My First Clear Card

I would like to welcome 'the little princess' to my blog family.  I met her through storylane.com where we have been enjoying each other's stories.  She has another blog that I think you will be especially interested in if you are looking for creative inspiration.  Check out a splash of colour to see her beautiful Rangoli (an Indian folk art) designs - you will be impressed!!

I made today's card to mark two special events.  The first was Dawn's birthday.  Dawn is a new friend that I have met through Close to My Heart.  She lives in my subdivision, so I am hoping that we will be seeing a lot more of each other.  She has already helped me out a couple of times when I was in desperate need of red sparkles and specific colors of card stock.  She made it on the birthday list!!  The birthday list guarantees that I will make you a card.  It turns out that it doesn't guarantee that it will be on time!!

Secondly, Dawn's artwork is currently in the spotlight on Jeanette Lynton's (CEO of Close to My Heart) blog.  This is a huge honor and Dawn really deserves it.  Everything that she makes is beautifully done.

To make my combination Birthday - Congratulations card, I wanted to use the Clementine paper because that was what Dawn used for her projects.  I have been shying away from making a clear card because I'm still trying to understand how best to take advantage of it's unique properties.  I give myself a B- on my use of the clear card, but I am happy with it, and I really enjoyed making it.

This design is based on Sketch #184 from The Sweet Spot Sketch Challenge Blog.  It's a fun sketch and it looks like this:

My blog was completely finished and something happened.  I am trying to reconstruct it, but I have no idea what I wrote here!!  I am sure it was extremely clever...  Oh, I think it was that I probably could have photographed this card better to show that it is see-through, but I was mostly concerned with keeping my reflection out of the photo. Darn.  Not so clever after all.

Now for the reveal.  I have to retake this photo because it is supposed to say 'Dawn' on the upper left-hand side.  I am very pleased with the sentiment.  It's perfect for both Birthday and Congratulations:  "May This Be Your Grandest Year Yet!'

I thought balloons were appropriately festive, so I printed them on the reverse of the seasonal circles.

CONGRATULATIONS DAWN & HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY!!

Enjoy.

Annie Loves Halloween

Annie loves Halloween.  It might have something to do with the fact that it's her birthday!!  Of course, she also has a big personality, so dressing up and having everyone over for a big costume party would probably be happening anyway!!

Who's Annie?  Everyone knows Annie?!!  She teaches my parents' water aerobics class!!

Annie is a wonder, and this group is like a family now.  They range in age from (I'm guessing,)  35 to 87 (I happen to be sure of the 87 - I won't say why ;)  The core group goes out for coffee after every class, twice a week, and also celebrates everyone's birthday (either at coffee or at a restaurant, depending on the birthday person's availability!!)  I have gotten to know most of them, and wish I lived closer so that I could be a regular!!

Here's my Halloween/Birthday card for Annie:

This was my first time using tulle.  It turns out that it doesn't stick to Tombow adhesive at all!!  I decided to try Liquid Glass, but I didn't want to get my fingers stuck in it, so I used a bit of scrap paper (pretty scrap paper in this case) to secure it:

How would you have secured this tulle?

I wanted the black tulle curtain to come together a bit under my little Vaudeville sign. So when I placed the foam adhesive tape, I just left space in the center, like so:

"Best Witches" came from the zip strip that runs along the top of one of the sheets of paper in the Moonlight Pack that I was using.  It's just an extra little bonus!!

Front of envelope and back of card:

I have used the Moonlight paper for everything except Halloween, so I thought I should make a few more cards.  I don't know if it shows up in the photo, but the sign reads "Beware."  I added tiny red sparkles to the ghosts eyes, so that it would be just a tiny bit creepy.

Inside of ghost card:

Tom really liked this and felt it needed a watermark!!

For all of the characters, I stamped them on the light paper that came in the Moonlight Kit.  It is a sort of Colonial White softly sponged in Goldenrod, Smokey Plum, and Slate. I have a real thing for this paper!!  I am going to have to try to make it myself!!

Lastly, with the stamps that came from the Workshop on the Go kit, I made this one:

Ghost and Mummy received spiders on back; Vampire got a bat.

I decided to enter the Mummy card in the Heart 2 Heart challenge blog for the Halloween or Pumpkin Challenge.  It is a wonderful challenge blog with a truly amazing group of creative artists.  Bwaaahaaahaaa!

Bea is Turning 100!

Where does the time go?  When you are four, it takes forever for your birthday to come around because a year is one fourth of your life.  As we age, the years go faster and faster.  I wonder if it ever seems to even out a bit.

 I guess I should ask Bea - because she is going to be 100 next month, so I figure that she must have a lot of the answers!!

Here's my card for her one hundredth birthday.  It has a little interactive element on the cover:

Now for the inside of the card (in case you haven't guessed it already):

I thought that I would add this card to the Birthdays by the Numbers challenge over at Heart 2 Heart because I did tell them that I was going to try to get this card done in time to enter it - and here it is!!

My parents are friends with Bea in Fargo, North Dakota, where she is quite the celebrity.  They sent me photos to use on her card, but I decided to make her a little keepsake with the photos, so you will have to wait a couple of days to see what that is. Don't worry, Mom and Dad, I am using the photos!!

Bea is an inspirational woman.  If you would like to be inspired you can read an article about her and watch a short television broadcast.  It's amazing what 100 can look like!!  Just take a few minutes...
http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/375117/

Jay's Fire Dog Card

Some of you know what to expect from today's card!!  Yesterday, I took a dog stamp and altered it into a dachshund, and then for this card I used the original dog, added spots and a fire helmet.  I first dressed my monkey for my Talk to a Pirate Day post, since then I have been thinking about dressing other stamps, but this is my first attempt since then:

This card is based on Sketch #57 by Freshly Made Sketches.

It's fun to play along with the Freshly Made Sketch Challenges.  Check out the other cards!!

I'm trying to hurry to get this up on my blog and I'm not giving Jay his props!!  He is my husband's cousin's husband, but I claim him as one of my cousins because he's cool. Jay used to have the coolest hair, but like most of us, it's just a memory (he shaves his head - not bald, but pretty short, maybe it's a fire fighter thing!!)

Jay is the Fire Chief of his town in New Hampshire.  He is Chief Lord - and as my son Will says, "That's a great name!!"  He's a great guy and we don't get to visit with him and his family often enough.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAY!!  Have a great day.  Wishing you a wonderful year!!

Love from all of us,  Drew, Karen, Lisa, Will and Tom

I've got to run off and work on the Scholastic Workshop on the Go Kit at Carolyn's house.  Don't want to be late!!  ;)

Rob's Dachshund Card

I'd like to welcome Maureen from Let's Give Them Something to Scrap About to my blog Family.  That's the best blog name ever, and she does beautiful work.  Also, Bonnie from Stony Stitches is doing beautiful things with needlework on cards.  Lastly (yes, three new people!!  I am SO excited - it's like Christmas!!), Linda Suarez from Lucky Dog Stamper, welcome, welcome,welcome.  Go check her out.  She has some fantastic cards.  I have found a lot of inspiration!!!

My nephew is going to be 31.  He's my first nephew so I have a vivid memory of everything.  I remember telling my boyfriend Andy, as he walked me to my dorm at Purdue, that my big brother and his wife (really, she did all of the work!!) had just had their first child, and his name was Bobby!!  THIRTY ONE YEARS AGO!!  31  Can that possibly be?  That means that I am FIFTY ONE!!  51

OK, I'm over it now, on to the card...
"Bobby-Bob-Robert-Rob," I call him that sometimes, because that is the evolution of his name, has four dachshunds, with his wife Kim.  (Not triathlon Kim, we have a lot of repeated names in our family, so don't even try!!)

I have only one dog stamp with floppy ears, and it's not a dachshund.  Here is my comical alteration of my stamp. Yes, acrylic stamps ARE stretchy, but that is not how I did this.  I did, however, make the oval by stretching a circular stamp!!

This card is based on Sketch #180 by The Sweet Stop Sketches Challenge Blog.  The sketch looks like this:

Rob has grown up to be a wonderful man: tall, good-looking and very intelligent, as well as hard working.  Proud aunt, aren't I?  You should see their dogs!!  So cute!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROB!!  Hope it's a great one and you and Kim have a great time celebrating!!

Leave the dogs at home!!

Love from Drew, Karen Lisa,Will and Tommy

Sneak Peek at tomorrow's card:  Jay's Fire Dog is based on the same dog as Rob's Dachshund!!

I guess that I should call my husband "Andy, Andrew, Drew"!!

1,2,3

Another new Follower!! Betty from Germany!!  Ich möchte Sie herzlich willkommen zu meiner Familie. Her blog is  Bettys Handwerke.  Yes, it is all in German, but that's not really a problem.  Paper crafting is a pretty international language!!  You can always try the translate button.  At times it is highly effective, and when it's not it can be highly entertaining!!

Heart 2 Heart has another challenge.  This one is Birthday By the Numbers.  It made me realize that I don't normally go in for cards with numbers on the front, but that doesn't mean that I can't make it work.  It's called a challenge for a reason!!

Here's my card and, as always, I'm keeping it Close to My Heart:

I wanted circles, but I don't have a good way of cutting circles right now, but hey, aren't those Elemental Dimensional Elements still available for $1.50 on Karen's web site?? Why yes they are - and they are full of circles!!  (Where's that little emoticon that laughs?)  

I also used the Color-Ready Canvas Alphabet (or, in this case, numbers) for the 1, 2, 3, and colored them with the new Alcohol Markers.  Wow, did that ever work well!! That was definitely the way to go.  Beautiful coordinating colors with just a few swishes of the marker brush.

I am also working on a One Hundredth Birthday card for a family friend.  I should have it finished in time for this challenge.  Wish me luck!!  I really want it to be special.  It's for a very special lady!!

Cup of Joy

OMGee, I am getting addicted to challenges.  I get a real kick out of reading the specifications and then seeing what happens!!  Sometimes it's nothing..., but when something does occur, wow!!  It's CRAZY-time!

I was perusing the blogs that I Follow, which is becoming a really long list (longer every time I do this because I get side-tracked very easily and then always find new blogs to ADD).  There are some ridiculously, brilliantly, creatively, hardworking artists out there and I want to soak up as much inspiration as I can and then put on the back burner to simmer... to then see what I can concoct!!  I stumbled on The Paper Players who offer challenges, and the Cup of Joy Challenge involves including a cup on the cover of your card.  You must check out the third entrant because her cups are truly inspired!!  (Make sure to go to her website to see how she constructed them.)

I haven't had my fill of making Gate Cards yet, and I figured this would hold a packet of cocoa nicely, so here is my entry:  (My favorite part was using the "steam" as flourish around the sentiment.)

The white line that you see along the left is the folded card from beneath.   Oops!!

Originally, I had inked the edges of the front of the card, but when I saw the photos, I was really unhappy with the outcome.  It's amazing what a little distance (from the creative process) can do for your critical eye!! Sometimes waiting a day will do the trick.  In this case, seeing it magnified on the computer screen was enlightening.  I changed it to Chocolate card stock and am much happier.

I learned from the Freshly Made Challenge, that I don't have to be so quick to ink up every border, so the inside of this card is very clean, for a change.  Just mixin' it up!!

Here's what this card looked like before I changed the front to card stock:

These are the exact same elements on the "original" card  (photographed in sunshine).

I learn something new every day!! life is good.  ; )

Freshly Made Sketch Challenge

Welcome CreatErin to my Blog Family.  I 'm following you on your wonderful blog: imcreaterin.blogspot.com.  Nice to have you here!!  *.*

Yesterday I decided that I wanted to enter into another challenge - which is a bit absurd because I have a lot of projects on my plate.  It's a form of avoidance, really, but I had so much fun with the last few challenges that I was in the mood for another one.  I finished my card this morning, and went to check out the blog with the challenge and it wasn't the same challenge that I had done.  For about five minutes, I thought that I had possibly done an old challenge (Not the end of the world, since I did have a lot of fun making my card and I'm pleased with it, but I was thinking that I had lost my mind!!?!), but it turns out that I had read through several challenge blogs yesterday, and I had just forgotten which one I was working on!!

So, here is my entry for the Freshly Made Sketch Challenge.  This particular challenge is number 55.  One note about how this was really a challenge for me.  It is meant to be CLEAN.  This means no edging.  I love to ink up my edges.  This looks finished and professional to me.  Not doing this was HARD!!  But a great exercise.

The sketch I was working with looks like this:

I made my card in 6"X6" using Close to My Heart Moonlight Paper.  This is a Halloween paper, but is is extremely versatile.  I added Juniper paper for the banner because Sara Batkin said that it was a coordinating color and if Sara says it - it's good enough for me.  Well, look at it, it works.  I realized, (all on my own :) how well Juniper and Avonlea Teal coordinate, so I threw that in to edge the banner.

A sheet of Smokey Plum comes in the Moonlight packet, so I stamped the bird on it with Smokey Plum ink.  Slate paper also comes in this pack, so I stamped the branch in Slate on the Slate paper.

I added the smallest of the Pearl Opaques to the horizontal stripe, but there was still something missing.

I used the. border stamp from the Avonlea Workshop on the Go Cardmaking Kit.  I like to do fine cutting, so I cut each of the little flowers apart, so that I could curve them around my circle.

Challenge Accepted!!

H2H Rock 'n Roll Challenge

Heart 2 Heart has posted another challenge and this one is all about a technique that is near and dear to my heart.  It's called "Rock 'n Roll" or "rolling."  It's easy, but just a little intimidating the first time, as new techniques often are.  You should have seen the first time I edged a piece of paper by lying it on the ink pad. You would have thought I was going to get bitten!!

All the Rock 'n Roll technique consists of is stamping in a light colored ink, and then gently rolling the edges of that stamp in a darker ink.  Below, you can see that I stamped the medallion in Juniper, and then rolled it in Smokey Plum.  The outer flourish is stamped first in Slate and then rolled on the top and bottom in Smokey Plum:

For this next example, I tissue stamped the medallion in Juniper before rolling just the top and bottom in Smokey Plum, so as to increase the contrast.  I wanted to make sure that the Rock 'n Roll technique really stood out in the photos.  It's a cool technique, you should go try it!!  Hey, try it and then enter the H2H Challenge!!  You'll be glad you did because you will have made something today instead of just thinking about it!!

OK, here are the cards:

This is a gate card.  I was recently reminded about this design.  I haven't made any in a while and it was time to resurrect an old friend.  (Dungeons and Dragon, Magic the Gathering, even Pokemon - too many resurrection allusions in my brain at once!!)   To score this 5 1/2" X 12" card stock,  start at 2" and 10" and then flip it over and score at 4" and 8", so that your mountain and valley folds are perfect.

Had to make a second card with the second example:

On back:  yes, I rolled the tiny flower.  I just couldn't help myself.  ; )

I haven't finished the envelopes yet (migraine day).
They will look  like the ones in my Avonlea Post.

Now, get crafting!!  *.*
Hugs,
Karen

H2H Christmas Card Challenge

I was inspired by Carole's September 23^rd, 2012 post, Triangle Card.  When I looked at it, my brain said, "Wait, wait, what?"  I love things like that!  It was simmering on the back burner for a couple of days when I happened on the H2H Challenge blog again. When I saw there was a Christmas challenge, I knew that I had to make this star-thing work.  So here it is:

I designed it so that it will fit into a 5" X 7" envelope.  It's too puffy in this incarnation - although it does fit.  I have since reworked it in my mind, but not remade it yet.

The puffiness is pretty awesome, if it doesn't have to go through the post!!

Here's the big unveil...

There was no room to sign it, and I didn't want that to be on the back, so this is my fix:

In progress:

For this project I used the stamp set, Ruby sparkles, Cashmere ribbon, and paper from the Workshops on the Go Partridge & Pear Cardmaking Kit.  I shaded the Cashmere ribbon with Cocoa ink (using a sponge), being careful not to use too much because then it would just look dirty.

No envelope yet.  I will get there after I make this puppy lie flat!!

Merry Christmas!!  It's never too early to start on those handmade gifts and cards.  (I keep telling myself.  I don't always listen, but I keep telling myself!!)

Hugs,
Karen

Leslie's Birthday - My First H2H (Sketch 16) Challenge

A few weeks ago I decided that I'd better get my birth date list in order.  I am afraid that I am going to skip someone now that I've started sending out cards again and with this blog, I'm bound to get in to trouble (you know, it's going to happen...)  So, I started a list on the back of the nearest envelope (an old bill, or something).  I began with everyone I could think of and then filled in birthdays, then hunted up birthdays, then research birthdays, then asked for birthdays through emails (Ha, some of you got those!!)

Leslie made it on this list.  I met her at the very first CTMH Card Club that I attended at Carolyn's house.  She's now a real-life consultant, so I don't get to see her as often, but that's OK because she is doing really well!!

Leslie is a real sweetheart and I wanted to make her a nice card so she would know that I was thinking about her on her birthday and wishing her well.  I have a feeling this year is going to be a really great one!!

As I was starting to design Leslie's card, I knew that I wasn't ready to stop playing with my La Belle Vie (I'm going to refer to it as: LBV, since you can't here my French accent anyway) paper yet.  These are my colors!!  I was looking for some inspiration and I happened on the Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog.  I was really thinking about trying this in August, but the days got away from me (The Days Are Changing!!)  The first September Challenge is a sketch challenge, and the sketch looks like this.

Cool, I can get inspired by that.  This is my first ever card challenge, so I stuck to the sketch completely!!

For the sash, I tried the stripes going straight across, but it looked really funky (and by that, I mean BAD), so I changed it to what you see on the card.  It was really easy since I already had a pattern!! (the funky one)

I made another of that same picture frame from my last two projects. (They may not be posted yet, so ignore that!!)  This is from the Jardin (French for garden) D1528 stamp set.  Stamped it on the LBV Pink, cut it out as nicely as I could.  This time I noticed that there were two little triangles that I could cut out with my Xacto knife.  ; ) Adhered it to the LBV Mauve, and then cut it out as best as I could!!  I just can't get it out of my system.  I love this double frame!!  This is the third time I have used this frame on a project.  Added Opaque Pearls and Bitty Pearls. It's slowly evolving.  Next I will be building up the leaves around the frame (and then gilding them, no doubt!!)

For the sentiment I was going for a Queen Elizabeth II, "Keep Calm and Carry On" look (I know, she's English and La Belle Vie is French, but Royalty is Royalty!!  Truly, they are all related!!)

Now for my favorite part, the flower!!  I will be doing this again and again, even though it was time consuming and detailed - I loved it!!  I stamped the medium sized flower from Card Word Puzzle C1494 on both the LBV Pink and LBV Mauve papers.  I cut the Pink one out completely, but I only cut little slivers from the flower pattern out of the LBV Mauve.  I glued these on to the base flower as I cut them.  When this was finished, each petal was shadowed on the edges.  To highlight the centers, I brushed on pearl paint.   It was already so pretty that I was afraid to take the next step, but what was re-cutting everything when the potential was there, so I plowed ahead, and covered the entire thing with good ol' Liquid Glass.  I was channeling Victoria Fage. She's a consultant in our unit who has taught at Extravaganza at the National Convention, I know not how many times.  She is amazing!!

At our last unit meeting, Victoria and Sara Batkin, showed us their Extravaganza displays and did demonstrations for those of us that missed it.  I learned a lot of things to do with liquid glass from Victoria and have been experimenting.  She said just put it right on - over the wet pearl paint, so I held my breath, and did it - and it worked!!

Ignore the rose, this is just where I dry liquid glass thingies.

Click to enlarge.  Can you see the pearl paint?

A bit of the glue seeped through from the back.  I wrote over it to obscure it   ; )

"may this be your grandest year yet!" sentiment is from Hooray Bouquet D1491 - This is a great stamp set for Cricut owner,s as all of the flowers match the Art Philosophy Collection by CTMH.  Great sentiments too.

I stamped the small flowers from the Card Word Puzzle C1494 stamp set on the back and also on a piece of LBV Pink, then cut out little bits for applique!!

Obviously, I used more of the Jardin stamps on the envelope, so that Leslie would know there was something better than a bill inside!!

Happy Birthday Leslie!!  Hope it's a great one - with many, many more to come!! 

Love, Karen