MORE BLACK MAGIC

Are you tired of seeing Black Magic?  Slowly, but surely, I'm converting my samples to cards.  I will have one more card at some point in time . . . I just can't decide how to finish it.  :-(

"SUMMERTIME SPLENDOR" AND MY DIGITAL STUDIO

"My Digital Studio" is Stampin' Up!'s "paper-crafting solution" software and, every once in a while, new downloads (VERY reasonably priced) are released for purchase.  MDS is a great tool for digital scrapbooking, card and scrapbook page designs, etc., but did you know that you can also print--from your home computer--the images (sized according to your preference) which are available in the program?  I downloaded "Summertime Splendor" designer paper this afternoon and then printed four of the images to use for cards.  So far, I've completed two cards, which are shown above.  This designer paper is gorgeous, and it's nice that most of the artwork was just waiting for me to enhance with my own stamps, card stock, and accessories.  Something that you may not know about Stampin' Up!'s digital downloads is that you don't have to own MDS in order to use them since they will work with any digital software that accepts .jpg files but, of course, I would recommend that you consider purchasing MDS because it's an easy program to use and will do more than just cards and scrapbook pages.  The program has MANY images (stamps, punches, ribbon, buttons, hardware, designer paper and kits, etc.) and, of course, Stampin' Up! continues to offer new downloads.

"BLACK MAGIC" SYMPATHY

I found out this morning that my sister-in-law's father passed away, so I made this sympathy card for her.  I can't say that I really knew her "daddy" (that's what she always called him) but, in the past 20 years or so, I met him several times and shared a few meals around a table with him.  My sister-in-law was, from what I could tell, "daddy's girl," and it was never difficult to understand why.  In many ways, Paul reminded me of both my daddy and grandfather . . . he was a kind and gentle man, one who loved gardening and sharing.  He lovingly cared for his wife, and looking out for her just seemed to come natural.  He was a great cook, too!!  Paul Wilkinson was a really good, hard-working man, and I always felt very welcomed by him, as if I was just another member of the family. I know that he'll be sorely missed.  For this card, I used the Black Magic technique and Stampin' Up!'s "Kind and Caring Thoughts" level 3 hostess stamp set.  I love the images in this set, but I don't use them often since it's a hostess set.  The sentiment is from the "Thoughts and Prayers" stamp set.  I never enjoy making sympathy cards, but I do feel good when I can make a little something special for someone whose heart is filled with sadness.  Go rest high, Paul Wilkinson.  You have long deserved your mansion and the garden that surrounds it! 

HAPPY NEW HOME

Today we celebrated my great-nephew's birthday at my niece's brand new home, and this is the card that I made for her.  Tilda's fresh-baked pie seemed welcoming enough!  The sentiment for this card was printed from Microsoft Word, and I sponged Stampin' Up!'s Soft Suede ink on the white card stock and then drew lines and faux nails with a fine tip marker.  The sides of this layer have a Pinking Hearts border, although you can't really see the tiny heart cut-outs.  The Prima flowers were sponged with Bravo Burgundy ink, stacked, and held together with a rhinestone brad. 

STILL CHALKIN'

One of the projects for my Inkerbelles' class involved the Chalkboard technique, which I love!  It's such an easy way to apply color to a stamped image and take it to a definite WOW level.  While a solid image is generally preferred for the Chalkboard technique, I have found that open-line images actually hold chalked color quite well, as you can see from the card on the left.  I used an image from Stampin' Up!'s "Country Morning" stamp set, and doesn't it have a neat, neon appearance?For my second card (to the right), I used the brand new "Watercolor Trio" stamp set and blended a couple of chalk colors on the large flowers--sooooo super easy to do!  This card also features a heart-shaped "Bitty Button" . . . another new Stampin' Up! product.  The button is clear, but I used the Heart-to-Heart punch for the small heart that is adhered beneath the button.  Any white specks shown in the photos of these cards would be the shimmer mist (a mixture of water and Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint) which I have become addicted to spraying on my chalked creations.  It's a great finishing touch that seems to enhance the colored images.

WELCOME TO THE FARM!

I have been waiting a whole week to share this card, and I hope it's finally safe to do so.  We're celebrating my great-nephew's first birthday tomorrow, and I hope his mommy doesn't get a wild hair to check my blog between now and then.  I know this doesn't necessarily look like a card for a one-year-old; however, the party theme is farm animals, and I just went where the creative muse took me.  If you're thinking the card is large, you're correct . . . it's approximately 6x6.  The animals and words were cut with my Cricut Expression using the "Animal Kingdom" cartridge, and I used "A Child's Year" cartridge to cut the scalloped ovals and the number "1" cut-out.   

WHERE'D THAT COME FROM?

Look closely.  Do you see the bush? 

Yesterday, as I was going to the car, I noticed not one, but TWO bushes that I had not yet noticed this Spring.  That wouldn't be a very big deal except for the fact that these bushes are taller than me!  How could I have missed them?????  It's not as though they're on the side of the house where I never go--they're right beside the driveway!  BTW, the top of the car that you see in the picture is NOT the car that I drive--I park to the right of that one.  Anyway, we used to have a row of really tall trees and a few Azaleas where the bushes now grow, but most all of that was cut down last year.  At first, I thought these bushes were weeds that had been allowed to grow too tall, but the foliage on this bush looks like a plant . . . something intentionally planted.  But then . . . what do I know?  If this bush is a weed, it's a pretty one!  If it's a desirable, flowering plant, I suppose the trees kept choking and stunting its growth and now it's thriving.  If you know what it is, do tell.  I asked my husband last night if he'd noticed the "new" bushes, and he just looked at me like I was crazy.  If you ask me, he's the crazy one because he could have claimed that he planted them for me for Mother's Day and was hurt that it took me this long to notice!

AND IT SHALL BE CALLED . . . A LITTLE CHARMER

I don't know if the name of this card is truly accurate, but it's the first thing that popped in my mind when I looked at it.  Can you believe that I almost threw away this embossed image?  Yep!  I held it over the trash can, and something said "WAIT!"  This was actually a miserably failed trial after the Double Embossing yesterday, but I now like the look.  It reminds me of wrought iron.  Notice the tiny tag in the top right corner?  That's the quickest, easiest way to use a tiny tag on a project, second to dropping a dot of glue on the back.  Stampin' Up! products used to create this little dilly include:  Always Artichoke, Basic Black, and Very Vanilla card stock, Very Vanilla Satin ribbon (yummy), "Elegant Bouquet" embossing folder, Filigree, Rhinestone, and Always Artichoke brads, Slit punch (to create the cut-out corners, "Island Oasis" designer paper, "Tiny Tags" stamp set, and Jewelry Tag punch.  Did I forget anything?

I HOPE HE WINS!!!!!!

As Randy Jackson said, he truly "threw down the gauntlet" last night!

LATTICE & BUTTERFLIES . . . A FUN POP-UP CARD

Are you looking for a not-too-hard card to make, yet one that looks like you spent a lot of time on it?  Here it is!  Seriously!  From start to finish, including the time it took to select card stock colors, ribbon, and a stamp and to die cut the lattice and butterflies, I probably spent 30 to 45 minutes making this card.  Obviously, the next one won't take nearly that long, especially if you already have a drawer or box where you keep leftover die-cuts.  I can't take credit for the ingenuity of using the lattice to create the butterfly pop-up inside this card but, when I saw the idea, my mission was to make one!  The die-cut flowers got their glittery shimmer from Champagne Mist shimmer mist, and Chocolate Chip lattice was spritzed with Vanilla Shimmer and Silver Foil Smooch Spritz.  Stampin' Up! products used to create this card:

Stamp Sets:  Elements of Style, Curvy Verses

Card Stock:  Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, Taken with Teal, Lovely Lilac

Sizzix/Big Shot:  Lattice (Bigz die), Blossom Party (Originals die), Birds and Blooms (Sizzlits die), Beautiful Wings (Embosslit)

Accessories:  Chocolate Chip (retired ribbon), Rose Red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, flower brad, Champagne Mist shimmer mist, Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz, Silver Foil Smooch Spritz

ETA:  Notice how nicely the largest flower from the "Blossom Party" die and the two flowers from the "Birds and Blooms" Sizzlit die match and layer?  Love that!