City Crafter Challenge Blog - Balloon Shakers

I was inspired by the challenge this week at City Crafter Challenge Blog.  I decided to join the fun using Balloons as the major theme and make this shaker card.  A bit clean and simple in design, but the sparkle in the shaker portion really pops in person.

On the inside, a simple sentiment.  My thought was to keep this neat and clean so that it could work for a masculine birthday if needed.  This card will go into the stash so that I can use it if needed.

I'm going to link the card up with the City Crafter Challenge Balloons.  Come join the fun!

Simple Masculine Birthday Card

I had to rush a masculine birthday card together.  It's amazing how helpful some pre-stamped balloons can be in the process.  This worked to deliver the warm birthday messages and a gift.  I'm finding my mojo is off and I think it might be that we're preparing to send my daughter off to college.  The prospect of all my "chicks" not being home at the end of the day is daunting.  I'm working it, but the stress cracks show in odd ways - maybe slightly lower drive to create.

Ah well, I'll have a little more time to myself in the coming days too!  Always look for the silver lining!

Since this card qualifies, I'm going to link up to the City Crafter Challenge Blog.  There are certainly no flowers on this one, a bit unusual for me.

A Set of CAS Birthday Cards

Here's another Pinterest inspired card.  This time, it is a mostly literal translation of this pin.  I used my Simon Says Stamp Handwritten Borders stamp for the sentiment and my Avery Elle Ballons die.  I die cut the ballons from a watercolor wash that I'd practiced techiques with.

On the inside is this sentiment stamp in matching Distress ink.  It's a nice off set from that overly CAS card front.

This is another card set that I plan to give some away.  It will be a good idea to remember if I need a birthday card on short notice as this is simple and easy to put together.

City Crafter Challenge 299 - Negativity

Good day to you all once again.  I'm in my third week as a guest designer at the City Crafter Challenge Blog.  This has been so much fun for me.  I find myself working on projects I wouldn't otherwise challenge myself to as well as being inspired to prolific crafting.  This is such a treat!

Today the theme is Negativity.  The challenge requires you to use the negative space created by a die cut and has this photo inspiration:

My card was made using my Avery Elle Balloons stamp and die set with some creative stamping.  Here's the details:

• I first positioned and cut the balloon out of a piece of white cardstock.  This allows placement of the rest of the card design.  
• Onto the white negative space from the balloon die cut, I used my MISTI tool to do some selective stamping similar to whats in this video including:
• Stamping the balloon string in black Archival ink.
• Stamping the "For You" sentiment from my Penny Black Sweet Wishes stamp set in Simon Says Stamp Soft Navy ink.
• I placed the negative space onto the card front to position the "Birthday" balloon  to stamp it in Simon Says Stamp Surf Blue ink.  This was a bit tricky, but I got it right because the MISTI is such an awesome tool for placement.
• Stamping the "wishes" sentiment in Simon Says Stamp Soft Navy ink.
• I created confetti using the same inks on some scratch paper and die cut the stars using the dies from the Avery Elle Balloons dies.  I created the shaker element following the technique similar to this video including some hexagonal iridescent pieces as well.  

I'm super pleased with this card.  It will be one of my favorite shaker cards for a while.  I ended up making a couple of the same design just to perfect the technique and will have them in the stash now for those last minute - hey that's your birthday - occasions.

If you haven't joined us at the City Crafter Challenge Blog, this is the week.  What can you think up with using the negative space in your project?  Give it a try and then head on over to join the fun.

A Happy Birthday Card Set

I so enjoyed this card that I decided to make a set of these cards.  My MISTI was a huge help.  First, I find that getting a good image the first time with this stamp set is tough.  Second, I wanted rich color using my Simon Says Stamp Smoke, Soft Navy and Surf Blue inks.  Plus, I was able to make four of these in very short order.

Now, I have a bit of a stash for those male birthdays for my co-workers and friends.   It is a new year tomorrow and I'm bound and determined to use things from my stash in the new year.  These cards were a beginning - even if the beginning started in the old year!  May you, too, be blessed with abundance of craft supplies in the new year.  Here's hoping you celebrate this evening in a safe manner, but one fitting a year like 2015!

Another Milestone Birthday - For the Man!

My brother's birthday this year was a milestone - 40 years.  I immediately turned to my Avery Elle Balloons stamp to create this card.  I think it set the right tone for a man's birthday.  The ink is from Simon Says Stamp's Peace mini ink pad set.  This ink is definitely different in that the ink will darken in the seconds following application.  I also used my MISTI to stamp so that I could add more ink when the image wasn't quiet solid.  With this stamp set I find it most helpful as I often don't get the best first image.  


A few star stamps from the Avery Elle stamp set in the Smoke and Soft Navy inks work well with some sequins from the stash.

On the inside is a sentiment stamped in black Archival Ink using my Penny Black Sweet Wishes stamp.  A nice finish and a card to celebrate the day.

I've decided to link this card up with City Crafter's Challenge - Winter.  The colors of my card match the theme and my brother's birthday is in the winter.  I also think the little snowflake-ish additions look stylishly wintery.

I'm also joining Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge - Simon Says Let It Snow.  Come join the fun, one and all - it's winter.

I hope your day is well and that your Christmas plans are coming together.  Keep it up as there are only a few short weeks left.

An Inflated Birthday Card

I worked up this card recently to give to my dad on his birthday.  The man card can be so tough, but my Avery Elle Balloons Clear stamp and die set was just what I needed.  I used some Simon Says Stamp hybrid inks to ink up the balloons and the card.  These stamps can be a bit tricky to stamp so I just made and die cut a bunch of them.  Now I have some for another card if I need them later.

On the inside I used my Penny Black Sweet Wishes stamp set and colored with Inktense watercolor pencils.

A simple, but effective card. I've been hoping around the internet enjoying World Cardmaking Day and will be linking up with the following:

Simon Says Stamp's World Cardmaking Day post

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenege: Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday's Challenge #203: Anything Goes

Today's the day - get crafty and join World Cardmaking Day.  We're all having fun.