Every once in a while, someone amazing comes along...

 

I received a book of pretty papers, punch-outs and other cardmaking items from one of my sisters for my birthday, which was January 27th. This pretty paper was one that was in the book. I think this shade of blue is just beautiful, and it looks very close to the color of my sister's eyes!

I didn't want to cover up any more of the card front than was necessary, so all I did was print a sentiment with my computer, put a little ribbon on it and pop it up with foam tape.

I added a few clear gems for some sparkle.

I even added a narrow strip of the blue paper to the inside below the computer-generated sentiment.

This is such a simple card, but I like it. In fact, I made two of these while I was at it.

According to the calendar, today is Groundhog Day. The most famous celebration is in Punxatawny, Pennsylvania, which was settled by German immmigrants. They brought this tradition with them and held the first Groundhog Day celebration on February 2, 1887. I'm hoping the resident groundhog, Punxatawney Phil, does NOT see his shadow today, thereby predicting an early spring!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

So many presents...

 Today is my granddaughter's 18th birthday--Happy Birthday, Hadley!--and this is the card I made for her:

I have had this stamp and die set for a very long time--more than a year--and this is the first time I've used it, so I'm sneaking this card into Darnell's NBUS Challenge #82 before it closes on the 31st.

Stamping the gifts image and die-cutting it was a quick process, but the coloring took some time.

I used Prismacolor pencils and odorless mineral spirits to get a smooth look and enable some shading. To help it go a little quicker, I selected only a few color combinations, using the same colors on gifts with the same patterns. 

The die-cut packages reveal a stamped message or image under each little "door." You can see a few of them in this photo. It took some time to go through my stamps and find small sentiments and/or images that would work for each small area. I hope my granddaughter has fun opening each little "gift" to see what's inside. LOL

The "Celebrate" sentiment was heat embossed and popped up with foam tape. Of course, the gifts under it do not open. I actually glued them shut before adding the black strip.

I stamped a couple of sentiments on the inside of the card and added three tiny holographic stars to separate them.

While it was quite time-consuming to make this card, I had a real sense of accomplishment when it was done.

We are supposed to have a real warm-up this weekend, maybe even getting above freezing. That will feel tropical after the bitter cold we've had for the last couple of weeks.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

A couple of funny Valentines...

I like to make a few humorous cards now and then. Sometimes I give them to family members and other times I donate them to the thrift store. The two cards I'm sharing in this post were both donated.

I started with a white A2 cardbase and added a 4" X 5 1/4" panel of printed, glittery cardstock. 

I printed the sentiment with my computer and die-cut it. The hearts were left over from cutting another die-set.

I popped the sentiment panel up with foam tape on the center of the card front.

The hearts were glued directly to the white die-cut and then I added a red gem to one of them.

I had one more of those left over hearts, so I added it to the inside, under the computer-printed sentiment.

I have to admit, this one actually made me laugh. I happened to have a sheet of cardstock with a fish design (you have to look closely to see it) along with some images of jelly fish, an octopus and some bigger, more colorful fish on it. 

The two jelly fish happened to be in the upper left corner of the sheet, so I cut a 4" X 5 1/4" piece that included them.

I printed the sentiment with my computer, die-cut it and popped it up on my card front with foam tape. I added three tiny pastel hearts. They're actually confetti hearts that I have in my stash. 

The inside sentiment was also computer-generated, and I added a couple more of those pastel hearts.

*****

Last night we went to watch the MN Wild hockey team play the Chicago Black Hawks. The tickets were a Christmas gift from some of our kids. The Wild dropped behind 0-3, only to tie it up in the third period. They played a 5-minute overtime that resulted in no goals, so they moved on to a shootout, and the Wild ended up winning the game. It was very exciting! I was a hockey mom for many years--my son played from the time he was 5 years old--so it brought back lots of memories.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Congrats on your new home...

 

These two house images were punch outs from a partial card kit that was given to me. I thought they'd work great for new home cards, so I popped each of them up on some foam tape.

The smaller image fit a bit better on the card front, but I think they both look okay.  I die-cut the word "congrats" and glued it directly to the card front. The stamped sentiment was cut out and popped up with thin foam strips.

As you can see, I arranged the sentiments a little differently on this card since there wasn't as much room under the image.

I stamped a short sentiment on the inside of each one, and they were done.

Cardmaking has become a refuge for me in the midst of the unrest here in Minneapolis. It's a way to express my creativity while I excape from the world for a while. Again, I aask that you keep our fair city and all its residents in your thoughts...and prayers, if you're so inclined.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Laser-cut butterflies...

I recently ordered some laser-cut butterflies online. They were very inexpensive and I thought they'd be helpful in making some quick cards. When they arrived, they were a lot bigger than I expected, but I'll use them anyway.

Here are my first two cards made with them:

If you've followed my blog for very long, you know I love all things purple. I couldn't resist using some purple DSP I had on hand for the background.

The paper that the butterflies are cut from is quite thin and delicate, so I glued them directly to the DSP.

I added some purple gems and a sentiment, which was popped up with foam tape.

I stamped a sentiment on the inside and added a tiny punched butterfly.

I messed up the bottom edge of this card front, so I added a lacey border to cover it. I think the saying goes, "There are no mistakes in cardmaking, just opportunities."

I liked the clear gems better than the purple gems. These didn't stand out quite so much.

The sentiment was stamped, die-cut and popped up with thin foam strips.

And on the inside, I stamped another sentiment and added a punched butterfly.

We are hunkering down in our homes today because of the super cold weather. Our heating bill is going to be sky high this month! It got down to about -20F air temp last night with wind chills in the -30 to -40 range. I worry about homeless people in weather like this. I sure hope they have found warm shelter.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

A fun and easy card design...

 

I've seen quite a few cards like this popping up on card blogs lately. I like the look of them, so I just had to give them a try. I found a tutorial at Frenchie Stamps. Just click the link to access it.

Since I have lots of old, discontinued double-sided DSP, this is a great design for using some of it. I just cut it into 6" X 6" pieces and then follow Frenchie's instructions to make a card.

I thought this paper would be perfect for a masculine card, although it could also work for a female.

One thing that I did a bit differently than Frenchie is that I adhered the turned-back flaps with a dimensional, rather than gluing them flat.

The sentiment in the center was stamped, matted and also applied with dimensionals.

I added a narrow piece of the DSP to the inside. Because I did this after I stamped the sentiment, the sentiment is not centered in the white space. I can see now that I should have added another piece of DSP to the other side. 

Since this is such a fun card design, I immediately made another one, this time gluing the pieces of DSP down with the same design facing up. This meant that the turned-back flaps were the only part of the card front that showed the alternate pattern. I liked the look of this.

I cut two hearts, stamping a sentiment on the top one. I layered them and popped them up in the center of the card.

As you can see, I've added a few gems for sparkle.

Instead of adding DSP to the inside, I stamped a sentiment on a banner, using two different ink colors.

I definitely think you should give this card design a try. It's so quick to put together, and looks great.

Instead of a sentiment, a die-cut image could be added to the center. I think some colorful flowers or foliage would look great. I may also try to make some Easter cards with bunnies or Easter baskets as focal points. Even a cross would work.

We are prepping for "dangerously cold" air temps that are suppose to arrive on Thursday. They are predicting -20 F (-29 C). I volunteer at the thrift store on Thursdays so I'll have to go out of the house. Brrrrr. So glad my car has heated seats and a heated steering wheel!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Best fishes...

 

I was given one 12" x 12" sheet of this fish-patterned DSP. I thought it might make some fun masculine birthday cards. 

I added a 4" X 5 1/4" piece of the fish paper to my A2 card base.

Then, after drawing a line down from the top with a fine point felt-tip pen, I added a die-cut fishing hook and a worm.

The sentiment was printed with my computer, die-cut and popped up with foam squares. 

I also printed the inside sentiment.  It could be interpreted as a tiny bit off-color, but I have used it on cards before, and they sold quickly, so I thought I'd use it again.

I have an idea for a a Valentine for a boy out of this fish paper, too. I'll share it once I get it made.

It is soooo cooooold here right now - and I HATE feeling cold. I am dreaming of Spring and warmer weather already. It can't come soon enough, as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl