PSC51 - Vintage Christmas

This week at The Perfect Sentiment Challenge we'd like you to make a card with a Christmas sentiment. The twist is to use something vintage on your card, such as vintage paper, a vintage image, etc.

Pattie's Creations is offering a free digi of their choice to one lucky random winner!

Last week I was looking for a business that had moved and went into their old building where a thrift store is now located. Talking to the lady at the counter about the previous business, I looked down and saw five old, falling apart hymnals. My vintage crafty side leaped for joy with ideas to repurpose the old hymns and Christmas carols. Each hymnal was published a different year and was very well worn. My card truly used a vintage copy of  Hark, the Herald Angels Sing as background paper.

I tore and inked the edges for more vintage details. My sentiment was already on the digital vintage image I downloaded from Little Birdie Blessings. She had used a free image from The Graphics Fairy and added the sentiment from Word Art Wednesday. I used the lovely sketch from Sunday Stamps, Challenge 16. It went perfectly with my image. Thank you, Tara. My dark green heart circle shows up as black, but it seemed to match the darkest holly in other light. The red patterned paper is from Close To My Heart's new Christmas paper pack. I also used their adhesive pearls and color-ready seam binding as ribbon.

 

I hope you'll try your hand at creating a vintage Christmas Card and join us this week at The Perfect Sentiment! You can find free vintage images at The Graphics Fairy, Free Vintage Digital Stamps, Digital Two for Tuesday,  Clearly Vintage, and several others. Just be sure you click on any image to get the larger version before you right click on it to do a "save as." Another helpful hint is to save them in a vintage image file with a file folder for the name of the source so you can give them credit when you use them.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge #91 - Nativity image
Christmas Crafting Challenge #14- Traditional Christmas colors: Red, Green, and Gold (with white)
Fashionista Challenge - Anything Goes with Christmas
Sunday Stamps Challenge 16 - sketch



 

Mojo Monday 260 Joyeux Anniversaire

Over the weekend we went to the reunion of my high school class. I remembered how I had been the president of our foreign language club, probably because I loved French so much everyone voted for me. Several of us dreamed of going to France some day. My dear friends Sandy and Dave have had that privilege. Here's the birthday card I made with Sandy in mind using Bonjour sentiments from Close To My Heart with their La Belle Vie paper pack and the wonderful sketch 260 from Mojo Monday.

This week at No Matter Which they challenged us to use die cuts or punches, so I'm giving you the details for cutting these die cut shapes. I cut a card shape from Cricut Art Philosophy, p. 54, <Circle4> at 5." I cut the basic shape of <Circle4> at 5" from La Belle Vie mauve patterned paper and attached it to the front of the card. Then I also cut the Layer for <Circle4> at 5" using the dark pattern on the reverse side of that paper.

The mat for the sentiment was from p. 67, <shape10> cut at 2.5" from Plum Mist cardstock. I added the darker Decorative Layer for <shape10> also at 2.5." The rest was simple additions of cardstock and embellishments.

I'm sharing this card at the following challenges:
Catered Crop - tie a knot
Dream Valley Challenge #41 - Celebrations (Joyeux Anniversaire means Happy Birthday)
Mojo Monday 260 - round sketch
No Matter Which Challenge #2 - die cuts or punches






 

CIC60 Fall into Fall

"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile."  --William Cullen Bryant

 

 

 

Today it's time for challenge CIC60 at Clearly iStamp. Show us your fall themed project. For mine, I'm using the digital images and sentiment from "Leaves." This time I chose the digital paper, circle image, and a large red maple leaf along with the quote I have at the top of this post for the inside. I tried making a swing card from my Cricut Artiste cartridge. I felt it really highlighted a different way to use the paper and images.

 

 

 



When I cut this card on my Cricut, I used the shift, Accent 3, <s> key with the size set at 6.5". Luckily it cut it 5" wide, so it will fit my usual envelopes. If you're not familiar with a swing card, it's sort of a trifold with a shape half cut into the top layer. It's usually a symmetrical shape. The one I chose was for a circle element like the one I used for mounting the large leaf. The negative space on the top layer forms the other half of the circleletting my circle element and leaf show through. Only half of that shape shows on the inside. Since I embossed the front of my card, I covered the second layer with cardstock to match the golden maple leaf. That's the side where I intend to sign the card since so much of the last side with the digital paper shows through to the front.

 

Thank you for checking out my card and we'd love to see your project at Clearly iStamp!

 

Other challenges where I'm sharing this card:

Bearly Mine Challenge #53 - Fall colors

Belli Challenge #152 - Fall/Autumn

Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Embossing

Shopping Our Stash - Embossing

Simon Says Stamp - Emboss it

The Paper Shelter Challenge #82 - Fall image and fall colors

Use Your Stuff #52 - Fall colors: brown, orange, red, green

 

6.5" x 5" Card Recipe:

Digital Images - Clear Dollar Stamps digi "Leaves"

Paper - CDS digital paper "Leaves;" Close To My Heart Champagne, Colonial White, Goldrush, Cocoa cardstock

Ink - CTMH Saddle ink for distressing

Accents - CTMH Cocoa Ribbon

Tools - Cricut Expression, Cricut Artiste Cartridge, Printer, Cuttlebug embossing folder, SU ticket corner punch, sponge for inking

CTMH Scholastic Wall Layout

Here is another Scholastic Layout I made with Gabriel's school photo. It's ready to fit in a 12" x 12" frame. I adapted a pattern from their new how-to publication called Make It From Your Heart.

I used one of the Scholastic workshop stamps for the number border. The letters were from the new alphabet set, Glamour Lowercase. The butterfly and sentiment are from the special stamp set for National Stamping Month. The shape that they're on is from Cricut Artiste. All of the other shapes were cut from Cricut Art Philosophy.

PSC50 - Masculine Birthdays Challenge

This week at The Perfect Sentiment we want you to make a card with a birthday sentiment. The twist is to make it masculine. We're being sponsored by Parables of a Crafter. For more details see our challenge blog.

One of my grandsons turns eight this week (going on 18 - he tries to parent his younger siblings). He's very bright, energetic, and competitive. He really destroys the theory about the second child being more relaxed. He's a high achiever who wants to do well in everything he can do. Before he started kindergarten I was reading books with his 2nd grade brother. He asked why I didn't bring some that he could read, so on my next visit I brought the easiest books a reading teacher has and by Thanksgiving he was reading books on a mid-1st grade level. He amazes me. He's really good at sports but also loves driving little cars, playing golf, bowling, etc. So this card is for you, Christian.

I used several masculine elements on my card. The image I used is from Clear Dollar Stamps, called Dirt Rides. Thinking of dirt and the country road where we live, I used Slate ink and a stipple brush to dirty up the white papers and the four wheeler. I used a plaid design Cuttlebug embossing folder on the Outdoor Denim background paper. Cork shapes, a corrugated star, and pewter brads and photo hangers help give a masculine feel. Instead of ribbon I cut strips of felt that matched the car and I masked the title (from Clear Dollar Stamps "Leaves") stippling around it.


Images: Dirt Rides, Leaves (sentiment)
Markers - Copic
Inks - CTMH Slate, Outdoor Denim
Accents - CTMH Evergreen Cork Shapes, Milepost Shapes, Pewter brads and photo hangers, blue felt, number sticker unknown
Tools - stipple brush, Cuttlebug plaid embossing folder
 

More Scholastic Layouts

The Close To My Heart Scholastic paper pack was also perfect for my grandson's Kindergarten Graduation pictures (although the gold graduation gowns they wore are a little overwhelming).

 

 

This right page will have strips of journaling in the area where the arrows are. The rectangle in the lower right corner will have this verse: Study to show thyself approved unto God. . .2 Timothy 2:15.

 

Here are the other two pages of his graduation. He's usually so shy I was happy to see that he was singing and doing the actions with the songs while his teacher was playing the guitar in accompaniment.

 

 

This left page above was designed to have one large 8" x 10" photo, but I added 4 smaller ones instead since most of my friends doing this workshop with me prefer to use up lots of 4" x 6" photos.  I also changed the right page below. It was supposed to have three 3.5" square photos on mats but I used 6" x 4" photos cropped slightly shorter with the full sized one in the middle. Some photos just shouldn't be cropped!

 

 

 

 

 

Scholastic Workshop On The Go

Here are the four workshop layouts we did this weekend at our church. Having lots of grandkids can sometimes mean lots of back to school photos. I was glad that I stayed at my daughter's house for the first day of school. I was able to get photos of her boys on the way to school and when I picked them up for early release.

We gave Alex and Christian the new Bibles they would need for school this year. Instead of putting them in their backpacks, they sat on the sofa and started  reading them. It was awesome to see a first and second grader pouring over them with awe. May they always have that respect and hunger for God's Word as they grow in Christ.

All supplies are from Close To My Heart.

Clear Dollar Stamps' Digi Release Day!

Every month I get excited to see what the design team members have made with the new digi stamps at Clear Dollar Stamps. Today I'm introducing two of my favorites. This first card is made with Scenic Trees.

I've always been in love with trees, especially after the leaves have fallen and you can see their skeletal structure, especially when they're seen as a silhouette at sunset.  I printed my image on cream cardstock, then sponged several shades of ink to resemble sunset. This set has many different shapes of trees with and without leaves. It has so many possibilities.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenge:
Blogger's Challenge - Silhouettes

Go on down to my next post for today to see the other digi set I used.

5" x 6.5" Scenic Tree Card Recipe:
Digital Image - CDS Scenic Trees
Inks - CTMH Buttercup, Honey, Goldrush, Autumn Terracotta, Ruby
Paper - The Paper Studio "Simple Elegance;" CTMH Colonial White cardstock
Accent - black organdy ribbon, white decorative mat
Tools - Printer, Photoshop, CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy to make mat, sponges to ink sunset


 

Another September Digi Release at Clear Dollar Stamps

The next digi set I chose at Clear Dollar Stamps was the colored set of Leaves by Lori McCroskey. Because it was in color I was able to manipulate the images with Photoshop to make a background of different colored leaves using one branch of leaves. In case you're not into Photoshop, I included one of the sets of smaller leaves so you can see another variety of leaves already arranged as background. If you love leaves in the fall as much as I do, you'll love the many shapes and colors included in this set. Thanks, Lori!

If you are into Photoshop, here's what I did. Since it was in color I could adjust the hue in Photoshop, rotate it, copy and paste it onto a 5" x 7" mat. It made a lot of layers, but I flattened them when I liked the look and printed it on Bamboo cardstock which is darker than cream or white. The circular sentiment frame comes without words, but I copied some of the light colored words, lightened them even more using the dark/light feature in Adjustments, Hue, then I copied and pasted them on the middle bar. I actually printed the circle twice, cutting it smaller the second time to pop dot it on top of the first one. I sponged some Autumn Terracotta ink on the bottom one and stippled some bamboo ink around the outer portion of the leaf circle. I loved, loved, LOVED making my own leaf paper. There are so many more leaves in this set to play with and the color set also includes two more sets of colored leaf paper.

Stop by Clearly iStamp and see what the other designers have made!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Crafty Ann's Challenge #74 - Fall colors (not the sketch)
Scrapalicious USA - Welcoming Fall
Crafty Sentiments Challenge - Leaves

5" x 6.5" Leaves Thinking of You Card Recipe:
Digital Stamps - Leaves (Color)
Ink - CTMH Cocoa, Autumn Terracotta, Bamboo
Paper - CTMH Colonial White, Bamboo; Black cardstock
Accents - CTMH Black Striped Grosgrain
Tools - Memory Box leaf flourish die, CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy, Printer, Photoshop, stipple brush, pop dots
Technique - background paper made from same leaf set rotated and hue changed, copied and pasted in Photoshop on Bamboo paper; sponging and stippling of ink on circular papers

PSC49 - Falling For You

This week at The Perfect Sentiments Challenge we'd like you to create a card with a Fall or Thanksgiving Sentiment. The twist is to add Baker's twine.  Shelly's Images is our sponsor this week and is offering a free digital image to one lucky winner.

My tri-fold shutter card was fun to make. I was inspired by Darlene at Dar's Crafty Creations.  Her tutorial posted at Shelly's Images blog made this such an easy card to make that I wondered why I hadn't tried it before! Because my card was made from a cream colored cardstock, the pure white of the twine looked a little out of place, so I used cocoa ink on a sponge and lightly shaded it.

The inside verse was copied from Word Art Wednesday a couple of weeks ago. I love this verse and have had several opportunities to share it with friends and family lately, so I'm sharing this card with their challenge blog even though it's a previous verse.  The leaves were cut, embossed, and inked using a Spellbinders die. All of the rest of the materials I had on hand from Close To My Heart.

I hope you'll play along with us this week with your own fall card and may God bless you in all things!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
2 Sisters Challenge #108 - Fall
Lisa Somerville's Blogger's Challenge - Bring On Fall
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Pick 3 (I chose die cut, distressed with ink, embossing on leaves)
Try It On Tuesday - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday - scripture


 

Butterfly and Sunflower Encouragement Card

Here in Missouri the temperatures are finally dropping and we're getting a little rain each week. This may not be autumn yet, but it's certainly a relief.  The card I'm sharing today is supposed to have autumn colors. In addition to using Kraft cardstock that is a light brown (definitely an autumn color) the names of the other colors agree that they're autumn colors, too: Outdoor Denim, Indian Corn Blue, Sunflower, and Goldrush. (I also used Honey and Sunset). This time in September we usually see Monarch butterlies migrating south from Canada to Mexico, right through our area, so I inked the black and white patterned butterfly with Sunset orange ink in honor of the ones that fly through our yard, visiting the wild sunflowers for nectar.

I was inspired by 4 Crafty Chicks Challenge to use metal, so I thought I'd add some of my new metal durables to the center of my butterfly. I liked the rugged appearance it gave. Pattie's Creations Designs challenged us to use embossing so I chose an embossing folder with a pattern similar to my patterned paper. Here are the other challenges where I'm sharing this card:
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - use a stamp (my sunflower and sentiment)
Crafts and Me Challenge #100 - Add a flower
The Kraft Journal Make It Monday - Autumn Colors
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #136 - Flowers
Pile It On #37 - Patterned paper (CTMH Pemberley, used both sides of the same sheet)
Dream Valley Challenge #40 - Something Old (4 yr old twill), Something New (metal durables)
The Squirrel and the Fox #26 - Anything Goes

All of the materials and alcohol ink markers were from Close To My Heart.

 

CIC59 - Leaves

This week Clearly Inspired Challenge #59 is Leaves, a little or a lot of leaves on your project. Here's the card I made with one of the adorable images designed by Lisa Lara at Clear Dollar Stamps. I used the outline version so I could color the little guy to look like my oldest grandson and to match my paper.

I hope this inspires you to create your own card with leaves and join us at the Clearly Inspired Challenge at Clear Dollar Stamps where you can also check out the cool cards made by the other members of the design team.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #233 - Autumn Gold
Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #137 - Colors of Autumn
Inspired By #40 -(photo of a stack of autumn colored blankets)

Card Recipe:
Digital Image - CDS Piles of Fun
Ink - CTMH Autumn Terracotta, Honey
Markers - CTMH Alcohol Honey, Autumn Terracotta, Autumn Terracotta Light, Twilight, Twilight Dark; Copics E35 Chamois, E18 Copper, E00 Skin White, E11 Barely Beige, 0 Blender
Paper - CTMH "Clementine," Colonial White, Chocolate cardstock
Accents - CTMH Chocolate grosgrain ribbon, Sorbet Waxy flax, retired button
Tools - Printer, CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge (stacked leaves), large corner rounder
Technique - I traced the smallest leaf that I cut around the printed title and cut out. I inked the edges of the top leaf with the sponge and the bottom two with alcohol markers.

Autumn is Coming

The temperatures here are beginning to yo-yo. We still get the 90+degree days but a couple of days each week are much cooler and I actually saw a young maple with gold and red leaves yesterday. So I made a fun card in honor of beautiful autumn "when every leaf is a flower." Charlie is such an adorable horse character from Clear Dollar Stamps. I love this image ("Charlie Autumn") of frolicking in the leaves. It expresses what I'd do if I didn't have allergies and arthritis! Instead my hubby and I drive to scenic spots and take photos.

I used this sketch from Fetch a Sketch which worked great for adding decorative leaves.

I chose the colors for my card from Hiding in My Craft Room: More Mustard, Cajun Craze, and Garden Green. The Cricut cartridge I used was Art Philosophy to cut the leaves and their decorative accent overlay in contrasting colors.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Fetch a Sketch Challenge #32 - sketch
Hiding in My Craft Room Challenge #61 - More Mustard, Cajun Craze, and Garden Green
Lexi's Creations Challenge #73 - Autumn Colours
Mema's Crafts September Challenge - Choose a Theme (#1 Fall Colors)
The Paper Players Challenge #111 - Leaves/Trees

5.5" x 4.25" Card Recipe:
Paper - The Paper Studio "The Linen Door;" CTMH White Daisy, Honey, Goldrush cardstock
Image - Clear Dollar Stamps "Charlie Autumn" digi
Markers - Close To My Heart alcohol markers: Autumn Terracotta, Autumn Terracotta Light, Honey, Topiary Light; Copics N00, N02, N04 neutral grays
Accents - CTMH Autumn Terracotta grosgrain ribbon (retired);
Tools - Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge - leaves, pop dots, edge distresser

 

PSC48 - All Creatures Great and Small

This week at The Perfect Sentiment the challenge is to USE A SENTIMENT FOR THE SEASON OR OCCASION OF YOUR CHOICE. The twist is to incorporate a critter somewhere on your card: teddy bears, mice, frogs, elephants, insects, etc. Our lovely sponsor is Crafty Sentiments Design.

They are offering 3 of their digis as a prize to one lucky, random winner! Today, I used one of their digis for my grandson's birthday card. We love to go exploring together, and recently watched frogs with some lily pads at a nature center.

I used this great sketch, CPS #281, using two blue punched circles topped with orange leaves and flying insect brads in place of the two smaller squares.  After coloring the image with alcohol markers, I cut out each element and glued it on a piece of patterned paper that looked like water and sky. I used dark green waxy flax for some rough stitching that reminded me of things we used to make when I was a Girl Scout at summer camp. The orange and blue patterned papers are from CTMH "Splendor," long retired. The green mat was Basic Grey's "Lemonade."

 

 

I hope you'll join our fun challenge with your project featuring creatures great or small!

 

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge #54 - A Boy Thing (bugs and frogs)

Fairy Tale Challenge #49 - Anything with metal (insect brads)

Pattie's Creations Design Challenge #51 - Birthdays

The Craft Garden September Challenge - Inspired by Water

The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #201 - Animal Antics

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operation Write Home VCMP - Represent your state

I live on a farm in Missouri. My husband isn't a farmer like his dad was, so my mother-in-law rents our pasture land to a friend. His cattle do the grazing and he keeps fences mended, mows the hay, etc. Another friend is raising soybeans on some of our acreage. I personally think cows represent a large part of our state.  Except around the big cities, you can hardly drive without seeing pasture land or cattle. And, yes, I have looked at the cows in my back yard and I agree they don't have that shade of pink anywhere, but I used artistic license when I colored this cow.

I designed this card with several challenges in mind. The Virtual Card Making Party for Labor Day Weekend had this last challenge: Represent Your State, which I'm doing with this cute cow from Clear Dollar Digi Stamps, "Farm Critters Digital Image."

Paper Playtime suggested the gingham and Quirky Crafts asked for Farm + one recycled item. I took the plastic packaging from my new Tombo adhesive refill, Used a Sharpie to trace a star that I cut on the Cricut, and cut it out to glue over part of the title. I wanted a star to go with the title and it is so easy to see through the plastic star, I will definitely try this again. Sweet Stamps challenge this week has more ideas for using acetate on cards and layouts.

I also altered the title in Photoshop. I copied Udderly Terrific and hit "New" document/image. I doubled the size of the width suggested in the "New" drop down menu. Then I pasted Udderly Terrific and moved it to the right with the pointer. I copied "You're" from another sentiment in that set, pasted it and moved it to the left with the pointer. I went to Layers and Flattened the layers so I could save it as a jpg to print.

I used the bonus sketch for this week at Operation Write Home. Then I added two die cut scalloped circles - 3/25" and 3.5" to highlight the main image.

 

I'm sharing this card at the following challenges:

Stars and Stamps Operation Write Home - Bonus Sketch

No Matter Which Challenge #2 - Die Cuts and Punches

Paper Playtime Challenge #83 - Gingham and Punches

Quirky Crafts challenge #18 - Recycling on the Farm

Operation Write Home Virtual Card Making Party final challenge - home sweet home (Missouri)

Sweet Stamps Challenge #81 - Acetate

 

 

5.5" x 4.25" Card Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart retired gingham, Black and White Daisy cardstock; The Paper Studio "Simple Elegance"

Digital Images - Clear Dollar Stamps  "Farm Critters Digital Image."

Markers - CTMH Cotton Candy Light Alcohol Marker; Copics N00, N02, N04 (grays)

Accents - unknown daisy chain ribbon from my stash; clear star made from "trash"

Tools - printer, Cricut Art Philosophy (scalloped circles, star), 3" circle punch; Adobe Photoshop, Sharpie permanent black marker, acetate cover packaging from Tombow adhesive refill

 



 

Stars and Stamps VCMP Card 1 - Using Scripture

I made several cards yesterday to play along with Stars and Stamps Virtual Card Making Party. They posted 10 different challenges on Saturday and Sunday. The first one was to make a card with Scripture. That's what I love to do anytime because the card says so much more to the receiver than the words simply printed in the sentiment. I believe that since God's Word is sharper and more powerful than a two-edged sword, His words touch the deepest need in someone's life in a most personal way - just what they need for a situation. I also believe that His Words of encouragement can be very healing. So that is my prayer for this card that will be sent to servicemen or women for Operation Write Home. This challenge is being sponsored by Our Daily Bread Designs. It is their challenge for the month of September.

This card uses the Operation Write Home Sketch #123 from May 27th this year. I used a Clear Dollar Digi Stamp, "Christian Sympathy." I love the artistic font and the colors of purple and green were easy to work with. I liked keeping the sympathy card simple, yet elegant with the CTMH shiny gray ribbon and purple sparkles and the Petaloo glittery flower and leaf.

May God bless you with strength in your own times of need.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Operation Write Home/Our Daily Bread Designs  "Virtual Card Making Party" - Scripture cards
Papertake Weekly Challenge  - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday Challenge #43 - used Scripture on the front
Make It Monday #105 - always Anything Goes with comments

4.25" x 5.5" Sympathy Card Recipe:
Paper - The Paper Studio solid colored cards; Close To My Heart "Splendor," White Daisy and Black cardstock
Digital Stamp - Clear Dollar Digi Stamp  "Christian Sympathy"
Accents - CTMH Slate Satin Polka Dot Ribbon; Petallo flower and leaf
Tools - Printer

 

Cricut Artiste Birthday Card for my Son

Here's the masculine birthday card I made for my son's birthday this week. He's 33 and I'm so thankful that he has a great computer career. He's in a very casual office, so doesn't really have to wear ties, but he says he now owns a few.  I chose paper that looks like the types of shirts he wears (usually without the tie).  I wanted to try out the shirt and tie card on the Cricut Artiste. The largest it makes is 5.75."

Both the shirt and the tie were cut from Basic Grey "Boxer." By leaving the Cricut size dial set at 5.75," the tie is cut proportionately to the shirt card.  I love that feature so you don't have to guess. I also found that the neck of the shirt inside will hold folded money rather securely - perfect for the gift that lets him pick out his own shirt or whatever he wants. And there was plenty of room at this size for the motherly message and blessing inside.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
By the Cute and Girly - for Boys/Men
Card Crafter's Circle #38 - For the Fellas
Dream Valley Challenge #40 - Something Old, Something New -old paper pack, new Cricut cartridge
The Squirrel and the Fox #25 - One for the Men