STITCHED DIE-CUTS & COZY CHAIR

I recently purchased "Stitched Study Nook" dies from Spellbinders, mainly because of the adorable selection of die-cut images, but also because I liked the idea of adding stitches to some of the cuts.  Today I'm sharing two of the cards that I made with the dies--one for my sister and one for my dad.

My sister has a cat and, as a teacher, she loves books and has quite a LOT of them.  Of course, her card had to have a stack of books by the chair.

The stack of books was fussy-cut from Stampin' Up!'s "Hobby Haven" designer paper collection.

Now . . . for daddy's card below:

Daddy does NOT like cats, but I thought the scene on the front of his card needed one.  If you try to picture it without the cat, it looks like something is missing, right?  He, too, has some fussy-cut books by his chair and a cozy rug which was cut from a piece of felt.

Sponging ink on areas of his chair made it look more cozy and inviting.  

Working on these two cards was quite fun, and I like that I got to stitch on the light fixture as well as the chair.  I also like the versatility of having legs under the chair--or not.  

Wherever you are and whatever you're doing today, I hope you find time to sit in your cozy chair--perhaps with your favorite little furbaby.

BUTTERFLY SYMPATHY CARD

I don't keep sympathy cards on hand.  Well . . . I might find a few cards in my stash without a greeting that would suffice, but I typically like to make sympathy cards when I need them.  That's my time to remember the person who has passed and think about/pray for the person who will receive the card.

This card was made for the daughter of a lady that I have known since about as far back as I can remember.  Actually, I didn't know her all that well . . . she lived in the community, and she seemed to think a lot of my grandmother.  Through the years, she would sometimes visit my grandmother, and she always had the sweetest smile--such a pleasant lady!  Communities aren't what they used to be.  I think now about the people my grandmother would mention in conversation, and she either went to church with them or they were friends/acquaintances from her community.  And when they visited one another, they didn't show up empty-handed.  I think I grew up at a perfect time because I got to witness that kind of genuine care for others.  

I never seem to know what kind of card to make, and I don't know the official name of this card design.  I can tell you that it was very simple to make.  I just took two pieces of 4.25" x 5.5" cardstock, scored both pieces at the same measures, and adhered the two edges together.  It's always a treat when just a couple of scored lines can add something unique to a card design!  What's better is when the card can fold flat for mailing but demand attention on display.

The die-cut clouds were in a bin on my desk, and I liked their subtle look to the design.  Stampin' Up!'s retired "Stitched Greenery" die was used to add texture to the card front.  For the butterfly, I used Blending Brushes to add the Gorgeous Grape and Lemon Lime Twist colors.

Of course, there was plenty of space on the back of the card to write a message.  I will definitely make more cards like this in the future because they're quick to make, have a unique appearance, and must be a pleasure to receive.

Have a stampin' good day!

 

"SWEET BUGS" NOTE CARD SET

Today's post is all about a cute, cute, cute set of blank note cards featuring Stampin' Up!'s "Sweet Bugs" bundle and coordinating "Cute as a Bug" designer paper.  Being able to use dies to cut images from designer paper adds so much value to a bundle of products--and how you can enjoy using them.  My cards also feature one of the Scalloped Contours dies (retired), and some of the cards feature the "Forever Plaid" embossing folder.  Let's take a look:

First up is this adorable ladybug reading a book beneath some flower petal shade.  The embossed cardstock layer is Gray Granite, and both of the die-cut images are from the designer paper.  This card also features one of the "Ladybug Garden Epoxy Shapes", and they are so very adorable!  If you like them, I'd suggest ordering a supply while they are available.

The next card features a Mossy Meadow cardstock layer that was embossed with the Forever Plaid embossing folder.  I don't know if she's heading to a buffet and trying to stay protected from rain or sun, and I wonder if she's aware that a cute ladybug is tagging along.

The ladybug is too cute!  Surely, these two are friends.

The sweet bug on the card below was fussy-cut from the designer paper.  Fussy-cutting is not my favorite thing, but who could resist???  The embossed cardstock layer is Petal Pink.

Check out little miss prissy bug:

Who knows where she's headed, but she's going with confidence!  Notice the clear epoxy accents on the flower and her eye?  They're included in the pack of "Ladybug Garden Epoxy Shapes".  The embossed cardstock layer is Poppy Parade.

You've seen your fair share of ants before, but have you ever seen such happy ones?  I don't know if they're in a band or a parade, but they're holding nothing back.  The embossed cardstock layer is Cajun Craze.

One of my favorite bugs featured on the designer paper is this girl who is busy knitting a scarf.  Don't you love her hat?  The embossed cardstock layer is Blackberry Bliss, which is a color that I really like but seem to seldom use.  

And here's one more look at the whole set:

I had so much fun making these cards!  My favorite thing about making a set of note cards is that they're basically all the same and yet, at the same time, there's something different about each one.  What made the process quicker for me (after I decided to use a colored cardstock layer and the die-cut scalloped rectangle on each of my cards) was choosing and cutting all of the images that I might want to use.  From there, all I had to do was choose the image(s) for each card.  I've still got a few more images cut and ready to use on cards!

Hope you like this set as much as I do! 

BUTTERFLY SYMPATHY

 

Well, it seems that I fell off the blog wagon (again), but I'm back today sharing a sympathy card.  The butterfly is from Stampin' Up!, and I used blending brushes to color it with Gorgeous Grape and Lemon Lime Twist inks.  Take a look at the whole card:

The lovely background texture was created with Stampin' Up!'s Stitched Greenery die.  I don't recall the name of this pop-out card design, but below is a better photo that shows it on display:

It's a really fun design, huh?  Best of all, it's a fun one to make, and it folds flat for mailing.  Win, win, win!

I recently saw the beautiful sentiment on Amazon, and it was perfect for this card!

I'm sure there are so many ways to decorate a card like this, but I kept this one clean and simple.  There is ample space on the back to write a message, but I suppose there are other clever ways to include a message on this type of card.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!!!