Thinking of You

On a piece of Soft Sky cardstock (Stampin' Up!), I stamped one of the images from Stampin' Up!'s Baroque Motifs using Versafine Onyx Black ink.  I love that stamp set; too bad it's retired.

I then cut a piece of black cardstock and punched one long edge using a Fiskars Border Punch; unfortunately, they don't put the names of the punches on them and I bought it long before I realized I should label things.  The blue stitched ribbon was a clearance item from Stampin' Up!, and the white ribbon on top of that is from my stash, probably purchased at the dollar store.  At the very bottom of the card I stamped one of the borders from Fiskars' Borders-a-Plenty, again in Black Onyx ink.

The sentiment is Thinking of You Script by Sweet Impressions.  I cut it out using one of the Spellbinders Twisted Metal Tags and Accents, then drew around it to cut a mat out of black cardstock.  To finish the card, I used some enamel dots from My Mind's Eye, which gave some interest to the empty space on the top right of the card.

Happy Birthday

Background:  white cardstock, embossed with Rosa by Anna Griffin for Cuttlebug 

Stamps:  Birthday Messages (Simon Says Stamp) and Thoughts and Prayers (Stampin' Up!)

Ink:  Mediterranean Blue (Brilliance)

Butterfly:  Quickutz die cut from paper from Parisienne Blue (Docrafts)

Pearls by Recollections (Michaels)

Thanks

The only time I have used this stamp set - Posh Motifs and Trimby Inkadinkado - is on this card, which is really too bad since I really like it!  Anyway, I started by stamping the large image on Pink Pirouette cardstock (Stampin' Up!) using Heliotrope ink by Color Box.  I used one of the dies from the Classic Rectangles Large (Spellbinders) to cut it out.  I cut a slightly bigger mat from a piece of yellow cardstock from my stash.  Using the same ink I stamped another motif from the set on the pink cardstock, cutting it out with one of the Standard Circles Small (Spellbinders); it was layered on another piece of yellow that I cut out with one of the Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Circles Small.  Finally, I stamped my sentiment (Thanks by Simon Says Stamp), and cut it out using one of Spellbinders' Classic Rectangles Large, and layered it on top of one of the Spellbinders' Fleur de Lis Rectangles.

All of these elements were mounted on a piece of Elegant Eggplant cardstock (Stampin' Up!), along with a piece of lace and ribbon from my stash.  The gems are by The Paper Studio, and I attached them with Glossy Accents, which is a really strong adhesive.

Praying for You

I just glanced out the window only to discover it's raining.  Again.  Since the 5th, we've had at least 6" - 7" of rain, usually accompanied by violent thunderstorms.  On Friday I went to an appointment, and learned upon arriving at the building that the power was out.  I decided to go to the home improvement store before returning home, and they were on generators.  It turns out a large section of town was without power, most likely because of water getting into the underground electrical cables.  Enough already!

Most of the cards I make are inspired by ones I find on the Internet via Pinterest.  The original for this one - which I copied almost completely - is found here.

I started by stamping two of the designs from Stampin' Up's Flowering Flourishes set on off-white cardstock using black ink.  I adhered this on a black piece of cardstock along with decorative paper from the Mirabelle paper pack by The Paper Studio.  For the divider between the top and bottom of the card front, I punched a strip of black cardstock using the Eyelet Lace punch by Martha Stewart.  Also from the black cardstock I cut two small rectangles, adding a ribbon edge to one end of each.  From off-white cardstock, I cut a wavy banner; I stamped my sentiment in black ink, curving it to fit the banner.  The sentiment is from the Joy for the Journey stamp set from Verve (no longer available).  The brad I used to attach the banners is from Stampin' Up!  Finishing the card are the pearls in the upper right corner are by Recollections (Michael's).

Birthday Blessings

I started this card by running my cardstock through my Cuttlebug using the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder from Stampin' Up.  It's no longer available, but you can probably find it on eBay.  I ran a white pigment ink pad lightly over the top of the embossing.

The sentiment is a single stamp by Verve (no longer available), that I stamped with Versamagic Perfect Plumeria ink.  I then cut it out with one of the Classic Oval dies by Spellbinders; before I removed it from the die, I sponged on some Versacolor Ash Rose ink.  I cut another oval, ran some Versamark ink (a clear, sticky ink) over the edge, then embossed it with some silver embossing powder.  I also cut one of the Spellbinders Labels One and layered a Spellbinders Decorative Labels One underneath. 

On the bottom of the card, I placed some lace underneath a white ribbon, then affixed a folded pink ribbon in the center using a brad from the Stampin' Up set Antique Brads.

Thinking of You

The pink paper is by Stampin' Up! - Pink Pirouette and Regal Rose (retired); I embossed the lighter color with Rosa by Anna Griffin (Cuttlebug).  Isn't it pretty?  I stamped my sentiment (Sweet Impressions) on a white strip using black ink.  I tied a piece of ribbon below the strip.  Finally, I used my 1/2" Corner Chomper to round both the right hand edges.

Happily Ever After

This is another of those simple cards that I really like.

All the hearts were cut with paper from my scrap box using a Spellbinders Classic Hearts die.  I embossed the left side of the card using the "Dots" embossing folder from Just My Type by Cuttlebug.  It left a ridge on the inside edge, so I fixed that by using my Martha Stewart Scoring Board to score a line from the back side of the card.  The sentiment is from the Lots of Thoughts set by Stampin' Up! (retired, but check eBay).

For Someone Special

I stamped the sentiment, which is from the Watermill set by Stampin' Up! (retired), then traced over it with a Sakura Clear Stardust pen.  I cut it out with one of the Spellbinders Standard Circles Large.  I also cut two sizes of Spellbinders Labels Five and two of the pieces from Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Accents, layering all of them together.  The lace and ribbon are from my stash.  Simple card.

This is an older card that I don't think I ever shared.  It's one I kept detailed notes on, so I am glad to find the information in case I ever want to make it again!

The papers are from the DCWV Spring Fling mat stack, which doesn't seem to be available anymore.  I cut six strips, each 1" wide; three are 4-1/2" long, and the other three are 3-1/2" long.  I measured up 3/16" and cut the ribbon end, then attached them to my card base, placing them 1/8" apart.  The blue ribbon across the top is from Stampin' Up!, and the lace from my stash.  I used baker's twine through the middle of each button between gluing them to the ribbon/lace.  Finally, the sentiment is an old stamp from Holly Pond Hill, which I stamped with black ink. 

I've Taken Up Quilting!

With paper, that is.

I became intrigued with quilt cards after seeing some on Pinterest.  (Take a look at my Quilt Cards board here.)  My mother-in-law is a quilter, so I thought for her 91st birthday I'd make her a quilt card.

I used paper from DCWV's Linen Closet Matstack. I cut each of the 25 squares with one of the dies from Spellbinders Classic Squares Small set, which was a lot of cutting.  (I since have purchased 3/4" and 1" square punches.)  I embossed the completed square with Spellbinders M-Bossabilities Mystic folder.

The quilt square is mounted on two pieces of cardstock, then affixed to the card base.

My sentiment is from Verve Stamps, and is cut out with an oval punch from Stampin' Up!, then layered on a larger size of oval, also from SU!  I mounted it on top of a brown ribbon using pop dots.

I have since made several other quilt blocks, which I will share soon.  These are fun and addictive!

As this post goes live (I've written it in advance), I am in my orthopedist's office, discussing knee replacement.  It's time.  And I hope the doctor will agree.  If he does, I will get the surgery as soon as possible.  Doesn't recovering from joint replacement seem like a great way to spend my summer?    (It sounds better to me than continuing in pain!)  I will let you know what happens.