Glory to God - A Christmas Card Set

I'm back with another set of Christmas cards using my Paper Smooches A Blessed Christmas stamp and die set.  I also used Taylored Expressions Little Bits Dove die set.  I'm uncertain which I like better - I'm thinking the die cut dove from Taylored Expressions.

I still have a few more Christmas cards to make.  I usually make 50 of the same kind, but this year I decided to do quite a few of these different designs.  I certainly have enough supplies!

Another Pop-Up Birthday Card

Brandy put together this fantastic pop-up card using her PinkFresh Studio Party Animal stamps.  Paired with some balloons and candles, this looks like a party time at the zoo - perfect for a teen boy's birthday celebration!

Andie for 

Peace on Earth - A Christmas Card Set

I've been playing around with some Christmas cards to get ahead of the game.  These cards were created using my Paper Smooches A Blessed Christmas stamp and die set.  That little angel is so perfectly adorable to me and the simplicity of this card charms me.  I stamped onto Bristol cardstock and colored the image with my Zig Clean Color Brush markers.  There's some glimmer pen on those wings, but the photos don't come across the best.

The yellow stars are stamped with the yellow ink and embossed with a clear crystal embossing powder so they sparkle in the light as well.

On the inside, a brown Archival ink stamped sentiment using my SSS For to Us stamp set.  The sentiment on the outside and the Merry Christmas on the inside is stamped with Peacock Feathers Distress oxide ink.  This is the perfect match with my MISTI so that a crisp image could be made.

I'm ever so pleased with how these cards turned out.  I've some more ideas for this stamp set and so I'll be working on those in the coming weeks.  We're  93 days from Christmas at this point.  I need to get on it!

A Flowery, Bright Birthday Card

Brandy shared with me a little of her recent die cutting adventures.  In an effort to use up those scraps of colored cardstock, she used her Tim Holtz Funky Florals 2 die set.  This card was created with some of those die cuts.  What a lovely flowery scene set with scraps!  The card is made using the Sunny Studio Sliding Pop Up card die.  Charming and adorable, don't you think?

Such a fun card design and well worth the effort to glue each of those little pieces to set the scene.  We won't discuss the fact that you can't see the "missing" scraps from the stash.  They are beautiful either way.

Andie for 

A Milestone Birthday To Join the Shaker Challenge

My father celebrated his milestone birthday - 70 years - last week.  I put together this shaker card using my Cricut and a Papertrey Ink balloon die.  I ink blended four card fronts using my Peacock Feathers and Faded Jeans Distress Oxide ink.  I used some Perfect Pearls to splatter on the card fronts so there is a subtle sparkle, but not too much since this is a masculine card.  I left the die cut  opening as a single, square opening for the sequins and seed beads because I knew I could just add quite a bit of sparkle inside. I think it works well here.

On the inside, I used an oops from the die cutting process.  I attempted to cut the "70" out and didn't have the settings on the blade deep enough (pressure setting) which resulted in a cut that didn't go all the way through the paper.  I decided to repurpose that boo-boo by silver heat embossing the inside sentiment and using it to be the inside.   A black pen was more than enough to add my own personal sentiment underneath.  I'm pleased with how the card turned out - he was too as he made a point to show my mom when I gave it to him.  He's an understated man, so that was an indication how much he thought.

I'm going to enter this card in the following challenges:

City Crafter Challenge Blog - Week 430 - Birthday Shaker as my card is definitely both!

Come join the fun.

A Happy, Buzzy Day to You Mr. Prairie Dog!

Brandy shared with me this wonderful scene colored with her Polychromos colored pencils.  She used her Waffle Flower Summer Time stamp set to create the scene.  She used a no-line coloring technique and the blending capabilities of those Polychromos pencils is very on display in this work of art.  That prairie dog is such a charming dude - I want to go for a visit!

Andie for 

More Expressions of Gratitude

As it turns out, we needed another 27 cards to express our gratitude at the outpouring of love, expressions of sympathy and commitments for prayers at the loss of my beloved grandma.  That woman (my grandma) knew how to be a pen pal, sent cards like it was her job and the people who responded (in 2018!) with the same sentiment and care was overwhelming.  I knew my grandpa wouldn't be able to emotionally and/or physically respond to each of the 45+ cards, flowers, gifts and letters.  So, I made these cards to finish the job.  I wrote a short note on each and every card, personally tailored to their well wishes and my grandpa would add his own note and/or signature on each.  It sounds like a lot of work and I guess it was.  However, it was mostly a huge blessing and I am grateful for being able to do so.

These cards were easy to duplicate with my MISTI.  The layering on the roses make for a beautiful finish that I will have to say I'm proud to have given these away.

Brandy's Take on the Card Swap

Brandy joined the card swap this weekend at the Scrapbook Expo with me and I wanted to share today her take for the swap.  The swap required 20 exact duplicates and so card design mattered a bunch.  Gina K's Wreath Builder stamps and template set was a perfect solution.  The card above was the original inspiration card.  The layout and style were finalized so that the 20 duplicates could be made. 

In the end, this cleaner version was duplicated - each of those black dots on the design inspiration was individually hand stamped - quite a time saver.  In the end, this final version is ever so lovely even without those tiny black dots.  I can say that we've both supper enjoyed our weekend.  There is only a few lovely hours left today and we'll be looking for the next crafting adventure.  Until then, it is girl time and we're enjoying ourselves immensely.

Andie for 

Cards for a Card Swap

This weekend is officially Brandy and I celebrating a girls weekend.  We are at the Scrapbook Expo here in Mesa, Arizona.  This card is one I made twenty (20!) replicas for a card swap.  Both Brandy and I are going to participate and so I'll share Brandy's card next.

I used my Papertrey Ink Farmer's Market Florals stamp set to stamp the images and my Rustic Wreath stamp to stamp the wreath.  The burnished gold cardstock frame was cut using my WPlus9 Sunshine Layers die and the background of the card base stamped with Altenew's Rustic Linen background stamp.

On the inside, a simple thank you stamp which was the theme for the swap.  The card is an A2 size and I am delighted and cannot wait to participate in the swap later today.

Needless to say, us girls are currently prepping up for a long, exhausting, most fun-filled day of crafting, shopping, and girl talk as we are also participating in the crop which goes all day into the evening.

I'll be back after our weekend to share examples of the cards that we received in the swap.

Sending Appreciation

With my grandma's passing, we've had reason to send quite a few cards to express our gratitude to the many people who sent cards, gifts and flowers.  I knew that I wanted to hand make the response cards and needed a sentiment that works.  In this case, I found a Bible verse that worked on the outside and then used a layering PaperTrey Ink stamp set to frame some roses .

It just felt right to have these little layered leaves on the inside.  Pink flowers were on the casket and it just seemed appropriate to make these with a soft pink layered look.

In the end, I made 20 replicas of this card design.  Those have been written and sent and there is still more to be sent.  I'm making a few more and will share here when I get a chance.

The Smallest Packages - Biggest Blessings

I'm sharing a card that Brandy made with you today.  I think this is such an adorable card.  The toys were stamped using MFT's Hello Little One stamp set and colored with her Copic markers and fussy cut out to place on the card.  The background die is from Lawn Fawn's Quilted Backdrop Lawn Cuts die and mounted onto a dark blue cardstock card base.  What an adorable creation!

Andie for 

Color Swatching

When Brandy (I have to give Brandy credit here) first asked me, "Have you seen the new Waffle Flower video?", I responded no and thought I might have to check that out considering the enthusiasm with which the question was asked.  Then I watched this video.  The amount of anticipation and excitement between Brandy and I waiting for our stamp sets to arrive was significant.  I believe giggles might have been involved as we were both giddy as school girls.  These are my first two swatches that I made.   

I used watercolor paper for both swatches and I think I'll repeat on Bristol which is a better media for the Clean Clear Brush markers.  I'm sure I'll be sharing more when I get a few minutes.  This stamp set is fun!

A New Psalms Card Set

I'm just going to start out saying that there are a few tools I've purchased for card making in the past year that I love. My Papertrey Ink Year of Psalms stamps are one of those tools.  The second is almost anything I've purchased from Concord and 9th.

The Psalms were white heat embossed onto Bristol cardstock which had been ink blended with Distress Oxide inks.  Where the stamped image had a shape, like this heart, I used a waterbrush to "paint" inside and convert that image to the milky, oxide look that happens with the Distress Oxide.  Additionally, as with this first card, the white embossing is slightly tinted with the color so that the final result is almost a pale pink.

The die cut flowers behind the white die cut were all colored with Distress Oxide inks.  Putting these cards together was the height of fun!

This colorful card might just be my favorite.  The background colors and the accent colors all work together very well and the card is beautiful!

However, about the time I pick a favorite I come to the next card and love the yellow and coral and teal in this card.  Oh well, it just means that my vision for this card set worked out to be what I'd hoped. Who can complain?

I'm linking this card set up with the following challenges:

SSS Monday challenge - Stamp On It!
Papertrey Ink's Transformation Tuesday Challenge #18 - I made these cards previously using my Year of Psalms stamps.  I decided to transform the use of these stamps by die cutting the florals to surround the sentiments and white heat embossing the sentiment rather than stamping on white cardstock.  I really don't know which set I enjoy most.