In Wonderland Time

She's the one where you can email just about anything and get a response back that will make you laugh. She's the one that will eat cafeteria cheese curds with you and not make you feel guilty about your tight jeans. She's the one that will listen and offer advice only when she thinks you need it. My best ever co-worker's birthday was this past July. The July as in three months ago July. And now I'm finally getting around to giving her a gift.

You see, I'm fortunate that she likes to paper craft as well, so I filled this little number with some baker's twine and vintage buttons and make a card to match. The package design was based off the sketch at Card Patterns and the card was from the anniversary sketch at JUGS, who happens to also be celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness month-awesome. Together, they make a presentation entry for Yvonne's Guest Designer's Challenge. I admire how Julie Elak can transform regular paper into objects that can actually hold something and look cute at the same time. Julie offers some really, really great tips for creating packages on this post here.

Here's the package:

And here's the matching card-the houndstooth pattern was stamped lightly underneath the flowers:

Supplies Used:
Package:
Cardstock: (Ivory) Georgia Pacific (Green) CTMH
Stamps: (Retro Christmas Backgrounds) Practicing Creativity Designs
Ink: (River Rock Pigment) SU
Embellishments: (Paper Rose) available at Perfectly Pretty Etsy Shop, (Rustic Twine) PTI, (Pewter Eyelets) SU
Tools: (Labels 4 Nestabilities) Spellbinders
Template: (Walztingmouse Stamps)
Card:
Cardstock: (River Rock) SU (Ivory) Georgia Pacific
Stamps: (Roses from Roses in Bloom) Waltzingmouse Stamps, (Sentiment from You're Dandy) Practicing Creativity Designs (Houndstooth Background from Retro Christmas Backgrounds) Practicing Creativity Designs
Ink: (River Rock, Old Olive Pigment) SU
Embellishments: (Rustic Twine) PTI

The Veils

She felt pretty...beautiful. She took a step forward, then one back, then around and around she went. She twirled and twirled but stopped short of falling down. She couldn't ruin the pretty new dress or veil her mama made for her. She heard her name being called and went to stand by her sister. She was just as pretty, only with tiny purple roses on her veil instead of pink. It was their day...a special day. Two little girls were about to receive their first communion.

Since layers and embellishments go hand in hand with the vintage style, this card was a stretch for me. There are so many beautiful vintage creations out there...I'm glad I tried it out and I'm happy with the results. I was inspired by the beautiful images in the Wee Memories Challenge and the sketch at Card Patterns and decided to try out the spiral flower technique that has been popping up. I also distressed each element pretty heavily with a walnut stain wash, which was fun but left my hands looking like I've been playing in dirt with the boys. Pearls and satin ribbon finished the look.



Supplies Used: Rose and Kraft Paper from Archers Paper, SU Sweet Pea DSP, SU Sincere Salutations and Baroque Motifs Stamp Set, SU True Thyme Pigment Ink, Ranger Walnut Distress Ink, SU Ivory Satin Ribbon, Doily, Half-Backed Pearls, Thread

Up North

My grandparents had a cottage "up north" when I was growing up. During the summer, we would drive through The Tunnel of Trees and take walks through the woods, finding fields of wildflowers and clovers. Our destination more often than not was The Big Rock in which the cousins would have contests to see who could climb it the fastest. I went back to the cottage after I was married to help my grandparents to pack up their belongings after selling the place: the Tunnel of Trees was still magnificent, the wildflowers and clovers still plentiful, but boy oh boy, how small that Big Rock looked!
Almost every one of the cards I make have some story behind them, it keeps me coming back to this time-consuming, money-hungry but absolutely self-satisfying, relaxing hobby of mine. This card uses colors from The Play Date Cafe, the sketch layout from Card Patterns and the theme of flowers from Pals Paper Arts.

Supplies Used: SU Perfect Plum and Very Vanilla Cardstock, CTMH Treasure Life Clear Stamp Set, For the Love of Dots Clear Stamp Set from Practicing Creativity Designs, SU Small Script Stamp Set, SU Pale Plum and Perfect Plum Pigment Ink, Colorbox Chalk Ink in Creamy Brown, Spellbinder Die Labels 8, Making Memories Vintage Findings Book Plate, Queen & Co. Pearls in Lavendar, SU Linen Thread, SU Corner Round Punch

Wanted: One Outlined Cloud

I had a really fun time making a card with my oldest the other day...but it wasn't without side effects. Mainly, one missing outlined cloud clear acrylic stamp. Oh dear, I fear its been sucked up into the pits of the vacuum and thrown out never to be seen again...I think I've learned my lesson as mentioned by a fellow blogger, let young children only stamp with wood mounted rubber.

This card was created for a colleague who is fortunate to retire with her husband at a very early age. She's a hard worker and is very quiet, so I wanted my card to reflect her nature. I used the colors from Color Throwdown and the sketch from Card Patterns. I tried my hand too on a tip from the latest Creating Keepsakes Magazine, (the green tiles) but I think it would be best suited for a larger format. The sentiment and balloon are purposefully popped up in the center for dimension, I was hoping for a fleeting, blowing look. All the edges are distressed including the balloon and the paper pieced stripe. I would think that hot air balloon rides can be relaxing, only if you aren't afraid of heights.

Supplies Used: Cream Cardstock from The Paper Company, DSP from CTMH, CM and SU, Look Up Stamp Set from Practicing Creativity Designs, Congrats Stamp Set from SU, Colorbox Chalk Ink in Chestnut Roan and Creamy Brown, Green Grosgrain Ribbon from Offray, SU Pewter Brads, SU Linen Thread, Fiskars Scallop Border Punch

Some Are Hot

This is the story of this magical fantastically meaningful and bright card. Cole: Ooh Mama, I like this one. Me: You like that stamp set? Cole: Yeah, these balloons are hot. Can we make a card? Me: Umm, sure, but we really should be cleaning. Cole: Oh, but we have time. I picked out the sketch (Card Patterns 56), Cole picked out the paper, I cut the paper, Cole glued the paper, I guided the paper on the machine while Cole worked the pedal and stitched. He was very particular in his placement of each element and thought it unbelievably cool to stamp with clear stamps (but didn't care for the smell of Stazon or the Stazon Cleaner). He is so unbelievably proud of this card. And so is Mama.

Supplies Used: SU Whisper White Cardstock, DSP Wonder Years by daisyd's, Look Up and You're Dandy by Practicing Creativity Designs, Stazon Ink in Jet Black, SU Black Grosgrain Ribbon, Thread

P.S.: I'm really hoping that as a mom of a six year old that "hot" means temperature hot and not "smokin' good looking beautiful" kind of hot...

Watercolor Thanks

The closet in my old room at my parent's house had a lot of treasures, I also found a piece of watercolor paper just waiting to be used. I guess I knew when I saved it that it would be used someday, but I certainly never thought it would end up in a card. Funny how life turns out sometimes. This thank you card uses clear acrylic stamps, ink and a Mini Mister to create the watercolor flower effect. The colors are based from the latest challenge at Color Throwdown, and the anniversary sketch from CardPatterns. I attempted to do something a bit different by cutting the base of the card smaller and letting the four stripes overhang to complete the typical card size. I guess it is good to always try something new, eh? Whether or not you try it again is to be determined...

Supplies Used: Watercolor Paper, SU DSP, SU Chocolate Chip Cardstock, CTMH Treasure Life Stamp Set, SU Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip and Old Olive Ink, SU ChitChat Rubons, Making Memories Hardware, Fiskars Scallop Border Punch, Sponge Daubers

Create and Enjoy

I really took to heart today an entry from one of my favorite bloggers and before I sat down to make this card I thought about what she wrote and added my interpretation: That sometimes I have to step back and just remember why I create cards (...to see the smile on a person's face that someone like me thought enough to remember their special occasion and make something just for them), and then I create and enjoy and end up really liking the card. I was inspired by the colors (green, pink and yellow/gold) of the cupcakes featured on the Hope Stamps Eternal Blog for their Cupcake Inspiration Challenge and the sketch at Card Patterns in which I didn't stray much from. There's a hint of green scallops poking out from the black rickrack on the tag and the paper has a wonderful and playful fuzzy texture and metallic shine. I added the black for a bit of sophistication in case I wanted to give this to a teenager or adult rather than a youngin'. Sure, there are things that I would change if I ever where to make this again (like not putting the brads directly over the yellow polka dots, now I see the Walmart Rollback guy...hey, made you look at my card again, eh? and the stitching could use a lot of improvement) but overall, this card makes me happy.

Supplies Used: Bazzill Textured Cardstock, Green Cardstock, Flocked DSP by Heidi Grace, SU Sweet Sentiments Stamp Set, Black Stazon Ink, Black Brads, Cloud 9 Button, Rickrack, SU Black Grosgrain Ribbon, Thread, Fiskars Scallop Edge Punch

Raindrops And/On Roses

You know that song from the Sound of Music-"Favorite Things"? It makes for an awesome challenge and Flourishes has done that. My inspiration came from the line Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens. My sister, the veterinarian, has all the kitten sets at her place, so...here's my card using the only rose set I have, which is SU's Both Way Blossoms. I tried for a shabby chic look with the sketch from Card Patterns by using some paper from K&Company and distressing the edges. There is faux stitching around the panels as well. The roses were spritzed with So Saffron and Rose Red before stamped in Chocolate Chip ink and covered with Crystal Effects. The "raindrops," although not exactly ON the roses, are RainDots that have been distressed a bit with Chocolate Chip ink before adhering.