My Favorite Things - Sketch Challenge #215

Having fun today with My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge #215!  

I started out with a beautiful color combination of my favorite shades of blue and gray with a crisp white.  The gray Bazzil cardstock has a beautiful shine to it that really adds to the beauty of the card. I added a little pattern on the side with stamping and I stenciled some tone on tone hearts with some Gesso.

I used the following supplies from:

My Favorite Things:

Staggered Hearts Stencil

1st Place Award Ribbon Die

Simon Says Stamp:

You Die

Expressions for You Stamp Set

Cardstock: Sea Glass

Hero Arts:

Tweed Stamp

Shadow Inks;  Tide Pool and Charcoal

Lil' Inker Designs:
Stitched Mats: Circles

I also used:

Gesso paste

sequins

silver foil cardstock

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Have a great weekend!

Red and Pink Valentine

I decided to jump in on Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge this week where the challenge is to use the colors red and pink in a card.  Hello....it's almost Valentine's Day so that is super easy for me!

I made this pretty card to send to my daughter Amber.

For this card I used the following supplies from:

Simon Says Stamp:

You Craft Die

My Favorite Things:

Pinstripe Background stamp

Accent It Celebrate Die-Namics

Lil' Inker Designs:

Of The Heart dies

Border Builders Die set

Stitched Mats: Rectangles

Supplies also used:

Hero Arts Shadow Ink:  Bubblegum

silver sequins

Have a great day!!

For a BFF turning fifty.

My very best friend turned 50 last week and I wanted to make her a special card to commemorate the occasion.  I've always loved cards that include the recipient's age.  It really seems to personalize the card a lot more and I think it makes a great keepsake for this particular birthday girl.  I mean, it's not every day a girl turns the big 5-0 right?

I wanted this card to be bright and clean so I kept the colors to a minimum and I didn't add any patterns.  I stayed with the same colors and theme throughout the card.  I took the extra step of inlaying all of the lettering on the word bubbles because I really love the affect.  

I added a decorated flap on the inside of the card to make it more unique and to add some interest.

The last page I just wanted to tease her a little about all those candles she has to blow out this year.  I thought I'd take advantage of all that space above the word bubble to add a bunch of stamped and diecut balloons.  I really had a great time with this card.

Happy Birthday Dusti!!!  I love you girl!

For this card I used the following supplies from:

My Favorite Things:

Delicious Birthday Stamps

Party Balloons Stamps and Die-Namics

TRANSFORMABLES Say Hello Die-Namics

Little Lowercase Letters Die-Namics

Little Numbers Die-Namics

  

Lil' Inker Designs:

Border Builders Die Set

Simon Says Stamp:

Cardstock:  Cotton Candy

I also used:

Kraft Cardstock

Hero Arts Shadow Inks: Butter Bar, Soft Pink, Pale Tomato, Tide Pool

We R Memory Keepers:  Corner Chomper

Sequins, white embroidery floss

MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #212

Here we are again, ready for another fun sketch challenge from My Favorite Things.

I decided to use this opportunity to make another Valentine.  I stamped some stripes on white cardstock and diecut and stamped some hearts to use in place of the oval.  I also used my new heart stencil from My Favorite Things to add a little texture with some Gesso paste.

I used the following supplies from:

My Favorite Things:

Heart Stax Die-Namics

Scallop Die-Namics

Staggered Hearts Stencil

Striped Backgrounds Stamp Set

Lil' Inker Designs:

Stitched Mat-Rectangles

Quilted Stitched Pattern Die

Technique Tuesday:

Love You Die

I also used:

Hero Arts Shadow Ink Pads:  Pale Tomato, Fresh Peach

Heart stamp by Stampology, Gesso texture paste, silver sequins, silver thread,

Tombow-mono multi glue and dimensional tape.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

MFT Color Challenge #14

It's time for another color challenge from My Favorite Things.  This time we're working with this beautiful color combination:

Aren't they beautiful?  I've been a little sick today but I wasn't about to let that stop me from making cards.  I did a little playing between naps and my "blah" moments.    I had to try this card a couple times to get the shade of blue right, (I blame it on my headache).    This is the card I am submitting into the challenge.  I went with a clean and simple design using my new Say Hello die from My Favorite Things.  I really love this die and I know I'll be using it a lot.  It seems like it will be a great die to use for my next batch of Operation Write Home cards.  If you look close you can see the blue has a quilted pattern.  A little touch of purple with the flower and sequin and then  I added the green strip across the bottom when I was finished because it just looked like it needed to be grounded a little.  I like the affect.

I used the following supplies from:

My Favorite Things:

Say Hello Die-Namics

Fresh Cut Flowers Die-Namics

Lil' Inker Designs:

Quilted Stitched Pattern Die

Stitched Mats - Rectangles dies

I also used:

Sequins, Tombow Mono multi glue, dimensional tape

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my cards today!

MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #211

I made this card for My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge #211 using this really cool sketch:

I used the following supplies from:

My Favorite Things;

Wood Plank Background stamp

Chevron Stripes Die-Namics

Many Thanks Die-Namics

Lightbulb Die-Namics

Striped Backgrounds stamps

Lil' Inker Designs;

Anytime Tags Die Set

Stitched Mat: Rectangles Die Set

I also used:

Hero Arts Shadow Ink pads: Wet Cement, Fresh Peach, Pale Tomato

Silver foil cardtock

silver sequins

And here is my card.  I've been drawn to the color yellow the last couple weeks.  I think the dreary winter weather is getting to me because I'm grasping for sunshine wherever I can get it.  

Thanks so much for stopping by, have a great weekend!!

Working with Watercolor

Today I decided to break out the watercolors and do a little practicing andexperimenting.  All of the wonderful tutorials out there make it look so easy.  Maybe for an artist it is, but for a perfectionist it can be a little frustrating.   My experience with watercolors is that it can sometimes take on a mind of it's own.  You have to have patience waiting for the colors to dry.  It's very easy to over saturate the paper with color.  

I decided to keep with a simple, soft backdrop that would work well for Thinking of You cards or Sympathy cards.  Something with kind of a dreamy, soothing feel to them.  I made them all a little different, matted and embossed them for a more formal look and added a dimensional element for a little interest.

Thanks for stopping by!

MFT Color Challenge #13

Hi everyone!  This is my first time participating in MFT's Color Challenge and this one was so fun, involving some of my favorite colors!

  

When I look at these colors I think of two words....Happy......and Birthday!  So I decided to use a new stamp set that I just got in the mail today to whip up a birthday card.  I started by diecutting a couple of the balloons out of the cardbase and inset them by raising the base up with dimensional tape.   I thought it added a little more interest to the card.  I stamped the  fun confetti background with some random stamps from a couple stamp sets.

For this card I used the following supplies from:

My Favorite Things:

Celebrate Big stamp set

Party Balloons stamp set

Party Balloons dies

Lil' Inker Designs:

Balloon Strings die

Stitched Mats; Rectangles

Mama Elephant:

Confetti stamp set

Hero Arts Shadow Ink:  Pale Tomato, Tide Pool, Butter Bar and Green Hills.

Unfortunately I don't have these particular ink colors yet so I had to wing it as close as I could using some of my Hero Arts Shadow Inks.  I really want to say though,  I am so happy with my new Party Balloons stamp and die sets from My Favorite Things.    I was pleasangly surprised to see how big that stamp set is.  You really get a lot of bang for your buck!  The actual stamps come on an 

8"x 6" sheet and the largest balloons are 2" tall.  I don't think I've ever bought a stamp set that was so big.  I took this picture just to show you.  The card I made is A2 size (4.25 x 5.5").  It looks little next to that big set of stamps.  I really love it so much  and I just know I'll be using it a lot for my birthday cards.

Thanks for stopping by!

MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #210

I made this card for My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge #210 using this awesome sketch:

I used the following supplies from:

My Favorite Things:

Watts Up stamp set

Lightbulb Die-Namics

Fine Chevron Background stamp

Pinking Edge Circle STAX Die-Namics

Lil' Inker Designs:

Sunshine Die - Large

Simon Says Stamp:

You die

I also used:

Inks:  Hero Arts Shadow ink; Butter Bar.  Memento Tuxedo Black

W R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper
Wink of Stella shimmer pen
Silver foil cardstock
white vellum (lightbulb)

silver sequins

And here is my bright, cheerful card using this really cute lightbulb die.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday Cards

I was finally able to spend some time this afternoon trying out a few of my new supplies.  I just love locking myself in my craftroom on a cold, snowy Sunday afternoon, turning on some reruns of Mike & Molly and just going to town with my stamps and dies.  Here's what I came up with.

This is my first time using this cut out banner die.  When I bought it I had it in my mind to use it as a backdrop for these cake dies or maybe some balloons. So fun!

My Favorite Things:  Bring on The Cake die, Pinking Edge Die, Delicious Birthday Stamps.

We R Memory Keepers:  Cut Out Banners die

Lil' Inkers Designs:  Bunnies & Bows dies, Stitched Mats Rectangles

Hero Arts Shadow Ink: Cup O Joe

Pink and yellow sequins

Usually when I make a birthday card I think of bright, festive colors.  I decided to try some softer colors for this one.  It turned out pretty but I don't think I'll be changing my preferences.  I just think a birthday card should send a more loud, bold birthday message.

My Favorite Things: Textile Rectangle Frame die, Textile Rectangle Sentiments,  

Delicious Birthday Stamps, Striped Backgrounds.

Lil' Inker Designs: Balloon String Die

Avery Elle:  Balloons Stamps, Balloons dies

Inks:  MFT Hybrid Berrylicious, Hybrid Pink Lemonade, Hero Arts Shadow ink Wet Cement

Clear sequins

This striped background stamp is so fun to work with!  I just want to make more cards with stripes!

My Favorite Things: Striped Backgrounds stamps

Lil' Inker Designs: Stitched Mats Rectangles dies, Of the Heart dies, Thanks Word Die.

Winnie & Walter:  Big Bold You Stamps

Ink:  Hero Arts Butter Bar, Memento Tuxedo Black

Red felt

I stamped this "Fabulous" over this fun stamp set.  Now these are festive colors!!

This card and the one below are made with:

My Favorte Things:  Striped Backgrounds stamps

Lil' Inker Designs:  Stitched Mats Rectangles dies, Spot On Stamps

Ink:  Hero Arts Shadow Ink Butter Bar, Pale Tomato and Orange Soda, Memento Tuxedo Black

Technique Tuesday:  Fabulous Die used on the card below

Sequins: silver and black

Glossy Accents

Then I decided to try it again only this time I used this "fabulous" die in layers to pop a little.  Fun, fun!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Getting Sketchy with MFT #209

It's sketchy time again!  Here's this week's sketch from My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club #209:

For my card I used the following supplies from:

My Favorite Things

Balloon Banner Greetings Stamp set

Balloon Banner Greetings dies

Hybrid Berrylicious ink pad

Pinstripe Background stamp

Lil' Inker Designs

Large Sunshine die

Balloon Strings die

Stitched Mats: Rectangles dies

Simon Says Stamp

Chevron Clouds dies

Avery Elle

Balloons stamp set

Balloons dies

Hero Arts

Pale Tomato Shadow Ink

Butter Bar Shadow Ink

Green Hills Shadow Ink

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Matted and Framed

I'm finally getting a chance to play with this awesome Watercolor Backdrops stamp set by My Favorite Things.  For this card I used some Distress Ink mini pads and just swiped them across the stamp and it gave it this great brush stroke texture.  Then after stamping and die cutting the sentiment I popped up a white matting around the edge with some dimensional tape then added a black frame on top.  I love this look!  Just a few little banner dies and sequins to top it off.  Aren't those circles fun?  Following is the list of supplies I used:

My Favorite Things:

Watercolor Backdrops stamps

Lil' Inker Designs:

Seriously Awesome stamps

Seriously die

Stitched Rectangles

Reverse Confetti Design Co:

Circle Garland Confetti Cuts

Tim Holtz  Mini Distress Inks:

Salty Ocean

Peacock Feathers

Mowed Lawn

Other Supplies:

Versamark Ink

clear embossing powder

silver foil cardstock

clear sequins

My 2014 Top Operation Write Home Cards

This was my first year participating in this awesome organization that provides handmade cards to our service members overseas to help them keep in touch with their families.  I was laid up with a foot injury over the summer so with all the extra time on my hands it was the perfect time to jump in and give it a shot.  I had a blast!  It was a chance for me to try out a lot of great techniques that I've seen online too.  I was able to make 50 cards to donate.  Some of them I duplicated but most were one of a kind cards.  You'll see that I like my cards to be bright, colorful and cheerful.  I don't use a lot of neutrals or dark colors but I do tend to use white a lot.  I just love the clean, crisp look of white cardstock.   Another thing I don't use much of is patterned paper.  Most of the patterns you see on my cards are either stamped, watercolors or embossed. Here are my favorites for the year.

                            

To all our service members I salute you!  Thanks for all of your sacrifices and dedication.

~Lisa~