SSS88 & C4CC5 Challenges

This card is for the challenges over at The Sweet Stop and the Crazy 4 Cocoa Challenge Blog.  I used SSS88 for the sketch and the challenge on the Crazy 4 Cocoa Challenge Blog was to make a celebration card.  I apologize for the lighting.  The colors are much brighter in real life.

Supplies:
Card Base - Bazzill
Cardstock - Georgia Pacific & colorbok
Papers - Colorbok
Embellishment - Brads - MM
Ink/Pens - Memento Tuxedo Black (inside sentiment), Prismacolor pencils, Gelly Roll pen (clear star)
Tools - Nestabilities (Petite Ovals Large & Petite Scalloped Ovals Large), Cuttlebug embossing folder (Swiss Dot), Fiskars Border Punch
Stamps - Cheese Cocoa (Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps), Inside Sentiment - Studio G
Computer Font - Annie BTN

Tri-Shutter Card

When I saw a Tri-Shutter Card for the first time, I knew I wanted to make it for a special occasion.  What better time than for my husband's Christmas Card?  I found a tutorial for the Tri-Shutter Card in the resource tutorials over at Splitcoaststampers.  The step-by-step instructions made a card that looks complicated very easy to make.  I chose to decorate my panels the way Beate did in her video tutorial.  Cutting the layers to size was the most time-consuming part.

The poem on the front was a freebie I found on the internet at this site's Christmas Love Verses.  I printed the poem on regular copy paper and then attached a piece of pattern paper over the top.  I ran it back thru my printer so that the poem would be printed right on my patterned paper.  I inked the edges of all my patterned papers.

Supplies:
Cardstock - Bazzill
Papers - Basic Grey
Embellishments - Offray Ribbon, Basic Gray Pearls
Journaling Pen - SU
Ink - ColorBox Fluid Chalk
Tools - Nestabilties (Petite Scalloped Ovals Large, Petite Ovals Large), Fiskars border punch

Criss Cross Card

I found this Criss Cross card design on a browsing trip thru the resource tutorials over on Splitcoaststampers.  I thought it looked unique but not too difficult.  I decided to make a couple of them for Christmas cards this year.  Since I've now given them to the recipients, I can show them to you.  :)

Supplies:
CS - Bazzill & Georgia Pacific
Paper - Basic Grey
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, SU journaling pen
Stamp - Stampendous
Embellishments - Stickles, snowflake from stash, Marvy Circle Punch

Supplies:
CS - Bazzill & Georgia Pacific

Paper - Basic Grey
Embellishments -Offray Ribbon, Fiskars border punch, Marvy Circle Punch

Supplies:
CS - Bazzill & Georgia Pacific

Paper - Basic Grey
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, ColorBox Fluid Chalk
Stamp - Stampendous
Embellishments - Prima Flowers
Tools - Cuttlebug embossing folder (Iron Works), Marvy punches (circle & scalloped circle), MM Brad

Happy Anniversary

My husband and I celebrated our 26th anniversary yesterday.  He prefers my handmade cards over store-bought so, whenever possible, I make them for him.  For his anniversary card, I used this week's challenge sketch over at Crafting with Deedee's Digis.  Each Monday, Deedee posts a different challenge.  If you are new to digi stamps, she also has a "try before you buy" stamp you can download for free.  Here's the link so you can download your free digi heart stamp.  If you participate in the challenge, and use one of DeeDee's stamps, she'll send you this week's Dollar Digi for free!

I have some of her other digi stamps but this free stamp fit my need for a "romantic" stamp perfectly.

Instead of printing out the stamp and then coloring it like I usually do, I printed the stamp three times on regular copy paper and once on white cardstock.  I then took three small pieces of patterned paper and used a strip of adhesive at the top to cover where the stamps were printed on my copy paper.  Then I ran this sheet back thru my printer to print the stamps on my patterned paper.  If you try this, just make sure that the edge that goes into your printer first is the one that you adhere to the paper.  There's no need to adhere all 4 sides of the paper.

After printing the stamp on my patterned paper, I cut out & paper-pieced the image like you normally would adhering the pieces to the intact image on the white cardstock.  Then I used my nestabilities to cut out the image.  I embossed the image and sponged it with ink before removing it from the die.  I layered it on a piece of patterned paper that I cut with my lacey circle nestabilities.  I used a Gelly Roll Stardust pen to add a bit of sparkle to the heart "button" on the heart on the left.  I added some DMC floss and a brad to the heart on the right to mimic the design on the stamp.  Here's a close-up of that part of the card.

I printed my sentiment from my computer and die-cut, sponged & layered it like the focal image.  I popped both circles up on pop-dots.

I layered a piece of white cardstock on a piece of patterned paper for the inside of the card.  I used a punch to punch 3 hearts in a stripe of burgundy paper and adhered it to the top of the white cardstock.  I used my Gelly Roll pen to color in the hearts.  To spare you all the mushy stuff I'm just giving you a sneak peek at the interior of the card.  :)

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific
Patterned paper:  Basic Grey
Ink - SU
Stamp - Deedee's Digis
Embellishments - DMC floss, Brad from stash, Gelly Roll Pen
Tools - Nestabilities (Standard Circle Large, Lacey Circle), EK Success (heart punch)

Bo Bunny Noel (SSS86)

I bought Bo Bunny's Noel paper pack this year.  I am really loving the designs and colors.  I like traditional colors for Christmas.  This paper pack has darker shades of red  & green with navy & cream thrown in.  It's right up my alley!!  I've been using it a lot for simple gift tags but I have made a card or two with it.  I used this week's sketch from The Sweet Stop for the inspiration for this card.

I've decided I like decorating the inside of my cards too.  I think I'll do this more often.  I love the finished look.

Supplies:
Card base:  Bazzill
PP - Bo Bunny (Noel)
CS - Recollections
Stamps - Hampton Arts, Stampedous
Ink - VersaMark, Memento (Tuxedo Black), Dew Drop (Spanish Olive)
Embellishments - Stamp 'n Stuff EP (Midnight Black), Ribbon - Offray

SSS86 & C4CC2 - Cocoa Latte

A new challenge blog has been started in honor of Cocoa mouse from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.  It's called the Crazy 4 Cocoa Challenge Blog.  Even though I only have one Cocoa mouse image so far, I wanted to play along this week. This week's challenge was to use a Cocoa mouse image on a Christmas card. If we don't have a Christmas image, we were challenged to get creative.  My Cocoa Latte image isn't really a Christmas image but with a Merry Christmas stamp on the cup and Christmas papers, I think he'll do. I colored him in with Prisma Color pencils. I also enjoy playing along with the Sweet Stop Sketch challenges whenever I can.  So, this time, I combined both challenges in one card.

I chose to do a little decorating on the inside of this card.

Supplies
Card Base - Bazzill
Papers - BG Eskimo Kisses
White CS - Georgia Pacific
Stamps - Sweet 'n Sassy (Cocoa Latte digi image), SU (Merry Christmas), Stampendous (inside greeting)
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Embellishments - Brad - BG; Ribbon - Kaiser
Prisma Color Pencils

ETA: It made my day when this card was one of the ones featured on the Crazy 4 Cocoa Challenge blog.  I was so excited!!

Seagull Altered Notebook

Our daughter belongs to the Zeta Tau Omega society at her college.  Last week, she was elected president of the society for next semester.  I thought it would be a nice idea for her to have her presidential notes all in one place.  And what's a good crafty momma to do?  I decided to alter a notebook for her.  I went on her college's website and was able to find out her society's colors, motto, and Bible verse.  I already knew their mascot was the seagull.  I didn't want to spoil her surprise but she received the notebook in the mail today to I can show you now.  I apologize in advance for the lighting.  I was hurrying so that I could get it in the mail.

I stamped the navy cs with versamark ink and a swirl stamp to give the background some interest.  After printing the name of her society & their motto on white cardstock, I used a border punch on one edge.  I colored the loops gold.  I used a piece of thin gold ribbon from my stash on the edge next to the notebook rings. I printed the society's theme verse on white cardstock and cut it out & then matted it with my nestabilities dies.  I embossed both the verse and the mat and then highlighted the edge of the mat with my gold pen.  I used the same pen to color in the foam letters and to change my white brads to gold..  A seagull completes the front.

The notebook is divided into two sections by a set of pockets.  I used polka dot paper to spruce up the pockets.  I also used the same border punch and gold pen to add a little detail interest.  Another seagull adds the finishing touch.

I kept the back simple.  I just stamped the navy cardstock with versamark using the same swirl stamp. 

This is the first time I've used scortape when altering a notebook.  It made it so much easier.  I'll definitely be using it again!!

And yes, she's quite happy with her notebook.  It was fun to surprise her with something she likes so well.  :)

Supplies:
Cardstock - SU & Georgia Pacific
PP - Recollections
Ink - VersaMark
Stamp - Autumn Leaves
Computer Fonts - Lucinda Sans & Freehand591 BT
Seagulls - Jolee's
Letters - American Crafts Thickers
Embellishments: Ribbon - Misc from my stash, brads - Doodlebug
Tools - Sharpie poster paint pen (gold), Nestabilities, Fiskar's border punch

Sour Cream Container Frenzy

The Owl Sour Cream Container I made earlier was so easy to do that when my favorite customer asked for some small gifts, I couldn't resist using the technique again. They are sooooo easy for mass-production! Here is the link to the Sour Cream Container tutorial over at SCS.  I made mine smaller than the ones described in the tutorial.  My paper was 4" x 6".  I also used my score board instead of a crimper for the ends of each container.

Here are pics of my Christmas Sour Cream Containers.  Again, they are filled with M&M's.  I used Christmas colored ones this time.

Supplies:
Papers - BG - Eskimo Kisses
Stamp - SU
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Ribbon - Offray
Tools - Punches - Paper Studio, MS Score Board, Scor-Tape

Isaiah 40:31 - Masculine Encouragement Card

I wanted to make a card for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #67.  This week's challenge is to make a congratulation or encouragement card.

I find making masculine cards a bit more challenging than feminine ones.  However, I needed a masculine encouragement card this week so I used the sketch from The Sweet Stop SSS84 and some papers from Bo Bunny's Olivia line and came up with this one.

I stamped my verse with Memento tuxedo black ink on cream colored cardstock.  I cut it out & embossed it with a Nestabilities deckled rectangle die.  Before I removed the die, inked the edges and partially into the center with creamy brown fluid chalk.

I couldn't find a chipboard button in my stash the right size.  So, I used my 1" circle punch to punch several circles from scraps of kraft cardstock.  I also punch one circle from my stiped paper.  I ran all of them thru my xyron and stacked them on top of each other to make my "button." I inked the edges of my button (& the rest of my papers) with the same creamy brown fluid chalk.  I used my crop-a-dile to punch the holes in my button and tied hemp thru it.  I elevated my matted verse on pop-dots.

Supplies:
PP - Bo Bunny (Olivia)
CS - Recollections
Ink - Memento (tuxedo black), Color Box Fluid Chalk (creamy brown)
Stamp - Sweet 'n Sassy (Jesus Cares)
Hemp twine - Hobby Lobby
Tools - Cuttlebug, Nestabilities deckled rectangle die, crop-a-dile, Marvy punch