Just in case

This card is one of those that's nice to have around because if you need it you likely won't feel like making it. I hate making sympathy cards. I like happy cards and cheering people up. Sometimes though you need something else. Coming across the Corrosive Challenge blog I took a look through my die cuts and found this rocking chair which led me down the path to make this card that will hopefully sit in my room on the shelf for a long, long time.



The sentiment reads, "Sending thoughts of love and praying for the Lord to sustain you with bright and restful days." It's from Stampin Up. The background was made using PTI's Guidelines.

Challenges:
Truly Scrumptious - Sketch
Charisma Cardz Challenges - Flowers
Tuesday Taggers - All that Blooms
Colour Create Challenge Blog - Baby pink and pastel blue
The Corrosive Challenge Blog - die cuts

Thanks for looking.

Father's Day

I'm back from my travels - for now. Paris was wonderful, of course! I'm finally getting back into the art room and back to my creative work. One look at the calendar and I realized the Father's Day projects that had to be mailed had to be the first priority. While it seems so far away the mailing deadline is practically here. Now first up is my dad. Let me just say, he is the hardest person I make cards for. He loves his work and isn't really into the typical guy stuff but he certainly isn't into anything remotely girly. Tough I tell ya.

I got a little nudge from a few challenges and here's what I came up with. This is not my usual style, but I'm happy with it and I think it fits the bill.



The border around the image is embossed with distressed embossing powder and the blue around that is painted with distressed paint. The staples are from the fastenater (is that how you spell it??). They were brown, but have been sanded to go along with the whole distressed look. The image is an old PSX one and the sentiment is from a set that was given to me.

Thanks for looking.

Challenges:
Just Us Girls #46 - Sketch
Tuesday Taggers - Touchy Feely Texture
For Fun Challenges - Card for a man
Delightful Sketches - Texture
Cute Card Thursday - Black, blue, and orange
Cards for Men - Father's Day

Birthday treats

In case anyone is wondering, I have been on vacation. Two weeks in northern Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia. I haven't gotten back into posting because it is a quick turn around to our weekend in Paris! Life in Europe is great!!

However, before I hit the road again I really wanted to take part in Ted's latest challenge over at Happily Ever Crafter. This month's challenge was a menu from which I am a five. So I needed a yellow base with dry embossing featuring ribbon and having something to do with the kitchen.

I didn't do a card. All month I've been planning on making this little cupcake type box to send to a friend as part of her birthday package and I finally got it done. Sometimes I really wish my kids were nappers, but both seem to require less than the average amount of sleep. Anyway, here is my take on the menu.



Please excuse the bad picture. I live in a country where it rains all the time in a house that has really bad lighting and at the time of this picture my little guy is sleeping in the room with the portrait lights. Life.

The box itself is a template from My Time Made Easy. I used Stampin Up cardstock from the In Colors pack. The ribbon is from my stash and I used a lot of it. The bottom (yellow) of the cupcake is embossed with a Fiskars texture plate (does anyone remember those??) so I could get the curve on the bottom and then brushed with Pearlescent Yellow ink. I was going to add some other embellishments, but I was happy with how it looked and didn't want to go overboard, especially since the ribbon is sparkly. Inside are two Nutella to go packs - something where a little melting won't ruin the product.

This is also going up on the JUGS34 challenge for the week.

Thanks for looking! Hope you like.

I think I can!

My son has to go in for a medical test. While the test is in no way invasive or painful, it is long - we're talking at least three hours. He's a boy. He doesn't sit for three hours! So to help keep him contained in the office I thought a surprise might be in order. I took the FREE Cutesy Cover from My Time Made Easy and dolled it up just a bit for the boy.

I went with his favorite theme - trains. I used the, now retired, circus train from Stampin Up to wrap it's way around the box going up the "mountain."



And then I added the famous line from one of his favorite books, The Little Engine that Could.

I finished it off with a couple of buttons since the child loves my buttons. And adjusted the top so it would close by just tucking in the lid like a deck of cards. Then I filled it up with a new matchbox (boys are so easy!), some treats, and some of the new school papers from My Time Made Easy so he could practice his letters. A perfect, simple little surprise to help the time pass.

Challenges:
Stampin' for the Weekend: Your Favorite book (in this case, my son's)

Thanks for looking.

Hats off!

My dearest friend's son is graduating from high school in a few weeks. He is a very sweet young man who was once a fabulous babysitter for my son. Despite all the wonderful things about him, he is a male and when it comes to graduation things for boys I am always at a loss. I broke down and sent a gift card with the card I made because really, I don't know what teenage boys really WANT. He will be heading off to college in the fall and as I recall there are always a ton of things you didn't know you would need. Hopefully, he sees it that way too.
Here's the super quick card I made up for him.

The background is really a sheer fabric with the design on already on it covering a bright blue cardstock. Talk about a quick solution! The graduation cap is from Stampin Up. I don't know where I got the unmounted "Congratulations" though I wish I did because I really like the font. All the stamped images are heat embossed for an extra little something.

Challenges:
Paper cutz: graduation

Thanks for looking!

I finally finished my Mother's Day projects. This card is going to my suppose-to-be-mom. The tulip is from Gina K. stamped and then heat embossed with pink puff embossing powder. The puff part gives it a very nice flowery texture with little effort. On the bottom it says "Happy Mother's Day." The background is something I made with alcohol inks. I think it brightens the card while giving it a some interest without a pattern.



This card is going up on the following challenges:
Sweet sketch Wednesday: sketch
Crafty Creations: Make your own background paper
Cute Card Thursday: make something (background)
S2G Challenges: use the word Mother
Challenge up your life: Mother's Day card in orange and pink

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Anniversary!

As has been happening a lot of late, our wedding anniversary got away from me. Before I realized it I only had days left to get my act together. Luckily, I was inspired by several challenge blogs that when brought together made everything fall into place.
Here is the card I came up with:

The photograph is a black and white that was taken at our wedding. The background is from Damask Designs (PTI). The words were printed on the computer. It says, "Remember the day..." "Remember the love..." And the inside it simply says "Happy Anniversary."
My husband loved it!

Challenges that brought it about:
Project Tuesday: folded paper frame
Tuesday Taggers: Memories
Papertake: Something different (I had never done the folded paper frame before)
Cards for Men: Monochromatic

Thanks for looking.