6th Grade Camp Card #2

This card is what Amber opened today.  I explained inside that this is the best day ever for us because we get our baby back (insert sigh)! - in a couple of hours as a matter of fact!

This is from Originals and is called Squares and Overlay (found on page 65).  The Background and Texture paper is from the Kaleidoscope paper packet.  The Thistle cardstock is not part of that paper packet, but coordinates.  I edge distressed that paper with the direct to paper technique (I swiped the ink pad directly to the paper).

I used a flower from Blossoming Expressions (D1665).  I have found that I use that set a bunch.  : )  Oh, the flower color isn't part of the Kaleidoscope scheme either.  That flower is stamped in Sorbet with a Smoothie outline.  The leaves are Sweet Leaf with Pear outline.

Thoughtful Thursday 12/10/15

Since my furry baby boy isn't feeling well, I thought I'd go with this...

Adopting any animal gives all those involved enjoyment. The time we spend with our "baby" is never enough time.

6th Grade Camp Cards: 1 of 5

Amber went to 6th grade camp this week.  The fact that my youngest is in 6th grade is amazing!  Unfortunately, I'd been busy with other things and forgot, until Sunday evening - about 10pm - that I hadn't prepared any of her "letters".  Mental panic was not too far behind.

Whenever the girls go away to camp, I make some cards so they can have a taste of home while away.  I shared with you the cards from Girl Scout camp this past summer.  I needed to make 5 cards in a matter of hours (Amber was leaving the next morning).

I pulled out my trusty pattern books - Originals and Wishes - and started looking through the quick reference section.  I know I was making 3" x 3" cards.  I found three patterns from Wishes that I would use, and another two from Originals.  Check.

Next was the paper.  I decided to use Kaleidoscope paper because of the bright colors.  Check.

Stamps... I thought I'd go with little sayings on the front with butterflies.  That meant taking out Finding the Words (D1646) and Your Own Kind of Wonderful (C1627).  I like Finding the Words stamp set because it has one word larger than the accompanying words.  And there are several butterflies to choose from from Your Own Kind of Wonderful.




This first card is from Wishes, is called Right Away, and can be found on page 84.  I only needed to use Finding the Words for this card.  The flowers around "Cherish" are a single stamp from the stamp set (you can see below that there are 5 images to go along with the set).  I thought the flower went better with the card than the butterfly.  Finally, I set the flowers with some shine with the Bitty Sparkles (love these).  The saying is mounted with 3D Foam.

Here is the Finding the Words stamp set.  The banner can be cut from the Artiste Cricut Cartridge Collection, and then stamped.  Why not eliminate having to cut it out?!


Plug:  I don't know if you realize it or not, but each of the Cricut Collection now comes with a Cardstock Combo Pack (instead of the dimensional chipboard shapes), as well as three stamp sets.  That's on top of the cartridge that includes 700 images to cut from!  I only use my Close to my Heart Cricut Cartridges.  I haven't found a need for any other one.

Penguin Family with White Pines

Here's another card using the Season's Greetings stamp set (B1483), and Simple Expressions from Wishes.  This time I stamped the large Penguin to the left of the focal White Daisy, and stamped the smaller penguin (and the large one too for the scarf) onto scratch White Daisy, both in black ink.  For the small penguin, I cleaned the stamp and then stamped in Fern ink for the scarf and hat.

I colored the large penguin's scarf to mimic Fern (there isn't an exact match), so I colored it with the Shin Ham markers in three layers: Warm Grey 4, followed by Leaf Green, followed again by Warm Grey 4.  The small penguin's hat and scarf are colored to match Glacier: Warm Grey 4, Turquoise Blue and blended with the blender marker.

The scarves and hat were cut out, as was the small penguin.  The scarves and hat were directly adhered to the respective penguin.  And the small penguin was mounted with 3D Foam tape.



Now, if you look at the stamp set again, you'll notice "from our family to yours" is attached (it is) to the "WARM CHRISTMAS WISHES" saying.  This might be scary for some of you... cut those two phrases apart, like I did.  I was able to then stamp the saying below "SEASON'S GREETINGS".  If you don't want to cut your image, you can put paper over the part you don't want to ink, remove the paper, and then stamp.  I made too may of these cards to make that worth my while.



This card can also be made as a thank you card at the end of the season.  Just replace "Season's Greetings" with "Thank You"

Red Penguin with White Pines Card

Now that Thanksgiving was enjoyed, I thought I'd share one of my Holiday cards.  I'm more of a winter person than Christmas, so I look for snowflakes, deer, penguin, and the such.  I found a wonderful stamp set called "Seasons Greetings" (B1483) that checks off a bunch from my list... here, let me show it to you.  : )

How cute are those penguins!! Their scarf and the smaller one with the matching hat.

Okay, so now that you've seen how cool the stamp set is, let me show you the first card I made...

To create this card, I took the colors from White Pines paper packet.  I stamped tone on tone with the snowflakes in Champagne on Champagne.  Because the three stamps were being inked the same color, I put all three snowflakes onto one block in a triangular pattern.  The I rotated the stamp each time I inked it.  Quick and easy.

The penguin is stamped onto scrap White Daisy cardstock and then stamped again, making sure to re-ink.  I colored in the scarf with Shin Ham Marker, and then cut it out.  I then glued the scarf directly over the stamped image of the penguin (as you should be able to see, I didn't glue the ends of the scarf down to give more of a 3D look.

Side-note:  to make the color of the scarf match the Cranberry in the paper, I did three layers of colors.  The bottom layer is Mahogany, the middle layer is Light Orange, and the top is Carmine.  It took a little more work, but for my type Aness, I'm very glad I did.  In living color, the scarf matches the paper really well.

Season's Greetings was stamped in Black ink on the Glacier paper.  The pattern for this card?  Simple Expressions (page 40) from Wishes.  I moved the 1/4" strip of Fern cardstock to go below the zigzag B&T paper.  I also opted to stamp the saying on the 3/4" Glacier cardstock instead of creating the saying piece in the pattern.

Thoughtful Thursday 12/3/15

I know I'm a California wimp, especially since I'm whining about the cold nights we've been having (low 40s, high 30s).  I miss this weather already!  And even though it reached 80 degrees during the day this week, it's only 68 in the house.  My hands are freezing!!

I did say wimp, right!?

Not Cyber Monday, but Cyber Week! 2015

It's not to late to join in with the savings!  Close to my Heart discounted 39 items by 25%!  A few items are one's I've eyed but passed on.  However, I'm taking advantage of the sale to buy some of the items and fall in love with them - for instance, the ice cream container and the journaling cards box.

ARTFULLY SENT Cricut Collection is one of those items (I already have that one, but you may not).

Go check it out now, because they sale will be over before you know it (December 4, 2015)!