Easter

I had grand thoughts of Easter cards with bunnies this year, but it didn't happen! I even had one almost together, with ears that flop up, but maybe next year! I did make a card for Mom to send with an Easter greeting however...

I used the SUJust Believe stamp set on Crumb Cake with Real Red as the coordinating color with ribbon to match. The idea came from a card I saw on Pinterest. One of the things that I love about Pinterest is the ability to case other cards and just change something to feel like I really could do something like that!  I added the brads and popped up the sentiment to add some dimension to the design. I love how this card came out!

Birthdays

The beginning of March always puts in mind - SPRING! By this time we are so ready to see the beginning of the next growing season hidden under that blanket of snow!

Jessica's birthday, on March 21st began our journey as parents. We have been so blessed for sure with Jessica and the REAL start of our lives as a family.  And in some way I wanted to share that sentiment with my card.  

This is a closed front view of the flip/flop or swinger card. I used the Mixed Blossom SU stamp set and punch along with Just Buzzin By SU stamp set. The colors are Daffodil Delight and Ballet Blue. The cover is embossed with the honeycomb folder on the front and the small dotted swiss on the white. I cut a few honeycomb size fillers from the DSP to add some detail on the cover. The letters are stamped and then filled with crystal effects to look like a real honeycomb. I love the way the edge shows up when the card is opened!

Here are some smaller photos of the other views. I cut the bees and used dimensionals to make them pop up. Because I am OBEE it has an added significance (:  Happy birthday is stamped with curly verses, which I use all the time!  I am still trying to make the opened card look more together and in looking back, maybe should have chosen an orange and chocolate chip combo? 

Getting Ready for March

Today is Valentine's Day and I had a great day getting ready for some of the March events with cards! I started with my daughter-in-law's birthday for March 1st. I really wanted to try the "swing" card that I saw a video for on Pinterest. It was so much fun to make and relatively easy...

Here is the folded front of the card. The middle "swings" showing the greeting when you open it.  Erica loves sunflowers so I couldn't resist two large Mixed Bunch flowers- doubled- and then cutting into the petals after punching it out. The DSP made a perfect center for the sunflower, as well as the second layer on the card base.

Here's the opened card with the greeting! I just love the technique! The cute little bees from SU Just Buzzin' By, corduroy button, baker's twine and the 7/8" scallop flower made great additions... after all I am O-BEE. The honeycomb embossing folder on the edge yellow is hard to see in the picture.

Here's a picture of what it looks like from the side. How cool is that? Colors are SU Summer Sun(retired) and Early Expresso paper. 

Then I moved right on to St. Patrick's Day! We'll be away so I need the cards ready to send to the family. I saw got an idea from Pinterest, and decided to make the large shamrock from the heart punch, then embossed in dot folder. Folded hearts together on one heart from the  Hearts a flutter die. I love the way it came out! I used Garden Green and Certainly Celery for the greens and a DSP green for the bottom segment of the card. The ribbon was ok, but I liked the little pearls better, covering them with crystal effects.

Still have a couple of birthday cards on my list of things to do, can't wait!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day has always been a favorite holiday for me. As a teacher (in a past life :) it was a time the kids always had good thoughts about each other. It was always encouraged, even suggested that cards be sent to everyone in the class in the younger years. So some kids that never got positive reinforcement from their peers, were accepted by peers even if for only one day! SO I do send Valentine cards to my family... Here's this year's selection:

I used a selection from the Heart's-A-Flutter set with stamps and dies to create a mix of red, pink, white and black to make to cards for family and friends this year. I just love the dies and embosslits. It was my introduction to really coordinating the sets. LOVE, love it! Used the hearts embossing folder or the dots embossing folder for the white layer on the card. On some of the pink I used dimensionals to raise the heart to add interest to the front although you can't see in the picture.

But this was the best.... In each family card I added grandchildren valentines from the heart die! I love how they came out! By cutting the die leaving the top of the heart out, it became a hinge for the heart... Soooo cute!

I used washi tape to close the valentines until those little hands get them!  Some times I do get a good idea... all on my own!  Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

February birthdays

Three family February birthdays means lots of cardmaking! My son's family has 4 February-March birthdays and celebrates with a Birthday Bash for all the celebrants! I like to send the card for the "special" day but needed tags for the gifts too! Here is the card info....

Mason's 5-year old card was made for a Lego-lover if ever there was one! I have been casing this card on Pinterest for a  while, but a changed it up to be a 5! I also used the Happy Birthday embossing folder on the card layer to add interest... how about that beautiful little face? It's hard to believe he is 5 already! Mason is amazing because he has no idea how awesome he is... he considers himself able to do everything his 7-year old brother can do... so much like his dad did with his older sister...

And he is John and turning 36! He has to be the best son there could ever be... I am just so proud of the man that he has become.  What a blessing to our family!

One of many things he enjoys is golf and I wanted a card that showed him that! It is a time that I see him really relaxed and that is not often. Again, a Pinterest card that I basically tried to just copy! I love the idea of the tee and the long way to go... My Stampin' Up supplier sent a gift of DSP cut to the just the right size to use for the second layer on this card. I love the embossed golfball! How about the layers of green, with sand and water traps?

Carter is turning 7... He has been such a pleasure to watch grow! Although he is our oldest grandson, he is a such an enigma to me... I can't explain the pleasure he brings! His card was harder for me this year because I couldn't get a connection to the videogame he's into now, Mindcraft... so I went for the idea of 7!

Carter also loves cupcakes! So this was my thinking... I used the scallop edge punch and the Happy Birthday embossing folder. The larger scallop punch for the birthday message. I use the create-a-cupcake set quite a bit with the crystal effects on the candle tops.

January

First thing that happens in January is my daughter, Stephanie's, birthday.  I love making this birthday card because it's not a Christmas card... and because she is my baby!

Although the picture is dark, the snowman is doing a happy dance! How interesting that by just putting the smile and the nose in the air, he is just so cute! I saw this on Pinterest and had to try it using the Cold Play stamp set....  Used the masking for snow mounds with a light blue and ribbon for his scarf. Snow flakes from the punch and a pearl in the center of each... Love this guy! Will use him again... Maybe my niece Julie's card?

A Thank You Card and a Congratulations on Your Retirement both came from this Just Believe set. I used the shadowing technique with the blender tool, and forgot to take a picture of the retirement one! I used the Distress colors of Wild Honey and Faded Jeans then stamped the image with Staz-On. Love the result. Again got the idea on Pinterest although I changed it up a little.

Christmas Cards

I promised myself that I wouldn't go crazy at Christmas time by making cards at the last minute.. So of course I did!

Here's the first card for the Santa group... I heat embossed the H for Ho-Ho-Ho! Then outlined it in black. I wasn't s happy as I wanted to be, but it worked okay. I did like the Santa in the three windows! The white was embossed with the all over snowflake folder.

This was my favorite card this year. I embossed snowflakes in the corner and used the pearls to shine them up and added the dazzling details.  I masked the tree and added blue for the sky with the blender and lighter blue to show the snow mounds. Then I stamped the tree with old olive mixed with some brown in spots. The star... which was heat embossed was cut out and used ---- to add dimension.

This is the new bundle from Stampin Up and I had to use it since it was such a big purchase for me!  I got this idea from Pinterest with my own spin added to it. The tree is actually the one from the above card and I just made it appear as a branch. I also used the snowflake embossing folder again and the JOY stamp to complete the card. I do love the Merry Christmas sentiment!

Card number 4 for the season! I loved the two ornaments instead of a single and left off the snowflakes. I did however use the all over snowflake folder after I stamped the tree! Dimensionals are added under the bows and ornaments so they really stand out. Also rounded all four edges. 

I also stamped all of the envelopes and am noticing that I like that for the mail!  This year I am starting early for Christmas.... I like having more than one design and LOVE getting cards! I am also noticing that I forgot to take a picture of my Thanksgiving card (Triple-Stamped) and Avery's 2 year-old's Minnie Mouse birthday card, and Emma's 7 year-old's Princess birthday card! Good to mention them though, so I will remember....