Another Christmas Card for the Stack

I may have to rethink my plan to make all my Christmas cards individually versus the assembly line process. Time just isn't on my side.

This card uses a Hero Art's background and sentiment and Papertrey Ink die and card stock. I stamped the Enchanted Evening card stock with Stampin' UP! white craft ink (this is becoming my favorite white ink to use for backgrounds) and the sentiment in Brilliance Rocket Red. I opted to add some interest to the tree by stamping it with Versamark using a Cornish Heritage Farm background stamp.

Thank you for the visit today. A special thanks to Pauline for becoming a Follower . . . much appreciated.

I'm off to look for more hours to add to my day . . .

Hugs,
Colleen

Yellow and Gray

As a follow up to yesterday's post as promised, more hot air balloon cards. I saw a design show awhile back on HGTV where a bathroom was done in gray and yellow. The room turned out beautifully, and I made a mental note to try that color scheme. This polka dot paper from October Afternoon sparked that memory and these cards are the result. The Hot Air Balloon stamps used on these are from Verve.

Now, I really must get back to making some Christmas cards . .

Thank you for stopping by today.

Hugs,
Colleen

Have You Ever Done This?

Edited to add:  The customer chose the top card :D

You flip the piece of double-sided patterned paper that you're working with to add ribbon or adhesive and discover maybe you like the coordinating pattern on the back better? Then being the indecisive individual that you are, cannot decide which side is better suited to your project? So what's a gal to do? Simple . . . make one of each and let the customer decide! This beautiful dp from SEI was the cause of my recent dilemma. Stamp set and die are from PaperTrey Ink. So which card do you think my customer will choose? And which do you prefer? The original design was the top card.

Thank you for the visit today. I have 2 more hot air balloon cards to share later in totally different colors - yellow and gray. And, hopefully, I'll find time to participate in OLW31. Have a great evening all.

 Hugs,

Colleen

Meowy Christmas

A quick Christmas card for a quick post. Busy, busy . . . 'tis the season.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Hugs,
Colleen

Congrats to the New Grandparents!

My sister and her husband became grandparents for the first time Thursday afternoon, and this is the card I made for the wonderful occasion.

This awesome stamp is from Impression Obsession, and I colored it with Copic markers.

Thanks for the visit today. The weather this weekend in Louisville is wonderful for November, and I plan to take full advantage. Have a good 'un! 

Hugs,

Colleen

Happy Anniversary

Another order fulfillment card. I really like the way this turned out and so did the customer. The balloon is from a Verve set and cut with Spellbinder's Label 10. The dp is from a 6x6 pad of OffBeat from Basic Grey. Background embossing and felt clouds used PTI products. On my monitor, the dark color looks black but it's dark brown, and what looks white is Neenah Natural White (cream). 

Thank you for stopping by today. Hope it's been a good one for ya.

Hugs,
Colleen

OLW 28 Up, Up and Away

Well, I did get my room cleaned up . . . somewhat . . . mostly . . . so decided it was not too late to participate in OLW28. Since I still had a few remnants of the makings for the card from this post, I decided to see if I could make it a olw qualifier. The colors are not as brilliant used on the kraft card stock, and I didn't do as much blending since I was trying my best to keep the inks from bleeding through. But this is the result. All stamps from Papertrey Ink except the background which is Cornish Heritage Farms.

Thank you for the visit today.

Hugs,

Colleen

Up, Up and Away

I had a special order for thank you cards with a hot air balloon theme, and this is what I came up with. Nichole Heady used kraft, white and red so effectively in a recent post, that I wanted to use that same color combination. I also looked back on Nichole's coloring of the balloons during the count down projects for this set and got ideas from that for some of the balloon colors. Other than that, this is pretty self explanatory. If you have any questions, I'm only an email away.

Thanks for the visit today. I may make another balloon card (without layers) for OLW28, so hope to participate in that later. I must clean up my room before I can do another thing, though. It looks like a bomb went off in there LOL . . . no, seriously.

Hugs,

Colleen

OLW27 Merry Little Christmas

A couple of $1 stamps stamped with Memento inks and enhanced with a little Copic Spica glitter pen. Done.

Thanks for the visit today.

Hugs,
Colleen

More is More

Sometimes, I don't know when to stop adding "stuff" to a card. This card is a perfect example. This card is similar to the one in my previous post. I made this card first, but the bow wouldn't play nice, so the card made for Lana was actually my second attempt. The Martha Stewart hydrangea punches are a good match for the flowers in the Cosmo Cricket Seaside (Beach Chair) designer paper. The tag is also courtesy of MS. The flower pot punch is an old one from Emagination. The highlighting and shading was done with colored pencils. The ribbon is seam binding dyed with Copic R27. I can see myself doing this a lot more in the future. I can dye seam binding in half the time it takes me to locate the right color ribbon for a project =D

Thank you for your visit today. And thanks to the folks "Following" my blog. such fun putting faces to names.

Hugs,
Colleen

Happy Birthday, Lana!!

Today is my step-sister's birthday, so I thought I'd share her card and gift and take the opportunity to announce to the world that she's another year older =D

If anyone needs information on the products used, just shoot me an email. I really must get some dinner on the table . . . my husband likes to eat.

Hugs,
Colleen

Happy Christmas

I usually mass produce Christmas cards, and it becomes a chore. So this year I think I'll just create some cards and see how many I can make before panic sets in and I have to resort to Plan B - the assembly line.

This card came together just as envisioned, beginning with the Musical Score stamp by Stampendous. LOVE this stamp. I have other music background stamps, but the small scale of this one makes my heart go pitter pat. The holly branch is from Impression Obsession, and I colored it with Copics. The sentiment from My Sentiments Exactly is stamped in VersaMagic Spanish Olive on white card stock, clear embossed and popped up on a Stampin' UP! ornament punched from Cherry Cobbler (my new favorite red). A little red Copic Spica sparkle on the holly berries to complete the look. Part of me toys with adding more red bling in the bottom left corner to complete the visual design triangle, but it just didn't feel "right" to me - maybe later . . .

Thank you for your visit today.

Hugs,

Colleen

Additions to CAS Card Set and a Tip

 

Here are some additional cards for my gift set (see previous post), and again clean and simple is the design. Copic coloring of Stampin' UP! sets "Fruit Stand" and "Sun Ripened" (both retired) and sentiments from Papertrey Ink.

And now for my Tip of the Day. For those little smudges of ink that find their way on a finished card, try erasing as much of the smudge as possible (I use Sanford Magic Rub), then giving it a light scuffing with a sanding block - sanding first in one direction, then the other. Or, if it's more than a smudge, try using the very tip of your craft knife to lightly scrape the offending blob and then smooth the surface with afore mentioned sanding block. This has worked for me numerous times and worth a try. Here's another idea. Where you suddenly have a mysterious black dot on your base card, add to the dot and make it a design feature (see example in pear card). I created a triangle of dot groups to disguise one little black dot that was annoying me. I used a Copic Black Multiliner. What do you think? I like the look.

Thank you so much for stopping by today.

Hugs,

Colleen

Card Set CAS

As promised in yesterday's post, here is a set of cards I made recently. I cannot remember the name of the Stampin' UP! set I used, but I know it is long retired. If anyone really needs the name, I'm happy to look it up in some past catalogs, so just email me.

I'm still working on adding to this set  . . .  I like to give at least six cards . . . and I'll post those when I finish.

Thank you for stopping by. And a big THANK YOU to those who have become "Followers" of my blog. It really helps me be a better blogger. 

Hugs,

Colleen

Alayna is 7!

A very special young lady turned 7(!) on Monday, and this is the card I made for her. Depending on what day you ask this girly-girl, pink is (sometimes) her favorite color. The first time I saw layered scallops on a card, I knew I wanted to replicate that idea for Alayna's birthday card. It's so her.

I used pop dots between the scallop layers, and the sentiment is a rub-on. I cut the number freehand from a lightweight coaster.

Thank you for stopping by. I'm still fighting a sinus infection that just won't give up, but I have been creating some card sets that I'll share tomorrow.

Hugs,

Colleen

Welcome Madelyn Rose

My niece, Ashley, and her husband are expecting their first child in November. There was a baby shower Sunday, and I made this card to go with the gift. Inspired by my girlfriend, Carol, I added a "pinafore" type layer from dotted vellum and secured it with ribbon. The dress began from the Sizzix Baby Onsie, but I only used it as a pattern for the top of the dress and then used a Spellbinders Mega Scalloped Oval nestie to create the hemline. No pattern for the pinafore . . . just a series of trials and errors, but I'm pleased with the result and, more importantly, so was Ashley. The little rose bud on the bow was added for her middle name, and just polished off the card . . . imho.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Hugs,

Colleen

Look Who's Turning 4 - Peyton!

Sometimes a card comes together just as envisioned. Other times, like with this card, it evolves. And what started out in my head as a very girly card, ended up gender neutral leaning toward boyish. Hey, there is a pink balloon in the bunch . . . Anyway, after investing so much time in the process, I opted to send it on its way - not completely satisfied with the final product, but realizing it will serve its purpose. Hey, I can't be Julie Ebersole or Susan Raihala everyday, right?

The balloon is an old  (1995!) stamp from CC Rubber Stamps with a matching punch from Punch Bunch. Sentiment is from Impress Rubber Stamps, and for information on the fabulous background stamp see this post.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,

Colleen

Masculine Card

Feeling a little under the weather today, literally.  Louisville has gone from daily high temperatures in the upper 90's to frost advisories tonight, and it's creating havoc with my sinuses. So a simple card it is... This beautiful stamp is from Inkadinkado, and I just stamped it and highlighted a few areas with Copics. Sometimes that's all that's needed. Then again, tomorrow I may look at this card and feel differently. . .

I appreciate the visit today.

Hugs,

Colleen

OLW21 Inspired By Nature

Another fabulous challenge by Susan this week. I'm a little late to the party because I was out of town and am still rushing to get caught up.

This butterfly stamp from Inkadinkado jumped off the shelf and insisted on coming home with me on a recent shopping trip. For someone who is not particularly crazy for butterfly stamps, I certainly have amassed quite a collection.

The coloring (Copics) is not my best. The prototype actually looks better. This one needs more blending, but it was either use this or skip the challenge. My husband expects dinner when he comes home from work. LOL

Thank you for the visit. I hope to spend lots of time in my stamp room in the next few days. I absolutely go through withdrawal after being away from it so long.

Hugs,

Colleen

It's Your Day!

A real quick post - limited internet access. Shoe stamps by Hero Arts. I'll have to get back to you if you want the manufacturer of the the sentiment stamp. Copics utilized for coloring. Apologies for the hit and run.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,

Colleen

More of the Same.... Almost

I like love the card from the previous post, so decided to make a few more but with some variations. I need to make some card sets for Christmas gifts, and these may fit the bill. Sentiment used on the middle card is from River City Rubber Works, the bottom card is from A Muse. I used Stampin' Up! kraft card stock for the card bases, except for the one I screwed up and salvaged it by adding it to a white base.

Now . . . do you see the reverse grid background stamped on these? Isn't it just awesome?!! I have been on the hunt forevah for just such a stamp with no luck so my friend, Carol, made it for me! Can you believe it?! Carved that sucker with her two bare hands, I tell ya! And it is absolutely perfect! It measures a whopping 6x6 (swoon), all the lines are exactly measured and straight, and it stamps beautifully. I am still speechless. Talk about priceless . . . Consider this fair warning - you'll be seeing a lot of cards using this background. Mucho thanks, Carol! You're the bestest.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hugs,
Colleen

OLW20 Three Plus One

More evidence of my recent A Muse splurge (see post below) and again inspired by the fab Julie Ebersole. I embossed the Queen Anne's Lace with white embossing powder . . . don't you just love how white looks on kraft?! The leaves are also from A Muse and stamped in PTI Ripe Avocado. The sentiment is Savvy . . . a previous splurge . . . 'nuf said.

Thanks for the visit.

Hugs,

Colleen

A Muse Goodies

Inspired by Julie Ebersole during the A Muse release a few months ago, I invested in some A Muse goodness and tried today to channel the great Julie HRR (Her Royal Rubberness). Using Memento inks, this is what I came up with. As much as I'm drawn lately to CAS designs, I think the card with the layer of PTI Orange Zest debossed with PTI's Canvas impressions plate is my favorite.  What do you think? I hope Julie HRR would approve.

Thank you for your visit today.

Hugs,

Colleen

Surprised and Honored!

I had the most wonderful surprise this morning! Bonnie Klass honored me with the One Lovely Blog Award. How sweet is that?!  Now the pressure is really on . . . to live up to that. Thank you Bonnie.

I do have a card to share with you today. I confess to being a little on the fence about this one . . . I've had this patterned paper from 7 Gypsies on my desk staring at me now for weeks, so I decided to get out "Sew Artsy" from Hero Arts and make it earn its keep. A little faux stitching and Copic enhancement and voila! The addition of ribbon just didn't work for me. I think all the CAS style I've been cultivating lately is starting to take root LOL

Thank you for stopping by today.

Hugs,

Colleen

OLW19 Black and White with a Spot of Color

Another great challenge this week over at Simplicity's blog. I went looking through my stamp stash for something with polka dots and found this butterfly stamp from Michael's $1 bin begging for ink. The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Round and Round anniversary set and the tiny magenta gemstones that don't show up well in the photo are from Hero Arts.

Thanks for the visit today. Have a good 'un.

Hugs,
Colleen

FOUR Posts In One Week and the "Followers" Widget Added

I'm so on the ball this week . . . four card posts, and I added the "Followers" widget to my sidebar. I'm starting to feel like a real blogger. Any day now someone will share the secret handshake with me lol 

I may have mentioned before that I have a few birthdays and anniversaries in September, so today's card is for an upcoming birthday. I colored this Kim Hughes owl with Copics and then took the white crayon still laying on my desk from the crayon resist technique used below to soften some of the browns a bit. I like the result. You just can't go back to the Copics after adding colored pencils or crayons or it will ruin the nib of the Copic. I used pop dots to layer the party hat and an additional layer for the pom pom. IRL it's very dimensional. The branch is a piece of a limb from a Spellbinders die.

As for the "Followers" widget . . .  I'm not exactly sure how it works, but apparently some people use is to keep track of blogs they visit regularly. Anyway, I'm on board, so come along. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,
Colleen

It's All About the Presents

Happy Labor Day to my US blog readers! I hope you have a wonderful day with more fun than "labor".

The card I'm sharing today uses a stamp I purchased at Stampaway in August from Stacy's Stamps. It is unmounted and, I don't know about you, but I tend to forget about my unmounted rubber when looking for inspiration, so I decided to ink this up before putting it away. I colored it with Copics and added a coordinating loop of satin ribbon. The sentiment is from Morning Star and is also a new Stampaway acquisition.

Thank you for stopping by.

Hugs,
Colleen

Heartfelt Wishes

Not a lot of stamping on this card -just the sentiment from Impress Stamps. The vase is a punch and the flower from an old Zip-ee cut die.
Thanks so much for stopping by. Your visits encourage me to be a better blogger ; D
Hugs,
Colleen

OLW18 I Caved

For me, it seems like Christmas '09 was not that long ago. And while the stores eagerly anticipate the coming holiday season and begin merchandising earlier and earlier, I am in denial. I hasten pass the shelves in stores brimming with glitz and color, quickly skip over blog posts reminding me that I should begin making cards now to avoid the inevitable rush to come, and refuse to be lured into purchasing even one sheet of Christmas paper or adding another stamp to my already bulging stash. Yet, when Susan offered up her latest challenge - to use a tree - my first thought was a Christmas tree . . . sigh. It's a conspiracy I tell ya!
This tree image is from Northwoods, and I used the crayon resist technique with Forest Moss Distress ink applied with a sponge. The sentiment is from Hero Arts, one of a set of three, as I recall. The crayon ended up a bit shiny, so I added some Rock Candy Stickles for a bit of snowy sparkle. I'm very pleased with the result and can now return to my blissful state of denial. It was 90+ degrees here today for goodness sakes.

Thanks for stopping by.

Respectfully submitted,
Colleen

Here's the Scoop

Here's a quick little card I made highlighting McGill's ice cream cone punch. I punched a couple of glittery papers and an appropriate "cone" colored card stock and then used some pop dots to build my ice cream cone. Even thought it doesn't show up well in the photo, I used an embossing tool and added some shading to create "waffles" on the cone. The rectangle is a stamp from Endless Creations, and the sentiment is from A Muse. What fun!

Thank you for stopping by.

Hugs,
Colleen

OLW17 Border Stamps

Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, two posts in one day. Don't get use to it *wink* I stamp nearly everyday and usually remember to take photographs . . . it's the editing and actual posting that proves to be the challenge.

And speaking of challenges, this week's challenge on Simplicity's blog is to use a border stamp. As I perused my numerous, never-seen-ink border stamps, I came to the realization that as drawn as I am to the idea of using border stamps (and even border punches and what about all those nifty had to have Stampin' UP! wheels, huh?), I rarely use them. And when I do, I tend to reach for the same ones again and again. So thank you, Susan, for another great challenge.

The border stamp I used here is from an old (and never used, I might add) Hero Arts set of 6 sewing related stamps. The sentiment is also from HA - a recent clear set called "Sew Artsy", and the wonderful vintage sewing machine is from River City Rubber Works.

Enjoy! And thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,
Colleen

Two Quickies

I have a boat load of these Emerson Quillin designs from American Art Stamps and love them for a quick one layer card. Here I used one as a thank you and the other for a birthday. A little color from my Copics and done.
I'm off to participate in a couple of challenges . . .
Thanks for dropping by.

Hugs,
Colleen

OLW16 Stamp a Scene

This week's challenge over at Simplicity is to stamp a scene - either one we create or one that is ready-made. I opted for the latter, using a Stampendous cling rubber stamp that is an Archiver's exclusive. I chose various Copic markers for coloring and added the A Muse sentiment. Inside it says "miss you".

Thank you for stopping by.

Hugs,

Colleen

How's Your Day Stacking Up?

If "practice makes perfect", this card should be outstanding since this is my fourth try. The first was my prototype (yeh, that's what I tell myself when I screw up). The next two, I smeared the sentiment when I went back to add a little more shading to the cups. Grrrrrr! I love Versafine ink for sentiments, but I tend to forget to heat set it.

The image is from Flourishes and the sentiment from Rosie's Roadshow. Gina K's heavy base weight card stock makes the most wonderful smooth card with no bleed through from the Copics. I'm so lovin' it. And I really enjoy making one layer cards.

Thank you for stopping by.

Hugs,

Colleen

OLW-11 "Be Funny"

Just a quick post to participate in Susan's OLW challenge this week. This sentiment from Rosie's Roadshow is one of my favorites, and the image from American Art Stamps is one I've paired with it before in a previous layered card post. I used Copics for coloring (very lightly and with little shading so it wouldn't bleed through the card). I had a difficult time photographing and editing this, and the coloring still does not look like the original. I promise I did a much better job of blending than it appears. Whatev . . . (borrowed from Meg's entry this week lol)

Thanks for the visit.

Hugs,

Colleen