Cheerio!

Cheerio to you and you and you! Today's card is a mix of happy-go-lucky and warm romance all in one. I had a big fat happy blast in Archiver's the other day, with a gift card from my sister, for my big fat happy birthday. And I was smitten with this little Hero Arts banner stamp! Maybe you've seen it in their mini-card displays?

First, I used a SU Top Note Die cut for the background piece, which I embossed with a cuttlebug folder. Then I tried my hand with one of Tim Holtz's paint daubers - a super yummy color called Juniper that makes me happy. I want my entire dining room walls to be Juniper! I stamped the little flag pendants on various patterned paper and cut them out, adhering with pop dots.

The little flowers are handmade -- a tip I picked up while blog hopping one day (I'm sorry I can't find the tutorial!) but it is simply done by layering several tiny prima flowers together. I pinched together the petals and twisted the bottom, then snipped a tiny bit off the bottom and glued to another tiny prima flower. Repeating process until I was happy! It makes the banner look so darn cute!

The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse, Fancy Phrases, including the little flourish. Ruffled ribbon from the fabric store, with some bling added. And I'm getting A LOT OF USE out of my Diztresser tool -- buzz buzz buzzing around the edges and making me shabby happy! I hope you have a Cheerio! kind of day!

You're A Tweet-Heart

I am loving this K&Company Paper by Carolyn Gavin, called Greenhouse. Get thee to Michaels! Today, I paired it with Kraft Cardstock for my notebooks. It's a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e with this clear Hero Arts set, Who Loves You from Archivers! The "stump" can hold about anything your sweet self can think to plop on it!
I chose this bird simply for the tweet sentiment! Once my images were stamped, colored with copics, and cut with spellbinders ... I left it in the die and used a sponge dauber to add a faint blue sky. Then I removed it from the die, and over stamped the entire image with PTI Polka Dot Basics (ah-hem, a stash staple, just get it!).
Can you spot the one all packaged up in a clear cellophane bag, with pen, and altered wooden clothespin clip? Be still my beating heart!
Did I mention how MUCH I enjoy mass-creations for my sweet soul?

Sending Cheery Thoughts

How about some cheery cards with lots of colors to make them pop and brighten someones day! Who doesn't need that these days? I mean, it has rained so much here that I'm about to build an ark! Maybe I should have stamped animals 2 by 2?! I used a smattering of fun stamps and embellishments, whatever made me smile!

A Hero Arts birdie on a branchie ... with a message circled in blue rhinestones ... makes me giddy! "You're Tweet!" I know I know -- the "T" is kinda off but then again, I think it looks kinda cute that way. I started to re-do it, but sense got the best of me. If you want a perfect card, go to Hallmark (that's what my sister always says, and I believe everything she says).

A good friend of mine is having some medical tests done this week on her ticker (i.e. heart) so I stamped this heart tree for her so she knows she is in my prayers. All of the cards use PaperTrey AquaMist Cardstock (have you tried that stuff?! Oh my heck, it is the best when it comes to heavy cardstock!), and all of the card backgrounds are stamped with PaperTrey's Polka Dot Basics.

These two sweeties were part of the April Unity KOM. What a bargain! I'm big into buttons these days, are you? I hope these Cheery Thoughts brightened your day! And that you don't have enough rain to consider building an ark ....

Spring Fever and Notebook Mania

One sunny afternoon, I made a bunch of Spring embellishments using a cuttlebug flower die, and some buttons and ribbons. I sat outside on my deck and tied buttons and ribbons (great way to use your scraps and save some $$)! Then, I broke into my stash of 5x8 lined notepads and went to town!

This blue/brown notepad is part of a gift, so I covered a small kraft box with matching DP. The Damask stamp is something I picked up from Paper Source, in Georgetown, when I was visiting my son in DC. I la-la-love that stamp and I can't wait to make some stationary with it.

This blue/green Springy little number is for my sweet sister. Stems are stamped separately, aren't they too cute! I dream in Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery sometimes! But adding Old Olive cardstock to the mix just sends me! Dig that tiny polka dot ribbon too.

This pink/green notepad sparkles - for real! It is covered with My Minds Eye glittery paper, and embellished simply. I am also adding this notepad to a gift ensemble. The ruffled ribbon tuff is actually on elastic, sold by the yard at Archivers. Get thee there - OH so cute! Spend $1.39 and be happy!

I also covered the inside of my notepads with a snippet of matching DP to cover the notebook binding. It was SO FUN to mix and match papers with my ready-made Springy embellishments.

Note: Junior Notepads vary slightly in size. I cut/measured/scored depending on thickness of notebook. The front cover is scored and adhered on the back on the notebook just a few inches below the score line. Then I cut a separate piece of cardstock 5x8 and covered the entire back to make it pretty. If you need help, email me!

Teal & Brown is so Downtown!

Tell me, is there any color that doesn't compliment SU Chocolate Brown? I think not! This set uses Sky Blue (my fav) and Bayou Blue designer papers. This time, I used my brand spanking new JustRite Damask Borders and added some beeeeutiful pearls to the design. I love the way this turned out! Elegant times two!

This picture shows the simple box that holds this set of six cards. The box directions can be found here. As I was making the card fronts, I simply made an extra one and used it for the box top.

Notice the matching envelope? When my friend, Tina, receives her gift set she will think I cared enough to send the very best! I think the Vine Border stamp (Hero Arts Clear) is a perfect compliment to these designer papers. All I did was add a touch of copic marker in two matching shades. I know that I've been "gift set" giddy the last few posts. Well, saddle up gang, because I've got a few more sets in mind! But Holy Moly, aren't they the berries!

Cute-n-Classy (ssnotime53)

I could not wait to get home from work on Friday and hit my stamp studio (okay-okay, it's really my dining room)! This week's stamp simply challenge issued by Sharon at No Time To Stamp was to follow a class act ... Jennifer Buck, one of the Stamp Simply team members. This was a jolly good time for me, because I normally like to doo-dad my cards just to the point that they can still fit in the envelope! LOL Well, Jenni, I gotta tell ya, you made a believer outa me .... cute-n-classy really rocks! My first card was a CASE of THIS card made by Jennifer, after reviewing her blog and her SCS Gallery. After I stamped and colored the corner flower/flourish from Hero Arts Clear Birds and Branches, I added diagonal scores at 1/2 inch intervals using my scor-pal. This allowed me to stamp the flower border using a "grid" so they were evenly placed. It really was EPLS (easy peasey lemon squeezy - as Jennifer says)! The card I CASED had a layer of vellum over the top, but I cut a clear acetate cover which almost makes it looked framed under glass! I then added a bow and put the crystals right on top of the clear acetate, along with the sentiment.
Well, call me BUCK-AROO because I went on to make a second card! Hey - this EPLS stuff is addictive - I recommend it! Notice the diagonal scores again? Well, okay dokey schmokey, I'll admit that the scor-pal IS one of my fav tools! Thanks for visiting. Whatcha waitin' for? Go create something Cute-n-Classey with the No Time To Stamp gang!

Copics: RV14, R22, R39, YG03, W1

Friend

How about a card inspired by page 85 of the new Stampin' Up catalog? No, it's not totally made with SU supplies, but the minute I saw the SU background stamp "stitches" I ordered it! Oh my, just think of the thinks I can think up with this background stamp?! If you own it, color you happy! Start the thinking!

Supplies:
Cardstock: SU Confetti Cream, Choc. Chip, Pink Pirouette
Inks: SU Choc Chip
Copics: R81, RV14, G28, YG03, W1
Punches: Martha Stewart Scallop, Fiskers Scallop
Stamps: Hero Arts Clear (Flower Blossoms), Sentiment is from CHF Silhouette Blooms I
Embellishments: Pearl Dots, Silver Thread

Wild Rose

Yes, I'm still making floral cards! This card used not one, but two scallop edge punches ... a technique I learned from Becca's Blog. How cool is that? The brown scallop edge is Martha Stewart's Lace Doily and the white scallop edge is a Fiskers. Wouldn't that be pretty across an entire scrapbook page? Lots of layers makes this card pop, along with the pink and brown color combination. The stamped background is Wild Rose by Rubber Stampede (Michaels) and the sentiment is from Hero Arts Clear Design - Frames and Messages.
After coloring with these Copic markers, I trimmed the rose background to allow for the double scallop bottom, and added pearls on a SU corner punch. If you look closely, you can notice the SU classy brass embossed flower on the pink circle punch that holds the sentiment. Happy stamping!

Love

My first creative post! This was so fun -- the kind of fun that makes you feel like you are wearing an "arteest" smock and when you are finished you say "Voila"!

I stamped the tree on good, heavy quality watercolor paper, and colored with Copic Markers, making sure to shadow the entire image with my favorite Copic Marker - W1 warm gray. I then overstamped the entire image with Le London background stamp. Unfortunately, I do not know the exact color of the pale yellow cardstock, but I also overstamped it separately before mounting. The base background was stamped in SU white craft ink. I am BIG on background stamps!

I created a scallop edge embellishment using my SU corner rounder, although their new scallop edge punch is definitely on my shopping list! Add a few crystals, tie on a sheer ribbon, add sentiment with small jump ring -- and stand back and say "Voila"!

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Credits:

Stamps: Windy Tree (Hero Arts); Le London Script (Stampabilities); Love ($1 bin/Michaels); Sanded Background (Stampin' Up)

Copics: G21, V15, W1

Cardstock: SU Elegant Eggplant; Wasabi Green; Watercolor Paper

Inks: SU Black; SU White Craft Ink; Antique Linen & Peeled Paint (Tim Holtz Distress Ink)

Punches: SU corner rounder