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  

Journey

Years ago, my dear friend and stamping buddy Carol gave me this gorgeous botanical background stamp.  It is so big that I didn’t know what to do with it, so it has been in respectful repose in a drawer.  Then I got the bright idea that as it’s too beautiful to cut down, I could simply wrap it around the card base . . .

       

Here’s the full effect when opened up . . .

 

However, the fold is now double-layered which means that the card would rather stay open then submit to closing nice and flat.  So I dug out a decorative paperclip in order to show the card who’s the real boss.

It is so beautiful when opened up that I think I’ll stamp the whole thing and frame it!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Raven, Scrap Cream        

Stamps:       Magenta Botanical, 7 Gypsies Distressed Words

Inks:             Superior India Ink Black

Dies:            TEMU Exquisite Three Butterflies, DieNamics 

Sentiment Strips

Doo Dads:    EK Success Nostalgiques Paper Clip     

Happy Birthday

This entire card was designed around the mesh background:  a humble envelope liner that once encased an insurance bill.  At least I got some fun out of the bill that day . . .

 

The white flowers are made from Foamiran which can be heated after die cutting to make the petals curve up.  The best part is that after being flattened into an envelope and making it through the mail, they will perk right back up again when removed from the envelope.  LOVE that!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Admiral, Commercial envelope liner, Foamiran 

White, Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Cardstock Silver Shimmer         

Inks:             Ancient Page Indigo

Dies:            Pink Fresh Slim Stitched Rectangles, Kokorosa 

Rectangle Flowers, TEMU Layered Stitched Daisy,

 TRoyal Room “Happy Birthday”, Marianne Butterfly          

Doo Dads:    Couture Creations Glitter Silver Shimmer, Nuvo 

Glitter Gloss          

Hello Fall

Here is the second card I made with tiny tags I’d put together for a stamping EXPO years ago . . .

I hope you’re not bored with my current fascination with tags . . . I’m certainly not and I’ve got hundreds of tag design ideas I still want to try.  ONWARD!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Capri Sea, Stedner Bright White  

Stamps:       Unknown Splatter

Inks:             Ancient Page Pine, Vivid Assorted Colors

Dies:            Elizabeth Stitched Rounded Rectangles, Unknown 

Assorted Tags, TEMU Autumn-Themed Set: Hello Fall                    

Doo Dads:    Stampin’ Up Nature’s Twine: Blackberry Bliss