Love Frog

It's been three weeks since I last posted.  It seems like forever!  I was busy making cards for the #24 MIM challenge, and some goodies for my sister's birthday.  Accomplished what I wanted to do, but never took pictures.  What a bummer. Last week my sister, JoAnn,  & I flew to Arizonia  to surprise my other sister for her birthday.  (The birthday is actually tomorrow.  Happy Birthday, Vicky!)  Was she ever surprised!!!!  I wish I had taken a picture as she opened the door. We had a nice girls' weekend visiting Prescott, Jerome and Sedona.  I also had the opportunity to spend some time with my three neices who also live in Arizonia.  I got to meet Baby Liam (2 months old) and Thea (3 years old).  When I arrived home from Arizonia, my sister spent 2 days with me before heading home to Jersey.

Today I am back in my routine: spending time at the gym and in my craft room.  There's a story behind the card I created today. Back in April, I took one of my students to the Newport Aquarium in KY as she had expressed an interest in becoming a marine biologist. I had arranged for her to meet with the biologist.  She took her behind the scenes to get up close & personal with the penguins.  Meanwhile, I went exploring in the gift shop.  While browsing, a kid's purple tee shirt caught my eye.  (Purple is my granddaughter's favorite color)  It had a cute little frog on it with the vertical word:  Love.  Much to my disappointment, they did not have the tee shirt in my granddaughter's size.

I had just ordered Boy Basic: Frog Hop and thought I would use the tee shirt as an inspiration for a card.
Here's the card.  (I wish I had a picture of the tee shirt.  It was stinkin cute!)

I used dimensionals to raise the word Love.  I drew the two lines on the half & half banner.

To make the letters, I used a stamp from Boxes, Bags & Tags. I cut out the letters in the word love using the font from my Sizzlits.

After that I sponged a negative image for each letter.

Here is a close-up of the frog.  I used dimensionals to prop him up too!  Since I am new to coloring with Copics, I haven't nailed down the blending technique yet.

 I will probably give this card to my grandaughter on her first day of pre-school.
Thanks for bearing with me today as my post is lengthy.  Did I mention that  it's great to be back?


Supplies:
CS: white, purple, green (all from my stash)
Stamps:  Boy Basic: Frog Hop, Boxes, Bags & Tags, Half & Half
Dies: Boy Basic: Frog Hop, Half & Half
Misc: dimensionals, Copics

Dress Inspiration

     Lately, I have been trying to create cards based upon things I see.  There is a black & white dress I bought last summer that I absolutely love.  



It is so feminine with the flimsy ruffles on the bodice.

  



So here is the card I created.  I used the scallop from the building banner die to cut tissue paper to create the flimsy layered look.  I curled the edges slightly after I stamped it with the image. Part of me thinks there is something missing.  Perhaps a sentiment in the bottom right corner in fresh snow ink?  Let me know what you think.

 An unfocused close-up view of the top of the card.

Stamp:  Hero Arts Zinnia Bloom

Misc:  Tissue paper, Banner Builder die, Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, pearls

MIM Pocket Card with Edger Die

I just love the MIM technique that Nicole featured on her website this week.  I immediately knew I wanted to use  the #1 edgers die as well as Botanical Silhouettes.  Just had to figure out the color combination.  A couple of releases ago, Nicole had featured Sweet Blush with  Pure Poppy cardstock using Berry Sorbet ink.  I had loved the combination so much I wrote it down.

This is the card I made.  You can't see it, but I used the Linen Impression Plate on the red cardstock to add some texture.

 This is what the inside of the pocket card looks like.

A close up of the top of the card.



 

I wanted something dainty on top of the ribbon, so I used embroidery floss that matched the Red Poppy & Sweet Blush to make a small bow.  I fussy cut the medium size poppy to stick ontop of the bow.



Here they are together.



Thanks for looking.  I willupdate later with supply list.

MIM # 22 Multi-color stamping with Ink Refills

Nothing like waiting until the last minute to submit a card for MIM. It's not that I was really procrastinating, it's just my limited supply of reinkers was preventing me from attempting this challenge.  Most of my reinkers are browns, blacks, and goldtone.  I only had two colors that coordinated.  I also had no foam in my crafting supplies.  However, many moons ago I purchased a product to make one's own stamp pads.  After hunting it down I was able to make this card using Botanical Silhouettes, Happy Trails and the sentiment from Flower Fusion #3.  Believe me, the picture does not do this card justice.

After I finished this card, I remembered that I had some Adirondack alcohol inks. I chose the colors wild plum, cranberry, butterscotch and lettuce. These inks stained my stamp  really, really bad. The product I used as my stamp pad soaked up  the butterscotch and lettuce inks which resulted in an image containing only 2 colors.

 However,  I really liked how this image turned out.  It has more of a  "water color" look to it than the first card I attempted.  To finish the layout, I used a previous Make It Monday Challenge: Line Frame.  Three tiny butterflies, each containing a 2mm crystal completed the image.

Supplies: CS Hibiscus Burst, Plum Pudding, White
Stamps:  Botanical Silhouettes, Happy Trails, Flower Fusion #3, Life
Ink: Adirondack alcohol inks: wild plum, cranberry, Ranger distressed ink Peeled Paint, Hibiscus Burst
Misc: Martha Stewart butterfly punch, crystals, Nestabilitie Label, ribbon

Happy Anniversary!

Happy 7th Anniversary, Alycia & Mike. 
Seven years ago, my darling daughter married a wonderful man.  They now have 2 children: Olivia, 2 1/2 years and Lilly, 10 months.  Copper is the gift for the 7th year.  Keeping with this theme, I used some copper cardstock & ink when I cased Carly Robinson's card.

Here's a close-up of the flower panel.

 as well as the bottom right corner.  The sentiment is from Fillable Frames # 4 and the butterfly is from one of Martha Stewart's craft punches.

Here is the inside. I used my computer to write a message before I assembled the card.

Part of my gift is a gift card to a local restaurant.  Here is the gift card holder I made using the seed packet die and one of the Nestabilities labels. I sponged the little label with the copper ink to soften it. The ribbon is a metallic copper from my stash. 

I fussy cut one of the flowers and added a dimensional to serve as a closure.

 So they have a rememberance of their 7th anniversary, I purchased a copper butterfly stake for them to put in their garden.  I know my granddaughter, Olivia is going to like this since she is a fan of butterflies.  The only problem is, it is not purple; her favorite color.

Thanks for looking.

Supplies: CS: white, shimmery copper
Ink: Brilliance: Cosmic Copper
Stamps: Beautiful Blooms, Fillable Frames "4
Misc: metallic copper ribbon, pearls, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, dimensionals, computer font: TypoUpright BT, Nestabilities label # 14

Welcome Baby Liam

My neice was due to have her first baby on May 5th.  However, the little stinker decided to keep his mommy & daddy waiting for another 2.5 weeks.  Little Liam was born May 23rd.  This is the card I made.  The truck & sentiment is from Boy Basic: Truckin it. The pattern paper is from my stash which I am finally using.

A close up of the tag.

 I used copics to color the truck.  As you can see, my coloring skills are at a basic level.(Sorry for the blurriness; I'm still learning how to take pictures of my cards.)


Along with the card, I sent 3 onesies with stamped images from PTI.  When I saw Dawn McVey's Whale Wishes, I knew this would be a perfect image to stamp directly on a onesie.  The frog & truck were first stamped onto inkjet transfer paper which I colored using copics, then ironed onto the onsie using a dry setting.  Each sentiment was stamped directly onto the onsie. 

After rolling each onesie, I placed them in the plastic box that the PTI stamp sets arrive in.  I had meant to take a close-up shot of each onsie before packaging them, but in my rush to get them in the mail before I went out of town, I forgot.

An Apple for the Teacher

Today's card is one I made about a month ago.  In fact, I made two of these.  They were for some teachers who have retired after teaching for 35 years.  As a math coach, I had the pleasure of working with these two exceptional teachers.  Of course when one thinks of teachers, an apple comes to mind.  Using Fruit Fusion: Apple and the cane impression plate (one of my favorites), this is what I created.

I used dimensionals with 2 of the apples to give them depth.

I made a matching gift card holder using the seed packet die. As a closure, I die cut another apple, and adhered a dimensional to it. (forgot to take a picture of it)

The duo.  Now all I have to do is learn to take pictures without shadows.


Stamps:  Fruit Fusion "Apple
Ink:  Marvy Matchables: red, yellow green
Dies:  Fruit Fusion Apple; Seed Packet
Misc.: Red gingham ribbon, pure poppy button, dimensionals, twine