Guy Get Well

Man cards...so tough sometimes.  I needed a get well/feel better card  quickly to mail out.  I really need to make a little stock pile of these cards that are gender neutral I think!

My fall back for guy cards is nature, mechanical images, and blues, greens, and browns...funny these are some of hubs' preferences...well all actually.

I stamped and embossed the tree, did some swishy watercoloring for the sky and ground. Then, some very pigmented watercoloring for the tree.  A stamped sentiment added once all was dry and a non girly shape applied via die cutting.  All matted on a heavy card base, so it appears framed.  I think it will be well received and hopefully the recipient will be well on his way to recovery once it arrives.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp - Stampendous
Watercolors - Zig Markers
Ink - Versafine
Die - Simon Says Stamp  (NBUS)

I am entering this to Darnell's NBUS Challenge.  My bin of Never Been Used Schtuff is dwindling...

Get Well Soon

Today, I made a card for a young man in our neighborhood.  He was assaulted recently and just made it home from the hospital.  He helps hubs out occasionally. We have known him for several years, and he is a good kid, not so much a kid now (20).  So I needed convalescent card and a masculine one as well!

In June I had promised to make him a throw blanket with his favorite NFL team fleece in time for football season. Since I just finished it a week ago, I decided it was a good time to give it to him and maybe cheer him a little -- along with a cute but definitely masculine card to let him know we are thinking of him and wishing him a speedy recovery.

Fortunately two challenges have themes that can easily be maculinized (is that a word?).  I used the theme from Addicted to CAS - Chevron, and the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches-197.

I chose masculine colors and I think it turned out quite well.

                                   

Supplies: MFT Chevrons, scraps color card, Paper Smooches Get Well Soon stamp set, Copics, Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Banner Duo.

His and Hers

A while back I took and participated in an Online Card Class - His and Hers.  I needed two get well type cards one for a gal with a bad cold and one for a guy recovering from emergency surgery.

I am glad I took the class, I remembered how easy it is to make two cards one masculine and one feminine by just tweaking a couple of things.  So, I used the same card layout, the same stamp set and altered my colors,  patterned papers and sentiment font.

I needed to create a focal area for the tiny image and sentiment I used, so I was happy to rip open a package of a new to me die from PTI.  I used it to die cut a panel to create a stamped and inked background for my little nurse and sentiment. 

Feminine Version

Masculine Version

Which one do you like better?

 Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies
Shared by both:
Bo Bunny Paper from the 6x6 pad Altitude
Stamps - Lawn Fawn Get well Soon
Die - PTI Spiral Notebook Page
Inks- Simon Says Stamp Lipstick Red, Ranger Black Archival
Artist's Loft Colored Pencils
Inky Antic's Gamsol
Bazzill Cardstock
Feminine Only-
Inks- Simon Says Stamp White Pigment, Hero Arts Soft Pool, Distress Soft Pool
Stamps- Friendship Grows

Masculine Only -
Inks - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Frayed Burlap, Hero Arts Soft Sand

Freshly Made Sketches #169

I have been making quite a few get well cards lately. Here is the latest card.  I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches #169. I took a bit of license with it to fit my sentiment.

 I took advantage of using some patterned paper and a very simple botanical stamp to give this card a masculine feel.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Cardstock - Stampin Up - Very Vanilla; Patterned Paper - left over from a SSS card kit
Stamps - Paper Smooches - Botanicals 2; Simon Says Stamp -More Sketchy Banners
Dies - My Favorite Things - Pierced Rectangle Stax; Simon Says Stamp - Sketch Banners

Ink - Versamark; Hero Arts - Field Greens
White Embossing Powder, cream enamel dot

Feel Better Soon

This weekend I spoke with my bestie in California, and found out she wasn't feeling so well a touch of the flu or a cold. Her son, (my Godson) is about to head off to college, and life is hectic right now. I thought a little card might make her feel better.  This one has a real fall feel to it.

I used Lawn Fawns our Friendship Grows set, Lawn Fawn also has matching dies for this set. I used inks from Simon Says Stamp (green leaf), Versafine (onyx black), and Memento(tuxedo black). The flowers, stems and vase were colored with Spectrum Noir Markers.  The note card is from Hero Arts, I added some texture to it using Impression Obsession's Thin Stripes. I thought a couple of glitter strips from DCWV, and some wink of stella on the flower petals and vase would make this a very cheery feel better card.

Close up to show Wink of Stella on vase

I used Lawn Fawns our Friendship Grows set, Lawn Fawn also has matching dies for this set. I used inks from Simon Says Stamp (green leaf), Versafine (onyx black), and Memento(tuxedo black). The flowers, stems and vase were colored with Spectrum Noir Markers.  The note card is from Hero Arts, I added some texture to it using Impression Obsession's Thin Stripes. I thought a couple of glitter strips from DCWV, and some wink of stella on the flower petals and vase would make this a very cheery feel better card.

I am actually hoping she is all better by the time the card arrives.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

Water Color Play Day

Friday was a "play day" over at Watercolor for Card Makers, and I started out with one of the techniques shown by Mr. Tim Holtz, but then went off on a tangent...not a bad tangent .

The technique was mono printing. Taking various mini distress ink pads and inking up a stencil, then spritzing it with water and smooshing it into a piece of watercolor paper.  The open spaces should be highlighted.

I think I did not use enough ink on the rays stencil, so I did it again over the top.  Still not happy with the result, I sprayed the entire surface with water.  No image, but boy did I love the background of mustard seed and dried marigold I ended up getting, one can almost see the rays if you squint just right.  So on to plan B.

My second favorite class, was the Stencil class and I was itching to use some embossing paste again.  My panel was not 100% dry, so the white embossing paste picked up some color.  I used another TH Stencil, Bubbles for the dots,  just placed the embossing paste on opposite corner areas of the card and left it to dry... no really, I left it alone...no glitter, no heat gun.

I went on to try another technique, coloring on vellum. I stamped my image in black, then on the backside used derwernt inktense pencils to color the image.  I used a bit of water to spread it about, as my blender pen had dried up! Water gives vellum an interesting texture.  It was all warpy...but I was going to make this work.  I fussy cut the image and embraced the non flat structure of the sunflower.  I mounted it on to the front of my watercolor piece with clear foam and then added an edge punched strip and some gold thread and a feel better sentiment from the same Lawn Fawn stamp set as the flower. All was adhered to a card base to complete the card.

It was so much fun playing and I love where my piece ended up.  This one probably won't go into my notebook except as a photograph...it really needs to be mailed to someone who needs cheering up.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a play date!

Feel Better

A friend of mine is recovering from surgery and I wanted to send her a cheery card.

The stamps are from Stampin Up, the stems were hand drawn,  the ink is Hero Arts, and the twine was a gift.  I often struggle with placement of moveable items on my card fronts.  I finally after 15 minutes of pushing these flowers around got the arrangement I was happy with.

Now the big question...could I duplicate it...take a photo maybe?  Nope.  I placed a piece of card stock on top of it and flipped the card with the blooms on it upside down.  I removed the cardstock carefully so none of my punched blossoms moved. Then I used several long strips of sticky tape across the backs, placed carefully so they maintained their arrangement. Next I peeled the backer off and Voila, I was able to set it down on my card front in the same arrangement.

I added the twine bow with glossy accents, and decorated the inside of the card with flowers and a feel better sentiment.  The flower centers also have a touch of glitz from a wink of stella pen.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Feel....Well

Feel Better and Get well, I have two cards going out in the mail to cheer on my Dad who has a cold, and my best scrapping bud who injured herself while on vacation. I went for a fallish feeling on both cards.  

You know those MAN cards are so darned tough to make, but I am sure my Dad will appreciate the fall leaves.

I am sure my friend will love the sunflowers.  

My Dad's card is up first. While in California I stopped by Stamp Fever and ordered a few Lawn Fawn stamps, I had hoped to pick them up, but the store was out of stock. Linda kindly offered to mail them to me in Maryland, and they arrived last week.  I took them out for a spin!

Supplies for this card are: Stamps-Paper Smooches, Lawn Fawn (x2); Ink-Versafine, Memento; Markers-Copic Y17,yr04. yr23.yg63, g 24, yg03, yr24, yr07, r24, Memento-Rich Cocoa; Papers-Neenah, Recollections; Unknown twine bit

 

My second card is also made from Lawn Fawn stamps, with matching dies. I die cut the flowers after coloring them.  The pot and leaves are stamped on the panel. Since this is going in the mail, I put strips of yellow cardstock framing the image panel in stead of matting it. I have one sunflower popped on a thin 1/16 inch foam square. This should easily mail without extra postage or padding. Supplies used are Stamps- Lawn Fawn; Ink-Versafine, Memento; Markers-Copic Y17, y08, y13, yr23, yr27, e33, e57, Zig- Wink of Stella Clear; Papers-Neenah, Recollections; Embossing folder Sizzix.

Thanks for stopping by!

More Sketches for Day 6 at CAS2

Today we were offered 3 lessons and three sketches along with techniques to choose from for our homework.  I chose the sketch which went along with a masking technique.  Masking is just so far out of my comfort zone, I am confronting it. Over the weekend I was covering some boxes with shelf liner...and guess what, the brand I used Magic Cover was very low tack...what does that remind you of?  Masking paper/tape/sticky notes perhaps?  YEP, I used shelf liner for my masking.  No sticky residue, the paper is very thin vinyl like and it peels up easily.

The sketch I chose was a  basic card shape with a rectangular image in the middle, and a sentiment banner across the interior rectangle.  The technique was masking and using multiple shades of ink.  

I actually have two cards...just to show you how your choices can really affect your card outcome even using a sketch.  My first one, I thought I could get a little creative. I decided the card should be shaped, I used a Spellbinders die, then I picked out 4 shadow ink colors from Hero Arts, a hydrangea stamp from Penny Black and a sentiment from Hero Arts.  I cut strips, masked off the interior space did my stamping, and here was my first attempt. 

I know its something that would take even a Mother a while to find something complimentary to say.  But that is okay, because I even laughed at it, and I tried again instead of becoming frustrated.  It wasn't the sketch, or the technique...but my color choices...hideous.

Card attempt 2, I added darker ink to the flower and used it for my background.  I chose a complimentary color (also in the flower image) which showed a lot of contrast for the banner sentiment.  

Once again, I am reminded that planning helps.  My most favorite cards have been fussed about, I've had a vision of them in my head. Time to get out of my fly-by-the-seat-of-my- pants style...save that for the timed challenges.  Thanks for stopping by.

 /\  /\
(=';'=)
(")_(")~~Cat

 

Well Soon

Almost the first week of January gone...51 to go. Yikes.  My nephew explained to me over the holidays why the years seem to go by so fast as we get older.  At 10 years old, 1 year equals 10% of your life...at 50, one year equals 2% of your life. That is about as good an explanation as I have heard yet.

My Dad isn't feeling well, he is down with a cold.  So I made him a card to cheer him up.  By the time it makes it to the west coast, I am hoping he is on the mend.

I made a shaped card using Spellbinders Reverse Wonky shape, it is just so much fun.  I cut two shapes out, then left one inside the die.  I first stamped Old Letter Writing on it in versa mark.  I waited for it to dry (but perhaps not quite long enough)  Then with the die still in place I added Antique Linen and Peeled Paint ink.  Then I cut out a small section from patterned paper much like the inking colors. I traced the inside of the die on the wrong side of the patterned paper, because I wanted that white edge all around the card.  Next I punched a border, also cutting the length on the inside border of the die. Next, I stamped the leaves and the sentiment.  I added ribbon to the patterned paper bit, adheared it to the card face, then added the edge punched strip.

Once the front was complete, I scored the second die cut and adhered it to the back of the front panel completing the card.



Thanks for stopping by.
 /\  /\
(=';'=)
(")_(")~~Cat


Ink: Distress(peeled paint, antique linen), versa mark, versa fine (onyx black)
Die: reverse wonky, Spellbinders
Stamp: all Hero Arts, CL574, S4878, F4321
Cardstock: DCVW
Patterned Paper: Sugar Rush
Fiber: Celebrate Ribbon
Card Size: 4.75 by 3 inches

Tic Tack Toe at Shopping Our Stash

Hi Everyone, I am back in California after having been in Maryland with hubs for the last 10 wonderful weeks.  California is a great place for me to shop my "stash" as most of my card-making items are here. 

I am again playing along with the Shopping our Stash challenge.  This week it is a tic-tac-toe challenge.

I chose to go with the far right column, embossing, flower, yellow.  I had a get well card to make and I think yellow is a happy color and will brighten the day of someone on the mend. 


I dry embossed the yellow panel, heat embossed both stamps, and colored with Copic markers.  I am including a shot of the interior as well. I used to neglect the interiors, but am trying to pay more attention to them now.  Thanks for stopping by!

 /\ /\

(=';'=)

(")_(")~~Cat