Floral Get Well card

This my favorite card of the bunch I created for a local spa - Amare Hair Salon. It's a get well card that I was inspired to make based on the scraps that were on my table. The card was cut long ago from the Cricut Cartridge Sophie, The floral layer is from SEI Poppy Paper Stack and the dotted red cardstock in from Bazzill. I am in love with the small edge punchers from EK Success.

The sentiment on the outside and inside are from The Stamps of Life Umbrella4You. The "..." came from Clear and Simple Stamps.


La-Vie

Happy Mother's Day 2012

This one is a 2-for...I made this card yesterday for Mother's Day and for the NSD Crop: Art Inspiration challenge hosted by the Cricut Circle. The prize is a Cuttlebug and 2 embossing folders. The winner will be chosen at random. I am lucky #28! Wish me luck! I have included the art provided for the challenge below. I chose to focus on the colors, butterflies and flower as my inspiration for this original creation.

This card is for my Godmother who has been in my life from birth. I wanted to make a very special card to thank her for her presence in my life. This is one of my fav card cuts from the Sophie cart. The layers were cut from stock images in the Cricut Expression 2. I love adding bling to the butterflies. I combined the tulle flowers from K and Company with Pebbles to create unique embellishments.

• Cricut cart Sophie, stock images in E2
• SEI Poppy Stack
• Bazzill cardstock
• Pebbles
• bling from my stash
• K and Company Brenda Walton Fabric Art

La-Vie

Easter Card for the First Lady

My daughter Zora often asks me to craft. During our last craft session I taught her how to heat emboss. On this particular day, I figured we'd try out a new Easter stamp I had picked up from Hobby Lobby and the heat embossing technique. I figured I also would show her some basic shading techniques with the Copics markers. She did a great job coloring with minimal mistakes. (I did, however, use the colorless blender in several spots to clean up.)

Supplies

Jo-Ann Craft Essentials White A2 Card & Envelope

Thickers glitter chipboard letters

Versamark Ink

Recollections Opaque Lilac Embossing powder

SEI Poppy Mat Stack

Ribbon from my stash

Copics - Chicks: Y06, B0000 Eggs: BG06, R85 G02

Zora then came up with a narrative for the inside of the card. This is the neatest I have ever seen her write! I was very impressed with the message and the penmanship. Writing is an area she struggles with.

Once she discovered we were invited by Mocha Moms Inc. to attend the Presidential Easter Egg Roll this past Monday, she was convinced that this card was made for Michelle Obama. We were given the commorative wooden egg as a souvenir. Unfortunately, we did not see her at the event. Someone from the Obama family read a story for the crowd under the guise of "special guest" and with every other exciting activity going on, Zora didn't chose story time. She wanted to see the McClain sisters and Zandaya perform.

I will find a way to mail this card to the First Lady. Hopefully she received it and responds. My daughter's loving heart depends on it!

La-Vie

Hi Card

To save time, I keep card bases on hand when I need to create a quick card for someone.  This card was done is 15 mins or less (including choosing the color combination and embellishments). Gotta love it!!

Supplies:

• Cricut Cart Sophie - card base cut at 4.5" Bazzill cardstock
• layrer - SEI Poppy Stack
• creative memories corner rounder
• "H" chipboard stickers - recollections
• "I" chipboard monogram stickers - Paper Studio
• ribbon from my stash
• yellow bling - Me & My Big Ideas pastel rhinestones
• adhesive - Pink ATG gun

La-Vie

With Sympathy

Last week, I lost a friend suddendly. I created this card for her only child, a teenage daughter left to fend for herself in the world at such a formative time. My heart is heavy, but with prayer all things are possible. I've prayed for the family since the tradegy happened. I know God is able.

Along with this card, I sent a journal and pen so that she may record her thoughts and feelings to aid in her healing. I also sent a prayer book entitled The Lord bless and keep you; a treasury of God's promises.

Supplies:

• card base - Cricut Cartridge Sophie cut at 5.5" from Bazzill dotted swiss white cardstock
• both layers - SEI Poppy Stack
• bling frame - Spellbinders want 2 scrap Nestabling
• with sympathy stamp - The stamps of Life - branches4flowers #24
• ink - Clear & Simple stamps Hybrid Ink - Espresso your style
• Glitter adhesive dots - Recollections
• corner rounder - Creative memories
• inside message written with AtYouSpica glitter pen - chocolate
• recycled ribbon (I keep ribbon from items and reuse it)

La-Vie

Repeat Impressions Sketch #J2512 Challenge

Today is the last day to enter Repeat Impressions Sketch #J2512 Challenge to win a $25 Repeat Impressions gift certificate. I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring.... Using this sketch, I came up with this get well card. To make it fun for and exciting, I gave myself a time limit! I created this card from A to Z in under 30 mins.   

• Blue card and white envelope - Recollections "Frost Mix"
• Art Deco embossing folder and Cuttlebug
• 1st layer - SEI Poppy paper stack - metallic foil
• layer cut in Cuttlebug with Spellbinders Nestibilities Big Scalloped Rectangle
• Top layer Bazzill preimum cardstock scrap
• Ribbon from the Paper Studio
• Stamps from umbrella4you set by The Stamps of Life
• Tim Holtz Disteress Ink- Evergreen Bough

I love this embossing, wish more of it was showing. I combined a few of the stamps to create the message.

La-Vie

instant scrapbook baby boy - Hester

In this 1st birthday layout I used provo craft alphabet themed paper and several jolee's dimensional stickers. I love adding definition stickers to my layouts, The polka dot mat is from SEI and the ribbon with the eyelets and other embellishments are from my stash.

I used Mosaic Moments grid paper to create this mosaic using my cuttlebug and one of the embossing folders from the birthday bash set. I really like how this came out. The layout can fit 2 to 3 pictures based on size to highlight the birthday boy.



La-Vie

Mom-to-be Congrats Cards

Two great friends of mine are expecting their first child! To celebrate I created these cards and sent 2 of my favorite pregnancy books - Baby Bargains by Denise & Allan Fields and The Mocha Manual to a Fabulous Pregnancy by Kimberly Seals-Allers.

I am very happy with how these cards came out. I used Bazzill cardstock is two shades of pink for the card base. The card was cut at 6" from Cricut Cartridge Everyday Pop-up Cards on page 56. On the same page is the pregnant lady and layers cut at 5". The gold metallic used on the outside and inside of both cards is ANW Crestwood Shimmer Sand Metallic card stock. The clothing layers and the side stripe was cut from S.E.I. Poppy Paper stack. The ribbon is Wings: Vineyard Berry from Close to my Heart. I inked the pointed edges of the card with Encore Ultimate Metallic ink in Satin Rose to make it stand out from the straight edge of the card.

I have been more deliberate about finishing the inside of my cards. This time I played with embossing and debossing using the Sizzix Scrollmark folder from the Wedding Set #2 in my Cuttlebug. The picutre shown is the debossing, so the image is sunken in rather than raised. The corners were rounded with Creative Memories corner rounder. The stamped sentiment is from Stampin Up! The outside stamp is from my stash. In order for the stamping to come out right I used the Darice Rubber Stamp Pad underneath my work.

La-Vie

Teacher Appreciation Gifts

Sorry I have been away so long....did you miss me? Well, I'm back with another PSA and my latest project!

I think it is very important to "show your love" for teachers that are in the trenches every day. This year was my first time since my lil darlin is in Kindergarten. One of my best friends had a great idea that we should barter and make each other's gifts. I made her occassion card packs and she made the most luxurious soaps and sugar scrubs for my teachers. To accompany the gifts, I made these cards. (out of what?....you guessed it...scraps!) And the sentiments stamped on the cards made tears well up in my teachers' eye (some at least). Mission complete!!

 Recipe:

• Most of the card bases are made from Bazzill cardstock from my stash of scraps
• The layers are made from SEI Poppy Paper Stack
• The flowers were cut from Cricut Cartridge Wild Card
• The flowers were adorned with Doodlebug Designs Inc. "Braddies" - red is called ladybug blossoms and the brown in called bon bon blossoms.  when the braddies ran out I used bling from my stash
• To create the dimensional flower I folded each layer in half. Sometimes I used a stylus and inkadinkado stamp mat to create a firmer and straighter fold. For the top layer of the flower each petal was curled around the stylus.
• Clear & Simple Stamps hybrid ink Simply Blue Tiful and the stamp set called Teacher was used on the outside and inside of the card
• Thermoweb 3-D dots to attach the flower and its layers.
• The hear and the font are from my stash. I figured it would be better than having my daughter write her name so many times.
• All stamping was done on top of the Darice Rubber Stamp Pad which has made a WORLD of difference in my stamping.

La-Vie

Cricut Circle Weekly Challenge #29 - Handmade flower challenge

This week's Cricut Circle challenge was to create handmade flowers using the Cricut or Cuttlebug on a project. I started with pink Bazzill premium cardstock. The card folded measured approx 4 1/4" x 3 3/4". I added a leaf layer from Sei Poppy paper stack. I then created two handmade flowers cut from the Wild Card Cricut Cartridge from patterned paper. I used the fiskars stylus to score the leaves and bend them in and up for a more realistic look. I then layered 2 different colors and sizes of the same flower. To finish it off, I fastened the flowers with Doodlebug Designs Inc. braddies - red: ladybug blossoms, brown: bon bon blossoms. The flowers were attached to the card strategically with Thermoweb zots 3D glue dots. It didn't seem complete so I added some wired silk leaves from my stash. Versamark and the blossom border stamp from Repeat Impressions finished of the bottom of the card. The sentiment is from my stash and was stamped in Clear & Simple Stamps Hybrid Ink - Espresson Your Style. The stamped impressions were made easily on top of the Darice rubber stamp pad. It is thick and gives the stamp a flexible surface to stick into. And Voila!

La-Vie