July 21, 2012

Black, White, and Red All Over

What's black white and red all over?  My newest card creation:

Image-The Saturated Canary, Sentiment-Desert Diva, Ribbon-Ribbon Boutique, Paper-DCWV

It's a cat card!  I really am obsessed with those furry felines... When I was looking at the image, the polka dot dress reminded me of a ladybug, which reminded me of my new ribbon (my hubby picked the ribbon out-he has good taste, doesn't he?).  I folded the ribbon into a loop and stitched the back.  Then I looped a smaller piece in the front to make that square bow.  

That cute girl looks like Snow White with her ebony hair, pale skin, and ruby lips.

Linking up to:

Always on my Mind

Whoopsi Daisy has a DT call as well as a fun challenge this week-use up your stash!  This challenge is perfect for me; I've got quite the stash.  Here's my card:

Image-Whoopsi Daisy, Sentiment-TLC, Paper-3 Bugs in a Rug, Photo Corners-Heidi Swapp, Flowers- Prima


I was searching through my stash and found mint green photo corners.  I checked the date-2005!  I think I've stashed those for a while.  I bought the paper around the same time so this card's been in the works for a long while.

I love that sweet image by Whoopsi Daisy.  The sentiment is perfect for soldiers to send home.  When I was preparing to print the digital images, I accidently overlapped the sentiment and image.  When I saw it, I thought it was perfect.  Serendipity!

Linking Up to:


Let's Go Fly a Kite

Very basic card today:

Paper-Provo Craft, Image and sentiment-Doodle Pantry, Brads-Making Memories

Those funny flying ants make me smile.  The image is called Kite Ants by Doodle Pantry.  I like the flower brads because they remind me of clouds.

Linking Up to:

July 16, 2012

Reaching High

Sorry, I've only got one card this week.  I've been in inquiry training for my classroom all week and this next week, I'm in science literacy classroom training.  Summer is still super busy for teachers, and I'm trying to raise the bar for my teaching next year.  I really want my students to reach high in their learning.  Speaking of reaching high:


It's the Hambo Hoedown!  This week's challenge is tall cards which was super easy with the image used-Stilts by Hambo Stamps.  You can find it (along with fun sentiments like the one on the card) HERE.

Here's a closer look at that "punny" sentiment:


The men on the bottom of the card are all the same stilt walker image.  I just flipped two so there was a little variety.  I tried to color them very drab to make the high walker pop out more.  I fussy cut them out and pasted them onto the card.  After cutting them all out, I realized that I probably could've done that step digitally.  Ug!

The card is 4x7.  Since I don't have an envelope to fit it, and OWH requests A2 sized cards, this will probably be an Anyhero card.  But it does make a great Anyhero card because our soldiers are so great and above the rest when it comes to service and bravery.  (Well above me at least-I'm a whimp.)

Thanks for dropping in!

Linking up to the Hambo Hoedown-Tall Cards

July 6, 2012

Doing Some STR-ETCH-ING

Wow, this is my 3rd post today!  Sorry to bombard you with posts.  Here's the reason why I'm a bit behind on posting:



This is Cali, my attention demanding kitty.  She's been extremely moody lately because she got to take an emergency trip to the vet.  She also is grouchy because she now gets to take some medicine every morning.  When Cali gets mad, she tries her best to get in the way of my crafts.  I had to start the Christmas card in this post over 3 times because somebody kept getting cat fur in my adhesive.  Yeah, I may be acting mad, but really, I'm just glad she's feeling well enough to try to compete with my cards.

So, who's heard of stamp-stretching?  Hopefully most of you, it's been the major thing on crafting blogs and magazines lately.  Stretching your stamps is using stamps in new and unique ways making them more versatile to use on projects.  The most common way to do this is to use your images in the background on one card and in the foreground of another.  I tried stretching my stamps this week.  I used the Stampin' Up Sketch It stamp set.


The first thing I did was look at my stamps and tried to think outside the box.  For example, the heart stamp could be a bird beak or butterfly wings.  The flower seeds could make a nice snowflake flurry background.  I decided to focus on the main flower stamp in the set.  Here's what I made with it:


First, I used the stamp as it was intended, as a sunflower:

Stamp-Stampin' Up, Paper-Provo Craft

This card is very different than the cards I usually make.  I usually make bright, whimsical, cutesy cards.  This card is very simple and classy.  I tried out a new technique called "ink rolling" (okay, not really new, but new to me).  Ink rolling is done by inking your stamp normally and then, with the original ink still on the stamp, roll the outer edge of the stamp in another color of ink.  That's how I got the darker brown edges on my flower.  I really like how this technique gives the colors a gradient, blended look.  Do you like the button center of the flower?  Gotta give my husband credit on that, he picked out the funky splotchy button.

My next card is a bit more like my typical cards:

Stamp-Stampin' Up, Paper and Tag-DCWV, Ribbon-American Crafts, Embellishments-Bits and Pieces

Yes, that's the same stamp.  When I first saw this stamp set, I thought the sunflower was a wreath until I saw the flower center stamps that it came with.  Something that's fun about stamp stretching is that it causes you to stretch all of your supplies.  First, I used a button as a flower center, and now, buttons are the berries on the wreath.

My last card is a bit of a cop-out.  I've used this stamp on a Muppet card before.  You can see that card HERE.  But it's a great example of stamp stretching, so I made another one.  I'm out of cookie paper, and I refuse to make an Elmo card on principle (don't ask), so I went with Oscar the Grouch this time.

Stamps-Stampin' Up, Metallic paper-Provo Craft, Paper-American Crafts

I made Oscar's face, but something didn't look right.  I couldn't figure it out, so I looked him up on Google Images.  I'd forgotten that he has eyebrows. Ha ha!  So then I used the squiggle stamp in the same set (I've never been sure what it's supposed to be used for-maybe a flower stem?) to make eyebrows.  I like how the stamp gives the brows natural curves and I really like how they've got a fun scribbled look to them.

I made the embossed lines on the trash can with a stylus and the case  that I store my cardstock in.  How's that for supply stretching?!  It made perfect trash can lines.


Oscar and his can are attached using pop-dots because the embossed paper couldn't be glued down.  It gives the card some fun dimension.  There you go-three completely different cards made with the exact same stamp.  Let me know how you stretch your supplies.  I'd love some more ideas.

Linking up to:
Crafts And Me-1 image, 2 papers, 3 embellishments (wreath card, 1-flower/wreath stamp, 2 patterned papers used, 3 embellishments-buttons, brads, ribbon on wreath)

It's Christmas in July!

Lots of Christmas in July sales going on.  There's also a lot of Christmas link-ups.  Even OWH is having a fall and winter card drive.  The Alley Way Stamps has a new Christmas digi and Be Inspired Challenge:


I went a little non-traditional with my Christmas card:

Paper-Bo Bunny, Image and Sentiment-The Alley Way Stamps

I've wanted to try paper piecing for a while now.  I don't know if this counts as paper piecing or not, but I think it's pretty good for a first try.  I've also been wanting to try to make a card with a lot of empty "white-space".  Well, I wimped out and used patterned paper instead of white, but I do like the CAS feel to the card.  It's too summery to use red and green, so I went a bit non-traditional in my color choices.  It still has a winter feel to it.  I imagine it will be good for soldiers if they are looking for something a little different to send home during the holidays.

Let me know what you think.  Is it not festive enough for a holiday card?  What non-traditional colors do you use on your holiday cards?

Linking up to:


Here's a closer look at those adorable trees:


Birthday Cards

I've got birthdays on the brain.  That's probably because my birthday is a week away.  Here's some birthday cards I made.

Paper-Colorbok, Image-Doodle Pantry

I thought this little triceratops was so fun.  He came with adorable sentiments too.  You can get him for free for a limited time from the Doodle Pantry Challenge blog.  I wanted a birthday sentiment, so I copied the puns that came in the set, but typed my own sentiment in Word.  I made his party hat by hand.  Linking up to Doodle Pantry-use Tiny Triceratops (that's where you can find this fun digi) and Paper Pretties-any occasion cards.

My next card is a girly birthday card:

Paper-??? (Sorry, I don't remember, it's old paper), Image-Broken Box Stock, Stamp-Hero Arts


My last cards are super simple.  I made them to mail to two very close friends whose birthdays are this month.  I made extras of these for the troops too, since they were quick to make and turned out pretty cute.  Thanks for dropping by!

Buttons-Bits and Pieces, Cardstock-Provo Craft, Stamps-There She Goes

July 3, 2012

My cards are in Djibouti!

Remember that giant pile of cards I collected from my mom's hoard?  They are in Dijbouti!  OWH sent out a fun marine video and my cards are in it.  The purple and green one in the marine's hand on the left of the screen and the red and white one on the table are mine.  I totally made some soldiers smile.  This made my 4th of July AWESOME!!!!  And since I know that my cards helped soldiers, I'm going to celebrate the 4th by making some more.  How about you?