Get Well card

Good afternoon, and one load of river rock has been delivered, shoveled, and one more ordered. When I saw the first 'scoop' dumped on our driveway pullout, I said "That's not going to be enough", so the driver said he'd bring another scoop, as he had another delivery to our area. (DH had said when I was placing the order "One scoop will BE enough!". WRONG!). Anyway, after DH planted 2 rose bushes, he felt sorry for me, came over to help, and we got the first load spread where I wanted it. It's too hot, and we're too tired to even start on this 2nd load. Will try to get it spread either this evening after it is cool, IF we are up to it...which is looking doubtful at the moment!!! EDIT: Someone asked me what the DH stood for...it's Dear Husband, or Darling Husband OR...depending on your mood....something else Husband! :-) LOL (I meant Dratted...!!!)On to the card:

Magenta Class (Card #3)

Happy Sunday! Here in Upstate SC we are having a beautifully sunny, warm day. A little too warm. I was just outside, to pot a few of the plants we got on Friday. Got too hot, too fast, and had to stop. Got a cool shower; will go back outside later (?) when evening has cooled off the temp a bit to try to finish the remainder. We are having a load of river rock delivered tomorrow, so you-know-who will be busy shoveling rock into the wheelbarrow to carry around to the flower beds. I'll have to be out early to avoid the heat. Those who know me, know that I don't "DO" early!!!

Magenta Vase & Flowers (Class Card #2)

Good evening...and hope that your Friday was just great. Ours was sunny, but we had some awfully dark looking clouds around, which we thought might bring some rain. Heard a few rumbles of thunder, but no rain in our immediate area however. We bought some flowers to plant, so set them out by the garage to hopefully get a little drink. Didn't happen. So guess who will be watering tomorrow? Here's another of the cards made in last Sunday's Magenta class, sponsored by the Mercantile.

Magenta Birds (Card Class - #1)

Good evening. What a lovely day it was in our area. I had errands to run this afternoon. (which included a trip to a H/Lobby which is near me. Can't let a coupon go to waste!) I thought I'd post one of the cards from the Sunday Magenta Class that was sponsored by The Mercantile, Pendleton, SC...The stamp is C95.193J (I hope I have that identified properly). It's called Crafty Individuals, by Magenta. The birds were stamped on design paper (sorry, don't know the name...it was provided and previously stamped). I believe the birds were stamped with Tim Holtz Broken China, but not certain. We colored the image with Prisma colored pencils - not my strong suit. (No gamsol was used, just blending with the pencils). Need to work on that skill. Then we used the Ranger alcohol inks in colors of our choice, putting the inks on the felt in a line, rather than the usual dots. Used a bit of Adirondack blending solution to cause the inks to spread, then dragged the reinker tool down the cardstock...on half the piece. Added some more blending solution to refresh the felt, and sponged it around on the other half. What a beautiful background. We then used 2 more Magenta stamps (all supplies were provided to us as part of the class. You could take your own if you wished). Added a couple pieces of trim, and what a pretty card. The slowest part for me was coloring the birds. Didn't have to do a lot of shading. I bought the stamp (I love birds!), so I will be making this card again, when I can take my own usual slow time. I managed to finish this & another one in class, but had to bring the third one home to finish. I'll post those cards later. Thanks very much to the Mercantile who made the class possible, and Nathalie Metiver of Magenta who taught the class and provided supplies.

Sympathy

Good morning. After a cool night the sun is shining and it's so pretty outside. I always enjoy a sunny day.  I have yet another sympathy card to share. The emboss folder was a C/Bug Plus - Carly -. I love the cut-out oval. I had colored up a little pot of spring flowers, and thought it would make a pretty focal point for this cardfront. Another neighbor has lost his Mom after an extended illness, so I was glad I had some supplies ready to get a card made. I hope this need for Sympathy cards passes....I don't remember the stamp name, but if you want to know, leave a comment, & I'll look it up. The image is colored with Copics. I'm debating whether to put a sentiment on the front, but I think I'll just put the sentiment on the inside. All cardstock used is lightweight as I find it embosses better for me. Candee (http://cardcornerbycandee.blogspot.com/ ) gave a tip to use 2 pieces of c/stock when embossing with the lightweight c/s. The folder won't cut through the top layer and additionally, you get a second emboss for another card. That's a great tip, but I forgot to do it here, and the folder did cut too heavily. It's not noticeable once I adhered the white to the pale blue, but it's a good tip to remember. I have one more Sympathy card to get mailed out, and I used this same design for it, changed it up just a bit. I'll post that one later, and then hope to get back to 'happier' cards. Have a great day, and thanks for looking.

Sympathy

Hello, and Happy Monday. I'm here with yet another Sympathy card. Seems as though I'm making way too many of these lately. This is another card in Memory of our neighbor. His daughter lives quite far away. We don't really 'know' her, but met her several times during the period our friends have been neighbors. She's a lovely lady, and I thought perhaps it may comfort her to know how much her Dad was thought of, by his neighbors. I hope so anyway. Used a C/Bug Dots emboss folder- white c/s, then had a cut-out piece (from another Sympathy card - for yet another neighbor who lost his Mom -). Thought that would make a very nice yet simple accent on this card, as I have to mail it. I used a Krylon gold pen to edge the oval, embossed the sentiment with Ranger Queen's Gold, and this is ready to go in the mail. I think this one might qualify in Pixie's Playground, http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com/search/label/pixie%27s%20crafty%20snippets%20challenge.

I definitely used some snippets here. I'll give the C/B emboss folder Plus name which yielded the cut-out oval in my next post. Thanks for stopping by.

Sympathy

Good evening Friends. Hope that you had a wonderful relaxing weekend. Our Saturday started out sadly, as we learned of the loss of a dear neighbor. He had battled bone cancer valiantly for the last 3 years. He was a dear sweet person, and we will miss him. The first time I ever met him, I thought of George Burns. Not that he really looked like Mr. Burns, but he had that same mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes and such a droll sense of humor. This card is made for his sweet wife, in his Memory. She was devoted to him and especially so these last 3 years. The past few weeks have been really tough on her, as his care was - of necessity - 24 hrs around the clock. The card:

Thinking of you

Janet's Thinking of you

Hooray, it's Thursday, and I'm off to my weekly stamp group meeting at a local church hall. A group of stamp enthusiasts gather each week to visit, trade stamps, and just generally enjoy a lovely morning and afternoon of fellowship & stamping. Good for the soul. Not sure how much work gets done (speaking for myself only!), but we have a good time. Lunch is generally involved too! Here's a card to share this morning.

Sympathy

Hello on a Monday evening. Hope your week got off to a good start. Ours did...our daughter is visiting for a few days, so definitely started off our week great! This evening we had family over for a belated birthday cake for DH...we were waiting until DD could be here with us for the occasion. His birthday is Income Tax Day!!! Here is another sympathy card made for a dear relative who has just lost her brother. I used the Sizzix folder (Circles,Leaves& Diamonds) to emboss the vellum overlay, then the teal cardstock. Adhered these together, used the Spellbinders scalloped oval, and the S/Binder Cross (2012). The scalloped oval and cross are both popped up. I had some pretty lace, so adhered that to the side to hide the adhesive which shows through the vellum. I need to find some adhesive that doesn't show through vellum. Any brand suggestions? The sentiment was diecut with a smaller S/binder and distressed with the Evergreen Distress ink, using the Ranger distressing sponge tool. A few pearls were added for some decoration. I will be entering this into Pixies Snippets Playground.http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/pixies-crafty-snippets-challenge-number_14.html

Birthday card

Good evening. I have a birthday card to post this evening. I'm basically happy with the way it turned out, but once I saw it enlarged, I find a few things I could have done better (I'm my own worst critic!). I decided to post it anyway, as part of my reason for this blog, was to see improvement over time, areas I 'need to' improve, etc. So here goes: background is a cling "vintage map" - Stampabilities (H/Lobby). The ship is a small stamp I got in a stamp lot sale, no ID on the stamp. I used Antique Linen & Bundled Sage directly on the background stamp, prior to stamping on white c/s. Then I used the distress tool to sponge on more of those colors around the edges,  adding a bit of Vintage Photo in the corners. I stamped the ship onto the background with Broken China. It looked too flat so I stamped the ship once more, cut it out, used Glossy Accents to give some shine, popped it up. I should have edged the image with Broken China prior to adding the pop dots. The base cardstock is a 'olive green-y/brownish' sort of color that was in a Recollections pack - I liked this color with the background image. The navy blue was from the same pack, and I used a Fiskars punch (think it's called waves) for the border. I needed a masculine sort of card for this birthday. Was undecided about putting the Birthday Sentiment on the front of the card, but finally added it; cut the 'V' shape in each end, then distressed it with Antique Linen & Bundled sage. Added a couple light green rhinestones, and called it done!  Have not added an insert yet.

Sympathy

Good afternoon. What a gorgeous day we've had in Upstate SC...sunny, not too cool, not too warm. Lots of birds at our feeders, such fun to watch them. Have another card to share that has some new experimenting for me. I've not worked too much with vellum, so decided to try using some vellum with a new Sizzix embossing folder (Circles,Leaves& Diamonds). The vellum is from a pack bought at H/Lobby with a coupon, and the navy blue cardstock was some lightweight Recollections - probably from Michaels (also either on sale or with a coupon!). I embossed the front of the blue cs with the same Emb-F.  I've found that sometimes the cheaper, lightweight cs works better than the heavier Bazzill, which is so, so pretty. The oval was cut with Spellbinders, stamped with Momento Paris Dusk, embossed with Ranger clear emboss powder. I added pearls to hide the tiny glue dots adhering the vellum to the blue scalloped underlay. Because the base card was made with lightweight cs, I added some stabilizing to the inside, with the insert & added embellishments. I used the Spellbinder Lattice die (different sizes) on each side of the insert, adding some punched paper to the diecuts to dress it up a bit. MS punches were used, and I'm not sure what company made the script stamps.  It's never a joy to make sympathy cards, but hopefully this card will comfort the cousins who will receive it. Thanks for stopping by this afternoon.

Artistic Fern

Happy Friday ....isn't it lovely when Friday finally arrives? Even though I'm retired (LOL)--, psychologically, I'm still happy when Friday gets here. Old habits are hard to break. Here is a card experiment using the Hero Arts/Sizzix stamp+emboss set Artistic Fern.  I used Faber Castell Big Brush pens-blues & greens. There are many informative videos showing how to use these pens. I've had these for a while, but this is my first attempt using them.  I colored with the brush end of the pen directly onto the rubber stamp; then spritzed lightly with some water and stamped onto white cardstock. It's a nice watercolor effect. After the cs had dried well, I used the matching embossing folder to run the cs through the Big Shot. I like the look, but this is a rather large-ish stamp, so how to make a card with it? Can't do too much matting, so I tried using THoltz Distress inks to make a background of sorts around the embossed fern; used the distressing tool which has the little razor that is scraped along the edge of the cs to distress it for more texture. I found some light blue cardstock for the cardbase, then hunted up colors for matting. The image needed some contrast & to tie in colors used on the stamp. I used a spellbinder rectangle to cut all the layers. A smaller rectangle cut out the inner parts of the mats so the card won't be so heavy when mailed.  Additionally, those pieces may work with another project. (That is: IF I remember I have them, and IF I can remember where I put them! :-} The sentiment will have to go inside the card, when I decide how it shall be used. Here's a link to Jennifer McGuire, where I first saw these Faber Castell pens: ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j3LHofZ9Lc&feature=plcp&context=C49898deVDvjVQa1PpcFNBzYe3UdP2L-cd9RDqp0UJsiO8Sm6R1ow%3D
Hope the link will work for you; Jill Foster also has some videos showing these pens.

Granma's Rose Bush

Granma's Rose Bush

I have a little story to relate about this rose bush that I very carefully covered with sheets last evening, when our area was predicted to get freezing temps overnight. This little rose bush was grown from a cutting taken many years ago from my Mother's "Home Place" in North Carolina (this is a Southern term..means where most of your family were born, in case you've never heard the expression). Anyway, my Mom would be 101 years old this April 24, and when I was a small child, she would tell me stories about playing around this rose bush when _she_ was a little girl. The original bush grew beside the kitchen where the Home Place was.

Penny Black Sticker Card

Hello and thanks for dropping by. I had watched a video on Jill Foster's Inspired By blog, remembered that I had some Penny Black stickers from years ago.(When Birds Sing - #10-192-2007). Hunted them down, and tried my hand at her technique.

I applied the sticker to lightweight cardstock, trimmed. Used cryogen white paper which had been sponged with Tim Holtz Distress inks (colors were Antique Linen, Bundled Sage, and Faded Jeans). I just kept sponging on with the applicator until I liked the look. I was trying for something that looked good with the sticker background. Then I took Impression Obsession's Create A Card stamp Script (CC050), inked it with Colorbox Fluid Chalk ink(Deep Lagoon); using the I/O Mega Mount with the CAC stamp, stamped the distressed cardstock. Popped up the sticker with foam tape. Applied this layer to a piece of navy blue cardstock (think it was Paper Studio, as it's not as heavyweight as Bazzill). I'm learning that the lighter one can keep cards that are intended for mailing, the less postage you need to use! (Ask me how I learned that!). The card looked a bit plain, so I scrounged up silver border trim stickers, added some of those using the Tim Holtz pick tool to make it easier to put the very thin strips onto the card. I had planned to use this for a sympathy or thinking of you type card. Got a note from a cousin today, and find I do need a sympathy card. I always have to make cards in a hurry, so I'm trying to get a supply made up for different occasions, so all I have to do, is add the appropriate sentiment and/or a text appropriate insert. Hope you like this one. It's very simple. Here's the link to the Jill Foster blog (April 9, 2012)...http://stampinginspiredby.blogspot.com/; then the link on her blog goes to the Penny Black Blog, which has the video. It's very well done.

Easter card

Good afternoon Friends. I know that the Easter holiday has been celebrated, and people are ready to see other kinds of cards. I received a card in the mail today, from my friend Gloria, who makes beautiful cards. It's so pretty that I have to share it with you.   DH & I both thought Gloria's card was lovely. We felt so warmed by the fact that she thought of us, taking the time to make a card, with all the other 'life' things she has to do. I thought the front of the card was really pretty, but I also loved what she did on the inside. So here it is, and Thanks, Gloria.

Easter

HAPPY EASTER and I hope you had a wonderful relaxing day, hopefully spending it with those you love, remembering the reason for the day. What a wonderful gift we were given so many long years ago. If we just accept it. I wanted to share a card I received from DH today. (He makes cards sometimes, but not usually for me...boo-hoo). This one nearly made me cry reading the inside. Keep in mind that we are coming up on 49 yrs of marriage. He may not 'make me a card', but he always picks a pretty one with a lovely sentiment. We like to watch the birds, and I did take out most of what he had written on it, except for the date. Enjoy.

Easter cross

What a beautiful morning we are having, and especially compared to the dreary one that started Friday. I have another Easter Cross card to share today. This cross was from Spellbinders, a few years ago, and even though I bought the 2012 set, I still think I like the older one best. It adapts itself to so many different looks. The photo doesn't show up as well as I'd like, because this card is really quite pretty. I believe I do like the white on white cards I did earlier much better (I sent out quite a few of those...and once the die cutting was done, the cards were put together fairly quickly). I think this card turned out well also. The raised window die is from Heartfelt, and the embossed background is a cardscrap of a Sizzix embossing folder used earlier this week. The scrap was on the desk, and when I tested it as a background against the teal cardstock and the white elements, I rather liked the look. Corners are from a Spellbinder die, and the 2 different cross elements are each raised with pop dot strips. Hope you will enjoy it. I forget to note the specific names of the elements I try until I get something that I like, but if you should want to know, please email & I'll be happy to answer any questions. Happy Easter to all.

Easter Card

Good morning. I didn't make it back here to post last night..good intentions and all that. This morning it is overcast & quite a bit cooler here in Upstate SC. Seems as though we went from summer back to winter. I think it's in the low 50's outside, after being in the 80's a lot of days this past week. Here is the Easter card we received from our talented niece Julie. This shows that a very pretty card can be created with just design paper & stickers...it doesn't have to be super elaborate to be effective. And of course a handmade card always tells the recipient that you were thinking especially of them, which in my opinion, is what this cardmaking hobby is really all about. Hope you will enjoy the card as much as we did upon receiving it. Thank you Julie, for thinking of us. Happy Friday.

Stamp group meeting

Hello, and thanks for joining me this afternoon. Today was our group's day to meet at a local community Church for some good conversation, work on our own specific projects and just generally enjoy some good fellowship. We had several members - who have been away for one reason or another - join us today, and it was lots of fun. Personally, I didn't get much done, but I had a great time. Took my Vagabond machine along, to get some expert help in learning how to use it. I've had it for quite a while, not used it. (a bad habit of mine!). I'm having trouble with one of the Cuttlebug Plus hard plastic dies. The group consensus was that it is probably a defective folder and I should contact Provocraft. I thought it was just that I wasn't doing something right.(sandwiching, shimming, etc?)  One of the members showed me how to add Feedjit to the blog. It didn't work the first couple of tries, but I think I have it showing properly (hopefully working properly too!) now. I have mailed all the Easter cards I had to hurry up & finish. I have one more - which is for DH - so I'll try to get that posted later tonight. Hope it was a lovely day where you were. Right now in the Upstate SC area, it is a bit cloudy, & I can see the treetops blowing pretty strongly out my office windows. Had a phone call from my favorite local stamping place (Scrapbook Creations in Spartanburg), and some more of the Memory Box dies that I've ordered have come in. Loving those dies.

Velveteen technique Birthday Card

One last post today, since I missed posting a few days. I used the velveteen technique once again, with the Hero Arts 3 Ferns stamp to make a birthday card. Spellbinder Octagon shapes were used to cut & mat, then I had a new Sizzix embossing folder I thought I'd try. I inked the folder with Archival Veridian dye ink, then embossed. I thought the effect was pretty. Then had to try a way to use it on the card so that it didn't overpower. The butterfly is an MS punch, and I used Glossy Accents on it (only one coat, could have used another coat to get better shine) to try to get it to show up better. The sentiment was cut with a S/binder fancy tag, brushed the Veridian ink around the edges, applied some pearls.

Easter Card

Hi again. Our day started off very early as DH had a root canal and I'm _not_ a morning person. When we got home - finally - we crashed & burned most of the afternoon. It was a good day for it, as the weather was gray & misty, very damp feeling..no sun at all today. Here's a lovely card I received from Miss Candee of http://cardcornerbycandee.blogspot.com/. She has the specs posted at her blog, and I was so pleased to have received this lovely card from Candee.

Good afternoon. Here's a card made from a cute little Penny Black Hedgehog stamp, colored with Copics. Spellbinders circle & label 9 dies were used to mat the Hedgie, then the Lotus Pendant was added as it looked a bit plain against the embossed cardstock. The label 9 was from another project, but was on the desk. I was using the scallop circle, but decided to try the label 9 leftover & liked the look. I'm still working on improving my 'design ability' - LOL! The green paper was some I had, from a Recollections pack purchased at Michael's, not very heavyweight, and embossed with a Darice embossing folder. The eggs were created with 2 new Memory Box dies that I recently purchased (from Oozak! Great prices). These dies cut the best of any dies I've used to date. There is a solid egg, then the overlay. I used glitter paper and the trim was just plain cardstock from scraps. The Happy Easter sentiment is cut with one of the Spellbinder ribbon dies, and I'm still debating if I want to attach it or just put a sentiment inside. Hope you enjoy the card.