Two Random Cards

Well one is really random and one isn't.  Can you guess which is which?  Don't bother, I'll tell you.  The Season's Greetings card came about for two reasons.  One is I am in a challenge with my dear Squirrel buddies.  We have given ourselves 3 cards to make over the next two weeks...or at least that is how I have chosen to interpret the challenge.  We 3 have each picked a component and at least one of them must be in a card.  My choice was to use embossing folders.  The second reason for this card (Jen picked using a holiday theme) besides holiday is that I signed up for an older OCC class called Pattern Play.  The class is designed to teach how to use up all that lovely, addictive patterned paper that we so willingly have hoarded.  This design was taken from that class.  So not random at all.

This next card is definitely the random one.  Or should I say a "scraps-left-on-my-desk" card.  I've been playing with some oval stitched dies from MFT and wanted to use them in a card.  There, right on my desk were a few leftover scraps of PL cards which are ideal for card making.  So this is what I ended up with.  The flowers and leaves are TSOL dies also cut from the PL cards.

Strawberry Basket

Nothing like fresh strawberries to say it's summer.  This card screams summer and all the tasty things that can be enjoyed involving strawberries.  For me, just as is, with nothing added is my way of eating these little jewels.  So when Stephanie Barnard's July stamp and die set was all about strawberries I was thrilled.  Then a few days later she lured me in with this berry basket die.  L.O.V.E. it!!!

I used my paper stash from 4 different sources to create this card.  The strawberries were cut from a PL style card.  Those little cards are always great sources for card making.  The strawberries with their greenery (I embossed the green toppers with an embossing folder) and berry basket are from TSOL.  The "happy birthday" is a Stand Up Helper from Elizabeth's Crafts.


Thanks for looking.  I would love to hear your comments!

7/25/14 Unity FWF Friday

Yes...another tag...full of fabulous Unity stamps.   I love those Adirondack chairs from The Reason Someone Smiles and worked it into a summer sunset scene or so I hope.  Lots of happy colors using Mini Distress Inks, a touch of copper paint for the butterflies, and a little white gel pen to highlight the tiny flowers.

7/18: Unity Friends with Flair Friday: Take Two

Now for the second Asian card of the week.  Emily Girl - Best You has to be and will be one of my all time favorite stamps.  She just screams for either paper piecing or Copic coloring.  Today I used patterned paper for her kimono.  I seem to be on a paper piecing binge.  I also used Wink of Stella markers for the flowers on her kimono. The bold butterfly is Unity's Butterfly Beauty.  And they are ALL beauties in this set.  I will explore those butterflies more.

7/18: Unity Friends with Flair Friday: Take One

One thing I love about Unity stamps is the variety of styles and looks they offer.  You can find arty to cute and everything in between in the way of stamps.  So today I couldn't decide which Asian card to post for FWF.  Therefore I will post both of them in separate posts.

I first made "You're My Bestie" card earlier in the week.  I paper pieced the little kimonos and used MFT's Blueprint #14 die set for all the components of this card.  I used the same stamp for both little girls and cut them out on my Klic-N-Kut machine which made easy work and helped cut down on the fussy cutting.  All card stock is from my stash.

Catching Up Installment Four: Kimono Girl

Isn't she just so lovely?  I knew this Unity stamp "Best You - Emily Girl" would be fabulous and I am not disappointed.  There is so much I want to do with her but for my first play time I just did some simple paper piecing and a little coloring of a few areas.  I haven't even turned this into a card yet and may not.  I want to look at her for a long time.

Catching up Installment Three:

With the arrival of so many stamps...it's been like Christmas in my craft room...I really was feeling scattered on where to start.  One thing I find that calms me down and lets some creativity flow is making tags.  Those little canvases are less intimidating and there is no real purpose to them (so no pressure) allowing me to just PLAY!

My desk being the disaster that it is, there is no end to the resources within my reach.  Give me a tag, some stamps, ink and sponge applicators and I can go to town.


These first two tags are made primarily with Unity Stamps

The focal image of the bird is a Penny Black stamp, with a few Unity stamps.  The Asian calligraphy stamp is an older one from my stash.

Catch Up Installment Two: Chrissie's Birthday Card

Chrissie's birthday has come and gone so I can now post her card.  I used Karen Burniston's  House Pivot Card Die.  It comes with all sorts of accessory dies like the windows, door and chimney.  I added assorted birds of course, tree and leaves.  This card used a huge variety of dies, paper and a few stamps.  It was so fun to make for a very special friend.

Now for some catching up...Installment One

I've been busy making a lot of cards recently.  A dear friend was in need of some special Thank You notes so I was more than happy to make up a batch of 25 to help her out.  Then came the latest TSOL stamp and die set for July plus the arrival of Unity's June KOTM.  On top of all that I found myself in sensory overload when I took a card class from Els of Elizabeth Craft Design.

Where to start?  Well rather than detail everything out, I am just going to dump out here what I've been making and be done with it.  I've had so much fun with new stamps, dies, techniques and toys.

These are the cards I made in Els' class.  I learned a lot about Shimmer Sheetz, Silk Micro-fine Glitter, dies and Pop-It-Up cards and Peel-off Stickers.  Oh my, the possibilities!

Friends With Flair Friday - Tag Art

The June Unity KOTM, In Love With Love, is another WINNER!!!  I love when I can just sit down with one pile of stamps and the ink, stamps and sponge applicators take on a life of their own.  This is what I call Stream of Consciousness Art.  It just happens.

I started with some Distress Inks and sponge applicators for the background, added the Brick Wall stamp, then the girl and finally the flowers and butterflies.  Love it when a tag comes together.