Heart Balloons at The Outlawz

     Today's card uses Sandi Huggert's image for The Outlaws Creative Freebie Challenge here. You can find Sandi's blog and images here. I decided to make this for a friend's daughter who didn't go away to college, so she doesn't usually get cards when I do my mailings to those away at college. I decided she could use a card too ;- ) My original vision was to paint the whole image with glitter and early on, I did some tests on that, but put it aside (which is never a good thing with me.) So here I am coloring in PhotoShop (which I would have done anyway so there would be color under the glitter ;- ) I tried to stay true to my vision/inspiration and went over the part I had planned to use silver glitter on with the Stardust glitter pen by Sakura. I did paint the red hearts with Martha Stewart glitter. I used black gel pen on the purple balloon. I added red Martha Stewart twine for the balloon strings. The circle and scalloped circle were cut with the Quick Kuts die set made to go with some of the Hero Arts stamps. The sentiment is from Hero Arts Sweet Wonderful You and was embossed with Red Dragon embossing powder from Stampendous. I inked it with Dusty Concord Distress ink. The rick rack was cut with a die from The Scrapping Cottage. Those of you with keen eyes will notice that I put the border on upside down >.< Just shows how things are going in my current state of craziness. I also should have rounded the corners.

     Thanks for stopping by two days in a row. I've have another progressive due on Mon. So I better get to work ;- ) Have a great rest of your weekend!

A day at the beach!

     Today's card is for a friend's daughter, who went to school with my son from Kindergarten through 8th grade. She turned 19 on Friday and my son turned 20 on Saturday. Us moms have become great friends, we are very much alike, and they have also remained friends. I knew she had plans to go with friends to spend the weekend at the beach, so that was how I themed, my card. The weather forecast may have other plans however, so I began to hope my card wouldn't make her sad >.<

     I used Cricut's Life's a Beach cart and cut the card option for the lifeguard chair image.  Knowing I'd see, at least her parents for my son's birthday, I made a large card 7 x 11.75 (before folding). I then used the Gypsy to make a layer from the lifeguard chair image. The proportion weren't correct, so I used a separate layer and de-selected the keep proportions key. I then sized the height and width separately through trial and error until it matched up with the one from the card option (6.10 width and 6.5 height). I used Scattered Straw Distress Stickles to simulate sand and tried to make the lifeguard chair look a bit realistic, with some sand on it as well. I edged the brown part of the chair with copics.  I embossed the red layer of the umbrella with swiss dots and popped it up in the center, gluing down the sides and top edges. I added red and white twine from My Mind's Eye. The pattern background paper is Neptunes Wrath by Reminisce that I picked up at Archiver (it's 2-sided as you will see from the inside photo. ) The label was cut from Just Because Cards. It's the Shift key of the main key for the "Corny" card, believe it or not, but I liked the shape and thought it would make a good label. It's used as a vertical panel on the card, so I just turned it and cut it, at I believe, 2.5 inches. It's stamped with Clear Stamps in Mementos and I added two red brads.

     The sentiment on the inside was done digitally and the fonts are Beach and Handwriting- Dakota. I cut the beach ball and the sandals both from Life's a Beach. The red on the beach ball was embossed using Tim Holts's Fades Folder Regal Flourishes. The pattern paper was a scrap and I'm afraid I don't know what it is. I almost didn't have enough and was worried, because I loved it for the base of the sandals.

     I like how this card turned out. I'm not sure about the sand on the chair steps or not, but I didn't like the starkness of it either. I love the look of the pattern paper and the sandals. So, all in all I'm happy with it.

     I hope you got a chance to snap up some deals at Menards this weekend. I meant to post about them (with the rebate, which is a store credit, basically you could get Cricut mats and carts for under $5), but with my son's birthday, I'm sorry I just didn't get it posted ;- ( I did get 2 sets of mats and 3 carts though. I figured we would use the store checks to buy driveway and deck sealant. I thought the sale was only for 2 days, but the coupon says it was for a whole 3 days.

     Thanks for stopping by and I'll try to better better about posting info like the sale, when I know it. Please, leave a comment so that I know you stopped by. It really means a lot to know you were here. Have a creativity filled week.

Friends are turning 65?!

     Having my son home is making  it hard to get a card done, every other day. I am soooo glad he is home. I'm just not getting as much done ;- )  I have to have this card done for a party, so I thought I'd better do it today. I used my Expression and Create a Critter. The background paper is from Basic Grey's Granola 12 x 12 paper pad. The bear is cut at 2 1/14 inches and popped up on the card. I used a bunch of scraps for the layers. I used a white gel pen to highlight his eyes. The pinwheel and hat are from the page with the cat from the same cartridge. I used Blueberry Pie paper from Archivers and some scrap yellow pattern paper with white swirls in it. They didn't show up well  in the picture and I was too tired to re-do them, sorry. I went over the swirls with the clear glitter gel pen and added a button with Martha Stewart twine. I also added yellow Viva Decor Pearl Pen to the ball at the top of the hat. The hat and pinwheel were popped up twice as high as the bear. The words were cut from the Phrase on the page with the cat at 2 inches with paper from Basic Grey's Granola and the Blueberry Pie. The top layer was run through the Big Shot with Swiss Dots and popped up. The dots have glitter added by the clear glitter pen as well.

     On the inside, I used the Blueberry Pie paper and a striped pattern from the Basic Grey Granola pad to form a mat for the computer generated sentiment. The fonts I used are SNF Jester Fool (from Scrap n Fonts), Rasp (for the word "age") and Tabitha. The embellishment at the center top, is from JoAnn Craft Essentials Birthday adhesive bubble icons. The candles on either side of it were give to me by a friend as part of a present with a number of other mixed embellishments.

     What would I do different? Maybe add some inking. What do you think? Thanks for stopping by and sharing some of your precious time with me. If you have a moment more, I'd really love to hear from you, so please leave a comment. Thanks!

Cocoa Pocket Card

     I have nine college students, who live away from home, that I try to send a little love. I planned for the next card to be a pocket card that would hold a packet of cocoa. (Who knew it would warm up in the midwest.) I looked around the internet, but most of  the ones I found were more box size, or just over size. I really wanted to stay with an A2 card, if I could, so I designed one my self. While choosing my papers, I realized I had 2 designs. One for the males and one for the females. Today, I show you the one I made for the females, since that's the only I've done ;- ) I have three to make for them.

     To start I  cut the paper 5 1/2 inches by 11 inches. Then I scored it at the 2 1/2 inch point and the 6 3/4 inch point. I then rounded the corners. The second photo shows how it will look when it is folded up.

     I then choose a pink paper from Paper Studios Pastel Cardstock Pack for the bottom mat and cut it to 5 1/4 x 4 inches. The next mat is a pattern cardstock with glitter and texture, that came from a JoAnn exclusive, they had the Christmas before last called Peppermint Forest. It was cut at 5 x 3 3/4 inches. I used my nestabilities to cut the large scalloped oval and stamped it, with the sledding polar bears from Inkadinkado's Clear Stamps Christmas Characters and also, the sentiment from the same set. The image was stamped with Papertrey's Enchanted Evening Ink and the sentiment with Colorbox's Enchantment Aqua Ink. I colored the snowflakes and the swirls in the image with Gelly Roll Clear Star. The clothing on the bears and sled were colored with Steadtler  Watercolor Pencils and also some highlights on the scarf with the Gelly Roll and the hat with a White Glaze Pen. The black on the bears (nose and eyes) is a Glaze Pen and a used Copic Markers BG10 to shade the bears and B00 to give some definition to the snow and add a base to the image. I also inked it with Broken China Distress Ink.

     On the in inside, I cut a different piece of glitter, embossed cardstock from Peppermint Forest for the front of the cocoa pocket. I planned the cuts to get the images from the paper. I cut a 1 x 2 1/2  inch rectangle of the pink paper, and rounded the corners. I then used my ATG gun to tape the sides of the pocket up. I used Versamark Dazzle and a small snowflake from the Inkadoo stamp set and randomly stamped the paper, then I stamped it with a sentiment from Hero Arts Big Hugs in Tsunkinako Black Ink. Each one of these cards is a bit different inside, due to the different characters on the paper. I didn't pop up the image on the front, due to the fact that the cocoa, already makes it tight in the envelope, however, on the inside I popped up the sentiment, since it's at the bottom and below the the bulge made from the cocoa. Unfortunately, I was out of 1/16 inch pop dots, but I'm thrifty, so I cut up the surrounding paper and used that. Shown below.

     The sentiment label was inked, except for one. That was the first one I put on when I was scrambling around to find my pop dots and so I forgot to ink that one. I get distracted by one thing and forget what I meant to do, hate that.  I decided I should make tags to go in the pockets with a personal note for each one. I stamped a tag with Big and Bossy using a grouping of snowflakes stamp and filling in with the small snowflake stamp and embossed it with White Embossing Powder. My plan was to spritz it using a mini-mister filled with Turquoise Perfect Pearls, water and Broken China Re-Inker. I found that one of my mini-misters is not a mister but a mini-jet sprayer! Well, that was interesting. I dealt with that and the first tag, which is too dark, but I'll live with it . I filled a new mister and did the other 2 tags and also added Worn Lipstick Distress Ink to the tags and wiped off the excess from the embossed areas.

I added Martha Stewart twine and will write a note on the back of this one and creatively on the front of the others.

     So, there you go, 3 card down and 6 more to go. They will probably be basically the same, but with different papers, but who knows. We will see where creativity leads that day. What would I do differently? Well, I am thinking of looking for snowflake buttons for the front yet or buttons in coordinating colors. With a total of 9 cards I didn't want to get too detailed or difficult.  I think I might have papered the inside of the pockets. I also might have embossed 1 or both of the sentiments, again trying to keep it fast. Thanks for coming back and looking. Drop me a word about how you see things. 

A Fish Tale of a Card

     Well, I did finish the card I wanted to and I feel so ahead of schedule for a change. This is actually a March card. Woo Whoo! That won'd last long. I have 11 college students for whom I need to make cards. Anyway today's card is for a friend's husband who likes to fish. So on the front, I used a brown pattern paper from Paper Pizzaz and a blue watery print also from Paper Pizzaz. I crossed that with a piece of brown twine from Martha Stewart and added fish cut from Cricut's Paper Doll Dress Up cartridge (I think is image 43, which is the fisherman, with the accessory 3 Feature Key pressed for one and the accessory 3 Feature with the shift for the other).  I cut the at different sizes from about 1 1/2 inches to 3 1/2 inches out of  2 different patterned brown papers and 1 plain brown paper. I then inked these with Distress Tea Dye Ink to bring out the definition of the cuts and added some markings with glaze pens. I cut my digital sentiment, LDJ Noodge font from  Lettering Delights, and cut with my oval nestability. I then cut a brown mat with the next size nestability and the brown patten paper.

     Inside, I used the Life's A Beach cartridge and cut a 3 1/2 inch mermaid from page 11. The base was cut in flesh and I hid the contours of her face with the Gypsy. I also used the Gypsy to cut the layers. This allows you to cut her hair separately from her bikini top and her tail. I eliminated her flower, because I was going to use a flower from the Archiver mix as well as hiding the contours on her tail that made up her scales. I cut her hair from a brown scrap I had and used the pink glitter paper, that I used for the Valentine card on a past post, to make her bikini top. To cut her tail, I used Spellbinders Premium Foil. This is actual metal and was difficult to cut. I know my blade is close to needing to be replaced. I used glue dots to attach her tail.  I added a flower brad from Spare Parts to the flower in her hair. After the mermaid was assembled, I used a glaze pen to draw on her scales and a .05 mil pen to draw on her face. I used my Copic E25 to add depth to her hair. I used the same paper from the front, for the bottom mat and some sand-like patterned paper for the top mat. I made the digital sentiment with LDJ Jilligraphy from Lettering Delight Fonts. I added a wave border, cut from Life's A Beach (set at 3 inches wide on the Gypsy), to the bottom of the sentiment.

     I think she turned out very pretty. What would I change? Well, don't you just hate it, when you put the paper down and notice that it's crooked, just as it sticks and all the rest of the card is together? OK, I'd change that. I might have, or maybe still will add some glitter to the wave tops. Then again, this is a guy card. I don't like the squareness of the top, right, inside, sentiment corner. Tell me what you think.
Thanks for stopping by and spending some of your time here.

Getting on with the Valentines

     Well, despite some shopping at Hobby Lobby and JoAnne's, I was still able to finish my DS's Valentine card. Very tricky this year, because he's in collage and likes to put up his cards on his bulletin board, so I had to keep it non-mushy and non-embaressing, as well as mature ;- ) That's an awful lot to ask of a mom! So I decided, no pink or red on the outside. I have picked up a lot of cool, free Photoshop brushes, at a few sites so I took some time yesterday, just going over them. One, I liked for my son, was from a site called photoshopfreebrushes.com. Who'd of guessed. I applied a few effect to it such as, chrome and wow chrome beveled edge to make it look metallic. I had the original layer on top and made that layer partly transparent for the effects to show. I also add one of the texture backgrounds that comes with Photoshop Elements. I then printed this and used it as the top layer of the card. On this I attached the word Hugs cut from the Smiley Cards cart on the Gypsy. It was cut at 1 1/4 inches from blue DCWV paper. I bowed it slightly and attached it with shiny heart brads and silver dull brads from Spare Parts. I also added faux stitching with a black glaze pen.

     On the inside, I started with a black mat. I made the sentiment digitally using the font Tabitha, which comes on Macintosh computers. After that, I remembered an idea I had while shopping, to put a list of the reasons we love him, in his card. So, I decided to make a tag and find a way to squeeze that in too. I stamped the tag with a clear stamp by Autumn Leaves called Hand Drawn Journaling Panels by Katie Pertiet with Big and Bossy and clear embossing powder. I then rubbed rubbed Ranger's Broken China ink over it and cleaned the excess off of the embossed areas. I wrote on it with a black glaze pen. I made 2 hearts out of Core'dinations Magic Paper that was black with a red core. I cut the hearts at 1 inch with the Expression using Plantin Schoolbook using the Roly Poly feature key. I then dry embossed it with Swiss Dots and sanded it so the red core would show. I used one of the hearts to help hold the tag on the card, but also attached the tag with removable tape, so he can take the tag off and save it anywhere he wants.

     What would I change? I would have planned for the tag better to begin with and moved the writing  over inside the card. Or... maybe I would have planned a pocket in the card for the tag to fit in and the it could be slipped out. Though I do like it as an element in the card, maybe I'll shorten the twine a bit yet and attach the twine across the top. The inside isn't quite right, but I like the card. I might have been able to make the digital writing narrower and that would have balanced the tag better. Ah, that sounds better.
Well, thanks again for visiting. Please give me your feedback. I'd love to hear from you.