Thank You

There were two couples who attended the wedding I wrote about in the previous post. This second couple also brought lovely food for the celebration feast so I wanted to send them a Thank You note as well . . .

Kathy initiated a conversation about art at the luncheon table so my intent was to provide a card that was artsy in feeling.  The background seemed a little heavy to me so I added some framed vellum to lighten things up a bit.  It’s amazing what vellum can do to quietly subdue an overly ambitious color scheme . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Vanilla, Canson Aquarelle #90, Scrap Blue,

collaged layer from my Scrap Box

Colorants:    Deco Art Acrylic Paint Colonial Blue, Pinecone Brown

Dies:            Memory Box Stitched Rectangle Trimmings, Savvy

“Thank You”           

Emb Fldr:     Tim Holtz Intertwine

Doo Dads:    Nuvo glitter Ivory Sands    

Thank You

When my neighbors recently got married, the wedding was held in the beautiful living room of a lovely old home owned by the couple’s friends.  The host’s father was a German craftsman who was highly skilled in woodworking and masonry.  Hence the elements I used on this layout . . .

The house sits on a wooded property and the phenomenal brickwork was both exterior and interior.  So I included both elements here.  The champagne lunch was a delight and so was the entire afternoon of this very happy event . . .

Congratulations Bob and Trish!

 

Cardstock:   Neenah Desert Storm, Bazzill Rain Forest, Scrap

Deep Orange        

Inks:             Distress Vintage Photo

Colorants:    Derwent Inktense Sienna Gold, Sicilian Yellow,

Iris Blue, Red Violet

Waterclrs:    Zig Clean Color Orange, Yellow, Light Blue, Lilac

Dies:            Tim Holtz Woodlands, Scastoe Door/Window set,

Cheery Lynn Tiny Flower Kit, Spellbinders Four Petal

Thank You Floral Set, Simon Says Thank You Ticket               

Emb Fldr:     Tim Holtz Brickwork, Taylored Expressions Weathered

Thank You

Having received two unexpected gifts at Christmas, I needed to make a couple more Thank You cards than I’d originally planned on.  Happily, a new arrival of dies provided the perfect leafy background I wanted to use for this one . . .

Unfortunately, the “Thank You” banner is hard to read in the photo but in real life, it’s a lot more obvious.  I probably should have backed it with a contrasting color.  Sigh . . .

As Irina is a gardener extraordinaire, plant-ly layouts are just right for her.  Happily, I’m a gardener myself (although nowhere near her skill set), so I’ve got lots of plant life in my die collection.  I should be able to keep Irina and all of my gardening friends happy for years to come!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Rain Forest, Brillanca Pearl-Effects:

Champagne Floral Pattern         

Dies:            TEMU Leaf Cut, Creative Expressions Chantilly Lace

Edger, Memory Box Butterflies: Kaleidoscope, Moonlight,

Savvy Thank You Banner, Scrapbook Bow Toppers            

Doo Dads:    Sparkle & Sprinkle Glitter Fantasy Gold, Class Appeals

Ribbons & Bows Gold 

To Have and to Hold

When my friends Bob & Trish announced their engagement, I saw a perfect opportunity to use my newly-discovered silver mesh fiber on their card . . .

Not much of it shows, but its gleam and glisten really make the whole layout sparkle. As promised, I’ll be using this and its gold counterpart numerous times in future!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Smoky, Concord & 9^th Neutrals Glitter Pack:

Silver, Scrap Red   

Stamps:       Stampendous Wedding Vow

Inks:             ColorBox Silver

Emb Pwdr:   All Night Media Silver Glitter

Dies:            Studio Katia Darling Ribbon & Dotted Frames,

Lil Inker Dual Stitched Rectangles, TEMU Heart

                      Shaped Cut               

Beloved Tres

Tres is the Spanish name of the third cat in the litter.  His loss is a particularly hard one for the family as he was a very special cat . . .

 

With black ink, I brayered the raised part of the paw print embossing folder before inserting the card.  That put the ink into the concave paw prints to make them stand out more.  Technically, the paws are upside down, but they look like hearts and that’s the love I’m hoping to pass along . . .

 

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute, Neenah Desert Storm, Scrap Olive Green         

Inks:             Wink of Stella Gold

Dies:            Frantic Stamper Ten Fun Felines, Impression Obsession

Twig Wreath, DieNamics Spring Wreath, Studio Katia

Darling Ribbon & Dotted Frames                    

Emb Fldr:     Love Nicole Paw Prints

Happy Anniversary

Recently, I went through a shelf of little or never used supplies with an eye to tossing some dead weight and getting some breathing room.  My excavations unearthed the gorgeous diamond-shaped mesh I’ve used on the background here . . .

 

I die cut two copies of the stitched frame and sandwiched the mesh in between.  I used liner tape for added stay-put security which I felt the wispy mesh needed. 

Amazingly, I unearthed the same mesh in sparkling silver and am keeping both of these for plenty of future cards.  I highly recommend going through a drawer or shelf every once in awhile.  You never know what treasures you’ll unearth that you’d forgotten you had!

Cardstock:   Dorset Black Diamond, Bazzill White      

Dies:            Impression Obsession Wide Frame, Karen Burniston

Border Blends-Party, Memory Box butterflies Isabella,

Pippi, Temu Words Set: “Happy Anniversary”  

Doo Dads:    Gold mesh   

Mama Lita

When my friend’s well-loved cat Mama Lita died in November, it was especially sad because Lita was the Mother of several of their other cats . . .

  . . . a month shy of fifteen years, she was a true sweetie, and will long be missed.

Cardstock:   Bazzill Blossom, Raven, Fabriano #140 Artistico         

Stamps:       Hero Large Canvas Stripes

Inks:             Distress Worn Lipstick

Dies:            Memory Box Pinpoint Leaf Plate, Alphabet Soup,

Cottage Cutz Nested Stitched Scallop Square, Frantic

Stamper Ten Fun Felines, Recollections Word Fetti:

“Sweet”, DieVersions font (numbers): Hint of Lime               

Journey

Time to play with some gorgeous shimmering watercolors which, of course, the camera couldn’t trouble itself to pick up . . .

 Trust me – in real life they are beautiful . . .

 Cardstock:   Bazzill Raven, Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress #140 Black,

Strathmore Ultimate White

Stamps:       Judikins Stitched Leaves Background, Stampers

Anonymous “Journey”

Inks:             ColorBox Frost White, Black

Waterclrs:    Iuile Watercolors Orchid, Lilac, Cobalt, Blue, Forest,

New Leaf

Emb Pwdr:   Hero White

Dies:            Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Film Strip                 

Thank You

When my wonderful college roommate surprised me with a handmade quilted potholder at Christmas, I had fun making another Thank You card . . .

 

 I tried an idea I’d seen on another blog:  spray a piece of watercolor cardstock with three different colors, heat dry, and then die cut with an intricate background.  I chose a framed leafy design for this layout.  To get the best results, do the same thing you do when smooshing with several colors:  heat dry between each layer.  This provides the best opportunity for artsy droplets and other textural effects.  

I’m imagining all sorts of color combinations for this quick and easy technique and as I’ve got an overload of color sprays in my stash, I think I’ll move the entire collection to my work table and get to work play!                                                                                                                                                        

Cardstock:   Bazzill Ivy, Strathmore #140 Watercolor

Colorants:    Stamp Zia Color Wash: Blue Topaz, Emerald, Obsidian,

Adirondack Color Wash: Lettuce, Winsor & Newton

Gouache Zinc White

Dies:            TEMU Leafy Frame, Memory Box Butterflies

Kaleidoscope, Moonlight, Tattered Lace Everyday

Sentiments Thank, TK Online Celebration Set: You             

Doo Dads:    USArtQuest Crystal Effects: Opal Essence, Viva Pearl

                      Pen Ice White, Gelly Roll Clear Star