The Birthday Times...

Our grandson's 9th birthday is coming up soon.  He's at an age when it gets a little more difficult to make a card that really pleases.  I do think he's going to like this one, though.  I want to thank Helen at It's All Fiddle Fart for sharing this idea.  Helen makes a lot of these cards and I have enjoyed seeing every creative newspaper headline she's come up with.  Please pay her a visit and check out her "Newspaper Cards."

I began making this card by creating a template in Publisher.  I have made a couple more of these cards and I always use the same basic template, but change the headlines, storylines, photos, etc., to fit the receiver. It's always fun to try to come up with something personal, but fun. For this card, I've also added layers with foam tape for the "Exclusive" title box and the party hat and gift. This gives the card some added interest and helps these items stand out.  The star brads also add a little dimension.                                

I'm hoping you can see the layers a little in the angled picture (even though it's not a very good photo!).  Finally, here's a photo of the sentiment on the inside - also computer generated.  I make this card at 5" X 7" to give me enough room for all of the elements. 

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

Cheryl

Flower pot card...

This is another card I made sometime ago. I cut my own shape for the flower pot, sizing it to fit in a standard A4 envelope.

I used a couple of CuttleBug folders to add some dimension to the pot and some various size dies to cut the layers for the flowers.  I added some die-cut leaves (veins added with my scoreboard) and some green flourishes cut with a Spellbinders die.

The "Best Wishes" tag was cut with a CB die and held on by some narrow ribbon.

On the right is a photo that shows the pullout that slips into the center of the pot. This is where you can add a hand-written note or stamp a sentiment. The most time-consuming part of this card was cutting all those flower layers. :) I need to try this again, though, using my Flower Shoppe cartridge. Can you imagine how pretty this would look with some truly 3-D flowers? I'll be sure to share it with  you when I do.

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

Cheryl

Sweet and simple baby cards...

Today, I want to share with you a couple of cards that I made quite a long time ago, but they're still some of my favorites.  I found a template online (sorry, but it's been so long, I can't remember where I found it) that had to be hand cut.  The card patterns are not intricate so the handcutting was no problem.  The first card is to welcome a new baby boy.

It is traced and cut all as one piece from white cardstock.  The front bib overalls fold down over the shirt underneath.  After adhering the blue paper and the plaid paper, I inked all the edges for a little dimension and added a couple of tiny buttons and a star brad.  The little giraffe was cut with a CuttleBug die.  I wish I had taken a photo of the inside, but I didn't. Using a Spellbinders die, I cut an oval from white CS that fit the inside and stamped my sentiment on that. There was still enough room for a brief note and signature.

I downloaded the template for this little girl's dress from the same site.  Again, it is all cut as one piece and the pinafore folds down over the dress. I loved how these two polka dot papers went together after I had adhered them to the front and inside of the card. If you look closely, you can see that I've added some shading to show the draping of the underskirt and the ruffling of the sleeves. A little ribbon, pink rickrack edging and a flower with a tiny button center completed the front of the card. For the inside, I once again cut an oval from white CS to fit and stamped my sentiment on it, leaving room for a note and signature. These cards were so much fun to make. Here's another similar card that I shared in an earlier post.

I definitely need to dig this template out again and make a couple more. These cards would be really quick to make if you used double-sided patterned cardstock for the card base. That would eliminate having to adhere the patterned papers, although the extra paper makes the card sturdier.

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

Cheryl

Grumpy old men...

Every once in a while I see a stamp that I simply need to have - usually because it fits so many people in my life. "Norm" by Art Impressions was one of those. My oldest brother turned 65 this month and I simply had to have this stamp to make a card for him.

Isn't Norm something? Now, my brother doesn't look like this grumpy old guy, but he does live in Florida where shirts like this are rampant and everyone has numerous pairs of sunglasses and their favorite lawn chair.  I had a lot of fun coloring Norm with my ProMarkers.  I cut him out with a Nestability and did a little bit of yellow chalking to soften the "air" around him a bit. I matted the the image with some olive green cardstock. The sentiment is computer-generated and inked around the edges. Here's a little closer look.

 I used a metallic gel pen to color in the frame of the lawn chair to give it a more authentic metal look. Don't you love the outfit Norm chose to wear? I'm certain this was his choice of colors, too, not mine!

Did you notice that I also added a strip of paper for contrast and couple of grommets to the front. I threaded the string through the grommets and tied it before I adhered the patterned cardstock to the kraft card base.

Here's a look at the inside of the card, which I dressed up a bit by inking the edges and adding a couple of leftover scraps of the two patterned papers:

I managed to use "Norm" on a card for my husband's birthday, too. My husband is not at all grumpy...ever...so he just laughed at it and said it couldn't possibly be him. LOL

Finally, I want to alert all of you to a fantastic giveaway on Lisa Stenz's blog.  She is giving away the new Close to My Heart Artiste cartridge kit. I have the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge and it is spectacular!  Check out this giveaway and the rest of Lisa's Creative Corner.

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

Wood veneer works, too...

My husband gave me some very thin sheets of wood veneer (maybe 1/32" thick?), and I've been wanting to try cutting one of them with my dies.  My first attempt was using a simple LIfestyle Crafts label die and running it through my Cuttlebug.  Here's the result:

This card is a simple, masculine card, but the actual wood label adds a nice touch.  The die did not cut all the way through the wood in some areas, but because this veneer is so thin, it made a deep impression and I was able to use my scissors to finish the cut. I think you could also use a good craft knife.

I also tried running the veneer through my printer to see if I could actually print on it, but...no luck! It jammed every time. We have two printers--an ink jet and a laser--and it jammed in both of them. I finally decided to use a Fiskars stamp for the greeting, and then I added a little rough twine in a dark brown for interest. As you can see, I also inked the edges of the wood shape with some distress ink and added a few faux brads.  The wood takes the ink so beautifully!

I adhered the sentiment/label with some foam tape for a little more dimension and rounded the two bottom corners.

This card fits nicely inside a #10 envelope.

This wood veneer could even be cut with a paper cutter to make a flat, non-folded card and embellished as you would any other. I think this veneer is a fun addition to my crafting supplies and perfect for a man's card. I plan to try to punch some shapes from it and I'll let you know how that turns out.


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

Guest designer and a Flip Flop card...

This cute Flip Flop card was made by my sister Michelle.  Isn't it fun?

Here's what she had to say about making this card: 

 I traced my own flip flop and reduced it to a size that would fit into a long envelope. I attached it by using a brad and the underside is a coordinating color of the red in the floral paper. I covered the brad with a flower that I cut from the floral paper on the back of the card. Slits were made to attach the ribbons. A hole was cut or punched in for the toe and felt flower attached. I thought it turned out cute and was so appropriate for my friend/coworker. 

A look at the inside of the card:

What a fun card and so easy to do! I love that it fits into a business (9") envelope.  Thanks, Michelle, for sharing this idea.

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

Masculine card...

I think men actually like cards that are made using strong patterns and simple lines.  I thought this was just such a card. Sorry about the glare on the photo!

This was a Father's Day card for my husband.  The inside sentiment read, "You're wonderful in all three roles! Happy Father's Day."  I think this could be changed to suit other occasions--like a birthday, for example.  The inside sentiment could say, "Happy Birthday to my three favorite people--you!"

I cut the words from the Heritage cartridge at 1"(I think) and inked the edges.  Isn't this a wonderful old-fashioned font?  I adhered three pieces of fairly wide satin ribbon, notched on the ends, to the card.  The ribbon was a nice masculine color that matched the plaid pattern of the cardstock really well.

Then I adhered the words Father, Husband and Grandpa to the ribbon and added some gold faux brads. I clipped all four corners of the 4" X 8.5" card with my corner rounder and called it done.  It's a simple but effective card, and I think my husband really liked it!

That's it for me today.  Remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day!
Cheryl

Wise words from a 6-year-old...

I want to share a quick card with you today and then tell you about some wise thoughts that my 6-year-old granddaughter shared last night.

First the card...

When I visited one of my sisters this past week, we had fun going through some of her sewing supplies. We both love to sew, although she is lightyears better than me. We both liked a  particular piece of lace she had in her stash, but she said it was a little wide for the kind of sewing she usually did.  I remarked at how it would make a great stencil for cardmaking. She promptly cut off a piece and gave it to me. When I got home I used that piece of lace to make a quick thank you card to send to her. The card at left is the result.  I adhered the lace to some white paper using some spray adhesive for quilt basting.  Then I spritzed it with some Maya Road Metallic Mist in bronze. I immediately peeled the lace off the paper and the pretty design of the lace was left.  I think it looks a little rustic and vintage and I really liked the design it left. A little ribbon and a quick sentiment with brown ink finished the card.  The striped background paper is from a DCWV 8X8 pad called "Linen Closet."

Now onto the reason for the title of this post. Last evening my husband and I attended a swim meet in which our 6- and 9-year-old granddaughters competed. Sophie is the older of the two and is very competetive, feeling badly when she doesn't live up to her own expectations. Polly has a very different approach. In one of her heats, she mistakenly began swimming freestyle when she was competing in a 50-yard butterfly. After the meet, my daughter asked her if she realized she had started swimming the wrong stroke. "Yes, I know!" Polly said cheerfully. "You know you were DQ'd (disqualified) for that," my daughter continued.  "I don't care," Polly retorted. "It's just swimming! The world isn't going to end if I don't win!"                                                                    

Isn't that a wonderful attitude? And to think it came from a very wise and beautiful little 6-year-old girl!

Thanks for visiting and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

I still love ice cream...

During the first 8 years of my life, my parents owned and operated a restaurant. Most of my little friends thought it would be so cool to be a member of a family that owned a restaurant. I really didn't like it at all - except for the ice cream!

My 5 siblings and I ate in the restaurant nearly every day--but we didn't get to choose from the menu. We often got pancakes for breakfast - my dad was the cook and he had the batter all mixed up and ready to go.  If we ate there for lunch or dinner, we HAD to have that day's "special" - whatever it was.  It seemed that the daily special was always something I hated at the time - like hot roast beef sandwiches swimming in gravy, or a big bowl of homemade beef vegetable soup. As kids we wanted burgers and fries, just like the kids of today, but my parents wisely made us eat a healthy and varied diet.  We did get to have a couple of treats on a regular basis - fresh donut holes (my dad made the BEST donuts) and ice cream cones, dipped from the ice cream freezer behind the counter. I preferred strawberry then - now, just give me chocolate!  When my parents left the restaurant business, they took that old ice cream freezer with them and used it as a home freezer for the rest of their lives. I have no idea how old it actually was (I think it was second hand when they got it for the restaurant in 1950).  We finally sold it after my dad died in 2000.  I do know it had been in continuous use for at least 50 years! Can you imagine using an appliance for that length of time?

Today's project is a simple--but fun to make--pair of birthday cards, using the ice cream cone from Stretch Your Imagination.

You can see that I used a Martha Stewart border punch and a narrow strip of red cardstock to break up the background pattern of the card base.  I used the Divine Swirls embossing folder on the ice cream and another embossing folder (can't remember the name) on the cones.

Happy bird-day to you...

Just a very quick post today with another card featuring a bird image - this time a fun little birthday card for a child.  This little bird is from "Stretch Your Imagination."

I love that the image also includes some musical notes. I inked around the edges of the bird (hard to see in this photo) and popped it up on foam tape for some added dimension.  And, of course I had to give him a couple of little googly eyes! What child doesn't like googly eyes!  The sentiment was computer generated.  The card base was one from a kit that I've been using to make cards for my daughters since they have small children that go to lots of birthday parties. I took a cue from the background paper and used a couple of circles to highlight the bird and sentiment. This is one more for the pile!

Thanks for stopping by and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day!

Cheryl

Pretty bird...

For this card I turned to my trusty CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge - I think it is my all-time favorite.  I wanted to find a bird image, one that was a little more realistic, but still a little different from the norm. This one from Art Philosophy was perfect!  It's simple, but elegant with the flourish cut into the wing. While the image did not have an eye, I added a tiny flat-backed pearl .  For some reason, I have a hard time using images without eyes.