You are So Beautiful - A Card Set

Last year at the place I worked, there was a Mother's Day card sale that I made cards for.  It was a fundraiser and I don't just mean that the money went to a good charity!  I am so blessed, they asked me to join again this year!  You'll probably get tired of seeing flowery mother's day cards, but I'm determined to share all of them with you.

This card was made using my Altenew Oriental Orchids stamp set.  I was inspired by my real life orchids that are currently blooming.  I had 8 (yes 8!) blooms on my plant and so I went for the same on this card.  I used Hero Arts inks on Bristol paper and then watercolored some for the background colors.  A delicate die cut to create a frame for my flowers and some sequins finish the card off.

On the inside, a simple sentiment to leave room for a heartfelt note - in coordinating pink no less.  I decided to play a little bit on the background watercoloring and matching different colors behind the die cuts.  All in all, a full set was sent for the sale.

Isn't it interesting how different the card looks by just changing up the background color?  Makes the flowers just a bit more vibrant.  You might be able to pick up on the sparkle - I covered all flowers using my Spectrum Noir glitter pen.  They look great in public, but these pictures don't really do it justice.

I'm entering these cards in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday's Challenge 280/281: Anything Goes

Come join the fun.

More Sympathy Cards

Sympathy cards are difficult to make - especially since they come upon you all unaware and unprepared.  I'd like to tell you that I made these cards in an effort to be a little more proactive, but those in my social, familial and professional circles have all experienced loss recently.  It has felt a little like being in a boxing ring.  I have become clearly aware that they only productive and useful thing that I can do in the face of death is to pray to the One who is able.  Able to comfort, strengthen and heal.

These two cards were made with a combination of stamps and dies.  Using my retired Heartfelt Creations Delicate Aster stamps in black Archival Ink on Bristol I was able to color the images with my Zig Clean Color markers and add just a hint of glitter pen.  The sentiment was stamped using the same black Archival Ink and my Hero Arts Prayers stamp and die set.  I think the result is stunning and hopefully comforting, letting them know how cared for they are with something made using lots of care.





For both cards, a simple sentiment on the inside where I write my note.  There have been too many of these lately...

Art in all it's forms is a reflection of God's love - He created and painted this world with beauty to remind us of who He is.  I sent these cards with the same intention - created and painted with beauty so that those of us left behind could remember there is good when we are hurting from the loss.

My instinct is to apologize for getting somber, but I'm not going to do that trusting this blog community with tender feelings and knowing that one of the best parts of the community is the fact that we encourage one another.  Thanks to all for your encouragement through comments on my creativity.  It has meaning and I am grateful.

Blessed More Than You Know

I had mentioned that I made some thank you cards as a gift to my grandma on her 90th birthday.  Since we'd held a birthday party, I knew that was a gift she'd use immediately and that would be a gift she appreciated.  We've spent the better part of the last several weeks moving her and my grandpa into a new home here in Arizona and so I knew she didn't need one more thing!  I used my Honey Bee Bless Your Heart stamp set for the sentiment - in simple Archival black ink and my Altenew Vintage Flowers stamp set to adorn these cards since it matched the invitations I had made for her party.  I used the same Simon Says Stamp inks (Soft Navy, Surf Blue and Willow) to make the flowers and leaves.

On the inside, a simple sentiment in the Soft Navy ink.  I know she appreciated the gift - I had to make an additional 5 cards so she could finish sending her thanks around the country!

Celebrating 90 Years - A Milestone Birthday Card

I've been traveling for work... long story.  Anyway, I wanted to get this card posted so I am popping in today sharing the birthday card I gave my Grandma on her 90th birthday.  You might remember these invitations to her birthday party that I made to send out.  I thought I needed to go in a different creative direction just to make her feel good.

I used my Concord and 9th Happy Day stamp set to make this card.  The cake stamp was inked using brown ink on Bristol paper.  This was so I could color the image with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers and a waterpen.  I finished the image with a little glitter pen to make some shine - you can almost see the glitter on the flowers.

I fussy cut the image out - getting much closer to the edge than the matching dies would do.  I used some fun foam to back the image so that the image would be evenly raised.  The banner is raised using two toothpicks I had on hand.  .  Both the banner and the sentiment are from the Concord and 9th stamp set.  They make milestone birthdays easy to celebrate!

On the inside - a simple added wish with a sparkle heart.  We had a fantastic time at the party and the follow-up dinner on her actual birthday.  I am so very blessed to have both my material grandparents with me to celebrate on such an occasion.  I ended up making her a set of Thank You cards for her actual gift.  I'll try to get those photos edited and posted soon.

Living Happily Ever After

My grandparents celebrated 71 years of wedded bliss last month.  We ended up going out for dinner to celebrate and I was rushing to finish a card to let them know I was thinking of them.  I snapped this picture in the car on the way to the restaurant.

Sorry that it is a bit blurry, but I really like how my Heartfelt Creations Flowering Dogwood stamp and die cut flowers turned out.  They are so adorable in person and a perfect focal point for this simple designed card - something to celebrate such a long marriage.  I'm looking forward to taking my time with these flowers on a project in the near future and ultimately taking a better photo of the card so you can see how lovely these flowers turn out.

I've always loved dogwood flowers.  My mom hung a picture in the bathroom that I grew up in that had this poem:

In Jesus' time, the dogwood grew 

To a stately size and a lovely hue. 'Twas strong and firm, its branches interwoven. For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen. Seeing the distress at this use of their wood Christ made a promise which still holds good: "Never again shall the dogwood grow Large enough to be used so. Slender and twisted, it shall be With blossoms like the cross for all to see. As blood stains the petals marked in brown, The blossom's center wears a thorny crown. All who see it will remember Me Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree. Cherished and protected, this tree shall be A reminder to all of My agony."

The author of the poem is unknown and the truth of its words are murky at best.  Still, I enjoyed the poem and the pretty picture with it.  These dogwood blooms are a reminder to me of this simple poem and the fact that I can recite the poem to this day.  

Birthday Balloons

Here's another of Brandy's cards that she made for her "birthday season".  On this card, she used Distress Inks, Victorian Velvet, Evergreen Bough and Antique Linen, to color the balloons die cut using her Mama Elephant Party Kit Creative Cuts dies and also to create the soft watercolor background.    The stars on the background and Penny Black Sprinkles and Smiles sentiment are embossed with gold powder- the edge of the sentiment piece is also embossed.  I think the tied string holding the balloons is so clever and adorable - this card is really special and I'm sure the recipient thought so too!

Here's hoping your week is going well.  Enjoy!

A Set of Sunshine Cards

I decided to play around and make a few notecards as a stress reliever.  In this case, I used an old technique from my Creative Chemistry online card class - Distress Highlight Stamping.  Only I didn't use any Distress Ink this time.  I simply stamped with white ink onto Kraft paper and then used my colored pencils to color the white ink.  This allows for a handmade look to the stamped image.  I had to give up a little on the perfectionist side of me, but it is good to let her have a nap once in a while.

I white embossed the sentiment using my WPlus9 Hand Lettered Hello stamp set.  It was the perfect offset to this image and these A2 sized cards.

I finished the card front using a stitched die - just a straight edge that created some interest so I could keep the card simple, but also a bit dressed up.

These notecards will go in the stash and probably end up a gift at some point.  They served their purpose during a stressful time - giving me a creative outlet and using some of those supplies that have long gone unused.

What do you have in the stash that needs to see the light of day?

I'm linking this card up to the following challenges:

City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 355 - In Bloom

The new-to-me Try it on Tuesday challenge: Botanical