More on the Mother's Day Theme

Oh how I love my Altenew Peony Bouquet stamp and dies.  Of all my layering flower stamp sets, this set is the easiest to use and get the best results.  This card turned out exactly as I visioned it.  The background die was cut using my Heartfelt Creations Raindrops on Roses die - now retired.  I used the faux metal technique, which has become a go-to, too create the shiny gold die cut.  I added gold glitter watercolor splatters using my Zig Starry Colors.

Some gold sequins finish off this card,  Of all the cards, this was my favorite to make - because the stamp set is so fun, because I always love the watercolor and because gold and a rose pink is really working on me recently.

Here's hoping your mother's day card making endeavors are going well!

Word Art Wednesday's Challenge 280/281 Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp's Simon Says A Hint of Pink

A Second Tea

Um, yeah.  I am absolutely in love with my new Papertrey Ink Tea for Two stamp and die set.  I used a similar layout to create this card as the previous card.  Here's the details:

• The teapot was die cut out onto white cardstock and the outline stamped with black Archival Ink.  The pattern was stamped with the coordinating stamp using Worn Lipstick Distress Ink.  I really loaded the stamp with ink to get this deep color from Worn Lipstick.  Worth it!
• The lace is a white cardstock die cut using my Heartfelt Creations Raindrops on Roses die.  
• The teeny flowers were cut from pink cardstock scraps using my IO Spiral Flowers die and complementary Leaf Cluster die.  The centers of the flower is Tu Tu Pink prills.  
• The sentiment was stamped with black Archival Ink (I used a sticky note to cover up the "mother's" part) and a second stamping with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink (this time using a sticky note to cover the "happy" and "day" parts).
• A piece of glittery, gold ribbon was added to the card which really sets off the patterned paper in the background.  

Isn't it fun when a tool or stamp catches your imagination.  Not sure if I'm done yet, but I might need to move on to other projects...

Mother's Day Tea

Getting ready for the big day next month and using my new Papertrey Ink Tea for Two stamp and die set.  Truly, the patterned paper with the stamp and die resulted in this card flying together on it's own.  Here's the details:

• The teapot was die cut out onto white cardstock and the outline stamped with black Archival Ink.  The pattern was stamped with the coordinating stamp using Peacock Feathers Distress Ink.  Oh my but I love the finished look.
• The lace is a white cardstock die cut using my Heartfelt Creations Raindrops on Roses die.  
• The teeny flowers were cut from pink cardstock scraps using my IO Spiral Flowers die and complementary Leaf Cluster die.  
• The sentiment was stamped with black Archival Ink (I used a sticky note to cover up the "mother's" part) and a second stamping with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink (this time using a sticky note to cover the "happy" and "day" parts).  Shore do love this effect.  Gonna keep that in the back pocket...

This will go out next month when we'll be grateful to celebrate the mom's in our lives.  Until then, I think I'll use this as inspiration!

Another Goodbye Card

Stopping by today to share another retirement card for a co-worker.  I once again returned to the Heartfelt Creations Once Upon a Time collection to make this card special.  Here's the details of the card:

• All the patterned papers are Heartfelt Creations Once Upon a Time collection.  I fussy cut the green swirl out of a piece of the patterned paper.  
• The flowers are Arianna Blooms which I've clear embossed onto mauve cardstock and then die cut.  I used the paper shaping technique featured in this video and then finished them with a pearl accent.  
• The sentiments are the tags that come in the paper pack which I matched with green pattern paper leaves die cut using the Arianna Lace die.
• A white cardstock die cut using my Raindrops on Roses die creates the medallion backdrop for the flowers.  
• I used my distressing tool to nick the paper in strategic locations around the layers.  I really like this look as it adds a bit of interest without a lot of effort.

This card was for a different Barb who also spent several decades at my company.  I am hoping this finds her happily sipping a cocktail!

I've entered this card into Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge: Anything Lady/Girly and the Shabby Tea Room's challenge: Pop of Pink.  I also linked up with Word Art Wednesday's Challenge #173: Anything Goes.  Come join the fun or just stop by to see some wonderful inspiration.

Saying Goodbye to a CoWorker

I started a new job last year and found that many of my co-workers have been at this company for more than a decade.  It wasn't too long before a few of them decided that retirement was for them.  Since I had made my boss' day card, I was soon asked to make a card for those leaving.  This resulted in a string of requests that I am working feverishly to fulfill.  Enthusiastically, feverishly!

This card was made for a lovely young lady whose last day was yesterday.  We sent her off with well wishes hoping that her hard earned retirement will be satisfying and productive, just in a new way. She had been with the company since the start 30 years ago.  Here's the details of the card:

• All the patterned papers are Heartfelt Creations Once Upon a Time collection.  I used one of the card toppers for the top layer of the card and some of the patterned papers for the layers.
• The flowers are Arianna Blooms which I've clear embossed onto mauve cardstock and then die cut.  they are finished with some Vintage Photo Distress ink which was resisted by the clear emboss and the centers are finished with A Penny Saved prills.    
• The sentiment is one of the tags that come in the paper pack which I matched with green leaves die cuts.  The leaves are also edged with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
• A cream cardstock die cut using my Raindrops on Roses die which I cut in half and affixed to the top and bottom finishes the card nicely.  

Wishing Barb all the best on her coming adventures.

I'm  entering this in Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge: No Rules!  and the Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes and over at Word Art Wednesday: Challenge #172: Anything Goes.  Come join the fun!

The Best Way to Say Thank You

Krystallos Glass Shard glitter

I have to say that I really like how this card turned out. However, the reason is mostly that fabulous pattered paper and less about how I put the pieces together. Here's the details:

• Patterned paper from MME's The Sweetest Thing Lavender.  
• Heartfelt Creations Sun Kissed Fleur stamped in charcoal archival ink and die cut.  The flowers are colored with Scattered Straw Distress Ink and the leaves are colored with Peeled Paint Distress ink.  The centers are Berry Nice prills and a little Krystallos Glass Shard glitter around the flowers to add a little bling.  
• The medallion is cut using my Heartfelt Creations Raindrops on Roses die from yellow cardstock.  
• The sentiment was printed using my computer and die cut using my Labels 18 die. 

Oooh, I can't wait to send this pretty out to someone special.  I hope you are finding ways to make the things that encourage and inspire you.

My Kind of Ladies Night Out!

I have been facilitating a women's book club for the ladies Bible study group.  We typically try to have something to meet over in the summer where everyone doesn't feel compelled to come since vacations and schedules are a little more erratic.  After we finished our first book, First Light by Brock and Brodie Thoene, we wanted to have a little party where we unleash our compassion (think about others rather than nurturing ourselves).  I suggested a card making party.  Two of us have Compassion kids and so the focus would be for the ladies to create a card and then write a note to our kids to send encouragement and love around the world.   If you haven't heard about Compassion International and their pen pal program, click the link.  It is a wonderful blessing to so many impoverished kids around the world.

This post is filled with the beautiful creations of the ladies.  So many of them had never made a card before.  You'll see an assortment of my supplies- I provided precut die cuts and the ink and stamp sets.  It worked out great, don't you think?



I had a fair bit of Heartfelt Creations Sun-kissed Fleurs already die cut and colored.  Some with copper stamp paint like this one, the others with Peacock Feathers, Ripe Persimmons and Scattered Straw Distress Ink.  

























Others had frames from my ODBD Ornate Borders and Flowers and lacey die cuts using my Heartfelt Creations Raindrops on Roses die.














Apologies for the photos- they had to be taken under artificial light because these cards didn't come home with me and we met at night.  Still, you get to see their lovely creations.


























All the ladies really enjoyed themselves creating and laughing and sharing together.  It was a lovely night that I think everyone enjoyed.  Who knows, it might lead to other such nights for different purposes.  As always, I'm out there spreading the "contagious" enthusiasm for creating.  I challenge you to pass it on!

Happily Ever After

This is an anniversary card I made last month for a dear couple that Dan and I have regular Bible study with.  I believe it was somewhere near 37 years of marriage that needed celebrating and so I dreamed up this soft confection so that the day would not be missed.  Here's the details:

• The paper is from Heartfelt's Raindrops on Roses paper pad.  Yikes, this stuff is so good I feel a small whiff of sadness to see it go... then I get over myself when I look at the amount of paper in the pad and on my shelves (notice the use of the plural!).
• I stamped the border on the bottom in green pigment ink using my Summer Season border stamp.  It sorta matches the preprinted border at the top of the page.  I needed it for balance- the card might not have needed it...
• I cut the lacy medallion Raindrops on Roses die out of coordinating pink paper and then cut it in half, mounting behind my stamped sentiment. 
• The sentiment frame was stamped in brown Archival Ink using my Stamping Up Apothecary Art stamp.  The sentiment stamped with my All Occasion Banners stamp in the same ink.  I colored all the leaves with Peeled Paint and Shabby Shutters Distress Markers.  
• The tiny flowers were cut out of coordinating pink patterned paper using my IO Spiral Flowers die.  The centers of the flowers were filled with a Viva Decor Pearl Pen. 

A few pearl accents on the lacy die cut and we're done!   I really do like how this turned out and it makes me smile that my two lovely friends have something beautiful to tell them how special marriage is.  I'm struggling through some life change right now (hence the week long departure from posting).  Usually crafting is my way to unwind.  I've been crafting, it's just getting to the posting with all my other commitments right now.  I'm going to make more effort to catch up and share with you.  I'll also catch up on your happenings more regularly as well.  My return to normal will be my witness how much I appreciate the online community.  See you on your blogs soon!

He is Risen Indeed

Happy Easter!  Today is the day that we celebrate our risen Lord, Jesus Christ.  Today is the day we honor Him for His sacrifice on the cross where He did what I couldn't do for myself.  Now that is reason to celebrate.

I had seen this sentiment stamp in a craft magazine over a year ago.  I couldn't justify the purchase at the time (budget, shipping costs, etc.).  Almost a year later, a sale pretty much wiped out the shipping costs and I decided to take the plunge.  I almost couldn't wait to create a card for Easter with it.  Here's the detail on this card:

Patterned paper is Stampin' Up's Attic Boutique.  The paper doesn't have an ounce of glitter on it- that pattern simply creates a brightness that tricks the eye.  I found it perfect on this card.

The green cardstock was cut using my Heartfelt Creations Raindrops on Roses die.  

The flowers were first stamped with my Heartfelt Creations Sun Kissed Fleur stamps and then cut using the matching die.  I used a yellow Close to My Heart stamp pad.  I shaped the flowers, sometimes choosing to shape the center and other times using a pearl accent.  

I left the inside blank to hand write a sentiment on the inside before sending them out to family.  Ultimately, I made five of these cards.  I hope that you are celebrating with family and friends this day.  We will start our day at sunrise with friends in a intimate backyard celebration looking back at the dawning of that first Easter morning.  

He was despised and rejected by men;
    a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.

                                                          Isaiah 53:3-5

Praying the healing that can only come through the Son of God for all of you this Easter morning.

An Encouraging Sign

Work has been filled with stress lately- pressure to get things done, pressure because things aren't going right... all kinds of pressure.  I've been doing my best to ward of the inevitable lapse in creativity that often comes with this kind of pressure.  One way was to sit down (after making no time to craft at all this weekend) and make this sign for my desk.  The quote comes from a lecture given in 1976 by Clyde Kilby.  It's like he knew what kind of being I would become and decided to make me a list (I like lists!).  Of course, he didn't know me and wouldn't necessarily know what I'd become- just that we are all so similar.  There's comfort in that too.

The quote was created using Word. I have previously spoken about the process I use to create this kind of word art.  I found a tutorial on the web that explains how to use the text box feature.  I use all these methods for my word art.  Here's an image that shows the text boxes used to create the quote:

I used four different boxes set to "No Fill" and "No Line" so that when they overlap they don't obscure the box next to it.  I simply play around with font type and size until I get a feeling that the quote looks like art.  I'm not super pleased with the "forget" box placement here- a little too high.  However, I didn't notice until I had the project together.  After everything is just right, I print out the quote onto white cardstock to make the frame.  Here's the other details on the project:

• The quote frame was cut using my Spellbinders Labels 18 die and then some Worn Lipstick Distress Ink was applied using my Ink Blending Tool while the die was still in place around the cut.  
• The flowers were cut out of the MME Ooh La La 6 x 6 paper pad using my Tattered Blossoms dies. I used a combination of pearl accents and flower shaping techniques to shape and 3d those flowers.  
• The light green lattice die cut was made using my Heartfelt Creations Raindrops on Roses die.  
• The leaves are a combination of Holly Berry stamped and die cut leaves that I distressed with Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo Distress Inks and from my Our Daily Bread Designs Fancy Foliage, Spellbinders Foliage and some other dies I've long since forgotten where they came from.
• The background dark green was punched using my Mini-8 Flower punch and edged with a little Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
• A little pink vintage seem binding bow finishes off the top and a couple of pearl swirl accents add some depth to the project.    

What do you think?  Should I forget about myself and get back to work?  I'm going to take that to heart and try to set aside some crafting time this weekend.  Crafting can be the best kind of work, yes?

I'm linking this project up over at the Shabby Tea Room's Week #212: Pretty in Pink challenge, Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge: Anything Goes, and the Inspiration Journal's monthly challenge: A Few of My Favorite Things.   These are some of my favorite places to go and see inspiring creations that should light my creative fire.  Come join me!