White Anniversary

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by today.

Recently, I was asked to come up with a few anniversary cards and I wanted to share this one with you today. I wanted to put together a card that was very delicate and for this I love the white on white.

As this is a one layer card, I had to get creative in order to have the embossed area in the centre area. I lined the embossing folder with the edges of my plates so that there was only pressure in the one area. Then I ran the plates through the machine so that it would only emboss a small area. Because of the hard edge where the plates ended, I added the ribbon to hide the harsh line.

I die cut a small heart and very lightly traced around it. Then I erased the pencil marks so I could just barely seem them, and added the small red gems.

I added a few clear shimmer sequins (probably from Michael's) to add just a bit of shine.

I hope you all like the card for today and are inspired to create something of your own.

I'd like to submit this card to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes.

Old School Sympathy

Hi everyone, thank you so much for stopping by today.

With all of the gorgeous stamps and colouring mediums out there, it is very easy to let the more basic things fall away to the bottom of your stash.

For me, those things include my embossing folders. I remember a year ago when every card I made included an embossed panel. I just loved the texture and dimension it gave. I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point I stopped using those folders and slowly they made their way from my desk where everything is so easily accessible, to a box on my shelf.

Today, I have three variations of a simple to create sympathy card.

While the design for each of these cards is similar, the use of a different embossing folder gives each a unique look. 

It was incredibly difficult for me to not use stamps or glossy accents or glitter. 

Every now and then, it's good to go through the things that have made their way to the bottom of your stash and get back down to basics. There is a simplistic beauty to the cards we used to create, that's why we made them to begin with, right?

Our styles and techniques will change and evolve over time, keeping up with our interests and the things about the art that excite us, but don't forget to give a little love to your roots. If my first exposure to the world of card making had been all the crazily intricate stamping and colouring and layering I would have been way to intimidated and overwhelmed to even get started. 

Like any process, it all begins with the basics. You have to be able to do simple math before you can move on to advanced algebra, right? The concepts in art are really no different. At least in my opinion. 

I have also found it to be incredibly helpful (not to mention a confidence booster) to return to the basics when a more complicated project has gotten me down. We have all had moments where we just want to throw our hands up in the air and give up because it wasn't coming together the way it looked inside our head. Putting together a simple but elegant card, can help clear your mind and get your creativity back on track.

Just my thoughts on it. I'd love to hear yours.

Valentine's Day 2016 Series - Card 6

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you are all having a great day.

Today's card is not only the next installment in my 2016 Valentine's Day series, it is also my submission for the SSS Challenge: Stencil It, sponsored by Simon Says Stamp.

If you are new to stamping or card making or scrapbooking, I highly recommend checking out Simon Says Stamp. 

I created this card using a Pure Innocence image from MFT stamps. I stamped her in Antique Linen distress ink on 140lb coldpress watercolour paper, then watercoloured her in. I'm somewhat new to the "no line colouring" technique, but so far I'm very pleased with how my projects have turned out.

The greeting is heat embossed with white powder onto a coral die cut tag, I used the same coral cardstock for the base of the card.

For the background I used a couple shades of distress ink for a fade effect through my stencil. Unfortunately it was an older stencil that I had in my stash, and I don't remember the name of it. Sorry.

Both the inner and outer panels were die cut using Lawn Fawn's stitched rectangle dies. 

Stinkin' Cute Shaker

Okay, so this doesn't really count as a card, but it's so "stinkin' cute" I just couldn't resist.

Oh, right and WELCOME TO VALENTINE'S DAY 2016 SERIES!

I created this with the Ready, Set, Snow die cuts from Lawn Fawn and the Stinkin' Cute skunk. I will warn you now; I love this little guy. I promise you can expect to see him in many future posts. 

I used distress inks to colour the background as well as the shaker frame and I popped up the front on a piece of fun foam that I die cut. I'm going to have to play around with the glue because this did not stick together as well as I would have hoped. Strange that it never happened on any of my other shakers, just this one. 

Copic coloured (adorable) skunk in heart sequin shaker with heat embossed greeting. 

Late Afternoon Sunshine Hello

While orange is officially my favourite colour, this rusty yellow comes in at a super close second. It reminds me of late afternoon sunshine in the fall (my favourite season, by the way).

As I was organizing my paper stash I found a single sheet of cardstock in this colour. A single sheet of late afternoon sunshine to create a card. If I had the opportunity to recreate this card, I would use more of a gradient in the shading of the flowers.

I used clear Wink of Stella on the butterfly before coating it with glossy accents to really make it shimmer.

There is a a point in the drying of glossy accents where it is still wet and therefore pliable, but not so wet that it will run if the project isn't laid flat. It was at this point that I shaped the wings slightly to make it appear as if the butterfly were in flight. I've tried shaping things once the glossy accents had dried completely, but I only managed to crack the surface. Maybe it's just me, anyone else ever do that?

Copic coloured flowers and butterfly, with glossy accents gold embossed greeting and micro diamond accents.

Monochromatic Thank You

Hi everyone, thanks so much for stopping by!

Today I have a monochromatic Thank you card to share with you all. I wanted to create something simple and delicate that could work for pretty much anything.

The greatest thing about this particular design is that it can be done in any set of colours. Not a fan of green? No problem! Simply change it up and you're good to go!

Clear embossed flowers on pale green with white embossed greeting on dark green cardstock.2015, 

Winter and Holiday Card Series 2015 - Card 21

I have found that the best way to respark my creativity is to pull out sets that I haven't used in some time and just let it happen.

We've all seen the beautiful bokeh patterns on the internet. Backgrounds and patterned paper and full of them around the holidays. I was terrified to try it myself, but art isn't really a "sink or swim" kind of thing; art is a "try and try again" kind of thing.

To my absolute joy, this was my first attempt.

Bokeh stamped background, with silver embossed greeting and copic coloured reindeer. I used a mini gem in red for his nose and matted with coordinating coloured cardstock. 

Winter and Holiday Card Series 2015 - Card 10

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for visiting today.

Today's card is more on the whimsical side. This adorable snowman wishes you all a very Happy Holidays!

I've coloured him with copics, adding white glitter for the pompom and the fur on his cap.

Shimmering embossed snowflake background with raised silver embossed greeting. Blue ribbon accent with coloured snowman on a sparkling snowbank.

Silver Embossed Birthday Card

Once again, less is so much more.

I'm absolutely loving this flower set and I'm finding so many ways to make it look elegant and unique. The silver embossing makes the card shine, sadly I was unable to fully capture that in the photo.

Silver embossed greeting and flowers on matte black cardstock with white embossed flower on pink vellum accent.

Winter and Holiday Card Series 2015 - Card 9

Sometimes, I can sit and stare at blank paper for hours waiting for the piece to 'speak to me' (as it were). Then suddenly it is like a floodgate opens in my mind and the card becomes completely formed.  It is a lucky day when the paper reflects exactly what my imagination saw. Today was one of those days. I was about to give up and then there it was.

This card features an embossed snowflake background, framed with shimmering navy boarder and raised gold embossed greeting focus with navy gem accents.

Watercolour Sympathy Card

No one likes to talk about it. No one likes to think about it, and we certainly do not plan what to say or do in the event that it happens. But it does happen.

Sooner or later we are all touched by death. Whether you have lost a close friend or relative, or you find yourself as a pillar of support for someone else to lean on during a difficult time, you will be faced with sadness and uncertainty.

No line watercolouring of black-eyed susans and butterfly with gold embossed greeting and three edge boarder.

Custom Request Cardinal to Blue Jay

This card was custom made by request based off of the watercolour Cardinal from the Winter and Holiday Card Series 2015 - Card 3. While she liked the Cardinal, she likes Blue Jays far more. Luckily for me the differences (aside from colour) between a cardinal and a blue jay are few, and she was incredibly pleased by the result.

Watercoloured Blue Jay with gold embossed greeting and shimmery snowflake accents.

Winter and Holiday Card Series 2015 - Card 8

Today's card features an older stamp set that's been in my Christmas supplies box. I like to keep my Christmas supplies separate from the rest of my craft supplies, that way when I open it at Christmas (and by Christmas I mean the middle of October), it's like I have all new stuff to play with.

Silver embossed tree on raised shimmery oval focus. Snowflakes are stamped in navy ink on shimmery cardstock, with matching navy boarder.

Winter and Holiday Card Series 2015 - Card 7

Once more the chill of blue and snowflakes called to me in this card. As a card maker, it is sometimes difficult to remember that less is more.

While it can be very tempting to use several techniques on a single card, that doesn't mean it will be better. There are times when even the smallest thing can be very technically challenging even though it looks ridiculously easy to do.

Gold embossed, raised greeting focus over embossed snowflakes on a blue centre-fade ombre background with gold strip accent.

Winter and Holiday Card Series 2015 - Card 4

This card has a raised and embossed shimmery snowfall background with raised greeting focus. Sparkling "Joy" over silver embossed large snowflake, with silver accent strip and colour matching twine for added interest. The above in scarlet and below in blue.

Winter and Holiday Card Series 2015 - Card 3

To me, a classic sign of the Holidays is the Cardinal. The stark contrast between his bright plumage and the white of snow helps him to stand out as a sure symbol of the season.

Watercoloured Cardinal with gold embossed greeting and shimmery snowflake accents. Barely visible around him is a frosted blue aura, this helps him to stand out against the background and additionally lend to the illusion of winter.

For a different take on this card, as a custom request please see this post.

Winter and Holiday Card Series 2015 - Card 2

I'm sure it is becoming very clear that I adore Snowflakes. They are featured on nearly all my winter/Christmas cards. There is something about their beauty and delicacy that appeals to me. Each one is unique just as people are.

Raised and embossed shimmering snowflakes add a perfect backdrop for a bold and sparkling Merry Christmas greeting. The above card has the greeting in deep red, below the greeting is in blue.