A love note

Do you get it?  Love notes! HA! The key is the key to the card giver's heart.  Ahhhh...

This card did not come out the way I originally intended, but...well, sometimes a person needs finish what one begins.  The thing that happened with this card was that the black ink was smudging.  It is the new Stampin Up classic ink.  I love that it is black-black, not purple-black. But I was not lovin' that it was smudgin'. It should dry quickly.  Obviously on the textured white cardstock it needed more time. 

I wonder what the music sounds like if the notes were to be played?  It looks like it would be fast. 

This card was for a swap.  I kept the least attractive card for myself.  If you want to see what the other swappers made, click HERE.

Thanks for the stop in.
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!

Product of play

Amazingly, recently I had some time to sit and play with my schtuff.  This is the card that was produced out of that play.  I used the designer paper Lap of Luxury which has a Pretty in pink sheet with the words, Life is Beautiful in this glorious script.  I wanted to use the paper, but I didn't want the card to be pink.  Oh what to do?  So, I stamped the Medallion background stamp in Versamark onto the DSP.  Then I embossed using clear embossing powder.  THEN...oh then, I brayered Basic Gray ink over the DSP.  Waalaa!  Not so much pink!  The DSP when heated turned more of a blush color.  I likie!  I wiped the gray ink off of the medallion (the embossing powder lets you wipe off the ink and lets the words show through.  It's magic!)

I added some Basic Pearls around the center of the Medallion and larger ones down the side.  And of course one in the very center of the Medallion.  Some Gray Satin Ribbon adhered in a wave of glory and a Styled Silver Hodgepodge piece adds some class.  The sentiment is from a set out of the Occasions Mini Catalog called You're a Gem.  I used this same set on my last project too.  I thought the script of the E in "enjoy" was so similar to the script of the DSP.  Do ya think SU did that on purpose? Hmmm.

Next are the cards that my club made for January.  They are wonderful, no?  YES!  I cannot take any of the credit for their design.  Mary Fish is the creator of all three cards.  So pretty, clean and simple.  Valentines is not my favorite holiday.  I'll eat the chocolate that is in abundant supply around Valentines, but the rest of the holiday leaves me feeling...ehhhhh.  Even with all that said, I really liked these cards.  So I had my club make them!  The card with the trio of flowers could easily be made into a birthday card.  Just switch out the sentiment.  My favorite thing about all of the cards is the scrunched ribbon on the bottom card.  Love it, baby!  The bottom card is actually a "clear" card, meaning that the main card is made from mid weight Window sheets.  Very cool.  All of the stamps are from the Filled with Love set available until January 24th as a Promotion from SU.  I made 36 cards from the paper that comes in the bundle, and I still have three FULL sheets left!!  That's a heck of a good deal. If you would like to purchase the Filled with Love Bundle, which comes with free Bitty Buttons, shoot me an email.  I can help you order what you need.

It's time to sign off.  I have other projects to share, but they will have to post next time. 

Take care, be kind to yourself, and smile.

Kristine

Finishing up the year

I have a couple of projects to share with you from the past month.  I have been creating, but not blogging.  I'd make a New Year's Resolution about blogging more often, but that resolution may go the way of many and not be realized.  So I won't make the resolution! lol 

I hope you have a wonderful New Year with lots of fun and time to do the things you love most.  Enjoy the following posts. 


A card I made to send to the troops.  I made a bunch of these so that they could be sent to the troops and the troops would have time to receive them and then be able to send them back home to a loved one for Valentines.  This was a challenge made by Gretchen Barron on her blog.  The card design is a CAS of Rhonda Beadell.

Next, a gift using DSP on letters from Joanne's.  Of course I had to bling them up just a tad.

Exploding gift boxes.  These boxes use just one sheet of 8.5x11 card stock plus DSP or stickers as you desire.  These are filled with chocolate. :-)

My first ever Hanukkah card made for my friend Dan. 

A little bitty lantern.  Soooo cute.  The idea came from a fellow demonstrator (and very nice person I might add) Laura Lipe.  I changed mine up a bit from hers.  This was a club project for December.  Inside is a flame-less tea light. 

Another December club project.  Chocolate Ghirardelli squares are always a great gift, but when presented in this decorative box...well they become just a little more special, yes?

And the final club project for December was punch art gift tags. 

We're gonna go Back in Time

Compared to the last post, the weather in Reno today is icky!  Howling winds and rain.  That's spring in northern Nevada...always changing.

As you may have already read/heard, SU is saying farewell to some of it's colors.  In place of what is leaving, some of the old In Colors will become part of the new Color Collections (no longer calling them color families, but color collections).  This is a good thing, in my mind.  Red Riding Hood is coming back {YES< SU heard my pleas!} as well as Pacific Point and Baja Breeze.  Just so happens that I recently made a card for DH using these blues.  So here it is.

Hope your safe and your weather is better than Reno's!  Thanks for visiting.
Kristine