Wednesday, September 25, 2013

More Birds!



I apologize for posting more birds, and promise that this will be the last one (for a while!).  It's not as if I don't have a multitude of other stamps to choose from,  but it just dawned on me why I might have been obsessed with the birds and/or the sad "miss you" cards lately.  As the weather cools off and I look at the calendar and glance around my craft room, I realize that that this painting I have hanging prominently in the wall in front of my work space is a daily reminder of my Dad and his creative artwork.  He would have turned 83 this October 1st if he hadn't had a stroke two years ago this month . . . so it seems my melancholy cards of late have served as something of craft therapy for me!  I made different versions of the bird cards to send my Mom, sister and brother, thinking that they are likely remembering and missing Dad, too.  His birthday was such a big deal to him, it will always be a significant date on my calendar, too.  

Supplies used:  Stampin' Up For the Birds, Square Lattice embossing folder, sentiment (from some old SU! set?), Soft Suede, Naturals White, Baja Breeze cardstock, Pumpkin Pie for his beak and Ruby red for the heart, Creamy Caramel ink for his nest, Comfort Café DSP, Finishing Touches Edgelits plus Paper Studio mini metallic brads.

Here's my inspiration, a painting my Dad made decades ago which he called "Two More Birds"

 
I pledge to come up with something bright and cheerful next time, which is much more along the lines of what my Dad would have created!   Meanwhile, thanks for letting me share.  I expect I'm not the only one who finds healing through making cards to share our love with and for others.


Friday, September 20, 2013

Feeling Blue


I recently made another card with  Stampin' Up's  For the Birds, but when I was trying to decide what to do with Operation Write Home's Sketch Challenge #190 this week, these materials were  still handy!  So, I changed the color scheme to include SU's Baja Breeze, stamped the bird on colored cardstock instead of trying to color him in, paper pieced his wing for a little added dimension and finished the card with Soft Suede and Crumb Cake cardstock, used Cuttlebug Oriental Weave as my embossing folder, a sentiment from There She Goes Penguin Love, and hearts from Cricut Doodlecharms.  The adhesive securing the burlap doesn't stand out that much in person, but it bugs me that it's so obvious in the photo . . . C'est la vie!


This card, though obviously not blue, also seemed appropriate for a missing you card as I made it. I actually found the cute little panda (A Muse Artstamps) in my stash of already stamped (but abandoned) images and decided he needed a home!  I got out my Embossing Arts Co Bamboo stamp, some Gumball Green ink and cardstock, Cuttlebug Oriental Bamboo embossing folder,  and, voilà! he had somewhere to belong -and yet he looked so lonely . . . so I added the sentiment from There She Goes Penguin Love with the SU! word window and modern label punches along with a couple teeny tiny brads and dimensionals.  I hope at least the bright green will cheer someone up and give the little panda company wherever he's sent . . .

Monday, September 16, 2013

Time on my hands



 This past weekend, I had some time on my hands but lacked inspiration, so I went to Pinterest for ideas!  I love my Paper Trey Ink Hands of Time stamp set (and coordinating dies), but wanted to do something different than using a clock as my focal point.  Paper, Scissors and Superheroes came to my rescue!  I only tweaked Betsy Veldman's design a little bit since I loved her original so much!  Thank you for posting this great card, Betsy!  I used Stampin' Up papers and inks, Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, Marina Mist and Chocolate Chip, plus a generic brass brad and some Versamark on a naturals white card base. 

Friday, September 13, 2013

Happy Birthday, OWH!



Happy Birthday, Operation Write Home! 

I followed sketch 189 as suggested this week, pulling out some pattern papers (that I typically use on scrapbook pages but rarely incorporate in my cards).  I think this paper originated in my Stampin' Up Simply Scrappin' Crew Kids-Boy DSP.  I also used SU! Basic Gray and Old Olive cardstock and ink.  The butterfly is from SU! Papillon Potpourri and the sentiment is a partial from Happiest Birthday wishes (I don't use the "dear you").  The Grass Lines come from Rubber Soul. 



Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Masking Tape Block Stamping Technique

It took me some time to decide what to create with Operation Write Home's Labor Day Weekend VCMP (Virtual Card Making Party) Challenge #5.  The technique was a fun and easy one to try, I just didn't have a large enough acrylic block to do a larger background, so mine is a small illustration of the technique.  I used an old favorite, my Stampin' Up Fishy Friends along with a simple greeting from Stampabilities Paper Studio, Cuttlebug Wedding Suite embossing folder and some SU! subtle (so saffron) candy dots, Bashful Blue, Marina Mist and So Saffron cardstock, and Marina Mist ink.

Monday, September 2, 2013

For the 4th challenge in the OWH Labor Day weekend VCMP, Annette challenged card makers to use a specific sketch and create a "love' card, one that is versatile for any occasion.  I used Stampin' Up's For the Birds with a sentiment from SU! Monkey Business, crumb cake, cherry cobbler and soft suede cardstock, a woodgrain embossing folder from the Paper Studio, and a piece of burlap from my sister (I think it adds to the nest-y look)!