Hang In There

I hope my friend liked the "Hang In There" card I made for her.

Hang In There stamp set, Stampin' Up!

Whisper White, Basic Black card stock from Stampin' Up!

"school bus orange" card stock - unknown manufacturer

Texturz plate, Stampin' Up!

Aquapainter

numerous classic inks from Stampin' Up! to water color with

Bashful Blue sponged on the background

I stamped the image twice. The first I barely inked the cat portion of the main stamped image so there would not be a solid image. My intention was to make it look like a sense of motion once I applied the popped up watercolored cat part to it. I also stamped the leaves again and added a second popped up layer. 

Thanks for looking =) 

Memorial Day 2011

The photograph of a Marine holding a folded flag was found on Photobucket, posted by Conormacnessa.
The poem on the background is  Freedom Is Not Free by Kelly Strong.

Scrapbook page was made by myself using My Digital Studio from Stampin' Up!

Please take a moment at 3 PM to remember

http://www.military.com/memorial-day/

http://www.thememorialdaytribute.com/

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE



I watched the flag pass by one day.

It fluttered in the breeze

A young Marine saluted it, and then

He stood at ease.



I looked at him in uniform

So young, so tall, so proud

With hair cut square and eyes alert

He'd stand out in any crowd.



I thought, how many men like him

Had fallen through the years?

How many died on foreign soil?

How many mothers' tears?



How many Pilots' planes shot down?

How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?

No, Freedom is not free.



I heard the sound of taps one night,

When everything was still.

I listened to the bugler play

And felt a sudden chill.



I wondered just how many times

That taps had meant "Amen"

When a flag had draped a coffin

of a brother or a friend.



I thought of all the children,

Of the mothers and the wives,

Of fathers, sons and husbands

With interrupted lives.



I thought about a graveyard

at the bottom of the sea

Of unmarked graves in Arlington.

No, Freedom isn't free!!



Copyright 1981 by Kelly Strong
 
 
 
 
 

School Bus Card

I hope my sons school bus driver liked his retirement card

Everything was handcut, except the headlights that I used a punch for.

Card stocks from Stampin' Up!

Whisper White

Basic Black

Real Red

Metallic Silver

"school bus orange" - unknown manufacturer

Classic ink from Stampin' Up! (sponged on)

Bashful Blue - around a home made cloud stencil

Basic Gray - to make the pavement

 Only Orange sponged on the bus

Crystal Effects on Whisper White card stock for the windshield and headlights

Signo white gel pen and Going Gray marker for details

Thanks for looking =)

Masquerade Mask Card

My son was invited to a Sweet Sixteen birthday party, masquerade ball themed. This is the birthday card I made.

Tulipe Die, Stampin' Up!  retired  (I cut it into sections then glued it back together differently)

old glossy gold card stock, Stampin' Up! retired

mask free hand cut from lightweight glossy photo paper ( I should have used the really nice glossy card stock from Stampin' Up!', but this paper was thinner so it was easier to shape the nose piece)

Kaleidacolor/Stampin' Up! ink pad - it's so old, but still juicy! retired 

glitter

I stenciled the envelope with the other portion of card stock from the die cut piece. 

Word Play digital stamp set with My Digital Studio software from Stampin' Up! for the inside

Thanks for looking =) 

First Card Made With Items From Stampin' Up! - 2000

Wow, it was 11 years ago that I was first introduced to Stampin' Up! - and immediately signed up as a Demonstrator!

This is the first card I ever made, it was the Make and Take at the workshop I attended. I didn't even get to see the demonstration because my friend that had been invited and was taking me as her guest was running late so we missed it. None the less, after drooling over the Idea Book and making the project, I was bitten by the Stampin' Up! bug.

It's wonderful too see how my stamping abilities have improved as well as how far the company has come over those years. Not to mention how much my crafty stash has multiplied - enough with all of the MUST HAVE new stuff that Stampin' Up! comes out with every year, how the trends have changed ! I don't need anything from the new Mini Catalog, I don't need anything from the new Mini Catalog............. right !

Equestrian Dreams

Kentucky Derby Day ! 

I received a piece of junk mail recently with the above really neat "postage stamp" on it.

Seeing it inspired me to share the card below that I created a couple of years ago. It is so simple, I really like how it turned out. In fact, it was shared on Splitcoaststampers for a Clean And Simple challenge and was chosen as a favorite for the week - what an honor !

All items, except the jute twine, are from Stampin' Up!, most of which are now retired:
Equestrian Dreams stamp set
Close To Cocoa card stock and ink
Kraft card stock
Punch, I am not certain of the name but I think it was Label
jute twine from my craft stash


Thanks for looking =) 

Hummingbirds Are Back

The hummingbirds are back ! I first noticed one buzzing around a purple columbine plant last week. I only have two birds, maybe three, every year but I still put out the feeder.

These are a couple of old photos that I took several years ago with my new at the time camera. I have been unsuccessful at getting any so far with my newer camera. They know I am standing there ! 

Wiper Card Gift Card Holder

I don't think I have shared this fun card yet: I made it a few years ago.

I found the basic instructions for a "Wiper Card" here, then slightly altered it to fit a gift card inside. I made it too long ago to remember exactly what dimensions I changed, sorry. 

Thanks for looking =) 

Slider Card Gift Card Holder

All items used are from Stampin' Up! although some are now retired:

Highways and Byways background stamp

Versamark ink

Detail Black embossing powder

Alphabet (retired, I don't remember the name)

circle punches

Black 5/8" grosgrain ribbon

Real Red, Basic Black, Confetti Cream card stock 

paper piercer

dimensionals, sticky strip

strip of plastic bag

Gift card attached to the left portion,

My Digital Studio was used to create the printed right portion.

I used My Digital Studio ($79.95)  from Stampin' Up! to create the printed part.

Word Play digital stamp brush set is an add on

(124432  36-pieces plus a 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" greeting card template $7.95US)

various punches to cover portions of the digital stamp image "Happy I Do Day"

Schoolbook Serif Alphabet

text boxes after each "stamped" letter

Basic Instructions for a slider card can be found here, although I altered mine somewhat:
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/slider_card/


I also created an all digital version:

I don't know why I spend so much time making fun cards for kids - all they want is the money/gift cards in them it seems !


Thanks for looking =)

Grandma's Flowers

 Grown With Love

April Showers Bring May Flowers

so here is a project I'd like to share.

I made this several years ago. 

At the time I did not have any sort of die cutting machine. I stamped large flower images onto lightweight cardboard (the pieces that come in designer paper packs). I then hand cut the flowers out using a pair of scissors. The cut out chip board flowers were traced onto decorative papers then cut out. I adhered the paper flowers onto the card board flowers with Modge Podge glue. 

Punch circles for centers, tie on tags for names and small photos of the grand kids. 

 Decorate a tin container, add foam in the bottom to stick dowel rods into (paint them green with acrylic craft paint and hot glue on the flowers first) then top off with "grass". 


This project was entered in an old  soshelli.com contest.


Thanks for looking =)