Simple Anniversary Card

As most of you already know, I'm really getting into more simple cards these days because I don't have the time to papercraft like I used to.  Here's an anniversary card I made for a couple at my church.  I got the sketch from The Clean and Simple Blog.  The paper does all the work for me.  It's from DCWV 'Once Upon a Time'.  The aged distressed look is already on the paper and those gold edges are glittered in real life, so it's quite the elegant card.  I didn't even have to do the glittering...the paper came pre-glittered.  The flower is a Prima that already had the letters printed on.  The sentiment is from Inkadinkao 'Weddings'.

Have a great day! Amy

Digital Tuesday Challenge 'Amazing Animals'

Hello and welcome to another Digital Tuesday Challenge.  This week's challenge is 'Amazing Animals'.  Simply make a card or project that has an animal image on it and be sure to include at least one digital element.  Our sponsor this week is MyGrafico and they are giving away one digital stamp set and 20% off an in store purchase to one lucky randomly chosen winner.

To make my card, I used the fox and grass images from the 'Woodlands Animal Set' by Pixel Paper Prints sold at MyGrafico.  I printed the image twice and popped just the head up on dimensionals.  The sketch is by Sweet Sunday (161) and the paper is My Mind's Eye Stella Rose 'Mabel'.

If you'd like to play along with us this week simply click on the Digital Tuesday Challenge Blinkie in my sidebar and it will take you directly to the Challenge Site with further instructions.

Have a great day! Amy

Felt Owl

I really loved the Splitcoaststampers Sketch (SC390) so I decided to play along.  I purchased these little felt owls in the dollar bins at JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts awhile ago and thought they would great with this sketch.  I only wish my leaf/branch die from MFT that I just ordered would have arrived in time to make this card, but it didn't, so I used some old leaf ribbon that I had lying around instead.  The paper is My Mind's Eye Stella Rose 'Mabel'.  The sentiment is computer generated.  Primas and brads were used for embellishment.

I had the hardest time getting a good photograph of this card.  I tried in several different locations and with different camera settings, but the photograph turns out making the paper look 'washed out'.  In real life, the paper colors are much richer and coordinate with the dark colors of the owl better. 

I hope I've inspired you to use different items you see in Craft Stores on your cards too, instead of just always using stamps.

Have a great day! Amy

A Warm Thank You

Hello!  Today I have a Thank You card to show you that I made for some dear friends of ours.  They very lovingly opened up their home to us and treated us with delicious meals and accomodations, so I sent them this little card as a Thank You.  I used an old retired Stampin Up! image 'Window on the World'.  Paper is My Mind's Eye.

Have a great day! Amy

June Christmas Cards

Hello!  Today I have my June Christmas Cards to show you.  I play along with the Splitcoaststampers Christmas Card Challenge where we make Christmas Cards all year long so we don't have to make any during the busy Holiday Season.  I make four Christmas Cards a month so that I'll have about fifty cards at the end of the year.  Here's my first card:

To make this card, I used an old My Favorite Things image called 'Merry Christmas'.  The sketch is from I Love Sketches.  I paper pieced almost the entire image except for the tree, presents, list, and spool because I have always found this image so difficult to color.  It was a lot of work to paper piece it all, but I really like how it turned out.  The flower is from K & Company.

My second card uses a sketch from Taylored Expressions (TESC150).  The paper is Prima 'North Country'.  The images are from Hero Arts and the sentiment is from the dollar bins at JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts.  I put Flower Soft on the branch and Liquid Applique on the birdie's hat.

My third card uses a sketch from Splitcoaststampers (SC317).  I've had this unusual sketch laying on my desk for awhile now.  It was so different I didn't know how to use it, but it worked well with this small image.  The paper is Prima 'North Country' again.  The image is from Clear Dollar Stamps.  I put Liquid Applique on the squirrel's hat, and Flower Soft on the branch again.

 My final card uses another old MFT image called 'Baby It's Cold Outside'.  The sketch is from Splitcoaststampers (SC384) and the paper is DCWV 'The Winter Matstack'.  I put glitter all over the snowman, Flower Soft on the snow on the ground, and Liquid Applique on her boots...so it's very sparkly in real life.  The brads are textured and fluffy, and I paper pieced her outfit.

I hope I've cooled you off a little on this hot summer day.  We've been really warm and humid here in North Western Wisconsin the past few days, but I love it!  I'm always cold, so it feels so good to be able to wake up and step outside at 8:00 a.m. and feel a warm summer breeze.  Even though everyone else has been complaining of the heat and humidity, I haven't felt hot yet.  I think I really need to move somewhere tropical.  I just love this type of weather!

Have a great day! Amy

Digital Tuesday Challenge 'Tag It!'

Hello and welcome to another Digital Tuesday Challenge.  This week's challenge is 'Tag It!'.  Simply make a Tag, or put a Tag on your paper crafting project; just be sure to include at least one digital element.  Our sponsor this week is Spesch Designer Stamps and they are giving away three digis to one lucky randomly chosen winner.

To make my card, I used the Spesch Designer Image 'Birdy in Love'.  My sketch is by I Love Sketches.  The paper is My Mind's Eye Stella Rose 'Gertie'.  My Tag is a pre-made adhesive tag from K & Company.  I used adhesive foam hearts from JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts as accent pieces.  They were plain white, and I just darkened them a bit with a Copic Marker (Eggshell) so that they would match the paper.  I put Stickles on the circles and hearts in the image.  Lace trim, ribbon, and brads were added for embellishments.

If you'd like to play along with us this week, simply click on the Digital Tuesday Challenge Blinkie in my sidebar and it will take you directly to the Challenge Site with further instructions.

Have a great day! Amy

Girly Graduation Card

I've got a graduation party to go to this weekend and I needed a quick card.  When I saw yesterday's sketch on Splitcoaststampers (SC389) I knew I found my answer.  This card came together in minutes.  I'm finding that as my time for crafting is becoming less and less, I'm drawn to cards that are more Clean and Simple in their design, but still have a big 'wow' factor.  I think this card fits the bill.  I purchased these GORGEOUS K & Co butterflies at JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts for $2.00.  The regular price was $4.99, but they were 50% off, plus my discount.  The picture doesn't do them justice.  They are so pretty in real life with their vellum wings and sparkle on the edges.  And you get a lot of butterflies in one package too.  The swirl is also from K & Company.  The sentiment is computer generated.

The paper is white, Pear Pizazz, and Regal Rose.  The inside of the card says Congratulations.

Have a great day! Amy

Digital Tuesday Challenge 'Butterflies'

Hello and welcome to another Digital Tuesday Challenge.  This week's challenge is hosted by "ME!", and since Butterflies are all the rage right now in the paper crafting industry, I decided that they would be our challenge theme for this week.  So, simply make a card or project that has a butterfly on it and be sure to include at least one digital element.  Our sponsor this week is 'Caroline's Creative Stamps'.

To make my card I started with a sketch by Sweet Sunday (160).  The paper is My Mind's Eye Stella Rose 'Gertie'.  The digital image is from Heather Ellis and the sentiment is computer generated.  I put the main image panel up on dimensionals.  The butterflies were cut from a Martha Stewart Punch and I put an adhesive crystal dome in the center of each one.  The flower and leaves are  pre-cut felt shapes purchased at JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts.  I put a bit of lace trim behind the sentiment which was cut with Nestabilities.  And I also added Stickles to the flowers in the main image.

If you'd like to play along with us this week, simply click on the Digital Tuesday Challenge Blinkie in my sidebar and it will take you directly to the Challenge Site with further instructions.

Have a great day! Amy

Flocked Anniversary Cards

In Wednesday's Post I discussed how I had to make a bunch of cards in a hurry for a Card Ministry that I do.  Here are two of the Anniversary Cards that I made.  They were really hard to photograph because of the odd color, but trust me, in real life they are very pretty.  The paper is from DCWV "La Creme".  The flower background paper is 'flocked' so it adds such beautiful, romantic texture.  The first card uses a layout from Verve.  The flower is from JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts and it's made of Velvet.

Whenever I have to make Wedding/Anniversary Cards in a hurry I always turn to this old Inkadinkado set called 'Wedding'.  It's so simple and easy to use, because there is no coloring involved.  All the images and  one of the sentiments are from this set.  I embossed in detail black on both cards.

The card above uses a sketch from Clean and Simple.  The cake is actually very sparkly in real life because I embossed with it a sparkly black embossing powder. 

The secret to  these 'Quick and Easy' anniversary cards is to use designer paper with lots of texture so that the card looks like it took a lot of time and work, but it didn't.  The paper did the work for me!  Also, picking images that don't need to be colored, but adding a little more interest with embossing powders gives a plain black image more interest.  The use of luxurious embellies like the velvet/pearl flowers helps too!

Have a great day! Amy

Sports Cards in Minutes!

I do a Card Ministry in my church.  I send birthday, anniversary, get well cards, etc. to all the church members.  It's not too overwhelming usually because it's a very small church.  But this week was crazy!  I had three anniversaries, three men's birthdays, and three ladies birthdays all in one week.  Well, I always have plenty of 'girl' cards on hand so that wasn't a problem, but the one thing I am always short of is men's cards, anniversary cards, sympathy cards, and get well cards.  I never seem to have any of those on hand.  So I needed male- themed cards and I needed to make them fast!  The first thing I did was choose a SIMPLE Sketch, and for me that was last weeks Splitcoaststampers Sketch (SC387).  Next, I decided not to use any image that had to be colored....that takes way too much time.  So this is what I came up with:

I found these adhesive FOAMIES in the Kid's Crafts Section at JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts.  All I had to do was Stick them on!  No Coloring or glue involved!

To give the cards more interest, I used a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder for the main panel.

 The sentiment is from Stampin Up! "Sporting"

I knew they were a hit when my sports-loving husband came into my craft room to say goodnight and saw them and said 'Those Look Great!'.  If he liked them, any guy would like them.

I hope I gave you some ideas for easy guy cards! Have a great day! Amy

Digital Tuesday Challenge 'Anything Goes!'

Hello and welcome to another Digital Tuesday Challenge.  This week's challenge is 'Anything Goes'. Simply make anything you want, and be sure to include at least one digital element.  Our sponsor this week is Digital Delights and they are giving away a $5.00 Gift Voucher to one lucky randomly chosen winner.

Well, I really needed a graduation card, so I used this challenge as an opportunity to get one done!  I used an old Dustin Pike Digital image that was free on his website about a year ago.  I glittered the stars in the sentiment with a Spica Pen.  The paper is DCWV 'The High School Stack'.  And I cut the year out with Cuttlebug Dies.

If you'd like to play along with us this week, simply click on the Digital Tuesday Challenge Blinkie in my sidebar and it will take you directly to the Challenge Site with further instructions.

Have a great day! Amy