A Five Minute Birthday Card

This was one of those weeks where I truly HAD NO TIME TO craft, but needed to have a birthday card for my dear husband!  (Suffice it to say both we had activities for both boys every night and DH's birthday in the mix!)  It will literally take me longer to write this blog post that it took to make the card!

Supplies:  Halcraft Value Pack card size 5 1/2" x 4"; Coordinations Vintage College coffee textured card stock; Cuttlebug Happy Birthday embossing folder, Sizzlet package die and Happy Birthday embossing folder; Tsukineko Memento Luxe Rich Cocoa; Misc:  Cuttlebug machine and plates, sanding block, adhesive, dimensional foam adhesive, removable tape.

1.     Trim Coordinations Vintage College coffee textured card stock to 5 ¼” x 3 ¾” and pressure emboss with Cuttlebug Happy Birthday embossing folder.  Sand with sanding block to reveal the image.

2.     Trim Coordinations Vintage College coffee textured card stock to 3” x 3” and die cut package.  Notice the die cut is the reverse untextured side of the card stock.  Use a piece of removable tape to place die in proper position in the package embossing folder and pressure emboss.  Direct to paper ink raised image with Tsukineko Memento Luxe Rich Cocoa.

3.     Adhere card front to card base and package die cut with dimensional foam adhesive.

Easy, quick, simple and hand made!

My weekend is also packed with activities so I might not be around for a few more days!

Throw Back Thursday Birthday Card

Today we are going all the way back to card I made for my dad's birthday in 1997!  Not one of my earliest creations, but one that shows a few techniques.
 

The lion in the tree and the foliage are both Art Impression stamps.  The ink is most likely Colorbox pigment ink for the foliage and Memories black for the main image.  The lion and the tree trunk were done with colored pencils and a Dove blender.  Wafer thin dies were not on the market yet, but Fiskars scissors in all styles were popular.  I used a Mulberry paper to layer behind the stamped image.  My maiden name was Lyon, so the best way to create a personalized card for my dad, is to use a lion stamp for Mr. Lyon.  

Thanks for stopping by!  As usual I love to here a comment or two!

Seasonal Birthday Cards Fall Edition . . .

It just seems right to send seasonal feminine birthday cards.  Spring and Summer are easy with pastels or bright colors and flowers or butterflies.  Winter brings snow flakes or snow scenes.  However I find fall to be a tad more difficult, but once I decided on an image and a sentiment this card just flowed together.

Supplies:  Tsukineko/Imagine Crafts: Kaleidacolor Tomato Vine; Memento Luxe Rich Coca, Dandelion, Love Letter; Vertigo Pebbles, Ink blushers.  Darice:  Damask embossing folder.  Spellbinders:  Fluer de Lis Squares.  Ann-ticipations: Tree image.  Autumn Leaves Stampology Greetings by Rhonna Farrer:  Happy Birthday.  Mark Richards Crystal Stickers.  McGill:  Victorian corner punch.  Offray:  sheer orange ribbon, sheer yellow ribbon.  Misc:  Cuttlebug machine with plates and metal shim, soft rubber brayer, cream card stock, sanding block, heat tool, adhesive, glue dots, and dimension foam adhesive.

 

1.     Cut cream card base 10” x 6 ½ “ and fold in half.  Ink edges with Memento Rich Coca.

2.     Cut cream card stock panel 6 ¼” x 4 ¾”.  Ink with soft rubber brayer with Kaleidacolor Tomato Vine.  Pressure emboss with Damask embossing folder.  Sand color off to reveal Damask pattern.

3.     Die cut Vertigo with Spellbinders Fluer de Lis Squares.  The metal shim allows a quick clean die cut. 

4.     Mask edges of Fluer de Lis Squares frame and stamp Ann-ticipations tree image in Memento Luxe Rich Coca.  Ink edges of frame.  Heat set ink.

5.     Ink back of image with ink blusher and Memento Luxe Dandelion and Love Letter.  Heat set ink.

6.     Cut cream card stock 3 ¼” x 3 ¼” and ink edges with Rich Coca.

4.     Apply brown Crystal stickers to corners of frame.  This will conceal the glue dots.  Apply glue dots to back of Fluer de Lis Square and adhere 3 ¼” x 3 ¼” card stock.

7.     Cut cream card stock 4 _1/8” x 1 _3/8” and punch corners with McGill Victorian corner punch.  Ink with soft rubber brayer and Memento Luxe Rich Coca.  Ink edges.   Stamp Autumn Leaves Stampology Greetings by Rhonna Farrer:  Happy Birthday image using the red/orange section on Kaleidacolor Tomato Vine.

8.     Tie a small a small bow with Offray sheer orange ribbon and sheer yellow ribbon.  Adhere with a glue dot to sentiment panel. 

9.     Assemble card:  Adhere Damask panel to card base, adhere Fluer de Lis Square and sentiment panel with dimension foam. 

This was a fun way to spend the afternoon!  I've been working on a project that I can not yet reveal, but spending a little time making a beautiful card was wonderful!

This card has been entered in the following challenges:

 Red Rubber Inspirationals Stamped Image is the Focus

berry71bleu October Challenge Falling For Autumn

scrapitgirl October Challenge Embossing Folders

Craft-Dee BowZ Handmade Bow

mixedmediamc October Challenge Include Ribbons

thepapergirlschallenge Anything Goes

Thank you for stopping by, and as always comments are not only welcome but appreciated too!

TBT Wildflowers Layout

The photos that compose this layout were all shot around a campground near Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood here in Oregon.  I was taking a three-day ski instructor seminar and was camping as close to the ski area as possible.  After a morning of skiing I would walk the campground to limber my muscles and stretch.  While on my meanderings I came upon a number of wonderful wild flowers in the campground.  I was fortunate to find a Trillium, one of Oregon’s endangered species of flowers.  Also preserved is one of the butterflies that hatched while we were skiing.  There is something magical about skiing down a glacier with butterflies!  This one was captured on the grill of my car, so no butterflies were intentionally harmed.

Created in 1997

 I used a Deju Views alphabet template for the letter shapes and a Magic Matter to create the perfect mats for each letter.  The paper is from a Provo Craft Slab.

Thanks for stopping by!  Leave a comment, they make me smile!

Quick Card, Holiday Blessings

Life has been busy as of late, I've been traveling to watch my beloved OSU Beavers play football and spend some time spend some time with my family in the valley.  A special project that I can not share just yet has occupied a lion's share of my creative time.  Tonight I took a little break to make this quick card, Holiday Blessings. 

Supplies:  Studio Calico Snowflakes; Tsukineko StazOn Opaque Cotton White, Versa Magic Night Sky, Imagine Crafts ink blusher; Darice Snow Swirl Embossing Folder; Card Stock white & light blue; corner rounder; Dream Ink sentiment stamps, acrylic blocks; Art Glitter glue; adhesive; Cuttlebug machine and plates.

This was literally a 15-minute card, plus a little drying time!

1.     Use an ink blusher to ink Studio Calico Snowflake assortment with StazOn Opaque Cotton White and set aside to dry.  When the Cotton White is dry, ink lightly with Versa Magic Night Sky.

2.     Cut white card stock 4 ¼ x 5 ½.  Emboss with Darice Snowflake Swirl Embossing folder.  Ink with Versa Magic Night Sky.  Round corners and ink edges.

3.     Cut light blue card stock 4 ½ x 5 ¾, and round corners.

4.     Cut card base to 6 x 10 and fold in half.  Round corners.  Use direct to paper inking to ink edges of card with Versa Magic Night Sky. 

5.     Stamp Dream Ink sentiment with Versa Magic Night Sky and die cut with Technique Tuesday Banner.

6.     Assemble card and attach Snowflakes with Art Glitter glue.  The fine tip allows careful placement of glue and dries clear.   

This is entered in the following Challenges:

 Scrapitgirl October Challenge Embossing Folder
Cardabilities Sketch 109 Challenge





Thanks for coming by to take and look, leave a comment or two--it makes me smile!

TBT Family Day

Yesterday is the day that we as a family celebrate FAMILY DAY.  Our sons were adopted from Russia on September 25, 2009, but it took us until October 15, 2009 to finally be reunited as a family.  This photo was taken a few days later when both sets of Grandparents could be together with us as we began the great journey together.

I had collected a few Adoption related scrapbooking items during our long process of 18 months to bring our boys home.  This paper was one of those supplies, with the title already printed on the paper.  I only had two sheets, and thus need to use it wisely as I wanted a layout for each boy.  The contrasting background paper is cut from behind the photo mat.  I found matching Black Magic card stock in my stash.  A few border stickers and a time line journaling mat finished the layout.

My how they have grown, changed, and matured since this photo.  I am so proud of the young man my now fifteen year-old son has become.  My little man has grown from being barely at the 3% for height and weight to almost the 50%.  Our daughter is now a freshman in college.  Happy Fifth Anniversary as a Family to my precious family!

For those interested in the full story, please contact me and I will share our adoption journey blog.

Thanks for stopping by and leave a comment or two! 

Design Team at Retro Rubber Challenge Blog

Wow, I am truly excited to be part of a new challenge blog, Retro Rubber Challenge Blog as a Mod Squad Team Member.  In my recent foray into cleaning, organizing, and (yes) purging I started to count my stamps and recognized I have many stamps that I purchased more than 20 years ago!  A design team call went out and for me it was a perfect fit!  The theme statement read "Retro Rubber Challenge Blog encourages you to use "retro" stamps.  Breathe new life into your old loves.  Break out your older, unloved stamps that are 1 year or older for our challenges."

First Grade Neva

I started stamping in earnest about 20 years ago, but my first stamps I purchased probably 30 years ago.  My mom and siblings crafted our way through childhood, and I have many of my treasured items even from this period.  My mother trained me well, that crafting is a healthy outlet for creativity.

My obsession with the wonderful art of rubber stamping began shortly after I suffered from a closed head brain injury and was not able to do many of the things I did before my injury for relaxation and fitness.  During my recovery period I started collecting stamps and taking a few classes.  I subscribed to RubberStampMadness, Vamp Stamp News, and Somerset Studios.  I read about new techniques and tried out different inks and stamps.  I frequented two stamp stores and my local Michaels to feed my addiction to rubber and ink.  The local yearly stamp convention was a highlight for me; all that unmounted rubber and access to vendors from across the U.S. was so much fun!

Fast forward a few years and I was teaching classes at two different stamp stores.   I also submitted cards to a few submission calls and was fortunate to be published twice in 1997.  (See my crafting resume)  Now I stamp, scrapbook, and create home décor in my “spare” time. 

Thanks for reading and please come join us for the Retro Challenge, which will be posted November 4^th.  So it is time to break out your retro stamps and join the fun by trying out some new techniques.

Celebrate Beauty Autumn Candle Anything But A Card Challenge 40

Over at Anything But a Card Blog our new challenge is to create artwork that represents the change of seasons.  Come check the challenge out at ABAC Challenge 40.

Celebrate Beauty front

Autumn and spring are seasons that have incredible scents wafting through the air.  Our sense of smell is one that can calm us and bring back memories.  I enjoy the smells of autumn and wanted to create a decorative candle that can be art and provide a wonderful fragrance in my home.

Supplies:  Jarred Candle of preferred fragrance (18-oz); Plaid: painting stencil, Mod Podge; craft and cream card stock; Prima pearl card stock; DCWV green cork sheet; Imagine Crafts:  Fireworks Lady Bug, Tangelo, Dandelion, Walnut Ink; Martha Stewart Leaf punch; Spellbinders: Grateful Lattice, Radiant Rectangles, foliage; Fancy Pants Designs Pollen Dust Beauty stamp; Dream Ink Celebrate stamp; Tsukineko: Versa Magic Gingerbread, Mango, Jumbo Java and StazOn Forest Green, Saddle Brown, Memento Luxe Love Letter;  Quickutz leaf dies; Joann Autumn Floral Leaves.  Misc:  foam brush, acrylic blocks, sea sponge section, dimensional foam squares & circles, glue dots, ribbon.

 

1.     Trim craft card stock to 3 ½ x 12.  Place leaf stencil over cardstock and mask areas you do not wish to ink with scrap paper.  Spritz with Fireworks inks.  Pat with paper towel before moving stencil to another area.  Set aside to dry.  Ink the edge with Jumbo Java ink.

2.     Ink the jar of the candle using make-up sponges with StazOn inks to achieve the desired look.  Set aside to dry.

3.     Use a foam brush to paint the back of the stenciled craft card stock with Mod Podge.  Place on jar and smooth carefully.  The card stock will stretch a little and met the gap on the standard 18 ounce candle.   Keep smoothing with your fingers to prevent air bubbles.  Set aside to dry.  When dry apply a layer of Mod Podge to the outside of the paper to seal.  Set aside to to dry.

4.     Use the Spellbinder and Quickutz leaf dies to die cut smaller leaf shapes.  Line dies up with veins when possible.  I cut about 4 of each of the smaller dies alternating between the red leaves and veined orange leaves.

5.     Trim Prima pearl card stock to 3 x 12 and a smaller section 3 x3. Die cut Prima pearl card stock with the Spellbinders Grateful Lattice die.  This die will allow you to do a continuous cut by carefully lining up the sections. 

6.      Trim the top edge to the rounded section.  Trim the bottom edge to points.

7.     Spritz with Walnut ink and set aside to dry.

8.     Trim a section of green cork to 1 ¼ x 12.  Punch leaf border.  Spritz with walnut ink and set aside to dry.  The Before and After photo shows how a simple application of ink can change the tone just a bit.

9.     Trim the remaining side of the border to make a left on the opposite side.  Cork is very forgiving and easy to cut and shape.

 

10.     Place the Spellbinders oval from the Radiant Rectangles die set on cream card stock.  Stamp the sentiment in the center in Memento Luxe Love Letter ink.  Die cut sentiment.

11.     Ink the edge of the die cut with Love Letter.  Use a dry sea sponge to gently add ink to the remaining sections of the oval in Gingerbread and Mango.

 

 

12.     Trim sections of dimensional foam squares to fit the sections of the Grateful Lattice.  The gap section has glue dots on the outside edges.  Apply to the candle.  The green leaf border was applied using wet adhesive.  The cork will stretch a little and reach all the way around the candle. 

13.     Tie ribbon in a bow.  The dimensional foam dots are thicker and will allow the sentiment to be slightly higher on the candle.  Apply the ribbon with a dimensional foam dot.

 

14.     Apply leaves around the sentiment and in various spots around the candle using glue dots.  I tried to camouflage the sections where the dimensional foam was visible.

Side Views

 

This project took a little longer because I spent some time experimenting with different techniques for the background paper.  I am really pleased with the final outcome and the dimensionality of the candle.  The fabric leaves seemed logical, but the size was out of proportion to the rest of the piece so I pulled out my leaf dies to see which ones would fit and die cut away!  The pre-made leaves already had texture and color and were very flexible for application.  This was a really fun project to create and I look forward to using it in my home.  

Please leave a comment below and let me know how this project has inspired you!  Thank you!