Anna Griffin Cards

I was gifted two sheets of 5" x 7" Anna Griffin patterned paper. I used part of these sheets to make my card for last week's Word Art Wednesday challenge. You can see that card in my blog post here. I decided to challenge myself to see how many more cards I could make out of the rest of the paper. I was able to make two more cards.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill (Peanut Fudge, Peanut Cluster), Recollections (Cream), The Paper Studio Heavy Weight (Cream - card base)
Pattern Paper: Anna Griffin
Stamps: Paper Sweeties clear stamps (Everyday Greetings)
Ink: VersaMark
Tools/Embellishments: The Paper Studio punch (Heart), Our Daily Bread Designs dies (Double Stitched Circles), Blue Moon Beads (Jewel), Ranger Embossing Powder (Liquid Platinum), CuttleBug Embossing Folder (Anna Griffin Honeysuckle Vines), Nuvo Glitter Drops (White Blizzard)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Cropstop Linky #47 - Use items/brands found in the Cropstop online store (Fiskars, Tsukineko, Cuttlebug, Ranger, Scotch, Bazzill) 
Make My Monday Challenge #87 - Use words or a sentiment
 

Supplies: 
Cardstock: Bazzill (Peanut Fudge, Peanut Cluster), Recollections (Cream), The Paper Studio Heavy Weight (Cream - card base)
Pattern Paper: Anna Griffin
Stamp: Sweet 'n Sassy Digital (Many Thanks)
Tools/Embellishments -  Nuvo Glitter Drops (White Blizzard), Sequins (red-unknown, taupe-The Paper Studio), pearls unknown

Thanks for stopping by to visit today. I hope your week is off to a good start.

Snowball Kisses

Today I'm sharing the card I made for my husband to celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary. For the card design I used Mojo Monday Sketch 504. I stamped a sentiment on a heart die cut and added snowflake and small heart die cuts as embellishments. What doesn't show up well in the photo is all the sparkle that the stickles I used adds to the card. The large heart and the snowflakes in the background paper have stickles scattered all over them.

Since the card is 5.5" square, I made a custom envelope and decorated it as well. I used a heart die cut as a "stamp" on the envelope.

I did some interior decorating as well by using a matted strip of the patterned paper and some snowflake and heart die cuts.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Recollections (dark red, kraft, cream)
Patterned Paper: Carta Bella (Let it Snow 6x6 pad)
Stamp: Impression Obsession (I bought it years ago at a warehouse sale out of an unmounted stamp bin)
Tools/Embellishments: Gina Marie Designs dies (Stitched Hearts), Spellbinders dies (Create a Snowflake), Stickles (diamond)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Crop Stop Linky #46 - Used items/brands from Crop Stop Store (I used Ranger, Fiskars, Scotch, Spellbinders, Cuttlebug)
Dare 2B Artzy - Winter
Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge - Anything Goes

I couldn't resist a little reminiscing so I'll share one of my favorite pictures from our wedding. Like all couples who have been married any length of time, we've had joys and sorrows and I couldn't imagine traveling the road of life with anyone else.

Thanks for stopping by today. I'll be back tomorrow with my Most Viewed Posts in 2018.

Happy 26th Anniversary

I was recently asked to make an anniversary card for some friends of ours. I was more than happy to do so and thought it would be the perfect time to play with some goodies that I won in Our Daily Bread Design's recent birthday celebration. This couple are still deeply in love - even 26 years later! She is a card-maker and he loves to help her in the craft room. They make a great team!! Their main wedding color was purple so I went with shades of that in the card design. The darker purple cardstock has sparkle all through it. I cut and embossed the "2" and the "6" from the Large Number Dies out of a dark purple sparkly cardstock and also from a light purple cardstock. The sentiment from the Celebration clear stamp set was white heat embossing on the lighter purple cardstock. The dies and stamp set are also available in the 2017 Anniversary Bundle. I used a banner die to  cut out some purple polka dotted patterned paper and layered patterned vellum over it.

I chose to make this an easel card for an extra special touch. The polka dot patterned paper was matted on some light purple cardstock and again covered with the vellum before being adhered to the bottom in the card interior with foam squares. This provides the stopper so that the easel part of the card will stand up. I created a custom sentiment for the interior of the card and matted it with the light purple cardstock. Some layered die cut hearts and purple bling finish off the card.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill (both purple cardstocks), The Paper Studio (Heavyweight white)
Patterned Paper: The Paper Studio (purple polka dot and patterned vellum)
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs (Celebration clear stamp set)
Ink: Versamark
Dies: Our Daily Bread Designs (Large Number Dies), Lawn Fawn (Hearts), My Favorite Things (Wavy Edge Die), WRMK-Lifestyle Nesting Dies (Party Banner)
Other: Simon Says Stamp (Fine Detail Embossing Powder-white), Studio G (purple bling)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Mod Squad Challenge - Love Theme
Hiding in My Craft Room #299- Freestyle
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown #340 - Embossing (I used both heat and dry)
Outlawz Paper A La Mode Challenge - Use items beginning with the first letter of my name (sentiment, six, sparkle and spots)

Thanks for stopping by for a visit. I hope you'll come back soon

Happy Anniversary

When I saw this week's Mojo Monday sketch, I knew I wanted to use it. I needed an anniversary card for a friend and that was the perfect excuse to give it a try.  Since I had watercolored this image already, the card came together so quickly! It has some of my favorite elements on it....lots of layers, lots of dies (there are a total of 6 different dies from 3 different companies), faux stitching and shimmer from a Wink of Stella pen. I thought this couple enjoying spending time together at the beach on a summer evening was perfect for a summer anniversary.

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Kraft Outlet (Brown Kraft Cover Weight Cardstock & Buff Ivory Cover Weight Cardstock), Strathmore Water Color Paper, red cardstock from my scrap bin
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye (Dolled UP 6x6 pad)
Stamps: Stampin' Up (Summer by the Sea - retired), Mark's Finest Papers (Celebrate Big)
Inks: Stazon (Jet Black), Versafine (Onyx Black), Various Distress markers and ink pads for water coloring
Tools/Embellishments: Spellbinders dies (Deckled Rectangles Large and Small), Lawn Fawn Lawn Cuts (Hearts), Sizzix dies (Circle Flip-its #2), Staedtler fine tip marker (black), Uni-ball Signo white gel pen, Zig Wink of Stella brush glitter marker (clear)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Mojo Monday #405 - Sketch
Inky Impressions Challenge #217 - Use 2 or more die cuts (I have 7 die cuts from 6 different dies)
Craft Your Passion Challenge #269 - Anything Goes
Scrapy Land Challenge #21 - Anything Goes using a brand of die that Scrapy Land sells (they sell all 3 of the brands that I used)
Loves Rubber Stamps Challenge #159 - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crop Stop Linky Party #6 - Use a product found in the Crop Stop Store (Distress ink pads and markers)

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you'll come back soon.

A Fairy Tale Come True

I'm back today with another project for my Guest Design Team spot at the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog.  You can see my first project for them this month using a Lunagirl image here.  As a reminder: The theme word for this month is Serendipity.  Serendipity means "fortunate happenstance" or a "pleasant surprise" (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipity) or luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for. (source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serendipity). As I thought about what to do for my second project, I realized what could be a better example of "serendipity" than a fairy tale?  Fairy Tales are full of fortunate happenstance and pleasant surprises.  When I showed the colored image on today's card to our daughter-in-law, Amy, she said, "that looks like Cinderella!"  So, a Cinderella theme emerged.  Amy gave me some ideas for ways to incorporate the theme and even sent me a sketch to use.  I love having a crafty artistic daughter-in-law.  Since we live 8 hours apart, our crafting now takes place via texts and phone.  I'm thankful for technology.

The image of the couple is the "star of the show" on this card.  It's a beautiful digi generously provided to me by one of our fantastic sponsors, Sami Stamps.  I had to cut off part of the princess' dress when I die cut her but in the original image her dress flows so nicely.  After coloring the couple and background with Copics, the image panel was die cut and then triple matted.  Some rhinestones were added to the largest die cut.  I added dots of Stickles to the princess' dress and earring and added Wink of Stella to her hair. The printed vellum adds to the romantic theme.  Some iridescent sequins topped with more Stickles add more sparkle.  The flourishes on the corners of the background panel were heat embossed with sparkling embossing powder.  This provides a little more subtle shimmer.

I tried a "new to me" technique for the butterflies.  They are a free digi from Clkr.com.  I printed them on acetate.  I didn't want the edges of the wings to be quite as dark as they were so I laid them on a piece of scrap paper ink side down (carefully so I didn't smear them) and blotted the ink a bit.  Then I left them to dry overnight.  I colored the backs of them with two colors of Copic markers and then fussy cut them.  When fussy cutting acetate, I discovered it's much easier to put a piece of white paper behind the acetate and cut it out at the same time.  It's much easier on the eyes that way.  I slightly bent the butterflies in half, then rolled up glue dots into a tube and used them to attach the butterflies to the card.  This lets their wings  be raised up off the card.  Some pearls for their bodies adds the final touch.

I used one of my favorite romantic quotes for wedding and anniversary cards on the bottom panel of this 5.5" square easel card.  It was stamped with black ink and then clear heat embossed on the printed vellum.  More glitter paper and pearl strips anchor the vellum piece and more sequins topped with Stickles adds sparkle.

For the rest of the interior, I punched some small butterflies from a scrap of glitter paper and let them fly up the side of the card next to the heat embossed sentiment. They are only attached in the middle so that they also have dimensional wings.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), Recollections (teal and silver glitter), Making Memories (scrap of teal glitter paper for interior butterflies), Acetate
Patterned Paper:  The Paper Studio (Printed Vellum)
Stamps:  Sami Stamps (On Your Arm digi), Clkr.com (Butterfly digi), Stampabilities (Once in Awhile wood mounted), Mark's Finest Papers (Celebrate clear stamp set), Autumn Leaves (Swirls clear stamp set)
Ink: Versamark, VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Copic Markers: Butterflies (BG05, 15); Skin (E00, E02, 11, R20); Dress (BG000, 01, 05); Suit (N3, 5, 7, 9); Her hair (Y32, YR21, E31); His hair (E25, 31, 35); Background BG000, B000, Colorless Blender)
Tools/Embellishments: Stickles (Star Dust), Wink of Stella brush glitter marker (clear), Want 2 Scrap (Baby Bling - silver rhinestones, pearls for butterflies), The Paper Studio (pearl rope, larger rhinestones), Fiskars Butterfly punch, Stampin' Up embossing powder (Crystal Clear), A la Mode embossing powder (Sparkle), Spellbinders dies (Classic Oval Large and Small, Petite Oval Large, Floral Oval), My Favorite Things Die-namics (Mini Scallop Edge), Darice sequins

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #364 - Celebrate (any celebration occasion)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Things that Fly
Sentimental Sundays Challenge #250 - Fairies (Fairy Tales)
Addicted to Stamps Challenge #100 - Celebration
Pile it On Challenge #60 - Use 3 of something (3 acetate butterflies)
ABC Challenge - F is for Festive
Party Time Tuesday Challenge #196 - Anything Goes
Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge - Anything Goes with a Twist to use 3 of something

Thanks for visiting today.  I hope you'll have time to play along in this month's Serendipity challenge at the Path of Positivity.  Also be sure to visit both of our fantastic sponsors Sami Stamps and Lunagirl.  They have some fantastic images; you're sure to find something you'll enjoy. I have really enjoyed my time as a Guest Designer for the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog.  Thanks so much to Lisa and the rest of the Design Team for allowing me to work with you!!

Happy 30th Anniversary!

My husband and I recently celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary.  This is the anniversary card I made for him.  As I've mentioned before, he appreciates special card folds and techniques.  Last month I discovered this Adapted Tri-Shutter card on Sandy Allnock's blog.  I thought this would be perfect for his card.  And how appropriate that her blog post went live on what would have been my parents' 69th wedding anniversary! :)  Without getting too mushy on you, let's just say that I have a wonderful husband and the quote on the front is very true.  As with all marriages, we've had good times and bad, but we're a team and we get thru the rough times together.  It's a great understatement to say that I'm very thankful for him.

Sandy designed her adapted tri-shutter to have plenty of room to write a message (the space where my card has the "love you" sentiment).  However, since I wanted my husband to be able to display the card without having all the mushy writing visible, I put an extra stamped sentiment in that space.  I added a writing panel on the back of the card to write a note to him.  All my sentiments were stamped with VersaFine Onyx Black ink and embossed with clear embossing powder. I die cut the various hearts from scraps of the patterned paper.  The striped paper is dry embossed with a heart embossing folder.  Rock Candy Distress Stickles adds dimension to some of the hearts.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Papers from Oct 2012 Simon Says Stamp Card Kit
Stamps: Once in Awhile (Stampabilities wood mounted stamp), Always and Forever (Simon Says Stamp clear stamp set), Love You (Hampton Arts-Studio G wood mounted stamp)
Ink:  VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Tools/Embellishments:  Lawn Fawn Lawn Cuts Hearts, ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon), Distress Stickles (Rock Candy), Stampin' Up embossing powder (Crystal Clear), The Paper Studio embossing folder (Tiny Hearts)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Clear It Out Challenge - Anything Goes
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #228 - Anniversary
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge #209 - Anything Goes
Crafty Ribbons Challenge - Let's Get Sentimental (sentiment is the main image)
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday - Show something you love (that's easy - my hubby :) )

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope your week is off to a good start.

Once In Every Life...

I have a quick anniversary card to share with you today.  A friend asked for me to make a card for her husband for their anniversary and here is the result.  I used on old sketch from Operation Write Home (sketch #16) as my inspiration.  My pictures don't do the card justice in its simple elegance.

The black patterned paper has romantic words/phrases.  I really like this Bo Bunny pad for weddings/anniversary/romantic cards.  It just has an elegance about it!

The sentiments, inside and out, were stamped with VersaFine ink and then heat embossed with a clear glitter embossing powder.  You can see it a little better in this picture.  I really like the sparkle it adds.

The interior decorating of the card mimics the front but still allows plenty of room for her message.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), Bazzill (red)
Patterned Paper: Bo Bunny (Enchanted 6x6 pad)
Stamps: Stampabilities wood mount (Once in A While), Mark's Finest Paper (Celebrate Big clear stamp set)
Ink: VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Tools/Embellishments: Darice Whispers embossing powder (Clear Glitter), silver rhinestone flourishes (Want2Scrap Inspire Swirls by Nina Brackett), My Favorite Things Die-namics (Blueprints 1)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Sentimental Sunday Challenge #237 - Anything Goes
Clear It Out Challenge - Anything Goes
Fan-tastic Tuesday Challenge #66 - Anniversary card
Penny Paper-Crafty Challenge #208 - Anything Goes
Divas by Design - Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #352 - Sparkles (gems and glitter embossing)

Thanks for stopping by to visit today.  I hope you'll come back soon and often.  :)

40th Work Anniversary

Recently, one of my husband's co-workers celebrated her 40th anniversary on the job.  I was asked to make a card to help celebrate this special milestone.  My Favorite Things Blueprints 1 dies and Blueprints were used for the card design and made it very quick & easy.  The "40" and "Congratulations" were heat embossed. A couple brads and faux stitching finish off the card. 

Supplies:
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), Bazzill (kraft)
Patterned Paper:  MME-Miss Caroline (Dolled Up)
Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp ("40" - unknown clear stamp set name), Inkadinkado ("Congratulations" wood mount stamp)
Ink: Versamark, Versafine (Onyx Black)
Tools/Embellishments: embossing powder (unknown brand silver), brads (Doodle Bug), Uniball Signo white gel pen, Staedtler fine tip marker (black), My Favorite Things die set (Blueprints 1)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Scrapbook Blessings Card Challenge #22 - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion Challenge #219 - Bold, Bright Colors
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Fan-tastic Tuesday Challenge #41 - Anything Goes
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge #183 - Embossing (Heat or dry - I used heat)
Inky Impressions Challenge #165 - Anything Goes
PDE Linky Party #13 - Lots of Layers

Thanks for stopping by for a visit. Enjoy your weekend!!

{I + A} Happy Anniversary

This year is a "milestone" anniversary year for both of our children and for us.  Our daughter and her husband celebrated their first anniversary, our son and his wife celebrated their 5th and my husband and I will celebrate our 30th in December.  This card is the one I sent to our son and his wife.  I like to try to use the couple's wedding colors (when I know them) on anniversary cards.  Ian and Amy had pink, brown and cream. The fifth anniversary is the "wood" anniversary.  I was able to tie in both themes with this card.

I've been seeing a lot of the inlaid die-cut technique on blogs and YouTube videos.  I decided this was the perfect time to give it a try.  I used a wood backdrop stamp to represent a tree (my wood).  It was heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  The heart die cut with their initials was inlaid to mimic being carved into the tree.  The  initials and stamped heart were also heat embossed as was the sentiment.  The red hearts were given some glossy accents for texture and shine.  Inking, faux stitches and 2 rounded corners finish off the front.

The interior was given a little decorating by embossed heats and faux stitching.  This card was simple to make and quite CAS for me but I was really pleased with how it turned out.  It also only required one stamp to mail.  That is a true rarity for my cards. 

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Recollections
Patterned Paper:  Basic Gray (Bittersweet, Sugared)
Stamps: Lawn Fawn (Woodgrain Backdrop), Stampin' Up (Brushstroke Alphabet Uppers), Mark's Finest Papers (Celebrate Big)
Ink:  VersaFine (Vintage Sepia)
Tools/Embellishments:  Staedtler fine tip marker (brown), Lawn Fawn Lawn Cuts (Hearts), Recollections fine detail embossing powder (clear), Zutter Round-it-All 1/2", Glossy Accents

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Mod Squad Challenge - Anniversary
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #324 - Perfectly Pink (use pink somewhere on your card)
Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Challenge #66 - Use embossing
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend. 

Happy Anniversary {Butterflies}

I thought this card by Cards4Joy on SCS, was a great design and decided to CASE it.  Actually, I liked it so much, I made two different versions. I swapped out a few things to make it my own but kept her overall design.


Version #1 - White embossed card base

I embossed the card base and added a matted patterned paper strip.  The edges of the strip were die cut with  a Spellbinders Classic Edges die.  I did not use one of the inserts on this card.  The butterflies were stamped, colored with Copics, fussy cut and inked.  They were adhered only in the middle so the wings could be folded up for dimension.  There were given a strip a pearls for their bodies.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific, Bazzill, Paper Trey Ink
Patterned Paper:  MME (Graceful Circles)
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers (Celebrate Big), Studio G
Inks:  Memento (Toffee Crunch), Versafine (Vintage Sepia)
Copics:  R81, 83, 85, E25
Tools/Embellishments:  Spellbinders (Fancy Tags 3, Classic Edges 2, M'bossabilities embossing folder - Whimsy Side A), Recollection pearls, Zutter Corner Rounder

Version #2 - Green Card base

I used pre-embossed  cardstock for the card base.   The rest of the card construction was like version one except I used an insert on the die cut edges, the butterflies' wings were accented with Stickles and I added faux stitching to the card base.

This card also got some interior decorating.  I added a pocket on the left inside panel so that a gift card could be tucked inside.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific, Bazzill, Paper Trey Ink
Patterned Paper:  MME (Graceful Circles)
Stamps:  Mark's Finest Papers (Celebrate Big), Studio G
Inks:  Memento (Toffee Crunch), Versafine (Vintage Sepia)
Copics:  R81, 83, 85, E25
Tools/Embellishments:  Spellbinders (Fancy Tags 3, Classic Edges 2, Classic Decorative Inserts 5), Stampin' Up pearls, Zutter Corner Rounder, Stickles (Star Dust), Uni-Ball Signo Broad White pen, CM Fine Tip black pen

I'm entering the following challenges {even though I have two cards, since they are of the same design, I'm just entering once per challenge}:
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Inky Chicks #7 - Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments #84 - Use 2 words only
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #214 - Bride, Wedding, or Anniversary

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great weekend.

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!!

Last Friday, Dec. 28th, my husband and I celebrated our 28th anniversary.  The Lord graciously gave me a husband that is my best friend and is a godly leader for our home.  I have been blessed FAR beyond what I deserve. 

I wanted to make him an anniversary card, and when I saw this digi sentiment from Clear Dollar Stamps in their Unity Candle digi set, I knew I was on the right track. In PSE, I layered the sentiment over a picture of our actual unity candle (I lowered the opacity to 50%) and let that be the focal point of the card.  Some Spellbinders dies helped with the accents, and textured/embossed Bazzill cardstock and brads added  masculine touches.

Supplies:
Card base:  The Paper Company
Cardstock:  Recollections, Copic, Core'dinations, Bazzill
Patterned Paper:  Echo Park (Times & Seasons)
Stamps:  Clear Dollar Stamps (Unity Candle)
Ink:  Stampin' Up (Creamy Caramel)
Tools/Embellishments: brads (Paper Studio), Spellbinders (Deckled Rectangles Large & Small, Fancy Tags 3, Decorative Photo Corners), PSE7

And just because I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, here are a couple pics from our wedding day.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you've enjoyed the Christmas season.