Belated Birthday Card

I realized the other day that I missed a friend's birthday. That made me realize two things - I need to update my birthday calendar and check it! Also, I need to keep a supply of belated birthday cards on hand. I got the idea for this card when I was looking through the digital stamps that were released in April at Clear Dollar Stamps.  I was initially drawn to their store because of the Bible verses and Christian stamps. I also like their fresh designs that look like they'd be great to send to children.

I chose to use two stamps from their set Bless My Bloomers.  I thought that Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch #158 this week at The Sweetest Thing was great for this image. I also immediately matched it up with the color palette at ColourQ Challenge #136.

As soon as I colored my image, I thought it would great on Kraft Cardstock and it was definitely feminine, so I'm linking it up with The Kraft Journal Make It Monday Challenge to make a card For Her.

I colored the image with Copic markers but added shadows or traced lines in the flowers with Watercolor Pencils and CTMHmarkers. I used three different patterned papers and a darker green cardstock to mat two of them. Using three or more designer papers was the challenge this week at Shopping Our Stash Weekly. These papers were all from more than 2 years ago. ( I love using up "old" papers!) The dotted Sunset background paper was used to make a matching button. I just took a clear button and glued it to the paper with Liquid Glass. It only took a couple of minutes to dry sufficiently so I could punch out the two holes and tie with baker's twine that matched the Kraft cardstock.

Thanks for stopping by and may God bless you tomorrow on Mother's Day.

Challenges:
ColourQ Challenge #136
Shopping Our Stash Weekly Challenge #51- Use three or more designer papers
Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #158
The Kraft Journal Make It Monday Challenge - Cards for Her

5.5" x 4.25" Belated Birthday Card Recipe:
Images- Clear Dollar Stamps " Bless My Bloomers"
Papers - Close To My Heart "Emporium" (2009-light green floral), "Grace" (2009-sunflower design), "Hooligans" (2010-sunset dotted), New England Ivy, White Daisy cs &  textured cs, Kraft cardstock
Markers - Copics Orange YR68 with Blush R20; Pea Green YG63, Neutral Gray N0, Lemon Yellow Y13 with CTMH Sunflower highlights, CTMH Olive watercolor pencil for shading
Accents/Tools - CTMH button and Basic baker's twine; Spellbinder's Nestabilities "Lacey Circles;" 3" circle punch,flower unknown

Love You Forever

One of my oldest daughter's favorite books that she read to her children when they were young is Robert Munsch's Love You Forever. The stamp set on this card for a young boy has the verse that the mother repeats to her child at each stage of life. When the mother gets old the son goes to her house and repeats it to her, changing the words to indicate "your baby I'll be." It's sort of a tear jerker for those of us who are tender hearted, but it's endearing.

I made this card with Earth Day in mind, using a green leafy pattern, a green and Spring iris striped paper and kraft cardstock. I love the way the color of Kraft cardstock blends with the other two colors. The CPS sketch #262 was perfect for the image and sentiment.

I used paper piecing so that the birds would be Spring Iris color like the sentiment. The ric rac was added instead of ribbon because that seemed appropriate for a young boy.

Challenges:
CPS Card Sketch Challenge #262
The Kraft Journal: Make It Monday, Challenge #68 - Just for Kids
Sentimental Sundays Challenge #99 - Celebrating Earth Day

4.25" x 5.5" Card Recipe:
Paper - Close To My Heart "Emporium" (green),  and stripe (retired), White Daisy and Spring Iris Cardstock; Kraft Cardstock
Stamps - CTMH Love You Forever
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Other - CTMH markers Sweet Leaf, Desert Sand, Bamboo, Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge (scalloped circle); Copic marker BV 04; CTMH White Ric Rac; Reminisce white flower

Fresh Picked

I've been so glad to see challenges using the color green. I used to read Beatrix Potter's books to my children at home and at school. Mother Rabbit always said, "Green is good for the eyes." I feel the same way after the drab colors of winter outside. In addition, The Kraft Outlet's challenge this week was called "Farm Fresh," the perfect choice for some of my orchard related stamps. I've chosen the palette of Pals Paper Arts to make a card, using Kraft as my 3rd color.

I used the sketch from There She Goes Clear Stamps, challenge #145.

The bottom piece of designer paper is from Basic Grey's "Origin." For the vertical piece I used a piece of Basic Grey's "Oh Baby - Boy" and repeatedly stamped "Fresh Picked" to make it more interesting. for the main image, I stamped it with New England Ivy three times on Kraft, Pear, and New England Ivy cardstock, then paper pieced the leaves and pear on the main Kraft image. I tried stamping it on White CS first, but it didn't look nearly as interesting as it did on Kraft CS. The image and words came from an old, retired CTMH stamp set called "Fresh Picked."

For the scallops on the side I used a different pear from a set called You're Sweet (CTMH) and stamped it three times on Kraft with New England Ivy ink. Then I cut it out    and attached to the vertical panel. I let some of the seeds show so that the pear theme was repeated. The last element that says Farm or Country to me is the gingham ribbon. after attaching the bow, I attached a Making Memories Animal Crackers felt button (left from 3 or 4 years ago), tied with the gingham ribbon.

(Now, if only I wasn't allergic to pears! I live on a farm and have a small orchard, but I think pears are the only fruit I don't raise.)

Masculine Card in Weathered Kraft, Red, White, and Blue

I'm celebrating and praising God that my son-in-law is getting a long-awaited promotion. God continually shows that He is working in his life, challenging, blessing, maturing. Phuilippians 1:8 is the perfect verse to share with him. Here's a card I made for him today that definitely has a masculine look. I used the sketch from Viva La Verve for February week 2 and the colors suggested bythe "Weathered" Ribbon Reel Challenge #22 - create a card /project that is WEATHERED/DISTRESSED using the colours KRAFT, WHITE, BLUE with touch of RED, NATURAL TWINE/TWILL and this inspiration photo

The different-sized blocks of paper in this sketch remind me of the beach houses in the inspiration photo. I used some blue patterned papers that I had from the Basic Grey "Boxer" collection, definitely masculine. I weathered the kraft and patterned papers by scissor distressing the edges then painting with white paint. 

I also used the challenge from The Kraft Journal Make it Monday to tell what your fabulous find is. Mine is the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge I used to make the white sentiment shape. I chose "Shape 7" and cut off one of the sides to make it fit the block of paper. I love using that cartridge because of the variety of shapes - over 700. Mine sits on a cabinet in my kitchen and I leave the cartridge in the machine, ready to go. I frequently turn it on, put in a scrap of paper, cut my shape, turn it off and go on to finish my card. I love how handy it is.

I stamped the bird with Desert Sand ink that is pretty close to the Kraft color. Then I lightly colored it and retraced some of the lines with the Desert Sand watercolor pencil. The directions from the ribbon reel were to use a touch of red, so I mounted the twill on Cranberry cardstock and colored 3 chipboard circles with Cranberry ink. Ordinarily I would have put brads or buttons there, but I thought this had a more masculine feel today.

6.5" x 5" Card recipe:

Paper - Basic Grey "Boxer;" Close To My Heart Cranberry, White Daisy CS, Kraft CS

Stamps - Verve "Philippians 1:6 Plain Jane; CTMH "Harmony" (bird and twig)

Other - twill from my stash, CTMH white paint, chipboard, Cricut Art Philosophy

Warm and Fuzzy Kraft heARTwork

After a very busy weekend (two granddaughters' birthdays, a funeral, babysitting, two grandsons' basketball game) I'm starting today with an easy card. I didn't do any stamping for a change, but used a felt sentiment and heart as part of the Little Red Wagon Challenge #114 - Warm Fuzzies with felt or flocking.

 

I used Skipping Stones Design Sketch #109, a 1" heart border cut using Cricut's Paper Lace cartridge. But the stars of the show are Close To My Heart's felt heart and sentiment. I loved this combination of red, Colonial White, and black DP on Kraft CS. This has been one of my favorite color combinations for a long time, so I'm entering this card in The Kraft Journal's Make It Monday: Favorite Colors Challenge. I love the look of felt on Kraft cardstock.

CAS-ual Stippled Butterfly

CAS-ual Fridays challenged us to use Kraft cardstock and string for this card and the Kraft Journal Make It Monday Challenge #52 is Anything Goes.

I began this card by cutting a shape on the Cricut using Art Philosophy Cartridge.  I used the negative space placed over white cardstock as a stencil. I began stippling lighter colors in the center going to darker colors on the outer edge. I used CTMH Crystal Blue, Twilight, Outdoor Denim and Lagoon inks. I removed the "stencil" and stamped the butterfly with Pansy Purple, then used a large foam inker to

highlight the butterfly with Vineyard Berry ink.  I cut out the stenciled area leaving about a 1/4" white border for accent. The Kraft Cardstock was impressed with an embossing stylus 1/4" from all four edges on the inside so that it was raised on the outside. I stamped "Friend" in Memento Black Tuxedo ink and attached the butterfly image with pop dots.

 Two colors of coordinating baker's twine (My Mind's Eye Lime Twist) were tied on the top after inserting into a CTMH Juniper button. This button has a stitched edge appearance, which I love, but has four holes. By tying one color in the top two holes and another in the bottom two holes and tying the two colors together, I finally solved the issue of what to do with four holes. I think any of my friends would enjoy getting a card with this simple treatment. And it was quick and easy to make! This is my favorite butterfly stamp so I'm entering it in the Flutter By Wednesday's challenge, also. Thanks for looking!