3/31/2012

5 Cards for $5 Challenge

I made these five different cards for the
5 for $5 Challenge in the Moxie Fab World.








     Card making can be expensive, but it does not have  be. I created this five-card ensemble, including rubber stamps and envelopes for less than $5. It really helps that I rarely buy cardstock, patterned paper or pre-cut card bases if I do not have a coupon or if they are not on sale. 
    I started with six pre-cut, white card bases (5" x 6.5") from the Paper Studio. I used the sixth card to stamp my sentiments so that my cards and tags would match perfectly. (I'm a big time perfectionist. I hate that part about myself sometimes. But, I do end up with very neat and matching projects. lol) I cut one sheet of patterned paper into various shapes and mounted them on a sheet of solid-pink paper. I ran out of that pink so had to use a third sheet of patterned paper to mount my sentiments.
     My fingers were itching to do more to the cards, but the challenge was not to spend over $5. I think I will make more of these sets to give as gifts. Can't you just see them tied up in a pretty pink ribbon!?!
     Here's my shopping list:

                $0.60 --- 6 precut card bases - the Paper Studio
                  0.30 --- 3 sheets patterned paper - the Paper Studio
                  3.00 --- 3 rubber stamp sets - Studio G
                  0.44 --- ribbon - Spool O' Ribbon
    Total    $4.34
 
    Think you can make 5 for $5. You can join in on the fun here:






3/30/2012

DIY Embellishment Challenge



I created this Get-Well card for the
DIY Embellishments Challenge in the Moxie Fab World.



     I almost always make my own embellishments for my cards. I find that to be the funnest part of creating a card. I made the flower on this card using five different flower punches varying in size and type.  I normally use 3-5 different colors to make flowers like this, but I found this wonderful watercolor cardstock in DCWV's Painted Petal Stack. Because there was such color variation on each sheet, I used only aqua and boysenberry colors. I punched each layer of my flower from a different part of each sheet which gave me a wide variety of color. I put all the layers together with a aqua brad. I used the same aqua cardstock for the tag, heat-embossing the sentiment (Studio G) in boysenberry pigment by Color Box. The boysenberry is a limited edition color. I suggest getting a pad before they are retired. It is a beautiful color.

Do you make your own embellishments? You can respond to the challenge here:


3/28/2012

Hero Arts Giveaway

~~~~Hooray for Hero Arts~~~~

Hero Arts just reached 10,000 'Likes' on Facebook and to celebrate they are having a big giveaway. And, they always have great giveaways. I encourage you to enter the drawing. Check them out here www.heroarts.com/ .
Once there you can click on the Blog tab and scroll down until you find it - reading all the posts as you go of course. They do have some of the best stamps available. And, they do have some fun giveaways. You may also connect with them by clicking on their blinkie in the left-hand column of my blog.
Good luck to everyone!

WINNERS

* * * WINNERS * * *

I have two winners to announce today!

First, the winner from this past weekend's Fiskars Spring Blog Hop is

Lesa from Alabama who said,

Oooooh, I love what you did with your punches! Love the flowers. I'm now a new follower and looking forward to seeing what you do next : )
I promised that once I got 25 followers that I would have a giveaway. Well, thanks to this weekend's blog hop that number has been exceeded. The winner of that giveaway is
 
 
Penny #7765 from Ohio who said,

I am your fifth follower. Thanks for an opportunity to win.

Congratulations ladies!
Please send me your addresses and I'll have your surprises in the mail soon. (Lesa, I already have your info.)
 I love giving surprises and gifts more than anything else so keep watching my blog. I'll think of a fun challenge and have another giveaway soon.

3/23/2012

Be Still My Blooming Heart

*Welcome to the Fiskateers Spring Blog Hop.*
     You should have come here from  Groovy Deb #2644

     If you are hopping into the middle of our blog hop and you are a Fiskateer, you can start here www.fiskateers.com.
      If you are thinking a “Fiskawhat?”, you should know that Fiskateers (www.fiskateers.com) is an online community of craftiness (paper crafts, sewing, gardening, etc.) all based around our love and appreciation of Fiskars (think orange-handled scissors to start). There is a blog, gallery, and message board led by four lovely Lead Fiskateers who along with the other Fiskateers are fabulous at getting creativity flowing via chats, challenges, on-line crops, and interviews with other crafty celebrities. If you would like to join you can do so here http://www.fiskateers.com/join/. Then, join in the fun at the beginning, www.kellystarsallthingscrafty.blogspot.com for a complete list of blog hop stops.
     We’ll be hopping all weekend , March 24th and 25th to welcome spring! The blog hop officially ends on Sunday March 25th at 11pm CST.

     Like me, some of the Fiskateers are offering sur-prizes…check their directions carefully to participate.

***** Blooming Hearts *****


     I love using my tools in unexpected ways! I created these coral-colored flowers using my Fiskars medium and large That's Amore heart punches. I'll list all my supplies below. I began by making the base of this card out of a medium-lavender cardstock. Then, I added two panels, one of country-blue and the other of light-lavender.

    To make the flower, you will have to double-punch each petal using the heart punches. First, with textured, coral cardstock punch a heart using the medium punch like this:

     Set aside the heart for use on the card later. You will be using the negative space for these petals. Now, punch a large heart centering the small negative space in the middle of the large heart like this:



     To make the larger flower, you will need four of these petals. For the smaller flower you will need two petals. You will also need one medium-size green heart to add to each flower when you're done.


     Begin the flower by gluing one of the petals over only half of another petal like this:








     Add as many or as few petals as you want to make whatever size flower works for your project. When you have the petals together, add the green heart at the bottom.


    Next, I cut a stem and made leaves using my diecut machine. I cut a country-blue vase free-hand but the decoration on the vase is from my diecutter. I attached the vase with double-stick mounting tape to give some depth to the card. Then, I stamped a sentiment from Fiskars' All Year Cheer collection on medium lavender with VersaMark watermark ink. I attached it to the card like a little stake that comes with real, delivered flowers. Lastly, I added some of the medium hearts that were set aside earlier to add some balance to the card. This may sound like a lot of steps but it was fairly quick to put together once I had the design in my head.
    
     I have a fun Fiskars sur-prize for a lucky someone who stops by here this weekend. To have your name entered in the drawing, leave a comment here. I hope you will also join my blog as a follower. Leave your Fiskateer # and your blog address and I'll follow you too. You have until Sunday, the 25th at 11:00 p.m. CST to enter the drawing.

     Thanks for hopping by…next stop is Donna #6036

My Supply List
Fiskars That's Amore medium heart squeeze punch
Fiskars That's Amore large heart squeeze punch
Fiskars Simple Stick rubber stamps, All Year Cheer collection
Spellbinders dies, Parisian Accents and Daisy Heads
VersaMark watermark ink pad
Cardstock--
     The Paper Studio, medium lavender, country blue
     DCWV, textured coral, textured green
     ColorBok, textured light lavender

3/20/2012

Fiskateer Blog Hop Coming This Weekend

----Fun Weekend Coming Up ---


   I'm participating in a blog hop with some of my fellow Fiskateers this weekend - March 24 & 25. I can't wait for you to see the card I made for it. The blog hop begins at 8 a.m. Saturday. You will be able see my contribution here. You might have to sign up on the Fiskateer website to see everyone else's projects. You can check out the Fiskateers by clicking on the blinkie in the left hand column of my blog.

3/11/2012

Red Carpet Challenge

   We were challenged over on the Fiskateers website to create a card inspired by one of the dresses on the red carpet at this year's Academy Award Show. I knew right away that I had to go with Gwyneth Paltrow's white dress and cape. It was just so gorgeous! Here's what I came up with.



I used a Spellbinders die to make the textured 'cape'. I attached the cape with double-stick  mounting tape. Then, I used Fiskar's That's Amore heart punches and Martha Stewart's butterfly punch and a Anna Griffin rub-on sentiment to finish up the card.  This is one of my favorite cards I've made. I'll save it for someone really special.