Sweet Wonderful You

Working my way through the gift, it came time to do the birthday card I assume he will send to his wife. I discovered just how hard it can be to design for someone else without them knowing about it. I mean think about it...creating a birthday card for a man to send to his wife whom I don't know in a situation where they are apart. I had to turn to a sketch and I went with a red rose because I think it's about as universal as you can get for the occasion.



The rose is once again unidentified. The rose is colored with a red copic and then highlighted with the blender. The sentiment is from PTI. The embossed paper came that way from Creative Memories awhile back.

Challenges:
Crazy 4 Challenges - sketch (Thank you!)

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Happy HOT Holidays

Working my way through the challenge of getting the cards done for the deployment gift and here is the holiday card. Since he'll be somewhere in the desert I figured a sandy, hot, crazy Santa would fit the bill. I didn't want to go overly mushy or sentimental because I didn't want the card to make the separation at that time of year even worse. So, a bright sunny day with a little sand and Santa.



The stamps are all Stampin Up. Santa and the tree are from a retired set. So glad I've never parted with him. To finish off the affect there is a strip of sandpaper.

Challenges:
Christmas Stampin' All Year - Sketch
Our Creative Corner - Christmas in July
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Out of this world (I don't think we'll be seeing Santa in his bathing suit any time soon!)

Thanks for looking!

Brighten the day

As I said yesterday, I am working on a set of cards for my doctor who will be deploying very soon. This is the second birthday card and I really hope it brightens the day of whichever girl happens to get it.



I love this little puppy. I've had him for years. He's from Comotion Rubber Stamps. Sadly he doesn't get inked up as much as he should. The dots on the circles are from PTI. The sentiment is from Stampin Up.

Challenges:
Crafty Creations Challenges - Summer Lovin'
For Fun Challenges - Summer Colors
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - Sketch

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Make a wish

Though I am right in the middle of prime Christmas card making time I am shifting my mojo for the sake of my favorite doctor. Well, really it's for his family. He's deploying for 16 months. We'll have moved on by the time he gets back. I'm very sad. However, I thought the best gift to send with him was a collection of cards for him to have on hand to send back to his girls. This is the first of the birthday cards. I hope to get four birthday cards (one for his wife and each of their three daughters), a Christmas card, Anniversary card, and two anytime cards done in time for him to take. Wish me luck since there is also a teething baby in the house and a husband who isn't.



This card came about mostly because I saw the challenge over at Cute Card Thursday focusing on text. I remembered this big block stamp I bought from Purple Onion Designs awhile back. I love the stamp - all of them really - but had never gotten around to inking it up. Other ideas bopping around in my head involved this adorable mouse from Whiff of Joy and eventually the two came together.

Challenges:
Cute Card Thursday - Texting crazy
Charisma Cardz Challenges - Something with a tail
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Sketch
Party Time Tuesdays - Anything goes birthday

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For my son

Every year it happens. I make the cards to send to everyone and do all the other Christmas "chores" only to realize on Christmas Eve (or maybe the day before) that I have once again forgotten to make my family cards. Every year. Normally I can pull something together for the hubs, but I have never gotten my act together enough to make my son a card. I know, I know. Don't say it. Don't even think it. I feel bad about it every year. This is the year. THIS is the year because I thought ahead and got the card done. Yes, he will get a card this Christmas because it is sitting in the art room waiting for Christmas. Here it is:



My little boy loves trains so this image is perfect. Once again I don't know who made it. I'm pretty sure I found it in a clearance bin at a stamp convention one year. He also loves buttons. He claims mine all the time and anything he makes for his friends or teachers is loaded with them. Ribbon is another big thing for him. He is always asking me if I'm going to use this or that piece of ribbon and if he can have it. I don't know why, I just embrace it. I'm so happy it's done and he will not be left out of the card part of Christmas this year.

Challenges:
Paper Cutz - Wheels
Christmas Stampin' All Year - Buttons and Bows
Anjillic Creations - First Annual Christmas in July Challenge
Tuesday Taggers - Christmas in July

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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Ok, not really. It's still very sunny and hot, at least when it's not raining. It is still very much summer. It is, however, that time of year. Every year for at least the last 10 years my Christmas spirit kicks in during July. The first few years I fought it; now I accept it. I use this burst of Christmas spirit to work on getting our Christmas cards done. So, in my art room is really is beginning to look like Christmas.

The first offering of the year (please excuse the bad picture) is an adorable little snowman.

This little guy is from Penny Black. The snowflakes and background (you have to look really close on the light pink) are from PTI. I wanted to use these fun, sparkly lime green brads from Doodlebug and when I reached for them pink came to mind. There's lots of sparkle here - the snowman, the snowflakes, the light pink paper, the brads. I realize it's not a traditional Christmas color combo, but I like it anyway.

Challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch
Crafty Creations Challenges - happy or sweet
Stamptacular Sunday Challenges - Christmas in July

Thanks for looking.

A magical day

I recently came across the wedding candy post over at Charisma Cardz Challenge blog. It is an amazing prize and I really hoped to be able to participate. Plus, who doesn't love weddings?? Not knowing the bride and groom personally I couldn't gear the card to them which made things a little difficult for me. Here's what I came up with:

I didn't want the card to be only about the bride and let's face it, many wedding cards are geared to the girls side of things. I also wanted to have some color. And I wanted to keep it pretty simple and flat because from my view wedding cards are the most likely to end up in a scrapbook of some sort. I love the way the gold stands out on the brown. And I love this sentiment for a wedding.

It didn't even occur to me to use it for weddings when I bought it, but somehow that makes it better.
The image is from Stampin Up and the sentiment is from Stamping Bella.

Challenges/contests:
Charisma Cardz - wedding
Delightful challenges - it's so simple

Thanks for looking.