four square birthday

I whipped up a quick card for my cousin's birthday (well, actually my cousin's wife... but that just gets complicated to say so she's my cousin from here on out). I hope she likes it!

I thought the card base looked a little too plain, so I used an embossing plate to add some texture. It almost looks quilted! After stamping the inside sentiment, I also repeated the flowers on the inside panel...

supplies used:
...............
stamps: birthday basics, (PTI); botanical blooms (SU!)
ink: purely pomegranate (SU!);
paper: whisper white, groovy guava, sage shadow (SU!)
other: 1-1/4" square punch, 1-3/8" square punch (SU!); medium corner rounder (EK Success); embossing plate (Fiskars); sage ribbon (Michaels); rhinestones (Studio 18)

polka dot monogram

I've got a real weakness for polka dots. It might aptly be labeled a sickness. I love them big or small, multi-colored and playful or monotone and modern. This card by Kristina Werner had me sketching polka dot possibilities in my idea book for days. Combine my polka dot love with my monogram obsession and this is the result:



supplies used:
...............
stamps: polka dot basics (PTI); defining alphabet (SU!)
ink: old olive, pink passion (SU!)
paper: very vanilla, pink passion, bravo burgundy, old olive (SU!)
other: label 1 die (Spellbinders); medium corner rounder (EK Success); Scor-Pal

raspberry suite color challenge #8

It's definitely baby season around here so I'm trying to increase my stock of baby cards. Here's my interpretation of RSCC#8:


The entire front panel is raised up on dimensionals. I'm still not sure about the embossed card base... should I have just left it plain?


supplies used:
...............
stamps: beautiful baby (SU!); polka dot basics (PTI); icon stamps (Marcella by K&Company)
ink: chocolate chip, pink passion (SU!)
paper: very vanilla, kraft, naturals ivory (SU!)
other: ribbon (Hobby Lobby); embossing plate (Fiskars)

raspberry suite color challenge #6

When Dawn McVey started posting her own color challenges a few weeks ago, I was anxious to play along but life somehow got in the way.... until now! Here's my submission for her latest color challenge:


I ran the top note diecut (cut out of copy paper, not cardstock) through the crimper to get the herringbone pattern. I've been itching to try that technique and a challenge card seemed like the perfect time to attempt something new. The chocolate portions of the flowers were punched from cardstock that had been embossed with the small dot Texturz plate. To make the embossing more apparent (and to add a little shabby chic to the card), I lightly brushed a chocolate chip inkspot over the cardstock. I also altered some the brads in my stash with a brown Sharpie to meet the color restrictions for this challenge. (Note: if you attempt this kind of alteration, be patient... it takes a few coats to get solid coverage).

Here's a peek at the inside of the card:


supplies used:
...............
stamps: polka dot basics (PTI)
ink: chocolate chip (SU!)
paper: white (Hammermill); chocolate chip (SU!); berry sorbet, aqua mist (PTI)
other: boho blossoms punch, scalloped circle punch, texturz plates, top note die, rub-on sentiment (SU!); 1/8" dia hole punch (my stash); brads (Michaels); paper crimper (Fiskars); white gel pen (Uniball); brown permanent marker (Sharpie)

textures galore

I really liked all the textures I used on one of the cards that I designed for my "crafting night with friends", so I adapted it for a birthday card for my father-in-law. I added texture to the cupcakes by using a crimper for the bottom half and the piercing tool for the frosting. Note: I "texturized" the paper first and then used the punch on the paper. The inside of the card had the sentiment:



supplies used
...............
stamps: birthday basics (PTI)
ink: chocolate chip, sage shadow, really rust (SU!)
paper: river rock, really rust, sage shadow, chocolate chip, very vanilla (SU!)
other: 1-3/8" dia circle punch , 1-1/4" dia circle punch, texturz plates (SU!); cupcake punch (MS); piercing tool (Cutter Bee); medium corner rounder (EK Sucess); crimper (Fiskars)

Kristina's CI#50

This is Kristina Werner's 50th Color Inspiration challenge -- and the first time I've completed a card before the deadline. Here's the inspiration picture with the colors:


And here's my creation:

Sometimes cards come together quickly, but this was definitely not one of those cards! I think I worked on this one for almost 4 hours before I finally got a combination that I liked. I think my husband thought he had lost me to the crafting dungeon forever!


I'm still not sure about the focal point being off-center, though. The engineer in me really likes symmetry, so I challenged myself to try out a different layout in addition to using all those colors. I'd love to hear what you think...


supplies used (SU! unless noted otherwise):
...............
stamps: defining alphabet, eastern blooms
ink: whisper white craft ink, so saffron marker, real red marker, chocolate chip marker
paper: whisper white, so saffron, real red, tempting turquoise, chocolate chip
other: medium corner rounder (EK Success); texture plate (Fiskars); yellow seam binding (MS)

birthday wishes

My mother-in-law's birthday was last week and I was excited to make her a card. She should have received it in the mail by now so I can show it here without ruining the surprise.

I absolutely love this stamp set from Papertrey Ink! Once I stamped the blue flowers onto the branch, I thought they needed a little bit more oomph so I used the Night of Navy marker to accent the middle of the flowers.

On the inside of the card (no picture of that, oops!), I used one of the sentiments from PTI's Birthday Basics and surrounded it with the flowers and leaves that coordinate with the ones on the front of the card.

supplies used
...............
stamps: out on a limb revised, mega mixed messages (PTI)
ink: chocolate chip, river rock, bashful blue, night of navy marker (SU!)
paper: white (Hammermill); light olive green, light blue (DMD Industries scrap pack)
other: dark chocolate bitty dot ribbon (PTI); swiss dots embossing folder (Provo Craft)

spring-y stationery

I find myself drawn to creating monogrammed items when I need a special gift. This set of notecards (three of each color) was created for one of the college gals I advise. The embossed lines remind me of a trellis or a garden gate and the pink and green remind me of the colors that appear in the blooming bulbs this time of year. Could it be that I've got Spring Fever?

supplies used
...............
stamps: alphabet (Inkadinkado)
paper: wild wasabi, chocolate chip (SU!); pink (DMD Industries scrap pack); white (Hammermill)
ink: wild wasabi, chocolate chip, pink passion (SU!)
other: Scor-Pal