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Die Cut Challenge & Anything Goes

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We’ve been home just a few days, but I needed to get to the crafting table for several cards. All four of them used die cuts. I’ll be posting two tonight, and two tomorrow for the Die Cut Challenge at Addicted to CAS. They’ll also qualify for the Monday Challenge at Simon Says:  “Anything Goes.” 

The first card was a negative die cut. Tracy needed a thank you note to send to his brother-in-law.

Thanks

Several months ago I picked up a paper pad at Michaels, not really paying attention to anything but the printed designs. It turned out to be a pad of cards which made this a quick and easy one. I’ve seen some folks post cards at a 10 minute dash challenge, and this would have definitely qualified! Simple and masculine.

The next card was for a friend of mine who became a grandmother on Monday. To say she’s excited is to put it mildly!

LittleOne

This one used a premade card as well, the last of a pack I purchased at Impress years ago. The die cuts are Nestabilities Label 11 by Spellbinders.

Card Recipes:
Thanks:
Card: MAMBI Cards (Me and My Big Idea)
Cardstock: Classic Kraft (PTI)
Die: Thanks (Memory Box)
Enamel Dots: My Minds Eye

Little One:
Card: Impress Rubber Stamps
Cardstock: Sweet Blush (PTI)
Dies: Label 11 (Spellbinders)
Stamp: Baby Button Bits (PTI)
Button: PTI
Twine: Doodlebug

Snowy Thanks

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We woke up to 3° this morning, and another inch or two of snow. Snow must be on the mind of the challenge creators this week.
 
WinterThanksDetail
 
I needed a thank you card, and when I finished it I do believe it qualifies for six separate challenges:
 
CTS_Sketch_57
 
 
I started with my favorite sketch challenge: CAS(E) this Sketch.
 
ATCAS - code word snowflakes
 
Cfc123
 
I love CAS-UAL Fridays challenge site, and here’s the snowy reference.
 
And then there are the two Simon Says Challenges. Wednesday’s is “Let It Snow,” and Monday’s is “Use a Stamp.”
 
I pulled out my shimmer card stock for this one: both blue and white, so the colors and snowflake also match the inspiration piece for the Case Study challenge.
 
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Finally, here’s the card.
 
WinterThanks
In the detail photo at the top of the post, you can see the beautiful textured silver paper I picked up yesterday at Michael’s. I wish I’d bought more than one sheet. I stamped the snowflakes from Wplus9’s Folk Art Flurries and embossed them with Winter Wonderand embossing powder. The die cut “Thanks” is from Simon Says.
 
Hope it’s a bit warmer where you are. I’m off to have a cup of soup, and get busy baking cookies!

Thanks, Again!

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I needed two more thank you cards today, and had quite a bit of fun pulling them together. It was nice to have some uninterrupted creative time. The first one is for the amazing woman who planned all the meals for the youth retreat, purchased all the ingredients, cooked the Saturday night casseroles (delish!), and supervised the rest of us in the kitchen for the weekend. I cased this card design from a card I pinned here quite some time ago.

YouAre

She is indeed, all of these things! Here’s a peek a the inside, which I kept small and tidy as there will be multiple signers!

YouAreInside

The next card is a thank you to Betsy’s parents who had us to brunch yesterday. Paul made amazing scrambled eggs with cream cheese (I think) and brocolli. 

3Thanks

I found the Spiral Notebook die laying on my desk and started with that. Once I found the striped paper, the rest came together quicking. I’m a huge fan of these word dies. I have several from Simon Says and a few from Papertrey Ink. They just make a card pop!

ThanksDetail

I’m linking both these cards to the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge:  Thanksgiving/Thanks.

Wednesdayblog-logo

Card Recipes:
Card #1:
Cardstock: Select White, Hawaiian Shores, Pure Poppy (PTI)
Stamps: You (Simon Says), Movers & Shakers & Around and About Sentiments (PTI)
Dies: Get to the Point (PTI), You (Simon Says)

Card #2:
Cardstock: Select White, Raspberry Fizz, Hawaiian Shores, Summer Sunrise (PTI)
Patterned Paper:  Snap! (Simple Stories)
Dies: Thanks (Simon Says), Spiral Notebook Page (PTI) 

Get Inky!

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Another post for two challenges, one of which closes in just a few hours. Both are Simon Says Challenges: the Monday Challenge: Got Ink? (which closes tonight) and the Wednesday Challenge: Thanksgiving/Thanks.

Earlier this year I enrolled in Claudine Helmuth’s Big Picture Class, Technique Toolbox. I have hardly touched the content of this class, but it’s not because I lack interest. The first technique was Photocopy Transfer, and she provided the handwriting copy to use on the tag. I used some paints, stencils, and Distress Inks as well. Definitely “inky!”

ThanksTag

I separated the tag, and inserted the Thanks die cut from Simon Says, added an arrow (PTI) and a heart (Simon Says). The ribbon was in my stash, and once again, I have no idea where it came from or how long I’ve had it. The three little black pearls are my favorites from A Muse.

TagThanksDetail

It’s always good to have a thank-you card in your stash!

Card Recipe:
Cardstock: Parsley (Memory Box)
Manilla tag (Avery)
Distress Inks and Paint: Tim Holtz
Stencil: Balzaar Designs
Dies: Hearts & Thanks (Simon Says), Get to the Point (PTI)
Ribbon: from stash

 

CASology: Triangle & A Bit of Holiday Joy

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This week’s challenge at CASology was just perfect for creating Christmas trees, and I’m still in need of some Christmas cards. Once again I finished this right under the wire!

Week 70 - Triangle

Although I could have easily cut a couple of triangles, I knew there were at least a couple in my collection of dies. These came from matching dies for Papertrey’s “Hello, Sunshine,” and “Tranquil Triology” stamps.

Joy

I thought I had the right little star for the top of the tree among my gems, but nothing really worked. Then I remembered the gold mirror paper I’ve had for ages and used the Simon Says “Holiday Shapes” die to cut the star. That die gets a lot of use! The gold twine is as old as the mirror paper, and I wish I could remember where I bought it. Fortunately, the quantity on the spool is very generous and it’s unlikely I’ll run out anytime soon.

JoyDetail

I’d hoped to get the focus on the star; didn’t work, but there’s no time to retake the photo and get this up before the challenge closes.

The youth retreat was a huge success, and I’ll have a few photos later in the week. The adults were exhausted by the end of the weekend, but I’m sure the teenagers were doing fine today.

Card Recipe:
Cardstock: Select White (PTI), Bazzill Textured green from scrap drawer, mirror gold (unknown)
Card: Paper Source
Patterned Paper: “Christmas Cottage” (Teresa Collins)
Twill: Scarlet Jewel (PTI)
Stamp: “2008 Holiday Tags” (PTI)
Dies: Holiday Shapes (Simon Says), Tranquil Triology, Tag Sale #6 & Hello Sunshine (PTI)

Happy Mail

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A while ago, I returned a set of tape runners by American Craft which had broken almost right away. They are my favorite tape runner, and I haven’t had too many bad experiences with them. I usually order them in bulk from Amazon, and this particular batch was not good. I filed the email away, and forgot about it.

Then one day I was cleaning out that email folder and realized I’d never heard from them. I sent a second email, and got a very prompt and apologetic reply. Evidently the woman I had corresponded with the first time had left the company. Within just a few days, an amazing package arrived on my doorstep with a note saying they’d thrown in a few goodies for my patience.

TapeRunners

First, the replacements (more than I returned).

Tape

ACGoodies1

ACGoodies2

When I opened the box, Tracy and I were both amazed by the amount of product they sent me. The best part is all of it is stuff I’ll definitely be able to use. This might be the epitome of good customer service! 

I’ve made two cards with these goodies. The first one I posted here, for a Moxie Fab challenge, using the Washi tape and one of the metal rimmed tags.  Here’s the second one.

AllAboutYou

The patterned papers are from the paper pad they included and I attached the frame with one of the tiny clothespins. I especially like the birthday text paper.

AllAboutDetail

Needless to say, I use the tape runners every time I sit down to make a card or complete a scrapbook page. I’m know I’ll find lots of uses for the rest of the product as well. 

I’ll be off the grid for most of the weekend. Our Presbytery is hosting a four day event with Mark Yaconelli, a gifted workshop and retreat leader who specializes in youth ministry. Turns out he lives in Ashland, OR and is a friend of Sarah and Adam’s. Today is a conference for adults at Northeastern Seminary, and tomorrow night a retreat for youth begins at the Rotary Sunshine Camp until Sunday morning. I’m on food detail. We hoped to register about 100 youth for this event, but the final count was close to 200 from 20 different churches across the Presbytery. That’s a lot of subs to make for Saturday lunch! I’m not sleeping at the camp, but expect to be there most of the time.

One Card: Two Challenges

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One of my favorite challenge sites is Retro Sketches, and I’m just getting Challenge #88 posted under the wire. Once I saw the CASE Study challenge #165, though, I knew I wanted to create a card for one of our good male friends. The gray and black color combination of the CASE Study inspiration seemed perfect for a masculine card. Here are the challenge inspiration and sketch:

Challenges

In addition to the color combination, I like the polaroid frame in the CASE Study card. I substituted a sentiment banner for the bow since I was creating a masculine card.

HappyBD

The layering follows the Retro Sketch pretty well, too. All the patterned papers came from a 6X6 paper pad included in a Studio Calico Card Kit in February. The polaroid frame is one of the frames included in Papertrey’s Fabulous Frames die set. I hand cut the sentiment banner, but used the Count Down Die cut for the smaller banner, trimming off a bit to layer two patterned papers. “HAPPY” was die cut with the Headliner alphabet, and the Wonderful Words: Birthday die and stamp finished it off. All the dies are from Papertrey Ink.

Here’s a closer look:

HappyBDDetail

Card Recipe:
Cardstock: True Black & Smoky Shadow (PTI), Bazzill textured from scrap folder
Patterned Papers: Studio Calico
Dies: Fabulous Frames, Wonderful Words: Birthday, Headliner Alphabet, Count Down banner (PTI)
Stamp: Wonderful Words: Birthday 

Merry & Bright: CAS(e) This Sketch #52 & Simon Says

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It’s been a wild couple of weeks, almost no creative time at all, and even less to get a blog post pulled together. But I really liked the sketch this week at CAS(e) This Sketch so I carved out enough time this afternoon to get a card made.

CTS_Sketch_52

Fortunately, this time the card came together relatively quickly just the way I envisioned it. I pulled out a new stamp and die, “Rustic Wreath,” from Papertrey which I love.

Merry&Bright

Most of our Christmas cards this year are going to be photo cards that I ordered from Shutterfly. Nonetheless, I’ve decided I still need a few handmade Christmas cards. It’s the first year in nearly 20 years that I haven’t made all our cards, but we had a family photo taken this summer that I wanted to use on a card. The photo does not print particularly well on my printer, so I ended up at Shutterfly. It looks great on the screen, so I’m hoping I’ll like it when it arrives.

Here’s a closer look at the card:

MerryDetail

I think this card fits this week’s Simon Says “Keep It Clean and Simple” challenge as well.

Wednesdayblog-logo

Hope your week has been a bit less hectic. I’m looking forward to a pretty quiet weekend!

Card Recipe:
Cardstock: Woodgrain (Simon Says), Bazzil
Dies: Rustic Wreath and Holly Jolly (Papertrey)
Stamp: Rustic Wreath (Papertrey)
Patterned Paper: Wonderland (Studio Calico) & a piece from the paper pack in the February Studio Calico card kit
Enamel dots: (Doodlebug Designs) 

Make It Monday

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Make-itMonday

Our recent trip was lovely and there will be photos to share, but for today I want to share a card I made for this week’s Make It Monday at Papertrey Ink. Although their stamps are my favorites, I don’t often find time to play along with this challenge. This inlaid die-cut technique is one I’ve wanted to try for awhile, so I decided to put it to work for a thank you card for our friends in Charlotte. We spent a lovely day and a half with them at the end of our trip.

MakeItMonday

“Bubble Talk” was a rather impulsive purchase, but it’s proving to be one of my favorite stamp sets with dies. I used it here as well as the “Wonderful Words: Thank You” die from Papertrey ink. After die cutting the main white panel with both dies, I cut the sentiment twice– once in Pure Poppy and once in Select White. Then I cut them apart, stamping the white “you” with one of the “Bitty Background Blocks II.” They pop into the main panel as if they were one. The bubble die was stamped twice, once in Pure Poppy and then the sentiment was added in black.  It was a fun technique to try, and a great one for mailing since the card is flat. I’m sure I’ll try it again.

Here’s a closer look at the inlaid die cut:

InlaidDie

Card Recipe:
Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Select White, Hawaiian Shores
Stamps: Bubble Talk, Bitty Background Blocks II (PTI)
Dies: Bubble Talk, Wonderful Words: Thank You (PTI) 

 

Happy Halloween!

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The blog hasn’t been as quiet as it might have been since I planned some posts to go love while we were away. I didn’t expect it to be so quiet when we returned, but as always after being away for nearly two weeks I returned with a long to-do list, and a miserable cold as well. I shouldn’t complain because I don’t remember the last time I was ill, but it definitely has slowed me down.

I have to admit that Halloween has never been one of my favorite holidays. I have a few Halloween decorations I put out each year, and I loved getting together costumes for Sarah and Matt when they were little, but otherwise it leaves me rather uninspired. 

This year I was determined to come up with more age-appropriate cards for Caleb and Skylar than I managed last year. When I saw this cute ghost during one of Papertrey’s recent releases, I grabbed it, and I’m glad I did. The card design is lifted from one of Maile Belles’ always creative designs.

Ghosts2

Ghosts1

I love that the little bow can be a hair bow—

GhostDetail2

or a bow tie.

GhostDetail1

I found the perfect Halloween board book for two year olds at Barnes and Noble. I’m quite sure they’ll love it.

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The story is in rhyming verse, there are doors to open to see who is there, but the best is a door bell you press to hear the trick 0r treaters arrive at your house. If you celebrate this holiday, I hope it’s filled with treaters and not many tricks!

 

Santorini Note Cards

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After we returned from our trip to Turkey and Greece, I made a set of note cards to send to a couple we spent some time with in Santorini. I didn’t share them at the time since I hadn’t shared my travel posts, but that’s done, and before I come back with more vacation photos to share I thought I’d get these posted.

CardSet

I embossed Select White cardstock by Papertrey with a Spellbinders die, and then cropped the photos to sit inside the embossed frame. It’s a technique that would work with almost any photo you’d like to turn into a note card.

The first photo is of the bottle of wine they gave us to celebrate our anniversary. They had done quite a bit of wine tasting on the island, and brought us this bottle as an anniversary gift one night when we met for dinner. I used it as a thank you note.

Card1

The rest of the cards were some of my favorite images from Santorini.

Card2

Card3

Card4

Card5

Card6

I was very pleased with the way they turned out, and need to make a set to use myself. Just seeing them brings back such wonderful memories of that vacation!

 

Congratulations, Juan and Rachel!

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Today is the day! The wedding is this afternoon, and if the weather holds, the reception will be on the beach! We’re so delighted to be able to be present at such a special event. Here’s the card I made for them.

BestWishes

Simple and elegant; the way I expect Rachel will look this afternoon. Although I don’t anticipate taking a lot of photos, I hope I’ll have a few to share with you when we get home.

BestWishesDetail

The flourish (Inkadinkadoo) was stamped with Delicata ink. It has a beautiful sheen which is hard to see in a photograph. The narrow strip of gold paper is from the last of many sheets that I purchased nearly 15 years ago. I admit to hoarding it now. The sentiment is from Mat Stack 2 Collection (Papertrey Ink).

Tuesday Trigger: Apache Tears

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When I first saw the inspiration piece for last week’s Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Neither of these two cards come even close to the original idea. 

Autumn Arrows

I loved the arrows, and knew I had several stamps that might work. I decided on one of the arrows from Papertrey Ink’s “Live Love Life,” and stamped and hand cut multiple arrows in colors represented in the inspiration piece. I could not, for the life of me, get them put together in any way that I liked. Finally I just gave up. Later in the day I laid one of the arrows on some black cardstock, used a few die cuts from my “left-over die cuts” caddy, and came up with this.

HBArrows2

ArrowsDetail

Then yesterday after completing a card for another blog post, I used some of the supplies left laying on my desk to create this card. The Washi tape and tag from American Craft both have a chevron arrow design so I think it works for the challenge as well. Personally, I like this one a lot better!

XO

XODetail

 

Card Recipes:

Card #1: Cardstock: True Black, Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz, Harvest Gold, Orange Zest (PTI)
                   Stamp: Live Love Life (PTI)
                  Dies: “You” (Simon Says), Headline Alphabet (PTI),  Typewriter Numbers (Memory Box)
                  Corner Punch 

Card #2: Cardstock: Select White, Pure Poppy
                  Patterned Paper: Hip Hip Hooray (American Craft)
                  Clothespin (American Craft)
                  Stamp: Balloon Bash (PTI)
                  Die: Fabulous Frames (PTI) 
                  Twine: unknown

Happy Birthday, Cathy!

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Today is one of my good friends’ 60th birthday. She’s celebrating in Florida with her family as they enjoy a week together before Rachel (her oldest daughter) and Juan’s wedding on Saturday in Boca Raton. We’re leaving bright and early tomorrow morning to drive to Florida for the wedding. Then we’re spending a couple of days exploring southern Florida (Miami’s Art Deco architecture, the Keys, and the Everglades) which we’ve never seen. On our way home, we’re stopping to see our good friends in Charlotte, NC and visiting the Biltmore Estate in Ashville with them. I’ve been to Ashville several times, but never to the Biltmore which is supposed to be amazing. I’m excited about the whole trip! 

Here’s the card I made for Cathy. It’s one of my favorite birthday cards. 

60BD

A little Washi tape, a tag cut with a Tremendous Tag die from Papertrey Ink and edged with a gold leaf pen, some gold sequins and a bow with some gold twine I bought years ago. The numbers were cut with the Typewriter Numbers by Memory Box. They were the perfect size for the tag. I gave the card to her husband before I remembered to take a photo of the inside which says in gold letters “and fabulous!”

60Detail

It’s going to be a very busy 12 days so I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to read and comment on blogs, but I’ll be sure to catch up with you when we return. 

World Card Making Day

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Today is World Card Making Day, and it seemed like a great reason to sit down and work on the cards I need for upcoming birthday and special events. Most of them can’t be shared on the blog quite yet, but I did make a card set to share.

BDCardSet

Once I finished the first one, I decided to make a couple more in different colors. The Flourish is a wooden stamp I picked up at The Paper Source a year or so ago, and the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink’s “Botanical Silhouettes.” I scored the bottom with the Martha Steward ScoreBoard which I use nearly every time I do some crafting, and finished them off with a couple of rhinestones from Hero Arts. 

PurpleBD

GreenBD

BlueBD

As well as cards, I’ve been working on the journaling cards for the September Project Life pages. My friend, Mary, is coming over to craft on Monday and I want to have the photos printed and the cards ready so I can get September finished before too much happens in October. 

Hope you’re having a great weekend. It’s gray, chilly, and dreary here—a good day for crafting!

Card Recipe:
Cardstock: Neenah Solar White, Bazzill (green and blue), Plum Pudding (PTI)
Stamps: Paper Source, and Botanical Silhouettes (PTI)
Gems: Hero Arts