Happy Memorial Day - My Sister's Scrapbook Page

This is a page that my sister created for me honoring our dad who served in the Korean war. He passed away my senior year of high school and as I began to create a home and family of my own, I realized I had very few pictures of him. Upon hearing this, my sister gave me a BEAUTIFUL scrapbook filled with lots of wonderful pictures of him that included this lovely page featuring his service. Her scrapbook is such a treasure and is always such a treat to look through. I will always hold dear this precious gift.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and that we truly remember, honor and give thanks to those that serve or have served in our armed forces.

Masculine Birthday

Here is a card I created using the new Travel Journal Paper - Not only is it perfect for travel scrapbooks, but it also has great masculine colors. I put a rather goofy photo in the center of the 0 and don't think my dear friend would appreciate others seeing it on my blog so I have blurred the image. I love including a photo in a birthday card and think it makes a very personalized, one of a kind greeting.

Paper - Travel Journal DSP, kraft, always artichoke, night of navy, whisper white card stock.

Ink - night of navy

Stamps - Teeny Tiny Wishes, Happy Everything

Accessories - circle dies, On Board Timeless Type, linen thread, kraft corduroy button, dimensionals, Billboard Sizzix die, corner rounder punch. 

Cupcake Inspiration Challenge 60 - The Sweet Stop

I love the colors in this week's Cupcake Inspiration Challenge. The flowers remind me of summer and one of the best things about summer is the little summer dress.  I combined this challenge with a layout from The Sweet Stop for a cheery summer birthday card.

Paper - Island Oasis designer Paper, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP, whisper white, pumpkin pie, so saffron, tempting turquoise card stock.

Stamps - Humor in High Heels

Ink - Basic Black

Accessories - Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, pretties, whisper white satin ribbon, oval dies, dimensionals, trio flower punch.

Summer Mini-Catalog Class

I love the new Sweet Scoops stamp set from the summer mini and can't help but pair it with bright colors. This is a card we will be making in our Summer Mini-Catalog Class tomorrow.

Paper - Razzleberry Lemonade DSP, pumpkin pie, melon mambo whisper white card stock
Stamps  - Sweet Scoops, In a Word
Ink - creamy caramel, pretty in pink, barely banana, rose red, old olive and pumpkin pie
Accessories - pumpkin pie brads, dazzling diamonds glitter, crystal effects ( on cherries), scallop and circle dies, dimensionals

Our Creative Corner Masculine Cards

Our Creative Corner challenge this week focuses on Masculine Birthday cards. I think these are the trickiest for most paper crafters. When designing a masculine card, I think the most important element is color. I like to stick with earth tones with a punch of a primary color. Here I have paired black, kraft, not quite navy and whisper white with an added punch of a real red button. Masculine cards can be distressed or clean and a little hardware is always a nice touch.

Paper - not quite navy, black, kraft, whisper white card stock
Stamps - Happy Everything
Ink - basic black, real red
Accessories - real red button, square lattice embossing folder, dimensionals, silver brads, circle dies.

PPA42 - Color Challenge

This week's PPA challenge is a bright and bold color challenge.  For this challenge, I tried my hand at quilling roses and am pleased with  how they turned out. Of course, I needed to add a little glitter to really make them sparkle. Earlier this year I made the mistake of ordering a stamp set in french but it has become a  welcome surprise. Now, I love adding an occasional french salutation to my cards as I did with this one. I will definitely be ordering more stamp sets in french. - perhaps spanish as well.

Paper - Pink Flamingo DSP, tempting turquoise, real red and whisper white card stock
Ink - basic black, real red, old olive and tempting turquoise
Stamps - Chic Boutique and Bons Moments
Accessories - real red polka dot ribbon, dimensionals, glue dots, sizzlets little leaves die, red and dazzling diamonds glitter.

Color Throwdown 92 - All a Flutter

This week's Color Throwdown challenge includes a color that will be returning to the SU color family in July - Baja Breeze ( I think I hear applause in the background). I am so excited that this color is returning and can't wait to see how it will be incorporated in SU's DSP.

I love the soft bright colors in this challenge and wanted to make another feminine card. The colors remind me of French interior design so I started with the En Fraincais background stamp, added some Elements of Style and All a Flutter  and - VOILA! a card is made.

Paper - baja breeze, so saffron, old olive, kraft ( soon to be crumb cake) and whisper white card stock
Ink - baja breeze, so saffron, old olive, sahara sand, basic black
Stamps - En Francais, Elements of Style, All a Flutter, Watercolor Trio ( sentiment)
Accessories - black embossing powder, baja breeze satin ribbon, dimensionals, oval punch, scallop oval punch

Creative Corner Anniversary - Glass/Cracked Glass

This week's Our Creative Corner challenge is an anniversary challenge, not just a card, but the gift of the year incorporated into your card. I have been married 15 years ( YIKES! I'm getting old) but have been with my husband for 25 years ( we started dating right after high school). The 15th anniversary gift is glass or crystal. My stamping to-do list included cracked glass so it was the perfect opportunity to incorporate it in my card. Contact me if you would like to learn this technique. For the cracked glass image I used the Charming stamp set. This set was featured in the Holiday Mini-Catalog but is still available for purchase and will most likely be included in the new 2010-2011 catalog. It is one of my favorite stamp sets.

Paper - Very Vanilla
Stamps - En Francais, Charming, Watercolor Trio
Ink - sahara sand, old olive, rose red, chocolate chip
Accessories - very vanilla satin ribbon, glassy glaze enamel, gold embossing powder, dimensionals

Mojo Monday 138 - Faja's Day Card

I created this Father's Day card from the Mojo Monday sketch. The new Travel Journal DSP reminds me of tie fabric and button down shirts so I created some ties and an element of a shirt sleeve complete with shirt buttons. I am so excited about this new Travel DSP. It really gives one a great pallet for masculine cards.

Papers - Travel Journal DSP, whisper white, night of navy, pumpkin pie card stock
Stamps - Birthday Bliss, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink - Bordering Blue
Accessories - Square Lattice impressions folder, word window punch, dimensionals, shirt buttons, glue dots

I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream

I am fortunate to belong to a lovely stamp group that meets each month. This is a card I brought for the gals to make. Our theme was summer and I was anxious to use the new Sweet Scoops stamps from the Summer Mini-Catalog. I also wanted to use some bright cheerful colors and combined pumpkin pie, bashful blue, pretty in pink and melon mambo for a fresh color scheme. The cherry background paper was made by inking a texture plate with pretty in pink ink, then stamping cherries onto the textured paper.

 I am definitely ready for summer -  and a little ice cream.

Paper - Pumpkin Pie DSP, whisper white, bashful blue, pumpkin pie card stock
Stamps - Sweet Scoops
Ink - creamy carmel, pretty in pink, rose red, old olive, basic black
Accessories - Dazzling diamonds glitter, crystal effects, circle and scallop dies, pretty in pink satin ribbon, button, corner rounder punch, dimensionals

SSS55 Sketch Challenge

I am always looking for stamping challenges and found The Sweet Stop Blog Challenge this week. I have been wanting to try these colors together ( bashful blue, so saffron and real red)  and thought it was the perfect chance to use them with the SSS55 Sketch Challenge. I love how the colors are cheery and have a somewhat vintage feel. To keep with the vintage theme I used the retro bike from Pedaling Past (available in the Summer Mini-Catalog)  to complete the card.  A little gingham ribbon and extra wheels add the finishing touches.

Paper - Flock Together DSP, whisper white, real red, bashful blue, and so saffron card stock

Stamps - Pedaling Past

Ink - basic black, real red, bashful blue, so saffron and going grey

Accessories - real red gingham ribbon, scallop border punch, 1" circle punch, 1/2" circle punch, perfect polka dots embossing folder, dimensionals

Color Q Challenge 31

I really love the colors this week for the Color Q Challenge - crushed curry, brilliant blue, certainly celery, tempting turquoise and white. I decided to make my own background paper again with these cheery colors. Given the mod feel of the background paper, I offset the circles just a bit to compliment the irregular lines. I think it would be a perfect card for a pre-teen/ teen girl.

Paper - whisper white, crushed curry, tempting turquoise, brilliant blue and certainly celery card stock
Stamp - Friends Rock
Ink - crushed curry, tempting turquoise, brilliant blue, certainly celery and basic black
Accessories - whisper white taffeta ribbon, sherbet buttons, dimensionals

PPA40 Monochromatic Blue

This weeks PPA challenge is to use any color of blue for a monochromatic project. I have been thinking about doing a soft romantic card with flowers and a monochromatic scheme with the En Francais background stamp. This week's challenge fit the bill and I choose bashful blue to work with. A pretty card must have some Stampin' Up! pretties so I used the pearls and flowers from the Pretties Kit for a romantic touch. Flowers - pearls - ribbon - very romantic. 

Paper - bashful blue and whisper white card stock

Stamps - En Francais, Friends 24/7, Sincere Salutations

Ink - bashful blue and basic black

Accessories - Pretties Kit, Finial Press embossing folder, whisper white ribbon, scallop  trim border punch