Creative Genie-ous

Yep, I'm still around!

2015-06-26T19:23:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. It's been such a very long time since I last visited with you. I hope things are well in your worlds. I've had some ups and downs the past several months, but I'm doing well.

When I first started this blog it was primarily aimed at card making. But I left it open to other crafty or artistic pursuits as well, and I'm back to show you some of what I've been up to most recently as well as continuing to bring you examples of my cards (or, if you've been with me awhile, you've seen a few of my sister's cards; she is a much more prolific card maker than I am).

Today I've decided to show you one of the projects I've started working on for my church. We have christenings twice each month, and we like to present each family with a keepsake for their child. For some time the church was purchasing bibs to give the families. From what I have been told these bibs were a single layer of not-very-nice fabric with pinked raw edges, and, I think, some kind of generic printing to commemorate the event. Eventually, someone came up with a much nicer design for our church. Our keepsake bibs are now machine embroidered with the church logo and event year on a lovely white fabric, and backed with a beautiful soft white flannel. It's a very simple design, but the quality and look are so much better. At the family's request the name of the child can be added later.

I am doing just the embroidery of these bibs, while another member of our sewing group is doing the assembly. The pictures I have are of a bib embroidered by another church member; I forgot to take photos after embroidering several pieces. I'm glad I remembered to take photos of the sample before returning it to the church.

Let me know what you think of our design. Maybe you can design something similar for your own church. Ours is embroidered in our church/school colors, but they could also be done in seasonal colors or designs depending on the time of year of the christening.

I'll be back with you soon to show you some of the other projects I've been working on. In the meantime, keep crafting and enjoy every day to the fullest!

Hugs,
Christine

Triple Play

2014-09-12T18:33:00.002-04:00

Hi, everyone! It's your very delinquent Genie, back with some cards made as guest designer for Beccy's Place Designs. These were posted on Beccy's site at the time, but I hadn't had a chance to bring them to you here. (You'll find all these designs on the first page of Beccy's Place.) Be sure to read all the way to the end of this post for a surprise. Now, without further delay.....

My first card is from a little set called "Summer Stanley." I used the original coloring for Stanley and added some background coloring to look like he is in the water. Using some PSE techniques I added a narrow frame, used the "out-of-bounds" feature at the top and bottom, and blurred the whole image to give a bit more of an underwater effect. I took the sentiment into Word and used one of the effects there to add coloring to the letters.

The next card is from Beccy's set called "Cattitude." I decided to make this a simple one-layer card. So, I took the line design into PSE, colored up the haughty kitty and gave her a background and a vignette. I added the sentiment and was ready to go. After I printed the card I gave kitty a little bit of glam with a glitter pen in just a few select areas. Here she is.....

Finally, my last card, using the "Beautiful Friendship" set, was done in the 'pyramid' technique.' If you're not familiar with this technique, it's done by printing (or stamping and coloring) several copies of an image, using one copy as a base, and cutting the others into smaller sections to be layered one atop the other. You'll see what I mean in the photos. I printed the images on white and layered the flower pieces and a couple of the leaves using foam tape. I added some dashed lines to create a border, and mounted the main image onto a pretty glittery design paper base. I split the sentiment to better fit on the card, and applied it with foam tape as well.

And that's it, my friends! OH, but I did mention a surprise, didn't I? I need you leave me a comment with 2 (two) bits of information. First, I'd like to know what is your favorite technique from those used on these cards. Second, click on over to Beccy's Place, take a good look around, and then tell me what your favorite design (or set of designs) is. I need a minimum of 8 (eight) readers to respond, and I will choose a random winner for a prize. Winner will be chosen on or about September 30th. Happy browsing at Beccy's Place and GOOD LUCK!!!

Thanks for stopping by today. 'Til next time.....

BIG hugs!
CHRISTINE

I'm BACK!!! + Sisters' 10-Minute Challenge

2014-08-10T19:59:00.000-04:00

Yes, yes, I know.....It's about time. I wasn't intending to take quite such a long break, but life was just happening and happening and was totally out of my control. Well, okay, not really, but I had to give it a shot. So, I want to thank you so very much for hanging in there with me, and I have a couple of quick little cards to show you.

I was visiting with my sister, and what do we do best when we're together? Yes, MAKE STUFF (especially with scraps)! And she had the idea that we should do a ten-minute challenge. She pulled out her box of scraps, threw a bunch of card-sized pieces on the table, and we both chose a base color. Then she pulled a variety of pieces that would coordinate with our bases. She also had lots of embellishments that she wants to use up, but we limited ourselves to just about three, or maybe four, packages. And here are the cards we made:

In truth, we forgot to check the time when we started, but we guessed the whole process took 20-25 minutes. Once we selected all our materials, the cards themselves took only about five minutes to put together. But that was really very good for us; neither of us is usually that quick in making projects.

The cards measure about 3 3/4" X 4 1/4" so we needed to make custom envelopes as well. But that took only a few more minutes. Here is a photo of one of the cards with an envelope:

Now it's your turn for a challenge. Most of you have known me for awhile, so the challenge shouldn't be too difficult. I want you to let me know in the comments section which card you think is my sister's and which is mine. I will make a random selection from all the correct answers, and the winner will receive a little goody from me. I will leave this open until 11:59pm (CDT-US) Thursday night; that's August 14, and I'll announce the winner on Friday, the 15th.

AND I have another blog candy opportunity coming up soon. Do stay tuned!

Good luck everyone!!! 'Til next time.....

Big HUGS!
CHRISTINE

Pretty Pastels Birthday

2014-05-28T11:56:00.000-04:00

My Card A Day Blog inspiration for this week is just so sweet and pretty. EASY, too!

Hi, everyone! I hope you're having a fantastic day. It's a great one in the sunny Midwest, U.S.A. It might get a little hotter than I prefer, but, oh well, it IS almost SUMMER! And my card has a very light, summery, sun-shiney feel to it. Naturally, I used mostly scraps, but all the colored pieces came from the same mat pad, and I needed to cut only one new piece.

I started by choosing some edge punches to play with. Two of them got badly stuck when I was testing, so I had to do a little repair before continuing. TIP: If you haven't used your punches in awhile, get out the old waxed paper, and punch through that first to lube them up a bit. If the punches seem dull, you can sharpen them by punching some aluminum foil.

Once I had chosen my punches (and reconditioned them) I started looking for my paper. I wanted a sweet look for the card, so the K&Company Brenda Walton 'Small Wonders Girl' was the perfect choice. I had used this 4x6 mat pad before and had several scraps that were just the right size (with a little trimming here and there). Here is a nice close pic where you can see the detail of the punches:

I used a peachy plaid mat layer for the base (3 1/2 x 5 1/2). I had a perfectly sized strip with multi-colored diagonal stripes to use for the lacy edges. I punched both long sides of the strip, cut it in half, and affixed the pieces to the back of the base letting just the lacy border peek out. I also used the lacy punch for the bottom edge of the centerpiece. I don't have a photo, but I cleaned up the back with a plain white piece of card stock, again letting the lacy border show. This also gives a nice space for a message and signature.

I punched the side edges of the white layer with a scalloped lattice border punch, and affixed it on top of the base allowing the base to show through the lattice. I wanted just a little something else to cut some of the white, so I added the layered strips. Then I needed the sentiment.

I had cut and punched a small card for the front, and stamped 'Happy Birthday' inside using one of my favorite little sets from PAPERTREYink, 'Communique Curves Sentiments.' The ink is 'Onyx Black' from Versafine.

So, you can see this card was really quite simple, but I think it's a very sweet card for summertime or just anytime!

This was such a fun and quick card to put together. Change up the colors and the sentiment and it can be made for many different occasions. I'm thinking fun multiples for Christmas.

The Card A Day Blog will be going on hiatus for awhile at the end of this month, but I'll be sure to let you know when we are planning to return (probably in September) with more daily inspiration and more challenges. I'll still be right here, though, with more goodies from Beccy's Place coming soon.

'Til then.....I'll be counting down to that blog milestone and some blog candy. So stay tuned, and thanks so much for visiting.

BIG Hugs!!!
CHRISTINE

For DAD

2014-05-21T11:11:00.001-04:00

With one month remaining of what, until now, has been a lovely spring season, summer is definitely pushing its way in. The temperatures are quickly rising, and this is the last week of school in many areas. For the Card A Day Blog this week is for 'Father's Day' inspiration, and I decided to go with what is always a challenge for me - CAS - or, as most of you know, Clean and Simple. My card is the base layer only, with just a bit of dimension. So this will be a very quick post.

I started with a basic design in mind, but while I was pulling supplies I remembered some inch-square matboard pieces I had purchased a couple of years ago and not yet used. Knowing I had LOTS of inchie-type stamps I decided exactly how to design my card.

I chose three coordinating inchie stamps as well as a frame stamp for the center. I played around with several blue inks before selecting the three that I would use, going from light to dark. I used the lightest ink for the frame as a background for the center image, which I stamped with the darkest ink. The two side images were stamped with the mid-range tone. All three images were stamped on the inchie squares, and I used the mid-tone ink on the edges of all the squares to give them more of a framed look.

I liked the tropical feel of the stamps I used, and gave the card a simple sentiment. Looking closely at all the stamping on the card front, you may notice a kind of water-color effect. This was not intentional, but I quite like it. It was merely the result of how the ink reacted on the particular stamps I used, which were all clear polymer from two different companies.

I used a simple "Happy Father's Day" stamp on the inside. This one was rubber, and gave a nice smooth impression which I really liked for the sentiment.

Here is an angled shot where you can see the dimension of the inchie squares.

Just for fun, I took one photo of my card using a different background color. I prefer the blue, but the new color gave an interesting contrast. Which do you like?

That's it! Here are your details:

Stamps: Inkadinkado (EK Success) 'Nautical Inchie' and 'Thoughts for the Day' sets, Stampin' Up 'Best Dad Ever' and Fiskars 'Squarely Sentimental'
Squares: Inchie Arts
Inks: Stampin' Up 'Bashful Blue,' 'Marina Mist' and 'Island Indigo'
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific (I think)
Adhesive: Scotch ATG

Sooooo simple!! Thanks for visiting today. I'm approaching a milestone in number of hits --- I'm really quite amazed and grateful. It's so lovely having all of you stopping by to see what I'm doing. When I get just a bit closer there could very well be some blog candy to celebrate. Keep watching; I'll let you know when it's coming.

'Til next time.....

BIG Hugs!!!
CHRISTINE

Happy Anniversary

2014-05-14T11:58:00.000-04:00

Hi! My card for today was a special request from my church choir to be given to our pastor who is soon to celebrate his 40th anniversary in the priesthood. I think it is a very classy masculine card, whose focal point can be changed to suit many occasions. This card also fits in with our Card A Day Blog theme of 'Use a Sketch.'

I went a little out of my comfort zone with this one by using a 5" x 5" card base rather than my more typical A2 size. After choosing a sketch, I decided the square shape would be the better choice. Here is my chosen sketch from Card Positioning Systems:

I wanted a religious image for my card, so I chose a Spellbinders Cross die and cut my focal image from a scrap of a really pretty textured slightly silvery paper. The paper has a very subtle embossed design. The same paper was used for the cross strips in the layering.

As soon as I chose the sketch I knew what my embellishments would be, 'Designer Brads' from the Paper Studio.

The card base, as well as two of the smaller layers, was cut from Stampin' Up 'Very Vanilla" stock, and the black layering pieces came from Recollections.

I needed to keep the inside very simple to accommodate lots of well-wishes and signatures. I decided to use a large stamp, 'Baroque Cross' from Stampendous inked with VersaMark Dazzle Watermark pad in 'Frost.' It's another very subtle effect, leaving a light shimmery image on top of which I stamped the 'Happy Anniversary' from Hero Arts.

Just for fun I added 'Uniquely Handmade' (from Stampabilities) to the back using Tim Holtz Distress Ink in 'Antique Linen.'

All I have left to do is make an envelope. Now you know why I usually create the A2-sized cards - I don't need to make the envelopes! (tee-hee)

That's it for today, my lovely friends. Thanks for visiting!

'Til next time.....
BIG Hugs!!!
CHRISTINE

Thinking of You

2014-05-10T15:30:00.000-04:00

Hello, out there! I have a new card for you today for the theme of "Thinking of You" at the Card A Day Blog . This card has some layering, but I wanted to keep it nice and flat for mailing. So, there's no foam tape and no fancy shaping on the flowers. All of which makes it nice and simple. Also, I used ALL leftovers - again.

I started out with a butterfly stamp. I had two from which to choose, so I stamped and colored both of them before deciding which one to use. My choice of colors on the butterfly determined what my card base and all the other elements would be.

I stamped the butterfly with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' on an old scrap of some kind of art paper. My daughter had a painting, done by the mom of a friend, that had a huge border which I cut 'for future use.' After testing the paper, I determined that it wouldn't work too well for watercoloring (which is what I thought I was going to do), so I used some Memento and Tombow markers to make my butterfly bright and cheery.

I knew I wanted to use flowers with my butterfly, so once my coloring was done, I went into my stash of flowers and chose some that I had punched quite some time ago for another project which just happened to be in the right colors. (I just love when that happens - don't you?) I also wanted something to layer behind my focal piece, and I found a punched border that was just right. I used Tim Holtz 'Antique Linen' Distress Ink to give the piece a similar aged look.

I layered the flowers, and added glitter glue for their centers. I also used the Stickles 'Cotton Candy' to add a little sparkle to parts of the butterfly. Unfortunately, the sparkle isn't showing up much in the photos, but it is a nice touch.

I chose - well, actually my daughter chose the sentiment from a selection I showed her. I used a piece of Stampin' Up 'Very Vanilla' to line the inside of the card, and stamped the greeting with the same Memento ink.

I thought it would be a nice touch to bring some color inside with a couple of the tiny flowers.

And that's it! I hope you've enjoyed your visit today. I also hope you're enjoying a truly wonderful day. Come back SOON!!

Other details:
Stamps: 'Dot Butterfly' from Sweet Stamps and sentiment from Pink by Design
Also used studio G glitter glue in yellow.
Various flower punches. You can use whatever fits the size for your project.
Card base: PapertreyInk (I think)

'Til next time...
BIG Hugs!!!
CHRISTINE

Beccy's Place Giveaway Winner!!

2014-05-01T20:05:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! If you haven't been over to Beccy's Blog to see the full list of winners in the 'Follower Contest' you should go check it out to see if you've won. The winner chosen here, at Creative Genie-ous, is:

GRANMARGARET

Congratulations!!! Be sure to let Beccy know which of her sets you would like to have as your prize.

Thanks, everyone, for playing along.

'Til next time.....

BIG Hugs!!!

CHRISTINE

Beccy's Place Giveaway - Last Chance and Card #4

2014-04-28T11:44:00.000-04:00

Hi! Here is my final card for Beccy's April design release. The set is called 'Serenity' and includes beautiful phrases and sweet blossoms. Created digitally, I simply added paper layers and three sizes of flat-backed pearls for flower centers to complete this card.

I hope you like this offering. Remember, this is your final chance to get in on Beccy's Giveaway! Here's the info one more time:

*Sign up as a follower on my blog between now and the end of April and you will go in the draw to win one full set of Beccy's Place digital stamps.

Want more chances to win? Just visit all of Beccy's other designers and sign up as a follower on their blogs, too! On April 30th, a total of 10 followers will be chosen at random from amongst all the DT blogs and each will receive a set of digital stamps of their choice.

In addition, if you comment on any of my posts for my Beccy's Place cards, you will get another chance to win!* GOOD LUCK!!!

'Til next time.....

BIG Hugs!!!

CHRISTINE

Beccy's Place Giveaway and Card #3

2014-04-26T14:07:00.000-04:00

HI! I'm back with my third card for the Beccy's Place April releases. Stanley is a recurring character in Beccy's sets, and this one is just really cute as can be! This set is called 'Happy Stanley,' and I did the main composition digitally, then added die cut leaves and additional paper layers before affixing to the card base.

Here is the info on the giveaway:

*Sign up as a follower on my blog between now and the end of April and you will go in the draw to win one full set of Beccy's Place digital stamps.

In addition, if you comment on any of my posts for my Beccy's Place cards, you will get another chance to win! Be on the lookout for those special posts!!*

I'll be back with one more card and one more chance to enter before the end of the month!!

'Til next time.....

BIG Hugs!!!

CHRISTINE

Beccy's Place Giveaway and Card #2

2014-04-24T12:45:00.001-04:00

Here is my next card for this month's Beccy's Place designs and giveaway. This one comes from the 'Garden Silhouette' set. I really love the images and especially the sentiments in this set. My card was done digitally with gems and a twine bow added after printing, and mounted on a black card base.

Here is the info on the giveaway:

Sign up as a follower on my blog between now and the end of April and you will go in the draw to win one full set of Beccy's Place digital stamps.

In addition, if you comment on any of my posts for my Beccy's Place cards, you will get another chance to win! Be on the lookout for those special posts!!

I'll be back in a couple of days with card #3.

'Til next time.....
BIG Hugs!!!
CHRISTINE

Love for MOM

2014-04-23T00:03:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been missing for a little while; life just got in the way a bit. BUT now I'm back with a lovely little Mother's Day card for this weeks' Card A Day Blog theme. I had some great fun with Washi Tape on this one, as well as a leftover flower and a butterfly from earlier projects.

I started by pulling several reds from my washi collection and laid a strip of each on a backing paper. I cut the bottom into a banner 'v' and mounted it on a layer of white with double-sided tape and then on a layer of red with foam tape. I then added that piece to the card base with the top edges flush to the top of the base.

I stamped the greeting with black ink on white, and then die cut it for a nice shape. I used the next size nesting die to cut a backing layer in red. I affixed these pieces together, and then used foam tape for layered mounting. I colored the flower pieces and lightly colored the butterfly both with Pan Pastels, and gave them some rhinestones for a bit of sparkle.

I wanted to bring just a touch of red to the inside of the card, so I applied a narrow strip to the inside before stamping the sentiment, also in black. Sorry it looks a little off-kilter; card wouldn't lay flat for the photo.

And that's it; really quite simple.

I hope you've enjoyed my card today; always love a comment! And don't forget our giveaway at Beccy's Place. I'll be back tomorrow with another card I created using Beccy's designs -- commenting there, as long as you're a follower of my blog, gives you another chance to win.

Thanks for visiting. I hope the rest of your day is simply fabulous!!!

'Til next time.....
BIG Hugs!!!
CHRISTINE

Beccy's Place Card and Giveaway!

2014-04-05T13:12:00.001-04:00

Happy Saturday, everyone!! I am very happy to announce a fun giveaway from Beccy's Place. But first, here is my first card as one of her Guest Designers.

If you've already been to Beccy's site, then you already saw the full collection. I chose the images I wanted to use, printed them and fussy cut before layering with foam tape for lots of dimension. I used a die to cut out the cute sentiment. I just think this little friend is soooo adorable!

Now for the fun:

Sign up as a follower on my blog between now and the end of April and you will go in the draw to win one full set of Beccy's Place digital stamps.

In addition, if you comment on any of my posts for my Beccy's Place cards, you will get another chance to win! Be on the lookout for those special posts!!

'Til next time.....

BIG Hugs!!!

CHRISTINE

In Sympathy

2014-04-03T00:02:00.000-04:00

Welcome, friends. We have a week of those sometimes difficult-to-make Sympathy cards as our inspiration for you at the Card A Day Blog. I have been enjoying using lots of my dies for my cards recently, and my card today is another example of that.

I used four different die sets, beginning with the medallion. My initial thought was to have a sympathy sentiment in the center, but that changed when I came across my Inkadinkado inchie set of cross stamps. I used a scrap of slightly shimmery gold paper to cut the medallion, then stamped the cross on a bit of 'Very Vanilla' Stampin' Up card and heat embossed it with Stammpendous 'Detail Gold' powder.

I used the same off-white paper as the circle to die cut the background and the flower. I used Ranger Distress 'Antique Linen' ink to frame the cross, as well as to edge the flower. I then shaped the flower petals with a stylus and assembled the pieces using a gold glitter brad from American Crafts.

Next I die cut the leaves from some coordinating scraps of green papers and formed them with the stylus as well.

When I was ready for assembly, I ran the background through my Xyron sticker maker and affixed it to the green card which was cut at 5 1/2" x 4 1/4." I used Matte Accents to attach the leaves and a Glue Dot to add the flower. I layered the circle and the medallion both with foam tape before affixing them to complete the card.

I think this is a very elegant and tasteful card to present to a bereaved family member or friend. I hope it has been a good inspiration for you, and I thank you for your visit today.

I'll be back in a couple of days with my first card for my Guest Designer spot at Beccy's Place. We just might have some goodies in store so I do hope you'll come back and take a peek.

'Til next time.....

BIG Hugs!!!

CHRISTINE

My News

2014-04-01T00:05:00.000-04:00

Hello, out there! This is NO April Fool joke!!! I am so pleased to be able to announce that I have been chosen as a Guest Designer for this month for Beccy's Place, Designs by Beccy Muir.

Beccy is the designer of a wide variety of wonderful digital images. Her designs can be purchased individually or in sets, and are provided in black-and-white as well as in color which makes for very easy use if you're not fond of doing your own coloring.

I will be showing you the cards I designed using Beccy's images during the next few weeks. In the meanwhile, I hope you will pay Beccy a visit at her online shop as well as at her blog, Beccy's Place, for some great inspiration.

'Til next time...

BIG Hugs!!!

CHRISTINE

He Is Risen

2014-03-26T11:00:00.001-04:00

It's less than one month until Easter, and the Card A Day Blog is celebrating with a week of Easter card inspiration. My contribution to this theme is a clean and simple card with some lacy elegance. I made this card using a few dies, some larger scraps and a few gems. I didn't quite get away with no stamping, but I kept it to a bare minimum.

The card started with a fun fold that I've used once before, but this time I used it in reverse. You can see the other example here. So, the first step was cutting and folding the base. Here are two photos of the card from the back where you can clearly see the cuts.

Next, I did the die cuts using some scraps of gold card stock. I just love the lace cross and trim. I used my Xyron sticker makers to affix adhesive to the lacy pieces. Such a quick and easy way to get those pieces adhered to the base.

I used a pretty gold embossing powder for the sentiment, and then cut that piece with a lacy scallops die before affixing it to the gold lace-edged die cut label using foam tape. I added foam tape to just half of the gold label, and adhered it to the left front of the card base.

Once I had everything assembled, the card didn't look quite finished. I took care of that by adding some gems to the cross and label. That did it! Quick, yet classy, and a good style for doing multiples. Also, it fits into a standard A2 envelope.

I hope you have a wonderful day, and thanks so very much for spending part of it with me!

BIG Hugs!!!
CHRISTINE

Bold Floral Congratulations

2014-03-19T12:15:00.000-04:00

Hello all you friendly people out there! I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful day. Where I live we have been seeing lots of sunshine and steadily rising temperatures - just beautiful. My card today, for the Card A Day Blog theme of "Congratulations," has some very bold flowers in bright colors. I just couldn't help carrying over the happy mood from our celebration of Spring last week, especially since tomorrow is actually the first day of Spring.

My flowers were made with some paper flowers that just needed to be punched out and rolled. The package comes with three different sizes, but I was able to use only the smallest size on my card. The larger flowers would be lovely for a home dec project or for making up a pretty package.

Next I went through my green scraps to find some pieces to die cut leaves for the flowers. There were two dies in the same set that were perfect for the sizes of my scraps. How lucky! I love it when I can make good use of those scraps I couldn't bear to part with.

I didn't want my card to be too fussy, but I wasn't happy with the plain white background I had, so I decided to use an embossing folder to add some subtle design and texture. I rounded opposing corners on both the card base and the background which I mounted to the base with foam tape.

Once I had the leaves and flowers in place, all I needed was the sentiment. I stamped it in brown ink on paper matching the card base, and cut it into a tag shape. I affixed it to the card with foam tape.

This was a pretty quick card to pull together, and I am quite pleased with it. However, it will need to have a box, or at least a boxy envelope for presentation as the flowers are very dimensional.

The little details:
     Flowers: Imaginisce "Roly Rosies"
     Dies: Sizzix Sizzliits "Flowers, Branches & Leaves" set
     Embossing Folder: Darice "Henna"
     Stamp: Hero Arts
     Ink: Memento "Rich Cocoa"
     Paper: Recollections and scraps

As always thank you so very much for your visit. 'Til next time.....

Big HUGS!!!
CHRISTINE

A Lovely Day

2014-03-13T13:12:00.000-04:00

I am SO HAPPY the spring weather is finally pushing its way in. And it's just in time for our week of Spring inspiration at the Card A Day Blog. Spring definitely puts me in mind of lots of greenery and pretty flowers all in bloom. I guess I'm also feeling a bit of Spring Fever; I'm having all kinds of trouble focusing on writing this for you. On that note, I will try to keep it short and sweet.

Since I wanted to color some flowers for this card, I went to my collection of Just Rite Stamps where I knew I had some lovely flowers. While searching for the flowers I came across some doily stamps that I decided would make a nice frame for the flowers.

Then I found 'just the rite' sentiment in yet another of the sets.

The creators of the Just Rite stamps were kind enough to remind me on their packaging that their sets were designed to coordinate with Spellbinders die sets. Luckily, I had the appropriate sets, as well as a nice edge die and a ribbon tag for my sentiment.

Once I had the coloring done and the elements ready, I needed to find my green papers. That turned out to be a quick check through a few of my mat stacks. I thought I was finished, but I decided my card needed just a bit more bling; the shimmer on the ribbon didn't quite do it for me.

So, a few jewels along the bottom and DONE!

I hope I kept it short and sweet enough for you. ; ) Here are the facts as I know them:
     Stamps: Just Rite sets 'My Garden' 'Grandma's Doilies' and 'Be Happy'
     Paper: DCWV 'Lemon Flower' matstacks
     Ribbon: Really Reasonable Ribbon
     Pencils: Tombow 'Irojiten'
     Dies: Spellbinders 'Circles' 'Small Scalloped Circles' 'Ribbon Tags Trio Two' and 'Lattice
                Borderabilities Petites'
     Jewels: Creative Memories 'Enchanted' Epoxy Stickers

Thanks so very much for visiting today, and 'til next time.....
Big HUGS!!!
CHRISTINE

May your joys be bright.....

2014-02-19T02:23:00.000-05:00

Hi! I'm back with you today to show you a very elegant card with a surprise inside. Our current theme at the Card A Day Blog is WEDDINGS, and for some reason I was inspired to use soft blues for my colorway. This card has a very special fold for the inside, which you'll see as we go along.

I started this particular project with a paper hunt. This actually didn't take as long as I thought it might since I already knew the color and the theme, and I knew I wanted to use very subtle prints in coordinating patterned papers if I had them. I found exactly what I needed in the very first paper pack. I applied one of the papers to the card front.

Once I had the papers I decided to see if I had any pretty images or punched bits that I might put to good use. I found a perfectly sized piece with a nice punched lattice edge. My lovely daughter helped me by finding the perfect sentiment which I printed in a matching blue ink. I then punched out two flower pieces from the same paper as the card front. I shaped the pieces, inked on a little extra color and added tiny pearls for the flower center. I also inked the lattice and the edge of the sentiment piece, and layered them with foam tape.

Here is an angled shot so you can see the dimension:

Then I went to work on the inside of the card. I cut an 8" square from the second patterned paper, did a bit of fancy folding, and ended up with a lovely insert. I added a punched floral border to the top, using pearls for the flower centers. Here is the card before it is fully opened. As you can see, it is a variation on an accordion fold.

And this is what it looks like when opened up all the way. The paper is light enough to write on directly without using an insert and covering up the pretty paper.

I don't remember how I came across this particular fold, but here is a link to the directions I used. It's easy to do and packs quite a punch for the recipient. Perhaps you'll try it sometime!

This may be one of my favorite cards. It was so simple and quick to make and does look very elegant. I made this card a 4 1/4" square so that it will fit into a standard A2 sized envelope, but a custom envelope can be made as well if desired. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask in the comments section.

Thanks so much for visiting! Here are the main supplies used:

     Design Paper: K and Company
     Punches: Tonic Studio (flower) and Martha Stewart (lattice edge and lacey floral border)
     Ink: Stampin 'Up "Bashful Blue"
     Adhesives: Scotch ATG and Quick Drying Tacky Glue and Tombow Mono Dots
     Pearls: Recollections and Ruby Rock-It

'Til next time.....

Big HUGS!!
CHRISTINE

Letterpress Style Thank You

2014-01-29T00:02:00.000-05:00

I don't know about anyone else, but I am so ready for Spring. This Winter has brought much colder weather than I have seen a quite some time, and I find that I am able to tolerate it much less. We have been blessed with a mere fraction of the snow that some areas have had; and that's a very good thing as far as I am concerned. With any blessings should come thanks, and "Thank You" just happens to be our theme at the Card A Day Blog this week.

I was reminded, by something in my wanderings around the web, that I haven't used my Spellbinders' Impressabilities in a long time. So I decided to get them out and use one for today's card. If you're not familiar with Impressibilities, they are very thin metal templates that can be used in many ways; such as embossing/debossing, as a stencil, cut apart and the pieces used as embellishments. I have used mine in a 'letterpress' style. Letterpress is a style of printing where the type is set, ink is applied and the paper is pressed into the type to pick up the ink. This method also leaves an impression in the paper. This is, essentially, just what I did with my template.

I used a splatter mat to keep from getting ink on my table and applied ink directly from my stamp pad to the template. I carefully placed my piece of cardstock on the inked template and put it in the proper sandwich to run through my Cuttlebug. The result is a lightly embossed inked impression. I inked the edges of this piece just a bit to help it stand out against the card base.

Once I had my embossed layer prepared, I wrapped three strips of 3/8" satin ribbon around the center. I then die cut two layers for my sentiment. These pieces were also inked just a bit on the edges. I stamped my sentiment, and then layered all three pieces using foam tape.

This was a slightly messy project, but really quite easy to accomplish and is no problem at all to clean up. I hope you'll decide to try this type of design style. Even if you don't have the Impressabilities, you can use the same method with an embossing folder, and a deeper impression can be obtained. You can see an example of that here.

Supplies:
     Paper: Recollections
     Dies: Spellbinders "Timeless Rectangle"
     Impressabilities: Spellbinders "Flourish"
     Inks: Tim Holtz Distress "Dusty Concord" by Ranger and Stampin' Up "Wisteria Wonder"
     Stamp: Stampin' Up "Blooming with Kindness"
     Ribbons: Ellen Hutson

'Til next time.....

Big HUGS!!!
CHRISTINE

Don't BUG Me!

2014-01-22T00:29:00.000-05:00

It is SO still the season for catching all those nasty bugs that keep floating around. I hope you've been able to avoid being in that situation. On that note we, at the Card A Day Blog, have some Get Well inspirations to share. I received some really cute supplies from my dear sister for Christmas, and decided to use some of them for today's card.

My card was a fairly quick one to make once I decided just what I wanted to do. First I'll show you the main supplies I used.

The two stamp and die sets were part of my Christmas gift. Now, here's my card:

When I was getting out my supplies I thought I would stamp the 'bug' outline and color it, but there were a few dp scraps sitting next to my new sets and one just caught my eye. So I lined up the outline stamp where I wanted it on the scrap, and used the die to cut it out.

In the same stack of scraps I found a piece of handmade paper that was perfect for cutting out the clouds. The handmade paper gave the clouds some nice texture.

I'm not sure you can see the texture in the photos, but it shows up nicely in person.

Next, I cut a scrap of blue for some sky, and I tore a piece of kraft card to use for the ground. I used two brown-toned inks to color the edges a bit without making the ground too busy-looking.

After stamping the sentiment, I laid the 'sky' down with my ATG, and used foam tape to affix the ground pieces and the car. I used a double layer of the foam tape to lift the lower ground piece above the car.

My card base, which is sized at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" to fit a standard A2 envelope, is a dark navy blue, so I added a white insert for the message and signature.

The pictures don't really show it off very well, but this card is very cute in person and will certainly help brighten the day for someone who isn't feeling quite up to par.

Details:
     Stamp/Die Sets: taylored expressions "Wheely Great" set and hampton art "Welcome Home" set by doodlebug design inc. and Sizzix.
     Inks: VersaMagic "Ocean Depth" Chalk Ink and Memento "Desert Sand" and "Rich Cocoa."
     Cardstock: Gina K Designs "In the Navy" and Neenah "Kraft."

Thanks, as always, for your visit.  Please know that I truly appreciate the time you take to spend with me. 'Til next time.....

Big HUGS!!!!!
CHRISTINE

Who Loves You

2014-01-15T12:20:00.001-05:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone!! It's a beautifully bright sunny day where I am. I hope your day is just as lovely. And speaking of things 'love'ly, I have another Card A Day Blog Valentine inspiration for you. Just as in my previous Valentine post, this card is definitely not your traditional "Cupid's Holiday" offering. I do hope you like it, and it inspires you to go out of the usual Valentine zone and try something different for your loved one this year. I think my card is ideal for one of the male valentines in your life.

This card came about because I was being so indecisive about which card design I wanted to use; I had three different ideas in mind. So, I decided to pull out some of my bits and pieces of items left over from previous card-making sessions. We're not talking about just scraps of paper, but you'll see. I ended up with a totally different design from what I had expected.

In one of my envelopes of previously made, but unused, ephemera I found a large die cut label perfect for a background. I also found several punched hearts, including a sweet sparkly one. Another package search revealed a leafy branch and a cuter than cute die cut owl. With those few pieces, all I needed were a sentiment and a card base. Well, I found the card base in a stack of cut card stock, and I decided to create my own sentiment.

Okay, okay, enough blather. Here's my card:

I first inked the background label to give the edges more definition so it wouldn't just fade into the kraft card base. It seemed an ideal backing for an owl on a tree branch. I mounted the background using foam tape.

I next took the leafy branch, which had originally been cut from white paper and colored with markers, and gave the leaves some dimension using a stylus and mouse pad. I attached the branch with Scotch Quick-Drying Tacky Glue.

I then used the foam tape to affix the owl perched on his larger branch so it would look like the smaller branch was growing out of the larger one.

Next, I started working on my sentiment.

I decided what my owl would say, typed it into a word-processing document and printed it with brown ink onto Stampin' Up 'Very Vanilla' cardstock. It had taken me awhile to decide on the shape, but I thought it would be cute as a ribbon flying in a breeze. I tried it out first by writing it on scrap paper and hand cutting to determine whether I would like it and what the sizing should be. After applying a bit of ink on the edges, I used the foam tape to apply the sentiment piece.

All I had left to do was apply the sparkly heart to the owl's chest. Once the inside of the card is finished, it will, of course, say, "Your Valentine, That's Who."

I just adore this sweet little card. I think my hubby will like it, too. It was such fun putting this card together! I hope you had fun reading about it.

Thanks so much for visiting. 'Til next time.....

Big HUGS!

CHRISTINE

ALWAYS.....

2014-01-10T00:02:00.000-05:00

.....in my heart. That is how I feel about you, my dear readers. Welcome back! This is my first post for 2014 as well as my first post of the year for the Card A Day Blog. And we're kicking off the CADB year with Valentine's Day. My inspiration today actually comes from a guest designer, who wishes to remain nameless, but I think most of you can guess who I'm talking about from previous guest appearances. This isn't your typical splashy red Valentine, but if you look closely you will find a tiny red heart peaking out.

This card is very cute, but it's also easy to make, especially if you like to color, as the featured image was colored with copics.

This little girl and her sentiment are from the My Favorite Things "Pure Innocence" collection. If you're not familiar with this line you should definitely take a look; they are so adorable. Two scraps of design paper were used; one for the sentiment and one to create a colorful off set border.

A white mat was embossed, and a piece of twine wrapped and tied on before mounting to the white A2 sized card base.

I really love this sweet card, and thank my 'guest designer' for her contribution.

Thanks so very much for your visit today. I hope to see you again soon -- and often!!

'Til next time.....

Big HUGS!!
CHRISTINE

A Winter's Night

2013-12-12T00:02:00.000-05:00

As we speed through the remaining days until Christmas I bring you my final card of 2013 for the Card A Day Blog. Our last theme of the year is "Snow" so I have made a quick, but very striking, card for you. It has been very cold and icy in our area, so I was inspired to make a card which depicts that feeling.

I started with a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of 'In the Navy' cardstock from Gina K Designs for the look of a night-time background.

I used two dies to cut the pieces for my scene from a scrap of shimmery off-white card, and used the same scrap to cut a piece which I ran through my curvy crimper for the snowy groundcover.

The die cut border and the snow were affixed with foam tape and I used tacky glue to attach the tree. I left many of the branches and snowflakes free, but tacked some of them down using the same glue.

I affixed the front panel with the foam tape to the A2-sized kraft card base, and then used a glitter pen to add a little bit of sparkle around the edges of the panel as well as some of the snowflakes. I hope you can see the dimension in this angled photo. You also get a peek of the inside.

I had trimmed the navy piece for the front panel as well as the cut snowy border since it was longer than I needed, so I used those leftover pieces to bring the design to the inside of the card.

This really was a no fuss, no muss card. The intricate dies cut beautifully with the cardstock I used.  If using a lighter-weight paper it can be helpful to use a piece of waxed paper between the die and the design paper for easier removal of the cut.

Thanks for stopping by. I always love reading your comments.

Here are the details:
          Dies: Memory Box 'Frostyville Border' and Snowflake Tree
          Paper: Gina K Designs 'In the Navy' and Stampin' Up 'Kraft'
          Pen: Sakura Gelly Roll 'Clear Star'
          Adhesives: Scotch 'Quick-Drying Tacky Glue' and ATG

'Til next time.....

Big HUGS!!
CHRISTINE

CHEERS for the New Year

2013-12-02T11:54:00.000-05:00

Hi, everyone! Well, December is upon us, and the holiday season is in full swing. We're sharing some "New Year" card inspiration over at the Card A Day Blog. The card I have for you today was done during a Stampin' Up session. So, as you might imagine, it was made using all Stampin' Up products.

The card base (A2 size 5 1/2" x 4 1/4") and stamped layer (5" x 3 3/4") were cut from 'Very Vanilla' card stock.

The stamping was done using the "Happy Hour" stamp set. SO cute. The design paper was cut at 1" x 3 3/4" and mounted on a piece of card just slightly wider but the same length.

The label pieces were made using the "Labels Collection Framelits Dies" and the accent piece was punched using a 1" circle punch and mounted on a 1 1/4" scalloped circle.

All the layers were affixed using double sided adhesive except for the accent piece, which was mounted with foam taped for just that little bit of dimension. Some inking was done to the card front before mounting to the card base, just enough to help it stand out.

So that's it! Quick and easy enough for multiple card-making. I hope you're enjoying your card making and all your other preparations for this wonderful time of year.

Thanks for visiting, and 'til next time.....

Big HUGS!!!
CHRISTINE