Carnations

Hi All, 
I have added a follow with FEEDLY button to my sidebar, incase you are waiting to the last minute to decide on your blog feed reader.  I have been using both Feedly and Bloglovin for the last few months.  I use Feedly most, because it works well on both my PC and my IPAD. So goodbye Google reader, hello Feedly.  On to my post.Its a bit wordy...hard to tell a short story.

Hubs and I have interesting road trips, in the sense that rarely do things go as planned. Last fall we went to Lancaster County in PA for a few days, hubs drove and I navigated. 

I love my techy toys and had just upgraded my Iphone. Well the maps were not exactly relliable after that upgrade...something hubs and I found out first hand on unfamiliar roads. When we got home and heard the news that there was a problem with Apple's maps app...we laughed, that explained a lot.  So glad we also keep a road atlas in the vehicle.

So we actually got up by 10 (which for us is the middle of the night...yes we live in EDT, but our reality is Night Owls in the PDT). We are on our way and have made our first stop at a farmers market for some fresh produce, and hubs asks what the name of the craft store I wanted to see in Great Mills, and its address.  Well, I did no research it was too darned early in the morning for me to think...So I told him I have no clue what its called or the address, it is supposed to be in THE MILL.  Hubs being the good sport he is...said ok...

We drive to Great Mills, and of course there is NO MILL in sight, its a tiny tiny town.  So we look about a bit, and hubs decided we will just turn around and go find some lunch. As he is driving to find a suitable turning spot, I vaguely see through the trees a big wooden building and can make out just barely ILL...Excitedly I tell hubs we have to go investigate.  Around the next bend is an old mill, in Cecil Mills. It has a road, a small 2 store strip on one side and the mill across the road on the other side. We check out the store first, lots of art, antiques, and do dads.  We found an art piece we both loved for the house, but decided to check out the mill before committing to a purchase. We enter together, and hubs turns left, me to the right...about 10 steps later I am in the PAPER CRAFTING section. YAHOOOO, Success...  I picked up some stamps, some glue, some paper, and a few embellishments. Prices were great, too bad most of my craft budget was already spent for the month.

So, now that you have patiently slogged through my story, here are two cards I made using one of the stamps I picked up. It is Cling Carnation CRP186. 

 

 I made this for my monthly card exchange with a card making friend in California. I colored it with Spectrum Noir markers, added the bow from Jolee's and some MS Pearls. I matted with papers from Jennifer Ellory, and Bazzill Dotted Swiss, all mounted on a kraft card base.

This card was made for Deborah's Card Chain Challenge for the Month of June. I went with the colors, a first time for me. The colors were Lavender Rose, Malibu Blue, and Frosted Mint.  The carnations were colored again with Spectrum Noir markers, centers highlighted with a bit of cotton candy stickles, then fussy cut for mounting, pearls by MS, oval dies by Spellbinders, banner and sentiment by Simon Says Stamp, background lattice stamp by Hero Arts. Papers by Recollections. This card is being sent to Alaska.

Thanks so much for taking a look. Have a wonderful day.

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

Purple

Hello, thanks for stopping by. A former colleague and friend of mine is having a birthday. Her favorite color is purple, so  I made her a few cards to have on hand and a birthday card, all featuring PURPLE.

I have been wanting this Avery Elle stamp set for what seems like a long time, I finally ordered it and now it's getting kinked up. I used HA Neon Purple Ink, and HA Passion Flower Shadow Ink to stamp the front and the round sentiment window. I used Very Vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up, and some lavender from Recollections. The ribbon is from Ellen Hutson, and the pearls by MS.  The embossing folder is from Sizzix- Circles and Dots set. 

The card set has 4 cards, all the same design with 2 sentiments. The sentiment stamps and banner die are from Simon Says Stamp (Tilted Banners, Tilted Banner Sayings), the image stamp is from Stampin' Up,  the Embossing folder is from the Lifestyle Crafts Whimsy set. The ribbon from Ellen Hutson, and the window opening was cut with a Spellbinders Die, the circle with a Sizzix die.

Happy Birthday Ms. Michele!

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(=';'=)
(")_(")~

Pearls

Happy Friday, thanks for visiting. My California card making friend is having a birthday today. We exchange cards each month, and hers are STUNNING. They are detailed and perfect, wonderfully embellished and just a joy to look at. 

So I stepped way out of my comfort zone to make her birthday card. I used pearls, I have a lot of them, but I never know where to put them, they always seem to look out of place. This time I used the die cut as a guide and the stamp as well.

 I used intricate spellbinder dies, ribbon, pearls, and a new stamp from DeNami designs ( I recently won a prize during their blog hop!) I decided not to color the stamp but just embellish it with pearls because so much was going on already. The papers are from Lilly Bimble, Stampin Up, and Recollections.The bow is snug hug seam binding. The sentiment stamp is from Lily of the Valley. I used Versa Fine ink in Vintage Sepia.


Happy birthday Bobbie!

Thanks for taking a look!

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

Makeover C

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I have not had card mojo lately. Not sure why, but I have worked on a couple of other things. When I decided to add some crafting space to my east coast residence, I had gotten a wooden letter "C" and decorated it, without a plan, a sketch, or even a clue...I just wanted something bright and happy. Its been up on the wall above my work space about a year and a half.  I decided while in the middle of an online poker tournament that it needed a makeover.   Here is the before shot:

I am not much good at waiting once I decide something. Down it came and I tore everything off of the letter down to the paper layer, I scraped off glue dots, and got it as flat as I could make it.  

I used some yellow paper from Stampin Up and recovered that C. I trimmed the edges, filed them down with an emery-board, and inked the edges with Antique Linnen distress ink. Now I had a blank slate.  I got out my Hero Arts Typewritten Letters, and began to place letters along the edge. I placed them until I had no more letters, then stamped them with Versafine Vintage Sepia. I cleaned the letters and continued with my placement and stamping until it was done.  

The periods were tricky, I had to use an exclamation point, and make sure the dash got no ink.  I added some recollection flowers, because I love flowers, and put pearls in the center to finish them off.  And here you have it my new "C".  Much improved I think, though hubs misses the greens and blues.

Have a good week!

 /\  /\

(=';'=)

(")_(")~~Cat

Tiles?

Hi, I am so excited about this project. It's not a card.  Back in January I started out with big plans to change out my six slot photo tray each month, and I kept it up for about 3 months...you can see the posts here and here.  But sadly my tray has been neglected since April, I took the March items out and simply had no idea where to go next, so empty it sat. 

Today, rather yesterday (it's about 2:30 am EDT on Sunday) I watched Julie E's video over on YouTube on Die Cut Impression Embossing. She made the CUTEST tile. I LOVED it.  You can watch the video at YouTube, just type in Die-cut impression embossing.  It is so easy to follow, I encourage you to watch it. It involves some masking, making an impression with your die, some inking, and lots of heat embossing.

The project called for Inchie Art Squares, I have no clue what they are...but I did have some thick chipboard, which I covered with white cardstock, and I went to work.  I made one following her directions, and was so happy with the out come I made 2 more.  After making dinner, I decided I needed 3 more tiles and I would fill my long neglected photo tray with the tiles. Not month specific, but ART to look at and enjoy until I get tired of it. (like that is going to happen, these tiles are so darned cute.) 

First pictures of the individual tiles, then a shot of them in their new home...I found some blue wood grained paper (on the B side of a sheet I had purchased for the floral pattern) for a background. Sounds odd I know, but it looks perfect to me.

Thanks for indulging me, have a wonderful day.

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

Supplies:

Chipboard, glue, white cardstock, dies (memory box, my favorite things, and hero arts) stamps (hero arts)

Inks(versamark, Brilliance (gold, perlescents(poppy, coral, blue sky, lime green) versafine (onyx black)) 

Embossing powder-Detail Clear Hampton Art and embossing enamel-Stupendous Clear, Masking Paper, 

Patterned paper (My Little Shoebox)