Saying "Happy Birthday" With a Jane Austen Birthday Card

Hi, guys! I know it has been a long time since I shared a card I made with you. Truth is, I haven't been making any since I was in the hospital.  This week I was finally in my stamp room making cards again. The card I am sharing today I made for my dear friend Amy who celebrated her 50th birthday (and I missed it!).  Amy is one of the ladies in the Jane Austen group I mention from time to time.  What better way to say Happy Birthday to another Jane lover than with a Jane card!

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink
Paper: Papertrey Ink (Jane Text Paper), Gina K Designs
Ink: Versafine Black, Old Paper & Antique Linen Distress Inks

When I gave my friend her birthday gift, I made sure to include a vial of ink that is called Jane Austen.  It is a lovely dark green shade.

It is great to be back on my blog.  I look forward to visiting with you as well.  You don't realize how much you love your blog until you don't get time to work on it!

I thought I would share a photo my husband snapped today.  We have been having a snowy/icy and cold winter here.  He found my garden sign poking out from the snow!  I have been itching to get outside and after this winter, I will have PLENTY of work to do to get it ready for Spring!

Have a great day!  Until next time!

Let Freedom Ring! Happy Flag Day!

Today is Flag Day here in the U.S.!  You may remember if you have been following my blog a while that each year I make my sister a card for Flag Day.  It started years ago when she made a comment that I make cards for ANY reason, that I would even make one for Flag Day.  Well, my late husband reminded me of her comment, and from then on she gets a card on this day.  This year is the 10th year I am sending her one.

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento Black, Copic Markers, Fired Brick Distress Ink
Paper: Gina K Designs
Misc.:  Dreamweaver Silver Embossing Paste, Simon Says Stamp Stars Stencils, Ribbon

In all seriousness, there is nothing more beautiful that seeing our flag hung and waving in the breeze. Thank you to all who gave so much for us to be so lucky to live in freedom.  All you have to do is turn on the news and hear about so many that aren't as fortunate, and I thank my lucky stars for Old Glory.

If you live in the U.S. I hope you will join us in hanging your flag!

Until next time!

WOYWW #248 - Oh Baby!

It has been a couple of weeks since I was able to take part in WOYWW and share what is on my work desk with you.  Today I am sharing my inky mess!  You will see plenty of ink, markers and even buttons and ribbon.   I have been working on two baby cards and as usual, I start pulling supplies out even before I know what I will be actually doing.

Thank you Julia for the desk hopping fun!  I thought I would share the two completed cards I made from this lovely mess.  One is for a baby girl, and the other a baby boy.

I am looking forward to catching up with a lot of you today and seeing what you are working on!  Until next time!

Thank You Cards For Baptism

I was honored to be asked to make a pair of cards for a friend to give her in-laws.  Her son was recently baptized and her father in-law performed the sacrament, and her mother-in-law was the baby's Godmother.  My friend Christine wanted religious thank you cards for each of them to show their appreciation for all their kindness and love.

For her father in-law I decided to use a embossed cross for the focal image.  The papers are from my February Simon Says Stamp card kit.  The stamps is by Papertrey Ink and embossed with Ranger Silver embossing powder.

For her mother-in-law I decided to use a Thomas Kinkade stamp called "The Forest Chapel" as it is such a lovely image.  I embossed it using clear embossing powder over Potting Soil Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink. The edges of the image were inked with Tattered Rose Distress Ink.

One of my favorite aspects of card making are the special days and events you get to be part of even if it is in a small way.  When people come up to me years after a wedding, or a birth of a child, and mention a card they received that I made for them, it always warms my heart that they remember that!

Silent Night, Holy Night

Hi, guys! Hope all is well!  Today I am sharing a Christmas card I made for a friend's son.  I knew I used my nativity stamps the last few years on her cards, but I wanted my card to reflect the birth of Christ, so this is what I came up with.

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts, Papertrey Ink
Paper: Gina K Designs
Ink: Versamark
Misc: White and Silver Embossing Powder

I thought using the Star would be a perfect way to make this a Christmas scene. I really love when I can make scenes using stamps from different lines together.  It really is a fun way to get more out of your stamps.

The use of the white and silver embossing really stands out nicely against the navy background.

I am entering this in the following challenge:

http://www.wordartwednesday.blogspot.com/2013/10/challenge-101-anything-goes.html

Until next time!

Bridal Shower Wishes

Hi, guys! Showers are always fun cards to make as they always are so full of excitement whether it be for a new bride, or even an expectant mother.  Today I made a bridal shower card for a coworker to give to her daughter.  I wanted it to have a modern look,  and something different.   I used this fun stamp by A Muse Artstamps as the focal image.  It always cracks me up.  I love that I can use it for any type of shower that I need a card for.

Supplies: 
Stamps: A Muse, Papertrey Ink
Paper: Gina K (White and Black), Papertrey Ink Silver
Ink: Memento Black
Misc.: Spellbinders Dies, Gems, Copic Markers

I came across a very small piece of patterned paper in my scraps folder that I thought would be perfect for this card, and looks great with the silver/white/black color scheme.  I am not sure where it came from originally, though, because it was the last bit of it.

Wishing Shannon and her husband a long and beautiful life together!

Until next time!

Cards Abound This Week!

Hi, guys! Hope all is well! Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but with work and card orders, I have been swamped.  Over the next week or so, I will be sharing a lot of cards.  I have a friend Christine who always orders a bunch of personalized cards from me and who is going out on leave to have a baby soon.  She gave me a list of all the cards she will be needing for various occasions and holidays while she is out and I have to get them done before next Friday!  So far I have completed 8 out of 13, so you know what I will be working on this weekend!

I thought I would start by sharing two thank you cards she asked to be made.  The first one is for her in-laws for taking care of her daughter for a few weeks while her husband went back to work.  I decided to use the LARGE thank you stamp from Papertrey Ink.  The focal point is embossed with Zing embossing powder and I like how it pops against the patterned paper.

The next card up was made for Christine's brotther as a thank you for her daughter's dance classes.  Chris mentioned that her daughter's class all wears blue outfits and tutus.  I used a sheet of Nutcracker paper by Graphic 45 as I thought it was perfect.  The little ballerina stamp is by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.  Love that little stamp!   I decided the cute sentiment by Dear Lizzie was perfect. Distress Ink in Faded Jeans was used to add color to the edges of the images and the patterned paper.

This week I am entering these two card in the challenge at: http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com  These will be my first submissions there.  Very excited to join in the fun!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Hope you find some time in your day to do something you love!

Until next time!



Party Like a Rockstar - Elvis Style

Hi, guys! Hope all is well!  I have a good friend named Irvina who loves Elvis.  There can never be too much Elvis in her life.  So for her birthday card the choice was easy.  I have a set of stamps from The Stampsmith that has a lot of Elvis images and sentiments.  I am not sure why Elvis is wearing a bolero jacket and why he has a flower in his hair.  I am sure it is from a movie so I will be asking her tonight!

Supplies:
Stamps: The Stampsmith, Papertrey Ink (Stars), A Muse
Ink: Hero Arts, Black Versafine, Distress Stains (Ribbon)
Paper: Gina K Designs
Misc.: Seam Binding

Hope Irvina has a very Happy Birthday and all the best in the year ahead!

Are you an Elvis fan?  Or maybe it's The Beatles that you prefer?  For me, it's country music and when Vince Gill sings, I am in my own little happy place!

Until next time!

Floral Thank You Cards

Hi, guys! Hope all is well! Today I am sharing a pair of thank you cards I was asked to make for a co-worker.

This first one features a Papertrey Ink stamp.  I liked the color combination when I was finished.  I kept it simple, but I think it looks very clean and neat.  The image is heat embossed using Ranger Silver embossing powder.

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink
Paper: Gina K Designs, Stampin' Up
Ink: Versamark
Misc.: Ranger Silver Embossing Powder, Stampin' Up Flowers & Brads, SU Silver Cord

For the next one, I decided to use one of my older stamps that I hadn't used in a long while.  It is by Anna Griffin.  I love her work and style, and am glad I took it out to use!

Supplies:
Stamps: Anna Griffin, Stampers Anonymous
Paper: Gina K Designs, Stampin' Up, Tim Holtz
Ink: Distress Inks, Stampin' Up,Versamark
Misc.: White Embossing Powder, Tim Holtz Banner Die

I heat embossed the image with white powder, and colored it using my favorite Springtime colors.

I hope I have inspired you to look through your stamps and use a few that you haven't used in awhile -  it is so much fun!

Have a great day!

Sending A Big Thank You

Hi, guys!  I just finished making a card for our friend Jeff. My hubby and I lost our phone and electricity during Hurricane Sandy and had exhausted the power in our cellphones and my iPad by day 4.  Luckily Jeff had power and we were able to spend some time visiting and charging all our devices.  It was such a blessing, as I was very nervous not having a way to make a call should we have an emergency. I decided to make him a card today to express our thanks.

Supplies:

Stamps: Paper Smooches, Papertrey Ink

Ink: Versafine

Paper: Studio G Card

Misc.: ClearEmbossing Powder, White Gel Pen

Hope Jeff and his wife Lisa know how much they mean to us, and hope you take a moment to let those in your life know how important they are to you.

Have a great day!

Snow White Birthday Wishes

Hi, guys!  Here is something you may not know about me.  I LOVE all things Disney.  I love "The Mouse," all the princesses, Walt Disney World, etc.  If I could, I would visit WDW often.  For today, I made a card for a little girl who was turning 5.  I was asked to make it girly and so I thought immediately of my princess stamps by Disney.  For this card, I used a classic Snow White image. I decided a fun thing to do would be to stamp 5 butterflies as if they were released by Snow White.  Girls this age are learning their numbers and colors and I thought it would be fun for Keara.

Supplies:
Stamps: Disney
Paper: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Archival Black, Distress Ink
Misc.: Copic Markers, Circle Punches, Scalloped Rectangle Punch

After making this card, I had the Snow White theme going around in my head.  I am a lucky lady, as my prince has found me!

Have a great day!

Thinking Pink!

Hi, guys! For today, I thought I would share two cards I made for a friend.  She has two friends who both gave birth to baby girls and wanted personalized cards to welcome their arrival.  I decided to pull out my baby set from Papertrey Ink called Baby Button Bits.  You incorporate a button into the designs and is fun to use.

Supplies (for both)
Ink: Archival, Stampin' Up
Paper: Stampin' Up, DCWV Nana's Nursery
Buttons: Papertrey Ink, Basic Grey
Misc.: Ribbon, Scallop Punch, Safety Pin

I really enjoy making baby cards!  The colors are great and the happy feelings they bring make me happy.

Have a great day! Until next time!

The Itsy, Bitsy Spider

Hi, guys! Today I am sharing two Halloween cards I made.  The first one up I made for my friend Erich's nephew,  Alex.  I decided to go with spiders as he is a little boy and lots of little boys like creepy crawly things.

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink, Impression Obsession
Paper: Gina K Designs
Ink: Distress (Black Soot), Distress Seedless Preserves, Versafine Black
Misc.: Clear Embossing Powder, Brad, Alpha Stickers

For this next one, I used other creepy crawlers and some funny (dare I say cute?) spiders.  I used a white gel pen to accent the eyes of the dangling spiders and the BOO sentiment, and added some googlie eyes for some fun.

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink, Stampin' Up, Vap! Scraps
Paper: Gina K Designs (White), Recollections (Bright Orange)
Ink: Distress (Black Soot), Versafine Black
Misc.: White Gel Pen, Googlie Eyes

These were fun to make.  I am not sure if I ever told you, but Halloween cards are among my favorite to make.  I can make some cute, or funny, or some rather gross and it is all good.  Something for everyone.  Hope to find time to make more this week.

Hope you have a great day!

Happy 2nd Anniversary, Jane Austen Style (and Hubby Style)

Hi, guys!  Today my hubby and I are celebrating our second wedding anniversary.  Both my husband and I decided to take off work and enjoy time together.  To start the day, we gave each other cards we made for each other.  I am very touched that he takes the time to make me a card for the holidays since he knows how much I love them.  The card I made for him used the Papertrey Ink Jane Austen stamp set.  I figured what better love story is there than that of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. The sentiment inside I used was "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you" from the same stamp set.  I wanted to try a shabby chic look for the card after taking the Jennifer McGuire Kick Start online class where one was demonstrated.

Now I will share the card he made for me.  I think it is awesome and told him he is a card maker at heart but just doesn't know it yet.  He is very witty and fun, and decided to incorporate the date of our marriage in the card by using the clock.  We were married 10-2-10.  He then put a second hand with a small arrow pointing to it to signify the "second" wedding anniversary.  If that doesn't say thought and planning, I don't know what does.

He didn't need to use any stamping in this card, and even incorporated our invitation into it.  He loves the look of the torn papers that I do, but I still can't convince him it is OK to rip pages out of old books, so he photocopies the words out of the old dictionary and then tears it.  The book lover in him can't help but cringe inwardly when I rip apart stuff.  It is so funny.

Off to celebrate and enjoy the day!  Hope your day is filled with fun and lots of love too!

Free Broom Rides!

Hi, guys! One of the products I decided to use today was my glow in the dark glitter by Martha Stewart. Kristina Werner used it in class and I remembered that I had a jar of it and thought it would be fun to use. It was fun viewing the card in the dark!  The witch glows just as she should. The sentiment inside the card reads "Embrace your inner witch."  That cracks me up.

Supplies
Stamps: Papertrey Ink, Impression Obsession
Paper: Gina K, Webster's Pages
Ink: Black Archival
Misc.: Scallop Punch, Martha Stewart Glow in the dark glitter

Hope you have a great day!  Hope you have some wickedly good fun!

It's Tag Time (Jane Austen Inspired)

Hi, guys! It is time to share my monthly (August) submission for the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2012!  This is one of my favorites that I have done.  I had to incorporate a cameo type image as the focal point, and decided to use my Jane Austen set by Papertrey Ink.  You may recall that I have a great bunch of friends that formed a group because of our love of Jane Austen.  So this tag will be going to one of the ladies in our group with her Christmas gift.  We do a secret santa each year, and what better way to celebrate Jane than a tag using one of her quotes about friendship.

I had a blast making this tag.  The distressing and paint resist were fun to do.  What I love about doing these tags is the freedom to use what you have on hand, and use the basic idea, but make it your own. Tim never ceases to amaze me with his ideas and creativity.  I can't wait to see what he comes up with for the September tag!

Hope you have a great day!  Hope you find some time to do something you love (maybe read a bit of Jane?).

A Note of Cheer

Hi, guys!  For today, I thought I would share a card I made for my brother.  He needed a card for a friend who is undergoing treatments for an illness.  I wanted to keep it light in feel, and for it to have a masculine look.  After going through my sentiments, I found one that I thought would work.  It reads inside "Feel Better Soon".  I sure hope getting a surprise card in the mail will bring a smile to his friend.   As I was digging through my piles of stamps, I found this old typewriter image from Hero Arts.  I remember being a young girl learning how to type on one of these, and thought maybe this fellow would appreciate this image from the past.  I can't believe I used to type papers on one of these machines!

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts, Papertrey Ink
Paper: Kaiser, Gina K Designs (Black)
Ink: Versafine Black, Distress Ink
Misc: Clear Embossing Powder

Hope your day is filled with fond memories of the past, and dreams of great things for the future!

Nature-Inspired Sympathy Card

Hi, guys! I thought I would share a sympathy card I made for a co-worker. It is for a man who lost his mother.  I was asked not to make it religious in any way.  Feeling that nature themes work well for masculine cards as well as sympathy cards, I took out my trusty Lovely As A Tree stamp set by Stampin' Up to use. I heat embossed the image with copper embossing powder, and matted the image with some gingham paper to give it a touch of color.

Supplies:
Stamps: Stampin' Up, Rubber Stampede (Sentiment)
Ink: Versamark, Stampin' Up
Paper: Stampin' Up, Papertrey Ink (Ivory), Imaginations Gingham
Misc.: Copper Embossing Powder Stampin' Up


I sure hope the card brings some comfort to the recipient.  I know I have said this before, but while this type of card is the hardest for me to create, they are the ones that need to be made.

Have a great day, and I hope you find a few moments in your day to do something you love.

Happy 236th Birthday, America!

Hi, guys!  Hope you are having a great Fourth of July!  My husband and I are staying home this year as it is mid-week and don't feel like running around in this heat.  We are going to spend time working on my stamp room and having a barbecue.

I thought I would share a few cards I made for the holiday (yes, I sent a few Fourth of July cards!).  This first one was made for our friend Michael.  He is a history professor and actually sent us a card and noted that it is the 236th birthday of our great country.

Stamps: Viva Las Vegas Stamps, Papertrey Ink
Paper: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento Black
Misc.: Really Reasonable Ribbon, Copic Markers, Felt Star


The next two cards I made for our parents.  I used the splatter technique that Tim Holtz showed for his new July 2012 tag. I thought it would be fun to use on these.  They mimic fireworks.

Stamps:  Stampsmith, Papertrey Ink
Paper: Ranger Gloss White, Papertrey Ink White
Ink: Archival Black (for Lady Liberty), Alcohol Inks, Archival Blue (Sentiments), Stampin' Up Red
Misc: Really Reasonable Ribbon, Tim Holtz Vintage Labels 

May each of you have a safe and fun-filled holiday!  I hope you will join me in taking a moment from our festivities to give thanks for this great nation and for all those who are currently serving in our military who are sacrificing so much to keep us safe and sound.

Mother's Day - The Finale

Hi, guys!  Hope you are having a great day!  I promised to share the remainder of the Mother's Day cards I made.  The only one I am not sharing yet is the one I made for my mother as I know she is a viewer of my blog. (No sneak peaks for you, Mom!)

As you can see, I really don't like making the same card over and over.  I love to try and match the card to the personalities of those receiving it, or those who order it.  I hope they all will enjoy receiving these cards.    Since there are 8 cards here, I didn't bother listing all the supplies I used.  It would be too long of a list.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me and I will get back to you.

Hope your day is a good one, and that you find a few moments to do something you love.