Quick Post!

Gotta make this quick--Kansas is playing Ohio State right now and I don't want to miss much of it!  Love my basketball!  Unlike last year, I like several of the teams that are left so I'll want to watch on Monday no matter who wins!

I'm a horrible brayer--tried doing that first without success, so I just sponged it--not as nice of an effect, but I liked the looks of the card here and wanted to CASE it (somewhat).  =-)  I've gotta scoot--the Jayhawks aren't lookin' so good--they need another person to cheer for them!

Getting ready....

Each spring I offer a bunch of all-occasion cards to the staff at my school to make.  It's a fun time for all!  One of the most "desired" cards is a graduation card--here's one that I came up with.  I try to have 2 choices for each type of card for each occasion.

It's adaptable to different school colors and easy to put together--exactly the type of card I need to have! The sentiment is from a retired set.

The "Purse"onal Touch

Oh my!  I just love this new die that will be available on April 1.  Can you say adorable?  It's hard to get a perspective on size, but this cutie is pretty small.  It holds about 5 nuggets to give you an idea.  This is the first one that I cut out using some retired paper.  Then I just had to finish it off with a little flower and tiny tags.  There's just something about tiny things that appeal to me!

This took 2 pieces of sticky strip to put the purse together and 2 more small pieces to attach the handle. Easy, peasy!  I made the flower with the boho blossom punch flowers.  

CASEd....Again!

Here's another card that I CASEd from Darlene's blog (see last post).  I used a butterfly from the long retired set, Wonderful Wings, which you can now purchase as a digital brush set for MDS.  I followed Darlene's directions, but used some different colors.  I'm pleased with how it turned out and it's even more striking in person.

This has an interesting fold--maybe like a "Z-fold" card--so the sentiment is hiding under the flap that the butterfly is attached to. 

I used tempting turquoise, calypso coral, and lucky limeade to watercolor my butterfly after I'd embossed it in black.

Spring Break Cards.....

I had such high hopes that I would get a ton done during spring break--didn't happen.  I have a bunch--a bunch of pictures of cards bookmarked or saved so I can CASE them and I thought THIS was the time I was going to get to them.  I made, maybe 5 cards.  I'm planning an All Occasion Card Party soon and am trying to come up with a variety of designs to offer.  However I kept getting sidetracked by cards I found on blogs that I wanted to re-create.  Here's one that I just had to make.  I found it here on Darlene's blog--she's no longer a demonstrator, but I sure do like much of her style....ended up making 2 cards that I saw on her blog.

This used some current and some retired sets since I don't own "Furry Folk" and had to use a Valentine's day set from last year that had similar animals and don't have a small alphabet set that's not retired.  I'll fill in the details tomorrow.  This card does fold up and fit into a regular sized envelope.

Here's a Bunny....

Hmm!  This shows my pre-school/kindergarten teaching experience.  Does anyone remember "fingerplays?"  Here's my bunny with ears so funny and here's his hole in the ground.  When a noise he hears, up pop his ears and he runs to his hole in the ground!  I could add in the hand motion directions, but that might be a little over the top for a stamping blog.  =-)

Anywho....here's my card and hopefully you'll see why I took that stroll down Fingerplay Lane....

 
I saw this card on Lorri Heilling's blog here which also give you a link to the original card that inspired Lorri--and thought it was so cute and it looked so easy!  Not!  The question is--how many times can Dawn mess up the hole in this card??  Too many!  First I was trying to use a piece of cardstock that was left over from a previous project--it was cut 4 1/4 x 11. Hmmm--can't punch the hole--so cut it apart and make a card front and punch. Suffice it to say--I need to do better planning before I jump in!  =-)

Here's the inside of the card--which is just as cute as the front!

I used the small oval punch to make the eggs.  I also like the way my sign on the front of the card turned out.  Enjoy!

My Craft Problem

Hi!  My name is Dawn and I am a cardmaker who doesn't get her cards in the mail.  How do I know this?  I am always realizing that someone's birthday or anniversary is....TODAY.....and I'm late getting a card sent....again.  So I don't (usually).  Also a telling fact of this problem would be the piles of unsent lovely cards laying about my craft room here....there....everywhere.  (Just a little Dr. Seuss in the month of his birth).  I'd like to say that I'm working on this problem, but I'd be lying.  =-)  Yes, I'm the problem behind the rising costs for the USPS.

Here's the card I made for my DIL's birthday which occurred last week.  Fortunately my son dropped by and I'm able to send the card home with him!   This card was cased from here which is a Pinterest link from Stampin Connections which I can't link you to since it's a members only group.  However I do want to give the original creator, Michelle Andrews, credit for this beautiful card design.  The banners are made from the Twitterpated dsp and the sentiment is from "Happiest Birthday Wishes."

I used the cupcake punch for the cupcake and one of the bitty bunch punches for the flower on the cupcake. I hand cut the leaves and added a tiny pearl in the middle.  A baja breeze cardstock strip covers up the top edges of the banners with a baja breeze seam binding bow attached with a glue dot.  All edges are sponged with Soft Suede ink.  I'm not sure why the sentiment looks so washed out--it's not IRL.  Must have been my lighting.

Here's the inside of the card.  I put a couple of leftover banners on a piece of blushing bride paper and added the sentiment which is from a retired set called "It's Your Birthday."

Now to sign the card, get it into an envelope and into my son's hand so it doesn't become a part of my stash that doesn't go anywhere. 

Short Vacation = Stampin' Time!

I'm running out of cards to share.  Fortunately I'm off for a 3 day weekend due to working evenings for parent teacher conferences this past week.  I'm looking forward to getting my haircut, cleaning out my laundry room and doing some stamping tomorrow!  Yay!

Here's the card--very simple and easy to make!

I wanted to add a pearl colored light blue with a sharpie, but I couldn't find my set of markers so I took the picture without.  I don't think I'm very patient.  Ha!

Up Late....might as well post....

I'm staying up late listening to our local college's basketball team play in the NAIA National tournament.  They got the late game --it was supposed to start at 9:45 and since it was the last game of the day it started 45 minutes late -- at 10:30.  It's way past my bedtime--so I might as well post to keep myself awake!  =-)

Here's a card I made around Valentine's Day, but decided I would use it for another occasion.  I saw this card and liked the way the creator combined the use of the pennant punch and the heart to heart punch.  I made the clouds from scalloped circles cut down.  The sentiment is from Artistic Etchings.

The score in the game is close and getting towards the end of the game so I'm signing off and am going to listen to the rest of it!  Update--We won!  Another game on Friday morning!

Catalog CASE

I decided that I needed to use my catalog for a bit more than, "I want this, and this, and this....." so I found a card that I liked a lot and decided to almost case it totally.  The card is found on page 98 in the main catalog. I went online and found out what SU used to create the card and copied it (to the best of my ability).  I didn't have the netting background stamp so I used the dsp instead.  I added the texture on my lucky limeade square piece by using my scoreboard.  I liked how it turned out-- except for the sentiment.  When I stamped on the designer paper it just didn't pop so I stamped it again on whisper white and created a banner with it.  I like it better, but looking at the card I'm not happy with the way I got it attached--that's fixable.  =-)

This used the stamp sets Printed Petals and Curly Cute.

The card base and dsp piece is in calypso coral.  Ink colors are wisteria wonder, poppy parade, calypso coral, lucky limeade and basic black.

I punched the small card center and the poppy parade scalloped circle piece--I had to hand cut the other two pieces.

Pinterest Finds....

Here are two cards that I found on and cased from Pinterest.  I just love the colors in the SAB designer paper Everyday Enchantment.  The first card uses the edgelits and matching embossing folder.  The butterfly is from the "Flight of the Butterfly" set and the sentiment is from the SAB set Outlined Occasions.  I think. (I was wrong--but I got it fixed.)   Right now I'm on my dinner break from parent teacher conferences and trying to get this post done from memory.  I may have to do some editing when I get home around 9 p.m. (Yep, I did!)

If I had it to do over I'd probably use my blender pen to color in the letters of the words instead of markers.  

I'll have to add the link when I get home--Pinterest is blocked here at school.  =-(  Here's the link --you'll see another link there taking you to the first original card.

Here's the second card which now that I think of it might have been on Dawn Olchefske's blog instead of Pinterest...hmm...I'll have to do some checking.  Anyway it's the card that uses the flower from the SAB set Vintage and is then punched out using the triple layer flower punch.  It was none of the above--here's the link to this card's creator.

Time to go back to conferencing....I'll add more when I get home!  Sorry I didn't add anything to this....being at school from 7 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. makes for a long day and a brain that isn't thinking too clearly.

Blow Wind Blow!

Wow!  The wind just won't stop blowing today.  I think without it we'd have a beautiful day here in Kansas.  Here's another card that I made to show off the Mixed Bouquet stamp set and matching punch in the new mini.  This was cased from Deb Currier who is the daughter of Jean who works with me at my school--it's a small world.  When Jean heard I was into Stampin' Up she gave me Deb's blog and I've been stalking it ever since!  She has a great simple style that I really like.

It's not the best picture--check Deb's out -- she got a great full inking on her flower that I can't quite achieve yet.

Here's another card using the same stamp set and punch.  Additionally it uses the new embossing folder that matches the adorning accent edgelits, the in color brads, triple layer flower punch, the Sweet Shop designer paper and ruffled lucky limeade ribbon as the leaves.  I found this card on Pinterest and had to make it.  Here's the link that also shows the same card and another made using different colors.
                                         

                    

Have a great Sunday and wonderful week!

Lazy Day...

I always have great plans for my Saturdays--plans for all I'm going to get done!  Then Saturday comes and I struggle to get moving and accomplish anything.  Every. Saturday.  Today was no different.  I've sat in the same spot on my couch for too many hours and now I'm tired and ready for bed--go figure.  Here's a card that I made to show the versatility of the blossom punch in the new occasions mini catalog.  This card shows how the modern label punch can work with it quite well!  As always a total case from Dawn Olchefske here.

I used pool party, so saffron, calypso coral and early espresso along with the Fresh Vintage set and the triple layer flower punch.  The sentiment is from Fabulous Phrases.  I also used a brad from the everyday enchantment SAB ribbon and brad pack.  See that little spot on the right hand edge of the card?  Yep--that's blood from an unprovoked stabbing by my pokey-doodle tool.  Ouch!  I didn't realize I had bled that much until I got home and it was all over a couple of things.  Didn't notice this spot until I was editing the picture.  Guess I'll have to take a slice off of this card.

Kindness Does Matter

At least that's what I tell my class of first grade boys every day.  Yes, I said boys--I have a small class this year, but it's a bit out of balance.  I have 12 boys (active ones) and 4 girls.  We have some issues with getting along--but enough of that.
Here's a card I cased from here (thanks for the great card Julie!)   Kindness Matters was one of the first stamp sets I purchased when the catalog came out last year and this is the first that I've used it--bad me!  It's a nice, sweet set.

The card is very simple--3 strips of everyday enchantment--the SAB designer series paper on a crumb cake card base.  The butterflies from Kindness Matters are stamped in poppy parade on very vanilla cardstock and then cut out using the label framelits.  I then cut out 2 more label framelits out of poppy parade (same size as the vanilla) and cut one apart in half vertically and the other horizontally.  Glue on the back--top/bottom first then side to side giving yourself a smaller border than you'd have if you used the next size up.  To be honest I watched a video on how to do this, but I can't get them to match up as easily as the person I watched--I had to trim a bit off.   I also made a bow out of hemp twine.  I actually like to use linen thread better--it's easier to form into bows, but hemp is what I grabbed first and I was in a hurry! Ha! I then added some of our pearls on the butterflies and I was done!  Hope you have a good weekend--I'm off to a dinner then home to hopefully "play" in my stamp room. 

Baby Love.....and More

A teacher at my school is having twins in a couple months (she hopes she can hang on that long) so we had a shower for her.  A group of us went together on a gift and let me tell you, I found some hot deals at Dillards during their "take an additional 40% off" sales!  Love it when you find what you need at a sale like that!  I'm rather driven to find deals--at least that's what my daughter tells me!  =-)  Of course I volunteered to make the card--and then I stressed about it for a few days.  Here's what I came up with--it's an easel card and it uses the retired set made for twins--By Ones and Twos (I think).  I also used some retired paper--Georgia Peach and Nursery Suite that I got on the clearance rack a while back.

I left my camera at my son's house so my friend Mary was kind enough to take this picture with her iphone and send it to me.  You can't really tell it, but I used the vertical stripes embossing folder on the white piece to make it look like wallboards.  I tried to make my hangers using Jackie Topa's tutorial here---but without wire snips or needle nosed pliers I wasn't able to quite get the look I wanted.

Here's another card that I displayed at the last stamping party--

This is a total case from Catherine Pooler's blog here--isn't her wrapping of the designer paper on the left a neat effect?  It is a monochromatic card using very vanilla cardstock embossed with the vintage wallpaper folder.  The stamp set used is a SAB set called "Elementary Elegance" which I wasn't wild about until I saw all the examples made by the talented stampers out there in blogland!  The butterfly is from the butterfly embosslit in peach parfait --pulling that color from the SAB designer paper everyday enchantment.  I think I stamped in soft suede ink if I recall correctly.