Easter Cards 2013

 This stamp set is called Everybunny, and the wheel is Every Egg.

Truthfully, I didn't really consider this set for quite awhile when the catalog came out, but after looking at it and thinking of possibilities, I jumped in and ordered both.

The technique is called a Stair Step Card, and uses a Martha Stewart grass punch, as well as my Spectrum Noir markers.  LOTS of Spectrum Noir markers, as you will see. :)

The two bunnies and hot air balloons weren't so daunting, but when I stamped and started on the egg border, I almost didn't finish it - it took me 3 1/2 days of work to get all the egg borders colored.  On top of that, I fussy cut each one.  Just a comment about that - I really do love how the alcohol markers blend!  They give such pretty effects.

Why so daunting?  I made 7 of these cards for family members.  They went out in the mail this past week, so they should have arrived by now.

 The sentiment, Happy Easter is actually on the back - it just didn't quite fit on the front of the card! :)

Every Egg border (including the two individual eggs-cut off to fit card front)
HB1,2,3; CT1,2,3; CR1,2,8; PP1,2,4; TB1,2; LG1,2,3,4; TN1,2; and BT1,2.

The boy bunny:  TB1,2,6; CT1,2 LY1,3; LG2,3,4; HB1,2,3; BT1; PP1,2; and IG1
The girl bunny:  TN2,3; LY1,3; PP1,2; LG2,3; and BP 1
Hot Air Balloon:  HB1,2,3; PP1,2; TN1,2; LG1,2; PP2,3; BT3,4.

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Card for a College Friend

 My husband talks a lot of crap about Facebook - he doesn't like it, and uses it begrudgingly... but I really enjoy FB... I can keep in touch with teacher friends from around the country, and most important, keep in touch with cousins I haven't seen in more than 25 years or so.

It also affords me the luxury to keep up with college friends!  I really loved college - it was a great time!

One of my roommates made a comment on FB that her Mom is ill - and after seeing some of her posts, I decided to send her some cheer.

I don't generally make religiously themed cards, but this one was completely appropriate, and I LOVE how the pink and green work together.

Click HERE to see the other gift I sent along with her so she could have some notes to send to her Mom when she couldn't be with her.

BONUS:  HERE is a link on how to make these bows.... SO easy!!  So pretty!!!


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February Stamp Club - March!

 Our February Stamp Club meeting was cancelled because of a "snowstorm" here - lots of precautions, and icy roads, so it was just better for everyone to move it one week later.  What a difference a week makes!

Instead of 2 cards this month, we had some that were quick assembly, so there were 3 designs. 

 This one is my favorite by far - LOVE the design and colors!  So vintage with the color scheme - Rich Razzleberry and Crumb Cake with lace embossing, and lace over the darker ribbon.  Even the pearls are 'treated' with Razzleberry.

The next two cards use the Sale-A-Bration paper selection called Sycamore Street.  The apothecary label is a nice background for the butterfly.  I chose not to use a stamp on this so I could customize it as I choose.

I really love this Happy Birthday stamp.... so pretty!


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2013 Christmas Card Challenge - March!

Has March "come in like a lion" where you are?  It has here to a degree.  We've been unfortunate enough the past 2 years to have received very little snow.  It's been VERY cold and it's always windy, so I guess that could be considered  "a lion" in some respects.  Spring in certainly on its way, BUT the Christmas Cards keep rolling on here as I am never far out of the Christmas spirit! :)

This brings us to our March challenge!
Since March tends to be so busy - meetings, conferences, Spring Break, planting; or at least planning for it, etc. We still will have our challenge, but you can make it as simple or as complicated as your time allows.

The challenge for March is:  Your cards must include the colors Red, Green and White ONLY! 
They must contain all 3 colors, but no others - no gold or silver accents, no peeps of pink, etc.  Red, Green, White.

I thought about these for quite awhile - and used lots of details as you can see, but got the lot of 6 done in one evening!!  Here they are:

I had some R,W,G Christmas papers that worked perfectly.  DCWV paper stack of course! :)  The circle Joy stamp comes from Inkadinkadoo (I believe), and the rest of the papers, ink, etc. all come from Stampin' Up.

I used some retired products to make this card, just because they were perfect.  Glorious Green Craft ink (ret.) with clear embossing powder, Red satin ribbon (ret.) and a square of red cardstock to mat the stamped piece.

 

Above you can see the 6 cards for this month's challenge, and below the completed inside of the card, and the stamped envelope to complete the set.

Come join me and have your Christmas Cards all finished before Thanksgiving, ready to sign and send with time spent only to address the envelopes!

Even if you don't have a blog of your own, there are lots of ways to get your photos uploaded for the challenge.

Click HERE for all the rules and regs. for this challenge!

Please leave a comment. Thanks so much!

Special Order - Sympathy Cards

 One of my coworkers approached me a few weeks ago and asked if I make sympathy cards.  I've made a few in the past, it was always for a friend or family event.

I never find them easy, but they always seem to have flowers.  I dug around in my stash, and found this flower stamp I haven't used in awhile.  I used my alcohol markers to work on the colors, and a technique for the purple paper....  not sure what it's called, but if you look closely, it has a fuzzy appearance.

I also stamped 6 images and colored each to make the 2 pink cards, and 6 images each to make the blue cards.  Why so many?  I hand cut each one of the extra images and layered them on top of the base image.  I then used a dotted background technique from a challenge from the Designed To Color site.

 Click on the photograph below to see a closer view of all the layers for each flower and leaf.

 Click on the photograph below to see a close-up view of the flower's layers.

Please leave a comment. Thanks so much!