Simple is sometimes better!

Here is an example of a very simple card that uses several techniques.  This is a one layer card using kraft cardstock.  I used scrap paper from flowers a different project where I had cut out flowers with the Cricut.  That scrap paper became my stencil for the flowers on the front of this card!  I simply laid the scrap paper down and sponged the flowers with Tulip ink.  It was very simple.  Then, I took a marker and added faux stitching to the edges of the flowers.  I sponged the edges of the card with Olive ink and used a sentiment stamp from the TLC set in the corner with Olive ink as well.  A few brads that coordinate with the Tulip ink add another special touch to the card.  

I made this card as a part of the Dare to Get Dirty challenges over at Splitcoaststampers.  If you would like to participate or get details on challenges or see other people's entries, head over to their website and join the Fan Club.  It is a blast!

Whoooo you are (Sneak peek of a new set)

A former student of mine went on a spiritual retreat last weekend, and his mom asked if I would be willing to write a letter for him to read at the end of the weekend.  I was thrilled that she would think to ask me to do this for him, and in addition to writing, I made a special card just for him.  It also gave me the chance to play with a brand new stamp set!  This owl stamp and matching phrase are two acrylic stamps from CTMH's Pair-A-Phrase stamp set.  This will be an awesome double stamp set on special August 15th and September 30th.  It is two D-sized stamp sets that come together in one envelope.  This will be an amazing deal you won't want to pass up!  The stamps are adorable and can be used for so many holidays and occasions.  I thought this one was just perfect for a high schooler who is still kind of trying to figure out how to be true to himself and avoid peer pressure.

The card stock is all from CTMH's Autumn color collection.  I used Olive ink for the sentiment and for the swiped grassy look on the green panel.  Orange Stickles glitter glue add a little sparkle to the corners.  I stamped the owl in Staz-on ink and then colored in the owl and branch with CTMH Autumn color collection markers.  I also used one of the markers to doodle around the image panel.  I just love how colors coordinate so nicely when you use one brand!

Very rich, very texturized, Splitcoast sketch layout

This week's Sketch Challenge on Splitcoaststampers involved layering three different panels.  I took this opportunity to use some very rich autumn colors on a summery thank you card.  I also incorporated lots of texture into my design.  The small green panel has been embossed using Cuttlebug, and I added Garden Green ink to the embossed swirls.  If you look really closely, there is a small green Stickles glitter glue dot at the curve of one of the swirl tips.  I used a Close to My Heart My Acrylix stamp set called Delight for all of the images.  I just love all of the coordinating butterflies and flowers!  I used blue Stickles to add a little bling to the small circle image on the sentiment panel. Sponging Outdoor Denim along the outer edge of each panel gives the card a distressed and also more uniform look among all of the panels.  Finally, I corner punched all of the panels, tied some funky green and pink yarn around the green panel, and assembled my card.

This is a thank you card to my friend Jacquie who was a HUGE help to me in the music rotation for Vacation Bible School at my church this week.  Her help was so appreciated, that I had to make a really nice card for her.

Summer card by Annabelle

Annabelle wanted to make a birthday card for her Grandma who has a summer birthday.  She picked out some fun printed scrapbook papers in bright summery colors from my old scrapbook paper scrap pile.  Laying out her stamps and picking out her ink colors was fun for her.  She loved how she could layer the flower and the small butterfly from the Delight set from Close to My Heart.  She also decided to distress the edges of her paper by swiping the paper directly on the ink pad, but she had trouble swiping it without getting it all over.

  So, we just decided that it was ok for it to get all over the place!  The ink that she swiped is sort of a turquoise color and is a fun summery color with the oranges, pinks, and yellows in the papers.  She was really happy with how it turned out.

Proud of her card for Grandma!

Happy Retirement

My uncle's retirement party was yesterday, and I made a card for the occasion.  Then, I so thoughtfully left the card and gift on my kitchen table and went to his house for the party.  Oops!  Well, I guess it is the thought the counts and he'll get his special card and gift the next time I see him.  In the meantime, I thought I would share his card here.
I used the following supplies:
Close to My Heart Outdoor Denim cardstock and ink
Close to My Heart Olive cardstock and ink
Close to My Heart B&T Duos paper (both sides of the paper are printed with a coordinated pattern)
Close to My Heart Enjoy Life stamp set and an acrylic block
Tombo Mono Adhesive roller

As you can see in the photo above, I layered a couple of different patterned papers as well as stamped images.  The bicyclist is stamped in Outdoor Denim ink, and the swirls behind him are also stamped in the same ink, but I stamped my stamp on a sheet of paper one time before stamping it on my patterned paper.  This gives a much lighter ink effect for the swirls and allows the bicyclist to come to the foreground.  I also swiped all of my papers against ink pads to distress the edges a little.

I used a very dark color of cardstock for the base of my card.  When you do this, you have a couple of options.  One, you can stamp your sentiment in white (or other light colored) craft ink and write a message and sign the card using a light or white colored gel pen.  Alternatively, you can do what I did, and cut a piece of lighter, coordinating paper, and stamp your sentiment in the darker ink.  If you look at the two photos, you'll notice that my interior paper matches the small blue layer on the front of the card, although the coloring in my photos doesn't make it look quite that way.  I promise, they are cut from the exact same piece!   I then stamped my sentiment in Outdoor Denim ink.  When I was all done with that, I signed my family names on the card in a matching Outdoor Denim marker.  I used the same marker to write my uncle's name on the envelope.  It was all very coordinated!  

Congrats on your retirement Uncle Dale.  You deserve to enjoy your time now.  

Great deal!

http://ashleyanne.myctmh.com

Wow... just have to share this excellent deal from Close to My Heart.  You'll find that I won't do a lot of these posts here.  I really want to use this space to show you great ideas and techniques for crafts and gardening.  But from time to time, I'll want to highlight a good deal - and this is one of them!  For the month of July, when you purchase $50 in Close to My Heart products, you can choose from one of five paper or card kits for just $1!  This is an awesome deal.  These kits range in value from $8.95 to $14.95, so you really are getting a good value.  The highest in value is the "Around the Holidays" card kit, which I think is an excellent investment at this time of year.  I know it is summer, but it won't be long at all before you'll be thinking about making holiday cards and gifts for people.  One of my favorite gifts to give is a set of five handmade cards with envelopes and a small book of stamps.  People really appreciate a gift from the heart and a gift they can really use!  Take advantage of this deal for the month of July 2011 only.  Ashley's Close to My Heart Web Site

Ready for Father's Day

We spent the better part of this morning making Father's Day cards for various people. Annabelle and Joshua had a blast using my clear stamps and coordinating papers. I had not let them touch the My Acrylix stamps in the past, I only let them use my old rubber stamps that I didn't care about. So, today was a first for the kids, and both the kids and the stamps did well! Both kids had a MUCH easier time than usual since they could actually SEE where they were stamping. It makes a huge difference when you can see where you are placing your image, especially for kids. Both of them got very creative and pretty messy too.

Annabelle had especially inky fingers when she was done, but it was the result of finding many ways to be creative with stamps, ink, and sponges. She even used a combination of three stamps sets to create a happy face message on the inside of one card. It was quite unique!

Joshua really got into choosing his colors and centering and balancing images on his cards.  He used markers to add a few details to his images when he was done with the stamping and assembling.  Check out the look of concentration on his face!

I also made a few cards, including this one for my father-in-law.  The stamp set I used is called Summer Days and has great cook-out images.  Notice how my pattern paper very subtly matches the tablecloth image design?  That is one of the convenient things about using Close To My Heart products - superb product coordination!
http://ashleyanne.myctmh.com

Grassy How-To

I've had a few people who were intrigued by how I made the grassy background on the card in my post earlier this week. So, I thought I'd make a similar card and create a picture tutorial for you all.


First, start out with a 4" x 5.25" rectangle in a light green color. I used Certainly Celery. You'll need at least two colors of green inkpads as well, one light and one darker. I used Certainly Celery and Old Olive. Open your lighter green inkpad and using only the edge of one side, swipe it down your card from top to bottom. I like to hold the paper in my left hand and the inkpad in the other, but you could do it with the paper laying on the table. If you do it that way, make sure you've protected your table surface. Continue swiping the edge of the inkpad down the length of the card, allowing for some lines to be diagonal and some a bit straighter.

Imagine how grass looks in your yard. As it grows up, some blades overlap one another and they don't all lean the same direction. The same look should be replicated in the swiped ink on your card. After you have filled your paper with "grass," you can use the same technique to make a few flower stems and leaves. You'll want the length and width of your lines to be somewhat proportioned to the size of the flower image you plan on using. In my example, I swiped two flower stems and added two leaves on each stem.






After you have done your grass and stems, you can add your flower blossoms and other card embellishments. In my example, I used the large flower from Stampin' Up!'s Delight in Life set. I stamped it with Staz-On ink on glossy white paper. Then, I highlighted the centers and edges of the petals with wax from a white birthday candle. After that, I used my brayer to apply Yo-Yo Yellow ink to the entire blossom. Then, I used a tissue to wipe the excess ink off of the blossoms. That left me with a white area highlighted on each petal. I was very happy with the outcome of this technique!

Simple challenge

Friday's challenge at Splitcoaststampers was to create a card with lots of open space. Ordinarily, I'd fill open space with something like dry embossing or doodling. But, I couldn't do it on this card. For me, creating simple cards is a real challenge. So this challenge really took me out of my comfort zone. I used a set of stamps that was new to me, and it was my first attempt at using some Close to My Heart stamps (the hearts with butterflies). I got them from AmyJo at ScrapinUtopia, and I'm pleased with how they worked. They are clear stamps, and it was nice to be able to see where I was stamping!
I used masking to layer one heart behind another, and I doodled the border, faux stitching, and balloon strings. The "happy" stamp is from Stampin' Up's! "So Very" set.

Sketch of the day

As you may have read before, the Sketch Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers is my favorite one every week. This week was no different! This weeks challenge used one large background panel, another big panel offset to the left side, and another small item in the lower right hand corner of the big panel. I used Basic Grey's Blush and Lily Kate papers on my card. I doodled the brown and green panels to match the leaves and stems on the Lily Kate paper. The Blush Basic Grey paper has been sponged with Mellow Moss ink. I just love how soft and sweet this card turned out!

Trifold Card

Wow! This is a really fun style of card to make. Following Beate's tutorial on Splitcoaststampers, makes each step easy. Basically, the process goes like this. Cut a piece of cardstock to 3.5" by 10.5". Score it 3.5" in and 7" in from the left side. This gives you three equal panels. Score diagonals on each of the side panels, making sure they go in the same direction. Fold one square panel in, and then the triangle up. Then, fold the other square in, and then the triangle down. Add your decorative panels and images, and tie it all up with a ribbon. It's so simple and quick! Beate's tutorial (linked above) is much more detailed and shows step by step pictures, so I recommend reading the tutorial if you plan on making one.
I was inspired by my red and white floral designer paper. I love red and white as a color combo, but I don't typically use it. For some reason, I tend to stick to a softer color pallet. Anyway, I thought this was the perfect excuse to do something a little bit bolder. I used two layers of white Heidi Swapp flowers for my center image. Then, I added orange stickles to the inside of the flower. Stickles are a sparkly glitter glue, are acid free, and are really easy to apply to cards and scrapbook pages for accents. The interior of my card has the small flower image from Stampin' Up!'s Delight in Life set. I stamped it in Ruby Red ink, which matches my Ruby Red cardstock base.

Argyle Inspiration

The layout for this card came from the Sketch Challenge at Splitcoaststampers this week. It had lots of layers, which always means a fun and challenging card-making experience for me! As I went down to the basement to work on the card, I really didn't have any particular color or image scheme in mind. But, when I saw my argyle ribbon laying there, I knew I just had to use it! The ribbon inspired the color scheme and the image choice. The colors reminded me of a 40s or 50s coffee shop, so I used the "Like it a Latte" stamp set for my images. I used Stickles (glitter glue) to make the foam, straws, heart, and outline of the mug sparkle.