Gnome sweet Gnome!

Hey Gnomies!  This is a card I created for our nephew and his fiancee on moving to their new home.  After keeping it really Clean and Simple and white for his parents card I wanted to ramp up the color and whimsy with this one.

The set didn't have the sentiment I wanted so I improvised using the "Gnome" from this set and "sweet" from Clear Dollar Stamps Nice Neighborhood.  That "bleeding" around the hat is my poor watercoloring.  I decided to leave well enough alone rather than overworking it and having to start over.

Ingredients
Card size - 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches
Cardstock - Recollections: 110lb white, 65lb red;
Paper -  Recollections: Bright and Basic; Artist Loft watercolor paper;
Stamps -  Gina K Designs: Gnome One Like You; Clear Dollar Stamps: Nice Neighborhood;
Ink - Gina K Designs Color Companions: Black Onyx; 
Color - Koi Watercolors 
Accessories - googly eyes
Tools - Spellbinders rectangles

Swing card Anniversary

I found this card nearly impossible to photograph - I hope it comes across as pretty on screen as I thought it was in real life.  It is a diecut swing card but I modified it from the Splitcoaststamper tutorial as I didn't need to extend the die cut into the back of the card to get the swing.  I notice that the example in the tutorial is very 3D, well that just isn't going to happen in my international postage, card making world. HA!HA!

With lots of trepidation and too much worrying about getting it right the first thing I did was glue my patterned paper to my cardstock using YES! paste.  Oh my that stuff is gorgeous and I am glad I picked it up on clearance at Michaels.  It was my first time using it and I used the video instructions from Lindsay, the Frugalcrafter and it was sooooooo easy peasy.  It is going to be my go to way of adhering large sheets of paper to cardstock from now on.

I proceeded to die cut the card and the paper to cover the card and the cardstock to cover the paper that covers the card and... well you get the idea.

The inside panel is a happy accident.  I was going to go ahead with a really soft tone of pink and when I stamped it I thought, "Hmmm I'm having trouble actually seeing it!" so I ghosted it with gold metallic ink stamped over the top and I think it really looks special.  I will be honest, although this is an anniversary card it was LATE LATE LATE - so I just went with thinking of you.  You know, who doesn't like to be thought about?!

The front panel was stamped with Kitchen Sink Stamps 3 step stamps.  I kept is soft by stamping the same color with each step.  I LOVE that panel and look.

I decided I wanted to emboss vellum for the salutation (is there a better word? that seems so formal), so I die cut the vellum to fit over the center of the stamped panel and then stamped and heat embossed.

Once that was done some strategic glue placement and some pearls to accent it all.

With some left over patterned paper I decorated the envelope to match.

Ingredients
Card size - 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches
Cardstock - Recollections: 65lbs; Vellum; Basic Gray: Sugared paper stack;
Stamps - Kitchen Sink Stamps: 3 step Hearts and Roses, Whole Family; Hero Arts: CL342
Ink - Memento: Angel Pink, New Sprout; Versamark
Color - Gold pen
Accessories - Pearls, Zing!: White Embossing powder;
Tools - Spellbinders: Grand Dies; Scor Pal; Yes! paste

A small Home sweet Home

A clean and simple new home card for my BIL and SIL.  I probably fretted more about making this than actually shows on the card itself.

I stamped in the center of the base cardstock and lightly watercolored the image.  I cut and die cut the top piece to show the image and then adhered it with dimensional tape... then I remembered I should stamp a greeting of course.  I dithered about trying to make the 2nd "home" darker and decided to stop and admit defeat.

Ingredients
Card size - 5 in x 5 in
Cardstock - Recollections 110lb and 65lb
Stamp - Clear Dollar Stamps: house inchie and Nice Neighborhood
Ink - Gina K Designs Color Companion Black Onyx
Color - Koi Watercolor
Accessories - Spellbinders square die, Scotch foam tape.

4 Star General Graduation!

I created this card based on the school crest for the recipient.  He is in their first graduating class ever, so wanted to try to make it special.  To be honest, I wanted the deckled edge but had difficulty cutting it because the cardstock was so thick.  It was ok for a one off but I definitely wouldn't do it for a group of cards with this cardstock.

I don't know about your area of the country but most people here just do a picture card with a graduation party announcement rather than announcing the graduation itself.  I miss the traditional card.  I know I had loads of friends from other schools and loved getting their announcements with their school crests when we all graduated.  So with that in mind I went traditional with this card and replaced the last layer with the cap and diploma. I cut the "banner" end by partially die cutting Nestabilities Squares and used my Scor-Pal to add some extra detail to the final panel.

Our graduate is getting the "universal gift card" - money!  So I originally made the pocket with the stars punched out, to echo the front... the problem was when it was back lit you could see the line and the stars through to the front so I used some more gray cardstock and lined the whole of the front.  Luckily I taped it and was able to just lift the pocket enough.  I love that the money isn't just going to fly out of the card onto the floor.

I also made certain the pocket overlapped the end of the card to create a contrast on the front to make it easier to see the edge.

My picture is a little bit fuzzy.  Sorry about that, but you get the general idea.

I will be honest with you, although I am happy with the outcome, I'm not thrilled.  The stamped panel bothers me.  I did consider sponging it but really didn't want to make it worse and I think clean lines for a young man's card are more masculine.  I also considered highlighting the raised embossing but didn't want to make it look amateurish if the pen slipped.  Sometimes I guess we have to accept happy and move on.  I have more cards to make for graduates of this school in the future so I can refine my techniques with them.

Ingredients
Card size - 8.5 x 5.5 in;
Cardstock - Recollections 110 lb; Bazzill;
Stamps - Kitchen Sink Stamps 3 step Graduation;
Ink - Memento - London Fog, Nautical Blue;
Dies - Spellbinders Nestabilities Squares, Stars

Musical Simple Sympathy

This card  was made in memory of a High School friend and her daughter who were tragically killed last week.  

I wanted something personal that related to both of them.  I met my friend during marching band and her daughter was accomplished in her school's chorale.  I didn't want it too heavy with black so I used one of the school colors of purple for contrast with the white.

I hope it gives some comfort to their family.

Ingredients

Card Size - 4 1/4 in x 5 1/2 in

Cardstock - Recollections white 110lb white, 65lb purple

Stamps - Kitchen Sink Stamps 3 step rose (sentiment)

Ink - Brilliance - purple

Accessories - Allegro embossing folder, Cuttlebug single and double note dies, Dimensionals, Corner Chomper

Camera Cheese Birthday!

So I saw this wonderful video by Darlene and it is inspired me to look at what I had to make a birthday card for our uncle who has a love for photography (and cheese).

I used my Cricut Create a Critter Cartridge to make most of the cuts in either black or white.  Because none of my black cardstock is that thick, I cut two backs and two fronts in the shadow setting to give it some strength.

I chose the white because I wasn't sure what color I wanted that layer.  I chose a dark grey that looks a lot darker in person.  I did want it to look textured but didn't want to emboss it or make it too dark because I wanted the contrast with the black.  After taking a tip from Darlene I colored my flash and viewfinder by flicking the color.  The yellow really makes a splash of color on the card.

Stickles added to the yellow make it special without making it girly.

I cut a bit of packaging for the front of the lens and patterned paper for the inside. 

Also used my Cuttlebug and Nestabilities to the black circle because I felt it needed an extra layer.  The white cardstock around the lens I wanted to have a metallic sheen.

The top black layer I stamped and embossed with the sentiment.

A nice matching envelope to set it off and this is a case where the card turned out better than my imagination.  I just wish the grey looked better in the photo.  

Ingredients
Card size - approximately 6.5 in x 5.5 in
Cardstock - Recollections black and white 65lbs, Recollections paper, upcycled packaging for lens;
Stamps -
Ink - Versamark; Gina K Color Companions Black Onyx
Color - Copics; Sakura metallic silver gel pen
Accessories - Stickles

Feeling Blue Hues...

Like loads of other people I bought these adorable quote stamps when they were all the rage and to my shame I think this is the first time I have used one!  I always came up with some cute idea and then it evolved into something I made into something else that didn't accommodate the quote.  So when I saw this technique by Darlene with the watercolor pencils I decided I had to do it and just the sentiment that would be so very adorable with it.

I pared it down quite a bit but I think it is obvious the inspiration is there!  

Ingredients
Card size 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 in 
Cardstock - Recollections 110 lb cardstock, Artists Loft Watercolor paper
Stamp - Inkadinkado: Friendly Advice
Ink - Gina K Color Companions Black Onyx
Color - Derwent Inktense Watercolor pencils