Five Sympathy Cards

Five different versions of the same idea.
This was a lot of fun, thinking of different ways
to use my supplies.

The tree scene is a stamp from a company called
Bear Rubber. I have no idea if they are still in business,
but I sure do like a lot of their stamps.
It was cut out with Spellbinders Nestabilities Ovals,
then layered over a slightly larger black oval.
A medium tan ink was used to stamp the "shadow"
image, using the same tree scene stamp.

The phrase was done in PSP X (as usual), cut out with an oval
and layered over a black oval. The above card has a
textured layer in craft colored card stock under the
tree scene and the phrase.

An EK Success Martha Stewart punch was used for
the viney leafy border.

This last card does not have the tree scene. I was
experimenting with the texturing of the craft card stock
and using the viney leafy border on the top and bottom.
It turned out reasonably well.

Rejoice!

Such a great scripture - Psalm 97:12 - a wonderful reminder of how we should live every day rejoicing in the LORD.

The beginning of this card is a white card base that has the edges sponged first with Russet ink and then a narrower border of sponging that is Coffee. Both inks are from the Ranger Archival line.

The phrase has been die cut with a Spellbinder's Label. The edges have been sponged with Russet and Coffee. It has been layered over rust and dark brown. The edges of the two lower layers have the corners rounded.

The ribbon on the left begins with a fallish paper from K & Company that is layer on dark brown. The lacy border in rust is from an EK Success Martha Stewart border punch.

The leaves are from various punches from various glitter papers.

Noel Tile

This is such a fun card. It was one of those ideas that floated around in my head for a few weeks before I had time to complete it.

The Sizzix snowflake embossing folder makes a lovely background as a base for the whole design. Across the bottom is a pine forest punched border from EK Success. The dark green is "shadowed" by a second punched border in gold gift wrap.

Now for the Noel Tile portion. The letters are from a Sizzix's Trixie alphabet. They have been mounted on green and then red layers of card stock.

The finished letter tiles were carefully placed evenly on gold gift wrap. The gold was then trimmed to an even border using a deckle scissors.

2nd Christmas Design for 2011

Here it is. I am not particularly thrilled with this design.
I like the basic concept of the letter tiles, but somehow this one just doesn't cut it.

The card base is covered with a snowflake texture that was made using a Sizzix embossing folder.

The Noel letter were cut from a Christmas paper. I used the Trixie Girl Sizzix alphabet. Spellbinder's Nesting Squares were used for the red and green layers under the letter.

The tree border is an EK Success border punch.

Butterflies, Ovals and Texture

Two different textures are used on this card.
The white layer is an elaborate brocade type embossing folder
The peach ovals inside the white beaded ovals
are done with Cuttlebug's Dotted Swiss.

The metallic butterfly is from highlighting foil
from a beauty supply that has been attached to card stock.
It was made using a punch from EK Success Martha Stewart
line of punches.

The phrase was computer generated using
Paint Shop Pro X, cut out with a
Spellbinders Mega Oval and mounted on
a peach scalloped mega oval.
It was then placed in one of
Spellbinders Fancy Tags.

Sympathy Cards

All three cards have the same basic design.
The middle one was made first.
It is the only one that has the stamped
image embossed with fine line black embossing powder.

The leafy branchy type trim
is an EK Success Martha Stewart punch.
I don't know the maker of the stylized tree,
but the trees on the top and bottom
are from a company called Bear Rubber.
I don't know if they are even in business anymore.

The images and phrases have been die cut with
Spellbinders circle and oval dies.

Trust in Him

The patterned papers used are from the same
stack. I just don't remember which one.
The beaded oval by Spellbinder's
has been cut, embossed and dark brown
in was used to accent the embossing while
the paper was still in the die.

The EK Success border punch was trimmed and
added on both sides a almost a frame.

The scripture was computer generated
using Paint Shop Pro. It was then
cut out with a Spellbinder's Label.
As I am looking at the photo I am thinking that
I should have sponged the edges of the
scripture to provide continuity with the
sponging on the beaded oval.

Cowboy Wisdom

There are a number of phrases that come
from the cowboy, cowgirl and western experience.
Life on a ranch leads to a very practical blunt wisdom
that sometimes has to lived to be understood fully.
It's a lot like living the Christian life. You
just can't completely comprehend it until you have lived it.

This phrase is very appropriate for any new venture.
Once you are on that bronc the are only two final
results. You are either eating dirt or you
tough it out until the bronc is no longer bucking.
So when you mount up, you had better
be real sure it's worth the effort, cause
comin' down is not going to be a painless thing.
Is it worth it?

The background on this card is faux snakeskin.
For a basic tutorial go to Stampers Quest and do
a search for faux snakeskin. The edges
of the card have been sponged with black ink.

The bucking bronc image is from Bear Rubber.
It is stamped on ivory card stock and metallic fleck rust
embossing powder makes the image stand out.
Tearing out the image and "burning" the edges
with brown and then black ink adds to the
worn western look.

I cut closely around the PSP X computer generated
phrase and burned the edges on it as well.

The "ribbon" an EK Success punch layered over
light kraft card stock. The edges of the light
layer have been sponged with dark brown ink.

Watercolor Flower

The scrapbook papers use on this card are
from g.c.d, the Ella Blue collection. It is an
8 x 8 stack. The soft blues and the browns are
just lovely.
The card base is cover with a paper that had a frame
type border all around the edge.
I used part of the border at
the top of the band that
is in the center of the card.
An EK Success punch was used for
the double scallop border on the
bottom. A dark brown paper
from the stack was selected for
it's contrast.

A Spellbinders Label with
white card stock is stamped with
the water color technique, using
a stamp from Hero Arts.
In this case a dark blue Distress Ink from
Ranger was used for the flower and green inks
for the stem and leaves.
Before stamping a fine mist of water was
applied to achieve the water color look.
You can use ink pads, markers, or water
color crayons for the "pressed flower" look.
A second misting and stamping will
result in a shadowy appearance.

With two shades of Distressed brown inks and
a Cut N Dry sponge gently swirled around
the edges, the stamped label die cut has
and antiqued look.

The final touch is the "Thinking of You"
phrase stamped in Ranger's Archival coffee ink.
The stamp is from Hero Arts.

Leaves In Oval

Spellbinders beaded oval was used to
cut the dark plum card stock.
I then used the die itself to cut the
Karen Foster scrapbook paper.
A Coluzzle cutter used on the inside
of the die made a perfect oval.
I have found that the Coluzzle cutter works best
when used with the foam sheet that they recommend.

The leaf "ribbon in the center of the oval
is an EK Success Martha Stewart punch.
It was glued to the oval and the parts
that extended past the pink paper
were carefully cut with a straight edge.
I rather like the results.

The striped background paper is
another fantastic Karen Foster paper.
I have no idea if they are still making it.
I have had it for a number of years.
OK, I have hoarded it for a number of years.

Peek-a-boo Card

This card begins with a piece of scrapbook
paper attached to the lower 1/3 of the card base.
A coordinating plain card stock
is embossed in an embossing folder.
A portion is then punched in an
EK Success Martha Stewart border punch.

Note that one of the diamonds on the embossing
has been cut out and a piece
of the scrapbook paper is glued underneath.

Now glue the card stock to the card base.
You now have an "Any Occasion" card.
The greeting that you stamp or write
on the inside determines what kind of
card it is.