Birthday Orchid

BIRTHDAY...

... orchid.

As Clean And Simple goes, it doesn't get any better than that.

A simple orchid stamped next to a classy sentiment.

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I used an orchid invite stamp from Stampendous.com, but masked the "invite" part.

I chose a khaki ink to soften the printed image, and filled up the petals part with 3D paint, my go-to Tulip Metallics in white.

When I say simple, I mean simple... simple the results, simple the making...

Until next time...

Butterflies Birthday

BUTTERFLIES...

Birthday.

I always liked cards with a feeling of movement. Nothing like butterflies ready to take flight to illustrate this.

When I was in Julian last week, butterflies were fluttering all over freshly blossomed flowers.

 This inspired me to design this card for a very special friend of mine. I chose this country feel designer paper for its striking resemblance to the field of little flowers under the apple trees.

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The butterflies were made with a Martha Stewart punch, as well as the bottom edge of the patterned paper.

I added a "body" to the butterflies with puffy paint, Tulip Metallics White.
Look closely... bottom right... a little heart in puffy paint.

The sentiment was designed on my computer.

Until next time...

Thank you... For being so thoughtful

THANK YOU...

... for being so thoughtful.

Pinterest is MY source of inspiration, daily.

 I found a beautiful card from:

http://iminhaven.blogspot.com/

and another from:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1965165

and had to try one (or two) of my own...

I just loved the two tones, silver and white.

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For both of the card, I printed the sentiment on a silver card stock cut 2/8 shorter than the regular width of an A2 card.

I also punched the bottom edge with a Martha Stewart edger puncher.

For the top one, I used a new stamp from ditto, and just colored the leaves with my copic.

The bottom one used daisies stickers from Stickopotamus and I free drew the stems using a Pentel gold metallic gel pen. Very often, it will appear khaki color on some card stock.

This is it! Thank you my fellow crafters for inspiring me every day.

Until next time!

Thank Heaven for little girls

Thank Heaven for little...

... girls.

This Papertrey Ink stamps set is just adorable. I just had to use the sentiment... for little girls today, next time will be for little boys.

Below are two versions of the same card.

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The baby footprints stamps is a Recollections one carried by Michael's.

The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink and the heart embossed background is achieved through a Cuttlebug embossing folder,

The frames are made with Nestability.

Until next time...

+++ the best is yet to come +++

+++ the best...

... is yet to come +++

Now... How cute and versatile is that quote? 

It is perfect for so many occasions: you could make it a wedding card, a new baby card, a graduation card, etc,  etc...

Below are two of my takes, a wedding card and a new baby card. I am sure I will use this again in a near future.

Just in case you want to do the same, I added the image below.

Let me know if it is easy to download and use.

For my first card, I had a craving for flowers and dragonflies. This is what came out!

Here is a close up of the printed sentiment...

 I love the flying  birds in an infinite sign pattern.

The dragonflies are printed in white on silver card stock and I added some dimensional glittery paint on top of the body.

The flowers are punched paper and the centers are made with a Paper-Pen from Viva, in 3D paint Sunny yellow. Any dimensional paint would work there.

I used a Martha Stewart stamp for the flowers stems, and a Martha Stewart edger punch for the bottom of the silver panel.

The finish touch was a simple bow in clear ribbon.

And now, for a totally different use of this sentiment, a new baby card.

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I just can't get enough of this little Recollections baby footprints stamp. I used Nestability to cut a simple circle and a scalloped one to frame the printed image.

 It is then propped up with some foam stickies.

Et voila!!!!

Until next time...

Best Wishes, Today and Always

BEST WISHES...

... today and always.

I am back... I am sooo back... Today was one of those productive day I haven't had for month.

In a mere 4 hours, I made 12 (yes TWELVE) cards... Just that. Let's see how many will I post today...

 I have to say those ideas have been brewing for a few days, weeks may be. 

But life got in the way.

Tonight I feel like a million, like always when I realize I used my time wisely.

Here is the first card, with two different sets of clouds. I couldn't decide which ones were more suitable.

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I found this sentiment, somewhere on the web.

It might have been a stamp, and I hate to say I do not know where that stamp comes from.

I printed my sentiment, and added a stamped image of the swirl on top and bottom.

The rainbow stamp is a DeNami Design. I stamped it on a separate piece of paper, colored and cut it out before taping it, to avoid having the color sip through the paper. 

The clouds were made with a Fizkars mini cloud punch.

Until next time.

Until next time...

Mason Jar Thank You Card

MASON JAR...

...thank you card.

One more! This one was an easy switch. 

I am still in love with the mini cards I made to accompany the care packages we will be making later this week (post #245).

I thought it will make a beautiful thank you card.

I just had to make it a standard 4Bar size.

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I used a Rubber Cafe stamps for the daisies, and a Stamp By Judith mason jar stamp.

I propped the Mason Jar image with foam stickies and tied a very slim ribbon around the mouth of the jar.

I rounded the corner of the cards.

Watercolor pencils coloring give the whole image a smooth finish.

The sentiment was printed on my computer.

Until next time...

Topiary Thank you

TOPIARY...

...thank you.

I am back...

Spring vacation are here, robbing me of my time. Not only did I not have any time to post, I had no new card! 

Until yesterday.

Spring is here, and all those flowers in bloom and bird singing made me want to revisit simple thank you cards.

Below is my first attempt.

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I love the scoring around the framed image. It gives depth and definition to the image. The trick is to make the measurement equal on each side (1 inch on this card) and equal around the frame too.

I used Martha Stewart clear stamps for the pot, grass and topiary.

Until next time...

Baby Footprints

 BABY...

... footprints.

How much more beautiful does it get? It doesn't need much more to make a simple little card. A ribbon, a bow....

There is not much to it, really... may be trying to decide what ribbon would go?

Barely a heartache...

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I used a Recollections baby footprints stamp and went through my stack of ribbon and found a few that would do the trick.

The sentiment was printed beforehand.

Until next time....

Yet again... More Graduation Cards

YET AGAIN....

... more ideas on graduation cards. 

I guess I never get enough of those.

Red and Black are our high school colors, so most of my ideas come in those two colors. Don't they go together beautifully?

For a change, I rounded the corners of the cards....

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I am still using that $1 Michael's stamp set. I cut out the stamped images and used foam stickers to prop them up a little.

The two sentiments are printed on my computer.

I found the circular sentiment at:

http://rubberstamping.about.com/od/digitalstamps/tp/free-printable-sentiments.htm

Until next time.

Birthday with a Piano

BIRTHDAY...

... with a piano.

Ever since I made that pop-up piano card back in the day (cf post #43), I have been in love with birthday card in a music instrument...

Here is the piano pop up card I am talking about...

...the template is at:

http://afrenchaccent.blogspot.com/2011/11/piano.html

I used the same idea of an open music sheet for my new piano card.

The web is full of keyboard and sheet music images. You can choose the one that fit you best.

You can also choose a different accent than the little flowers I added, music notes for example.

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I used a black card-stock and drew freely a shape of a Grand piano. 

The keyboard and piano music sheet were downloaded from the  web.

I just cut around the sheet music with a cutter, leaving 1/4 inch top and bottom. 

You will need to bend a little the sheet music to have the impression that the music piece is open.

Until next time...

So Blessed...

SO BLESSED...

Today was the day I  was going to "jump" and try myself at those flip cards you can see all over the Stamping Blogs.

What a better occasion than to celebrate than a new arrival?

Below is my take on it.

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Those flip cards are from A Cut Above.

I used a EK tags punch for the drawers, and the little detail at the bottom of the dresser is made with a Nestability.

I inked the edge of the cards and the drawers to make them stand out a little.

The teddy bear is a Martha Stewart punch and the girl sentiment is made with a Rubber Cafe stamp on top of a Lifestyle crafts party tags die cut.

Until next time...