Saturday, August 31, 2013

Fan"tache"tic Birthday card

I can't honestly say that I understand the popularity of the mustache in crafting these days. But I do recognize it. So, when I found a stamp for fabric paint the other day at Big Lots, and it had three mustaches on it, I had to bring it home and try it out with chalk ink. It worked fine.



I stamped these with black ink, trimmed around them, and then attached them to the tan mat. After I had completed the card, I decided to go back and jazz it up a bit with some Martha Stewart glitter. The finished product is simple and easy--but masculine and trendy.

The card is cut from Kraft cardstock. I used black to mat the design papers which are from Recollections.
Hope you enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by.

Friday, August 30, 2013

Lion's Awakening--My First Novel

It's taken nearly three years and has survived one major college-football scandal, but my first book is here--now available through Amazon and WestBow Press both in print and in ebook format. Soon, I hope, I'll have it for sale here.



It's the story of a young man and how he copes after a serious injury removes football from his life. Since everyone experiences disappointments, I'm hoping that others will be inspired by his story. Check it out at Amazon. Thanks for stopping by.

Biggest Fan card

It's college football time again. To celebrate the new season, and to launch some important news, I've created a card which I'll send to some Penn State fans.

 
 
The pennant is from Sports Mania, and the letters are from Lyrical Letters . I used a Tim Holtz embossing folder to add some texture to the background The white banner is simply a white strip that I cut a banner end into. Two metallic dots add a little bling. Switch up the colors and lettering, and you're all set to root for your favorite team. Thanks for stopping by.
 
 


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Stripes and Flowers Thank You Cards

I like stripes, especially when they're combined with something else.

 
 
Hidden among the crocodile images in the Crocs Rule cartridge is this sweet bunch of flowers. The base cut has the flowers and the leaves. I cut it out of a green with yellow polka dots paper at @ 1 3/4". Then I added the flower layers and the centers. Around everything I did some faux stitching using a black marker.
 
Using a word window punch, I punched the white sentiment mat and then stamped thanks using a small Fiskars stamp. Easy and bright. Hope you like it. Thanks for stopping by. 

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Thinking of You

     I've recently been in "punch" mode--using punches, that is. The flower is a McGill punch that I've had for a long time, and the center is a Fiskars circle. I added some brads from Hobby Lobby and used foam tape to pop the flowers off the page a bit.
     The paper is a double-sided one that my JoAnn store recently began carrying. The sentiment is one from Hobby Lobby's Stampabilites lines. I hope that the bright colors and the warm words encouraged a sweet young lady I know. Thanks for stopping by.

Friday, August 23, 2013

"Sending Prayers" Encouragement Card

Taking a break from thank you sets, I created this card to encourage a friend whose husband recently underwent surgery and will be several weeks recovering.
 
 
The plaid paper is from the Bold Basics 8 1/2" x 11" pack by Recollections. I used kraft, aqua, and white cardstocks for the accents. The "trellis" was created with an EK border punch. I used a small and a medium flower punch by Fiskars to create the flowers. Then I added a brown gemstone for the center. The stamp is one from a set of Spellbinders. I hope that the soft colors and the cheery flowers brighten my friend's days. Know anyone who needs some encouragement? Thanks for stopping by.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Stylish Thank You Set

I love this "stylish" set of cards. It is feminine but has only a hint of a flower.

The dress form, with the shadow and the dress pieces, is from Nifty Fifties and is cut approximately 3 3/4" inches tall. I ran the dress pieces through the Swiss Dots folder to emboss them. The sentiment is a Fiskars stamp. The black and white is another piece from a Recollections black and white stack which I use a lot. Hope this jogs your stylish ideas for other cards. Thanks for coming by.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Lady Bug Thanks

Can you ever have enough thank you cards? I seem to go through these like crazy. Not only do I use a lot, but I also give many as gifts. The cute lady bugs on these are from the  Walk in my Garden cartridge from Cricut. This is the border feature cut at approximately 1 1/2 inches. I placed the three on the diagonal. The white with black pattern is from a Recollections pack of black and white 8 1/2" x 11" papers. Hope you enjoy these sweet bugs.

3-D Stars Thank You Cards

After a very busy few months, I'm back with several card ideas. The first is a set of thank you cards that have 3-dimensional stars on them. The stars are very easy. Simply cut your favorite star and score each of the arms of the star from the point in a straight line to the opposite side of the star. Once you have all five scored, crease on the lines. You'll see the dimension happen as you do. Place a dimensional dot in the center to keep the star from flattening. The papers here are from a set from Hobby Lobby. The colors and the design make this cards just rights for either men or women. I used a small circle punch to add the curve at the ends of the sentiment mat and then stamped the word thanks. Hope you enjoy making these 3-D stars.