Teacher Appreciation

It's that time of year again.... the end of school!  This the first year all three of my boys have been in school and I have been so grateful to have a little bit of freedom during the day!  I am so grateful to all 6 teachers (Thomas is in 5th and has 4 teachers for different subjects) and I have made a card for each of them to express my thanks for all their hard work this year.  This is the first design I came up with and I created a set of 4 similar cards in slightly different colors :

I will be posting the remaining two cards later this week, so keep checking back to see the other designs!

Stamps : Hero Arts (Spring Meadow and Thanks text background), SU! (Sentiment)
Paper : PTI Smooth White and Spring Moss
Ink : Versamark, Versacolor Bamboo, Versamagic Chalk ink and VersaColor
Accessories : EKSuccess small butterfly punch, Cricut Lacy Labels cartridge, Clear embossing powder

Shabby Chic Christmas

I'm sure you can tell that Christmas is on my mind a lot recently.  My blog has been full of Christmas ideas for the last week.  Perhaps I should work on some other kind of design this week to keep things fresh?!!

This design was inspired by a card that I saw on the Hero Arts Flikr stream.  It may possibly have been a card by 'Carole-ish' I'm not sure.  I know I really should give credit where it is due - but whoever it was, your card was stunning!  I changed the die cut shapes and used different stamps to create the background but the method of using clear embossing powder and distress inks is the same.

If I find a link to the original card I will be sure to post it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps : SU! Christmas Tree and greeting, Stampendous Music Background, Inkadinkado French Script
Paper : PTI Vintage Cream and Chocolate
Ink : Tim Holtz Peeled Paint and Old Paper, VersaMark, Memento Rich Cocoa,
Accessories : Cricut Lacy Labels cartridge, Distressing tool, SU! Vintage brad, Hero Arts lace ribbon, Clear embossing powder

Embossed Butterfly Thank you

Well girls (and guys??) I've finally gotten around to posting another card for you....!!!!!!! Where have I been, you wonder? Last year my schedule was just getting insane and it was getting very difficult to fit everything in as well as make and post a card every single day. In the end I was just pumping out cards because I was trying to keep up with some crazy idea that I absolutely HAD to make a card every day and it became more of a chore than a joy..... so... I took a few months break. My creative 'mojo' had definitely left me for a good long time and it has only recently started to return.

During Christmas we received some delightful gifts from members at our church and I needed some very special thank you notes to send in return. Thus, a card design started to take shape in my head and was inspired by a card that Julee Tilman from Verve made a couple of weeks ago on her blog Poetic Artistry. Check it out and then see how I've changed the design and made it different.

Hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas and are starting the New Year off in a positive way!

Sarah

Stamps : Hero Arts (Butterfly), Stampin'Up! (Sentiment)
Paper : PTI White and Pink, My Minds Eye Sophie DP
Ink : Tuxedo Memento Black
Accessories : Kaisercraft Pearls, Sizzix Embossing Folder, Ribbon from ACMoore, Copic Markers, Distressing tool

Triple Lacy Elegance

This weekend I was busy making cards using the same colors with a similar look and feel. I used the Martha Stewart Lace border punch on each of them and also the same pearls to give an elegant feel. I did not have the right color pearls so I used a Copic marker to color them and make them match! This first card was for a bridal shower that I was due to go to on Sunday afternoon. The dry embossing in background was made using a Stampin'Up!/Sizzix embossing folder that I am just in love with right now - isn't it gorgeous??!

This next card was a variation on the same theme, using the same colors, border punch and embossing folder but with a different layout and sentiment.




And finally :



This time I added some white satin ribbon for a different finishing touch.

I have already sent out the first two cards. My stash of finished cards was getting rather large and I decided it was time I needed to send them out as encouragement to others rather than keeping them all to myself!!!!

Hope you are having a great start to your week,



Card 1
Stamps : SU! Sentiment
Papers : PTI Ocean Tides and White, DCWV Linen Closet DP
Ink : SU! Not Quite Navy, Technique Tuesday Blue/Green Chalk ink
Accessories : Kaisercraft Pearls, EKSuccess Large Butterfly Punch, Spellbinders Label Die, Martha Stewart Lace Border punch, EKSuccess Small Scallop border punch, Sizzix Embossing folder from SU!, Copic Marker

Card 2
Stamps : SU! Sentiment (from Thoughts and Prayers) SU! Flowers from Hostess Silouettes
Papers : PTI Ocean Tides and White, DCWV Linen Closet DP
Ink : Memento London Fog, Technique Tuesday Blue/Green chalk ink
Accessories : EKSuccess Small butterfly punch, Martha Stewart Lacy Border punch, Kaisercraft Pearls, Copic Marker

Card 3
Stamps : Verve (Plain Jane Scripture Verse), SU! Flowers from Hostess Silouettes
Paper : PTI Ocean Tides and White, DCWV Linen Closet DP
Ink : Technique Tuesday Blue/Green chalk ink, VersaFine Onyx Black
Accessories : Oval cut from Cricut Machine, Kaisercraft pearls (colored with Copic marker), White satin ribbon from Michaels, Martha Stewart Border Lacy border punch, Sizzix/SU! Embossing Folder

Shells and Lace

As you can tell I am loving my new sunburst border punch! I only got it last weekend and I think I've used it on almost every card this week. Check back through my other posts this week and you'll see what I mean!

This card is for the Vive La Verve June contest week 2. I wanted to use the shell from a Hero Arts set that my husband gave me and it blended perfectly with the Bo Bunny paper with a seaside theme that I bought a couple of weeks ago.

I embossed the shell and it looks 'wet' in real life. Here is close up :




I'll try to make a card without the border punch tomorrow - but I can't promise......

Thanks for stopping by!



Stamps : Hero Arts (shell), SU! (Sentiment from Thoughts and Prayers)
Paper : PTI White, Bo Bunny DP
Ink : VersaColor Paprika Pigment Ink, SU! Night of Navy
Accessories : Fiskars Sunburst Border punch, Spellbinders Label Die, SU! Really Rust Marker, Marvy Medium Circle Punch, White ribbon from Michaels

Masculine Graduation

This week is graduation at the seminary where my husband is a Professor. We know two students who are graduating on Friday and so I needed some appropriate masculine cards. I have been trying for a week with a masculine look and color scheme and nothing was working until last night. I CASEd a card from Gina K for the green and brown one (above) and I CASEd a card from Beate for the brown one (below).



Be sure to check out Beate's gallery and Gina Ks blog to see the original cards.
Have a great Wednesday!


Embossed Green Leaf
Stamps : SU! (Leaves from The Art of Life), Inkadinkado (Script Background), My Sentiments Exactly (Graduate Sentiment)
Paper : SU! Chocolate Chip, Cream, Old Olive
Ink : Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, VersaMark
Accessories : Clear Embossing Powder, Sponge, Corner Rounder, Bo Bunny Brads, Quickutz Swirls Embossing Folder

Brown/Chocolate Graduate
Stamps : My Sentiments Exactly (Graduate Sentiment)
Paper : SU! (Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Cream), Imaginesence DP
Ink : SU! Chocolate Chip
Accessories : Cricut Oval, Making Memories Metal swirl, SEI Buttons, SU! Organdy Ribbon

Chalked Flowers

As mentioned in my last post, the lighting in my kitchen window is not the best at the moment because of the weather outside! I hope the sun comes back out soon....

My card is for the SFYTT weekly challenge. Here is the sketch :

The center panel was created using an SU! Sizzix Embossing floral embossing folder. I then colored in the raised parts with a Versa Markers and gently rubbed chalks over the surface. It was great fun to try a different technique! Here is a close up :

Thanks for stopping by!


Stamps : SU! (Sentiment)
Paper : SU! Basic Black, PTI White, K&Co Madeline DP
Ink : SU! Basic Black
Accessories : SU! Embossing Folder, Versa Marker, Chalks, Prima Flowers, KaiserKraft Pearls