Summer Sunshine & Flowers

Here's my entry for the Arty Girls "Summer" challenge. I finally put to use this darling "dream" expoxy sticker and bias tape, both items from a RAK I received back in March from my BBGF (best blogging girlfriend) Gwen and a card shape she first shared with our Designing Divas group awhile back! We both have things we've had for quite awhile & not used, but with our new SBS22 group, maybe that will soon change!!!
Paper: The Paper Company's Mandarin cardstock; DCWV DPs
Embellishments: Making Memories Grommets; Joanns Twill Tape & Expoxy Sticker; Michaels Silk Flower

Making Memories with Cuttlebug & Mr. Bones

Recently purchased this fun Halloween paper by Pebbles and my friend, Ilene, brought over her new Cuttlebug holiday folder and made me the white background. Sorry I don't know the name of this particular folder, but beware (no Halloween pun intended) if you go to check them out, you'll want them all! They even have new card border folders I haven't even seen yet -- I'm afraid to look! ;-)
Paper: The Paper Company's Mandarin Cardstock; Pebbles Spooky Characters/Dots double-sided cardstock; black & white cardstock from stash
Stamp: Making Memories Spellbound Collection acrylic stamp set
Ink: Tsukineko's Brilliance Moonlight White pigment ink
Embellishments: Darice Eyelets; White Embossing Powder
Tools: Crop-a-Dile; Spellbinders Wizard

Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers - 22 (SBS22)

Greetings to all my new "sisters"! I can't wait to visit all your blogs and see all your wonderful work! I'm a resident of Maricopa, Arizona (Phoenix suburb), currently not working outside our home. I particularly enjoy cardmaking and I'm slowly moving towards scrapbooking, but feel I need to learn a lot more about photography to succeed. I've done crafts my entire life and would truly be lost without something to work on. I'm enjoying the challenges of blogging & looking forward to this new adventure with all of you! My husband is retired and we have two grown children, a son & daughter. He also has two grown children, a daughter & son, and a grown grandson and granddaughter. Yes, he's a bit older than I am, so I always tease him that I'm too young to be a Grandma!!! ;-) I have no sisters in real life, but I think sometimes that makes my friends even more precious!!!

Happy 50th Birthday!!!

Our friend/neighbor, Elaine, is 50!!! Woo-Hoo!!! She's a lot of fun and we'll be celebrating the big event with her. Her favorite color is purple, so this cardstock should qualify!!! I really had a difficult time finding purple when I went shopping; lighter shades & lots of shades of plums, but "purple purple" proved difficult.

Paper: Bazzill & Bazzill Bling Cardstocks

Embellishments: Fiskars' Expoxy "petals" (from Walgreens - Elaine's employer!), rub-on, ribbon from stash

Tools: Stampin'Up Scallop Punch; Darice 1/16" Hole Punch

Monochromatic Flocked Birthday Card

I was trying to keep this card monochromatic, but I'm just not sure the greeting is visible enough. What do you think; leave me a comment & be honest, please! I liked the Perfect Pearls, but alone it just didn't show up, so I mixed it with clear embossing powder & heated that mixture, something I'd never tried before; at least I didn't cause a fire!!! ;-) I just love this flocked paper purchased at Costco many months ago -- it's one of those you just have to touch when you see it!!!

Paper: Memory Stor @ Costco

Stamp: Stampendous Clear Acrylic

Embellishments: Making Memories Fresh Anthology Ribbon; Clear Embossing Powder/Perfect Pearls

Tools: Spellbinders Wizard & Oval Nesties

Free-Standing Pop-Up Get Well Card

A fun & quick get well card for a male friend that we need to pop in the mail tomorrow. The Splitcoast Stampers' written instructions can be found here. Designing Diva, Judy, first shared this awesome card with our card group.
Simple to make & fun; you just have to be careful not to add too much bling since it folds flat for mailing. I always make mine from an 11" x 4 1/4" piece of cardstock, so it will fit in an A2 (quarter-fold) envelope. I included a photo showing it "flat" & ready for the envelope.
Try one! I think you'll enjoy making & sending it!!!
Paper: American Crafts Bookshelf Series: Seuss (DP front & solid back)
Stamps: Paper Trey Ink's Hello Friend & Hero Arts' Get Well Soon
Ink: Tsukineko's Versafine: Sepia
Tools: Making Memories Stapler; Stampin'Up Round Tab Punch

Mini Scrapbook Purse in Black & White

I thought my Mother-in-law would enjoy this little birthday purse. I'm just sad I didn't have enough of her fabric to include any of the flowers used in her card (see my previous post). This is the pattern I've previously used from Susan Mast, whose link is here. I'm planning to make another purse yet this week & Susan kindly helped me find the paper for it!

Paper: Luxe Designs Chick Flick Cardstock; Swiss Dots from stash

Embellishments: Blue Moon Beads; Petaloo Silk Flowers; brads, ribbons, button, vellum saying, chipboard from stash

Tool: Crop-a-dile II

Recycled Flowers Birthday Card

My mother-in-law will be 92 this month and although her card is fairly simple-looking on the outside, the inside holds a special surprise for her! Still a very capable seamstress, her last letter arrived with a bit of fabric taped to the outside of the envelope flap. After sealing it, she realized she'd forgotten to include the fabric swatch from a new dress she'd just sewn. Amazingly it got to us! It occured to me to use fabric stiffener & then punch flowers from the swatch & include them in her bday card. Amazingly, designer Lauren Meader posted the perfect way for me to use them here in her July 31st post, Paper Garden Spring Out Card. So thanks to Lauren, my card idea was sealed! I hope my Mother-in-law enjoys seeing these fabric flowers as much as I enjoyed recycling her little fabric remnant! I'm just sorry I won't be able to see her face when she opens it!!!

Paper: Luxe Designs: Chick Flick DP; Classic Columns Solar White Cardstock; Vellum from stash

Embellishments: Karen Foster Rub-On; Vellum Verse from stash

CASEd Birthday Card

My dear friend, Gwen, gave me permission to copy and post this gorgeous card, which is one she created for our other dear friend, Ilene, for her birthday this year. I have a special lady who has an upcoming birthday and need several cards for people to send to her, so I knew she'd love this! What woman wouldn't?!!! ;-)
If you love this card, go here and vote for Gwen's glitter card in the EK Success contest!!! It's HER card, not mine -- she's the one who's unbelievably talented in envisioning so many wonderful creations and I'd love to see her win!!! ;-) You can check out her awesome blog here. (Many of you already know that she got me into blogging.)
Paper: Strathmore Cold Press Watercolor paper for the card; Anna Griffin's Lavender DP & solid lavender paper; purple cardstock from stash
Stamp: Stampin'Up
Embellishments: DeNami's Lavender Frost Sparklets glitter; ribbon, pin & beads
Tools: Spellbinder's Wizard & Scalloped Oval Nesties

Scalloped Jack-O-Lantern Card

Another simple Halloween card using Making Memories Spellbound paper collection. This is their die-cut pumpkin cardstock which I've cut with my Wizard scalloped oval & mounted over glow-in-the-dark tape, though I can't quite capture that fun effect with my camera! You'll just have to sneak a peak into my craft room at night!!! LOL!!!
Paper: Making Memories' Polka Dot Stripe & Die-cut Pumpkin Spellbound; Black Linen cardstock
Embellishments: Making Memories pumpkin brads; Martha Stewart Ribbon; glow-in-the-dark tape from stash
Tools: Spellbinder's Wizard & Small Classic Scallop Oval Die

Cool Cat Halloween Card

It's been so hot & humid here that the fall colors & cardstocks I'm seeing in the stores are really appealing to me, so here's a quick/easy little Halloween card! I used K & Company's Designer Mat Pad for the front panels & to stamp my inside message on. The directions for this z-fold card can be found here. I will probably cut my cardstock 5 1/2" x 11" next time, but it's such a quick/easy card to do!
Paper: Black cardstock; K & Company's Designer Mat Pad from Michaels
Stamp: Martha Stewart's Halloween set from 2007
Embellishments: Creative Imaginations Epoxy Sticker; Making Memories Pumpkin Brads

Spellbound by Making Memories Halloween

Love this new line by Making Memories!!! Also love how they've incorporated argyle into the bat stamp as well as this paper! Soooo cool, I think! I decided if we can do Christmas in July, it's okay to do Halloween in August!!! ;-) I thought this Spring pop-up card was perfect for this theme too & it's soooooo easy/quick to make. The tutorial is here.
I altered the size for this card to 5" x 10" because I wanted Mr. Bones excatly in the middle. Also, just in case you're using this same cardstock (OR any one-way design), be sure to put your cardstock on your cutter with your pattern upright as you look down at it. Then cut your 5" piece & trim 2" off that piece to get your 5" x 10" piece. I cut my 5" piece off the left side of my full 12 x 12 sheet first & then cut 2" off the top of that piece in order to get the skull/crossbones @ top center once it's folded. If this doesn't make sense to you, you're welcome to email me @ mer@orbitelcom.com & I'll try to explain it so it will!
I like that these papers & stamps will work well for males and older children/men. I know someone with lots of male grandchildren who will be very happy about that!!! Great job, Making Memories!!!
Paper: Making Memories Spellbound Line; cream scrap
Stamps: Making Memories Spellbound Clear Halloween Set
Ink: ColorBox Raven Black
Embellishment: Clear Embossing Powder
Tools: SU's Ticket Punch