stamping the Large Fabric stamp in Milled Lavender on some Almost Amethyst cardstock, then I added a pink Bazzil layer under the image.  For the colours on the image, I used Worn Lipstick for the block colouring and Crosshatch, and a combination of Chipped Sapphire, Dusty Concord and Broken China for the flowers.

Hero Arts Pairing Challenge Week 7 - Birthday Card

This is our final week of the Hero Arts pairing challenge.  I've really enjoyed making the cards for the challenges, and seeing how Mary Dawn does her cards.  For this final challenge,  we had to do a Birthday card... Now unlike some other challenges where I'm really really stumped on what to do for cards, birthday cards to me are fairly simple, and I love to play, trying out things and new to me techniques.  For this card, I started with kraft cardstock standard card size, and rounded the corners.  I then took some dark brown cardstock and cut it to 4 x 5 1/4 inches rounding the corners. I then took the Friend Definition stamp, and stamped it in Moonlight White Brilliance ink. I then took some Pink Pirouette cardstock, and cut that to 3 1/2 inches by 4 3/4 inches, rounding the corners.  I took Pink Pirouette ink, and stamped Antique Lettering  on the Pink Pirouette cardstock.  I went and stamped just the butterfly again in Close to Cocoa ink on Pink Pirouette cardstock, and cut it out.  I used a small SU stamp for the sentiment (stamped in Close to Cocoa ink), and foam mounted the butterfly over top of the butterfly on the Pink Pirouette cardstock.  To finish off the card, I made the foam mounted butterfly's wings bend just a bit, and added 4 pink gems to the wings.

I hope you've enjoyed looking at the cards Mary Dawn and I have done in the last 7 weeks.   This was a really, really fun challenge to do :)

A Real Buggy Birthday Card!!

A good friend of mine is celebrating her 65th birthday today.  She LOVES ladybugs, and the idea for this card popped into my head some time ago.  I took a 6 x 12 inch piece of red cardstock, and folded it in half.  I used a 5  1/2 inch circle to make the body of the ladybug.  I just made sure that I didn't cut it in a way that cut the entire fold away.  I also die cut a 3 1/2 inch black circle for the head.   I started by drawing a line down the middle of the card, then going over it in black Sharpie, to delineate the wings.  I then folded the 3 1/2 inch black circle in half, and attached it to the red body.  Once I figured out which way the 65 would work, I drew the 6 and the 5 lightly in pencil.  I then used a Hero Arts stamp (Antique Engravings insect set) and used the ladybug to "draw" the 65.  I then erased the pencil lines.  I punched out two 1 inch circles in white cardstock for the eyes of the ladybug.  I kept the card quite flat, simply because I couldn't figure out a way to mount a few little ladybugs on the numbers without ruining the shape.

Just a note, the photo  was taken by my friend.

One Layer Card

I am not sure which blog I saw this on, but the challenge was to do watercolor on a one layer card.  I used my Marvy Le Plume II markers in Pink and Leaf Green to do the flower, which I spritzed with water before stamping, the repeat stamped it.  I did it twice to get enough flowers on the card.    I then used a Bottle Green marker to colour the sentiment stamp.  The flower and sentiment are both Hero Arts.  There was a bit more white space on the top than I liked, so I added three buttons.

A Sketchy Happy Birthday Card

This card was done for three challenges: The DRS sketch challenge, the Crazy 4 Challenges button challenge, and Caardvarks Birthday challenge.  I used the DRS interlocking flower stamp, and stamped in Brilliance ink on stickers, as well as the white cardstock.  I layered the stickers on dark blue cardstock.  I used the same dark blue cardstock for the bottom layer of two of the three pieces that are on top of the sticker layer.  I used a pale blue butterfly patterned paper for the two smaller, layered pieces, and used a Hero Arts Happy Birthday sentiment.  The buttons are from my stash of buttons that I got from my Mom when she passed away.

Mojo 147

This is my take on the Mojo Monday challenge this week.  I used a LOT of patterned paper, and the only stamping is the sentiment, which unfortunately, didn't show up well in any of the photos I took.  All of the DP that I used was given to me, I have no idea who makes it.  The silver scallop is actually the inside of a Chewy Chips Ahoy bag!! Thanks to hubby for thinking of that.  The ribbon is American Crafts, the brads are Making Memories, and the stamp used is from SU.

Cupcakes!!

Some time ago, I bought some embossed cupcake paper, thinking that it would make some cute cards.. well, fast forward two years, I still hadn't touched it.. until yesterday.  I cut some up, and did a fun birthday card for my friend, who's turning  39 next month.  I used Stickles Christmas Red to highlight the cherries and sprinkles on the cupcakes.  I used Hero Art stamps for the cupcake ( I think) and the verse ( for sure).  The DP is from SU that I bought, and have used only twice before.  I am TRYING to use what I have, instead of buying everything that is trendy... I end up with paper sitting around for YEARS.    I really like this fun, whimsical card, so I may end up making more of them.. oh, and the tiny cupcake punch... my dear MIL bought a set of tiny punches for me from Avon some years ago, and the cupcake was a part of the set.

Birthday Card for my SIL

Well, I totally forgot that my sister in law's birthday is coming up early next month.  So I went to work and tried colour layering, as seen on the Hero Arts blog this month.  I used the Hero Arts dandelion frame stamp, and just stamped part of it in Victorian Velvet and Worn Lipstick... unfortunately,  the colours didn't really blend as well as I had hoped.  I stamped the image 4 times, never cleaning the stamp between inkings.  Taking a cue from Jen McGuire on the Paperclipping podcast #25, I found some old chipboard letters I bought because they were cute, but had never used.  They didn't show up on the cardstock without something dark behind it, so I brought in the brown to pull the mauvey brown colour of the Victorian Velvet.   I just kept a simple knot and put Jen's name in the chipboard letters... the card went off into the mail today, so hopefully it will arrive by her birthday!!

A Masculine Birthday card

I actually got around to creating today.  I needed to make a birthday card for my brother in law, but I don't have many stamps that are masculine.  So I brought out a challenge, the Crazy 4 Challenges, and my Hero Arts stamps.  This is the result.  The papers are from a dollar store somewhere, and I used the HA Friend Definition on the harlequin background.  I used a couple of shells from the Antique Engravings for the focal point of the card, and I used the Happy Birthday stamp from Essential messages.  I hope my brother in law is pleased with his birthday card this year.

Birthday cards I did

Here are a couple of birthday cards I did. The Tulips are from Lazarworks studio. I inked them in Pretty in Pink and Mellow Moss, then stamped on pale pink c/s. that was corner rounded and layered on some embossed Doodlebug c/s that I've had sitting around. I inked the embossed parts with Mellow Moss ink. I rounded the corners as well. This was all done on a base pink c/s, again, with the rounded corners... Kristina Werner is really rubbing off on me.

The second card is a sketch, and I can't remember which one. I suspect it's a Mojo Monday sketch, but I am not sure. I used a funky patterned paper on Apricot Appeal c/s base, corners rounded on both. I then took a piece of the Doodlebug embossed c/s and use a strip of it upside down on the flower paper. I added some sticker ribbon to the top and bottom of it. I rounded two corners and added two green flower brads (Making Memories). I cut a circle out of Apricot Appeal, and stamped a HA butterfly in pixie pink ink. I added a flower brad, then foam mounted it onto the flower paper.