Two Scoops

Another Ice Cream card...this time for the challenge at Freshly Made Sketches (FMS383). I have so much matching ribbon that I decided to use it for the top of this card. I am having a hard time cutting ribbon without it fraying - I miss the Ribbon Cutter I used to have that melted the ribbon to 'seal' it as it cut (it broke). (It was that one from Imaginesce - when it did work, it did a nice job.)  So I usually wrap the ribbon around cs to hide the frayed ends, but I didn't have a backing piece for this card, so I wrapped the ribbon around a separate piece of cs, then just adhered that to the card front. (Yay! No frayed edges to be seen!) 

While all those creamy papers were out, I made another simple card. I absolutely love those Stamps & Dies. TFL!

Supplies Used: 

Stamps/Dies: MFT You're the Sweetest

Paper/Ribbon: The Paper Studio

Inks: Altenew: Pinkalicious, Rocky Shore and Sand Dunes, Colorbox: Pink, and VersaFine: Vintage Sepia

Dies: MFT: Stitched Circles and Spellbinders: Scalloped Circles and Classic Edges One

Other: Fiskars: Open Scallop Border Punch: 

Horse Love

Adding these cards to the Mix It Up Challenge #8 at Sugar Peas Designs. Their sketch was a good starting point for me as I knew I wanted to use these horse stickers (since my girls are at Horse Camp this week), but I just needed a sketch idea to get a design going. I've been trying to figure out how to add a little something to get that 'complete' look to my rather simple cards, and for these cards, distress inks seemed to do the trick. They make all the elements pop - a big difference in real life I took a photo of a before shot to help illustrate what a little distress ink can do. I just love my distress inks (perhaps that is why I own so many!!). TFL!

Before & After Inking:

Supplies Used:

Dies/Punches: Sizzix Heart #2, Simon Says Stamp Mini Hearts Set, Fiskars Bubbles Border Punch, EK Flourish Scroll Border Punch
Inks: Distress: Mermaid Lagoon, Walnut Stain & Wild Honey
Darice Wood Grain EF
Paper: We R Memory Keepers: Happy Campers
Other: the Paper Studio Puffy Horse Stickers, Darice Twine

Love Flower Power

Another week of camp, another crazy frenzy to create and get into the mail before the mailman comes. Hope I made it! Entering this card in Sketch Challenge 245 over at Freshly Made Sketches. Love their challenges! TFL!

Supplies Used:

Paper: Ki Color Crush

Stamps: Fiskars Friendly Flowers

Dies: Simon Says Stamp mini hearts, Nestabilities Labels Eleven, EK Open Scallop Punch

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Fall Flower Patch Cards

I followed the sketch for Mojo Monday Sketch 370 and used the Fall color palette from Cupcake Inspirations Challenge 285. I didn't think I had the right stamps to make a Fall card, but with the right colors, the Flower Patch Stamp Set from Stampin' Up works well. I'm going to try and make a more feminine version of these cards (both of which I made for male relatives). 

The background piece was made by stamping the flowers first, then masking them to add the leaves. I learned that it is critical to carefully cut your mask, as you can really mess up your project quickly if you over-stamp where you didn't intend to. I also learned that no matter how much time you put into making all the pieces, if you don't pay attention when you are assembling it with super-sticky tape, you could ruin your work! I accidentally taped the flower panel upside down, and that little white spot on the top right ended up on the bottom left. I couldn't let the error go; I had to cut the green background piece and re-assemble to put the flower strip on the way I wanted it. Picky, I know, but I am very happy with the end result now! TFL!

Another similar card
Supplies Used:

Stamps: SU Flower Patch, Rubber Stampede Sentiment

Paper: SU Old Olive & Tangerine Tango

Ink: SU Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight

Other: SU Flower Fair Framelits, Fiskars Threading Water Edger Punch, SU Candy Dot

Blue Floral Birthdays

I am late again with birthday cards...I seriously need to work ahead, but I always seem to be struggling to finish what needs to be done TODAY let alone work on stuff for TOMORROW. May is one busy month, that is for sure! I usually manage to make a card or two per week, but this week, I made EIGHT. Here are the latest two - for my dear aunts who are both turning 81 this year:

Supplies used:

Paper: SEI

Stamp: TSOL crazy4daisies

Ink: TH Distress Ink: Salty Ocean

Dies: TSOL Swirls, Nestabilities Scalloped Circles, Classic Circles, Scalloped Ovals, Twisted Metal Tags and Accents and CM Ovals

Border Punch: Fiskars Threading Water

Other: Flower, Brad, blue sequin from my stash

Masculine Bday Cards

Today, I am posting birthday cards for two of my nephews. It's always hard to make masculine cards, but using navy and olive colors helped set the tone. I used Tim Holtz Distress Inks on both. The first card was made using some photo paper I had lying around, the second one was made with The Good Stuff: Ranger's Speciality Stamping Paper (which is a matte coated cardstock). It was great to work with that special paper!

Supplies: 

Paper: 3bugsinarug, 

Best Creation Inc. Die Cut

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Inks

Other: Fiskars Bubble Edger Punch, 

The Paper Studio Number Stickers

Inside of Rock and Roll Card

Supplies:

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Inks

Stamps: Hero Arts Brush Strokes, 

Imaginisce Live Loud, 

Stampabilities Rock Star, 

KI Memories Live Large Verbology

Supplies:

Paper: Olive, Navy, Whirlpool cardstock

Ranger Specialty Stamping Paper (matte coated cardstock)

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Peeled Paint, Faded Jeans, and Broken China, 

Memento Paris Dusk

Stamps: Hero Arts Brush Strokes

Other: Sizzix Embossing Folder: Happy Birthday, 

Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Eleven, 

Teresa Collins Enamel Dots

I popped up the sentiment using American Crafts pop dots. I love the way the distress inks reacted on the Specialty Paper. I even inked up the paint splatter stamp with distress ink, sprayed some water on the stamp, then stamped to get a more watered-down image so as not to overpower the sentiment. I ended up using the Memento Paris Dusk ink on the olive card base, though, because I wanted a bolder look there. And I finally got to use some of those cool enamel dots!

Inside stamped with more Paint Splatters from Hero Arts Brush Strokes as well as a sentiment from Stampabilities. Thanks so much for looking!