Live the Sweet Life

This sweet little card (see what I did there?) was made for my September Apple themed Swap.

I had a vision for this card, and was lucky enough to find an older Close To My Heart stamp set called Sweet Life that matched perfectly with my idea.

The card base is made of Recollections cream card stock. I used an Inkadinkado masking sheet, with a circle die to create a mask on the card base. I used my new tear-drop sponges with Hello Honey, then just a bit of Calypso Coral Stampin Up inks. I used my background script stamp, with Soft Suede ink with a second-generation stamping to keep it from being too bright.

I then removed the mask and stamped the apple branch with Memento Black ink. Using my MISTI to help keep things straight, I stamped my sentiment with Versafine brown ink, and embossed with clear powder.

I then stamped the same apple branch with black Memento ink on more of the same cream card stock. I then used a combination of Copic and Spectrum Noir markers to color the image. **I have found that I personally like the Copics better--they seem to blend better and bleed less for me, but I already have a pretty good collection of Spectrum Noir markers, and can only add to my Copics as I can afford them, and of course with a great discount coupon!** A Hint I learned from Jennifer McGuire: After I cut the image out, I went around the edges with the matching color marker to cover any white spots showing through so it looked like it was perfectly cut--which of course, it was not! ha ha

Then, because I do not YET have a Scan N Cut, I fussy cut the colored apple branch. (SO getting an SNC as soon as possible!)

I placed the cut branch on foam tape (lots of foam tape!) and placed it right over the one stamped on the front of the card base.

I finished off the card with some brown baker's twine, and some matte metalic sequins. These sequins were from Hobby Lobby and somehow I just LOVE the matte look of them!

Believe in Miracles

I have failed to keep up on my blog for a bit. I’m so sorry, friends! I have found that I have a new addiction: Quilting! It has drawn my attention for a while, so the only card-making and scrapbooking I’ve been doing has been what was needed for my own obligations or customers. But I’m glad to be back, just managing my time a little better!

As I get back in the swing of things, I found the My Favorite Things blog, and made this simple card for this week’s sketch challenge.

I started with a base of Refelctions Ivory Card Stock, cut at 4 ¼ inch vertically, then folded at 5 ½.

 

 

I have been thinking about making a card where the sentiment is the main focus of the card, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity! I have had this stamp for some time, and unsure who the maker is. 

 

 To stamp it, I used my MISTI and Pacific Point Stampin Up ink, on Reflections Ivory cardstock. Then I wiped the stamp off and used Versamark ink and clear embossing powder. Unfortunately, the stamp didn’t make a clean impression, so I used Reflections Masterpiece II Markers, in Cadet Blue to fill in the missed spots and put it back in the embossing powder. Then used a Gelly Roll White pen to fill in the center of some letters that had bled over. Looks much better!

To cut the sentiment out, I used my stitched rectangle dies. However, the one that fit the best for the width, was too long and left more empty space than I wanted. So I used a technique I learned from the FABULOUS Jennifer McGuire to adjust the size of the die. This meant letting the end of the die hang over the bottom cutting plate as I ran it through the Cuttlebug. Then moved the die up to where I wanted to cut the edge off the bottom, placed JUST that portion (the uncut portion) onto the bottom cutting plate and ran it through the Cuttlebug again. It turned out PERFECT!!

Then I placed this rectangle on a piece of scrap aqua-paper and used the Mini Perfect Layers to cut the edges off at 1/8^th inch.

Likewise, the background paper was a scrap that I picked up at a crop-swap, so unknown maker. As you may have noticed, I enjoy using scrap papers for my cards! I cut the patterned paper to 3 ¾ by 5 inches and placed on a teal base from Bazzil card stock, a quarter of an inch bigger.

The sentiment piece was placed with foam tape. I prefer to use a lot of dimensional to make sure the piece makes it through the mail unscathed. To do that, I use 3M ½" foam tape, then using my rotary cutter, I split it into 3 pieces. 6 of these narrow strips hold the sentiment form to the card base.

To finish off the cover, I used 3 sequins from the Kat Scrappiness Go Green collection, placed randomly around the base with mini Glue-Dots. The pink ribbon set off the color of peony in the corner very well! I usually tie my bows around the ribbon, but I wanted this ribbon to be up under the frame piece, so I tied the bow on my bow-jig then attached it where I wanted using a Glue-Dot. The final touch was to stamp “Believe” on the inside, using Memento Tuxedo Black, off center to keep it whimsical. This stamp is from the Vintage Affections set from Little Darlings Rubber Stamps.

What a great “Encouragement” card!!