Sweet Beginnings

BLUE RIBBON #5

I love using a mattress ticking image for wallpaper – it gives a timeless classic look that goes with almost any design. . .

I decided that this year’s baby card submission would be for a girl – next year I’ll do one for a boy . . .

Cardstock:   Strathmore #100 Bristol Smooth  

Stamps:       Hero Large Canvas Stripes, Designer Woodgrain, 

Cloud 9 Stamp Baby: “. . . Sweet Beginnings”

Inks:             Distress Victorian Velvet, Brushed Corduroy, Gina K 

Charcoal Brown, Pilot Marker Silver

Dies:            Qianziqianse Baby Carriage Stroller, DieNamics 

Stitched Mini Scalloped Rectangle, Glitz Cartoon

Clothes Hanger (just the rattle)            

Journey, Memories, Love

BLUE RIBBON #4

I’m a sucker for leaves and love to use them on any card theme I can . . .

This design combines a die cut leaf and a stamped one.  I like the contrast . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Raven, White, Strathmore #140 Watercolor 

Stamps:       Judikins Four Leaves, Making Memories Magnetic

Stamps: “Journey, Memories, Love”

Inks:             ColorBox Black

Emb Pwdr:   Judikins Detail Black

Dies:            Spellbinders Long Classic Scalloped Rectangles Large,

Classic Scalloped Rectangles Short, Maya Road 

Geometric Leaf               

Doo Dads:    White Blossom Jewel Stickers Black      

Love

BLUE RIBBON #3

This one was outside my wheelhouse but I’m quite happy with the results . . .

The thatched background had been residing in my scrap box for a long time – all it needed was a little purple glitter and some love . . .

 Cardstock:   Orion Silver  

Stamps:       KaiserCraft Marble

Inks:             Encore Silver

Emb Pwdr:   Stampa Mania Silver Dollar

Dies:            Stampin’ Up Lattice Rectangles, Papertrey Ink Mega

Gracious Vases, Penny Black Bamboo Foliage, Avery

Elle Peace, Love, Joy set: “Love”        

Stencil:        Tim Holtz Thatched

Doo Dads:    Faber Castell Texture Luxe Embossing Paste Silver   

Noel

BLUE RIBBON #2

I found these colorful scraps and decided to use them for a Christmas themed card, even though the color scheme isn’t exactly traditional . . .

 

Keep scrolling for a look inside the little folder . . .

Cardstock:   Strathmore #140 Watercolor, Wausau #100 Haute Red, 

Scraps Burgundy, Orange 

Stamps:       Tim Holtz Mini Handwritten Holidays: “Noel”

Inks:             Distress Aged Mahogany, Gelly Roll Clear Star

Colorants:    Gelatos Blood Orange

Emb Pwdr:   Vippies Transcendence

Dies:            Memory Box Poinsettia Ribbon, Spellbinders Layered

Poinsettia, La La Land Pretty Poinsettia (flower center), 

Arich Rounded Corners Stitched Rectangles, Lil Inker 

Stitched Mats Rectangles, Marianne Holly Branches, 

Ellentina Nesting Tag #4     

Stencil:        Tim Holtz Mini Leafy

Doo Dads:    Golden Light Molding Paste         

Happy Birthday

 BLUE RIBBON #1, plus a Show Special Ribbon!

Our annual North NJ State Fair has come and gone and now I get to share with you my submissions and how I did in the ribbon department!  I went for some rather unusual and non-traditional looks and wondered what the judges would think.  Evidently, they liked the break in style – I submitted nine entries, was gifted with nine blue ribbons and was even graced with a Show Special (best in its category) which means they awarded me a gigantic pink ribbon.  HUZZAH!

Most of my nine submissions began with a deep dive into my scrap boxes.  I collected two or three pieces I thought would work well together and these laid the groundwork for the final designs.  It was a great way to get focused and saved me a lot of time in trying to think up stuff.  So let’s get started:

This card began with a rather staid design . . .

Hopefully, the addition of the large gold crystal and the red flowers perked things up a bit.

Cardstock:   Bazzill Rain Forest, Cheddar, Handmade paper,

Scraps Red   

Stamps:       Impress Row of Flowers

Inks:             VersaMark

Emb Pwdr:   B’Muse Midsomer Green Metallic

Dies:            TEMU Vertical Words: Happy Birthday, Cheery Lynn 

Tiny Flower Kit       

Doo Dads:    Green ribbon, Yellow crystal

Welcome Home

My baby brother Gordy had a dreadful stroke three months ago.  After countless hours of PT, numerous tests of all kinds, and many steps backwards as well as forwards, he is finally coming home . . .

 

This second pic shows a view of the back where the message goes.  I put mine into a top-folded panel to add a little more interactive fun to the card.

 

I used one of Jennifer McGuire’s Bridge Card ideas for his card.  She has several videos on this super-fun technique and I highly recommend watching them.

 

Gordy lives in Washington, a state saturated with gorgeous evergreen trees, so I put an entire row of them on the card front.  The card stands up so very nicely for display yet it easily collapses to fit inside an A2 envelope.  Bridge cards have scores of design possibilities and I plan to try as many as I can!

 

Cardstock:   Neenah #110 Solar White, Bazzill Rain Forest, Scraps

Green, Black, Marcos Jute

Stamps:       CC Rubber Stamps Fibers

Inks:             Distress Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Tea Dye,

Spun Sugar, Weathered Wood, Zig Clean Color Lemon

Yellow, Haze Blue, Oatmeal, VersaColor Chateau Gray

Waterclrs:    Zig Clean Color Lemon Yellow, Haze Blue,                                                                 Oatmeal, Tombow 055, Inktense Saddle Brown

Dies:            Impression Obsession Town Builder, TEMU Christmas

Trees, Tree Design, DieNamics Stitched Snow Drifts            

Stencil:        Printworks Clouds

For You

This tag set started out life as a gift tag . . .

 . . . but I think it works well as the focal point on a birthday card, don’t you? As this card is for an Autumn birthday, I thought some textured browns, autumnal colors, and bits of wood fit the bill.

Cardstock:   Goefun Tan, Marcos Jute  

Stamps:       Prickly Pear Oak & Maple Leaf, Unknown “For you”, 

Stampin’ Up Itty Bitty Backgrounds

Inks:             Distress Fossilized Amber, Mowed Lawn

Emb Pwdr:   Vippies Transcendence

Dies:            Papertrey Ink Tag Sale #3, Prickly Pear Oak &

Maple Leaf             

Emb Fldr:     Taylored Expressions Weathered

Doo Dads:    Jute cords, wood buttons