More "goodwill rehab" special

 I made this card for my personal use, upcycling these premade card bases I got in a grab bag from goodwill.  They have this cut out already there and I wanted to make it a feature.  As much as I wanted to be able to create a frame with my dies, it just wasn't possible, so after a bit of measuring I was able to cut the exact size frame I needed from cricut DS to cover the opening.  I have several packs of large acetate stickers that I want to get used.( purchased from my dollar twenty five tree)  I'm really intent on using my stuff.  This is one of the designs I came up with.  

I used some vellum behind the image.  I embellished with gems I'd been recently gifted and the stamp and die combo is a small set I received as a gift with purchase. I already knew exactly who this card was going to when I finished. When I posted this photo to my personal facebook page, a dear, sweet, friend named Pooh asked me for several cards just like this. I hit the panic button.  I had no more of these stickers and I only had two of the card blanks left.  What's a girl to do.  As you know, most things you get from the 1.25 store and not always there when you go back.  I formulated a plan to visit the store in a town adjacent to me in hopes of finding the same stickers.  Sure enough, there were five packages, almost the exact amount she wanted.  I was so thrilled!  I knew that was a God wink. These are the cards I made and gave to her. 

 Forgive my legs in the photo and please, no modeling requests after you see them 👍😁😂

Another pinterest CAS gone 5x7

 I saw this card and loved its beautiful simplicity. Her card was based on a sketch. I was especially loving the decorative edged banner she used.  I went on a search through my stash wondering if I had anything similar, which I didn't.  So, I headed to my trusty Cricut DS to see what I could find.  

As you can see, I used  a two layer banner.  I found some lovely paper in my stash to use and this is and acetate butterfly in my stash.  I think this would make a lovely sympathy card.(keep your eyes peeled, that's on my agenda)  I added pops of color and dry embossing.  My card is an A7.  My mission on thank you cards continues!

Birthday Sunflower

 I had a friend that requested a card for a friend and she wanted it to include sunflowers and a wiener dog.  I started out working on the sunflower and wound up cutting multiple layers.This is an old die set I have that I got from Craft Stash. I added some ink blending.  This card was an 8.5 x 5.5 top folding easel card.  I found the dog in cricut DS and thought he tuned out so cute.  I added a clay heart that I colored to match the colors of the card.  Of course, I added her name because I enjoy personalizing the cards with names and dates.  The happy birthday die is from the Stamps of life A7 card die set.  I love the way the fonts are combined in this die and bonus, it is designed to work on larger cards.  Please excuse my hands and feet/legs in the photo, I realized I hadn't gotten a picture of the finished front.  HA!

Pinterest Inspired

 Don't you just love pinterest?  There is so much to look to for inspiration.  Still on my journey to making thank you cards, I saw this card and I wanted to attempt my version.  I'm not sure mine is successful as the original artist, but I like how it turned out and it has my own spin to it.  This is the pin that inspired my creation.  

Twins!

 My sister-in-law is thoughtful of us.  So giving.  Constantly sharing things with us things that she makes and has a long history of being more like a grandma to our kids through the years.  She's been busy make tote bags for some time and keeps sharing them with me.  Her neighbor is expecting and turns out she's having twins.  She decided to make a diaper bag for her, and I offered to make a special card that would match.  I love how it turned out.  I hope her neighbor loves it too!

Tis the season

 Graduation season!  I had so much fun creating this card for my friend's daughter.  I used Cricut DS to cut the cap, and the diploma and the letters of her name.  I was able to curate the colors to match that of her high school and found the perfect background cardstock in my stash to finish it off.  I used gems from my stash for embellishments and the stamped Congratulations is from a Stamp Simply stamp set.  I used a number stamp set in my stash from the Stamps of life to add the year to the diploma.  This is a 4x9 slimline card.  There is spectrum noir glitter pen on the tassle and the bow on the diploma.  I really hope she liked the card.

Layering dies

I have always loved the layering dies that are out in the market...but I've never been able to afford them.  When Spellbinders started making the kaleidoscope dies, and they had a sale I jumped in.  I really love the look of them.  I don't have them all, but I do have a few and I think they are a good goto for masculine cards.  For this card, I decided to make a design b cyutting the layered dies diagonally and laying them out in a pattern.  I really like how it turned out and hope the recipient enjoys it as well.  

a big number needs a big card

 I really enjoy making these "showstopper" cards.  They have such a presence and give me lots of places to add details. A friend from church asked me to make a 50th anniversary card for her in-laws and I rose to the task!  My papers are from a hobby lobby paper pad.  I cut the letters and numbers from design space and colored them with my triblends to match the cardstock.  I covered them in shimmer pen, but that can't really be seen in the photos.  I added some gems from stash.  The sentiment is from an old altenew set and one of the two happy anniversary stamps I have. I love how it turned out.  The back is equally beautiful with an added scripture and ephemera.

A first time for everything

I have had this stamp set from the Stamps of Life for at least 10 years.  I have never used it because I just couldn't think of a way to do so.  I made a thank you card for a friend of Matt's who has become like family to us.  I wanted to thank him for his constant prayers and support.  I feel honored to be his friend and humbled by his generosity to our family.  

This is an old school phone, you know, the only way we used to phone a friend???  I guess it might be considered retro by now.  HA!  I colored the phones with my triblend markers.  Added some doodles around the sides.  I added enamel dots from my stash. I hope he enjoys this card, a token of our appreciation.

For my Mom

 My mom has been such a great help to me in attending all of Lillian's doctor appointments.  She buys our meals, listens to me, and I know in spite of anything she is always there for us.  I made her this card to show her a little bit of appreciation although it does not compare to what she does for us.  

I found these card bases at my local goodwill and I thought I might find a good use for them. While I couldn't find the exact measurement for the window with my dies, I created a frame with vellum to highlight the opening in the card.  The cards themselves are on the flimsy side, so I reinforce them with other cardstock.  The floral is a piece of ephemera from a Tim Holtz package. (my mom loves sunflowers) I used clear pops of color and a clay heart that I color matched with an alcohol marker.  

The same but different

 I like to post my cards on Facebook to have another record of them.  Sometimes, it's easier to find them there than scrolling through my phone, cause you, know, they go to the cloud and all that jazz....

After posting the cards from my last blog, I was asked, by another friend, if she could purchase these.  I set to making her a set letting her know colors may change and have little variances.  I think that's the only caveat to being asked for something I've already given/sold.  I may not always be able to recreate the very same card.  That being said, here is set two.  Same, but different. 

Working in my zone

 This is truly where my style leans, butterflies, delicate, scripture added.  As I've previously mentioned, I enjoy working with butterflies and the Craft Consortium Ink Drops papers.  I guess I sort of work backwards.  I chose my design, laid out my papers, cut the focal image backdrops, assembled then looked to see what I had on hand that would match each design.  It works for me.  Then, I perused through my scripture stamps finding a perfect size for each card. It had been a while since I dipped into my memento dew drops and added sentiments with color, I love how soft and pretty they are.  I finished with coordinating colors of pops of color to finish the design.  I added thinking of you inside the cards.  This set was purchased by a friend who loves my work.  I so appreciate her kindness and generosity.  

More Whimsy goodies

 I have loved this donkey set since I first laid eyes on it. I love the goofy grins and faces he has.  When I won the vlog hop I was able to add this stamp set and selfie dies to my gifts. 

 I had a friend request a card for her husband's friend who recently gifted them some very expensive hearing aids.  I found the sentiment "did you hear?" in one of my old Stamps of life stamp sets.  I thought it was perfect for the occasion.  I did some dry embossing.  Popped the polaroid's onto foam tape for dimension.  I colored both donkeys with my triblend markers.  I added pops of color in marine and glossy accents over his eyes for final touches.  I think this makes a nice masculine card and I hope the recipient gets a kick out of it.  

Thank you

 I had been playing around with my three scrapbook.com inks doing some ink blending on a stencil. Those did not turn out to my satisfaction.  So, as not to waste the ink on my sponges, I just swiped them onto a panel of card stock I had on my desk.  It sat on my desk a few days and I figured I could make a card out of it, but just wasn't sure what to do.  Then, as I was scrolling through Facebook I happened to scroll past a post by Amy R and all I saw really was the rainbow and hearts.  It was just a glance, but that put my mind in gear.  This card was totally inspired by her card.  I have followed her work for years and just love it.  It wasn't until I watched her video a few days later that I realized how much I replicated her design. Sort of.  Different mediums, but same concept.  I am using my card as a thank you for a friend.  Thanks, Amy R for your constant inspiration.   As I stated my card is ink blended with three primary colors making the rainbow.  I splattered with gold watercolor paint and added a variety of gold glitter hearts. I  stacked three thanks die cuts and covered with shimmer brush pen and added a gold heat embossing sub sentiment. My card is a mini slimline.

Happy Birthday

 I wanted to make a quick card for one of the office gals at my chiropractor.  This was my second ever infinity shaker card.   I love how it turned out. I dry embossed the letters of her name with the Spellbinders birthday candle embossing folder and covered each letter with a spectrum noir glitter brush pen.  The inside sentiment says Happy a teeny weeny bit late Birthday.  It is a 4x8 slimline card.  I used DS to cut the letters of her name.  The background paper is something old from my stash.