Birthday Woof

Just finished making a card for Troy to take to a friend's birthday party tomorrow, (well, actually later this morning!) She is a sweet neighbor and her dog is our dog's best friend!  So a puppy card was a no-brainer!

I used the puppy from SNSS's Woof You, the Wood background is a free digi from GinaK, and the sentiment from SU! Colored the puppy with Copic markers and added some clear glitter pen on the bandana and eyes. Stamped sentiment on some adhesive backed ribbon in my stash and layered it on one of the SU pinks.  Hopefully this will be a good card for a 10 y/o girl!

Have a great summer!
Melissa

Frog Valentine

I first wanted to show you a picture of my Valentine. Before I even got out of bed this morning I had TWO Valentines from my little guy! He used his cardstock but my glitter pens (asking afterward if it was okay! Hahah!)


I was going to post a picture of his Valentines to me, but Blogger won't allow me up upload another picture right now. I will note that the first Valentine's card opened backwards, or perhaps his heart was just upside down! ;)

Before I show you the card I made my DS I wanted to send out a "Thank You!" I actually WON a new set illustrated by Theresa Momber from GinaK's sneak peek last week called Hang In There. Theresa is terrifically talented! I just love seeing her artwork and tutorials. She definitely inspired my card, not just because I used her set. You see, the night I saw on Gina's blog that I had won, my DS came downstairs to get me and I was so excited I showed him the set and a couple of DT samples before I took him back up to bed. Well, he commented that perhaps I could make him a Valentine's card using the cute frogs (he's ALL boy! LOL!) I told him I would if the set arrived in time, (I definitely wasn't expecting it that soon you know, there's always hope.) Imagine my surprise when a package arrived in my mailbox Friday! YES!! It was here and without further ado here is the card I made for him.


I had to take several pictures to get a good shot of this. This card uses the Double Embossed Metal TJ Technique. I was at Hobby Lobby several months ago in the framing section (not usually in that section of HL) and found this roll of soft aluminum on sale so I bought it. I KNEW I'd be able to use it for something! Thanks so much Pat for the inspiration!

The layout is from today's CPS card sketch #154. They actually posted it a bit early (last night) to their Facebook page so I immediately started to use it for this card.

Can you see Theresa's influence on this card? After I colored this cute little guy using my Copic Markers I masked him and sponged all around him. I really like how this turned out!

The DP was embossed with the Leafy Branch folder and brayered Bamboo Leaves (Memento) over to highlight the embossing.

Thanks for reading this far!! Happy Valentine's Day!

Stamps: Hang in There (GinaK); Ink: Memento: Bamboo Leaves, New Sprout, Dandelion & Cantaloupe, SU Basic Black Marker (sentiment); Paper: Wild Wasabi, Neenah Solar White, DCWV Old World textured mat; Accessories: Cuttlebug & Leafy Branch EB folder, Soft Aluminum sheet, Heart punch (Emagination), Large Sponges, Copic Markers: G02, G09, G28, E43, E44, E49, YG00, YG03, YG63.

For My MIL

My MIL's birthday was a couple of days ago. I was working on a card for her and in the back (or not so back) of my mind I was thinking I also needed to make her Mother's Day card. Wouldn't you know it, when I was making the sentiment for her card I used a 'Happy Mother's Day' sentiment! So then I had to rush to make another card for her birthday! (Please tell me I'm not the only one to do something like this!)

That being said, I'll show you her birthday card first even though it was my second card. It is difficult to tell, but this card actually has a white base layer. I used some of GinaK's 120 lb. heavy weight c/s. This cardstock really is awesome to work with! Problem is that it doesn't show up to well on a white background. The black "lacy" cardstock goes to the edge of the card so there isn't much of a white border. The lacy border was made using my Sunburst Boarder punch by Fiskars. (NOTE: punch both edges of a 1.25" strip of paper to make a nice flower strip!)

This stamp is one from Innovative Stamp Creations set Nature's Sihouette I. I stamped it on a background of Rainbow Brilliance (TJ technique April/May 2008). I've had this peice of b/g for awhile so I don't remember everything I used for it. I didn't want to cover the picture with the sentiment so I punched a square scallop from vellum, cut off two corners and stamped the sentiment (SU). Added black eyelets and some fringe I've had for several years. I'm so afraid of fringe and don't really feel comfortable using it, but I needed something soft that wouldn't take from the flowers. Ta-dah! Fringe to the rescue! ;D I added three flat-back pearls to flower centers (saw someone do that recently on their blog, sorry I can't remember who.)

Stamps: Nature's Silhouette I (ISC), Hugs & Wishes (SU); Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento); Paper: White Heavy weight (GinaK), Basic Black, glossy white, Tempting Turquiose, Vellum paper; Accessories: black eyelets (SU), fringe, Sunburst Border punch (Fiskars).

Here is the original card that became a Mother's Day card. There is a lot of shimmer to this card. The butterflies are from Take Flight by GinaK, and were stamped on shimmery c/s (SU) then colored with Copics, after which I colored over them with my clear atyou Spica pen. I cut them out cutting off the antennea. The sentiment layer was stamped (SU retired, All Year Cheer ?#?) then I stippled on Green Galore and Lovely Lilac, then smooshed Platinum Planet (Brilliance) over the top. Oh, I edged the Label One with my black marker (SU) before smooshing and realized too late that the Platinum Planet would lift the black marker so I had to be very careful! I added some flat-back pearls and adhered the label to the stamped background (Canvas, SU) and stamped the butterflies again. I used glue dots to attach the butterflies over the stamped plain butterflies on the body only and left the wings free.


Stamps: Take Flight (GinaK), All Year Cheer & Canvas (SU); Ink: London Fog, Tuxedo Black (Memento), Platinum Planet (Brilliance), Green Galore, Lovely Lilac, various Copic Markers, Clear atyou Spica (Copic), Basic Black Marker; Paper: Basic Black, Sky Blue, Whisper White, Shimmery White; Accessories: pearls, Label One (Nestabilities), stipple brush.

Fairy Wishes

I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted. I've been pretty busy and hardly stamped. I did create this card for a friend/neighbor's daughter's birthday.

I've had this fairy (Artful Inkables: Fairy Whimsey) stamped on my desk for quite awhile waiting to be put to use. I used lots of glitter/stickles on this card. You can't tell but even her wings have some sparkle from my new at you Spica clear pen. The blue scallop edge uses Distress Stickles, while the fairy herself uses Diamond and her hair yellow Stickles.

The Ballet Blue layer beneath the sentiment is actually two punches, a circle and ticket punched the four corners of a rectangle. You don't really notice it unless you are looking at it.

I used Dots and Daisies background stamp (SU- Retired). The sentiment is from Gina K's Make A Wish stamp set. The fairy is colored using Copic markers. It was stamped on Whisper White before I really grasped that you can't blend very well on that cardstock.

It is a simple card that I enjoyed playing with.

Stamps: Fairy Whimsey (AI), Make a Wish (GinaK), Dots & Daisies (SU); Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), So Saffron, Basic Black Marker (sentiment), various Copic markers; Paper: So Saffron, Ballet Blue, Whisper White; Accessories: Designer Label, 1 3/8" circle, ticket corner punches (SU), Various Stickles, at you Spica Clear, Oval & Scallop Nesties.

Make A Wish

Woo-hoo! Look at what I won from Sharon! If you haven't read her blog, you really must! She is a wonderful artist and super sweet gal! She was giving away a GinaK Make A Wish stamp set. I have wanted this stamp set, I just LOVE that wishing well!

She sent me this cute card with the stamp set. She just makes simple look soooo easy! I know I it would have taken me ages to come up with this design!

This is the card that I made up and sent her to thank her. I used my Pure Color Pencils and OMS. I used some of my Ranger Distress Inks around the well to age the cardstock. I used GinaK's technique of using two scalloped squares together to make a rectangle. (I used the Giga size and the well fit perfectly on two!)

Sharon, thank you so much for your generosity! I am sooo loving this stamp set! And GinaK, thanks for designing such a versatile stamp set!

GinaK Special

I'm going to go outside of my normal comfort zone and tell you what I think about Gina K. and her store, Stamping Freak. I think everyone has heard of GinaK by now, but if you haven't please check out her webstore, (is that a real word yet??)

Gina K is one of the most giving people I have ever "met" (okay, we've just met online!) She is donating 10% of purchases today to the September 11, 2001 Children's Fund. She even has some specials listed for today only! (ahh-hummm, those scallop oval doodles are pretty cool so I finally bought the set today!)

It amazes me that she can and is donating on top of donating! What do I mean? She is donating $7-8 from each set of Stamps for a Cause (to their respective causes) then another 10% t0 the Children's Fund. As I was mulling all this over (and surfing her webstore for what I couldn't live without and could justify to DH) the Scripture kept running through my head, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13.) In our present day here in America unless you are serving in the military or in a profession such as police or fireman you probably aren't in a position to drastically lay down your life on a regular basis. I believe that Gina has found a way to lay down her life, that is her financial life for others. Yes, she is selflessly giving more to help others in need. Please check out her store and help her make even more of a difference today!

Thank you Gina for all that you do!

I am going to try to find something special to do today to commemorate 9-11 in my own special way. Perhaps I can go through that box of cards that I have "on stand-by" that I never seem to use because I have to make something fresh and new for whatever it is that I need a card for, and send out some RAKs. They won't know it today, but in a few days I will (hopefully) have brightened someone's day!