My Sheri Crafts Challenge #085: Wedding/Anniversary

My Sheri Crafts latest challenge: create a wedding/anniversary card using black/white + a POP of color! I always enjoy working with a black/white + 1 color theme -- just sooo many possibilities. For our challenge I chose a black/white Damask Notepad paper by Teresa Collins and decided to let the quote, "Loved you yesterday, love you still; always have, always will" stand unobstructed, designing the rest of my card around it.
For my "pop" of red I cut my heart from Core'dinations' Glitter Silk CS and added a narrow edge detail with Papertrey Ink's Edgers #3 die. My JustRite sentiment was stamped in black and die cut with Spellbinders' Nested Pennants, then nestled inside the heart frame, along with a bitty heart gem I colored Lipstick Red with Copic R29. Want2Scrap's black gem swirl finishes it all off!
Here's YOUR challenge: concoct your very own wedding/anniversary card in black/white + a pop of color  and JOIN US @ My Sheri Crafts for this challenge, as we'd LOVE to see what you create using this fun theme!!!
Paper: Core'dinations Glitter Silk; Teresa Collins Damask Notepad CS; white CS
Stamps: JustRite's Wedding Nested Sentiments
Ink: PTI's True Black
Dies: Spellbinders' Nested Pennants; Provo Craft's Concentric Heart; PTI's Edgers #3
Bling: Want2Scrap; Amuse Twinkle Stickers

JustRite Friday Challenge 047: Love is in the Air!

Love is in the Air is the theme for the current JustRite Stampers' Challenge, so with Valentine's quickly approaching, I used a wonderful sentiment stamp from JustRite's Romantic Sentiments Set for my entry! "You Hold the Key to my Heart" is stamped in PTI's Raspberry Fizz ink on Spellbinders' Nested Heart die cut from PTI's Vintage Cream and embossed with Antique Linen. I've always LOVED this DP from Basic Grey's Bittersweet line, so paired it here with PTI's Raspberry Fizz CS and metallic Vellum punched with Martha Stewart's sweet Doily Hearts border punch. My key is cut from Spellbinders' Timeless Heritage set in gold foil and accented with a heart bead and seed beads. Lastly, I added cream lace and sequin trim to finish off this Love card!

JustRite Friday Challenge 046 #2: Technique - Scoring!

Spring Card

This "spring" card design is one I found about three years ago at Splitcoast Stampers here. I thought it was unique enough to qualify for the "scoring" technique required for JustRite's current challenge. My card measures 4 inches square when folded flat because I used paper from Martha Stewart's 4" x 11" Valentine's Punch Pad.


I had wanted to die cut this largest Spellbinder's Nested Heart in Shrink Plastic ever since I got them and I was quite happy with how it turned out. My sentiment was created with JustRite Myriad Font Pro 50 point stamped with Stazon Jet Black ink. The die cut measures 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" and shrank to about 1 3/4" x 1 3/4". If you want yours to be a charm, don't forget to punch a large hole at the top and use a large font for your sentiment, as those will both shrink proportionately also! Because different brands shrink differently, check your package instructions.

Card shown folded flat

I added the Spellbinder's Eyelet Square die to the front of my card, laced a narrow flat fiber through some beads and then through the top eyelet and tied a knot. I enjoyed just playing with some products I'd had for a while and hope you'll check out this fun "spring" card and try one yourself!


Edited to Add: I used Frosted Ruff N' Ready shrink plastic and Copic R46 to color my heart die cut before stamping my sentiment. Also, I use my embossing heat gun to shrink my items, not my oven!

Thanks for visiting!

JustRite Friday Challenge 046: Technique - Scoring!

The first JustRite Friday Challenge for 2011 is sponsored by Scor-Pal and is to use scoring on your card (other than for the card's fold)! Using a 1" strip cut from an old book page, I scored every 1/4" and then secured the ends of my long strip, forming a circular BG embellishment for my sentiment from JustRite's Romantic Sentiments. I then die-cut my SB's Inverted Circle from my striped CS and added scoring between the black lines for more accent, plus a narrow scored book-page strip along the bottom edge. Unfortunately, I don't own the Scor-Pal, because it would have been much faster/easier to score the book page strips without having to move them to score every 1/4"!
Paper: DCWV Striped Black and Cream CS (All Dressed Up stack); black, cream CS (from stash); old book page
Stamps: JustRite Romantic Sentiments Set
Ink: Memento's Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Worn Lipstick Distress Ink
Embellishments: Martha Stewart Ribbon; A'Muse Twinkle Stickers
Tools: Spellbinders' Wizard and Inverted Circle Die; Copic R35 (to color clear heart gem)

Simple One-Layer Valentine with Cuttlebug & Core'dinations

I recently won 2 generous packs of Core'dinations papers (thanks again, Maggie!), which I've always been curious about! One pack includes Whitewash and Black Magic papers. The colors cores are either whitewashed or covered in black so that when you emboss, sand, tear or antique it, the color core shows beautifully through. I chose a whitewashed pink to emboss with my new Cuttlebug Flourished Frame folder, then lightly sanded the embossing. It gave such a soft, subtle look that I decided to keep it soft and simple, stamping my swirly heart and sentiment, and just sprinkling a few pearls for a little extra glam. So fun to play with new product!!!

Paper: Core'dinations WhiteWash Collection CS

Stamps: PTI's Sweet Love & Mixed Messages

Ink: PTI's Charcoal ; pink (source unknown)

Tools: Spellbinders' Wizard; Cuttlebug Flourished Frame EF; sand paper; pearls from stash

Valentine: Lace, Pearls & a Smitten Rub-On

My Valentine supplies are basically all over my craft room & in going through them I re-discovered this unfinished card from last year. Simply cut from the largest Spellbinders' Plain Heart Die, placed just off the fold on the lower left so it will open, I just love the feminine lace, pearls and K & Company floral heart rub-on. I'm sure I based this on something I saw on a blog, but sadly I have no idea now who to credit. To give it a nicely finished look, I cut another single large heart and used 1/4" Score Tape to cover the lace on the back side. Once I decide who it's going to, I'll add my inside sentiment. Do you usually do that at a later time? I almost never finish the inside until I know who I'll send my card to.

Paper: PTI's Raspberry Fizz CS

Embellishments: K & Company rub-on; lace & pearls from stash

Tools: Spellbinders' Wizard & Plain Heart Die

Love!

Just a little Valentine card I threw together with some alpha glitter stickers from the dollar store, Bazzill Bling paper, felt heart from Hobby Lobby, shaped stick pins and heart punches! Fun, fun, fun!!!

Paper: Bazzill Bling & PTI's Raspberry Fizz cardstock

Tools: Martha Stewart Heart punch

Embellishments: Me & My Big Ideas Uban Bling Alphabets; Making Memories Love Notes Shaped Pins; felt heart

Fun Fold "Envelope" Anniversary Card

I found a video @ www.youtube.com/ called Fun Fold Card Tutorial showing how to make this card from a single 11" x 11" piece of DP. It was really a fun card to do!!! The picture to the left shows the card closed & ready to go into an envelope. Below I've shown it with the top flap opened, then the left flap opened & finally the inside. I did mine somewhat differently, as my ribbon does not wrap around the whole card, but instead just stays tied in a bow through the chipboard heart, which the left flap tucks under. There are so many ways you could embellish this card! I decided to use it as an anniversary card, but it would sure be cute for Valentine's Day, wouldn't it?!!!

Paper: Paper Pizazz Pink Flourishes DP; K & Company's Smitten Cardstock

Stamps: Stampendous' Mega Love Set

Ink: Tsukineko's VersaFine Vintage Sepia
Embellishments: Offray Ribbon; Chipboard Heart from stash

Some Bunny Loves You!

Ever had one of those days where everything hits you wrong & you just want to cry because you feel like you can't cope & you're such a disappointment to everyone you really care about? That was my yesterday, but I talked to everyone I felt like I'd disappointed/failed and by the time I went to sleep, I knew it will all be okay. Just take each day one at a time & stop stressing over things in life that come up & you just cannot control/change -- seems so simple/logical now! Stuff happens & it always will -- all at once in a big lump too; never slow/easy/one thing at a time -- nope, not gonna happen that way! ;-) Thank God for sweet, understanding friends/family that make it all worth it & who are there for you when you truly feel like a failure. Crying sometimes helps, but mostly it just causes me sinus congestion & a headache, but that's just another one of those things I can't control.
Soooooo, my solution to getting over my headache was to papercraft, of course! Everything else got put on hold last night & I got out my new little $1 Studio G stamps and my bright, spring colors and Some Bunny Loves You is the result! Hope you like him because he made me feel brighter & more hopeful, just like spring does!!! I have to tell you this simple card layout is becoming an all-time favorite because it's so adaptable to so many punch shapes & so easy to dress up or down/make cutesy or elegant, as my friend Ilene just mentioned yesterday. It's the same basic layout I used for Simple Punched Thank You Card posted on January 9th and the Black & White Floral Rosette card posted on January 3rd! I'm lovin' it!!! Hmmmm, would maybe be a good one for an SBS8 Challenge!!!
Paper: DCWV Spring Easter DP; The Paper Company Color Connect Texture in Lilac
Stamp: Studio G
Punch: Marvy Uchida 1 3/4" Square
Embellishments: Colored Pencils/Chalks; Making Memories Funky Fibers in Watercolor Brite; $ Store small q-tips for nose & paws

Heart Lock and Key to my Heart Valentine

A card for a dear, sweet friend who may not even know how much she means to me -- she's sweet, helpful, funny -- well, just everything a wonderful friend should be!!! The true meaning behind what Valentine's Day is all about when it comes to a friend's love, I think!

Just as in my previous post, I've used a fantastic .gsd file created by Mary, http://mamawslegacy.wordpress.com/. If you have a diecutting machine, check out her awesome blog - you won't be disappointed!!!\

Paper: MemoryStor (sold by Costco) Handmade Paper - red with gold dots; gold metallic text

Punch: Martha Stewart 1" circle punch

Stamp: Stampin'Up Retired Set: Key to my Heart from 1999

Ink: Tsukineko's VersaMark

Madly in Love With You, Valentine!

A card for "guess who" -- he's my one & only!!! Hopefully, he'll continue to "not look" at my blog until tomorrow!!! Normally he sees most everything I make long before the intended recipient, so doesn't feel a need to look @ my blog.

This card was easily cut on my Wishblade from a file so beautifully created by Mary @ http://mamawslegacy.wordpress.com/. She very generously shares her cutting files there for free. Thanks, Mary!!! When I saw this I just knew it was perfect for "him"!!!

Paper: Silver Metallic text; red cardstock

Embellishments: Making Memories silver eyelet; other brad/eyelet from my HUGE stash!

Glue: Elmer's Craft Bond Multi-Purpose Spray Adhesive

Tools: Crop-a-Dile; "Old Blue" Wishblade!

Smitten With Love Valentine Box

My little trinket box Valentine decoration is made from papers in the K & Company's Smitten line. I was "smitten" with this idea (tee-hee) after seeing a box made using ribbon spools. A heavy cardboard spool from inside a roll of metallic tape my husband had given me from his toolbox is the "box". Next, I played with my heart size to get it big enough to fit front to back & side to side to cover the spool for a lid & bottom. I painted my spool pink & covered the outside with various Smitten papers. Since the only chipboard I had was coasters from a local restaurant, I had to cut half a heart shape from each & glue them together in the center. Covering them with Smitten paper top & bottom made them sturdy. I then glued the bottom to my spool and while it dried, cut a second decorative little heart from my paper, attached the metal "Love" charm with a jeweled brad and glittered the lid edge with pink glitter to finish it off.
Paper: K & Company's "Smitten"
Glitter: Denami Design
Embellishments: Making Memories Jeweled Brad; Metal Word from stash

Brown Tweed Valentine Card; SBS8/CMUtd Challenge Card

This card was created to meet both our SBS8 challenge, requiring a Valentine's card using no pink or red, and the CMUtd challenge found here: http://challenge-cmutd.blogspot.com/, which requires you use no more than 3 colors on a card. To me this will make a great guy's Valentine card which we all know is difficult to come up with!
Paper: Martha Stewart's Coffee Bean cardstock; Making Memories Boho Chic Tweed Embellishment paper
Stamps: Stampin'Up's So Very set
Ink: Versamark
Embossing Powder: Comotion's White
Bling: Colorbok"s White Metal Dots

Cards Made by my Clever, Crafty Friends

Yesterday was the most FUN -- as you can obviously see by the awesome array of creative craftiness displayed here. I have some very talented friends -- I'm so lucky!!! The multi-talented Gwen (www.mycraftydaysoff.blogspot.com) hosted our get-together and shared the clever criss-cross Love U card for some lucky male I know. I left my inside blank for now. She incorporated so many great ideas for a guy card -- the blue/brown colors, lots of metal brads, distressing, SU's Canvas background & perfect letters she cut on her Sizzix Big Kick!

Sassy Ilene's darling Le Cafe card was created using her Wishblade and a darling table and chairs stamp by Great Impressions. For a little "dessert", I added a tiny SU ice cream sundae stamp on mine! Yummm!!!

Deva's (yes, she's the "original" & that IS her real name -- lucky girl!) Cupid card incorporates the most adorable Cupid paper, rub-on and Sizzix cutout!!! The black ribbon & bling just make it even more precious, as did her inside phrase, "Cupid's got his eye on you. . . and so do I"!

Judy's sweet Valentine creation uses another ingenious fold, one of my favorite things! Her darling card should open when you untie the bow on the right side. I ended up "flipping" mine to open at the bottom when I realized I'd cut my heart background paper so the hearts would have been sideways! (I didn't sleep much the night before!) The unique fold is further enhanced by the cute circular Love stamp and pewter brads added on top of the stamped hearts! As a bonus, Judy gave us each another Valentine DP already cut to create a second card, which I can't wait to make!!!

Caryn's elegant card incorporating luscious S.E.I. papers, beautiful fibers, metal dots and a Cuttlebug "Love" phrase, sparkling with Stickles, is simply breathtaking! I think I know who the recipient of this gorgeous creation will be, but it's a secret!!!

Who could ask for a lovlier array of creations in one crafty day? Not me! You might ask where my shared card is -- well, I did share one, but due to a lack of sleep/lateness of the hour, I cut my only short length of ribbon wrong, leaving me with only 4 pieces to give to 5 ladies. So, I gave mine to one of them and need to redo my card, using another ribbon. I'll try to post it later today -- Super Bowl festivities permitting! ;-)

Spread the Love Award!!!

My dear sweet friend and fellow SBS8 Sister, Gwen @ www.mycraftydaysoff.blogspot.com, without whom I would not even be blogging, has given me a spread the love award! (I told you she was sweet!) She's also way more talented than she even realizes, as you'll see if you go to her blog!!! The purpose of this award is to spread blog love around to others through support and those ever-so-wonderful comments that I LOVE to receive!!! Therefore, I'm now spreading the love to my new sisters in SBS8:
1) Debby @ http://www.debby4000.blogspot.com/ across the pond, who never fails to leave a loving comment on my posts. It's fun to see cardmaking/scrapbooking from people in another country.
2) Kathy @ http://www.kraftinwithkathy.blogspot.com/, who is on the opposite side of the country from me and a new blogger like me who I think is enjoying all her new sisters as much as I am.
3) Han @ http://www.hanscraftycreations.blogspot.com/, who I'm enjoying getting to know and just seems like someone I'd befriend if I ever met her in person!
I'd also like to spread the love to : Chat @ http://www.memystampsandi.blogspot.com/, who's a fellow Arizonan and whose cards I would love to totally copy. Love your style, Chat!!!

So, ladies, now it's your turn to spread the love!!! ;-)

Valentine Love/Pearls Card

Still struggling with my creativity, so haven't had anything worthy of posting this past week. Seems I have plenty of supplies, but can't match colors or put together stamps and embellishments to create a nice card for whatever reason. I hate it when that happens! With this card I've gone back to my crepe notecards and a retired set I've always loved from Stampin' Up.

Paper: Hero Arts Crepe Notecards; Solar White Classic Columns Cardstock

Stamps: Stampin'Up Gentler Times (retired); Stampendous Perfectly Clear Set Merry Messages

Inks: Scarlet Versa Color and Brilliance Moonlight White by Tsukineko

Embossing Powder: Comotion White EP

Tool: Fiskars Heart Border Punch

Embellishments: Joy!Crafts Decorative Half Pearls