Pattern Paper and ...

Glitter!

How many of you can't resist these papers when seeing them at your favorite craft supply store? I have several packs and need to use them! I don't know why I bought them other then the glittered pages are beautiful. But I do not scrape book. So I have started to pull them and "gasp'! - cut the pages to make into cards. My birthday was back in February and a dear friend gave me this beautiful flower 'cake'. And just to let you know, it lasted three weeks before I had to take it apart. 

To thank her for this nice surprise, I pulled out one of those huge pads with the glittered pattern paper inside to build a card and set of notecards for her. She likes to give tea parties and I had some images with vintage teacups from Digital Papers and put together the following cards.

The card with the green organdy bow was used to say my 'thank you' in. The other four below are the notecards that could be used for almost any occasion. 

I kept the cards free of bows to make mailing them easier. The sentiment on the front of the cards can be used for adding inside the card - on your special day or and hoping you feel better soon, etc. The only stamping I did was on the front of the cards. Simple once you select the colored paper you want to use in making your card. 

Here are two more cards using the DCWV paper.

You can see the shine on the front of these cards! 

And I even used the scrap pieces inside to finish them off. 

 

To think I almost donated these packs of pattern paper to the local thrift store! Now I'm on a mission to use them in creating cards. I have made a promise to myself not to buy any new pattern paper until I use what I have up. That may take me a couple of years!

The stamps used on my cards are from Papertrey Ink and Stampin' UP! 

Sending You A Hug

 Sending You...

This special card was made for a dear friend and her family.  After a very difficult year going back to 2012, of having their youngest son (18) in and out of the hospital and an operation just recently, he is finally on the road to recovery. Getting back into a 'normal' routine is what they are all hoping for now. 

This friend works with me at the place I volunteer. A small group of us wanted to do something for them. None of us live close enough to be bringing them meals. So we thought giving the family several gift cards would help them to call ahead to pick up something after working all day. 

On the inside of the card, I will be placing everyone's name printed from my computer. The sentiment above and on the front of this card is from Papertrey Ink's Big and Bold Wishes. It reads, 

A Hug With A Fold In The Middle

The last two pages of this card hold the gift cards. One is an iTune card for Kyle, the young man who had the operation.

The pad of pattern paper shown above in the photo is where I took the paper from to make this card. More on this glittery paper in another upcoming post.

The bow was made using the Bow Easy and the ribbon is Organdy from Stampin' UP! This was not a difficult card to make. There are four pages to it and the size is big. 8 1/2 x 6 inches. You should use Score Tape or Tacky Tape to put the two cards together so they will not come apart. This card feels like it weighs a pound but I like how it came together. And I do have an envelope for it! Only the bow will not be inside it. I'm not crushing that beauty! 

Thanks for stopping by to take a look. 

A Birthday Wish & Critter Photos

When you have a birthday that falls during the dead of winter, AND you live where it is winter, you really need nice bright cards to help you celebrate. I know. I have a winter birthday in February. I have a friend who also has a birthday in the winter time and when Nichole Heady from Papertrey Ink showed her example for the newest stamp set Watercolor Wonders released in February, I had to make it for my friend! 

Rainbows and sunshine remind me of summer! 

The stamp set makes it so easy to make this card. You really don't have to worry about smudges either. The brushes are from the Papertrey Ink stamp set Friendship Jar Fillers and the sentiment is from Up, Up and Away Sentiments. 

As a gift, I made two Easter/Spring like cards for her to send to her family in Germany. They do not speak or read English and she has mentioned several times how difficult it is to find birthday cards or holiday cards to send to them. So I made two No-Stamping involved cards using digital paper with drawings that convey the idea of Easter for her to send them. 

These papers/images are from the Etsy shop of Digital Papers. The shop owner's name is Janet and use to go under the shop name of madebyjanet. I love the vintage style papers, tags and postcards she has. She usually has discounts for the number of downloads you buy. So make sure to look for her Special Offer in the left hand column if you decide to visit and purchase something. 

 Papertrey Ink card stock and ribbon were used also in making these. 

 NOW for photos taken over the last 1 1/2 weeks around here. And as I type this up, we are having blizzard like conditions with over a foot of snow expected. No complaints here. We need this!
It is definitely still Winter here!   

Here are six of the eight wild turkeys that have been with us since last July. They roam the neighborhood and are probably feed sunflower seeds by all. They are certainly hearty souls to have made it this long around here.

The wild turkeys like to perch on the fence and stick around for hours before heading off to their next destination. We have noticed that this gang of turkeys seem to hang out or around with some of the deer that travel through here. Behind the birdhouse on the tree to the right, there are three deer. Two resting on the ground. 

 Every morning this guy visits us to get his morning breakfast. Magpies are big and beautiful. 

Isn't he beautiful! I'm really not too far from him either. Only I stayed safely on the inside of the fence. I was fortunate to get this photo before those antlers came off. Just wish he'd tell me wear they are!

He is bald now! 

Thanks for looking!

Beary Sweet

Beary Cuddly and Beary Sweet

From her cute little head

to her perfect little feet. 

A sweet little girl arrived one month early for a dear friend of mine! Her mother wanted the announcement to be one-sided and to have the bear that I had on her baby shower card added with a little bow on the bear's head. She also wanted the quilted baby paper I had used on the baby shower card on the announcement.  This paper was from Hallmark and I found it in a thrift store a few years ago. It had just remained on my pattern paper shelf knowing someday I would use it.  I know all paper crafters understand this obsession to horde and wait until just the right time something is needed. Thing is, I only had so much of it left! So making photo corners to hold the baby picture worked! 

This was the baby shower card.

I made 50 for her. 

The cute little bear is a digital image from Pixel Paper Prints at www.mygrafico.com. The selection is called Woodland Animals. The pink card stock is from MFT - Pink Lemonade. No stamping involved in making the announcements. Everything was done on the computer. The sentiment was found by my friend and I do not know where. But it fits this perfectly. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Birthday Wishes

A special card for a special friend 

who turned 88 years old the last day of January. 

I used a Cuttlebug folder for my base adding the colored ink to the raised portion before running through the machine. I love how the ink brings out the detail of this design. The large yellow flowers are cut from Papertrey Ink dies Beautiful Blooms collection. 

The little white blossoms are from a Martha Stewart punch. 

The pretty jewel was taken from a bracelet found at the thrift store. 

The centers of the flowers are pearl like beads 

colored with Copic Markers. 

Elsie, the birthday girl, loved her card. 

Wishing You...

The Happiest of Holidays

The cards shown were made for a workmate. 

I Case'd this card... 

and I have NO clue who made it. I have an iPad and will save the images of cards I like for future memory. The problem is my memory! does not remember who made it! This photo does not have a watermark on it to help me remember who made it. When I find the original post I will update this. Sadly, these cards are the only holiday cards I have made so far this year! 

And it was the first time I was using this stamp set too. 

The die-cut trees were made using Papertrey Ink dies from Love Lives Here, Holiday set. The sentiment is also from a Papertrey Ink stamp set, Think Big Favorites #20. 

The pattern paper is another mystery.  I have so much loose pattern paper around that I have made myself stop purchasing it so I have to use what I have! I have paper from when I was in SU and still have a ton of that too. I'd like to think I'm being 'green' by saving every piece. 

I hope everyone will have a very nice holiday this year. 

I already know my New Year's resolution - get back into the swing of things and Create and blog! 

Wedding!

We had a wedding in the family over the Thanksgiving weekend. 

Our daughter, Colleen, wed Matthew.

It was an intimate gathering the day after Thanksgiving. 

The ornament above was given to all who attended. 

The tandem bike has a special meaning to the couple.

The card shown above was made for this occasion. 

I case'd a Becca Feeken card from the Amazing Paper Grace that you can view HERE.

To say I love her cards is an understatement! This amazing lady uses lace, satin and pearls and her creations are so elegant looking. That was what I was going for. 

I used vanilla cardstock. The embossed panels are a Cuttlebug folder. The lace was a gift to me a few years ago from a fellow card maker. Added the satin ribbon and bow. Popped a pearl on the center of the bow and finished the panels off with pre-made red roses. The sentiment on the front is from the Papertrey Ink set called Wishing You. 

Thanks for looking!