Boatloads of Love

I've been having a lot of fun with "Boatloads of Love" the past few days. I started out with the smaller (one boat) image and then when I went to put it on the card, I wanted to use the sentiment "I'm pulling for you." to send to my friend Mike who just lost his job after 10+ years at Disneyland, and I realized that that sentiment didn't make much sense with just the one boat, so I started over with the 2 boats hooked together. That obviously led to a much bigger card/ layout so that card grew to a full size 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 size card (1 piece of cardstock folded in half.

The one image card turned into Taylor's Cupcake Sketch: TECC61, (www.tayloredexpressions.blogspot.com) using Real Red and Bordering Blue and Bordering Blue designer paper from the Saleabration Set. The main image is stamped with black craft ink and embossed with black embossing powder (both cards) which made coloring so much easier and makes it really POP when you see it. This card is also part of the Stamp Simply #80 challenge "Let's Forget the Rules" http://notimetostamp.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/ Take a close look and you'll notice: white gel pen dots around the red cardstock, white gel pen doodles on the scalloped circle punch, black faux stitching on the main image, crystal effects on the water and the life preservers, silver pen on the anchor, and a stipe of white ribbon to add to the "nautical" look. I love that bordering blue color. I don't use it nearly enough and I love the way it looks with red and white!

The larger card uses Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, and More Mustard Cardstock, East Coast Prep designer paper. The "I'm pulling for you" sentiment is punched out with the circle punch, and mounted on the round tab punch on the side of the stamped image. There is also paper piercing around the turquoise layer, silver brads in the corners, and some red and turquoise ribbon. The main image has crystal effects on the water and life savers on the side of the boat, some silver pen on the anchor, paper piecing on the heart inside the 2nd boat and the puffs of smoke coming out of the smokestack are double stamped and mounted on tiny little pieces of dimentionals. I don't think I've ever worked so long on 2 cards as I did these, but I had so much FUN!

Cards for Kristin

A few weeks ago, our very sweet, wonderful, talented pastor's wife, and friend, Kristin, took some amazing photos of my daughter Emily for her headshots she needed for an audition. Here is a link to Kristin's blog and the post with Emily's pictures. (Look for the Feb. 22 and the Feb. 24 posts... several amazing pictures of Emily in both posts) http://kristineldridge.com/blog/?p=1043

I've been wanting to do something extra special for Kristin, so I decided to make her a set of notecards that she can hopefully use when corresponding with her clients. There are 6 cards and even though they all use Wild Wasabi and Not Quite Navy Cardstock, along with Porcelain Prints Designer Series Paper, they are each individually unique. Each card also uses the monogram from "Just Right Stampers."

Now I just need to go out and find some ivory colored envelopes before packaging up the whole set so I can give them to her on Sunday. I'll be back tomorrow to share some fun cards I made with "Boatloads of Love." I've had a bad sore throat for a few days, and have missed a lot of work, but I sure have enjoyed my stamping time!

Here's What Happens

.... when you combine a sore throat, a few sick days home from work, and a big box of brand new supplies from Stamp Club (I'm in Jami's once a month Stamp Club and it was my turn to earn the hostess rewards... can you say SCORE!?!?) All that equals a bunch of new cards!

Here's what I've been working on..

Card #1: from the Level 3 Hostess set called "Hand Drawn Bundle" which comes with adorable paper, 4 stamps, and 2 huge sheets of rub-ons. I love it! Super easy to create! I think this would be something good to pack when you're going on a trip and want to take some stamping fun with you, since the paper and stamps and rubons already match. Just throw in a few stamp pads and some Riding Hood Red and Baja Breeze and White cardstock, and you've got yourself a party!.

Card #2 also uses Riding Hood Red cardstock and the Designer Paper: "Bella Rose." Another new toy I got in my order was the Jumbo Wheel called "Friendly Words." Isn't it cool? The little Thank You stamp is a single stamp from page 208 of the caty, which you can actually get for FREE right now if you spend $40 from the new occassions mini. I used my Marvy Square Scalloped punch, and since I didn't have multiple sizes of this punch, I just layered the Kiwi square's underneath the Riding Hood Red Square.

Card #3 uses a set I've been craving for a long time: Garden Whimsey. The card is CASED from a card we did at Jami's Club last year and I've been hanging on to it ever since. Here's Jami's original: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/648273?cat=500&ppuser=5896&perpage=96

Mine uses Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, and Wild Wasabi paper as well as some More Mustard Ink, and East Coast Prep Paper (retired) and Wild Wasabi striped ribbon.

Thanks for stopping by.... time to go back and dig a little deeper in that magical box. Stop back tomorrow for a look at a beautiful set of cards I made for a wonderful friend. Have a great day!

Elegant Wedding Shower

My friends at work and I are giving a bridal shower next week for our Youth Pastor's Bride-to-be, Lauren. We're going with a red rose theme... elegant and classic. Here are the invitations and the wedding dress favors.

The invitations are made with SU Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White, and vellum, as well as the rose paper from "The Paper Factory." The scalloped trim is made from a pearlized shimmery paper from Michaels, punched with the Martha Stewart lace punch. The beautiful red swirly ribbon is from the TayloredExpressions store! I love it... it adds just the elegance I was looking for. The Bible verse, I Corinthians 13 is from the SU set, "Elegant Inspirations." This is a pocket card and the actual invitation was printed on regular white cardstock, front and back, and then the corners were rounded with the corner rounder, with a black sheer ribbon on the top, attached through a round 1" circle folded over the top.

The wedding dress favors are also from Taylor's store... they come flat, and I found them quite easy to stamp on and fold up. I used some swirly stamps I believe I got at Michael's, with Real Red ink and more of the swirly red ribbon. Inside the dresses are a few pieces of Dove Chocolate. Then I folded in the side and attached them together with a dimentional. I'll be sure to post some photos in a few days of the shower, so you can see the whole thing all put together. My friend Michelle is doing the flower centerpieces, so it's going to be gorgeous!

(Basic) Grey Whale

It was fun to get out this set for use in Taylor's Challenge this week (TECC60)... Pun Fun from SU! Whale was stamped in black staz-on, then water colored. The papers are "Two Scoops" from Basic Grey, and the cardstock is Wild Wasabi, Bordering Blue, and Not Quite Navy. Marvy punches are used for the focal image, some dark gray ribbon, some blue-ish gray brads, and a few small hole punches around the scalloped image. Love these colors together, don't you! Thanks for stopping by. I'm headed off to my nephew's 4th Birthday party this afternoon. ROAR! I'll be back tomorrow to share a dinosaur card I made for him for his "Roar... Josh is turning four party!"

Treasure Box

From the tutorial that Jenn Balcer and Lynn in St. Louis posted on Splitcoast a few weeks ago. The only problem I had was getting the piece of cardstock to feed through my printer, but other than that, it was pretty easy. The DP is from Die Cuts with a View and the stamped image is "Merci" from Stampin Up! The twill ribbon is from TayloredExpressions. It's super easy. Try it! The butterfly is cut out, bent a little bit and glued on with sticky strip. The butterfly, heart and flower also have lots of "stickles" on them, as well as a row of stickle dots around the front scalloped piece. I wanted to pick up on the sparkle patterns in the DP.

Here is the link for the pattern and instructions, by "Lynn in St. Louis" on Splitcoast. http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=419606

A Little Punchy!

Here's something simple but fun for you today. A card made with almost all PUNCHES.... Circle punches of several sizes, scalloped circle punch, and oval punch. The "Just Because" sentiment is from"My Favorite Things." I love the fonts they use on their stamps! The background on the Gable Green layer is a wheel stamp called "Kindness." Youa could totally change up the feel of this card by using soft pastels, all black and white, etc. A fun card for kids to make too! Happy St. Patricks Day... watch out for all that green beer!

Thanks a Latte!

I love making coffee cards and sending them to my many friends who LOVE their coffee or tea. So when I sat down late last night to look for some images to play with for Taylor's sketch this week, these coffee cups from My Favorite Things just practically stamped themselves! I used watercolor paper, brown stazon, and an aquapainter and ink from the stamp pad lids of: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, and Pixie Pink.

The Designer Paper is "Sweet Always" from SU! and the twill ribbon is from TayloredExpressions store. I've also added some "Queen & Co." brads in the corners. Here's a closer view to show the watercoloring. Thanks Taylor for a super fun sketch! I'm hoping to find a little more time this weekend to make another one... I have some ladybugs just waiting to come out and play!