Tuesday, June 26, 2012

TST#72

It's Tuesday!! Time for Try Stampin on Tuesday  Jen has given us a beautiful sketch to work with this week.  Although the sketch itself was square with a round supporting background, I decided to go with a standard A2 card with a gate fold and a square supporting background.
I have not tried many gate fold cards in the past, but I am seeing a lot of them lately, so time to give it a try.  Here I have used the Fleur de Lis Spellbinder Die to create the inner and outer portion of the locking mechanism for the card front.  The original blue CS was very vibrant on the more muted background so I used Not Quite Navy to sponge and tone it down.  Then I added a little more blue on the DSP.  

Unfortunately the photo does not do the card justice, but I'm sure the recipient of the card will enjoy it.

Now hop on over to Try Stampin on Tuesday and see what the other designers have up their sleeves for you.

Don't forget to give this sketch a try yourself and post your results so I can see how you interpret this one.

Hope you enjoy.

Nancy

I like to hear your comments so don't forget to leave me one.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Unscripted Sketches #164 - Her Journeys Just Begun

Earlier today I told you about my daughters friends Mom who was in a coma. Unfortunately she did not make it and has gone to be with her loving husband who I'm sure is waiting for her with open arms.

I made this card with her in mind and then after completing it I realized that what I had created resembled the sketch challenge from Unscripted Sketches.  I hope I have not stretched the sketch a little too far but I think it resembles it.
For the inside of the card I found this sentiment a couple of years back on the internet.  Sorry I don't remember the site or I would give credit, but I thought that this was a very fitting sentiment for such a great lady.  
 
We love you and you will be missed Nana.

Nancy

Thinking of You Nana

Boy when life throws you a curve you really have to stop and wonder what will be next.

First my husbands bosses Father passes last week and then the Mother of my daughters very close friend was admitted to hospital and now remains in a coma with no hope of recovery.  This family has been very close and near and dear to all of our hearts, but especially to my daughter.  She used to babysit the kids and over the years has become so close with the family that she calls the Mom her "Other Mom".  She even looks like the family..scary thought!

Anyway we are all praying for your Nana.
 Nancy

Your comments mean a lot to me so don't forget to leave one.

Masculine Monday - Wheels of Motion

Ok so I have had a few problems this week with not only trying to put together my Masculine Monday card, but also with my computer.  Just as I was about to start writing my blog, my computer froze on me.  Nothing I could do would bring it back. Just when my husband said OK time to visit the Apple Store I think it heard him and decided to come back to life.  I just hope it continues to work and does not need shock therapy again in the near future.

I put together this card using the Cardabilities challenge and incorporated it into my Masculine card for this week.  My husbands bosses father passed away suddenly last week and he was the backbone of the company my husband works for.  I thought that this card reminded me of how the wheels of motion sometimes throw us curves and allows us to continue forward in the right direction.
I hope that you like what I have come up with.

Nancy

Your comments mean a lot to me so please don't forget to leave one.


Friday, June 22, 2012

Showers of Happiness

                                                                                    
I had a special request from a co-worker for a shower card so here is my attempt at a quick and easy card.

Starting with a piece of CS that I had used to cut out one of the Labels Five Nestabilities I used the other half of the cut out as my card front.  This is adhered to a piece pink DSP.  The umbrella image from Rue Des Fleur was stamped onto the DSP and then I stamped a second image on a piece of white CS.  Then I cut out the top portion of the umbrella and popped it up with dimensionals.  The different points of the umbrella ends were accented with jewels and the handle was accented with a small bow.
The sentiment was stamped using my Stamp-a-ma-jig.  I stamped the "happiness" first and then centred my "wishing you" ver the centre of that.

Simple and quick.

Hope you enjoy.

Nancy

I love hear your comments so please don't forget to leave one.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Celebrate Summer Countdown!

I hope that you have all enjoyed the lead up to summer so far. Seeing as summer actually starts today I think we are in for a hot one this year.
Are you ready for a little fun this summer.  Come and Celebrate Summer with us beginning August 15th for 20 days.  You will receive 20 exclusive projects all with a summer theme.  These projects will feature methods of displaying pictures along with cards and card sets.  There will be lots of chats, challenges and fun to be had.  Click on the link to the right side of my blog to sign up.  Don't wait...do it now!

See you for Celebrate Summer in August!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

TST#71 The Golden Year


It's Tuesday so it's time for another Try Stampin on Tuesday.  Jen has come up with a sketch this week that I think you will be able to have lots of fun with.

I have had a special request from a co-worker for a 50th Wedding Anniversary card so I decided to incorporate this weeks challenge in the card. These days it is such a great joy to find someone that has made it to a milestone anniversary and I'm pleased to be able to create this card for that special couple.
I love the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set and was disappointed when they retired it from the collection.  I have used it in watercolours and love layering it on cards.  Don't think this will be one that gets retired from my collection any time too soon.

The large rose was heat embossed with gold powder and left clean and simple. Behind the embossed image and the ribbon is a piece of gold scrapbook paper that I had found in my stash, so it was very fitting for this card.  After using the Polkadots embossing folder on the card front I thought that it was a little too simple so I sponged over it with gold ink. In the version that Jen gave us the bow or embellishment was to be on the other side, but once I got the card together I didn't like the appearance so I simply moved it.  I was again going to do a fluffier bow but thought something simple would be best and then I embellished it with beads.

When I went to stamp the sentiment on the inside I goofed (always have to mess up somewhere!) so I ended up cutting the front of the card and trimming it down and then placing it onto another cardstock base.  That works!  I made sure that I didn't goof on my stamping before I mounted it though!

I hope you like what I have come up with, now it's your turn.  Hop over the Try Stampin on Tuesday and give this challenge a try.  Can't wait to see what you come up with.

Nancy

I like to hear what you think, so please leave me a comment.


Monday, June 18, 2012

A Card for My Dad

Today I have a card that I CASed from Sandy MacIver.  She had made this card last year and when I saw it I knew that it would be perfect for my Dad for Father's Day. Dad served in the Navy during WWII so I usually try and make his cards a nautical theme.
I was running short on time this year to make his card and stumped so when I saw Sandy's card I knew I had it made.  Thanks for the idea Sandy, I owe you one!

I hope you enjoy.

Nancy

I know to know what you think, so please leave me a comment.


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

TST #70 and a Question for YOU!

It's Tuesday, so it's time for Try Stampin on Tuesday. Today Jen has come up with a simple but fun sketch to work with.

As soon as I saw the white band through the middle my first thought was the stamp from Happiest Birthday Wishes and using it as a repeat stamp.  To achieve this I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to first stamp the centre "Happy Birthday" and then stamped on either side of it.
 
The card base was put through my Cuttlebug using the Happy Birthday Embossing folder.

My little balloons were made from the Two Step Owl Punch.  Yes the Two Step Owl Punch.  I first punched out the different colours and then once finished I placed them into the end of the Ornament punch and repunched them.  I trimmed off the owl feet, sponged the edges of the balloon to give shading and then attached a string to the bottom.  A fourth balloon was attached to the inside of the card.

This was a simple card but packs a big punch (no pun intended).

I recently read an article on another stamping blog, sorry I can't remember who's it was or I would give you credit, on photographing cards using natural light. So now my question for you is....I normally photograph my projects on the background that you see in the picture to the bottom left.  I tried a new background and lighting option for the one on the bottom right.  Which one in YOUR opinion photographs better.












So now it's your turn.  Make your card and post it on the Try Stampin on Tuesday website.  Can't wait to see what you come up with.

Hope you enjoy.

Nancy

I like to know what you think, so please leave me a comment.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Masculine Monday - Father's Day

Today I have a special card for Father's Day.  In our recent session of Stampin Fun and Friends we celebrated Mother's and Father's with projects for these upcoming events.  My submission was geared towards the first Mother's and first Father's Day.
I used the Tool Shed stamp set and cut out the tools to form the word "DAD".  I thought that this was a rather different way of using the tools.  Then I framed them with the Framelits Labels Collection.  for the background I used a piece of Very Vanilla CS and masked the areas to make a barn board look and stamped over it with the woodgrain stamp.
For the inside of the card, waste not want not!  I used the pieces of left over Framelits and framed the "Happy first Fathers Day" on the Very Vanilla CS.  The saying was created using my MDS.  I am not the greatest at using my MDS and really do not use it to its fullest potential, but I modified the stamp set and added the word "first" in the middle.
For my project I must admit I had a little help with the idea from CherylAnn Robinson. Once she mentioned the idea to me I knew exactly what to do.  Being a new parent you have lots and lots of baby food jars so thinking back to my Dad and my Granddad I used the baby food jars to create a storage containers for nails, nuts or bolts. I'm sure you all will remember this type of storage from your younger days.
As a side note the barn board used to create the project came from my late Father-in-laws farm and the tools used belonged to my Grandfather.  I thought it would only be fitting to use them in the projects.

I hope that all the Dad's out there, whether they are new at this game or seasoned veterans, have a great Father's Day this Sunday coming.

I hope you enjoy.

Nancy

I like to know what you think so please leave me a comment.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

TST #69

Tuesday...so it's time for Try Stampin on Tuesday.  This is a fairly simple sketch and I'm sure that the other girls have come up with some great suggestions in their own interpretation of it.

I wanted to go with something very simple with very little colour, so I chose  to use pink as my contrast colour.  The results I think are very cheery, I hope you think so too!

OK, now it your turn.  Hop on over to Try Stampin and show us what you can do.

Hope you enjoy!

Nancy

I like to know what you think, so please leave me a comment.


Monday, June 4, 2012

Mojo Monday #244 - Thank You

I needed a Thank You card for a co-worker and saw this sketch over at Mojo Monday and thought I would give it a try.

The colouring is very subdued but I think that the effects show much better in person.

I hope you enjoy.

Nancy

I like to know what you think, so please leave me a comment.

Masculine Monday 4/6/12

Well as you know for the past four weeks my Masculine Monday cards have featured the "Lovely as a Tree" stamp set, so I figured why not just one more card.  So here I am with another idea using this great set.
This time I embossed the stamp set and and then sponged around the embossed areas then finished off the card front with a simple ribbon and knot.

Hope you enjoy.

Nancy

I like to know what you think, so please leave me a comment.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Double Challenge - You're and 11!


Todays card combines two challenges.  One challenge from Cardabilities and another from Dynamic Duos.  I love what some of the other designers and participants have done at the Cardabilities site, but I wanted to go with a simple clean look.  At Dynamic Duos the challenge was to use Real Red and Island Indigo.  Unfortunately I didn't have the Island Indigo so I had to do a little colour creation of my own to mimic it.


I used Whisper White for all of the pieces and sponged the edges to get the colours required for the colour challenge.  They were then mounted onto Basic Black with an oh so slight border around the edges.  Finished off with square black brads and one rounded corner to follow through with the rounded edges of the designs.

Hope you enjoy.

Nancy

I like to know what you think, so please leave me a comment.