Because I Care Card

   I am so excited because today I am going to the Creative Keepsakes convention in Manchester, New Hampshire with my sisters. We are heading out about 7:30 to pick up a friend and then off we go!! I'll post some pics of the day... Can't wait.

I like purple.. Can't help it!!

   I was up so early this morning that I finished a card I have been working on. I hadn't used Stampin Up's stamp set called "Because I Care" yet. I really love how my Copic markers helped bring out the light and dark effect that you see on this flower. I also used the markers on the leaves.
   The side sentiment is an Outlines stamp I have had for a while and never used before either.
  The ink is SU's eggplant envy. It seemed to go well with SU's paper.
   I got to use my Crop-A-dile tool to set the eyelet on the oval sentiment from the "Because I Care" stamp set. I love it when I can use a tool.
   The lace is from Tate's in Bath, Maine. I have to go back and get some more of their lace. It's very reasonably priced. Love that place.  I've had the purple ribbon for a while, but I don't remember where I got it, probably JoAnn's Fabric Store. I get alot there, too.
   Anyway, I have to get ready for my trip to N.H. I wonder what great finds I can will bring home. Check back to see... 

Sweet Birdies!

Really artsy...

   Lately I've been wowed by cards I've seen on Splitcoast Stampers that have black accents. They looks so stunning. I was stumbling one day and came across an art piece that used white as the main look. I liked it, so I thought why not use it on a card. I really like how this card came out.
   I used the  Sizzix die cut border strip called "Birds and Branches". It's a really pretty die cut. I added a detail to the flying bird, because it looked funny without that second wing behind it. I used black enamel accents for the little itty bitty eye dot.
   I pieced the tree together since it is really one long strip to make it look more like a tree branch.
   The tag on top is from Spellbinders fancy tag collection. The sentiment is from Stampin Up's Warm Words set. I used SU window punch and added gems for a little bling-bling.
   I carried the theme of birds and tree branches inside the card. It is blank because I never know when I might need a card for some occasion. This leaves me options...love options.

Inside blankish

   I could use it as a Thinking of You card, a Birthday card, a Lovey Dovey card for husband, or even a Thank-you card. I think I will work on a birthday card next. I don't have many of those...and I have 5 sisters and one brother. Whew... thank goodness I'm retired.

Gentle Thoughts of You!!

   We had a glorious Easter Sunday. The church was full of worshippers and lilies.  The sun was shining and the choir sang a most beautiful song with a video of the Resurrection in the background-quite moving..

Don't you love this clock?

   We headed to lunch at the Taste of Maine in Woolwich. The food was great, but I love the atmosphere there; from the lobster in the lobby, to the clock on the wall. There is so much to look at and appreciate.

My dear husband-so patient!

Wicked cute...

   I love the cloth dolls just above Russ's head. Someone has sewing talent to make all those doll people.

Love the color...

   There were two or three old gas pumps placed near tables for people to admire and remember the past.We had a great time.

Gentle Thoughts from Stampin Up

   Well, I put away all the Easter materials and am still thinking about Mother's Day coming up soon. But I decided to take a break and work on making the swan that I have been dying to try ever since I purchased the directions from Valita's Designs & Fresh Folds blog. It was well worth the small fee to make this gorgeous punch art. If you are interested in checking out her blog, here is the link:Valita's Designs & Fresh Folds Blog
   I had seen someone at Splitcoast Stampers use the lacy square Nestability in black and thought it was quite striking. So I used it here to highlight the white of the swan. The turquoise designer paper comes from DCWV Mariposa Stack. The paper in this stack is breathtaking.
   I used stamps from Tim Holtz's collection and from Stampin Up's set called Garden Collage. The flowers are from Prima. This is the first time I had made this type of bow. I really like it because it's more subdued, so that the swan takes center stage; not the bow. It was wicked fun working on this card. I think I will keep trying to challenge myself with some new technique or design. Thanks for looking!!
  

Onward to Mother's Day!!

   Happy Easter, Everyone. Today it rained like mad, but tomorrow is suppose to be a sunny warmish day. Perfect for Easter. The family is getting together to go to church and then afterwards a lunch at the Taste of Maine in Woolwich. I finished my Easter cards and gave my Easter baskets away. So now I am onward to Mother's Day.
   I made this card using the funky fold. I hadn't tried this fold yet and found it quite simple. I went onto Cheryl's blog for a video of the directions. Here is the link to her blog: http://sweeetdesignsbycheryl.blogspot.com/2010/10/i-believe-in-youvideo-on-funky-fold.html Her directions are quite good.
   I used my new Shapeabilities die cut for the circular message: Celebrate. This stamp is from Just Rite.  I used white embossing powder for the flowers from Stampin Up called Oh So Lovely. The small purple flowers I made from my McGill punch and just added a pearl to each center.

Funky Fold Card

   I found the poem about mothers online. It reads:
     At the family's heart is Mother
     Whose love is warm and true
     Our family home was a special place
      All credit's due to you.

Side view

 I thought that was quite appropriate since Mom did such a great job with all eight of us. We had a busy, but warm childhood. Mom and Dad did a great job with such a big family. I miss Dad so much.....But I want to let Mom know how I feel. I am not sure this is the card I will use, but it will be fun trying out a few cards and picking the one I like the best. Mother's Day is right around the corner, isn't it?


tomorrow.

Old Port Inspiration

Waiting for food..

 My husband and I had a great weekend. We headed to the Old Port in Portland,Maine. Our Dinner Club group, which is made up of friends that Russ worked with at B.I.W. and their wives, met at Sebago Brewing Company. We had a good time catching up on what is going on with everyone. The food was great. Russ and I had the grilled haddock, best we've had this year. Here's the group having fun...
  Before dinner Russ and I walked around The Old Port window shopping at some of the fabulous shops there. I could not take pictures because the craftspeople are funny about that, but it made me itching to make a new card. This is the card that I felt really captured the weekend with friends.

What a fun group!!

What's Don doing?

                                                                                                 
   I used my new Stampin Up embossing folder. Love this one. I also used my new Spellbinder's shapeabilites called Fleur de lis Accents. I had recently purchased designer paper from Stampin Up. I believe it is called Botanicals. Love the patterns in the set. Flowers are from Prima and the little colored brads are from Making Memories, I think.
   The circular sentiment is from Just Rite stamps with the flowers in the background from Stampin Up's "Oh, So Lovely, and the "Happiness Always" is from Stampin Up's "Happy Harmony". These are two great stamp sets. I added a little glitter on the stamped flowers with Stickles called Waterfall.
   The leaves were punched with a McGill punch and the Fancy Tag is from Spellbinders. I really like the color combo I used. I haven't put these colors together before. I guess our walking around The Old Port rubbed off on me a little bit. I love it when an inspiration comes together. Don't you?

Another Easter Card!!

   I finished my son's Easter card today. I used my brand new Spellbinder's Shapeabilities fleur de lis accents.I put the border on the top and the bottom to frame the card more. I placed the circular fleur de lis accents with the sentiment on it off to the side to show more of the rays. I liked the golden circle behind it to high-light "He Lives".

Love the embossing folder...

    I used Cuttlebug's embossing folder to make the background look like a sunrise. Martha Stewart's butterfly punch adds more interest to the card, I think. Flowers are from Mark's Finest Papers. I like how itty bitty there are here. 

Got the poem online.

 

 

 









  I found the Easter poem online. I thought it was cute. I have one more Easter card to make and  then I am done for the year. I love Easter and don't mind marking our Lord's resurrection by making someone happy. Hope you have  a Blessed Easter, too.  

For Elaine!!

A flower for Elaine..

   I think this is my last Easter basket for 2011. I love making them because they are so easy to do. Check out my earlier post on directions from Stamp TV.
   I put a small flower in this one for Elaine. She has been such a good friend to me that I wanted to show my appreciation by adding to her garden.
   I used the new paper I purchase from Mind's Eye. Great paper.. I think I've said that before, but it's a heavier quality paper than other cardstock I've used. I plan on getting more.
   I used Just Rite's new stamp set called "Kindness". I bought the Spellbinder's die cut that matches the stamp. Way cool!!
   I punched the butterflies with Martha Stewart's punch. Then distressed them with Vintage Photo from Tim Holtz.
The handle is also embellished with Martha's scalloped border punch.
   The brilliant blue flowers are from a McGill punch I have. I dotted the centers with white enamel accents.
   I lined the basket with a baggie to protect the paper. I think Elaine is gonna love this Spring basket.

Spring Has Sprung!!

I think they are begonias...

Pretty, huh?

   The weather has taken a turn for the best. It's finally looking and feeling like spring. I plan on working in my garden this morning, especially after visiting  Skillin's Garden Center and seeing these beautiful flowers. I wanted to buy everything I saw. My mom held me back by telling me it was a tad too early. Whew! That was close. Here are some more pics of flowers that I loved.  Anyway it inspired me to work on an Easter card to celebrate the time of year of rebirth....

Where did that fly come from?

  

      I wanted to use a Cuttlebug embossing folder that I have not used yet.  It was a perfect choice since I love Spellbinders oval nesties. The dotted paper is from Minds Eye. The background stamp is from Penny Black.
      I used Stampin Up's Sage Shadow ink to match the oval paper. The sentiment is from SU's  All Holidays Stamp set. I used a McGill punch to get the pink little flowers and added white Enamel Accents for the center. Ribbons are from Tate's in Bath, Maine.

I am loving the touch of pink....

      

  


   By the way, I am really pleased at how my photos have been coming out lately. That's because I bought an Ott light. I got it for half price at JoAnn's Fabric Store. What a sale! It give my photos a more brightened look. Much better than trying to find the light somewhere around the house. Saves me alot of time.
    The inside of the card is a verse from Psalm 35:9.
 I really think this is a great message for Easter. I just love Easter as our reminder of Christ's sacrifice for us. The beauty of the earth at this time of year is a message of his resurrection and salvation. Amen.

The lily is from Fifth Avenue Floral set.

   I hope you have  a Joyous Easter with your family and friends. Thanks for looking.

A Retirement Card for Don

   I just finished this retirement card for a good friend of ours.   We are so happy for him. His wife is already retired, so I think they will be traveling in their "new life". I designed this card with that in mind.
   I used watercolor paper and a wet paint brush to give the "little" picture the look of a watercolor painting. The palm tree stamp is from Stampcraft  I borrowed it from my sister, who lives just down the road.  I used SU ink to give the picture a  beach look at sunset. 

A Tropical Theme

   I used two Sizzix die cuts to make the coat tree: Decorative Accents #2 and Dress & Accessories. I just connected the top part of one to the bottom part of the other with a thin strip of the same color.
  I just bought this great paper from Mind's Eye at Jeannette's in Dover. It's really quality paper. I used it for the wall paper in the room and for the wainscoting below. I just drew lines with a brown marker to give the wainscoting  a painted wood look. 
  My oval Nesties helped me with the sentiment. I used my Just Rite alphabet stamps to print out the message. The little Prima flowers help it to look a little tropical. I found these great sandal buttons that I just cut off the little shank on the back. I thought it was a great touch.
  Spellbinder"s fancy tags helped me to add the sign at the top. I just cut part of it off to make it look more like a sign.
  The shirt was wicked fun to make. This was the first time I had done a shirt. I wanted it to look tropical, so I used a colorful piece of designer paper. Here is a video I found to help me with directions. I am a very visual learner.

 
   The hanger for the shirt was the toughest part. I've seen tiny ones in the craft stores, but I didn't have any, so I made my out of wire. I believe I will purchase some now that I know how hard they are to make.

   The inside of the card has more of a message for Don. I found the Irish Blessing on line. The palm tree and monkey are from Sizzix. The water picture is a picture I took when we went to Popham Beach. I faded it a bit to give it a lighter look.
   I hope Don likes his retirement card. I know he will enjoy his retirement. Russ and I love being retired.

Happy Day Card

   I had a great day today with my family. We went to Dover, New Hampshire to visit my favorite craft store: Stamped Designs run by Jennette. It has everything you need for crafting. She had just gotten in the new items from her trip to this year's CHA convention. It was hard to decide what to purchase, but  somehow I muddled through. I had to have  the new Just Rite stamps and Spellbinders Labels Twenty since I saw a project my sister did with these materials. Can't wait to try them out.

   I finished this card today after viewing a blog that showed how to make this flower. My sister, Chris, had showed me how to make them a while ago,but I had forgotten all about these beauties. This blog refreshed my memory with very accurate directions. http://whimsicalworldoflaurabird.blogspot.com/2011/03/paper-flower-tutorial.html

The color looks a little off. It has a reddish /pink hue.

   Loved making this one. I plan on making more with different colors. I used Spellbinders spiky circle to give the flower a bigger effect. The white stars came from Martha Stewart's star border punch. Since I hadn't used it yet, thought this would be a perfect time. I used Cuttlebug"s basket embossing folder to high- light the flower medallion.
    "Happiness Always" is from Stampin Up's Whimsical Words and the other sentiment is from Studio G.
  I could use this card for a birthday, or just a keeping in touch card.Love that it has "multi-use".

What do you think?

  After we had a great lunch at Warren's in Kittery, we headed to Scarborough to check out Cliff's, which is an indoor flea market. It is really a fabulous place to find all kinds of interesting things. The prices are great. I was thinking of buying this bowl, which goes with some other bowls I own, but couldn't decide. It was $18.00, but had a couple of nicks inside and a nick on the bottom. I took this picture to help me decide.
   I can't wait to go back to Dover and to Cliff's. It was a long day, but really well worth the trip. Don't you just love the weekends?

Just Right Easter Basket

One side of basket...

   I made this smaller Easter basket today after I saw the ones my sister made for her staff at work. Wicked cute.to her baskets. couldn't help myself. I had to make one,too. I had already made a larger one for my son,but I am not sure which one I am going to give him. He informed me he wanted less candy this  year.. Oh well, he didn't mention anything about homemade cookies..
  Anyway, the idea for this basket came from a gal on Stamp TV. This is the link to help you get the template. It is wicked easy.
http://stamptv.ning.com/video/gift-basket-part-1

Other side...

I used the stuffed bunny Sizzlet from Sizzix's collection. The ribbon I got from Tate's in Bath, Maine. Great place to get really good deals on crafting "stuff". The flowers are from Prima. I used the clear stamps from JoAnn's Fabric store. They were in the dollar bin. Love that bin...
   The other side was pretty simple. I found these cloth cally lilies at Tate's, too. I used the tiny ribbon to accent the flower. I typed the words "He lives" and cut out the paper using Spellbinder's Nesties.
   In the video on Stamp TV, she suggests these baskets are good for small potted flowers. It does look very elegant when you see the video. There is a part 1 and a part 2.  If you want to see some more examples of these baskets, check out my sister's blog: www.callalilystudio.blogspot.com
   Well, I think I might do one more of these just 'cause I love making these baskets. Now who can I give one to for Easter or maybe just for Spring.. Oh, I'll think of someone.

A Card for Jordan

A special card!

   I have been working on an Easter card for a twelve year old boy in our area that is having treatment for stage 4 cancer. A friend on Facebook has asked for everyone to send him a card, so this is the one I am sending him. I plan to put a small bag of jellybeans inside the envelope I send him. I cannot image, as a parent, having to deal with your child being this sick...

Inside the card

   This is the inside of the card. I included a personal note on the inside front cover.
   I used my balloon punch for the face and then I used Sizzix sizzlet stuffed bunny die cut for the ears only.The jellybean prayer came from a bin of discounted clear stamps at JoAnn's Fabric Store. The jellybeans were included in the stamp set.
   The little boy is a Matilda stamp that I colored with Copic Markers.
   The "Easter Wishes" is from Stampin Up's All Holdays stamp set. The border punch is from Martha Stewart's collection.
   The bag with the jellybeans in it is from Stampin Up's All Wrapped Up set.
    I took one of my flower pictures and used it as the background for the inside sentiment. I wrote  the sentiment on the computer.
   My husband and I will be praying for this boy every day. I hope all the cards he receives will put a smile on his face for a moment and let him know that other care about him. 
  

Bargello try out!

   I have just come back from visiting my sister, Chris. She has the blog: "Calla Lily Studio". She had surgery on her knee yesterday and is feeling a little bored. So I brought her a few old card magazines and showed her the card that I had just finished. Her studio is in her basement, so she can't be creative for awhile. Her computer is on the second floor, so she can't get to her blog. So I can see why she's a little bored.

Fun to make...!!

   Anyway, this is the card that I have been working on. It's a take on the bargello technique that is on Splitcoast Gallery Wednesday's Challenge. It is a really great idea, since you use a lot of your scraps to make the design.  It's like quilting with paper.
   I used my Cuttlebug's  dry embossing folder that  has leaves on it. I distressed the raised part of the leaves with Tim Holtz's vintage photo ink pad. I punched little flowers from McGill's collection of punches and distressed them with the same ink. I added the gold beads to match the tone of the paper.

   For the sentiment I used the Bargello  technique. I've included the video on this technique on my blog, so that you can see how easy it is to do. Beate does a great job with this tutorial. You will really enjoy learning this new technique.
    I used my lacy square Nestie on the Bargello paper technique. You must make sure you glue all the strips down really well or they will lift if you pan to cut out a shape. I thought the square was too big, so I used the lacy die cut to make it smaller. I liked it better.
   I stamped  the sentiment from Inkadinkadoo's collection . I really like this message. The brown ferns  came from a stamp by Ann-ticipation. I picked it up in my travels. The flowers are Prima and the fern leaves are a McGill punch.
   I used Stampin Up's border punch and Martha Stewart's doily punch for the bottom edge. I liked the pairing of the two.  The ribbon seemed to be a good color and I liked how it balanced the whole design.
   I had fun with this card, but changed the design many times 'til I liked it..Hope you enjoy making the Bargello technique, too.