Deepest Sympathy

I just have to say I'm soooo excited, it's snowing in Newport and it's sticking!! Hooray! Of course it's now raining on top, which is going to make for a sloppy mess but WOW, does a town look oh so different with a blanket of white! Not to mention my kids are going to be soooo excited when they wake up in the morning, that is if it doesn't melt by then.

Without further weather interruptions, on to my card...

I simply fell in LOVE with the sketch over at the Card Patterns blog and as much as we don't like to make sympathy cards, I was so very happy with how these turned out, I'm making loads more. Sympathy cards are needed more than we'd like to admit, no one likes to talk about death and it's hard to find the right words to say to someone who has lost a loved one or friend. But sometimes simple is best, just saying "I'm sorry" can really let someone know you care, you are willing to talk when they are ready. And you are thinking of them during a difficult chapter in their lives.

CPS148

I chose a black, white and grey color scheme cause rainy days happen to the best of us...and I didn't want to exactly make a sympathy card with a loud color like HOT PINK, too flashy for the occasion, I think so!

I kept it simple but played up the texture with my already embossed DP and patterned papers. The Sympathy sentiment was stamped in Basic Black and I added just a touch of Dazzling Details to the center swirl. 

SU! products used:

Stamp Set - Thanks For Caring

Ink - Basic Black

Paper - Basic Grey, Basic Black, Whisper White

Punches - 2-1/2" Circle, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border

Other - Black Satin Ribbon, Dazzling Details, Dimensionals

Birthday Chomper

This week over at DYSU they are hosting a color challenge where we can showcase TEAL on our projects. I paired a few blues together with a bit of crumb cake, tossed in this week's Card Patterns Sketch #139

and came up with a chomping-ly sweet Birthday card fit for a boy (or little boy blue, in this case).

SU! products used:

Stamps - Hostess Happiest Birthday Wishes, retired Hostess Long Fellows, retired Sale-A-Bration So Happy For You

Ink - Island Indigo, Craft Whisper White

Paper - Island Indigo DSP, Pacific Point, Tempting Turquoise, Crumb Cake

Punch - small Star

Ribbon - Crumb Cake

White Embossing Powder

Golden Anniversary

This weeks Play Date Cafe challenge has such a scrumptious color palate, as soon as I spotted the rich hues, I knew exactly which stamp I was going to use when I paired it with this weeks Card Patterns sketch, which I flipped on it's side, to show off my proud peacock and bring him centerfold! 

PDCC98

CPS 132

Night of Navy, So Saffron & Tempting Turquoise were the colors I chose as my interpretation of the inspiration photo. After paying such close attention to detail on my peacock with watercolor crayons, watercolor pencils and baby oil, a turquoise marker and blue glitter on the eyes of the tail, I felt like the Saffron needed a more elegant touch, so I spritzed it with some Gold Smooch Spritz, which photographed best in the afternoon sunlight. A ice blue shade for the "cracks" over my image for a slight appearance of glass. The Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set came to my rescue again with the perfect Happy Anniversary sentiment and two small pieces of Tempting Turquoise ribbon finished off the sketch.

Polish Pottery

This weeks Card Patterns Sketch paired with Jay Gees Nook inspiration photo was the PERFECT combo to whip out a new set of stamps I've been wanted to ink up. I had fun coloring my little pot of coffee to resemble one you'd find in a Polish Pottery shop. 

Card Patterns #107

Jay Gees Nook #5

I pulled the golden hues out of the photo with my Brushed Gold paper from SU! and some retired gold cord. With Baja Breeze as my base color, I layered the gold and then a strip of Daffodil Delight with Bashful Blue on top of that. To mimic the blue striped on the card in the photo, I cut 1/4" strips of Bashful Blue & Baja Breeze and layered them one right after the other to create the fun backdrop for my coffee pot....which was stamped in Versa Mark & heat embossed with Gold Embossing Powder. A small Marina Mist bow and of course a golden sentiment to finish my card with a bit of yellow bling. I also edged my card and center blue striped square with a bit of white.

Punches Used: Word Window L, Modern Label XL, Scallop Edge Border

Just a Note

I finally treated myself to the Aviary stamp set from SU! I've had my eye on it since the new catty was released last summer BUT somehow kept forgetting to add it to my orders. Anything with birds reminds me of my dear Grandma on my Dad's side of the family. The bright yellow finches used to just LOVE the dinners she'd set out for them in the multiple feeders hung from a tree in her back yard, overlooking the corn fields of Iowa.

But enough about birds and reminiscing...I could do that for DAYS!! 

The inspiration for my little note cards was drawn from the color challenge over at Totally Hues & this weeks Card Patterns Sketch.

Totally Hues #3

Card Patterns Sketch #106

I started with Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Bashful Blue & Tempting Turquoise and got to work cutting my base cards and embossing the 1/2 layer with SU!'s Elegant Lines EF. The other 1/2 of the card, I stamped some sheet music in Versa Mark for a subtle background. My little birds are stamped in coordinating colors and then I Versa Marked and Silver heat embossed the little cages and sentiments. A strip of Daffodil Delight Pom Pom trim adhered with Sticky Strip, folded in 1/2 (I literally couldn't live without that stuff!!)...some REALLY fat pop ups to clear the Pom Pom trim and 3 coordinating blingy flowers from one of my, wonder what's in here, drawers-hehe!

Punches Used: Word Window, 2-3/8" XL Scallop Circle & 1-3/4" XL Circle

Good Luck

My birthday treat arrived (a day late) yesterday and sat longingly and patiently, waiting for me to get all three kids snuggled in their beds before I dove in and gently removed each and every fun new punch, pack of paper, stamp set, marker, etc. from their cardboard home to their new home filled with bright cheerful colors, organized shelves, color coded paper & crafting candy filled jars. Still giddy with excitement and totally on a paper high!! Yipee!

Of course I couldn't go to sleep...noooooooo, so I starting making a card at midnight and won't tell you what time I finished and finally scooted my tired eyes off to bed!! Coffee is on the menu for today, for sure. I may even hit up Starbucks! YUM! :)

Card Patterns Sketch 105

This weeks Shabby Tea Room is having a 'luck of the Irish' challenge and Hand Stamped Sentiments is "going for the green"...of course that means green, green, GREEN and lots of it and since Card Patterns sketch challenges are made with green, my eye happened to land on that sketch first as I was browsing my printed out inspiration sheets.

I loved how the green layer with the scallop trim looked a bit like a stage curtain, so Go Graduate was quickly pulled out and colored with an array of greens and other fun colors for the students teeny tiny shoes. I used my new Sale A Bration, So Happy For You stamp set that has a little clover and good luck phrase. Stamped the tiny clover in Versa Mark on my Wild Wasabi background. The scallop border is Pear Pizazz. My big clover was made using one of the hearts from the SU! Heart to Heart XL Punch. I curled up the petals a bit and then hand drew a little stem. A bit more green on my little tab held on with a hardware brad and green chunky retired GLITTER!! A piece of basic black that reminds me of a books binding and again as a border around my large clover. No pot of gold here, just a wishful greeting for a lucky teen as they embark on a new chapter in their life! GO GREEN!!

Punches Used: Heart to Heart XL, 3/4" Circle, Word Window, Corner Rounder

Flight Plan

After making cupcake toppers and planning crafts for my daughter's 6th birthday slumber party last week AND surviving the slumber party, I was pooped to say the least! But when I saw the color challenge over at the Play Date Cafe', a bright card was just what the Dr. ordered as a pick me up! (along with a nap and multiple cups of coffee, hehe)

 PDCC70

I married the PDC challenge with this week's Card Patterns Sketch

Card Patterns Sketch 104

Finally was able to ink up my Plane & Simple stamp set, thought it was the perfect set to compliment the sketch and I'm always in need of a boy/guy card, figured this one could go either way. I whipped out my Color Coach and matched up Tempting Turquoise, Peach Parfait & Pear Pizzazz to the Play Date inspiration photo. I made my card a bit bigger than the norm, so it can squeeze in a 5X7 envelope. I pulled out my dusty crimper for the center peach layer, added a touch of 1/4" retired tempting turquoise ribbon, heat embossed my little airplane & birthday sentiment with basic black embossing powder and stamped the little compass in various angles in the same ink color as my paper.

Punches Used: Word Window, 1-3/8" Square

Baby Belly Rubs

I've recently had two good friends let me know about the little miracles budding inside their bellies, so was inspired to create the following cards (I made two) with them in mind. I used this weeks Card Patterns Sketch, I've become slightly addicted to Card Patterns Sketches lately...I love their simplicity but yet, you can add such a big bang with the little details!

With my recent revamp and spring cleaning of my stamp room, I'm finding all sorts of bits and bobbles I've forgotten about. Such as these fab retired Pacific Point corduroy buttons and ribbon. I checked to see if I had any DSP that matched and I was in luck! 2 full sheets and some scraps, which were perfect for my paper piecing. Me, cutting out tiny images stamped onto paper can truly be summed up in one word....heaven!!! sigh.. These cute little bellies were a breeze to cut with their rounded edges, I just had to be careful not to cut off the bows.

I paired my Pacific Point with a sunny Daffodil Delight & Whisper White

Punches Used: Large Oval, Small Oval, Scallop Edge Border, 2-3/8" XL Scallop Circle, 1-3/4" XL Circle

Robotic Love

 I wanted to make a hidden message shaker card for my son, since I had one for my daughter and I do have to say, I don't think I've ever taken so long to make one card but I LOVE how it turned out and I know he adored it this morning when he woke up. 

I started off with this weeks Card Patterns sketch challenge #102

and started stamping my little robots, aren't they cute??! I chose Basic Grey, Marina Mist & Whisper White as my colors and got to work coloring and cutting, something that if you know me well enough, I will sit and do for HOURS. Cutting out tiny shapes is super relaxing and my mind goes to a nice little "empty bliss box" as my scissors smoothly create a shape or form. 

This week at Our Creative Corner, they are asking for creations that are cut out using your paper snips, fussy cutting, paper piecing, etc. Figured this was considered fussy cutting..YUP!

 My little phrase wouldn't fit inside my little treat cup, so I decided to cut out portions of it like an old love note. In high school, I would sit for days cutting pictures, words & phrases out of teeny bopper magazines to create photo frames, collages or notes for my friends...see, told you I was a happy cutter but the good kind, hehe!

Since I'm pretty sure I broke my circle punch (trying to punch through too many pieces of paper at once) making this card AND the simple fact that I didn't get to bed till two cause I was making it, I decided to enter it into once more challenge. Wee Memories #43 is asking for creations based on life/living funny or Love themes and I do LOVE my little boy to the moon and back!

Punches used: 2-1/2" & 1-3/4" Circles

Baby Thanks

I keep running out of baby thank you for little Asher man, so decided to use this weeks Card Patterns sketch as inspiration to whip up a batch. I really wanted to call this post, "Thanks...I Think" but wasn't sure if anyone would get my funny! Thought this little elephant was so cute stamped in Craft Chocolate Chip and embossed with Clear embossing powder...so I decided to give him a little tag along buddy, to hold onto his tail but well ya know, not sure if it looks like that...or that he's poking him in the bum, there I said it! Eeek! Dare I?? I'm seriously laughing out loud writing this, so I hope you'll find it a bit humorous as well. Elephant #2 is stamped in Marina Mist.

 I ran a strip of Very Vanilla through the Big Shot in the SU! Square Lattice Impressions Folder, dabbing a bit of Marina Mist ink around the edges with a sponge. My little elephants looked like they needed a snazzy little place to stand, so a piece of Sticky Strip, sprinkled with Stampin' Glitter in Baja Breeze and viola, a shiny little road! My first attempt at working with Seam Binding, so fun! I stamped my sentiment from the Hostess level 1 stamp set Afterthoughts (found in the front of the 2010/2011 Idea Book & Catalog) directly onto the bumpy cardstock and quite like the crackled effect it presents us with.

Hot Stuff

I never did used to be a fan of pink but grew to love the color after high school. There are just so many possibilities with pink; cupcake frosting, shoes, hair bows, scarves, a tiny sweater for your Yorkie, cute cute Kaaute! I gathered inspiration for this card from two sources, first this sketch from Card Patterns

and second, the 3 Musketeers Color Challenge from Our Creative Corner

otherwise known as an analogous color scheme, where you are to choose any 3 colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. I whipped out my handy dandy (for all of you Blue's Clues fans) SU! Color Coach and choose a VERY pink theme with Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose & Melon Mambo. I found some RETIRED Regal Rose DSP in my ever growing paper stash. Added a bit of detail to my sassy little lady with her pearl earring, sparkily fluffy scarf & Crystal Effects eyewear. The SU! Sizzix Circles, Scallop #2 had the PERFECT sized scallop to help my little lady stand out even more. I used a bit of 3/8" Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon and tied it onto the Melon Mambo Trim Pompom. This is the first time I've worked with the pompom trim and I wasn't really sure how I was going to adhere it to my card but after folding a piece of Sticky Strip in half, lengthwise, it was the PERFECT size to stick it to! (Hooray for late night creative thinking!)

(sorry for the early morning sunlight tint to the photos, I wanted to get as much sparkle as possible and figured the hue would just "go" with the whole pink theme!)

Punches Used: 1" & 2-1/2" Circle