Bronze Butterfly

Begin with a plain white card base.  The entire card

front is covered with DP (designer paper aka scrapbook paper)

Over that place two difference sizes of Spellbinders beaded ovals.

The beaded ovals have an oval of DP that coordinates with 

the DP that covers the card base.

The flourishes and butterfly are from Cheery Lynn Designs.

The flourish is from a much larger die cut that has

been carefully cut apart.  (Victorian Flourish)

The butterfly has been cut from a bronze gift wrap that is

attached to card stock.

On Being Prehistoric

 I saw this phrase several months ago and it just stuck

in my mind.  I thought it was such a totally cute birthday

card for the right person.

 The stickers are from Hobby Lobby.  The puffy cutesy

ones would be great for a child's card.  

The realistic dinosaurs are wonderful for an adult.

The phrase is computer generated and the die cut

leaves are from a Cheery Lynn Designs die.

I have been gone from the blog-o-sphere for almost a

month. My part time job is agricultural statistics.

I gather raw data from farmers, ranchers, grain elevators etc.

I even go into fields and to counts and measures of

wheat and corn to assist the USDA in making the

 most accurate crop estimates possible.

Right now is the absolute busiest time of year for me.

Liebster Blog Award

Many thanks to Carol Norby for presenting me with the Leibster Blog Award.
http://www.stampincarol.blogspot.com/ 
You can visit her blog for a whole lot of inspiration.

The origins of the Liebster Blog Award are somewhat unclear, but the general consensus is that it originated in Germany. Liebster, means favorite or dearest, and the Liebster Award is designed to showcase bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. Upon accepting the award, the recipient must pass it on to five more blogs of note.

Okay winners, here’s what you need to do.
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
3. Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
4. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve recognition.
5. Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.



I have chosen these blogs that I follow for the Liebster Blog Award.
Sherry at http://stampingcowgirlcreations.blogspot.com/ 
Benzi at  http://benzistampz.blogspot.com/
Lisa H. at http://creativejuicefreshsqueezed.blogspot.com
Darnell K. at http://www.djkardkreations.com/
Trish G. at http://encouragejoy.blogspot.com/

Tatted Border

This is a fairly simple and basic generic design.

There are varous DP over the cream card base.

The tatted lace look cream border is

a die cut from Cheery Lynn Designs.

Easy Card

A very easy card that is just so pretty.

The front of the white card base is covered

with a dark green card stock.

The flowered DP (designer paper)  has been cut

slightly smaller than the dark green card stock.

Along the lower edge up about 3/4 of an inch

I drew a line across the back of the DP.

This line was used as a guide for

the decorative scissors.

When the DP was attached to the card front

I left a  small gap between, allowing the dark green

to show through.

The flower is cut from card stock weight

DP, using a Sizzix Tim Holtz extended cut die.

The edge of the flower was distressed with dark

brown ink before folding and the ridges were 

inked after folding.

Lacy Butterfly

This is such a delicate design.

The lacy background is a die cut

from Cheery Lynn Designs.

Now I am going to tell you right up front

that this die cut is a real pain.

I probably ran it through my Cuttlebug

at least 20 times, BUT the end result

is well worth it.

If this seems like too much work just

consider the time and effort that would

go into cutting it with a scissors or straight edge.

The butterfly is also a Cheery Lynn Designs die cut.

It has been cut from highlighting foil that

has been glued to card stock.

There is also a solid "angel wings" piece

under the lavender butterfly that has

been cut from vellum.

The flowers are from punches purchased

from Punch Bunch.  They have been

shaped and formed using a  large stylus.

We are the clay

Isaiah 64:8

Another use of Cheery Lynn Designs

lattice die cut.  It is over a Tattered Angels

glimmer mist background.

The scripture has been cut using one of

Spellbinder's Labels.  Each layer has been lightly

sponged with a pale lavender ink

The flower are punched from vellum.

Flowers, flower centers and leaves

are all punches from Punch Bunch.

My Song 2 Psalm 118:14

This is the same basic design as yesterday "except"

I used a DP (designer paper) under the lattice.

The lattice is a different color, but the basics are the same.

The flowers are punched and shaped.

It is a busier look and also a little bolder with

the dark burgundy multiple flowers.

My Song - Psalm 118:14

A beautiful and inspiring scripture needs a beautiful setting.

This card begins with a plain white A2 card base.

Attached to that is a background made from 

cream card stock that has been colored with

various Glimmer Mists.

The medium brown lattice has been cut from

card stock using a Cheery Lynn Designs dies.

The scripture was printed on white card stock and

die cut using a Spellbinders Label die.  A slightly larger 

and different die was used for the lower layer.

Each layer had the edges sponged with dark

brown ink.

Now each label has the flat part of paper egg

cartons attached to back to create a 3-D look.

The paper egg carton is much cheaper the pop dots.

The flower is was stamped on black card stock with

pigment ink and embossed with fine line gold embossing powder.

It was then painted with twinkling H2O's.

Double Fold Explosion Card

Here is one of the few cards that will not have an explanation of how it

was made.  I attended the last meeting of an art

group called the Basement Babes in the

home of Jen L. in Lafayette CO this past week.

This was the project.  It is very complicated

and very impressive.

This is the front of the card.

The first unfolding.

The explosion begins with the second unfolding.

Almost full explosion!

Left side of the card.

Right side of the card.

Now you can see why I am not even going to try

to share the instructions.

Shadow Stamping

An old technique that I saw recently on Split Coast

and just had to play with again.

 I believe that the original shadow stamps were from Hero Arts.

I totally missed that, but did find some great ones

at a stamp convention by Yvonne Albrittion.

I did a search for her stamps.  I could not find

her company on Gingerstamp or by doing a google search.

The black flower stamps are by Hero Arts.

I used various Distressed inks for the shadow stamps.

The edges of the top white stamped layer

have been sponge with coordinating inks. 

I don't know the maker of the phrase stamp.

Evergreen Christmas

Using the Yvonne Albritton marbled shadow stamps

and a Hero Arts long needled pine branch

an easy Christmas card can be created.

First the pine bough image was

stamped with the darkest green ink that 

I had.

I used three different colors of green Ranger

Distressed Inks.  For the darker shades the

stamp was inked, the image stamped onto 

scratch paper and then stamped 

over the pine bough.

The finished image was them

layered over two shades of dark

and then light green paper.

The Merry Christmas was computer

generated using PSP X and layered

over dark green card stock.

Flat pieces of paper egg carton were

used under the phrase to create the

3-D effect.

Christmas Card Challenge

Only one more Christmas card for the February

challenge after this one.

I can hear the sighs of relief, LOL.

Green white core paper, a Cuttlebug Christmas tree

embossing folder, gold gift wrap and

a sanding block.

The Merry Christmas greeting is computer

generated, cut with a Spellbinder's oval

and mounted on a gold gift wrap scalloped oval.

That's it, all that is needed for this design.

Another Christmas Card

Here is another Christmas card.  A Christmas

embossing folder by Cuttlebug

 was used on a medium green

white core paper.

This folder is a stripe pattern that has

a stylized holly leaf and berries.

I sanded both sides and decided this one

accented the holly leaf the best.

The Merry Christmas has been created in

Paint Shop Pro X (PSP X), cut with a

Spellbinders oval then mounted on a

gold gift wrap scalloped oval.

For the Christmas card challenge

Splitcoast Stampers has a Christmas card challenge.

You are to make several Christmas cards every month

until December.  The goal is to NOT have to frantically

make Christmas cards in December, but rather

to gradually make cards all through the year.

Here is one of my February cards.

This was just so easy.  I used a blue white core

card stock in a snowflake embossing folder.

After embossing the raised portion is

literally sanded with coarse sand paper,

exposing the white core.

It is then glued to the card base and

an oval Merry Christmas with a dark gray

scallop is attached.

Very very easy and very elegant.

Possible With God

I can not believe it has been a week since my last post.  

Having problems with a sprained ankle and it hurts

to sit with my foot down.  So my computer time has 

been very limited.

Here is a new card design.  I really like how this one turned out.

This is a very simple basic design that depends on

the DP (designer paper) for it's "punch".

The papers are from Paper Studios Mirabella stack.

The die cuts are from Spellbinders.

The scripture can be found in God's Holy Word

at Luke 18:27.

The Lord is my strength Ps 118:14

 I put in two photos of the same card hoping that the slightly

angled view would give you an idea of the 3-D aspect of the design.

The base of the card is plain white card stock.

Over that is a embossing folder textured layer that is

on lavender card stock.  The narrow border is cut 

evenly and to perfection using Perfect Layers rulers.

The phrase was created by myself in Paint Shop Pro

and is from Psalm 118:14 in God's holy scriptures.

It was cut out using one of Spellbinder's Label and

a different Label was used for the layer under it.

The edges of both Labels have been lightly sponged with

a pale lavender ink.
Both Labels have flat pieces of paper egg carton
glued to the backs.  (rather than the expensive pop dots)

The butterfly is two layers.  The lovely shiny lavender

is highlighting foil (available at a beauty supply) that

has been spray glued to card stock.  I have also

tried spreading a white glue with a small squeegee on the card

stock, laying on the foil and smoothing with a brayer.   I do prefer this method.

I found I get a better adhesion.

The second layer of the butterfly is lavender vellum

The flowers are  also lavender vellum that

has been punched and shaped with a

white center attached.

The butterfly and the olive branch leaves are

dies from Cheery Lynn Designs.

Western Valentine

This is my husband's Valentine.

He does not appreciate the frilly detailed cards,

so this is what I came up with.

I had cut a label out from a piece of card stock

and used the left over piece as a stencil.

The two shades of brown and black inks

were sponged on to create the frame for

the horses.  The fine line black heat embossed

image is by Rubber Stamp Avenue.

It was cut out with a Spellbinders oval die

and faux burned with brown and black inks.

When attaching the horses oval to the card

I used flat pieces of  cut up paper egg carton

to create a 3-D effect.

The Valentine greeting is white fine line on

black card stock.  I cut it out as a rectangle

and rounded the edges with the 1/4 inch side

of the corner chomper.

Black "diamonds" on each corner of the  stenciled

portion and a small black glitter paper heart on

the front horses chest are the finishing touches.

Joy of the Lord Neh 8:10

Here is the last card in the series.

Guess what makes it different than the other

two??????

I accidentally did the polished stone

on the wrong side of the paper.

BUT I still like it.

The Hero Arts flower has been heat embossed

using copper powder.  There is copper in

the polished stone.

The edges of the polished stone, 

the flower that is cut in an oval and

the scripture have all been distressed

and faux burned..

The Joy of the LORD

 Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that, "The joy of the LORD

is your strength."

Because this is one of my favorite scriptures

I decided to use an Our Daily Bread stamp 

as the basic template and make my own in PSP X.

If you don't do PSP or Photo Shop you can

definitely get some wonderful scripture stamps

from Our Daily Bread Designs.

The top scripture has been die cut with a

Spellbinders tag die. The one on the 

bottom card is simply cut using a click blade 

and a quilting ruler then layered over dark

purple card stock that was cut to a narrow

border using a Perfect Layers ruler.

The blue card has a background of pale blue 

polished stone (alcohol ink on glossy card stock)

that has the edges sponged in black ink.

The flower images are from Hero Arts and

have been stamped with VersaMark and

heat embossed with fine line black embossing powder.

The lavender and purple card has polished stone

used on the oval and the holes in the lacy scallops.

There background is a lavender card stock 

that has been textured using an embossing folder.

The oval and the scallop borders are from

Spellbinder dies.

I matched the lavender polished stone to the

holes in the scallops by simply cutting plain scallops

in the polished stone (no holes in this one) and

gluing the dark purple lacy scallop over.