A Pot of Gold (and green) Card

Happy St. Patrick's Day. I saw someone use four hearts together to create a shamrock, and I thought I would give it a try. Keeping with the 30 Day Color Challenge from The Daily Marker (thedailymarker.com) I decided to color my hearts instead of using various green paper. I expected to whip out this card in no time, because I knew exactly what I was going to do.  

I embossed, colored, and cut out the hearts. I discovered then these long hearts don't really make good shamrocks, because they don't meet in the middle the right way. Hmmm... what to do? Fill the pot! I decided I did need a background, and embellishments are always a nice touch. One and a half CDs later I have my completed card.   

They may not be shamrocks, but they sure do look cute – kind of like heart cacti.  

Card Details:  Finished folded card 5"x 5"craft cardstock; heat embossed all hearts (Stampin' Up) with gold detail powder and colored with water base markers (SU); stamped pot (Stamp It!) with brown ink; wood grain embossing folder (Lifestyle Crafts); pearl embellishments. 

A Color Challenge Card

I have been participating in the 30 Day Color Challenge set out by The Daily Marker. http://www.thedailymarker.com  It's only day seven, but I have had a lot of fun and have felt very challenged. You see, I took up stamping as a hobby because someone else did the art work. I viewed my card making as a mini layout; I focused on matching inks and papers and the placement of the elements. Any coloring was simple, like spring flowers and... well, just spring flowers.  

Over the years I have broadened my scope and have tried to copy techniques I see in magazines or on-line, but coloring is still out of my comfort zone. When I think of coloring I think: shading, hues, pallets, painting, ART!  I've had no training in art. This challenge has helped me loosen up, and lately I've been thinking coloring is FUN! 

The quote reads, "There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy."

I am thankful for the challenge. There is a quiet joy in coloring, too.  

Card Details: Finished card 5" x 6 1/2" folded red cardstock; feathers and adobe (Stamp A Mania) are heat embossed with cinnamon spice embossing powder (Stampendous!) on watercolor paper and colored with a brush using ink from water base markers.  Sentiment (Stampin' Up) stamped in brown ink. 

Three Solid Cards

Hmmm... where to begin? I had it in my mind that I was going to create three cards with this big stamp and describe how each one is suited to the person receiving it. But then I started to work on the third card. It seemed to have a mind of its own, and my idea was no longer apropos. Seriously, if you were the recipient and read that your card took longer than the other two combined, because it just wasn't coming together, how would that make you feel? Of course, I would not tell you, but because it happened that way, this blog is now simply about the cards. Or maybe it's about my stubborn fixation on a design.

I knew what I wanted to do with all three cards. A big solid stamp is fun to color with markers. Three shades of blue scribbled on the rubber gives the appearance of texture when stamped, and the imperfections in the image are deliberate. It's quick and fun.

A big solid stamp is also perfect for using gold leaf flakes with sticky embossing powder.  Again, texture is king, and I don't use the gold leaf often enough.  It's simple and elegant.  

Let me say unequivocally, I really like how my third card turned out. It had a couple of starts and a few re-mounts, but I was determined to use this big solid stamp as a background. The sentiment on the card is one of my favorites, and because it is large, as word stamps go, it needs a big background. All the elements keep one from taking over.  It's balanced.  

What's that saying?  Third time's the charm. 

Card Details: Finished card size is 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" for first two cards. Third card is 5" x 6 1/2". 

Big solid flower, heart swirl background, and small sentiments by Stampin' Up; Love & Romance by River City Rubber Works. 

The Jazzercise Card

Why would I make a Jazzercise card? Because I can. That's what makes this hobby so much fun. If you have a reason to celebrate, you can design a card for it. The Roswell Jazzercise Center, where I exercise, is in the midst of their 35 Day Challenge – take 30 classes in 35 days. This challenge is perfect for February when the dreary weather can sap your mojo, and it's been even more fun with the instructors participating, too. I made this card to encourage everyone at the center who is aiming to meet the goal and win the cool t-shirt. (I know.. the things we will do for a free shirt.)

Sophia Loren's full quote is "Exercise makes you more graceful. When you exercise you walk as if you own the street –– with pride and fluidity." Some versions of the Proverb say "she laughs at the time to come". Put that all together and you're looking at serious mojo. 

Whether it is Jazzercise, yoga, boot camp, your favorite class at the gym, a long walk, swimming laps, or running miles, exercise is good for you. Heart and soul. 

Card Details: Folded yellow gold cardstock 5 1/2" x 8 1/2"; printed paper layered on grey cardstock; stamp dancer (Judikins) and "mad woman" (River City Rubber Works) on grey cardstock and printed paper; fussy cut dresses; print words from computer.  Paper credits: Stamping' Up and Recollections. 

Background stamp credits: girlfriends and "a fun time" sentiment (RCRW); "fresh" and dots (SU); "Friend" (Hero Arts); girl outline (The Creative Mode). 

The Synesthesia Card

Synesthesia affects only two percent of the population. It is defined as an extra connection among parts of the brain related to individual senses. People with synesthesia associate colors with numbers, letters, sounds, or emotions. This goes beyond the cliches of being "green with envy" or "feeling blue", nor it is not an occasional connection. I asked my middle school daughter if she knew this word, and she said yes, because she read a short story in her Language Arts class titled "Pain is Orange".  I'm impressed. 

I do not fall into this remarkable two percent group, but I have a friend who does. Her connection is between colors and numbers. Her favorite color is blue and her birthday is on the 14th of February.  So guess what color she associates with her birthday?

Happy Birthday, Gail, from one of the other 98%. 

Card Details: Finished card 5 1/2" square; white cardstock covered with party hat paper; white square is stamped with stonewash ink (Adirondack) using Batik Pattern (Impression Obsession) background stamp; over stamp 14 Blueprint (Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous) with grey ink (Stampin' Up); die cut with Pierced Squares (Spellbinders); layer with grey cardstock and blue mulberry paper, cut out 14 from mulberry paper; stamp HBD (Hampton Arts) in grey ink on pink paper; later with grey, adhere with mounting tape. 

A Reel Card

Happy 50th Birthday to my dear sweet husband. I can't wait to see his expression when he opens this card.  It's always fun (because it's so rare) to have a stamp just for his cards. This reel looks like those among his fishing gear; plus I used green ink - his favorite color. It's a winner all around.  

Robert loves to fish with his Dad and brother, and since the reel is a better image than a lot of the "masculine" stamps I own, I will use it for them, as well as, for future OWH cards. Yes, the challenge is to use the same image with a variety of techniques. I will do just that, and post them here – next year on his birthday if not before. 

In fact, if he didn't love to fish, we might not have married. Robert said he moved to Virginia Beach (where we met) in order to fish more. Hmm... I think I have an idea for an anniversary card...

Card Details: Folded card 4 1/4" x 5 3/4" vanilla cardstock; reel (Deep Red Clingstamps); HB (Stamping' Up); olive green chalk ink (Colorbox); olive and gray cardstock (SU); printed origami paper (Sterling Innovation); Washi tape (Wamon).

My First OWH Cards

Operation Write Home is an organization that supports US armed forces by sending blank handmade greeting cards to deployed units for them to write home on. Here is the link to their website: http://operationwritehome.org

Since 2007 OWH has sent over three million cards. Does that number blow you mind like it does mine? Three million cards were made by hand. That's a whole lot of stamping and crafting! I found out about OWH in October and feel a little like I'm arriving late to a party, but since our armed forces are serving all over the world and will be for some time, I know it's not too late to get involved.  I grew up in a military family, and I am very excited about using my hobby to thank our heroes for serving our country. 

My first batch of cards is going in the mail to OWH by the end of the week. I have had a good time creating the designs; minding the details; and praying over the senders and recipients. 

Stamp Credits: 
W Card - Stampin' Up; Hampton Art Stamps
Car, Reel, Thank You - Deep Red Clingstamps; Stamping' Up
Ice Cream - Stampin' Up; Craft Smart
Banners - Recollections; Craft Smart