Oh Say Can You See

I was trolling around on the internet- specifically Paper Crafts Connections, the Paper Crafts magazine blog- and I saw this really cool stamp.  The stamp comes from Stamping Up, their Land of the Free stamp.  I was immediately inspired.  I can't say specifically why I am so inspired by the American flag, but I do have a history of collecting these type of sentiments.  I don't particularly enjoy red and blue combinations, they certainly don't belong in my home which has deep emerald green carpet throughout.  However, several years ago I made a "scrappy" quilt with a flag theme.

When we found this St. Bernard print, we just couldn't leave it behind.  So, many who know me won't exactly be surprised when they see the cards I made using my new stamp.  I so liked the clean look of the stamp, I chose to go with a very simple design.  As soon as I saw these fabulous BoBunny papers from their Liberty collection, I knew I had the cards I wanted to make. 

I'm still figuring out the stamping process with two different colors, but I can say that the stamp satisfies in that way that only good scrapbooking supplies can.  In addition to my use of a couple of the cards, I've decided to donate the remainder of my cards to a couple of worthy groups.  First, our local church has a lady who collects handmade cards for local nursing homes and retirement villages.  The residents use the cards for their correspondence and I get the pleasure of making the card (i.e., justifying my Stash)- everybody wins!  It's a great place to purpose the cards I make since I don't always have a use for them myself.  Secondly, I've decided to sign up to participate in a blog hop through Paper Crafts Connections in order to once again support Operation Write Home.  Several of these cards will be sent to them for distribution to troops oversees.  If you make cards in quantities higher than you know what to do with, this is a great group of people and a purpose for those cards.  There are a few guidelines to follow; click here to read. 

Andie

Summer Card Class

Remember when you were a kid and went to summer camp?  I didn't do it often (three times only as a matter of fact), but those three weeks are some of the more vivid memories from my childhood.  That and riding my bike into a parked trailer, don't ask.  I usually went everywhere with my sister, so two years of church camp were with my sister by my side, but one year I went to Girl Scout camp all on my own.  We crafted, we hiked, we sang songs by the campfire.  We slept in raised platform "tents" which to me was very much like living in the wild, especially considering we used portable pottys- yech!  Not really "roughing it" by any stretch of the imagination, but for me it was a stretch to my sensibilities and one I thoroughly enjoyed.  Well, this summer, Brandy and I decided to go to camp together.  Well, o.k. it's not really camp, but somehow my mind associates the feeling with those long summer days at camp.  Since neither of us could afford to take the time off for a proper camp in the woods, we signed up for an online Summer Card Class offered by Paper Crafts Connections Go-To-Gals.  Each week we receive a color challenge to create a card with a specified color combination.  During the following few days, ideas and techniques are shared to inspire our creativity.  This means that we will be attempting to create and post cards made for the challenges.  Today, I'm sharing my creation for this week's challenge.

Let Sweet Moments Fill Your Day Card by Andie

 
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics

Patterned Paper: Imaginisce

Stamps: Close to My Heart, Hero Arts
Ink: Close to My Heart Buttercup and Cranberry, Brilliance Dew Drop Pearlescent Sky Blue
Rhinestones: Studio 18
Baker's Twine: Boxer Scrapbook Productions









Just for You Card by Andie

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics
Patterned Paper: Imaginisce
Stamps: Close to My Heart
Ink: Close to My Heart Cranberry
Rhinestones: Studio 18
Ribbon: Boxer Scrapbook Productions




















Andie

Homemade Father's Day Card

I put together this Father's Day card for my father-in-law.  It's simple, but I keep looking for opportunities to use the burlap in my cards.  This seemed like just the right card- those Man Cards being so tricky to design.  Here I used a blue plaid printed paper from the Stash.  I probably have owned this paper for more than 5 years.  The card itself is cut from a piece of brown cardstock and inked with a brown chalk ink.  The timepiece also comes from a printed paper that I've had in the Stash.  I fussy cut two different stopwatches out and layered them one on top of the other.  The stop watches are mounted with a pop dot. 

 A quick cut of the D*a*d from Cricut's Nifty Fifties cart and Dad has concrete evidence that we love and appreciate him.  I have the great pleasure of being able to celebrate four separate men (my dad, Dan's dad, my grandpa, and, of course, Dan- the best dad of the bunch) on Father's Day and even though I couldn't be with them all, I do love and appreciate each of them.

Andie

Finally- Cards From the Prize Pack

Earlier this year I was surprised and pleased to find my name on the Paper Crafts Connections blog as having won a random drawing to receive a prize package.  You can see the prize package in this previous post.  It took me a while, but I finally finished some cards from the supplies provided.  I tried to vary the uses just to play around and see what I could do.   

 

The first pair of cards



The You Always Lift My Spirits card combined a coordinating teal cardstock card with a paper from the American Crafts City Park paper line.  This checkered print was one of my favorite, so I quickly pulled it out first to create a card. 

The hot air balloons are stamped using the smaller of the two different Practicing Creativity Designs stamp.  The stamp was made on a coordinating piece of the City Park paper- teal pooka dots!  I used (by this I mean borrowed) the Sakura Gelly Roll Glaze pens to add color and dimension to the image.  It's tough to get a good picture of the dimension, but really provides a nice effect in person.  I combined three different colors of the bakers twine from the handouts at our Boxer Palooza class at the Mesa CK Scrapbook convention.  A piece of netting found on one of my packages from the convention was tied to create a visual accent.

The Thank You card was made using the Thickers cardstock letters.  The original color of the Thickers was too bright and created too much contrast for the paper I selected.  So I covered them with

pieces of the Sweet Threads paper from Basic Grey.  I first glued the Thicker to a small piece of the patterned paper and then used my file to shape the patterened paper around the edge of the Thicker.  

The efffect is quite lovely, though it does take a bit of time.  If you haven't found or used a scrapbooking filing set, I would recommend Basic Grey's Precision Filing Set.  Especially for this purpose, the small round file works well.  I just poke my file into the rounded edges and pull across the extra paper back and forth until the edge is defined.  This job is messy as small paper dust is liberally generated, but the finished work is very satisfying.  The little butterfly came from the 7 Gypsies rub on set.  I adhered it to a scrap piece of the yellow cardstock used for the card and fussy cut the image to create the embellishment which I adhered with a pop dot.    The frame was cut using the Cricut cart.  The cut was made from solid green cardstock and the Sweet Threads paper to combine and make the frame for my sentiment.  I did ink the edges of the frames and the card to add a little dimension. 

My final creation was very simple.  I wanted to play with craft paper and color.  I used the same balloon stamp and a green Glaze pen.  The stitching and the dots on the stamped image are also the green Glaze pen.

The 3-D effect of the Glaze pen is better demonstrated in this close up.  A couple of the button brads in the American Crafts coordinating set provides a focal point on a piece of ribbon adhered to the green cardstock frame.  I can't say that I am overly pleased with the result- not my best outing.  However, I thought that I would share it just as an example of how I'm not always successful in my execution, but inspired by the attempt.  I definately won't use that green Glaze pen in the same way again.  Live and learn.  Maybe I'll give this card to our St. Bernard, Abby.  See, the sound of the hot air balloons firing to lift and stear the balloon carries a great distance.  We regularly have hot air balloons drift over our house as a popular landing space is a couple miles South of where we live.  Abby is very vocal- barking and hopping and generally alarming us- when the "danger from the skies" float over our house firing and stearing toward their descent.  One thing is for sure, I am thankful that I will never die unknowingly from a hot air balloon attack.  Thanking Abby might be a very good use for this card!

Andie

Another Name Banner with a Matching Card

Here's another name banner Katie made for a friend.  The letters were cut out with the Cricut cart Quarter Note (Font1) at 6 inches.  All four letters are the captial letter version.  The flowers are cut from the Mother's Day Bouquet in various sizes.

Katie made the ribbon herself using some Glimmer Mist and plain, white ribbon.  Glimmer Mist is a colored spray that adds a fine, glittery layer of color to a project.  As Katie demonstrates here, the Glimmer Mist looks great when combining multiple colors.

Jade enjoys the colors green and purple, hence the color selection.  Small half pearl embellishments were applied to the in the center of the flowers or as decorative accents on the card. 

The card was made from scraps of yellow and green cardstock inked with brown chalk ink to tie in the papers used to make the flowers.  Since a 12 year old is doing the decorating, the flowers were very simple- no inking, very little bending, etc.  However, it still made a lovely finish and I think Jade enjoyed her gift.

Andie