Bless You and Keep You

Hi, everyone!  Today I would like to share a birthday card which I created for a dear friend and former co-worker.  The image from 'Best Dad Ever' was stamped with Stazon Jet Black onto designer paper from the Divinity Designs 'Weathered Wood' Paper Collection.  The image was colored with markers, water-coloring, colored pencils, a white gel pen and a clear glaze pen.  The image panel was cut with the Divinity Designs Squares Dies, edges sponged, and matted with the Double Stitched Squares Dies.  The caramel panel was dry embossed with the 'Fish' Embossing Folder, sponged with matching ink, then matted with gray.  The button was created by cutting five pieces with the Double Stitched Circles Dies, adhering them together, punched the button holes with a Crop-o-dile, then coated the top layer with a clear glaze pen.  The banner was cut with the Double Stitched Pennant Flags Dies from the same pattern paper as the image panel.

Thanks for visiting today!

Blessings,

Two More Peony Aprons for Mother's Day

Hi, everyone!  This week's Inspiration Challenge over at Splitcoast is to find inspiration from Great Big Canvas.  I chose this awesome photo for inspiration.  Last month I made this apron card out of some goodies from Divinity Designs, so I needed to make two more for Mother's Day.  I had already stamped the peonies from 'Daughter's Best Friend' and cut two more panels out with the Apron and Tools Dies set, but couldn't decide on the colors.  Today's Inspiration Challenge helped me to figure that out....just in time since Mother's Day is tomorrow!  After the background was watercolored and the flowers were colored with both markers and watercoloring, the panel was embossed with the Cross Stitch Embossing Folder.  I found some cute little flower eyelets in my stash plus matching grosgrain ribbon.  The ribbons were adhered to the inside of the card base, then an extra apron panel was cut and adhered over the ribbon ends to seal them in.

My second card was inspired by the colors in this photo.....two shades of purple plus yellow centers....yummy!!!  The card was created the same as the first, except I used the cooking tools instead of the gardening tools.

Thanks for visiting with me today!

God bless!

Divinity Designs LLC May New Release

Hi, everyone! Welcome to the new release party for Divinity Designs LLC!!  Last month was all about Mother's Day, flowers, and all things girly......this month's stamps, dies, and papers are geared toward the men in our lives (and graduates)!  Click HERE to see the entire new release, design team samples, plus info on how to win some goodies!

Here are all of the products featured in my three cards today:

I had so much fun creating with the new menswear dies.....there are thousand of design combinations you can use with these, to match any style you prefer!  For my first card, the card base and layers were cut out with the Couture Collection Dies.  Three different paper collections were used: the red pieces are from the Old Glory Paper Collection, the tie was cut from the Americana Quilt Collection (I always thought that this particular design looked like shields of armor), and the vest was cut out of a linen pattern from the Menswear Material Collection.  Once everything was cut, embossed, and adhered together, a black journaling marker was used to draw a line on each button to mimic thread.  For the inside of the card, I traced the inside of the shirt die onto white cardstock and cut it out by hand (easy).  You could easily cut the inside layer with the die itself, but I liked the layered look of the mat.

My second card features the 'Best Dad Ever' set, new Weathered Wood Paper Collection, Fish Embossing Folder and the following die sets: Couture Collection (buttons), Treat Tags, Long and Lean Letters, Large Banners, Pierced Rectangles, Pierced Circles, and Circles. I began by choosing what I think is the coolest pattern from the new Weathered Wood Paper Collection....the sage and kraft colors really spoke to me, especially since I had cardstock and ink to match!!  The image from 'Best Dad Ever' was stamped with sage ink, cut out with the Pierced Circles Dies, sponged with kraft ink, matted, then layered over a kraft panel which was dry embossed with the 'Fish' Embossing Folder and cut with the Large Banners Dies set.  The sentiment was stamped onto a tag cut with the Treat Tags Dies set, stenciled with kraft, edges inked with sage, and matted with black (the mat was fussy cut after tracing the outside of the tag die onto black cardstock.) The 'Dad' sentiment was cut three times with the Long and Lean Letters Dies and the black buttons were cut from the Couture Collection Dies set.  Note: these buttons are tiny...if you'd like to thread them, it's easier if you use a paper piercer first to gently enlarge the button holes for the needle to go through.

My third card was designed with the help of my hubby.....since there are so many combinations of zippers and pockets, I asked him what he would like if he were to design his own vest.  I love the double zipper idea....thanks, honey!!  The shirt card base was cut from black cardstock with the Couture Collection Dies set; the vests, snaps, and pockets were cut with the Fishing and Hunting Vest Dies from the Menswear Material Paper Collection plus red cardstock.  The snaps were coated with a clear glaze pen.

Thanks so much for visiting today!

Blessings,

Canvas Art Inspiration

Hi, everyone!  This week's Inspiration Challenge over at Splitcoast is to find inspiration from 'At Home'....wow, there is something there for everyone!  Plus, I discovered that there is one of these stores only 45 minutes from my house....that is dangerous! :)  I fell in love with this gorgeous canvas art and tried to (similarly) recreate it with a new Stampin Up set, 'Pressed Flowers', plus 'Part of my Story' for the sentiment.  Each stamp was inked then spritzed with water before stamping.  After the stamping was done, the Confetti White card was sponged with gray around the edges, then I went a bit crazy with the white acrylic paint splatters.  It's not my best work, but it was fun practicing with spritzing and splattering. :)

Thanks for visiting with me today!

Blessings,

April Color Challenge / Find Beauty

Hi, everyone!  This month's Design Team Color Challenge is inspired by the Beautiful Blooms Paper Pad......I chose a fun butterfly pattern to create a birthday card for my niece, Miranda.  ( I can't believe she's 17 already!!)  I have also used the following items from Divinity Designs:  Long and Lean Numbers Dies, Family Names 3 Dies, Scalloped Rectangles Dies, Pierced Rectangles Dies, Scalloped Ovals Dies, Ovals Dies, and the Bitty Borders Dies. The quote used is from the 'Find Beauty' set by North Coast Creations (sister company). 

Check out the other team samples here and here.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Blessings,

Mother's Day Apron

Hi, everyone!  Today I would like to share one of three Mother's Day cards on which I have used the new 'Daughter's Best Friend' set from Divinity Designs, paired with the 'Apron and Tools Dies' which I haven't used in several years.  I thought that a floral apron was perfect for spring!  The peony flowers were stamped onto watercolor paper; the aqua background was water-colored and the flowers were all colored with markers.  The card base, tools and pockets were cut with the die set.  The floral panel was embossed with the Cross Stitch Embossing Folder; the inside lines of the apron dies were used to trace on the backside of the floral panel and the pocket layers were cut by hand then adhered to the die cut pieces.  Eyelets and ribbon were added for the finishing touch.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Blessings,

Polished Stone Stencil Lift

Hi, everyone!  Today I would like to share a card which was inspired by my new navy blue gingham ribbon!  I dug through my folder of alcohol ink panels and found one on which I used eggplant and navy inks with the polished stone technique.  I then used the Damask Mixed Media Stencil and sponged Alcohol Lift Ink to create the flourished background.  Once the panel was done, it was trimmed down with the Pierced Rectangles Dies, matted in white, ribbon added (bow tied with a Bow Easy), then adhered the panel to an eggplant card.  The 'Long and Lean Letters' were cut from navy and white and glued to the background panel.  Since the alcohol ink panel was already done, this card didn't take long to come together....I love when that happens!!

Thanks for visiting!

Blessings,