Strawberries in the dead of winter...

Since it is such a "bleak" time of year, I decided to make some summery, fruit-inspired cards today.

A couple of years ago, I had purchased the strawberry basket image from the Silhouette Design Store. I just love that little basket. It reminds me of the ones that strawberries were sold in when I was a kid.

For this card I cut the different pieces of the berries and basket, then did a little ink shading on them. After putting my berry basket together, I popped it up with foam tape on a die-cut doily.

I even used my Silhouette and a red sketch pen to write out the sentiment, which is also popped up on foam tape. Three enamel dots finished off my card front.

I wanted to add a little something to the inside of my card, but I wasn't quite sure what. I finally decided on using a wonky-stitched rectangle die to cut out my stamped sentiment panel. Then I added a tiny scalloped edge on one side, cut from the same CS as was used on the front of the card.

For the second one, I actually designed the card base in the Silhouette software, making the circle aperture on the front and then cutting a mat from the yellow patterned CS to exactly fit.

Once again, I also used the Silhouette and a sketch pen to write the sentiment on my little banner which is glued in place on either side of the circle aperture.

When you open the card, you can see that the two strawberries are popped up with foam tape on the inside.

I stamped "Heartfelt Thanks" with red ink, as this will be used as a thank you card.

It is cold here today, and we got another couple inches of snow last night. It is supposed to warm up by the weekend (into the 30s), which is good, because we will be having a houseful of company.

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

Happy Valentine's Day...

I hope you have something fun and/or romantic planned for today. My DH and I are going to a movie tonight. I actually tried this morning to get dinner reservations at a nearby restaurant, but they are completely booked! Guess I'll go ahead and make something for our dinner.

On Wednesday, I learned that the thrift store had sold all of the Valentines I had made for them so I quickly made a few more.

These two were the most complicated ones I made. They are shutter cards with the little peek-a-boo mechanism on the inside. The ribbons are adhered to the backs of the cards with some double-sided adhesive. When tied, they hold the cards neatly closed.

I think it's so much fun to have the inside sentiment revealed behind the "shutter" when you open the card. I used a variety of stamps and dies on these cards.

For this card, I cut the image/sentiment with my Silhouette. This file was a freebie from the Silhouette School site. The heart border at the bottom was made with a Martha Stewart punch. I rounded the two bottom corners of the back of the card so that they didn't stick out behind the red border.

On the inside, I used a pierced label die-cut and a sentiment die-cut. I really didn't have time to get too fancy, especially since I made two of these cards.

This card was super easy. The "Love" came from a paper stack. I simply cut it out and matted it with gold. Then I used a Thank You die to just cut out the "You" from some upcycled gold packaging.

This sentiment was stamped with an old wooden stamp that I had purchased at the thrift store. It was just the right size for this card!

Finally, I made two of these 3.5" X 5" cards. I had the pre-cut card bases in my stash, so all I had to do was line them with a pale pink patterned paper (it's very hard to see any of the color or pattern inside the heart in this photo) and add some stickers (Love, You, and square gems).

Inside this one is a simple, stamped sentiment.

All in all, I made 7 Valentines in just 3 hours or so. I thought that was pretty quick--at least for me. I tend to be a slow and messy card maker.

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

Valentine and a birthday card...

I have made approximately 40 Valentines so far this year. Of course, I not only send them to grandchildren and other family members, I also take some to the thrift store for them to sell.  Here's an example of some that I have made:

I have this "starry sky" background die that works perfectly for cards like this.

I cut a piece of medium blue cardstock and then inked it using one of those soft make-up brushes and some navy blue ink.  When that was done, I created my starry sky with my background die.

The moon was cut from some satiny silver cardstock using two circle dies that were slightly different in size--the larger one for the outside cut and the smaller one for the inside cut.

The heart was cut with a small heart die out of glitter cardstock. To finish off my card front, I adhered my moon, silver cord and heart with foam squares and added a few tiny, iridescent stars for good measure.

While the sentiment on the front of my card was computer-generated, the one on the inside was stamped. I happened to have a few heart off-cuts on my work table, so I added three of those, too, for a bit of color.

My son's birthday was yesterday, and since he likes sloths (or at least he likes seeing them in the wild), I dug out my sloth die set and made him a card. He's been so busy lately, working on his doctoral degree and serving as superintendent at a State School for the Blind, that I thought my (computer-generated) sentiment fit perfectly.

This little guy is so cute, and I love cutting him out and putting him together. I have made Valentines with him, too, which you can see here.

My clouds in the background were inked using a torn piece of cardstock as a stencil.

The inside of the card is pretty simple with just a mat and another computer-generated sentiment.

That's it for me today. I need to finish cleaning up the Valentine mess in my craft area and then try out some new dies that I purchased in the last couple of weeks. I should also make a couple of Christmas cards--I've already fallen behind my self-imposed schedule on those!


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

Let's Craft and Create Challenge #156: Mother's Day (UK)...

 Is it February already? It seems just yesterday we were celebrating the New Year. But since it really is February, it's time for a new Challenge at Let's Craft and Create. This month we're asking you to create a Mother's Day, birthday, just because or similarly-themed card and play along.

Here's what I've come up with as a Mother's Day card for one of my aunts, since my mother is no longer with us. Can you guess what kind of paper I used for my background?

I used a very pretty, shiny gold wrapping paper. My brother gave me a book for my birthday last month, which he had wrapped in it. As I unwrapped it, he reached to take the paper from me in order to throw it away. I nearly slapped his hand away! "Don't take that!" I said to him in a rather demanding voice (you know how we crafters get when it comes to pretty paper). "I'm going to use that to make some cards."

He just gave me one of "those" looks and let me have my way. It was my birthday, after all. LOL

I used a pretty, unbranded background die to cut my background pattern and adhered it to a white card base with spray adhesive. Even though the wrapping paper was quite thin, it still worked beautifully. I only wish you could see the metallic shine. The camera really doesn't do it justice.

I added a sentiment on a wavy, die-cut strip, which is popped up on foam tape. Then I decided to add just a tiny pop of color by gluing on some pink and purple sequins. I love the bit of color and sparkle that they add.

On the inside, I matted my computer-generated sentiment with some more of the wrapping paper.

I liked this card so much that I am going to make two more, as I have three aunts that I like to remember on Mother's Day.

Now it's your turn--and you don't even have to upcycle any supplies as I have done. Simply create a card--Mother's Day, birthday, just because--and post it here. The Design Team loves seeing all your amazing creations, and there will be a prize for the winner. Check it all out at Let's Craft and Create!

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

Shaker Valentine...

Since I have a jar shaker die and a set of conversation heart dies, I knew I wanted to use them together on the same card.

First, I added a decorative panel to my card base. It was a pre-cut panel--one from a pack of them in assorted colors that I had gotten at the thrift store. I believe they are by David Tutera.

I cut the jar and frame from some pale gray-blue CS. I also cut the frame shape from some Dollar Tree foam board. That's such an easy way to create the space you need for your shaker elements. The clear plastic I used on the front of my jar was cut from an old piece of packaging. I have saved so much plastic packaging over the years that I could make shakers from now until the day I die without using it up!

The conversation hearts were cut from scraps of pastel CS. I really love using up some of my scraps when I'm making cards.

My tiny little tag with the heart cutout is from an older Sizzix/Stephanie Barnard die set of tiny tags and stamps.  I've had it a long time, but I did find that it is still available. Click here for a link, if you're interested.

On the inside of my card, I have a computer-generated sentiment with a heart and flourish stamp below it.

I think you can see that I've added a little sparkle to my heart.















This past weekend we went across the river to St. Paul to see some of the ice sculptures that were entered in a Winter Carnival competition. Yes, we have an outdoor carnival here in the winter, no matter how cold it gets.

This one looks like some sort of arachnid, but I'm not sure what the pole with the half-circle on it is supposed to be.

This, of course, is an eagle perched on a wave catching a fish.

Isn't it amazing what some artists can do with ice? These sculptures were actually not in prime condition because the air temperature had warmed into the 40s, so there was a lot of melting going on. They were still beautiful to look at, though.

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

Happy birthday to a pre-teen...

Yesterday my granddaughter turned 12 years old. She is a beautiful young girl and is definitely a preteen, loving all the things that girls this age love.

This is the card I made to send along with her gift:

This is one of the twist and pop cards. I love making these cards, and I think they're a lot of fun for the recipient to open.

Since I also had my Valentine-making supplies out, I decided to use some of the conversation heart dies. They fit perfectly in the windows of my frame die and added three small sentiments to my card front.






 

 

Then I picked out an assortment of dies and sentiments to add to the top of the card (Happy Birthday) and to each of the four panels that pop out when you open the card.  I knew I wanted to use a butterfly on at least one of the panels in keeping with the pattern on the front, but after that I just looked for something celebratory that would work. For my die-cuts, I used the colors of the butterflies on the front of the card.

Using die-cuts on these panels is a fun way to use up some scraps, too.

When making these pop-out cards, I have found that rounding all the corners on the four panels makes them pop out and fold back in so much better.

The gift was made by die-cutting a square, then adding a strip of gold CS and a die-cut bow for the ribbon. Super easy!

The balloons were extra dies that came with a frame die. They're quite small, but the perfect size for one of these panels.

I spoke with my granddaughter yesterday and she was having a great day. She said she'd be celebrating with friends and family into the weekend.

They just grow up too fast, don't they?

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

Valentine's for kids...

I love this little sloth! It has such a sweet face, so I just had to use this die set for a Valentine card.

I cut all the pieces, and then I colored the brown parts of his body with a gray alcohol marker. Once that was done, I put a little rubbing alcohol on some terry cloth and dabbed it over those pieces. That created a somewhat textured look to his "fur." I simply did a little inking around the edges of the lighter piece on his face, and I added some Nuvo Drops for his eyes.

On the inside of my card, I decided to add another piece of the DSP and then a die-cut rectangle on which I had printed my sentiment. It was the same rectangle die I had used on the front of the card. The two little hearts here and on the front were negative cuts from another Valentine die.

For this card, I took a die that originally had four owls on a branch and I cut two of them off and sort of "rearranged" the other two. If you want to see what this die looked like originally, click here.

Once again, I used some negative cuts from other dies for my hearts, and the printed sentiment was computer-generated.

For the inside of my owl card, I used a die-cut rectangle and die-cut sentiment.

Making Valentines for kids is really fun, especially with some cute animal dies to work with. I don't have many animal dies, but I try to make the most of the ones I do have.







Yesterday was my birthday, so I had a lovely day with lots of phone calls and a couple of floral deliveries. My daughter and her family treated me to a wonderful dinner last evening. All in all, it was a very nice day (and I even managed to still do the laundry!).

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