Thanks

When I recently drove my neighbor to the doctor, she thanked me with a delicious bowl of vegetable soup!  A perfect excuse for a card featuring a butternut squash . . .

When I thought I was finished, the layout looked a little unbalanced.  So the spiky grass strips at the bottom fixed that . . .

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute 

Stamps:        Tebatu “Texture”

Colorants:    Stabilo Dark Green, Prisma Poppy Red, Orange,

Kelly Green

Dies:              Goodculler Stitched Rectangles, Essentials by Ellen

Gourd-jus, DieNamics Grassy Edges, Savvy “Thanks”                

Emb Fldr:      Tim Holtz Lumber,

Doo Dads:    Wink of Stella Gold,  Wood Button, Amercian Crafts

                       Jute Brown, Gamsol         

Make Music

This card did not come together easily – I think my muse wanted to see how many days she could stretch out the making of this one.  It wound up being three . . .

 

 . . . lots of stops and starts, backs and forths, and general indecision.  Ah well, such is the creative process on occasion.  Sadly, ideas don’t always flow smoothly from the brain to the fingertips – I suppose that’s what keeps things interesting, yes?  While not thrilled with the final results on this card, I’m sending it out anyway as I think some aspects of it are still worth the journey . . .

 

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute, Canson Aquarelle #90, Scrap Black      

Stamps:        Stampendous Music Score, Seth Apter Edges

Inks:               Superior India Ink Black

Dies:              DieNamics Pierced Rectangle Frame, Lil Inkers

Stitched Mats Rectangles, Marianne Musical Notes,

Memory Box Alphabet Soup           

Doo Dads:    White Blossom Jewel Stickers: Black      

With Sympathy

My friend Jeff recently had to say a very painful goodbye to two of his four deeply loved cats.  And a third is also evidently on his way out.  Hard to imagine so much loss in such a short period of time.  It is at times like these that I am most grateful for card making . . . 

Because there is so little that one can really do to help the bereaved, the chance to sit down and invest time and heart to give something tangible can really help the maker in dealing with a friend’s loss.   

Most of all, I hope that Jeff can feel some of its comfort . . .

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute, Bazzill Raven, Canson Mixed Media #98

Stamps:        Our Daily Bread Paw Prints

Inks:              Superior India Ink Black

Emb Pwdr:    Stamp-n-Stuff

Dies:              Arich Rounded Corners Stitched Rectangles, Rambling 

                       Poppies               

Emb Fldr:      Darice Paw Print Background

Thank You

A wonderful former neighbor recently surprised me with some lovely no-particular-reason-at-all gifts that she sent me from her new home in California.  Irina is a world class gardener, so a very large floral-themed slim line Thank You is now on its way . . .

This one used a favorite layered stencil set.  I added a narrow striped border to punch things up a bit, plus a little glitter for some sparkle.  Hope she likes it!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Lava, Canson Aquarelle #90       

Stamps:        Frog’s Whiskers Straight and Narrow, Stampin’ Up

Itty Bitty Background Dots

Inks:              Distress Peeled Paint, Abandoned Coral, Festive Berries,

Superior India Ink Black

Dies:             Pink & Main Layered Slimline Dies, Savvy Thank You

Banner, Spellbinders Banner Basics Three                   

Stencil:         Pink Fresh Floral Notes

Doo Dads:    USArtQuest 101 Light Paste, Distress Dry Glitter

Clear Rock Candy         

For You

I can never stay away from Kraft cardstock for very long, even for Valentine’s Day . . .

  . . . there’s just something about the warm and friendly color that seems to work for almost any application and for any recipient.

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute, Fox River Crushed Leaf Cream   

Stamps:        Stampin’ Up “For you”, Impression Obsession Music

Inks:              Distress Aged Mahogany

Emb Pwdr:   Vippies Transcendence

Dies:              Poppy Shaker Heart                   

Doo Dads:    K&Company Paper Ribbon Wild Saffron, Christmas

Cheer sets, Mrs Grossman’s Design Lines 

Get Well

My much-loved neighbor Bob had a hernia operation a few days ago which certainly called for a Get Well card . . .

In lieu of a textured dry embossed background, I thought a random array of bandaids  would do the trick.  The ventilation holes on the focal point bandaid didn’t show up very well, so I poked them with an awl to quickly enlarge them.  Worked well!

 

Cardstock:   Canson Aquarelle #90, Unknown Navy Linen   

Inks:              Stampin’ Up Going Gray

Dies:             My Favorite Things Bandaids, Frantic Stamper

Adhesive Bandage, Studio Calico Nested Rectangles,

Paper Smooches Get Well Phrase                  

Moments

More fun with the Double Stamped Vellum technique . . .

I warned you I’d be coming back to this lovely method so don’t think that this is the last example you’ll ever see!  I want to experiment with navy blue as well as a dramatic black but I love the dark brown so much that I keep coming back to it.  I must take a firmer hand with myself . . .

Cardstock:   Canson Montval Watercolor #140, Scrap Brown        

Stamps:        Verve Autumn Splendor

Inks:               Gina K Charcoal Brown, ColorBox Frost White

Emb Pwdr:   Hero White

Dies:              Impression Obsession Large Frame, Memory Box

Grove Branch, Cheery Lynn Tiny Flower Kit, Sizzix

Floral Arch & Words set: “Moments”            

Doo Dads:    Glass seed beads Gold    

Place Cards

My solitary plans for Christmas happily changed and I found myself in the cherished company of three of my closest friends for a lovely dinner.  As I did for Thanksgiving, I made another set of place cards – this time for Christmas . . .

 

As with the Thanksgiving place cards, I die cut two tags and glued the top ends together for each tag so that it would stand up.  The music background was stamped and then came some die cutting fun with Christmas stockings, some pine foliage, and a sprinkling of glittery stars.  I put a hanging loop at the top for display on a tree or maybe to dangle from a decorated shelf . . .

Cardstock:   Strathmore Ultimate White, Bazzill Julep, American

Crafts Light Green, Concord & 9th Neutrals Glitter

Paper Pack     

Stamps:        Stampendous Music Score

Inks:               Superior India Ink Black

Dies:              Spellbinders Tags & Flags, Stocking Trio, Cheery Lynn

Pine Branches, Memory Box Garden Sprig , Our Daily

Bread Sparkling Stars, Tattered Lace 2015 Alphabet      

Doo Dads:    Stampendous Fun Flock Cotton Ball White, Offray

                      Grosgrain Ribbon 1/8” & ¼” Red