A Milestone Birthday for a Fabulous Friend

The card that I last posted was for 1/2 of a couple who I'm lucky enough to count among my friends . This card today is for his wife. She is someone I met as a neighbour 25 years ago when she moved to Calgary from Ontario. We hit it off immediately and although we haven't been neighbours many years I definitely call her one of my 'best friends'. This birthday is one of those milestone years. You know that one's where you enter a new decade? I'm not going to mention which decade, but I did enter it myself a couple of years ago.
Although this card doesn't specifically mention age the sentiment "days just seem to flutter by" is perfect I think. Both the butterfly and the sentiment are from a sheet of stamps I won from Repeat Impressions The House that Stamps Built this summer. Lucky me! The background of card is a technique we were challenged to try on our CCB Yahoo group. It is done by using Versamark on your CS then passing it through your cuttlebug with an embossing folder, adding clear embossing powder and finally heat setting it. I used one of the folders from the Cindyloo collection. The butterfly was first stamped on the same yellow CS I used for the sentiment.  I also stamped it on some vellum with my black onyx Versafine added clear embossing powder and heat set it. I mounted it with a could of pop-ups on the body, which leaves the wings free.
I truly enjoyed making this card and was glad I could give it to such a good friend!
Thanks for dropping by,
Sandy

Where did August go?

I can't beleive that it has been so long since I last posted here. I know that I've been enjoying the summer weather that we in Calgary have been very lucky to have this year.  We really did miss summer completely last year and I don't remember the year before being that great either! But compared to all the horrendous weather events happening everywhere else we really are blessed here.

The card I'm sharing with you today is one that I made for a friend's Birthday in August. He really is a one of a kind great guy and he has this truck that he lovingly maintains so that it will pull their trailer. He and his wife enjoy trailering for their summer vacations and long weekend get aways.

I once again borrowed the stamp from M-J's collection. The background is stamped with one of the 'mustardy' tones of Tim Holtz distress inks (probably spiced marmalade). I really do need to make notes or post my cards while details are still fresh in my mind. I then used clear embossing powder over it. The centre image is done with my old stand-by black onyx Versafine with the same technique of the clear embossing powder. It has been die cut with a Spellbinder and then I 'ticket cut' the edges.
This was a fun card to make and it got me using heat embossing which is a technique many are using these days. I really need to be pushed to branch out of my usual comfort zone.
Thanks for dropping by,
Sandy



A Card for my Nephew

This week my nephew leaves to go to UNT in Denton Texas to take his doctorate in Musical Arts. He is a very gifted tenor and this is another step in his career.

This is a card I made for him.  It is from a recent 'make & take' class at my LSS.  It uses Tim Holtz stamps and distress inks.  When I saw it I knew that it was exactly what I wanted for Chris's card.
I am very proud of him and all that he has accomplished.  As I've learned through him the life of a performance artist is not an easy one.

My love goes with him as I hope he "Lives the Life he has Imagined"!!!

Thanks for dropping by,
Sandy

Step Card, Fun Fold a card with many names

The card I'm sharing with you today is one that can be found under many names. Some call it a "Step Card" others a "Fun Fold".

It was definitely fun to make and it has a step in it, as you can see from the side view.  The thing that I wanted to do for sure was make a card that would fit into a regular A2 envelope, so I had to go looking for the instructions that someone else had modified for these measurements. Right now I'm not sure where it was I found these but I will edit this posting later to give the credit to the original author.

 After starting with by base of white CS I added the golden yellow that was embossed with my go to favourite "swiss dots" embossing folder. The sunflower in the middle is a die from Spellbinders that is mounted on a piece of green Bazzil CS. Inside the sentiment is "Just wanted you to know how special you are!" It is another borrowed from M-J's collection.  It seemed perfect because when I made this card I didn't have specfic purpose for it and this way I can use it for many different occasions.
In looking at my stash I only have one more card I think I haven't shared, so I sure hope I'm going to have the time to do some creating very soon.
Thanks for dropping by,
Sandy



Two Quick & Easy Cards

A great 'yahoo' card group that I belong to called CCB has a challenge for this month to use two different embossing folders on a card front.

I had fun with this challenge yesterday and found that I could get a second different but similar card using what was left from the first card.
I used the CB embossing folders called "Jules Jewells" and one of the combo set "Cindy Loo".  I cut them using the approximate 1/3 rule.  The CS are both some Bazzil in a pale and moss green. The ribbon I purchased is a group of 'odds & ends' at a LSS in their bargain bin.  I used CB die cuts for both the slider and tag.

The sentiments are from a wonderful clear stamp set from 'Papertray Ink' called mixed messages.  M-J gave it to me for my birthday. I'm so lucky, as it is a fabulous set that is just so versatile.

I now have two more cards I can add to my stash of cards which has really been depleted lately due to my lack for productivity.

Thanks for dropping by,

Sandy

Cards I thought I'd shared

This is a card that I found in my "stuff to go on blog" file that I thought I'd shared already but it appears I haven't.
It is made using at sticker from the sheets I purchased in Didsbury during our last visit there.  I matted it on to dark purple CS and then the card front is moss green Bazzil.  The same matting was use for the sentiment.
This card was made for a Birthday of my cousin in Coquitlam.  It was sent in May so I'm not sure how it didn't get shared here. 








Well what do you know, in looking back I found another card that I haven't shared. It was for a May birthday as well.

This card was made for the Birthday of a very good friend. You know those gal friends who you consider sisters. Well she is definitely one of those!
Again, I used one of those stickers which I mounted on a piece of fuchsia CS. The card front is a shimmery gold and that card base is from the same piece of moss green Bazzil that I used in the previous card.  I used a little Sakura gel pen glimmer to highlight some of the flowers and leaves. I don't think it shows very well in the scan.
I will really try to keep more up-to- date in what I share!

Thanks for dropping by,
Sandy

More Birthdays & New Techniques

This past week I had two more birthdays that I needed cards for, as well as a challenge on my Yahoo group that was to show my idea of a favourite vacation.  So with this card I was able to satisfy all my needs.

The technique that I used to create the background for this card and the next one I'm going to show you is one I learned in a demo at a local scrapping store last Tuesday.  Many of my card making buddies have been using distress inks for quite awhile now but I have resisted as it is so far out of my comfort zone of my clean and simple cards.  However, to my surprise and with the encouragement of having M-J at my side I really did enjoy experimenting a bit. And if I do say so myself the end product isn't half bad either.
The stamp I used is one of M-J's Stampin Up stamps that really does epitomize my idea of a perfect relaxing vacation of sitting at the beach, watching the waves, reading a book and spending time with good friends.
One this first example I used more muted tones and stamped the image with sepia versafine. Then I matted it with brown C/S before putting on the card base.

The second card is brighter tones and it is stamp with my favourite go to ink black onyx versafine. It is matted with black before been attatched to its card base.

Because I wanted to enter these cards in a Cuttlebug challenge I added the swirling frame, sorry I can't remember the name of the embossing folder (I will add it later to this posting when I remember).

I must say that distress inks, spritzing and blending just may be in my future. It certainly was fun to see what can be done with it!

Thanks for dropping by,

Sandy