A New Wall Banner for a New Season

Apart from greeting cards and scrapbooking, I also like to occasionally make some crafty things as home décor. Last fall, my intention was to make a wall banner for each season. I started off well and made one for the Autumn season...

But then life got busy and I skipped Winter and Spring.... My husband made a comment like 'soon we'll reach Fall anyway and you'll be up-to-date'. Well that made me think, OK it's time to change that banner! It will be almost a year since it's been up! Crazy how fast time flies!

Anyway... I made sure that was one of my goals this week, and it took a lot shorter than I thought to make one! Here's my new Summer banner:

 

This hangs in our dining room. I love how it brightens up the room!

 

 

I used Scallop Square framelits/nestabilities and added layers of cardstock and designer paper to each scallop square. I used Stampin Up's photopolymer stamp set entitled "Larger Than Life Alphabet & Numbers" for the letters. They are stamped, cut out and popped up to give the banner some dimension. A small flower with a rhinestone in the centre is added to 3 of the squares to embellish them. The squares are attached to burlap ribbon to make the banner.

KCRR #42: Thoughts & Prayers

We're back with a new KCRR challenge! 

Ruffled Ribbon

Modern Label punch

Thoughts & Prayers stamp set

Great combination! I don't use the Thoughts & Prayers stamp set often, so I'm glad it was one of the options this week. I chose to combine this challenge with a sketch from Fusion Card Challenge.

Here's how it all came together:

A sympathy card always needs some soft & subtle colours, so I chose to use Pool Party, So Saffron and Soft Suede. My inspiration for this colour combo came from the beautiful designer paper that covers the card front. I distressed and sponged the edges of each piece of cardstock and DSP to soften the look. The flower vine image was stamped in Soft Suede and stamped again without re-inking to create a faded image. I decided to use the modern label punch in a unique way, creating a banner along the bottom half of the card. Pool Party ruffled ribbon and small pearls embellish the card.

Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to check out Karly's Creations to see how Karly used these three elements in her card creation.

Card Ingredients:

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers

Paper: Pool Party, Soft Suede, So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Attic Boutique DSP

Ink: Soft Suede

Tools: Large Oval punch, Designer Frames embossing folder, Modern Label punch, Beautiful Wings sizzlit die

Accessories: Pool Party ruffled ribbon, pearls (Michael's)

Inspired By... Pastel Spring Colours

Another week gone by, and that much closer to Spring! While Eastern Canada has been experiencing snow storms and cold temps, surprisingly we have been getting Spring-like temperatures, melting the piles of snow away! Although, because it's Prince George we may experience that one last blast of winter, but right now I'm holding on to this lovely weather! 

I thought it would be fitting to choose a Spring-like photo for this week's inspirational photo challenge! 

IB #39

The part of the photo that stood out to me was the colours of the jars in the top right picture. I combined this challenge with a sketch from Sketchbook Saturday.

At first I wasn't sure of this colour combo, but I like the arrangement! I used one of the itty bitty punches for the pink flowers and added rhinestones to embellish them. The large flower, bird and sentiment are popped up to give the card some dimension. 

Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to drop by Karly's Creations to see how this photo inspired her! 

Card Ingredients:

Stamps: Morning Meadow (hostess), Gorgeous Grunge

Paper: WIsteria Wonder, So Saffron, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Blushing Bride

Ink: Pool Party, Pistachio Pudding, So Saffron, Wisteria Wonder marker

Tools: Distress tool

Accessories: Wisteria Wonder ruffled ribbon, rhinestones (Michael's)

A Clean & Simple Bridal Shower Card

Welcome to a new KCRR challenge!

Clean & Simple

Rain or Shine Stamp Set

Delicate Doilies Sizzlit Die

As you already know, clean and simple is usually not my style, so this was a challenge for me! However, this simple sketch from Viva La Verve was the perfect start to my card design:

It's hard to say if this card falls under "clean & simple", but I really like how it turned out! The Card Concept defines "clean and simple" quite well:

• One main image
• Lots of open space (uncluttered)
• Limited layers & embellishments
• Quick & easy to recreate

The designer paper strips and the delicate doilies really add some detail to the card. To make the doily stand out against the busy background, I sponged the edges with Smokey Slate ink. The rhinestones add the perfect embellishment to the sentiment. 

Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to visit Karly's Creations to see how she used these elements in her card!

Card Ingredients:

Stamps: Rain or Shine

Paper: Smokey Slate, So Saffron, Whisper White, Eastern Elegance DSP

Ink: Smokey Slate

Tools: Delicate Doilies Sizzlit Die

Accessories: Rhinestones (Michael's)

Inspired By... Colour Coordinated Home Decor

Happy Friday!

I don't know about you, but this week has dragged on! For me it was filled with ups and downs and I'm really looking forward to a relaxing weekend ahead!

Let's kick off the weekend with a new inspirational photo!

It was my pick this week and I chose a home décor photo with the perfect colour combo:

IB #33

I paired it with the new Tall & Skinny sketch by Mojo Monday this week:

I love that Mojo Monday has introduced this new fold for every last Monday of the month! They layers in this sketch are perfect for the multiple colours I wanted to use. Not only was I inspired by the colours in the photo, but also the paintings. I decided to add some floral stamps to my card and made one without a sentiment:

 

 

This card measures 6" x 3.5" (start with a 6" x 7" piece of cardstock and score at 3.5").

The flowers on the middle painting in the photo reminded me of an older stamp set I own - Flower Fancy. I haven't pulled this one out in a long time! I fussy cut the smaller stamped flower and leaves and popped them up to give the card some dimension. I added texture to the card by embossing the Raspberry Ripple piece of cardstock with the Square Lattice pattern. Stitched satin ribbon is wrapped around the card front to embellish it.

 

 

I then created a matching envelope using the following measurements: cut paper into an 8" x 8" square; using a diagonal scoring plate, score at 3-1/8" on opposite sides and 4-1/2" on the other two sides. Finished size is 4-1/2" x 6-1/4".

 

 

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to play along and leave a comment below!

 

Also, make sure to stop by Karly's Creations to see how this photo inspired her!

 

Card Ingredients:

Stamps: Flower Fancy (ret.)

Paper: Raspberry Ripple, Old Olive, So Saffron, Whisper White, Brights DSP

Ink: Raspberry Ripple, Old Olive

Tools: Circles nestabilities, Scallop Circles nestabilities, Corner Rounder punch, Square Lattice embossing folder

Accessories: Raspberry Ripple stitched satin ribbon





An Apron Greeting Card

Over the Christmas holidays, we celebrated my niece's 14th birthday. Miriam is such a beautiful, fun, unique girl. She has been such a blessing to our family.

 

Here is a most recent photo of Miriam - such a gorgeous girl!

 



One thing Miriam loves to do is cook and bake. So I thought it would be fitting to make an apron card for her! I found a simple tutorial on Paper Crafter's Library and made my own version using Calypso Coral and So Saffron as the main colours. Here's how it turned out:

 

The new ruffle stretch trim from Stampin Up added the perfect touch to the edges of the pockets.

 

 

I stuck a tag in the front pocket with a cupcake and a birthday sentiment on it. For the inside pocket, I created a recipe card using my "From the Kitchen Of" stamp set and wrote a cookie recipe on it for Miriam to try.

 

 

I had a lot of fun making this one and hope to make more like it!

 

Have a great Monday!

 

Card Ingredients:

Stamps: From the Kitchen Of, Create a Cupcake, Gorgeous Grunge

Paper: So Saffron, Calypso Coral, Very Vanilla, Tea for Two DSP, In-Colour 2013-2014 DSP

Ink: Early Espresso, Calypso Coral, Real Red

Tools: Small Tag punch, Corner Rounder punch, Scallop Border punch, Cupcake Builder punch, Scallop Circle punch, 1-3/8" Circle punch, 1/2" Circle punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack

Accessories: Crisp Cantaloupe Ruffle Stretch Trim, Calypso Coral Ruffle Ribbon, Pearl (Michael's)





A 5th Year Anniversary!

Yesterday, Kevin and I celebrated our 5th year anniversary! (wow!) Can't believe how fast time flies. We have had so many awesome adventures over the past 5 years... I can't wait to see what the next 5 bring!

The night before our anniversary, Kevin surprised me with this absolutely gorgeous vase of flowers:

We recently saw purple wildflowers just like this one in Revelstoke, BC on the Meadows in the Sky Parkway and I absolutely loved them! They are so beautiful!

To celebrate we enjoyed a delicious dinner out at a local restaurant called North 54. They have the best ceasar salad we've ever tasted! We tried some lobster ravioli, garlic prawns, lobster tails, and topped it off with some wine and dessert (a white chocolate mousse cake, crème brule and a chocolate truffle) - yum!

It was a bit of a challenge to think of a unique design for my anniversary card this year. I  turned to a sketch from Mojo Monday this week as a guide (sketches always help!). I recently saw an idea on Splitcoast Stampers using the owl builder punch to create silhouette owls. I decided to CASE this idea and incorporate it into the Mojo Monday sketch and just love how it turned out!

 



How cute are those owls? I sponged Midnight Muse and Baja Breeze to make the night sky, and then sponged a 2nd circle with So Saffron ink to create the moon. The branch with leaves comes from the Bird Builder punch and the little hearts add a nice touch. The card front is embossed with stripes and burlap ribbon adds some texture to the card. Here's the Mojo sketch I used:

Thanks for looking!

Card Ingredients:
Stamps: Memorable Moments
Paper: Crumb Cake, So Saffron, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Midnight Muse, Baja Breeze, So Saffron
Tools: Owl Builder punch, Bird Builder punch, Heart to Heart punch, Scallop Circle nestabilities, Circle nestabilities, 1-3/8" Circle punch
Accessories: Burlap ribbon (CTMH)

A Birthday Shout-Out and a New Inspiration Challenge!

Happy Friday!

Today we celebrate a special birthday! Our niece, Reese, turns 6 today! She is an adorable, goofy, sweet girl and is growing up so fast! I miss her!

Here's wishing her the best day! This is the card I sent her to let her know we are thinking of her:

 

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Onto a new Inspirational challenge!

 

This week was my pick and I chose a photo of 4 floral prints that I found on Etsy:

Click here to see the shop on Etsy!

I love the colour combo of gray and pastel yellow! Not only did I get inspiration from the colours, I also used the 4 square shapes in my card. A week ago, Deconstructed Sketch posted a fabulous sketch challenge. Even though I'm a week late, I still wanted to play along!

And here's my card...

 

I love how this card turned out! To make it interesting, I added something to each punched out square of designer paper. I've distressed the edges of the card front as well as the larger yellow square and added a simple birthday sentiment to complete the card.

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Make sure to hop on over to Karly's Creations to see how this photo inspired her!

 

Card Ingredients:

Stamps: Tiny Tags, Loved Ones

Paper: Basic Gray, Very Vanilla, Neutrals DSP, Subtles DSP

Ink: Basic Gray, So Saffron

Tools: 1" square punch, Boho Blossoms punch, Itty Bitty punch pack, Owl Builder punch

Accessories: Arrow clip, Pearl, Basic Gray striped grosgrain ribbon (ret)

A Belated Birthday Card for My Sister

We had an enjoyable, relaxing Sunday - went to church in the morning, a walk in the afternoon, and a dinner get-together with friends in the evening. It was a great way to end a good weekend!

For today's post, I decided to share a birthday card that I made for my sister, Monique. The reason I didn't share it on her actual birthday was because she hadn't received it yet and she reads my blog on occasion. Well, I discovered the card one day in my own mailbox, about a week after I had sent it to her - it was returned to me! Apparently, not enough postage... :( It was a little bit thicker than normal because I had stuck a bookmark in it. Well, I let her know it was still coming and she finally received it about a week or so after her birthday... better late than never!

 

I tried to make it a little 'artsy' by adding different materials and giving it a vintage look. The Tea for Two DSP from Stampin Up is one of my favourites. I used it here for the background and the circle in the center. I used burlap ribbon as one of the layers and topped it off with roses and small pearls to embellish it.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your Monday!

 

Card Ingredients:

Stamps: Fabulous Phrases, Everything Eleanor

Paper: So Saffron, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Tea for Two DSP

Ink: Soft Suede

Tools: Circles nestabilities, Little Leave sizzlit die, Extra Large Oval punch

Accessories: Burlap ribbon (CTMH), Flower Trim Ribbon, Pearls (Michael's)

Three Challenges in One

It's been difficult for me to get motivated lately to create papercrafts for the upcoming craft fair. I didn't get quite as many items made on the weekend as I wanted to, but with my hubby gone this week, it gives me lots of time to get caught up. Last night was a good start. I completed two more mini albums and two mother's day cards. I also snuck in a phone call with my hubby, a skype call with my sister, and a phone call with my Mom. It was a good night!

Today's design was created using three different card challenges. Karly and I were brainstorming at work yesterday afternoon which inspired me to create this card:

 

I used a great sketch from Mojo Monday for the layout, a colour combo from Dynamic Duos and a theme from The Pink Elephant.

 

 

 

Our challenge theme this week is to:

"Use 3 Decorative Papers & Your Favorite Embellishment"

 



This sketch was great to work with. And I love that we could choose our own colour to go with Primrose Petals. I chose So Saffron. I think it's a nice pastel contrast against the bright pink. The biggest challenge for me was to use 3 different decorative papers in one card. But, I think I managed to make it work and have it not look too 'busy'. I used neutral colours for the card base and the card front so that the two colours 'popped'. The Primrose Petals cardstock is embossed with the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder. I like adding a little 'bling' to my cards, so I used pearls as embellishments.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Card Ingredients:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes

Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Primrose Petals, Very Vanilla, More Amore DSP, Floral District DSP, Subtles DSP

Ink: Early Espresso

Tools: Large Oval punch, Scallop Oval punch, Circles nestabilities, Scallop Circles nestabilities, Elegant Bouqet embossing folder

Accessories: Pearls (Michael's)