Last Birthday Card until November!!!

This is the last birthday card I need to make until November.  My entire immediate family all have birthdays in January through July, except for one!

This one is for my mother-in-law who will turn 89 this week.  She loves pink and she loves all flowers, so combining the two along with a couple of simple images from Elegant Edges and Create a Critter along with some pearls, this is what I came up with.  I confess that it took me a week to do this card, primarily because version #1 got tossed in the trash when it was just about finished.  I didn't like it.  Version #2 turned out so much better.

The card base is 5.75w x 5.75h.  Using the frame from Elegant Edges at 5.5w x 5.5h and a Scallop (also from EE)  at 4.5w and 4.29h, I welded the Scallop inside the frame.  Saving the circle cut from inside the scallop, I used that as a template for placing the pearls.  The leaves were cut from Create a Critter at 1.9w x 3.0h.  I stamped the birthday sentiment on off-white shimmer paper and cut to fit inside the pearls, then added the leaves and some Recollection flowers I had in my stash..

With the birthday cards out of the way for awhile, now I can focus on some other projects churning around in my head.  Thanks for stopping by!

Mixed Media - A new addiction???

After weeks of seeing some beautiful artwork by my Circle sister Barbara, I decided to try my hand at a mixed media project.  I picked a simple tag, 3 1/4 x 5".  I used plain creme cardstock.  Ranger ink distress colors were stormy sky, crushed olive, victorian velvet and a little wild honey. 

I first cut the birds from Celebrate with Flourish at 1.94 x 3.  Save the negative mask.  Temporarily adhere the bird on the tag wherever you want it.

Working with one color at a time, lightest to darkest, I rubbed the ink using a circular motion onto the cardstock in a random pattern using blending foam.  Remove the birds and mist the tag with water.  Set it with the heat tool.  Put the bird back on the tag in the original position and stamp the tag with your choice of stamp(s)/ink colors.  I used a Tim Holtz clock.  Let dry.  Remove the bird and place the negative mask over the spot and using a contrasting ink, stamp the negative space.  Set an eyelet (I coated a gold colored one with alcohol ink) and fnish with ribbon or twine of your choice.

I printed the words on the same type of creme cardstock using Courier New font.  I cut them out and inked with the wild honey ink and adhered to the cards.

This tag took me much less time than making a card and I've got tons of ideas in my head.  I think I'm going to have to get some more stamps though!

Cricut Circle Blog Weekly Challenge

When I saw this week's Circle Blog challenge, I decided it was a good excuse to start building up my stash of cards to keep on hand.  It always seems that when I really need a card for something, I'm really busy at work or with life, so it will be good to have this stash. 

The challenge is to create a card using a sketch and at least 2 cricut cuts.  I didn't really have a card type in mind, so I just started going through some of my handbooks and stumbled across and oldy but goody.  Simply Charmed!  I just loved these little strawberries, so a Thank You (or Thinking of You) card was born.  I spruced up the cuts with some inking and a little acrylic paint, using paper from my stash.  It was really quite simple to do (given the sketch) and hope to add to my collection in the near future.  Enjoy!

Birthdays in July

July is birthday month for two special people in my life.  The first in my "surrogate" daughter.  She is my daughter's BFF and is celebrating the big 30 this year, so I wanted to create a very special card for her.  She loves all things nature, so I felt the butterflies would be a great choice.  I used Kate's ABCs for the cuts for this card.  I added some glossy accents to the base cut of the butterflies.  The butterfly wings were run through my cuttlebug using the small dots folder.  The sentiment at the top was stamped and some mint green jewels added.  Hope you enjoy!

Next, I need to work on the card for my MIL who will be turning 89 this year, so stay tuned!

Lazy Days of Summer

The last couple of weeks have been hectic around here, so I haven't had much time to be crafty.  David and I took a 2 day trip to Gettysburg just for fun and had a great horseback ride of the battlefields.

Two days after we returned, the great derecho storm of 2012 hit our area and we were without power for a couple of days during one of the hottest stretches I can remember.

Once the power was restored, my daughter's BFF and boyfriend came to stay for a few days.  It was good seeing her again and my granddaughter was thrilled to have someone new to tell her stories to.

I've got two birthdays to make cards for this month, so I need to find my mojo soon.  One is for my mother-in-law who will be turning 89 at the end of the month.  So stay tuned....they'll be coming soon!