Winter's Almost Gone

When you see a melting snowman on the ground, you know that winter's almost gone and the tulips will soon be blooming.

This funny little snowman has had it.  This is a digi image that came pre-colored, and I have to admit that it was shared with me so I have no idea where it came from.  I touched up the coloring with Copic markers since the printed image was not vibrant at all.  I also added the shadow in front of him with Copic marker B000 Pale Porcelain Blue and C-1 Cool Gray No. 1.  He was printed on white card stock and cut out with a rectangular Nestabilities die and backed with an aqua card stock cut with the rectangular scalloped Nestabilities die.  Using foam dots, he was mounted to a matching piece of white card stock, and the corners were punched with an EK Success punch which reminds me of lightning because, after all, I'm sure my snowman was born during a thundersnow storm.

The base of the card is a dark blue-gray and topped with a light blue card stock to which the image and white CS were mounted.  The little aqua snowflakes were a DP which had been cut with a square Nellie Snellen die.  They were the punch-outs from the die and too cute to throw away.

Should I by chance forget to post tomorrow, I want to wish my oldest son the very happiest of birthdays.  He was born at 3:18 p.m. on March 8th, and I will leave it up to him if he cares to share the year.

Although Valentine's Day is over, I wanted to show you this card because of the Diamond Fold which is not nearly as hard to do as it looks.  Probably the most important part of folding it is to make sure the folds are crisp and exact.  With a bone folder, Scor-Pal and ruler, it becomes easy to fold. 

This is the front of the card as it is folded. Silver Valley River Rock (8-6210) by SEI was used for the base of the card.  The color shows more gray in the scan but in actuality is more of a grayed-beige and is a double-sided paper.  The Magenta corner stickers were silver, but I colored them with a black Copic marker since the other highlights on the card would show up as gold.  The white borders were made using a Martha Stewart border punch and are shown better on the back side of the card.  The hearts were individual plain hearts that I cut using a Lifestyle Crafts die.  The inside of the hearts were cut from scrap card stock using a smaller scalloped Lifestyle Crafts die.  One of the hearts was cut, and the other was slipped through and then glued over the cut on the bottom heart.  The words were clear stamps which were stamped with Marvy Matchables Cherry ink.  The little hearts in the corners and the border were hand-drawn using a red Sharpie Ultra Fine Point pen.

This is the back of the card unfolded.  Since there was a border on both sides of the card, it was too long for the scanner on the left side.  The white card stock with the punched border was mounted on each side, and pieces of the double-sided card stock were mounted over the white.  The center of the card is a small houndstooth check which is the reverse of the double-sided paper.  Again the hearts were cut using the Lifestyle Crafts die.  The diamond was again borded by hand using hearts in the corner.  The message was a Hero Arts stamp and was stamped using Marvy Matchables Cherry ink.

Yesterday was a lazy day.  It was such a lazy day that I forgot to post anything on my blog.

I made this card for a friend who maintains she is a queen, so I know that "Queens Rock".  The base of the card was a soft peach card stock from Stampin' Up!  The first layer is a brownish-orange Bazzill card stock, and the designer papers are the same as on the card I posted on February 21st.  I was using up leftovers, and this is the result. 

The sentiment was computer generated and mounted on Bazzill card stock which had been cut out with a Nestabilities die (S5-083).  To make the darker background, I traced around the die and cut it by hand.  The queen image was stamped on Cougar Opaque white card stock using an image from Eccentric Images Rubber Stamp Company and Marvy Matchables black dye ink.  (I bought this stamp several years ago and would definitely like more from Eccentric Images; however, I cannot find a web site for the company so I'm not sure they are still in business.  I did find a few of their stamps on eBay.) 

The wings were colored with Twinkling H2O's Iridescent Gold which makes them shine.  The body of the queen and her flower scepter were colored with Copic markers and then the stem of the rose and the queen's crown were highlighted with a Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  Although it doesn't show well on here, the pen definitely added a gold sparkle to the card.  The "jewels" in the crown were made by using round Class A Peels stickers from Stampendous.  A drop of Diamond Glaze from JudiKins give the stickers dimension and make the stickers sparkle like real jewels.  The dies used to cut the image were from Nestabilities and Nellie Snellen.

Leftovers are good ... whether they're leftovers to eat or leftovers to create cards. 

I'm amazing myself with the fact that this is another day, another addition to my blog.

This card was made as an answer to a challenge on one of the groups I belong to.  The base of the card is white Cougar Opaque card stock in an A2 size.  Lavender card stock was embossed using the Wicker Weave Cuttlebug embossing folder.  The purple die card stock was cut using a die from a Nestabilities set (S5-070).  The digi image was printed on white Cougar Opaque card stock and colored with Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils.  The die used to cut it was also from the S5-070 set, and it was mounted with foam tape on the purple CS.  Flat-backed pearls embellished the card.

For a change of pace, I am in the process of making a card for a one-year-old birthday girl, and I hope to have it finished so that I can post it tomorrow.

Is this little blondie cute or what?  She's a digital image I found on Pinterest, and the artist's name is Victoria.  After coloring her with Copic markers, I used my Nestabilities small round die to cut her out and backed her with a solid color cut using the large round die.  Although the cardstock appears to be brown, it is actually a brownish-orange color from Bazzill.  The designer paper is double-sided, and I covered the card with the dotted side, then cut a 2" strip and glued the reverse side over the dotted side.  I had originally tried to do two strips side by side, but it didn't look as good as this version.  The DP is #120C617 Olivia Cashmere from Bo Bunny.  I'm not sure if it would still be available since I have had it for several years.  The flower is a Petal Pusher from Bazzill. 

Posting to my blog two days in a row?  It seems a miracle is happening before our very eyes.

The challenge was to make a card using something with the letter B.  I chose the basket by Aleesa Baker Designs from Impression Obssession and stamped it on Cougar Opaque's Natural card stock, using Adirondack's Espresso ink.  I then heat set it before coloring it with Copic markers.  After the image was colored, I used Rubber Stampede's brown watercolor pencil and a water pen with very, very little water to brush across the basket itself.  After allowing it to dry well, I cut it out.  The card base is a dark brown from Stampin' Up!, and the patterned paper mounted on it was a scrap from a previous cardmaking experience.  The peach colored paper was also a scrap which I punched on both ends with a Martha Stewart border punch.  I then mounted the basket using foam dots to elevate it a bit.

The hardest part of making this card was cutting the rounded part of the handles, but I found using a swivel knife made it much easier.

If there is anyone following my blog and is familiar with computers, can you please tell me why the box appears around my card and around my signature ... and how to fix it?  There have been a lot of changes since I originally started my blog, and I cannot find out how to eliminate the box.  Your help would be greatly appreciated. 

It is amazing to realize how long it has been since I have posted anything to my blog.  I thinkg about it and then find something else to do.  For the past year or so I have become more and more involved in card making and have joined a group which is full of stampers I have known on various groups over the years.

This week we were issued a challenge to use one embossing folder and three different dies to make a card.  I chose a masculine theme featuring a Ford Thunderbird.  For the background, I chose a red and white chevron paper mounted on a sand colored card stock.  The embossing folder is the Diamond Plate folder from Cuttlebug.  For the dies, I used Nestabilities.  One is a label die, and the other two are circles. The red circle was cut using Nestabilities S4-114 Standard Circle, and it is backed with a dark sand circle cut with the Nestabilities Pinking Circles.  Both the round circle and the pinking circle were cut in half and glued behind the Nestabilities label and then mounted on the rectangle of brown CS which had been embossed with the Diamond Plate folder.
Masculine cards are easy for me to make, but now I am going to try making a card in answer to the challenge which will definitely be feminine.

Unbelivable! There's not a single rubber stamp used on this card. It was made for a Blue, Orange and White challenge from Cheryl's Creative Stamping Pad group.
The base card is white, and the blue striped paper is from a pad of paper by Hot Off the Press. The orange background paper is from Basic Grey, and I dry embossed it with the Leafy Branch folder from Cuttlebug. I punched one end of the Basic Grey paper with a lacy punch by Martha Stewart, and I topped it with a reproduction of an orange crate label from Laughing Elephant (www.laughingelephant.com)
Everyone needs a pet or two to keep him or her on the straight and narrow. In January we adopted a little black, gray and white kitty named Piper ... or as we sometimes call her "Little Devil" or "She-Devil". This cat loves paper. She loves it to bits! I can't begin to tell you how many cardboard boxes or sheets of paper she has chewed up. The strips of paper from our shredder are no longer safe. Every scrapbooker and/or stamper needs a cat who loves paper. Keeps life interesting and makes a person thankful for a cat who simply likes to take a nap on a paper bag.

Isn't this little carousel horse adorable? He's a digital image that I downloaded in response to two challenges. One challenge was to use a digital image by Beccy Muir, and the other challenge is an ATC featuring a carousel. I made the ATC, mounted it on a brown and then a red flowered background for the card challenge. Since I made it with removable tape, I can easily detach the carousel horse image.
The image itself was colored with Copic markers ... gotta love those things! What doesn't show up in the scan is the metallic shine on the pole, stirrup, bridle and decorative trim on the blanket because I colored those in Copic's Buttercup Yellow and then went over them with the clear Spica pen.
Happy Easter, everyone!

I thought this digistamp was just adorable when I first saw it, but after it was colored, it came to life. How many little girls have fed their dolls. I did, and I'm sure a lot of you did, too.
I found this image on one of my groups, and it fit the theme for a swap on another group. I colored it with Copic markers and with PrismaColor pencils and Gamsol (from Inky Antics). I used one of the Nestabilites to cut out the image and mounted it on peach card stock. The patterned paper was from a 12x12 pad, and I think it may have been by DCWV.
This was such a fun card to make, and I find the Copic markers and Gamsol/pencils work so well on the image printed by an inkjet printer. There's no smearing, and even the tiniest areas are easy to color.

Have you ever gone through a bout of Rubber Rot? I have been cursed with it for several months but have now emerged with stamp in hand and ready to rock.

This card is one I made for a CASE challenge on Card Camp, and it was one that came together quickly. The base of the card is maroon card stock layered with a light gray. On top of that is a piece of patterned paper which I ran through my printer, using gray ink and a saying concerning spring. I then stamped the Penny Black image with Jet Black StazOn ink and let it dry. I colored it with PrismaColor pencils and Gamsol. I also printed the sentiment on the pink patterned paper and cut it and the maroon card stock using my Cuttlebug and two of the Nestabilities label dies. I attached a sheer pink sparkly ribbon across the layers of the card and then topped it with a self-adhesive paper lace. The saying was mounted on the card using foam tape. Because the base card was so dark, I added some of the pink paper inside the card.

On Saturday I took a Gatefold Album class at Scrapville in Greenville. What a cute album! When I manage to find the digital camera, I will upload pictures of it to my blog.
In the meantime, I bought some beautiful paper and a small set of "Inchies" at the store, so I had to come home and create. The challenge I made this card for is called "Fly Away" and features anything that flies. I used birds, bugs and butterfly stamps and Adirondack's Wild Plum ink to stamp the images on white CS. The patterned paper was double-sided, so I mounted the images to the back side of the paper and then to a slightly larger piece of white CS. I then tied a white striped ribbon around it before mounting it on the card. The base of the card is white CS with the floral paper mounted on it.
I have designed two different Christmas cards and will be posting them soon. It seems Thanksgiving is almost upon us so Christmas is sure to follow in a hurry.
I'm not basically a football fan, but I have been a Dallas Cowboys fan for years. This year the team has been just sorry. How embarrassing is it to have the newest, most modern stadium in the sports world and a Super Bowl coming up and a sorry, sorry home team. All those high-dollar players need to get out there and do their jobs! That's what they're paid for, and professional football is not a sport ... it's a business. We'll see what happens under new leadership.

So much of what I have posted on my blog has been the simple stuff. Today I'm posting this journal I made for a swap along with instructions for it ... if I can remember them. I made it a long time ago but kept the scan of it, thinking I might want to make another one when I get a Round Tuit. That day hasn't come yet.

The front and back of the journal was covered with a speckled mauve paper, and I stamped flourished down the side using a mauve ink. I stamped the main image on a plain scrap of mauve CS using black ink and then cut it out with deckle-edged scissors. I mounted it on a wine CS scrap and rounded the corners. The words "beauty" and "time" are stamped above and below the mounted image. Charms, a flat-backed key, and frilly fibers finish it off.

I'm in a Christmas-card-making mode today, and I have completed at least five of the nearly 300 cards I have to finish by Thanksgiving. At least 135 of the cards are cut, printed, scored and folded. Most of the layers are already cut, Cuttlebugged and stamped, too. Right now, though, I need to go check my whole wheat bread which is in the final stage of rising, and then it's back to cardmaking.

Today is a beautiful day in Texas. I hope it stays that way after the Rangers try to beat the SF Giants tonight in Game 3 of the World Series.

This is another one of the 3"x3" gift cards I made using mainly scraps of paper. The 6"x3" strip of aqua card stock used for the card base was a scrap. So was the strip of darker aqua that I ran through the Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots folder. I cut it in two pieces and attached a strip to the top and one to the bottom of the card. The flower was cut from scrapbook paper using the Cricut. I attached a white Prima flower to it using an aqua brad. The leaves were stamped with Marvy Matchables' Jungle on white CS and cut out by hand. The flower and leaves were then mounted to the card using foam tape.
We had a very welcome thunderstorm yesterday which left our yards full of much needed rain. This afternoon and evening there has been a lot of damage to the east and south of us as tornadoes touched down and baseball-sized hail hit. The small town of Rice had damage to the high school, reports of multiples injuries, and people trapped in cars. Hopefully the storms have calmed down by now. Whether it's rushing wind or rushing water, Mother Nature can play havoc with our lives almost too quickly for words.

This is an ATC I made today for a swap challenge. The magenta background is a candy wrapper from Hershey's Raspberry Bliss candy. I pressed it open and smoothed it before trimming it to fit the ATC. The images were stamped with Adirondack's Watermelon ink and outlined with a Spica glitter pen.
Since I have been a huge Texas Rangers fan for years, last night was such a sweet victory! The Rangers will face the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. Since both teams are underdogs, it will be interesting to see which team comes out snarling and attacking like a pit bull. Go Rangers!

What a fun evening last night! I met with a local ATC group for our monthly exchange, and then three of us went shopping at the magazine racks at Barnes & Noble. After that, we went across the street to eat at LaMadeline while we talked, exchanged ideas, and browsed each other's magazines.
If you haven't seen the latest issue of Stampers' Sampler's Take Ten, you should. There are some great cards in theere. I bought the current issue of CardMaker magazine and am delighted with the Christmas and Hanukah cards featured.

The October swap challenge for one of my groups was to make three small gift cards. I used a 6"x3" strip for paper folded in half for each gift card. The words "To" and "From" were stamped on the inside of the cards. The first one was a dark green base with a smaller Cuttlebugged square of mint green mounted on it. The ornaments were stamped on an even smaller piece of mint green CS using Adirondack's Bottle ink. It was then mounted on dark green CS and attached to the card using foam tape.

If you have never made gift cards, they are a great way to use up scraps of CS with beautiful results. Try it ... you'll like it!

This quick, simple card was made using paint chips, colored paper, and a skeleton leaf stamped with Adirondack's Terra Cotta dye ink. The embellishments are Dew Drops from The Robin's Nest.
The colors of fall, at one time my least favorite, are now ones I love to work with. There are never ending combinations using these colors. Try them and enjoy the results!

It has been so long since I have posted anything that I have almost forgotten how to do it. After several months of Rubber Rot, which is a serious disease for any rubber stamper, I have been creating cards and using the Cricut and Cuttlebug more and more. Do you have any idea how quickly you can cut out a sheet of snowflakes with a Cricut? Zip, zip, zoom ... and they're done.

One of the groups I belong to did an image swap, and the challenge was for us to make a card with one of the images. Here is the card I made using a handmade card stock for the base and paper scraps I found in my stash.

It's spring time in Texas, and I'll be our friends in the northeast part of the country could say the same thing. Spring is not just a season ... it's an attitude.
I traveled around town today, doing some banking, picking up prescriptions and, most importantly, going to a beautiful park to watch the ducks. The duck population in the little park has grown quite a bit over the last few years, and today I saw twelve tiny ducklings bobbing about in the water. With wind gusts about 25-30 mph, they were being swept back and forth, but they continued to paddle after the larger ducks.
The image above is an ATC I made for a swap calling for the Color Purple. The base is purple CS, and then I used a floral lavender print on top and punched the corners with the SU ticket punch. Over that went another layer of purple without the corners punched. I stamped irises on an lavender paper and colored it with Copic markers. I then used the oval Nestabilities on the image and the scalloped oval Nestabilites on a darker lavender paper. Finished it with flat-backed pearls.

FAREWELL TO WINTER!

This card was made featuring a record snowfall in North Texas on February 11, 2010, about 6:30 a.m. I used a broom and a dustpan since we don't own a snow shovel to clear our front walk so I could walk down to the main sidewalk and take the picture while looking down the street. The street was silent, and the snow was still falling, creating a beautiful world for us to enjoy. The snow continued to fall all day and into the night until we had over 12" at our home.

We thought that was the end of winter for us ... and it was in a sense. The first day of spring we got another 4-1/2" of snow, officially marking the end of winter.

When I was a lot younger and lived in the northern part of the Midwest, I wondered why my in-laws took pictures every time it snowed in Texas. Having lived here for many years, I now know the answer. Snow is so rare down here that it merits making memories with a camera.

The card was made using mainly CS, corner punches, patterned paper and corner rounders. The snowflake embellishment was made using Nestabilities and navy ribbon.

It seems almost impossible that so much time has past since I posted on my blog. I have been involved in making cards to send to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I encourage all of the stampers and scrapbookers to join me in the effort. I send my cards to a stamper in Missouri who is able to forward them to chaplains for distribution to the troops. If you are interested, go to http://www.fromourhearts.info/ for details.