Ghostly Greetings

Today at Just Us Girls we are having a technique challenge. My personal favorite type of challenge. The challenge is based on this video by Jennifer Maguire called Die Cut Inlays. It seems a bit complicated but it doesn't have to be and you get two cards for the price of one- always a beautiful thing! As you can see from my cards, I went all out and instead of strips of paper, I did chevron strips.

Here is the video so you can join in the fun and challenge yourself!

An easier version of this card is just to create your own striped paper with markers and do the same technique.

Please join us in the fun over at JUGS!

Senior Card Fun

Today was my Holiday Card Making class at New Horizon's Center for Seniors. The weather was pretty yucky, cold and rainy, so there were some folks who couldn't make it, but those that did had a great time. 

This was the first time these two ladies ever stamped. Look at that concentration. The 2 cards above were theirs. They did such a good job, that I had to show case their work. Excellent beginner's work don't you think?

Carolyn worked on her layout till it was just right.

Here is one who I definitely sucked into the stamping cult- Annmarie is adding just a little(??) more glitter to her cards!

The two hours flew by and everyone went home with 2 great holiday cards!

Give Thanks

More Thanksgiving Cards when we are having an Indian summer. The sky is a brilliant blue and the sun is shining warmly in the 80's. 

Over at Try Stampin' on Tuesday the theme for our sketch this week is "Give Thanks". I wanted to do a bit of a spin on the sketch, so the I die cut the circle to create a window. I created a "floating element".

I used my favorite Thanksgiving set from Amuse- Bounty of the Season. I use it quite a bit. And because I just finished the Online card class, Insider, I decided to finish the inside of my card. The sentiment was strategically placed behind the sentiment on the front of the card.

I hope you join us with your own creations at Try Stampin' On Tuesday.

Apple of my eye (2nd post of the day)

When I awoke this morning, the sky were gray and it looks like rain for the first time in about 2 weeks. I am OK with that, I like rainy days. Rainy days are good days to curl up with a book, cook a pot of soup, bake a sweet dessert and of course spend time in my studio!

CAS(E) this sketch has the best sketches. They are always clean and simple. But that can be difficult, creating a CAS card that is striking and effective. I thought a lot about this weeks sketch and tried out a variety of ideas. Finally, I just put the whole thing aside and went to bed. I don't know if you are like me, but the best idea came to me while I was sleeping. 

I grabbed my new set from Papertrey Ink's Fruit Fusion Apple, that hasn't seen any ink yet and I was off and inkin' and stampin'!!

The card was everything I wanted, that the other 6 rejects weren't! So I can submit this to CAS(E) this sketch with my head held high!

Being as I am still celebrating World Card Making Day, I am giving this to my DH, just because.

Have a great week everyone!

Be sure to check out my first post today!

 

Serendipity

Serendipty- a "happy accident" a "fortunate mistake". That is this card. I was going for a card using this Spellbinders labels 25 die, but it just wasn't working out, so I put the card base off to side. 

A few days later, I came came back to it and just stared at it for awhile and it came to me, that it reminded me of a grave stone.  I trimmed off the bottom and sponged in the back ground color and the rest is history. I used a bunch of stamps and dies. The base grave stone lets your imagination run wild.

I am entering this at the the Curtain Call. They are looking for a spooky scene.

At CAS on Sunday they are looking for shaped cards. It isn't my most CAS card, but it definitely has a shape!

At the Friday Mashup they are looking for cards with either torn paper or fussy cutting. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to fussy cut. I find it very zen to just sit and cut things out. I must be crazy huh?

I hope you enjoyed World Card Making Day yesterday like I did!

Exciting News and Happy World Card Making Day!

First off Happy World Card Making Day everyone!! Isn't it great that card makers have their own special day! I hope you all get to spend some time creating today. This is such a big day at my house. I even get flowers from my husband! 

Now the exciting news! I have been invited to join the Just Us Girls Challenge Blog design team!! Every Saturday they have a different challenge. Here is the monthly schedule:

 Week 1: Sketch

        Week 2: Technique

Week 3: Color

                  Week 4: Photo Inspiration

        Week 5: Wild Card

This week is a sketch challenge. I took a few liberties with the sketch. I hope I don't get booted off the team for bucking the system right from the start. There is a reason for my madness, that I hope will put me back in my teams good graces.

It seems a wee birdie told me it is Just Us Girls (JUGS for those in the know:)) 4th birthday. So for my first challenge card, I knew it had to be a birthday card and I had to have 4 macaroons. One for each year! Am I forgiven girls? 

I used a great set from Avery Elle called Bonjour. Oh the possibilities!

This card features some tips and techniques that i find myself using over and over again. Have you ever pulled a sentiment from your stash, to find it does't fit the space you have? If you have acrylic stamps, do what I do. Just carefully cut up the sentiments into individual words and rearrange them to fit your card. I have been doing this for years. it makes your sentiments much more versatile.

Here is the original saying. (sorry for bad photo.)

Here it is cut up. as you can see from my card, I made the saying into one line.

My technique is making your own baker's twine. How often do you make a card and you don't have any twine to match your card? This used to happen to me all the time. I adapted this technique to make my own from this video.

  

I start with plain baker's twine and a piece of chipboard 3 inches wide. The length doesn't matter.  I put a notch at the beginning and the end to hold the twine and I wrap it around the chip board.

Next using any kind of permanent marker, color diagonal stripes over the twine. put on several layers of 

color, make sure you cover both sides of the chipboard.

Unwrap the twine and you have your own custom baker's twine.

Please join us at JUGS to celebrate their birthday and World Card Making Day! Our sponsor this week is A Walk Down Memory Lane. they will be offering a $15.00 gift certificate.

Mum's the word.

I am beginning to sense a theme with our photo challenges at House of Cards. Each photo is a table setting. Have you noticed that? See the last photo challenge. This photo features a fall table setting. I have been hot on the autumn cards. Loving the warm oranges, yellows and reds with hints of brown.

But as you know, photo challenges really stress me out. Can you tell by the state of my desk!

I decided to focus on one aspect of the photo and that was the quilted tablecloth. I created that look using a striped embossing folder and then using the grid technique I created the quilting. lastly I colored the stripes with a copic marker. The vase of mum's is from Papertrey Ink's Autumn Abundance stamp set, which I colored with copic markers too.

I made this card with a darker yellow background and a lighter yellow background. I couldn't decide which I wanted to feature for the challenge, so I had my biggest critic pick which one he liked best. George, my DH chose the brighter one. Which one do you like?

I can't wait to see how all of you interpret the photo challenge. Please join the fun at House of Cards.