Running With Scissors...

Birthday Boy

 

Hello, and happy Monday!  Today’s card is an eclectic mix of critters colored up to send a birthday greeting to a four year old boy.  I made it quite a while ago and wasn't sure I was going to post it, but, oh, what the heck.

 

The stamp is Penny Black Party Animals and the designer papers are glittery, fun, boyish DCWV Animal Crackers.  The textured brown cardstock has a shimmer to it, as well.

 

 

I used a birthday sentiment from Stampin’ Up! and filled in the blank with a 1/4” circle punched number 4.  Since I got myself overstocked with photo turns when they were all the rage, I figured I’d use a few for a colorful embellishment.  Three down, a gazillion to go.

 

Coloring was done with Copic markers on Flourishes Classic White cardstock.  I hope he likes it and I hope you do, too.  Have a great day!

 

Stamps:  Penny Black Party Animals, Stampin’ Up! On Your Birthday (sentiment)  Paper:  Shimmery Bazzil textured, Classic White, DCWV Animal Crackers designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Tangerine Tango (for the #4), Copic markers for coloring  Accessories:  Photo turn mounts, brads, 1/4” circle punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Little Black Dress

 

I might as well share another of my dress form cards, I guess.  This one is quite different from the others as I made it with a teen girl in mind.  Lace, ribbon, daisy trim, polka dots, pink, sparkle . . . hmmm. . . come to think of it,  I love all these things, too.  Well, thank goodness I have a reason to indulge myself.  You can do any darn thing you want when you stamp, though, right?  There are no rules!  Well, I suppose there are certain design rules if you want to follow them, but when it comes to taste and style it’s all up to you.

 

 

I like how the cute little daisy trim can be cut into single flowers.

 

I stamped the image in Versafine Onyx Black and embossed with Stardust embossing powder.  You can see a little more sparkle in this next photo.

 

 

I have to make this quick today as I’m plum out of time.  There simply aren’t enough hours in a day for all the things I want to do.  You know the feeling, don’t you?  Wishing you all a happy day!

 

Stamps:  American Art Stamp Frilly Dress, Stampin’ Up! On Your Birthday sentiment  Paper:  Pink textured and plain, black, Flourishes Classic White, polka dot cardstock  Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black  Accessories:   Ribbon, daisy trim, lace, rhinestones, Stardust sparkly embossing powder, Cuttlebug Heritage collection embossing folder, Spellbinders Large Classic and Scalloped Ovals, Stampin’ Up! scallop edge punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Getting Inky

 

Hello, and happy Monday!  I need to make several children’s cards for March and April, so I’m getting an early start on those.  Seems like a good chance to use another lovable critter from my Inky Antics Delightful Dogs #3.

 

 

I chose these colors to suit the preference of the little girl who will receive this card.  I wasn’t sure I’d care much for the combo at first, but in the end I’m happy with it.  I stamped on Flourishes Classic White cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Copic markers.  The Deconstructed Sketch #89 was perfect for the image, and thanks to the sketch artist I felt like I was halfway done before I even started.

 

                                           

 

The flower accents were made from white cardstock with an old Stampin’ Up! punch, colored to match the image, and Rain Dots applied to their centers.  The image and sentiment are both popped up on foam mounting tape.  I think that about does it.  I’ll sum up all the ingredients in the recipe and leave you with a wish for a happy day.

 

Stamps:  Inky Antics Delightful Dogs #3  Paper:  Memory Box Granny Smith, CTMH Spring Iris, Classic White, BasicGrey Sugar Rush designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, oval punch, flower punch, scallop edge punch (all punches from Stampin’ Up!), Rain Dots (tinted resin flower centers), Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Christmas in January

 

I’m going to try to commit to one or more Christmas cards per month this year and I thought if I don’t post them here, I may not be motivated to continue.  Thank you in advance for indulging me.  Do you have any plans to start early?  Maybe we can motivate each other.

 

This is one of two cards I made with my old Running Rhino stamps.  I liked this one best, so I chose it to represent this month’s Christmas stamping.

 

 

I stamped on Flourishes Classic White cardstock and colored with Copic markers.  It’s heavily glittered and looks much better in real life.  I drew the star accent on lightweight cardstock which I first covered with designer paper.  The die cuts are from Spellbinders and the sentiment from JustRite.

 

That’s probably enough Christmas for now, isn’t it?  I hope to post a Christmas card on the 25th of each month.  There, I’ve said it.  I sure hope I can stay on track, but we all know how good I am at changing my mind.  Have a merry January day!

Wee Paws for a Little Birthday Stamping

I love dogs and I love dog stamps.  Whenever I’m browsing I always go to the critters first, and I found this one during a pre-Christmas self indulgence at our local scrapbook store.  It’s from an Inky Antics set called Delightful Dogs #3.  Hmmm…I wonder about #s 1 and 2.  Bet they’re cute, too.

 

 

 

I can’t think of a much more cheerful greeting than the kind you get from a friendly dog, so I chose this image for my friend’s birthday card.  Happy papers and colors and a little fun with the design – that’s what I love about stamping.  I smiled all the way through this.

 

‘Course I had to put some sparkle on the butterflies, and I used my (new favorite) Basic Lattice Spellbinders die to add to the outdoorsy, garden-like setting.  I made corner brackets with some JustRite custom dies and “nailed” them on with silver mini brads.

 

I stamped with Memento Tuxedo black on Flourishes Classic White cardstock and colored with Copic markers.  I’m often dumbfounded by how many markers I’ll use on a simple image, but each one has its place:

 

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s card.  I sure had a good time making it!  I’ll see you again soon!

A Love Song for Three Occasions

Hello!  Just a quick peek today at three cards made with a stamp I purchased months ago and hadn’t used yet.  I thought it was cute, would have multiple uses, and be quick and easy to color.   Since the stamp had sat so long unused I decided to make up for lost time and do three at once.   They’re all the same, but with different colors and sentiments.  The first is the one and only Valentine I made this year and it is, of course, for my One and Only.  The second is a wedding card, and the third, as you can see by the sentiment, is for an anniversary.  The outside sentiments are all from Stampin’ Up!, and the image stamp is Love Song from Penny Black.

I did very simple coloring with Copic markers   The swirly embossing behind the image panel was done with a large-size Cuttlebug folder from the Heritage collection.  The title above each card is actually the inside sentiment, all from JustRite.  So, here you go, a little candy shop of cards:

You Fill My Heart With Love

Happiness is Being Married to Your Best Friend

The Best Thing to Hold Onto in Life is Each Other

I’m so glad you dropped in.  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Love Song (image, Penny Black), Holidays and Wishes (Valentine sentiment, Stampin’ Up!), Hugs and Wishes (other outside sentiments, Stampin’ Up!), JustRite Romantic Sentiments and Loving Thoughts (inside sentiments)  Paper:  Real Red, Pink Pirouette, Tempting Turquoise, Basic Black (all Stampin’ Up!), Classic White (Flourishes)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers for coloring  Accessories:  Offray ribbon, rhinestones, Stickles Stardust glitter glue, Stampin’ Up! heart punch, Cuttlebug Heritage embossing folder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Birdie Birthday

Hello, and welcome back to another day on the Birthday Card Blog!  I do have a card or two to share which I made prior to my illness, and I’m feeling well enough now to sit at the computer for a bit.  Thank you all so much for your well wishes and concern.  I appreciate it more than you can imagine.

You know I’ve been spending all my available stamping time working on children’s birthday cards, and I’m happy to report I’m down to working on the last one.  Since my get up and go got up and went I’m not sure how quickly I’ll finish it.  I’m back to work today and I think that’s going to take whatever energy I’ve recouped over the last couple of days.  However, the desire to stamp has returned, and that’s a good thing.

Today’s card was made for an adult friend’s birthday.  I used another of my new embossing folders.  This one, called Elegant Wreath (Sizzix), is one of my favorites.

It was very easy and not all that time consuming to color the embossed design.  It warmed it up and got along better with the whimsical nature of the image.  It could look very elegant in white with some flowers added, too.  I’ll be thinking along those lines later.  In this case I was experimenting with ideas for mail-friendly cards that don’t take forever and a day to make.  When you’ve got drawers full of embellishments and miles of ribbon, it’s an exercise in discipline to stop yourself while it’s still relatively clean and simple.  You know how it always looks good when someone else does it.  I envy the folks who can do clean and simple so well.

I love these birds.  They’re an Inkadinkado stamp I believe I’ve used only once before.   I colored this with more Copic markers than you’d think it would require, and as I was working fast and furiously I didn’t take time to photograph them.  My apologies!

I did, however, photograph the envelope:

While I have embossed an envelope flap before, it never occurred to me to emboss the entire envelope.  It looks good on both sides and it’s a very quick and easy dress up!

Well, that’s it from me today.  I’ll be back later in the week with… you guessed it… another birthday card.  See you soon!

Stamps:  Inkadinkado birds, Inque Boutique sentiment (retired)  Paper:  Teal textured, Flourishes Classic White  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers for coloring  Accessories:  Sizzix Elegant Wreath embossing folder

Cupcake Day

Well, here I am with yet another birthday card, and a very simple one at that.  I’ve gone a little nutty over embossing folders lately, especially anything with a frame such as this.  It’s a wonderfully quick and simple way to create a nice design for a hand stamped card.  This particular frame is courtesy of a Cuttlebug embossing folder from the Heritage collection.  I went Googling for a good selection of embossing folders and ended up at 7 Kids College fund where I filled my virtual basket and went home a happy girl.  They have so many to choose from.  Just look here.  I’ll be sharing more of those later.

I’ve used a Lockhart cupcake and an Impression Obsession sentiment.  Very simple Copic coloring with these markers:

I had intended to do this without ribbon, but I think the recipient would like to have that little bit of something extra, and I just happened to have this bow already tied and tucked away in one of my ribbon scrap jars.  I adhered it with a spot of Aleene’s Tacky Glue, added some rhinestones and called it done.  I’ve summed up the simple ingredients in the recipe.  Have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Lockhart Violet Cupcake #2012, Impression Obsession sentiment #B5433  Paper:  Almost Amethyst textured (Stampin’ Up!), Lemon Tart (PTI), Classic White (Flourishes)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, rhinestones, Cuttlebug Heritage collection embossing folder

Birthday Hugs

Hello out there!  It’s Monday night as I write this and it’s been one of those days.  We had a good, solid freeze overnight after rain the day before and the roads were very icy as I drove to work.  I slid right through an intersection – good thing the light was green – and then I fell down in the parking lot at work – again, because of the ice.  I wasn’t hurt… everything is A-okay, but it’s a good day for a hug, don’t you think?

So, I thought I’d share another one of the birthday cards I’ve been diligently working on, and in my mind I’ll put myself in the kitty’s place, getting a nice warm hug from a big golden dog.  Hmmm…  come to think of it, I know just where I can get a nice warm hug from a big golden dog…

For this card I used an Inky Antics stamp (which has no name on it so I don’t know what to call it) and I watercolored the image to match my Wally and our sweet Marvin kitty (who is no longer with us).  I used Stampin’ Up! reinkers in Saffron and Pumpkin for the dog, and Tombow Markers in shades of gray for the cat.  I went back to the reinkers to shade around the image in Celery, with the darker Olive just under the dog.

It’s pretty straightforward.  I’m keeping it simple so I can get these birthday cards done.  Nevertheless, I do love this one.  I actually made two adult birthday cards this weekend, but I’ll have to wait till later to share those.

I’ll catch you later in the week.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some of that good old Oregon coast rain tomorrow.  See you soon!

Stamps:  Inky Antics dog and cat, Stampin’ Up! Hugs and Wishes sentiment  Paper:  90 lb hot press watercolor paper, Flourishes Classic Ivory, BasicGrey Sugar Rush designer paper  Ink:  Palette Noir, various inks and markers for watercoloring (colors mentioned above)  Accessories:  Self-adhesive flower with rhinestone, corner rounder punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape (to pop up sentiment panel)

Cheers!

I finally did something I’ve been meaning to do for years – make some New Year’s cards.  It comes so close after Christmas… I guess I’m just not ready for another holiday yet, except in regard to having the day off work.

The first card uses an American Art Stamp couple with an Art Impressions sentiment.  Both stamps have been gathering dust for a few years – not because I don’t like them (quite the contrary), but I don’t have a lot of occasion to use them.  I generally look at them every year when I think about doing New Year’s cards, but that’s as far as it goes.

So… you’ve probably noticed the embossed and cut away card base.  That was done with a new-to-me product called Marianne Design Designable Folders.  I got mine here (in the UK), but you can find them elsewhere, too, if you do a Google search.  I was amazed with the speedy delivery from all the way over there.  I guess those planes fly pretty fast!  The price of these folders is a little scary, but they sure can help you do a cool card design in record time.  That can be important.  However, you can do a little or a lot.  Either way, they’re very fun to play with.

I decked out the couple in glittery party finery by stamping in Versafine Onyx black ink and embossing with sparkly Stardust embossing powder.  The sentiment was embossed with plain clear powder.  You can see the sparkle better in the next photo.  Even the gentleman’s moustache and hair have glitter in them.  Either he’s been nuzzling his lady friend or he’s been wiping his nose on his coat sleeve.  Maybe he’s no gentleman, after all.

I cut the image panel with Spellbinders Labels Sixteen S4-301, and added just a touch of color with Copic markers and a pink rhinestone.

The next card features an image from a retired Stampin’ Up! set called Along the Same Lines.  The sentiment is from A Muse and is cut with a Spellbinders Ribbon Banners S4-324 die.  I sponged with ink while the die was still in place.  The BasicGrey Euphoria designer paper looks all bubbly and floaty (like your head after a few glasses of champagne).

We have sparkling pink champagne for our New Year’s celebration.

I hope your plans for New Year’s Eve are as exciting as mine.  If I’m still awake at midnight maybe I’ll hear some distant fireworks…   Whatever you’re doing, stay safe and enjoy!  See you again soon!