Cocoa's Thanks!

I needed to make a thank you card today so I took the chance to play along with a couple challenges.  After cropping the picture, I noticed that I really should have blended my coloring more.  Oops!  That's what I get for hurrying.  Oh, well....I'll try to do better next time. :(  I applied some coloring techniques I found on Korin's blog, Rejoicing Every Moment.  She did a couple great video tutorials on coloring with copics. I use prismacolor pencils but some of the shading techniques still work.  Obviously, I'm still working on them. Anyway, you can watch Part One and Part Two on her blog.

I used this week's Sweet Stop Sketch (SSS90) for the design and I'm also entering it in the Crazy 4 Cocoa Challenge (C4CC6).  For C4CC6 we're to make a card that shows a New Year's resolution.  I want to express my gratitude more often this year.  I need to send more thank you cards and just remember to say "thank you" more often.

Supplies:
Card base - Bazzill
Cardstock - Georgia Pacific, Core'dinations
Papers - BG (Sultry)
Stamp - Sweet 'n Sassy (Cocoa;s Latte), Impression Obsession (thanks!)
Ink - Memento (Tuxedo Black) 
Prismacolor pencils
Embellishments - Ribbon (Misc from stash), flower (Bazzill), Brad (MM)

Slit Latch Gift Card Holder

When I saw this tutorial for a Slit Latch Gift Card Holder over at Splitcoaststampers, I knew I wanted to give it a try.  It was as easy as the directions made it sound and I'm sure I'll be making more.  Actually, I have another one half-made already.  :)  It qualifies for the Something New Plus Ribbon challenge on the Really Reasonable Ribbon blog since I used my new nesties, a new technique, and more of my new papers.

Supplies:
Cardstock - Georgia Pacific, Bazzill
Papers - American Crafts
Stamps - Sweet 'n Sassy
Inks - Colorbox Fluid Chalk, Memento Tuxedo Black
Embellishments - Offray Ribbon, Prismacolor pencils
Tools - Spellbinders Nestabilities (Lacey Circles, Standard Circles Large)

SSS89, RRR Challenge #15 & Project Photography

I used this week's sketch at The Sweet Stop for this card.  Using circles on cards is still a bit of a challenge for me.  I'm hoping the two sets of circles nesties my husband got me for Christmas will help make this easier. Using the new nesties ties into Challenge #15 on Really Reasonable Ribbon blog.  That challenge has you using something new plus ribbon on a project. I also used some new (to me) papers.

I punched out & hand-cut a couple of the flowers in the paper to make my own flower embellishments.

I also decorated the inside this time and added a verse stamp.  This card is headed tomorrow to a friend that's facing a tough week.

Supplies:
Cardstock - Georgia Pacific, Bazzill
Papers - American Crafts
Brads - MM
Ribbon - Michael's
Stamp - Stampendous (card front), Sweet 'n Sassy (inside verse)
Tools - Spellbinders Lacey Circles, Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder, Fiskars border punch, Paper Studio circle punches
Ink - Colorbox Fluid Chalk, Memento Tuxedo Black, CM journaling pen, Gelly Roll Clear Star pen

The heart isn't really gray.  I used a Gelly Roll pen to add a little sparkle and it photographed gray.  :(  I sure wish sparkle wasn't so hard to photograph.  Speaking of photographing....I tried a new set-up to get better lighting.  I followed some tips Patter Cross had on her blog Triple the Scraps in a post from Feb. 2009, Photographing Projects, to set up my "studio."  In my case, I took a white blanket, spread it over the back of the couch & a photo box (for height).  It's the closest I could get to natural light today since it's raining here.  Our daughter's cat thinks the back of the couch is his domain so he was my supervisor.  I couldn't resist sharing this picture of him observing {& patiently waiting to get his perch back} with you since he's looking so handsome.  :)

Co-Worker Gifts

Here are the last of my Christmas projects that I have to show you....I think.  *smile*  I made these for my co-workers.

The first is a card that has a pocket for a gift card and another pocket for a note.  I found this Double Pocket Card tutorial over on Splitcoaststampers.  It was so easy to make a great way to give a gift card.  I pierced the edges of my papers and also inked them.  Since this one was for a male co-worker, I used twine instead of ribbon.  :)  This card is a great way to use some of your scraps.

Supplies:
Cardstock - Bazzill & Georia Pacific
Papers & Cardstock stickers - Bo Bunny (Noel)
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, ColorBox Fluid Chalk
Stamp - SU
Misc. Twine

The next project is for a fellow card-maker.  I altered a clear paint pail and then filled it with scrappy goodies.

Supplies:
Cardstock - SU
Papers - Bo Bunny (Olivia)
Ink - Studio G
Stamp - Studio G
Embellishments - Ranger Ultra Thick EP, Recollections Pearls, Offray Ribbon
Tools - Cricut (flowers & circle for lid), Nestabilities (Petite Oval & Petite Scalloped Oval), Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Fiskars border punch

C4CC5 Challenge & CPS Year In Review

My first post for 2011!  Happy New Year everyone.  May each of us resolve to serve the Lord more faithfully this year.

Here is another card with the Celebration theme for the Crazy 4 Cocoa Challenge.  This week's Card Positioning System challenge was a Year in Review (use any sketch from 2010).  I chose sketch CPS166.

I just realized I forgot to take a picture of the inside.  I'll try to remedy that later today and add the pic to this post.

Supplies:
Cardstock - Georgia Pacific
Papers - Colorbok
Embellishments - Brad (MM), Ribbon (Michael's)
Ink/Pencils - Memento Tuxedo Black (inside sentiment), Prismacolor pencils
Stamp - Cocoa's Gift (Sweet 'n Sassy), Inside Sentiment (Studio G)
Tools - Nestabilities (Standard Circle Large, Lacey Circles)
Computer font - Annie BTN

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