Card Patterns Sketch #79

My anniversary with my DH is on Tuesday. We will be married 19 years this year.  I had this idea to do a card for our anniversary based on a school theme. I thought it would be fun to create it like it was the front of a book cover or paper from school where you doodled about the guy you were crushing on.

When we started dating I decided to finish off collage and go out and get a job with a big company. My boyfriend/future hubby was part of the reason why I pushed myself to do that and he helped fund a little of that education. :)

So this card is for my DH.  I used the sketch from the Card Patterns Challenge #79.

Here is the sketch:

and here is my anniversary card:

The silver is all from gum wrappers. Too funny right?  I wanted to doodle more on the card like you would on your book covers and I tried to write our initials on the main heart. Decided against it after a few failed attempts. But I think it is still a fun card and he will enjoy it.

Hope you have fun plans for the weekend. I am going to try to get in some more crafty time.

Suzz

Wedding Card

Caardvarks current challenge is to create a wedding card. The prize is an opportunity to be published in the CARDS magazine.

I like to switch up my style sometimes and do something more clean. (Very hard for me to keep it simple) But I was really pleased with the way this turned out of course with the embellishment I chose I had my big design element.

I have the fantastic Verses Stamp which is the poem "How do I love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barret Browning. I knew I wanted to use it on this card and when I was rummaging through my odds and ends drawer of embellishments I found these earrings which I had snuck out of the dress up box. These were hand me downs from Great grandmas junk jewelry box and are clip ons. So when the kids would try to wear them they really hurt the ears! (Didn't stop them from trying to wear them tho!)

Very simple card but I liked how the earring provided such a beautiful accent.

Products:

• Verses - How Do I Love Thee
• Versafine - Dove Grey
• Inkadinkado - Weddings Clear Set
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
• Hat Pin
• Vintage Jewelry
• McGill Tag Punch
• Silk Ribbon

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Caardvarks - Sketch Challenge

Caardvarks first challenge this year is a sketch challenge...

Here is my take on the sketch:

I had been looking through favorites a week ago and this card by Donna stuck in my head. So when I saw the sketch I thought about creating a white card with some texture.

When I was done I decided I wanted just a hint of color so I added the little pink gems as embellishments.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Antique Flower Background
• Hero Arts - Lace Background
• Quietfire Design - sentiment
• QuicKutz - Embossing Folder
• Versamark
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Gems, Ribbon
• Marvy Uchida - Butterfly Punches
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Swiss Dots
• Ranger Ruler
• Piercing Tool

Hope your day is a little less snowy... We are expecting up to 1 foot in snow between today and tomorrow.

Suzz

Spinner and Acetate Die Cut Challenge

A couple more cards for the Stamptoberfest challenges over at two peas. I hope to participate in all the challenges and have a few more to go...

This all started with me wanting to use the really cute star buttons in shades of blue and yellow. Of course those little buttons never made it on the cards!

The first challenge was for a holiday spinner and I decided to create this after I ended up with so many star scraps from my first card.

The stamps are all Hero Arts stamps. Ink is versafine Deep Lagoon. The stars can actually be spun in different direction!

This card was actually my first card and was for a re-cycled acetate challenge. Part two of the challenge was to use a die cut on the acetate. The stars have a layer of acetate which has been embossed using a CB folder.

All stamps are Hero Arts.

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Stamptoberfest Challenges...

I have a few more things I have created for the Stamptoberfest...

The first was for two different challenges. One is to create a tag hosted by Laura and the other is to use a technique called Josephs Coat.

The Josephs coat challenge is hoasted by Daria and she provided the details on her challenge.

The technique is to cover the surface with a layer of blended colors. You could use a brayer on a blending of colors using dye ink on a glossy card surface. You cover the entire surface. You then take and stamp your images using Versamark. Heat emboss using clear embossing powder.

Now take and cover the entire surface with a dark dye ink. Her examples used black and I decided to use the brown ink. Wipe off any excess and your images that are embossed will pop out.

I created mine using sponges and Ranger Distress inks. I covered with the Ranger Corduroy brown dye ink and I didn't use glossy cardstock I used regular white cardstock. When I was finished I clear embossed the entire surface to give it a glossy finish.

The picture doesn't show how rich and beautiful the colors are. I really enjoyed this and will probably do it again. :)

The second is a scrapling challenge hosted by Martha.

This worked out perfectly as I had a scrapling from the card I shared the other day and just added an acetate overlay of the words and trees. Simple and easy as can be. Of course it took me a long time to come up with simple and easy. :)

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Suzz

Last couple of days...

I have had so much fun in the last couple of days....

We had a global day of service for work where we were able to pick a location from a bunch of different volunteer opportunities to spend a half day volunteering.

This year I selected the Chicago Botanic Gardens. I have never been there before and wanted to check it out. The gardens were gorgeous and I didnt' even get to see that many of them. Definitely worth another trip out... I will be planning on that another day.

When we arrived they have a few speakers to kick it off and then you split up and get assigned to your activities. I was dressed and geared for weeding, raking, outside work in the gardens. I was assigned to a leader and lead us out to see his garden he was responsible for and then told us we got to spend the morning making creatures/animals for their annual halloween event. So we basically created animals from dried leaves, berries, pinecones and flowers. I couldn't believe how much fun we had. I wish I had pictures but I didn't know we were going to be doing something like this. What a wonderful morning.

I followed that up with meeting with a friend who is also a stamper for lunch. Where we proceeded to have a lovely lunch and talk stamping talk for an hour!

Then Thursday I had another lunch with another my friend Lisa yesterday! She is the one who started me down this stamping path!

My friend Lisa made me this lovely card for my birthday. We both love the Asian influenced stamps, so she made me this lovely card using the Hero Arts stamp in the background and the main image is from The Greeting Farm.

Gorgeous card! Thanks Lisa!

Just a couple more things and then I will stop rambling...

Two Pea's stamping board is having a fun Stamptoberfest which is being held Oct 17th through Oct 25th.

The thread describing all of the challenges is located here. I am hosting a foiled again challenge. There are always so many fun and different challenges that if you get time you should go play along.

Finally... Here is my card to share with you today. It is for 2 different challenges. Hero Arts Holiday Add On challenge and a 2Peas class that Jennifer McGuire was teaching on embossed backgrounds.

The background is just an stamped and embossed with clear embossing powder. I then sponged on purple and blue dye inks. Add some water drops and you have the background. I then took the felt snowflakes from Hero Arts and sprayed glimmer mist on the white ones to give the blueish - purple effect and created a wreath of snowflakes.

Products:

• Hero Arts - CL112 - Classic Christmas Borders
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Snowflakes
• Penny Black - A Merry...
• Ranger Distress Inks - Concord, Broken China
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Versafine - Deep Lagoon
• Spellbinders - Nestabilities - Labels
  

Sorry for the long post. Have a lovely weekend...

Suzz

Happy World Cardmaking Day!

I am so excited! A day celebrating card making! Lots of fun going on everywhere. Caardvarks is posting every hour featuring different artists. (I am excited to be one of them).

I decided this morning I better get a card finished to celebrate today. These little birds were colored and waiting patiently for their turn to be placed on a card. I created a very simple card which I plan on sending off to someone special.

I have still been playing with my scraps to create ATC's. Hero Arts is hosting an ATC swap. Go check it out it is broken up by regions and there are limited slots available.

Here are a few more ATC's I was working on last night.

This is as close as I will get to stitching. I did a faux stitch on the corners with piercing and using an embossing marker to draw the lines and then embossed with the same copper embossing powder. Love those stars, I found them in the Christmas decoration section of Hobby Lobby. Unfortunately I didnt' have too many rustic stamps to go with.

This started as a way to use up the CB'ed tinfoil and the embossed white background. I have seen the snowman created out of buttons somewhere else and wanted to try it. So I created my little snowman from buttons. I had to go out early this morning to get the twigs for her arms.

My favorite part is the goofy hat. I had a stamped hat but didn't like it as it was not 3D. I decided to use these pom poms as it reminded me of the hats I used to get my kids to wear which were so cute. I can just hear the snowman saying to me "I am not going to wear that hat!" and me saying "BUT it is sooo cute!" (Conversations had with my kids when they got to old to wear the cute hats)

Well I hope you have a wonderfully inky day playing with cards. (I am off to do some chores and try to squeeze some more ink time in)

Suzz

Foiled Again Batman!

Another Foil card... This one I am going to modify before I use it for class... The sentiment in the middle did not turn out the way I would like.

I am going to replace that with flowers embossed in a light purple to match.

Loved the effect of the foil, black and butterfly. So I shared anyway. :)

The embossing is one of the new Cuttlebug embossing folder. Very elegant and pretty.

The Butterfly is stamped on foil and colored using alcohol inks...

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Happy Birthday To someone Special

Took me all day yesterday to to get one card done.... Sometimes the creativity is not there and we had lots going on...

I love this new embossing folder from Cuttlebug. I had inked up the folder with brown pigment ink and embossed some ivory cardstock last week. This embossing with the inked background is so pretty. Sat on my desk all week waiting for me to figure something out.

I decided to use it with a few other colors from the Hero Arts challenge this week. They provided some colors for the challenge this week. I tried to incorporate all the colors green, orange, deep red, ivory, and brown. (Hence the little pop of green on the button)

Products:

• Hero Arts - Antique Flower Background
• Hero Arts - Old French Writing
• Hero Arts - All Occasion
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
• Penny Black -Poppies
• Watercolor Pencils
• Pearls - Michael's
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Lace - Unknown

Thanks for stopping by....

Suzz

How Do you Do?

This little bird was colored last week and I just finished his nest this week. He had a long tail which I cut off and made into his hairdo... He reminds me of Elvis a little and prompted me to put the little pun on the front.



I also gave him short little stubby legs when he should have long legs. I felt very mean making him short as I am definitely height challenged as they say. But he sits in his little nest nicely.





I hope you enjoyed my little friend. I am going to send him off to someone special who might need some cheering up.

Products:

• Hero Arts - CL388 Be Yourself
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Scalloped Circles
• Fiskars Circle Template
• Copic Markers
• Adirondack Brights - Citrus
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
• Ranger Stickles - Eucalyptus
  
  Thanks for stopping by....

Suzz

Butterfly Sunday...

This is another one of the stamps I colored while playing with the Copics. I love my butterflies... So I decided to color a few using the copics.

I purposely tried to keep the color palette simple because I wanted the butterfly to shine! I thought about stickling or gemming it up but restrained myself! :)

Products:

• Hero Arts - Heart Winged Butterfly
• Hero Arts - Heart Flourish
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Versamark
• Copics
• Versafine - Deep Lagoon

I am teaching this afternoon a template class and a family party after that... So no more crafting today. Although I shouldn't have snuck in this card...

Have a blessed Sunday!

Suzz

Color It Challenges

The Hero Arts Challenge this week is Color It... http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2009/08/24/a-new-colorful-challenge/ Jennifer McGuire is hosting and has several videos with great tips on quick coloring techniques. This is perfect timing for me as I just took my Copic class and added markers to my collection. So a great time to practice and play.

Here are two cards I colored and created over the last several days.

These little children were patiently waiting for me to finish the card. I couldnt' figure out what they should be doing and decided that she would hold a little flag to finish off the card.

The vellum is embossed with one of the new CB embossing folders. So pretty!

Products:

• Hero Arts - K5193 Flower Word, Special Moments, All Occasion Messages, LP146 Asian Dolls, K5232 Dot Flourish Border,
• Rubber Stampede 3258R Wild Rose Background
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• StaZon - Cactus
• Memento - Black Tuxedo
• Copic Markers
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Labels
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Clean up of the desk...

I started three cards and tried to finish them up... Here is another card from that batch.. You can tell because they are all using the same color scheme.

I had a picture of white dandelions on a olive green background. I decided to do the reverse and used green embossing powder to put the Angathapus onto a white background.

Recipe:

1. Stamp flowers on white background using Versamark Ink.
2. Emboss with green embossing powder.
3. Dry emboss marsh embossing folder over the top of stamped images.
4. Sponge with brown dye ink to highlight embossing.
5. Drip water on stamped images and sponged background.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Antique Brocade
• Stampendous - Angathapus Cluster
• Hero Arts - Anytime Sayings
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
• Ranger Distress Inks - Corduroy Brown, Antique Linen
• Ranger Embossing Powder - Lettuce
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Twine, Button Unknown
  

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Thinking Pink Ink & More

I was on a scraps binge again... I dug through my scraps and came up with a pile of pink scraps and this weeks challenge over at the Hero Arts Blog is monochromatic cards. http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2009/07/20/monochromatic-monday/

This was my first card using some of my scraps and creating some new scraps...

and here was my second card using up some other pink scraps I had laying out..

The card opens up under the heart and the ivory circle is for the sentiment and signing.

Products:

• Fiskars Corner Punch
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Textile
• Hero Arts - Old Writing
• Hero Arts - Antique Brocade
• Hero Arts - Heart Winged Butterfly
• Hero Arts - Anytime Messages
• Hero Arts - Elegant Flower
• Memento Rose Bud
• Light Pink Embossing Powder
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• StaZon Fuschia
• QuicKutz - Labels
• Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Folder
• Blue Moon Beads - Lost & Found Charms (Cameo & Heart Charm)

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Final Template Card

My final template card for awhile.. I needed four cards for a class and this is the final one using another shape from The Crafters Workshop. I went onto their website http://www.thecraftersworkshop.com/ and they have a bunch more fun templates, good thing my LSS doesn't carry all of them or I would be in trouble.

Products:

• The Crafters Workshop -Lotus Template
• Inkadinkado - Tree Stamp
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Adirondack Brights - Sunshine Yellow, Sunset Orange
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Twine, Button Unknown

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Manly Cards & Tone on Tone

Yesterday I taught class, but before I left for class I played with two cards. One for the Manly challenge at Hero Arts and the other because Shari Carroll on the HA blog had created this white canvas previously which was so beautiful I have been wanting to play with a white or ivory card.

This is my manly card. I have made masculine cards before that were east and this one became too pretty. (So I added sticks) that should make it more manly. Ha!

Products:

• Hero Arts - Designblock - Floating Leaves
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
• Hero Arts Birthday Messages
• Hero Arts - Three Designer Leaves
• Versamark watermark ink
• Ranger Clear Embossing Powder
• Ranger Distress Ink - Shabby Shutters
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Twigs

The second card was an attempt to use all one tone. I started with Ivory and added a few white touches and a slightly darker tan cardstock.



Products:

• Hero Arts Designblock - Birds & Swirls
• EK Success - Border Punch
• Prima Flowers
• Crystal Stickers - Pearls
• Ribbon Unknown
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Ranger Clear Embossing Powder

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Father's Day Cards

The challenge at HA this week was to create Manly Cards. I decided it was a good opportunity to create the Father's day cards for my dad and my DH.

The fun part of this was I die cut the smaller shapes from the letters and used them to trace an outline to create the border on the top and bottom.

Products:

• Cornish Heritage Farms - Flower Grid
• Hero Arts - Letters, Bolt, Wood Finish
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Zing -Brown Embossing Powder
• Versamark
• Spellbinders Nestabilitites
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
• Twine, Brads
  

This is for my husband... I love using the Ranger Distress Powder Vintage Photo because it gives a texture to the embossing. I had this idea of creating wood shakes like the side of the house. Of course I did and then I didn't know where to go next. hee hee.

So just lots of bits and pieces including the tools as my husband is very handy with fixing things. I will stamp the inside with the Hero Arts Sentiment "to a Dad who can fix anything"

Lots of fun making my wood shakes or shingles.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Wood Finish
• Hero Arts - Clear Design - Happy Dad's Day \
• Ranger Distress Embossing Powder - Vintage Photo
• Prisma Color - Color Pencils

Glad to finish these cards off as you know masculine cards can be more difficult as no real embellishments allowed. :)

Have a nice day...

Suzz

Orange, Browns and Yellows again...

I started with two challenges and only ended up with finishing one. But one of the challenges was a color challenge which I didn't finish. So that is why I have my yellows, oranges and browns again.

Today has been a bit challenging for me.. Do you ever have those days where you get up and something goes wrong and then everything you touch after that you break or it doesn't work. Well that has been me today. This card was about the only thing I finished without breaking. :)

The HA blog challenge is to go green. I re-cycled a piece of cardboard from packaging from Making Memories. They have the cutest background in their little accessories. This was a light blue grid paper. Unfortunately, I stamped so many colors you can't see it.


Thanks for stopping by...

I am not even going to attempt putting down the products today. I bet I would get them wrong.

Suzz

Raspberry Suite Challenge # 6

I had both Dawn's http://dawnmcvey.typepad.com/these_are_a_few_of_my_fav/2009/05/raspberry-suite-color-challenge-week-6.html and Kristina's color challenges sitting out yesterday and decided to play with Dawn's first because it only had 4 colors to work with.

That coral pink is a tough one. I don't know about you but I only have ribbon that was that color. No paper, ink or anything that popped out at me.

I used a damask stamp from Judikins and went from there. I am still suffering a lack of inspiration and it took me a long time to create this one card. :) My DH birthday is coming up and I am going to have to come up with something quick for him. :O

Products:

• Judikins - Damask
• Adirondacks - Pool
• Martha Stewart - Ribbon
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Versamark
• Zing - Brown Embossing Powder
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Textured Textile

Have a great Monday!

Suzz

Hey There!

I won this frame stamp from HA for a Honorable Mention and haven't played with it yet. I decide to frame out the little dolls hanging out together.

The background color is actually brown but it photographed so dark it looks black. The paper is the coredinations whitewash. I used both sides on the card. The frame is stamped and embossed on the teal side of the paper and the polka dots is embossed on the white side and sanded to share the teal underneath.

The brown cardstock is embossed with a light blue embossing powder to coordinate with the teal on the whitewash.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Four Dolls
• Hero Arts - Swirly Frame
• Hero Arts - Sparkle Clear
• Hero Arts - Decorative Bamboo
• White Embossing Powder
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Copic Markers
• Coordenations - Whitewash Paper
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Swiss Dots

Thanks for stopping by... Raining, Gloomy and wet! Hope the weather is good by you!

Suzz