CPS Day 8 - Christmas

I'm back with my second post of the day: my card for day 8 of Card Positioning Systems 5th anniversary celebration. Here is the sketch (#102):

Again I went with a Christmas card, since I needed one more card to round out my Christmas in February card class. I got to use my new Christmas Word Block Stamp by Darkroom Door. I just love the look of white ink against kraft paper. I also used the ornament stamp from the Christmas Sentiments set by TPC Studio. I kept this card pretty simple, as the sketch lends itself to a CAS card. Now for the Paper Yummies:

Stampin' Up! Melon Mambo ink was a pretty close match to this patterned paper by GCD Studios. I punched the bottom edge of the patterned paper with a Martha Stewart punch (not sure of the name) that does both the scalloped edge and a little hole above each scallop. Then I hand-stitched some baker's twine through the punched holes. I finished it off with some white dashed lines around the ornament and the kraft cardstock. Here's a closer view:
I'm also playing along with Lily Pad Cards patterned paper challenge sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. Thanks for looking!

Supplies: cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), Recollections (kraft); patterned paper: GCD Studios; stamps: Darkroom Door (background text), TPC Studio (ornament); inks: Stampin' Up! (melon mambo), Joann (white); edge punch: Martha Stewart; baker's twine: Divine Twine; white pen: Signo Uniball; corner rounder: We R Memory Keepers

CPS Day 7 - Merry Christmas

Happy Saturday! I have a couple posts coming your way today as I try to catch up on the Card Positioning Systems 5th anniversary celebration's 15 sketches. This is the sketch from day 7, and today they posted the 14th sketch. Eek! This is sketch #242:

I gotta be honest - this sketch challenged me a little bit. I knew I was going to do a Christmas theme so that I could also use this card in my upcoming Christmas in February card class. And I knew I wanted to use that cute little birdie and the branch, both by Hero Arts. And I had a bunch of this red cardstock pre-cut to this size from a previous class. For some reason, though, the card really didn't come together for me until I added those little black dashed lines around the die-cut piece and the strip of kraft cardstock with the scalloped edge. I am super pleased with the final result - I think it's pretty darn cute! Now for the paper yummies:

I embossed the red cardstock with my "Seeing Spots" Cuttlebug folder, and lightly went over the raised areas with some white ink. I used a Nestabilities die for the white cardstock piece, then stamped the lil' birdie and the branch underneath him. I colored them in with Prismacolor markers, then used some Frosted Lace Stickles to look like snow had fallen on them. The beautiful sentiment stamp is from Market Street Stamps "Essential Holiday Elegance" set. I stamped the little snowflake and embossed it with white powder, then punched it out with my Martha Stewart scalloped circle punch. Here is a little closer look at the "snow" (click on any picture to make it larger):

I'm also playing along with Christmas Card Challenges "Create your own background" challenge. Thanks for looking!

Supplies: cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), Core'dinations (red), Recollections (kraft); stamps: Hero Arts (bird, branch), Market Street Stamps (sentiment), Hampton Art (snowflake); ink: Tsukineko (black Versafine, Versamark), Making Memories (white); embossing powder: American Crafts; markers: Prismacolor; die cut: Nestabilities by Spellbinders; embossing folder: Cuttlebug; die cut machine: Cuttlebug; scallop edge punch: EK Success; scallop circle punch: Martha Stewart; ribbon: Target; black pen: Recollections; glitter glue: Ranger

CPS Day 6 - Christmas Joy (and a trick for ribbon scraps)

Happy Friday! Today I have my card for day 6 of Card Positioning Systems 5th anniversary. I really liked this simple little sketch, and thought it would be perfect for my upcoming Christmas in February class at Real Deals. Yep... I said Christmas. This year I started a monthly Christmas card class where I teach 3 Christmas cards and one everyday card, so that by the time Christmas rolls around, you've built up a stash of cute, handmade cards and you don't have to scramble at the last minute. And you have some everyday cards to give along the way. Here is the sketch (#37):
For my card, I wanted to use my Happy Holidays stamp set from Hero Arts/Basic Grey's Nordic Holiday collection. Along those same lines, I chose some pretty patterned paper from GCD Studios' Scandia Jul collection. Now for the paper yummies:

While making this card, I invented (LOL) a new way to use a ribbon scrap that's not long enough to tie into a knot, much less a bow. I wrapped it around the card front, and used the baker's twine to secure the ribbon (in a half-knot) like you would a pony tail. Then I separated the two ends of the ribbon and pulled them in opposite directions (like when you separate your pony tail into two sections and pull them apart from one another to make the hair band tighter). Then I brought the baker's twine to the top of the ribbon, threaded the two ends through a couple of stacked buttons, and tied the baker's twine into a bow, securing both the ribbon and the buttons. I thought it looked pretty cute, and I'll definitely be using this trick on future projects. Here's a closer picture:
I'm also playing along with Jingle Belles "All Buttoned Up" challenge

Thanks for looking!

Supplies: cardstock: Recollections (kraft), Georgia Pacific (white), Core'dinations; patterned paper: GCD Studios; stamps: Hero Arts/Basic Grey; inks: American Crafts (green), Joann (white); embossing powder: Hampton Art; white pen: Signo Uniball; edge punch: Fiskars; ribbon: Michael's; baker's twine: Divine Twine: buttons: craft supply; sewing machine: Kenmore; thread: Singer

CPS Day 5 - i love you always

Happy Thursday! I'm back with my card for day 5 of the Card Positioning Systems anniversary celebration. Here is the sketch (#38):For my card, I wanted to incorporate some more cute stamps from Paper Smooches. The "i love you" and "always" are from the Word Salad set, and the cute little hearts with the arrow through them is this month's (FREE!) digital stamp from Paper Smooches. Now for the paper yummies:
I printed the digital stamp on some of that cute gray polka dot paper from yesterday's card, but the gray didn't quite match the grays in my other patterned papers, so I darkened the paper slightly using my Prismacolor markers. I also printed the image on white cardstock so that I could paper piece the hearts and still see the arrow on the white cardstock. I stamped "i love you" on the hearts, and embossed them with white powder. Then I used a white Signo pen to doodle on the hearts and color the overlap between the two hearts. I stamped "always" beneath the hearts and embossed them with charcoal powder.
I'm also playing along with Lily Pad Cards patterned paper challenge and Paper Smooches March Designer search. Thanks for looking!

Supplies: cardstock: Recollections (kraft), Georgia Pacific (white); patterned papers: American Crafts (strips), Pink Paislee (hearts), stamps: Paper Smooches; ink: Tsukineko; embossing powder: American Crafts; edge punch: Fiskars; eyelet ribbon: Offray; white pen: Signo Uniball; corner rounder: We R Memory Keepers

CPS Day 4 - You color my world

Here is my card for day 4 of the Card Positioning Systems 5th anniversary celebration. I enjoyed this simple sketch, and my card came together pretty smoothly. Here is the sketch:

For the card I wanted to use some new stamps I got, so I stamped this cute flowery image from Hampton Art and colored it in with Prismacolor markers, then highlighted with my white Signo Uniball pen. Then I stamped the cute little sentiment from Paper Smooches down below, leaving enough room for a bunch of different colors of baker's twine. I stamped both stamps with Versamark ink and embossed with American Crafts embossing powder in charcoal to coordinate with the gray-on-gray polka dot paper by Pink Paislee. Now for the paper yummies:

I think it turned out pretty darn cute, and I love the rainbow of baker's twine. I will also be submitting this to Paper Smooches for their March guest designer search, and playing along at Lily Pad Cards patterned paper challenge and 365 Cards Marvelous Markers challenge.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies: card base (kraft): The Paper Studio; cardstock: Core'dinations (yellow), Georgia Pacific (white); patterned paper: Pink Paislee; stamps: Hampton Art (image), Paper Smooches (sentiment); ink: Tsukineko; embossing powder: American Crafts; markers: Prismacolor; white pen: Signo Uniball; baker's twine: Divine Twine; button: Joann; sewing machine: Kenmore; thread: Singer

CPS Day 3 - Thank you shabby chic card

I've been working feverishly to catch up with the Card Positioning Systems daily sketches in celebration of their 5th anniversary. I'm going to *try* to complete all 15. Here is the sketch from day three:I had a pretty tough time with this sketch, since my very linear brain doesn't like things to be skewed or diagonal - even when following a sketch. And I know you don't have to follow each sketch exactly, but I'm trying to go outside my "straight-lined" box. After a lot of changes in plans for this card, I REALLY love it. I've been making a lot of cutesy cards lately, and I just love the shabby chic vintage style of this one. Last week I posted about Blue Moon Scrapbooking, and what great customer service they provide. The last time I shopped there, the owner gave me a My Mind's Eye stamp set that was a BRAND NEW release at CHA. I used the stamp set to make the staff a thank you card. Now for the paper yummies:
The large stamp and the linear stamp (dots/dashes/triangles) are from the new "Follow Your Heart" line by Rhonna Farrer. The stamp set is called "Be Amazing". The "thank you" stamp is Hero Arts, from the "Year Round Sentiments" set. I stamped the large image twice, to give it a bit of a shadow. First I stamped it with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap (the same color I used to distress the edges of my paper). Then I stamped it again in black Versafine ink. You might be able to see the shadow better in the 3rd picture below.

I used a strip of muslin in place of ribbon, tied it in a bow, and pushed a stick-pin through the knot (**TIP: place a clear earring-back on the tip of your stick-pin so you don't poke somebody's eye out. I buy mine at Micheal's**). I've had these little heart stick-pins for years, and they're kind of a peachy/orangy color. I colored the heart with a Prismacolor marker to match the red stripes on the ledger paper. Both patterned papers are My Mind's Eye.
This next pic is a bit difficult to discern, but I tried Crackle Accents (like Glossy Accents, but it crackles) for the first time on this card. First, I colored in this little flower in the stamped image with a dark blue Prismacolor pencil, and blended it out with odorless mineral spirits. Then I applied the Crackle Accents, and somehow the crackle knew that it was on a flower! LOL! It's the weirdest thing - each petal cracked down the middle, and then outward, just like the veins on a real plant. I haven't tried it on anything else, to know if it always does that or not, but I really like the stuff so far.
I'm also playing along with Lily Pad Cards patterned paper challenge presented by Simon Says Stamp.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies: cardstock: Recollections; patterned papers: My Mind's Eye; stamps: My Mind's Eye, Hero Arts; ink: Ranger, Tsukineko; edge punch: EK Success; crackle glaze: Ranger; muslin: Joann; stick pin: Heidi Grace; marker, colored pencil: Prismacolor; mini staples: Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher; pearl: The Paper Studio; Piercing Bug (for faux stitching in lower right corner): EK Success; gray pen (faux stitching): American Crafts

CPS Day 2 - aeio...missing u

Hi, everybody! I'm back with my card for day 2 of the Card Positioning Systems 5 year anniversary celebration. Here is the sketch (#166):

I thought it would be fun to use the large circular element in the sketch as a window in the front of my card, with the smaller circle affixed to a piece of patterned paper that would "bridge" the window. Not sure if that is the best way to describe it or of that even makes sense (LOL), but you'll see what I'm talking about. I used my Nestabilities circle dies to cut the window and the sentiment piece, and I think it turned out really cute! Now for the paper yummies:

I used patterned paper by October Afternoon, and machine stitched with red thread around the edges. Here is a close-up of the window, showing how you can see through to the inside of the card. The sentiment and the heart are Hero Arts stamps from the Year Round Sentiments set. I stamped the heart on patterned paper, trimmed around it, adhered it under my sentiment, and applied Glossy Accents on top of it. SO CUTE!
I am also playing along with the Die Cutting Challenge in the Moxie Fab World and the Lily Pad Cards Patterned Paper challenge presented by Simon Says Stamp.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies: cardstock: Recollections (kraft), Core'dinations (red scallop strip at top); patterned papers: October Afternoon; stamps: Hero Arts; ink: Tsukineko; cutting dies: Nestabilities by Spellbinders; die cutting machine: Cuttlebug by Provocraft; scallop edge punch: Fiskars; dimensional glaze: Glossy Accents by Ranger; trim: Michael's; sewing machine: Kenmore; thread: Singer; buttons: Joann; twine: Offray