A couple of flip cards...

 Every once in a while I dig out my flip card die set and make some cards for the thrift store. It's fun to use this die set because it cuts out a DSP layer and the different circles for the focal point. I think customers at the thrift store find these cards fun and different from the usual.

This card features my favorite stitched butterflies. I've used a gem in the center of each one for a little sparkle.

This photo shows how the card looks when opened. I make sure to leave a little space on this side of the circle for a signature.

Here's a close-up of the largest butterfly. They can be layered, too, if you choose to do so.

Since I had some of this "little sweet pea" paper left in my stash, I thought I would also make a baby card. I wish you could see the green of the cardstock behind each scalloped layer of DSP in the photo above. I should have taken it on a lighter background.

A while ago, I bought several different kinds of tiny heart embellishments, like the one you see here. I just love them for cards like this.

Again, here is the card when it is fully opened. 

Aren't these cards a nice change from the usual side-fold or top-fold A2 cards? They actually are A2 size when folded, so no special envelope is needed.

Kitchen Remodel Update:

Tonight I was able to cook on my own stove for the first time since August 7. They moved it back into the kitchen today and hooked it up (it's a gas stove). My refrigerator is still in the dining room, but that will hopefully be moved into the kitchen in a day or two. Then we'll need to concentrate on painting the living room and dining room so we can get back to normal living!

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

Cheryl

I promised a pink monster, and here she is...

 

This time I gave my little monster a couple of balloons to hold onto. Isn't she cute?, I inked around the edges of the pink areas, added some Glossy Accents to the embossed areas on her face, and used real thread for the balloon strings.

The monster's head and the balloons are popped up on foam tape for a little dimension.

I've made up a couple different monster-themed sentiments for the insides of these cards and this is one of them. 

Customers really seem to like them at the thrift store, so I'm very glad I bought this die set. 

I can see making some Valentines with these dies, too, and adding some heart-shaped balloons, or maybe adding the arms in such a way that the monster is holding a little bouquet of flowers.

Our kitchen should be done by the end of this week. I actually went out today and bought a new plant to put in it. Kind of silly, because the last thing I actually need is a plant. But it's a pretty succulent and makes me happy to look at it. So there's that...

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

Cheryl

Inking an embossing folder...

 I decided that I wanted to have another go at inking up an embossing folder. I selected one of the few 3D folders that I have and used some blue Distress Oxide ink on it.

I was really pleased with the coverage I got. I used a brayer to ink up the background side of the EF and kept my panel of cardstock in place so that I could brayer on more ink several times. Once that was done and the ink had dried, I glued the panel to the front of a white card base.

I think the Distress Oxide ink works better for this technique than any other ink I've tried. Also, using a brayer helps to get nice, even coverage.

I used a glitter pen to add just a tiny bit of sparkle in the creases of the flowers where some ink occasionally settled. I also glued on a few pearls.

The stamped sentiment oval was one I had in my stash, and I simply popped it up on foam tape.

I stamped another sentiment on the inside and my card was done.

This was so easy that I think I'll make a few more in different colors for the thrift store to sell.

Now a little about out latest "adventure." We went on a RoadScholar trip to a guest ranch called Rancho de la Osa, which is about an hour south of Tucson, AZ, very near to Sasabe, Mexico.

This is one building with guest rooms on the ranch grounds. We had a large room with a fireplace in the middle of this building. It was built in the 1800s, so was quite rustic, but with everything we needed for comfort. It was also air-conditioned, so even in 95+ temps, we were comfortable.

Other buildings on the ranch included the hacienda, where we had three fabulous meals a day, a cantina where we gathered for some of our classes and to socialize with others in our group , additional buildings with guest rooms, and, of course, the horse barn and other outbuildings.

We rode horses most days. The horse assigned to me was named Boone. He was a gentle, patient soul, and we got along well. The trail rides lasted about 1 1/2 hours and took us into the Sonoran Desert countryside.

When we weren't riding horses or doing other outside activities, we had informative classes we could attend. One of them was a watercolor class, taught by an artist from Tucson. In the picture above, my creation is on the left and my husband's is on the right (guess who is the wine drinker in the family? LOL). We also had classes from experts on Navaho jewelry and weavings, desert plants and their uses, horsemanship, varieties of tequila and how they're made, etc. We enjoyed the classes as much as the trail rides and we're looking forward to another RoadScholar trip - maybe in 2023.

One early evening, after a sudden rainstorm, we had this beautiful sunset. It's a great reminder of the fun we had "getting our cowboy on" at Rancho de la Osa.

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

Cheryl

Let's Craft and Create Challenge #188: Anything Goes or Colors of Fall (Use any or all of these colors - red, yellow, orange, brown)...

 

The beautiful month of October has arrived and it's time for another challenge at Let's Craft and Create. You can choose to enter any sort of card under the "Anything Goes" option, or you can create something using the fall colors of red, yellow, orange and/or brown.

I have chosen to use shades of brown to make a sympathy card. I believe that muted colors are perfect for sympathy cards, and I really liked how the browns and beiges looked on this one.

I started with some heavy, patterned cardstock to make my card base. I added the "With Deepest Sumpathy" die-cut that had been backed with one of the lighter shades found on the card base.

I die-cut a flower, but kept all the interior cutouts in place by adding some tape to the back of it.

I also added a little shading to the petals and backed the center with a very dark brown piece of CS.

The sprig of die-cut leaves in off-white added some nice contrast.

The inside was stamped with an appropriate sentiment.

I prefer making sympathy cards before I need them. It's so much easier to choose such a card from my stash, rather than making it at the last minute.

Now it's your turn. For some special inspiration, visit Let's Craft and Create to see what the Design Team has come up with. Even I am excited to see what my talented teammates come up with each month.

And don't forget--there is a prize you could win!

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

Cheryl

I always knew we would get old...

This is a card I made and sent to my oldest brother. I wanted to make it fun and interactive, so I adhered some stars to some clear strips of plastic that I salvaged from some packaging material. I glued the other end of the clear strips between the layers of my sentiment panel.

The stars bob and wiggle when the card is moved, so they add a bit of fun. The sentiment was printed with my computer and it was popped up on foam tape.

This is the inside of my card. I did trim that rough edge on the bottom of the card base. It's funny how you sometimes don't see stuff like that until you take a picture.

This sentiment was also printed with my computer. I have set up a form in Word where I can pull it up, add four sentiments, then print and cut them out. It's very quick, so I often use this method for sentiments, rather than searching through my stamps.

This is just a quick post today, as I have scheduled another post for October 5, when we start another month-long challenge at Let's Craft and Create.

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

Cheryl

Cherries on a fun fold...

 

Since I had some of this pretty, cherry-patterned DSP in my stash, I decided to make a card with it. This time I opted for a simple fun fold. This is one of my favorite folds--it's so much more interesting than the usual A2 card, but is still super simple to make.

The cherries were die-cut and adhered to the white panel after using a stamp to add a speckled background for them. The "Happy Birthday" was also die-cut. When I was done with that, it still seemed like it needed something, so I added the little triangular corners out of the green DSP, which I also used as a mat for my cherry paper.

Here is how the card opens up. The piece on the right is a separate piece that is adhered behind the white panel. You could actually make it any size you wanted.

And this is the card fully opened. I added a stamped sentiment to the inside panel.

Do you have a favorite fun fold? I'll admit that I have several. It's fun to make the more complicated ones if I have the time. These days, however, it seems I just don't have that much time.

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

Cheryl

Another quick baby card...

As I've mentioned before, I sometimes am given stickers (usually just odds and ends) when I volunteer at the thrift store. They give them to me in hopes that I can use them on the cards I make for them to sell. I've gotten quite a few baby-themed stickers, and here's a card I made with some of them.

The rectangle with the tiny buttons was a sticker, as was the teddy bear sleeping on a cloud with the baby banner hanging beheath it. I just placed the bear on the green and pink panel before adhering both to my card front. The sentiment was stamped, die-cut and popped up on foam squares.

Each letter of the banner was also held in place with a tiny foam square. Those little stick-ums sure come in handy!

On the inside of the card I stamped a sentiment and added yet another sticker--a cute little gingham bunny!

I really do appreciate that the store offers me these stickers. They make quick work of some of the cards I make, and they seem to sell very well, even though they're not 100% handmade.

The store also gave me a stack of inserts for cards with embellishments like the buttons on the one above. These inserts are actually 4 1/2" X 6" and I just cut them down a bit for A2 cards. They are made of a fairly heavy cardstock, and I add a note to the customer to place them over the front of the card before inserting it into the envelope. I sure hope they use them!

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

Cheryl