CASEplorations May

If you're looking for my mixed media projects today, they're here.

If you're looking for my Winnie & Walter April/May release projects, they're here.

Happy May Day! As you read this I am out doing our Three Tower Hike through our beautiful wine valley that is in full bloom right now. But it's CASEplorations time over at STAMPlorations today and that's why you're here. We've got a quiet beauty up for the CASEing this month , check out the DT's CASES here.

We're CASEing Kim Makortoff of Art Keeps Me Sane. You probably know her, maybe even from the STAMPlorations blog. Kim joins us frequently with her beautiful creations. Check out this beauty we've chosen to CASE. Isn't that white on kraft splendid?

Source: Kim Makortoff

On to my CASE. I've used kraft and white, the Mother's Day theme and some blooms... plus a little bit more for my card.

First I stamped three roses from Blossom Overture tone-in-tone along the edge of my kraft panel. I went a bit crazy with the Mother's Day card idea and created my own subway art sentiment (and heat embossed it in white) from Blossom Overture, Sentiment Builders: Thank You, City Girl, Sentiment Builders: Happy and Subway Art : Mom's the Word.

Added some stitching, Me and my Big Ideas PP and an enamel heart and voila! This is off to poor Mom who is having issues with her WiFi. And the problem is, neither she nor Dad (Dad conveniently keeps himself out of all technology-related issues) really have a clue about any of it. Gotta give 'em credit for "doing" iPads and Internet at all, I suppose.

I'm joining the Anything Goes mayhem at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge. Gotta give those gals credit. They are busy, busy, busy.

Remember, if you feel like CASEing this card, or any of the DT Inspiration Projects coming up during the month of May, you can hook up your creations here. We'd love to see what you come up with.

simply create too 65 (christmas in july)

 

It's Challenge #65 over at Simply Create Too and it's "Christmas in July". Actually not a bad time to start on your Christmas cards if you make them yourself!

I've got a non-card project for you. I'm calling it "The family tree garland". It's a pun. It's the family tree. And it's a garland. Here's what I mean...

I used a PP pack, die cut stars, scored them and turned them into "barn stars". Added a B/W photo backed with a circle of burlap and then strung them on some baker's twine through eyelets.

The cool factor here is that this could be the start of a great tradition.  In my garland, the first star is DS at Christmas 1996, then 1997, then DD Christmas 1998, then DS Christmas 1998 and so on. Add a star for each child in the family, each year, and you've got a great way to document the kids' growth and also a great home decor project for yourself or the grandparents.

Check out what the DT created (we're welcoming a few new creative ladies to the DT - yay!) and join us with your Christmas project. Then go have a cocktail by the pool ;)

Supplies for garland:

Paper:  PP me and my big ideas

Stamps: 

Ink : 

Tools: star die Sizzis, circle die MFT

Other: eyelets, baker's twine, photos

Pattern Play Day 1 revisited

The message on Day 1 of Pattern Play  was about combining PPs successfully on cards.  Jennifer M. was talking about how large patterns, especially on 12x12 sheets, can be very difficult to use on cards and she remarked that you could use a large pattern with an elegant bow and nothing more.  Light bulb moment for me.  I've got this pack of PP with ginormous patterns, so I pulled it out to make a dent in it.

I really truly wanted to use ribbon (I've got a stash of that too - need a class to figure out how to use it up!) but got stuck in my CAS mode and kept it just to paper.  On this last card you can see how the strip I'd cut my "m" from for the previous card caught my eye and made me change up my design a little.  The "m" is too far to the left, but oh well.  I've got me some note cards.  And actually three more purple versions...  And a teensy dent in my PP...

Thanks for looking.

Supplies notecards:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, white CS scrap, PP Me and my Big Ideas

Stamps: none!

Ink : gold

Tools: circle punch, die Memory Box

wedding bells all around

Thought I'd share a couple wedding cards with you that I have made.  Really makes me feel old when friends' kids start getting married!

This is by no means an original idea, but I thought it was cute.  Adhered PP to card front after wrapping a funky ribbon (the color looks gold but it's kind of an olive/gold) around it.  Die cut the hearts and turned them into the bride (jewels) and groom (bow tie).  Decided to package this one in a vellum envelope to let the beauty shine thru ;) so I embossed a sentiment on it too.

Then there was this one, made for a friend's grandson.

 Scored the front panel with diagonal lines, creating diamond pattern, then stamped the little heart in all the "Vs".  Die cut oval and stamped main image.  Colored little heart and added pearls and lace before attaching.

I didn't photograph it, but on the inside I attached a piece of white paper onto which I printed a faded image of my friend with her grandson when he was little.  She is holding him and they are both grinning from ear to ear.  On this she sheet of paper she wrote her greeting.  She loved the card.  Apparently he and his young bride did too.  I was a happy camper.

And a while back I made a few more cards and said I'd let you know which one my friend decided on.  She actually took two because there were two nephews getting married.  This one went to the one marrying a Mexican gal:

A focal image modeled with paper napkin layers on a foam stamp and some fun stitching, pearls and a homemade bloom.  And this one (blogged here) went to the nephew marrying a Belgian gal.

 Happy summer vacation. And summer weddings.

Supplies happily ever after:

Paper: CS American Crafts; PP me and my big ideas
Stamps: Hero Arts

Ink: Versafine

Tools:   die Sizzix, embossing folder Cuttlebug

Other: embossing powder, ribbon, bling

 

Supplies True Love:

Paper: CS American Crafts; Neenah
Stamps:   BoBunny

Ink: Cat's Eye; Versamagic , Versafine

Tools: score board, die Spellbinders

Other:  lace, pearls

 

april showers bring purple flowers (DIY embellies)

First off, a couple shots of the purple in my garden.  Bear with me, I'm only a wannabe photographer.  BTW, that yellowness behind the iris?  A healthy crop of dandelions.  One disadvantage to living across from an open field.  And one reason we laid sod instead of seeding our backyard last weekend!

Negrita

Queen of the Night

So, purple on the mind, I must admit this was too good to be true.  My last card was for DD's friend for her confirmation.  She informed me she needed another one for another girl in her class and this girl is "purple".  And gray.

 Just took my old design and the new challenge 129 at The Play Date Cafe.



What I love about this inspiration photo are the flowers at the bottom - straight from the farmer's market - and the boldness of the colors combined with the stark white in the top two photos.

So, I made flowers out of various purples combined with a lotta white.

Die cut the flower layers PP, recycled security envelopes and old dictionary.  Used a stylus to make a "bowl" in center of each layer. Used a scoring tool to curl some petal edges under. Inked edges. Assembled flower and added brad to center. Stamped large flourish on card base and added a die cut border strip to ground the embellies. Attached large flower with foam tape.

Punched a coordinating center for small flower and added girlfriend's initial to it. Added some shimmery watercolors to the butterfly colored with colored pencils and attached. Spritzed with some Perfect Pearls. Stamped the "glückwunsch" (congratulations) sentiment inside.

Catch the shimmer?

Because it's Anything Goes over at Simon Says Stamp, I'm going there.  This week there's even a chance to win some Paper Smooches stamps!

Thanks for your visit.  Hope your day's - purple!

Supplies glückwunsch:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, PP Me and my Big Ideas, recycled envelope, old dictionary

Stamps: flourish Rubbernecker, butterfly K and Co., sentiment Inkystamp
Ink: Distress Ink Ranger, gray Versacolor
Tools: flower die Sizzix, border die Spellbinders
Other: paper flowers Prima, brad, letter sticker