Anniversary Card

I am on a roll....and on my last card for the card sale!  This is for the anniversary of a colleagues parents.  She specifically wanted white, back, and lime green.  I like this combination so it was a bit easier for me to come up with ideas.

Stamp is from Verve and flowers are from Creative Charms - I adore their flowers and embellishments but sadly, it appears they have shut down.  Tear....

And can you believe it - not a single challenge - just a card for the sake of a card :-)

Quick Birthday Card

OK - I admit it.  This is not my typical style of card.  BUT, all the elements were specifically requested by the buyer so we go with the flow :-)

The printed paper was from the very first pack of paper I bought nearly 9 years ago.  It ws always a bit too pastel for my taste so I never used it - in fact, I have 5 of the original 10/12 sheets from the pack still totally untouched.  And now it's only four!  Way to work through my stash LOL.  I'm happy to say that the simple act of using that long forgotten whole sheet of paper qualified me for the Use it Tuesday challenge asking use to use a sheet of uncut paper.  And the sketch is from Unscripted Sketches - love their sketches for cards.

One regret - I wish I had matted the embossed blue paper - looking at the photo it just seems unfinsihed.  Oh well - lessons learned.

Olympic Thanks

I have a few more cards to post over the next few days to FINALLY finish off the multiple orders I received from a charity card sale.  I seriously under-priced them and never expected the response I received.  Thank you to all my customers and thank you for supporting Special Olympics!

And what better way to say Thank You than with a card and in keeping with the charity, I used the Olympic Rings (a shout-out to S J Crafts for inspiring me).  It is a very simple but fun card.  Not only did it work as a thank you to the SO supports but also for the ultimate receipient - my in-laws in the UK who are enjoying the excitement of being host country and are thankfully far enough away from London so as not to get caught up in the chaos of London transportaiton (questionable on a normal day....).

Wedding Card by Request

I had a request from a colleague to make a wedding card with a "touch of yellow and birds".  Your wish is my command!  Ha ha.  At first, I made this card without the bird (she had asked for 6 cards, all with birds so frankly, I was getting a little bored with birds....).  But the card just seemed so lonely. 

After looking at it for a day or two I realized - yup.  It needs a bird.  But what kind of bird????  After digging through my huge collection of cutting files, I found one I really liked from my all-time favorite cutting file site - MTCSCAL E-Files (not the most elegant of names but his files more than make up for the name).

The lattice work was done in MTC and cut on my Cricut and everything was misted with Perfect Pearls Mist. 

There are a few Wedding challenges this week so I'll give it a go!

• 4 Crafty Chicks #100 Wedding
• dl.Art Thankful Thursday - Wedding or Aniversary
• Fantabulous Cricut # 121 - Wedded Bliss
• The layout was inspired by a sketch over at My Sketch World:

Modern Birthday Card

So what's hot these days?  Banners!  I'm using them more and more these days and love how they can be retro, contemporary, even vintage.  I wanted this card to be neutral - neither feminine nor masculine - just bold and fun.

Layout was inspired by a sketch at My Sketch World and the banners work great with this week's challenge at Kaboodle Doodles (Whats In).

All the papers are from a Colorbok kit and the stamp is from Kaiser Craft

Steampunk Masculine Card

I've been a bit quiet lately - I was totally swamped with work so no time to play :-(   Things are a bit more "normal" for now so I am back to my crafty distractions and still finishing up several card orders I received for a charity sale.

This is one of those cards - the buyer requested cards with no sentiment and a mix of masculine and feminine.  I chose this for one of the masculine cards but to be honest, it's cool enough for anyone!

The Layout is based on Mojo Monday # 251.  The gears is from a free cutting file over at the Free SVG Blog cut on two layers of kraft cardstock and then inked up and glimmer misted to try to get more of a metallic look.  There's so many layers going on here that it was perfect for the Hiding in My Craft Room challenge #55 - Layers.

Paint Me A Rainbow

This layout is based on a great sketch over at Let's Get Sketchy.  The patterned paper is from Basic Grey (Urban Prairie).  The black "lines" at the bottom are actually coffee stirrers and the yellow and pinkish circles are actually cut from paint samples rather than cardstock.  This is all in honor of Kath's challenge over at My Sketch World where she asked us to use some household items.  Thanks for the challenge Kath!

Laugh with Lilly Bee

This is such a typical photo of my husband and daughter!  They are best friends and always horsing around!  Paper is Lilly Bee Design from the Paper Secret's store.  I used as much of it as I had (one single sheet left) and even used the small strip at the bottom of the sheet (the one with the brand name and bar code) for the little yellow pieces on the far left.  Even the painted chipboard tags are trimmed with it.  I wanted a third pattern, though, so I stamped some white cardstock with a distressed background stamp from Hero Arts.  I got carried away with misting the white cardstock background so it all ended up a bit more blue than I intended.  Oh well :-)

This was created for the Paper Secret's Lilly Bee brand challenge and the layout is based on a sketch for an upcoming challenge at Sketches4All - I will publish more details on August 1st when the challenge goes live so come on back for details!

Mojo Monday 250

More cards for the Special Olympics card sale I am running through work.  It's another masculine birthday card based on a Mojo Monday sketch.  I am also submitting this to the Hiding in My Craft Room #51 (Mascuine Birthday).  Papers are from Echo Park Times and Seasons and the stamp is part of a Happy Birthday stamp from Fiskars (the inking got a little wonky on the third stamp.

Masculine Birthday Card

Another one for the charity sale!  I kept this very simple and based it on a sketch over at My Sketch World and the circle is perfect for Stacy's Circle challenge at Sketches 4 All! Blue-White papers are from My Minds Eye Lush 2 collection - the set is perfect for masculine cards and has a number of more elegant patterns as well for more feminine looks - a definite go-to pack for me.

Other Challenges:

1. Use Your Stuff #42 - Red, White, Blue
2. Scrapalicious - Red. White Blue
3. I Brake for Challenges - Red, White, Bue
4. Raise the Bar - Red White Blue
5. 4 Crafty Chicks #98 - Stripes

Viva la Verve July Week 3

Another "masculine" birthday card, this time using a sketch from Viva la Verve.  The stamp is a new rubber stamp I picked up at Michael's for only $0.60!  I always try to use Verve stamps for these challenges but I couldn't resist using this one!  Paper is scraps from a Colorbok paper kit from Target.  I will also enter this into Card Making Mama's challenge #49 - Rubber Stamps.

Mojo Monday 249

I am in the process of making 18 cards for a charity card sale I volunteered for - 6 wedding, 6 masculine birthday, and 6 all purpose.  Not an easy task considering we took a 3-day weekend vacation taking away my most productive days!  Needless to say, I won;t be spending a lot of time on challenges the next two weeks but will still get a few in, especially since I am using some for much needed inspiration!

This one is for Mojo Monday sketch challenge.  The two solid color panels are embossed but it doesn't show well in the photo (I have yet to invest in a light box but am getting close to doing so given the bad photo quality I get taking them at night....)

Love Much

A friend needed a last minute wedding card so I created this for her.  The papers are quite old - I think they are Colorbok; matted on silver metallic paper.  Flowers are Prima though I doctored them by removing the pearl centers and replacing them with crystals.  Sentiment is from Verve (Big Dreams) embossed with silver embossing powder.  And then the row of crystals is from Recollections Bling on a Roll.

Challenges:

• Crop Stop - #79 Show us Some Love
• Viva la Verve - July Week 2
• Lawnscaping #37 - Use Dimension
• Tuesday Alchemy - #21 Anything Goes

Boys Toys

My darling hubby is a computer geek!  This is his typical setup- four computers going at once (there is a small e-PC in the lower right) - one for work, one for browsing, one playing a movie, and one with a computer game going on.  Multi-tasking to the extreme!!!!

Recipe:

• Paper = Colorbok Antique Paperie
• Title Letters = EK Success ABC Flashcards
• Corduroy Brads = unknown
• Ribbon = Ribbon Trends
• Journaling tags = printed on PC onto Serendipity paper
• "Geek" title = cut on Cricut using SCAL

Based it on sketch #18 over at Let's Get Sketchy

Mojo Monday 248

Just a quick card for Mojo Monday sketch challenge.  I turned the sketch on its side and substituted the flowers for the ribbon.

Recipes:

• Paper = 7Gypsies
• Border punch = EK Success
• Chipboard piece = Close to My Heart (covered with 7Gypsies paper)
• Flowers = Recollections
• Stamp - Studio G
• Ink = Close to My Heart

Thanks, America!

Have you had enough of me today?  Hope not...  I took a quick break from layouts and created this quick and easy thank you card.  Perfect for Independance Day or maybe a masculine thank you. 

All papers are scraps I had on my desk from a Father's Day card (OK - I am a little behind in my organizing).  The blue mat with ticket corners as well as the two stars came from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.  Letters are Thickers and the striped paper is HOTP.

Challenges:

• Unscripted Sketches # 165 - Sketch
• Unique Crafters #5 - Patriotic
• Little Scrap Pieces - Star
• My Craft Spot #62 - 4th July (check out their stamp release party starting the 9th)
• Exploring Cricut - Show your Red, White, and Blue (blue mat and stars from Art Philosophy cartridge)
• Love to Create - Stars and Stripes
• Paper Playtime #78 - Die Cut Red, White Blue (blue mat and stars from Art Philosophy cartridge)
• Party Time Tuesday #75 - Country's Colors (red, white, blue)
• Pink Elephant #155 - Photo Inspiration (see below) - I picked up the red and blue and also picked up the stars from the pleated decorations.
• Ribbon Carousel #60 Red White Blue 
• My Sheri Crafts #88 - I Love America
• Crop Stop - #78 - Blue, White, and one other color




Sketch Inspiration from Unscripted Sketches:



Photo Inspiration from Pink Elephant:

Stars & Stripes (America's Cup)

I promised more posts....

These photos were from one of my favorite adventures - a chance to actually crew the Stars & Stripes - the actual racing yacht that won the America's Cup under Dennis Conner's leadership.  And what an amazing name for a yacht representing the US?  Can you get anymore patriotic than calling it the Stars & Stripes?  As a former sailor (nothing this large), and HUGE fan of the whole America's Cup race and history, it was an absolute honor to get the opportunity.  And even better, to share it with my parents (my Dad beng the one that taught me to sail in the first place).  This was NOT a tour - we all were actual crew, trimming sails, grinding, changing sails.  And it wasn't just sailing - it was a full race against another former America's Cup yacht - Canada II.

So while the experience was amazing the lifecycle of the layout was not so much.  It has been a work in progress for more than 7 months - no exaggeration.  I just didn't like my first attempt and it sat in pieces for a few months.  I made a second attempt, redid a few pieces and still didn't like it.  And so it sat.

And then all the blogs I follow started asking for red, white, and blue and then stars and stripes.  So I thought - darn it, Lisa!  Get that layout done!!!!  So I went back to scratch (not quite all the way - I still had my background paper and title, ha ha). I re-sized and re-printed the photos, made new mats adding stitching to one to emulate ropes, and added some ribbons and embellishments.  It is still very simple but I figured I needed to quit while I was ahead or else it would sit for another 7 months in the land of indecisiveness!

Anyway, it's done!  Whew.

Challenges (beyond the challenge of just finishing this):

• Unique Crafters #5 - Patriotic
• Cooking with Cricut - Water
• Shopping Our Stash - Triple Threat - I used three different ribbons as well as more than three different brads (4 types, 7 total)
• Lasting Memories - Red, White, Blue
• My Sheri Crafts #88 - I Love America
• Crop Stop - #78 - Blue, White, and one other color
• Little Scrap Pieces - Star
• Exploring Cricut - Show your Red, White, and Blue (the title and a subtle shadow was cut on Cricut using SCAL)
• Love to Create - Stars and Stripes
• Paper Playtime #78 - Die Cut Red, White Blue (title cut on Cricut)
• Paper Play Challenges - #26 - Flags, Banners - (the ribbon banners on the journaling card)
• Party Time Tuesday #75 - Country's Colors (red, white, blue)
• Pink Elephant #155 - Photo Inspiration (see below) - I picked up the red and blue and also picked up the color of the chopped wood and tree in the stitching.  I also liked the pleated decorations which I picked up in the corrugated star.
• Ribbon Carousel #60 Red White Blue  (LOVE their ribbons)

Hiking in Wales

I've completed a few layouts and cards in the past few days so look for a few posts from me.  And with tomorrow being a holiday here in the states, fingers crossed, I can do even more (before the BBQs, soccer match, and fireworks)

These photos are from northern Wales where my in-laws live.  It is an absolutely beautiful country, even if it does rain quite a bit and is just a tad cooler than Texas - ha ha.  It is so peaceful and just raw, natural beauty (with a few ancient ruins thrown in)!  We flew over for Christmas a while back and to our shock, Christmas day was GORGEOUS!  Warm (relatively), sunny (shocking) - just perfect for a hike up a hill (large hill but I can't think of any words for something larger than a hill but smaller than a mountain) while dinner was cooking.

The layout is based on a sketch from the July Sketch challenge at Sketches4All.  Defintiely check out the site - lots of challenges each month including a Bingo challenge I am hosting this month.

Other Challenges:

• Use Your Stuff - Buttons
• Camp Friendzy #3 - Smores (2 shades of brown, texture, something white and something round)
• Scrapping Everyday Miracles - #18 Beauty - what better way to describe the Welsh countryside!
• Pixie Dust Studio - Travel (I know most of the entries in the challenge are cards - I just like making pages!)

Tag You're It!

Amazingly enough with all the paper crafting I do, I have never made a tag before.  Until now!  Prompted by my great friends and fellow DT members over at Sketches4All, I made a tag for their twice a month tag challenge.  Definitely check out the group - we'd love to get new members to join in the fun.

I am also sending this off to the Basic Grey Challenge - Favourite Colour Combo.  After seeing this Basic Grey paper from their Indie collection, I am now a convert to the orange/purple color combination for things other than Halloween!  Crazy 4 Challenges #143 also helped convince me to do a tag!