A Party!

This past weekend I had a birthday card class at my home.  We made two each of four designs. All of the cards use the Occasions Mini set Bring on the Cake.  A set that is well worth its price. 

Despite the mounds of snow, and the cold, lots of stampers came and joined me in the class.  It was a wonderful day!  In the picture below, I am ready to party.  All the paper mugs are waiting for their guests.  My daughter had the best time deciding where each mug should sit.

Then the ladies arrived and we got busy stamping!

The first card is a different fold.  I not only used just one stamp set for this class, but for all but one card, the DSP came from the Play Date DSP pack.  I really like the subtle pattern on this Old Olive piece of DSP.

And this is how the card opens!

The next card is the "masculine" card of the set.  It is a CAS from another demonstrator (whose name I cannot find at the moment, but will hunt down!)  Edited 3/28/11: The original designer of the card below is Michele Reynolds! Mine is a bit different than hers.

The next two cards are CASEs from the Stampin Doc. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Kristine

On the softer side

Happy Tuesday morning to you!  Today I am in a funk.  Ever have those days?  Just cannot get the rear in gear! Fortunately, I am ready to post some more cards for you!

The first uses the watercolor roses technique shown to me by my friend, Lynnette.  She's a talented lady! (Shame, shame shame she does not have a blog we can all oogle. Sigh)  Using an aqua painter and some reinker, you float the color on top of glossy or shimmer paper and let it dry.  I used So Saffron and Peach Parfait reinkers because, as Donkey says in Shrek, "Everybody like Parfait!." I used that wonderful flourish from the set Baroque Motifs (may it never retire) and the rose image from Fifth Avenue Floral.  The leaves of the rose are punched from the wing of the Two step bird punch! 

 "Ahhh!" you say, "What a versatile punch!"

  "Yes," I answer wisely, nodding my head, "It is not just for the birds!"  hahahahaha 

 Okay, add ramie to that funky thing I got goin'.  With a Polka Dot dry emboss on the Peach Parfait panel (again, because "Everybody like Parfait!")  and a vanilla Top Note, the card has a Victorian feel.  Yes?

 

"But, Kristine...how did you make those bird wings look like such realistic leaves?" 

I blush, smile and say, "It's easy!  Punch out the wing from Pear Pizzazz card stock.  Then crumple it 'til it's tiny, tiny.  Then uncrumple it and press it against a Pear Pizzazz classic ink pad.  The ink fills in the crumples and makes it look great!" 

You smile at me and we are both happy to know how to make leaves from bird wings.  I only wish I could press myself up against a classic ink pad and make my "crumples" look great. {sigh}  Basic pearls in the swirls of the flourish, some Victoria Crochet ribbon and a pretty font in the sentiment from Fabulous Phrases finish off the card.  Okay, you now get to look!

Next up is a direct CAS card from Mary Fish.  She is becoming my idol.  Love her stuff!  This card uses the Rub-ons from the Occasions Mini called Love Impressions.  An aside: Have you ever stopped to think that there is someone,( maybe multiple someones!) whose job it is to name the stuff in the catalog!  Hmmm, guess that would take a talent for alliteration or maybe just a need to control the world and name things?  Anyway, moving on....The card is framed with the pretty Tulip Embossing folder.  Simple black, red and white with a touch of pink keep it simple.  Not an ounce of ink is used on this card!  I suppose this isn't a stamped card, technically.  It's a rubbed card!  No inky fingers.

And the final card.  Thank you for reading this far.  My... you're a saint. 

This card uses Lap of Luxury DSP and the Square Lattice Embossing folder.  To get the look of a quilt, first layer all pieces and then run the whole thing through the Big Shot with the embossing folder.  It squishes (a very technical stamping term) all the layers together and it looks very "quilty."  The sentiment is from the Occasions set You're a Gem.  And really...YOU'RE a gem if you read my whole post today.  Gracias!

Best wishes

Sometimes the color orange suits me.  Not often, but sometimes.  This is a card I CASED from a past Stampin' Up! catalog.  There's a reason the catalogs are called "Idea Books!" lol  One of the things I would not have thought to do on my own is to lay strips of DSP down a card.  No matting, no frills, just strips.  I made this card for a swap, and I hope the ladies like it.  Do you?  (hint hint...leave a comment :-))The front flower is cut out and popped up on a couple of dimensionals.  I enjoy cutting things out.  It's almost a meditation for me.  I just watch my scissors snip and turn and pretty soon I'm soooo peaceful.  I didn't mind cutting out a bunch of these!  You know what else?  I like this photograph!  The card actually looks like the card IRL! Imagine that.  Might this mean my photography skills are improving?  Nahhh. Luck. ;-)

Thanks for popping in today.  I've listed a recipe after the picture. I hope you find some time to make something today, be it a card a scrapbook page, or a pan of brownies! Yum.

Stamps: Kind and caring thoughts (retired)
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Old Olive
Cardstock: Old Olive, Tangerine tango, Whisper white
Designer paper: Haiku (retired)

Long time no see

It's been awhile. Life can surly get away from a Mom, don't you think? So here are my latest cards.  The first two are inspired by Mary Fish.  Her work is so simple, yet elegant.  She's my go to CASE.  She's a lovely person besides!

 
 

The next card is a direct CASE from Nancy Riley.  She uses the color palette I like, and her work is eye catching. 

Isn't the reversing of the color squares great!  Love it! 

And the final card is inspired from a card I saw somewhere on the Internet.  I just came back from California, was thinking of card ideas, and California poppies seemed just the thing.  With the new In Color Poppy Parade, it was super easy.  The technique is masking.  Masking allows putting some images "behind" others for more of a dimensional look.

The sentiment is a bit wonky, but I'm still learning to use the clear stamps. It's not a serious card, so a "jumpy" sentiment isn't such a bad thing!

I have two more cards to share...and I will do my darnedest to get them photographed and posted!

If you have any questions about colors or sets used, please drop me an email or a comment.

Thanks for taking time to look today!

Kristine 

A splash in the Bermuda Bay

The days are just speeding by! I feel like I'm not going to get everything done that I want to get done before Christmas arrives. I do this to myself every year. Someone remind me to breathe! (That makes me think of the movie "The Mask" with Jim Carey and the cartoonish character's line "Somebody stop me!") I feel a little cartoonish. I need the speed of the Road Runner this time of year. "Beep, beep!"

But you all didn't come to my blog to read my ramblings. So...onto the card.

This card is my attempt to add a splash of color, other than holiday colors, into my cards. I have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of the current In Colors. Lord I'd love it if they brought back Pacific Point, Baja Breeze and Red Riding Hood. I LOVEEEEED those colors. {sigh}. So I picked Bermuda Bay and did a very simple card since I was already out of my comfort zone. (This is a CASE of a card I received as a swap from convention by MICHELLE BROWN. Thanks Michelle!)Put too many new things on my plate and I'm libel to run around like chicken little. So here's the card....



What ya' think? I have inked up this Medallion stamp set a couple times, but I always seem to forget it's in my stash. Yeah man, my stash!

Well, thanks for stopping by. I'm glad to have shared some time with you.
Kristine