It's your day, let's party...

I have a large plastic envelope that is filled with borders that I have either made or collected from here, there and everywhere. The cocktail border that you see on this card was pulled from that envelope. I've had it for a very, very long time and have long wondered what to do with it. Finally, I decided to use it on a slimline card.

I embossed a cream-colored panel with my Swiss Dots embossing folder and added it to my pink card base. Then, I popped the border up on dimensionals and adhered it to the card front. It was made of sturdy cardstock, so that worked great.

As a last step, I die-cut two birthday word banners and glued them to the front, finishing off their ends with enamel dots.

I stamped a fun sentiment on the inside, and my card was done.

Now that I've used this border, I wish I had a few more of them! I don't know why it took me so long to figure out how to incorporate it onto a card front, but I love the final result. And it was so quick and easy!

Hopefully, I'm not the only one who gets stymied now and again by the odd crafting supply.

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

Cheryl

"Best if used by" date...

I saw this sentiment somewhere online and thought it would be fun to make a few cards with it. 

First, I added a scrap of woodgrain patterned DSP to my card front and finished off the sides of it with two narrow strips of black cardstock. These were actually quilling strips. After trying to quill a couple of cards, I decided that it really wasn't for me, so I've been using these strips on my cards.

After printing the sentiment with my computer, I die-cut it and popped it up on my card front. Then I added a "crazy bird" that had been stamped, colored with pencils and mineral spirits and die-cut. His eyes are shiny with Glossy Accents but it doesn't show up in the pictures.

The balloons were also die-cut. I inked around their edges a bit to add some dimension and then popped them up on foam squares. The strings were drawn in with a fine-point black marker.

The final embellishment was to add a couple of enamel dots to each top corner of the DSP.

The simple sentiment on the inside was computer-printed.

I think these sentiments could be used with lots of different characters or images on the front of the card. Or even just by themselves. I think it makes a fun card that could be used for ages in several different decades.

I am currently staying with my 17-year-old grandson and taking care of his family's five dogs and two cats while my daughter and her husband are on an overseas trip. They'll be gone for nine days, so I'll be ready to hand back the "pet reins" by the time they get back.

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

Cheryl

More fun making Halloween cards...

I've been making 6-10 Halloween cards a week and donating them to the thrift store. They seem to sell really well, which makes it all the more fun.

This cute little ghost was in my leftover pile of die-cut images from last year, so he definitely had to be used on a card this time around. 

I die-cut an orange spider web and glued it to a pale green with white polka dots card base. Then I added the ghost with some foam tape.

Finally, I added the little die-cut spider and popped up my computer-generated sentiment. The font I used for the sentiment is called "Adios Amigos," but I like it for Halloween cards because of the way the letters are shaded.

I added a portion of an orange web on the inside along with another spider. The inside sentiment was also printed with my computer.

This card was super quick to make. I die-cut the black frame, which was NBUS (never-before-used-schtuff), glued it to my card base, and then heat-embossed the sentiment, using Versafine black ink and clear embossing powder.

In looking at the photo, I feel like I should have put a little yellow or gold cardstock behind the pumpkin faces to give the illusion of a candle glowing inside.

On the inside I stamped the sentiment and then added a strip of spider web DSP (it had been laying on my work table) and two candy corn stickers.

Easy peasy.

The two card bases I used for these cards were made with some nice, heavy cardstock that the thrift store gave me. It consisted of quite a few different background colors with white polka dots and all the sheets were 8 1/2" X 11". I've had fun using them for cardmaking, and now I wish I had more, as I've run out of some of the colors.

We just got back from a quick trip to Wyoming to scatter my brother-in-law's ashes, per his request, in a lake and stream where he used to fish. We spent a little bit of time in Grand Teton National Park while we were there since we flew in and out of Jackson Hole.

While my DH and I were on a short hike, I took this photo of one of the Teton Mountains. The day was perfect--warm (but not too warm) and sunny. There were a lot of visitors in the park (we had a terrible time finding a place to park our vehicle!), but it still didn't seem crowded. It's such a beautiful place to visit, so if you haven't been there yet, you really should go!

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

Cheryl

Ghouls just wanna have fun...

 

This is a pretty simple card, but it was fun to make. My sister used this girly ghost die last year, and I just had to have it for some girly Halloween cards--so I bought one. This is the first card I have made with it.

I used some dimensional stickers on this card--the little orange bat and the "BOO" speech bubble. The sentiment was printed with my computer and then popped up on foam tape.

I backed the face part of the ghost with a piece of black cardstock. I think that looks better than leaving open holes where the eyes and mouth are.

I also used a paint pen to add a dot of white to each eye.

Finally, I added a tiny little bow to her head for some extra femininity.

I don't have a picture to share of the inside, but I stamped "Happy Halloween" and added a couple more bat stickers.

Halloween cards seem to sell well at the thrift store, so I've been making quite a few to donate. They're my favorite cards to make!

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

Cheryl

Sometimes rub-on images are handy...

 

The images on this card were taken from a sheet of various rub-ons that had been given to me. They were fairly small images, so I thought they'd work well in a frame like the one you see in the picture. 

I cut the frame a few times and stacked it so that it had a little dimension. I stamped "Hello Friend" to fill out the largest space.

Here you can see the dimension of the frame.

I added more rub-ons to the inside. The cluster of flowers rub-on had been damaged, but I was still able to use a big piece of it in the corner.

This card is bigger (4 1/2" X 6", I think), so I used some of the bigger images on it. The "get well" was stamped inside the biggest rectangle. "Soon" was also stamped onto a piece of white CS and then popped up with dimensionals.

You may have noticed that I didn't add any dimension to this frame. I think it still looks ok.

I stamped a sentiment on the inside and added a couple more of the rub-on images.

It was actually fun to pick the images for each section of the frames for these cards. They were all color coordinated, so that made it extra easy.

Do you ever use rub-ons? I have found that if you let them sit too long, they dry up and don't adhere very well when you try to rub them on. So if you've got them, you should use them!

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

Cheryl

An old-fashioned Santa...

 

This image was offered for personal use on one of the Facebook AI sites that I frequent. I thought it was such a nice depiction of an old-fashioned Santa, that I decided to print it out to use for a few Christmas cards. I cut it out with one of my favorite fancy corner rectangle dies and glued it directly to my red card base.

The image included some pink poinsettias, which you can see in the bottom righthand corner. As an extra embellishment, I cut one out of pale pink cardstock, inked the center of each layer of petals and added it to my card.

I also die-cut some white boughs to extend from each side of the flower and added a red gem to the center.

I stamped two sentiments on the inside and added a strip of red cardstock for a little embellishment.

I think I will be making a few more of these, as I really like how it turned out.

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

Cheryl

Happy 21st birthday...

Because I make an assortment of cards to donate, I decided to make a couple of 21st birthday cards and use up some scraps in the process.

My sister had given me some "fashion girl" images a couple of years ago. They were made of very heavy cardstock and were already colored and pre-cut--perfect for making quick cards!

I had already used a couple of them on some 16th birthday slimline cards, which you can see in this post.

I had a scrap of deep pink polka dot DSP on my desk that had a fairly large round hole cut out of it. The hole was not centered, but I thought I could make it work for me anyway.

I cut a card base from some pale pink cardstock. Then I cut a white circle that was slightly smaller than the hole in my DSP and stamped my sentiment onto it. The pink polka-dot paper was glued to the card front and the circle was adhered inside the aperture so that a narrow band of the light pink showed around its edge.

The fashion girl image was popped up on foam tape, and as a final touch, I added a couple of rub-on flower images, They had also been sitting on my desk, begging to be used.

This scrap of striped DSP had no holes cut into it, and I thought it would be perfect for my second card. I glued it to the card front and added a solid narrow strip of cardstock on either side.

This time I added some rub-on floral images first and then popped my fashion girl up on foam tape.

The circle sentiment was also popped up on dimensionals.

I added a little bit of decoration to the inside of each card, including another rub-on image in the corner. It felt good to use up that sheet of rub-ons!

This past Saturday, when I walked out my back door, I noticed something REALLY strange in my back yard. This is what I saw:

LILACS BLOOMING IN THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER!!! I have never seen this before. They have always bloomed in April/May for a few weeks and then they're done for the year. 

This year, after they had finished blooming in the spring, a fungus of some sort attacked the bush and the leaves turned brown and crisp and fell off. It looked dead. But later, some new shoots began to grow from the existing branches, and now those new shoots are blooming. This is happening in places all over the city. Go figure! 

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

Cheryl

Coffee--always a good idea...

 

I bought a coffee-themed set of stamps at Dollar Tree for $1.25, and this sentiment and the cup of coffee were part of the set.

I colored the coffee cup with alcohol markers to coordinate with my DSP, which was matted with a panel of black cardstock.

The fancy corner die-cuts were made with a die from a really old set that I got years ago. I love the way they dress up a card front.

Finally, I added an enamel dot (also purchased at Dollar Tree a loooong time ago) underneath the word "coffee."

The sentiment on the inside was printed from my computer. 

I added a pocket on the left for a coffee shop gift card. Because this card was donated to the thrift store, I cut a piece of cardstock the size of a gift card, added a brief note, and put it in the pocket to demonstrate what it was for.

This was a fun card to make. I should have made several while I was at it!

It has been a busy week, but I'm hoping things settle down into more of our usual routine in the days ahead. The weather has been unusally warm. I even had to turn on the air conditioning last night. Usually by this time of the year, things are starting to cool down in Minnesota--but not this year.

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

Cheryl

Holding you in my prayers...

Just a quick post today. We still have company and we're super busy trying to wrap up my brother-in-law's estate and give away/dispose of his belongings.

I am so thankful for pretty 3D embossing folders that make a quick card. Here is one I made recently:

I embossed a light blue panel and then added a bit of ink to the flower heads with a finger dauber before adhering it to a dark blue card base.

I also added some Wink of Stella to the leaves and stems, but my camera simply doesn't capture the subtle sparkle.

The stamped sentiment was popped up on some narrow foam strips.

I stamped two sentiments on the inside, and that finished my card.

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

Cheryl

Painting over a stamped image...

As I try to build up my stash of Christmas cards, I like to try a different technique on a single card, and if I like it, I make more of them. Here is one card that I think I'll make a few more of:

I started with a piece of black watercolor cardstock. I stamped it with a leaf and berry background image using white ink. After the ink had dried thoroughly, I used a green metallic watercolor paint to paint over the stamped leaves. It was easy to do, and I think it turned out alright for a first try.

I wish the camera showed the pretty metallic sheen of the green paint.

I made a little stencil by using a single hole punch on a piece of plastic sheet. Then I used this handmade stencil to add some red Lunar Paste to each of the berries, one at a time, and gave it time to dry. The white dot on each of the berries was made with a paint pen.

When the white dots had dried, I decided I still wasn't satisfied and added some Glossy Accents to each berry. 

Before adding it to my card base, I matted it with white cardstock.

Finally, I die-cut a sentiment in red metallic cardstock, backed it with white cardstock and popped it up with foam tape.

The inside features a simple, stamped sentiment. Card done!

We enjoyed a beautiful day today, weatherwise. We took Mickey to the dog park, which he loves. We met the first "Sheepadoodle" that I've ever seen. They are a cross between a sheep dog and a standard poodle. His name was Buzzo and he was very cute. Mickey got a little peeved  with him, though, when Buzzo kept trying to herd him as if he were a sheep. It was kind of funny to witness.

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

Cheryl

A Yoda happy birthday...

I recently made a child's birthday card using a free clipart image of Yoda. He's my favorite of the Star Wars characters, and I think he appeals to little kids, too. This card was donated to the thrift store and sold quickly, which makes me think that he's still popular.

I printed the Yoda image twice with my computer. One of the images was die-cut with a shaped square die. I fussy-cut the head from the other image so that I could pop it up on top of the die-cut image and give Yoda a little dimension.

The sentiment was cut a few times and stacked to make it sturdier and add dimension. I added a little sparkle to the stars with a glitter pen.

You can see a bit of the popped up head in this photo (especially visible on the left ear).

I also used a splatter stamp to give some texture to the background of the shaped square.

The inside sentiment that I used had been sitting in my craft space for a very long time (which is a big reason I decided to make this card). It had been printed with my computer. I'm certain I printed several of them at one time, and this one just never got used...until now.

I often print or stamp multiples of a sentiment that I like and set some of them aside to use later. I just wish I didn't usually forget that I even have them!

Do you ever use clipart on your cards? I know my crafty friend Donna (DesignbyDonna) has used some clipart, as I remember that she featured it on at least one card this past Spring.

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

Cheryl

Let's Craft and Create Challenge #211: Anthing Goes or (Option) Use a Sketch...

 

Today, at Let's Craft and Create, we're starting a new monthly challenge. You have all of September to create a card or other project and enter it for a chance to win a crafty prize. 

I find it to be the most fun to use the optional suggestion, which for this month is "Use a Sketch." First, I looked for a card sketch online and found this one:

As you can see above, this sketch came from the PaperPlaySketches blog. You can also search Pinterest for card sketches. You will find hundreds (maybe even thousands) of them there.

Here is the card I made, using the sketch above for inspiration:

I started with a white card base and added some Christmas DSP with holiday words printed on it. Then I cut three lengths of glittery ribbon and glued them to my DSP, spacing them evenly down the front of mt card.

I had gotten two sets of candy cane dies, one large and one small. I used the larger size on this card. The candy cane was made with two different dies, the background (solid) die and the striped top layer die.  

I wanted to cut two candy canes, each facing the opposite direction, so I had to flip the die-cuts of one candy cane over to achieve this. I don't think anyone will ever know if I don't tell them.

I popped up the fancy oval die-cut, and then popped up my candy canes, as well.

The glittery snowflake was added to replicate the star embellishment on the sketch.

A final touch was to add the ribbon bow.

On the inside I added a stamped sentiment, a narrow piece of the glitter ribbon and another snowflake for embellishment.

A sketch can be a terrific source of inspiration, so I really hope you'll give it a try. Check out the Design Team creations on the Let's Craft and Create blog, and remember there is a fun prize up for grabs.

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

Cheryl

Dollar Tree flowers...

 During a recent stop at Dollar Tree, I found a pack of little flowers that I thought would make some great cards. The pack contained more than 30 flowers in two colors--white and aqua.

I used the white ones first to make this card:

Each white flower came with the aqua shading and a small white pearl adhered to its center. I cut some skeleton leaves from coordinating cardstock to use as a base for my flowers. The sentiment stamp was also from Dollar Tree. It was included in a pack of numerous birthday-themed stamps, all for $1.25!

I die-cut the fancy oval and adhered it directly to the DSP that covered the front of my card base. 

Don't the flowers in the DSP look just like the flowers from Dollar Tree?

To decorate the inside, I added a piece of the DSP, a small sprig of skeleton leaves and a stamped sentiment.

I also made a card using the aqua flowers in the pack, and here it is:

For this card, I die-cut a leafy border in white and glued it down the center of my DSP. The two-part sentiment was printed from my computer, die-cut and popped up on dimensionals.

I chose some of the aqua flowers and removed the pearl centers. After adding them to my card front, I added a white Nuvo Drop center to each one. I thought this would make the card easier to mail.

Isn't the sentiment on this card fun? I actually printed it out such a long time ago that I can't remember where I found it, but I'm glad I finally got around to using it.

I printed another sentiment on the inside. This is one I just made up.

*****

We are having a short interlude right now as one of our guests flew back to Europe tonight. The other two are in California for a few days, but will be back toward the end of this week.

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

Cheryl