A Crate Full of Flowers Birthday Card

I have been a little under the weather this holiday season; which is also a significant birthday season in my family and I needed to make some birthday cards.  So, I decided to look in my stash of extra pieces from past card projects and found some Concord & 9th Petals and Palette pieces!

The flowers are not really a color pallet I would normally use, and I can't remember what ink I used to stamp them.  However, I feel like they work.

I wanted to add some interest to the background so I used a piece of woodgrain volume over a decorative cardboard and the card is done.  I am so glad I saved these extra pieces!

Happy Birthday Balloons

Happy Birthday!

December and January are heavy on the birthdays in my family and I have been trying to make cards to celebrate some of those special people.

One of the birthdays this month is for a pre-teen young lady that is all about bright colors and having fun.  I thought I might be able to to make a card with the Concord & 9th Happy Balloon stamp and die set. 

I have also seen a trend in card making going out of the standard A2 size and making long cards or 5 x 7 sizes.  I felt like the balloons would work with the longer version.  The card is 9 x 3.5 and fits in a standard business size envelope.

I made several cards using this layout, these are my favorites. I will put the rest in my stash.

I am on a mission this year to use products that I have bought and never used or haven't used a lot, the Concord & 9th set fit that purpose and I can proudly say I used items in my stash and didn't buy one thing to make these cards.

Guest Host - Niecee Poo Made a Pop-up Card!

Brandy's Niecee Poo asked for a little help to make her friend (whose name is very similar to mine!) a unique birthday card.  Said friend likes giraffes.  Won't you totally agree that Niecee Poo did a fantastic job with this die cut heavy pop-up card.  Brandy helped with some of the die cutting, but the selection of which pieces to select and how the card was built was all Niecee Poo.  I'm thinking the artistic gene runs in the family, folks!

So bright and cheery, I'm certain the celebration was enjoyable.  Yay, Niecee Poo!  You can guest host anytime!

I'm entering this card into the SSS Wednesday challenge Simon Says Anything Goes.  Good luck to Niecee Poo.

Andie for Niecee Poo

A Birthday Celebration Card for My Son

I decided to whip up a a quick card to celebrate my son's birthday.  I used my Papertrey Ink's Balloons and Banners stamp set and Distress Oxide inks to create this colorful card on kraft cardstock.  I first stamped with white pigment ink and let that dry, then I stamped with the same image onto the white and in a couple cases, I stamped with the pattern in the same ink.

I rally love how the stars stand out without the white pigment ink, so I think I'll give it a try again.

Celebrating With Balloons

Brandy went playing around with her Concord and 9th Birthday Stacks stamps and dies to create these two lovely cards.  The stamps provide this neat layering effect on the cards and the dies help to create the lovely layered, 3-D effect.  It is a quite lovely card and technique and the methods for using the stamps and dies can be found here. 

There are a few subtle differences in design, including the die cut sentiment on the second card.  I can't decide which I like best, but I know that the recipient of both are going to feel very special. 

Andie for 

Wishing You A Extra Glittery Happy Birthday

The dies used on the outside and inside of this super fun card was created with the Spellbinders February 2018 Large Die of the Month Club Dies.  Brandy used Nicole Spohr's card as inspiration with just one twist, the background stamp is a My Favorite Things Big Happy Birthday background stamp.  It works just a well here and it was just a sitting in the stash waiting to be used!

The chunky glitter is a perfect pairing here - I super want to try to piece!

The cheeky inside sentiment is adorable and who wouldn't want to receive the pop up greeting on your birthday?  Join me in celebrating one fantastic card from Brandy!

Happy Birthday Card Using Studio Katia Blooming Bunch

OK - so I've been a little obsessed with my Studio Katia Blooming Bunch stamp set.  Maybe it is a measure of the stress/intensity at work or maybe I just love coloring this image.  Either way, I'm back today with another card colored with my Zig Clean Color Brush markers onto Bristol cardstock and finishing with a white embossed sentiment on vellum.  The accents are using Nuovo drps and fit the color scheme fantastically.

So fun!

Blooming Bunch Birthday Card

I decided to splurge a bit and picked up the Studio Katia Blooming Bunch stamp set.  This floral cluster stamp is a large size stamp that dominates an A7 size card, something that I've wanted for a long time, but couldn't take the plunge.

I'm sharing my first attempt at coloring this stamp.  I stamped with Archival black ink onto Bristol cardstock with the intention of using my Zig Clean Color Brush markers.  There are flaws in my coloring performance here, but overall the result is stunning.  I kept the rest of the card simple to allow the flowers center stage.

I so enjoyed this foray that I've stamped a few more and left them in my working stack to pull out and color on a night after work where I simply need the relaxation that can come from a bit of crafting without the stress of needing a card designed and sent.  So, I'm sure there will be more of these to come in the following weeks.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Word Art Wednesday's Week 320/321 Anything Goes challenge

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge:  Anything Goes

Geometric Watercoloring

October and November are infamously known in my family as "birthday season".  We have quite a few individuals who celebrate during this fun time of the year so I typically need to make a few cards, many masculine themed.  I used a geometric background stamp to white emboss some watercolor paper.  I the filled in the sections with Mission Gold watercolor paint.  Such a simple design, but very effective.

Inside, a simple sentiment.  One down, a few more to go!

A Happy Birthday Card

Brandy shared this creation with me and so I get to share it with you.  This card was created using MFT's Die-namics Blueprint 26 die set.  She created the white cardstock patterned paper using Distress Inks and various sequins.   So fun,  festive and happy!

We're off to Flagstaff today to drop my daughter at NAU to start her college days.   Exciting,  bittersweet and joyful.   She's ready and I'm hoping these next years fill her with confidence,  knowledge and a strong sense of who God made her to be.

Andie for  

Happiest of Birthdays - A Card

I decided to use some of the supplies that Brandy graced me with on National Scrapbook Day.  This card is a result of that effort.  I used an Our Daily Bread Designs set of dies to make the stacking, lacy frame for my stamped sentiment focal point.  The gold foil over green is washi tape - so chic!

On the inside, a simple sentiment with some more matching washi tape for accent.  A fun, quick card that makes me enjoy my gifts all the more.

Birthday Wishes

So, Brandy's birthday is in March.  I'm such a bad friend - or we're so busy with trips out of town for work, etc. - that we just recently got together to celebrate her birthday.  I had saved this card and the post showing the card off because Brandy checks in on my projects and I didn't want her to see this ahead of time.

Here's the details on the card:

• The frames were die cut using my Our Daily Bread Designs Vintage Borders dies.  I used coordinating patterned paper so that all the papers go together.
• The flowers were mad from white cardstock stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa ink and edged with pink ink only at the tips.  I wet the cardstock before shaping and used the stylus to get this cool shape - love it!
• The leaves were stamped with Chartreuse Papertrey Ink onto white cardstock and then I sponged more green onto the leaves after.  They were shaped with dry paper.  
• Various white and pink cardstock die cuts fill in the background - most from my Our Daily Bread Designs Leaves and Branches dies.
• Patterned paper butterfly die cut using my Prickly Pear Mini Butterflies die.  

On the inside - a simple sentiment and a pretty little butterfly cut from coordinating patterned paper.  I'm over the moon how this turned out for my bestie.  Along with a small token of my esteem and though we were late to celebrate, I'm hoping she knows how very special she is.

We're right in the middle of celebrating and anticipating the graduation ceremony Wednesday this week.  My crafting time is now focused on packing for our vacation.  I intend to take some leisure watercolor projects with me on the trip - something to keep my hands busy in the early morning when I'm awake before anyone else.  I've a few photos of cards made that need to post, so I'm going to fill blank spaces this week with trying to post those and prepare to leave.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

SSS Little Critters because my card contains butterflies

Word Art Wednesday's Challenge 284/285: Anything Goes

and the new to me Creative Stamp Challenge Challenge 14: Flowers

Happy Birthday Shaker Card

So, this is a little story about a free gift at the CK Scrapbook convention.  It is no secret that they give away a prize to all or nearly all attendees to their crop nights.  This year, one of the gifts that Brandy won was a set of Queen and Co. Foam Front Shaker Kits.  She kept one of the three and I took the other two.

I decided to use up this stuff in the stash.  This card was made from the Window Foam Front Shaker Kit.  We've been pretty honest on this blog - plugging the products that we love because we use them over and over.  In the case of this shaker card kit - I can say I was decidedly underwhelmed!  Everything comes precut - the foam pieces , a die cut cardstock window to use on top of the foam, everything.  My beef with it all is the fact that the kit isn't precise.  I will own my own kind of control freak when it comes to crafting - things need to be symmetrical and neat.  This was neither.  You can see if you look close the imperfection in how the cardstock die cut (here I colored blue to match the theme of my card) matches to the white foam that creates the shaker window.  You might say that this is because the die cut is upside down or rotated 180 degrees.  You'd be wrong as I tried my level best to get that sucker on there straight.  Also - the outside rectangles - the foam piece, the die cut cardstock front and the acetate to cover the shaker windows - all were different sizes.  This required a trimming of all to match - but I didn't discover this until the shaker was together so I couldn't simply use my paper trimmer.  You can see the slight "roughness" on the upper right edge of the card where my trimming wasn't so exacting.

The price point is pretty great - running around $2.99 retail.  Not terribly expensive and for the novice or someone who doesn't own dies to use to make these kinds of shaker windows - maybe worth it.  However, I have made many shaker cards in the past.  Though my fronts are limited to the dies I own, the end result when I die cut myself is that everything fits together as I make it.  This was unnecessarily complicated (for me) by the necessary trim/adjustments that were required.

Still, a cute card was made and I intend to use this to great effect on a masculine birthday card need that I have.  So, all in all worth it from a giveaway standpoint, but I don't think I'd even spend $2.99 to buy the kit if I saw it on the shelf.  I have one more kit to use and will try to make that work soon just so I use both up without having the second and last one sitting in the stash for too long.

Hope your week is going well and that you are finding a reason to use that stuff in your stash.

Happiest of Birthdays

I'm sharing this faux watercolor card with you created using my Art Impressions stamps.  The flowers  and grass are made using the Foliage stamp set and the bucket was made using their Containers stamp.  Their stuff is so easy to work with, this card flew together in a flash.  They have wonderful tutorials on how to use their products over at their Youtube channel.  I simply followed the video which outlines how to use these stamps!  Go ahead, give it a try.  They are easy to use and create a beautiful result.  A couple of pattered papers and a sentiment stamp and this card is done!

Presents and Cake and Balloons, Oh My!

I have the distinct please of sharing this Birthday card with you today.  Brandy used the We R Memory Keepers Next Level Circle Embossing folder to make that colorful background.  After that, it was simply a matter of coloring with the Copic markers and adding a bit of Wink of Stella shimmer to the cake, candles and presents.  Brandy mentioned she had to slow down a bit on the sequin accents.  I just love the whole creation - the color combination, the ink blending and the reflection captured on the balloons.  All fantastic.

What have you been doing that's fantastic?  I think I've finally caught up with my blog visiting after my bout with the flu.  It was a fantastic glimpse at what you've been doing.  We rock!

I'm linking this creation up at the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Let's Do the Polka
Word Art Wednesday's Challenge 226/227 - Anything Goes

Come join the fun!

Happy Birthday Tweety Bird!

 I had a need for a quick birthday card so I swooped in to grab some birds and this branch from a pile of pre-colored and cut pieces.  The paper in the background comes from a decades old paper pad that has been lingering in the stash.  I hate to say it, but this only consumed 1/2 of two different sheets - enough to make more cards!

Still, I'm so pleased with the color match on this card - it really turned out.  All the coloring was accomplished with some Pallette paper, Prima Oil Pastels and a watercolor brush.  I simply colored the crayons onto the pallette paper and used water to pick up and distribute the color.  Isn't it fantastic?

A short and sweet sentiment on the inside to finish this card off.  It was a ton of fun to make, even on short notice.  What's been hanging around too long in your craft room that needs to be converted to a beautiful card?

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.

A Tasty Treat for Your Birthday

Brandy shared this photo of a card she made and it was so yummy I couldn't wait to share with you.  Brandy colored the image with her Tombow markers.   Lots of care and energy went into this lovely card.   I just love the vibrant colors of the markers.  She asked me if there were too many sequins.   My response was to ask, can you have too many sequins?   What do you think?

I'm linking this up to Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge Simon Says food and/or Drink and Word Art Wednesday's Challenge #196 Anything Goes.  Come join the fun.

ETA:  I've linked up to Double Click challenge Thank You Cherry Much : Use Food.