Thursday, April 26, 2012

Feliz Cumpleanos, Maria!

 It's time again to share another card I made for ABC Toys & Crafts! This week I have used a super cute Stampavie image. I chose a birthday cake with candles from The Rachelle Anne Miller set called "Cakes Are Yummy".  

 I love these papers, too. And the colors coordinate perfectly with the Prima flowers. And check out how great the metal flower brad (which I found I had in my stash) looks in the flower center! 


 I  watercolored the image using Prisma watercolor pencils, and added some Stickles on the candle flames and the blue dots. 

 And check out how great the metal flower brad (which I found I had in my stash) looks in the flower center! I just love these colors!

And finally I added a "Happy Birthday" wish in Spanish, as this card will be given to a super sweet lady who has waited on me for years at one of my favorite stores. It's was her birthday a couple of days ago and I will be going there this morning. Hopefully she won't mind it being a tad late ;-)

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you will leave me a comment or just say "hi", as I always love hearing from you! 
As always, I wish you blessings~
Sarah

Items used to make this card include:
Stamps: Stampavie Cakes Are Yummy; Stampin' Up! Dias Felices
Card Stock: SU! Early Espresso; Groovy Guava
Water color paper
Designer Paper: Authentique 6x6 paper pad "Gathering"
Spellbinders dies: Circles; Labels Nine; Ribbons Banners
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder
Ink: StazOn Timber Brown; Tim Holtz Vintage Paper distressing ink; Stampin' Up! Bashful Blue
Prisma water color pencils
Stickles- Baby Blue and Platinum 



Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Perfect Sentiment: All Occasion Sketch

It's time again for another wonderful challenge from The Perfect Sentiment
This week we have a great sketch for you to follow. The sentiment part will be really fun too, because you may choose whatever occasion you like! But as always, your sentiment must be on the front of the card ;-)

Here is the sketch....


... and here is the card I created using that sketch in hopes of inspiring you:


I had soooo much fun making this card! For the first time ever, I finally decided to do some real stitching on a card! I hand stitched using twine. Not only did I love doing it, but it really made me want to get back to counted cross stitch- something I have not done for years! 
I also had fun going through all my tons and tons of antique and vintage buttons to find some that would work well. I ended up choosing three really cute old plastic ones with rhinestones. I removed the shanks from them so I could just attach them with glue dots. I love how they look!

So now it's your turn to create a card for this week's challenge! Our wonderful sponsor, Pattie's Creations, will be awarding our winner with a prize of one free digi. 


I hope you'll have as much fun with this sketch as I did! But before you get started, please stop by the other design team member's blogs and see all the wonderful cards made by them. Just click on the links below:

and our guest designer Chrissy

I am also entering this card into the Our Daily Bread designs Go Green challenge. I recycled those 3 plastic buttons by cutting the shanks off of them and adhering them to my card.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Please leave a comment if you care to... I always love hearing from you!
Al always, I wish you blessings,
Sarah

Items used to make this card include:
SU! Pink Pirouette; Kraft/ Crumb Cake; Naturals Ivory; Soft Suede card stock
Patterned papers: Both are from the Glitz 6" paper pack "Pretty In Pink"
Paper piercer
PTI button twine for "thread"
Martha Stewart ribbon
Vintage buttons
Want 2 Scrap light pink pearls
Praying hands finding- from my "stash"
Spellbinder's Nestabilities oval dies
Cheery Lyn Fanciful Flourish die
Cheery Lyn Olive Branch die
Sentiment stamp: from the Our Daily Bread Designs stamp set "Pray"
Ink: SU! Soft Suede




Thursday, April 19, 2012

Sarah Kay Vintage

Hello and Happy Thursday- already!!! Wow, where is this week going? I can't believe we are getting close to another weekend :-)
Well, today I have a card to share with you stamped with a really fun stamp from the Stampavie line by Sarah Kay called "Josephine Cuddling Her Pet Cat Nikki".

This stamp- along with all of the Stampavie stamps are now 20% off through April 28th at ABC Toys & Crafts!

I loved using this stamp! The image is just darling and it has so much detail. I decided to do a combination of things with it: I both water colored it using watercolor crayons and watercolor pencils, and I also did some paper piecing for her outfit, shoes and hat. The paper is from the K & Company "Bailey" designer Mat Pad.

To achieve the dots on the background layer (also from the same K& Company paper stack) I used the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder. And for my sentiment, I used a Spellbinders ovals die and a Spellbinders scalloped oval die. And a lot of my favorite dimensional 3-D Dotsstickers were used to give it the pop that I love ;-)

I hope you will check out all the wonderful Stampavie stamps on sale now- there are so many great one from which to choose! And don't forget, there's still a little time to play along in our "Anything Goes" challenge!

Thanks for stopping by. As always, I'd love it if you would leave me a comment. Hearing from you always makes my day :-)
Until next week, I wish you many blessings~
Sarah

Other items used to make this card include:
SU! card stock: Blue Bayou; Very Vanilla
Watercolor paper
SU! Floral BG Stamp
"Hello" stamp from SU! Tiny Tags stamp set
SU! Watercolor crayons
SU! Blue Bayou ink
Prisma watercolor pencils
Ranger Jet Black Archival ink




Wednesday, April 18, 2012

The Perfect Sentiment: Monochromatic

It's time once again for another fun challenge over at The Perfect Sentiment! This week we are challenging you to create a card using a monochromatic color scheme. Something along these lines, where you chose a color and just stick with varying shades of it, like this:

And for the "twist", you must have a sentiment (on the front of your card, as always) that lets the person who will receive it know you are thinking of him or her.

Here is the card I have made in hopes of inspiring you to join in on our challenge:




Our sponsor this week is Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps, and will be awarding the winner of our challenge a $10.00 gift certificate!
So go on over to The Perfect Sentiment and get all the details for this great challenge! But before you do, please be sure to stop by and see all of the other monochromatic cards created by the rest of the Design Team. Just click on these links:

and our guest designer Chrissy

Thanks so much for visiting today. I hope you'll leave me a comment. I always love hearing from you!
As always, I wish you many blessings~
Sarah

Items used to make this card include:
Stampin' Up! card stock- Night of Navy; Bordering Blue (plain and textured)
PTI white card stock
Pattern paper from the Stampin' Up! Bella Birds collection
Eiffel Tower Sizzix Bigz die
Stamp (for tower) Stampin' Up! French Script background
Sentiment stamp: PTI Tag-Its #3
Ink" Stampin' Up! Night of Navy
Spellbinder's Labels #4 die
Flowers: Prima Forever Flowers No. 6
Mark Richards rhinestones and blue pearls
Vintage lace trim
Dimensionals and pop dots








Sunday, April 15, 2012

SYC Challenge: Paper Only!

Good Morning and Happy Sunday! Can you believe its the middle of April already?
And that means that over at Scrap Your Crap there is a fun new challenge starting today.... Paper only!!!

This time of year I hear of a lot of christenings, baptisms, baby showers and occasions that I feel would be good for the card I have made for this challenge:

Yep.... all I used was paper! I did a lot of die cutting and dry embossing, but my only materials were paper. I really like how it came out and yet....
.... okay I'll admit it. I just had to see what it would look like if I just put one single little pearl in the middle of the cross ;-)

For those of you who know me, I am sure it comes as no surprise to you that I just couldn't help myself ;-) But.... I did learn that despite loving my embellishments as much as I do, I don't always have to add them in order to make a beautiful project. That's good to know for the next time you go to a crop or run out of something... you can "think out of the box" once in a while and still make it work :-)

I hope you will join us and make a "Paper Only" card, scrapbook page or other project of your own and share it with us. Just click the link and check out Scrap Your Crap for all the details and to see all the wonderful examples from the entire design team!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I'd love it if you would leave me a comment and let me know what you think of my paper only card. Until next time, I am wishing you many blessings~

Sarah


Thursday, April 12, 2012

Birthday Remembrance

I have a birthday card to share with you that I made for the ABC Toys & Crafts Design Team blog. I never seem to have enough birthday cards on hand, so I grabbed some great patterned paper, a favorite Crafty Secrets sentiment stamp set and started to put things together. And here is how it all ended up:

The paper is from a Basic Grey. I love the colors and pattern and felt it was great for a birthday celebration. The colors of the Stampin' Up! card stock papers I chose match really well.

The Spellbinders Labels 9 dies were a great fit for the sentiment.

I had a lot of fun making this bird. After die cutting it out of chipboard, I painted all the sides with an Adirondack dabber in Sandal color. Once dry, I covered it with matching die cut pieces in a coordinating pattern from the same Basic Grey paper collection. Then I added a little blue pearl for the eye.

I really like these amber color rhinestone swirls. They had been sitting in my stash for some time now just waiting for the right project. I think I found it! ;-)

I wasn't too sure how to tie the pleated ribbon, so I put a strip of it down and then added a bow made out of taffeta in the same color. I made a little stick pin to put down through it. I think it added a nice soft touch over all the bling around the sentiment.

So now I have one more birthday card in my never big enough stash ;-) Haha, and I spent my birthday making it ;-)

I am also submitting this card to the following challenges:
Use It Tuesday- Anything Goes (for my rhinestones!)

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you'll consider leaving me a comment, as I always love reading them!

Wishing you blessings~
Sarah

Items used in making this card include:
SU! Card stock: Riding Hood Red; Lucky Limeade; Very Vanilla
Basic Grey patterned papers from the "Hello Luscious" 6x6 paper pad
Chipboard
Adirondak paint dabber in Sandal
Sizzix Birds Bigz die
Spellbinders label nine dies
Want 2 Scrap rhinestones
Mark Richards blue pearl
Stampin' Up! Riding Hood Red pleated ribbon
Stampin' Up! Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon
Handmade stick pin
Sentiment stamp from Crafty Secrets clear stamp set "Card Sentiments"
Ink: Stampin' Up! Marina Mist

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The Perfect Sentiment: Mother's Day

It's time again for another challenge from The Perfect Sentiment. This week we are focussing on cards with a sentiment for Mothers Day, while using at least three of the five colors from the following "color story":I must say, I had a lot of fun with this one because I recently got some really pretty papers from my friend Daisy over at eclectic Paperie. Included among them was some awesome Basic Grey paper from the Porcelain Collection. The "Windermere" pattern is the one I chose, with these lovely colors similar to the ones in our color story. Here is the Mother's Day card I created:

Isn't the paper pretty? With all those birds and bird cages I figured I had to try to incorporate the Tim Holtz bird and cage into it, but was afraid it might be too much once I added the bird and my other desired embellishments. Well, this is one of those cards where I think "busy" works ;-)

I used chipboard for the bird cage and painted it with the Adirondak Matallics paint dabber in Pearl (also from eP). And the bird and wing was cut out three times- once with chip board and then again with Cameo Coral c/s and again with lace fabric. I attached the lace by brushing Mod Podge on the c/s covered bird and using it like glue- and then brushing a little more right over the lace. I added a tiny pearl for the bird's eye. Isn't she pretty?

Behind the cage is a flourish die cut and hanging from the cage's bottom is lace ribbon. Then I added some bigger pearls.

I tied my bow using my Bow Easy.... I love that tool! And the stick pin is one of many I recently made myself; another fun little project ;-)

So be sure to head on over the The Perfect Sentiment Challenge Blog for all the details on our Mother's Day Color Story challenge. Our sponsor this week is Shelly's Images and the prize will be one free digital image.
And for more inspiration, check out all the wonderful Mother's day color story cards we have for you from the entire design team here:
and our guest designer Chrissy

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:
Use it Tuesday: Anything Goes- with my hoarded supply of lace! :-)
Paper Pretties: Lots of Layers
Simon Says: April Showers Bring May Flowers

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope I have inspired you to make your own Mother's Day card with this fun and pretty color story. As always, I'd love it if you left me a comment; I always love hearing from you :-)
Wishing you many blessings today~
Sarah

Items used to make this card:
Stampin' Up! Card Stock: Cameo Coral (textured); Wild Wasabi; Certainly Celery
PTI white card stock
Patterned Paper: Windermere from the Basic Grey Porcelain collection
Chipboard
Bird Cage and bird: Tim Holtz die
Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish die
Spellbinder's Tear Drop circle die
SU! circle punch
SU! small oval punch
SU! sentiment from "It's Your Birthday" stamp set
PTI "Mother" stamp from "Tags For Spring" stamp set
Ink: SU! Wild Wasabi; Tangerine Tango
Adirondak Metallics Pearl Paint Dabber
Lace ribbon
Metallic gold cord
Peach satin ribbon
Handmade stick pin
Mark Richard's 5mm pearls
Want 2 Scrap baby Bling pearl
Flower by Prima: "Symphony Blend Amoroso Pink" collection


Thursday, April 5, 2012

Sew Special Revisited!

Wow- it's Thursday already! This week has just been flying by for me- how about you? The days are passing so quickly and with so much going on (we all live such busy lives, don't we?) it's sometimes difficult to get in as much crafting time as we'd like.

So the card I have for you today is kind of a quick one. Well, it was for me because it's sort of a "left-over-put-together" (did I create a new term, lol?) from a card I shared with you a couple of weeks ago.


When making my other card (HERE), I tried a few different patterns for my paper-pieced bustier, and I just couldn't toss out this extra pretty blue one. It was made using the Crafty Secrets Sew Special stamp set which is a real favorite of mine- so fun to work with! Anyway, I looked in my stash of die cuts and I found this awesome one I had made in a color that didn't work right for my project at the time. It was cut from one of the Spellbinders Fancy Tags Two die cuts-which are just gorgeous! I put some matching Want 2 Scrap pearls around it and paired the two of them with some gorgeous paper from the Authentique 6x6 "Journey" paper pack (actually the same pack as the paper used for the bustier). I layered it onto a SU! Pacific Point card stock base and that was pretty much all it took to put this pretty little card together!
I purposely did not put any sentiment on it so I could have it on hand for different possible occasions that might arise: a birthday, a thinking of you, even a fun bridal shower.

So even when your days are busy, chances are you can toss together a hand made card like the one I did today. It doesn't always take a huge, time consuming project to make a nice card for someone special!

And don't forget to join in on the fun of our ABC Toys & Crafts DT "Anything Goes" Challenge going on now!

I am also entering this card into the following Challenge:

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope I have inspired you to do some crafting yourself- no matter how busy your days get ;-)

Wishing you many blessings during this Holy Week. I hope you and your loved ones have a very happy Easter!

~Sarah


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

The Perfect Sentiment: Easter Bling!

I'M BACK!!!!
After a little leave of absence from The Perfect Sentiment's Challenge Blog, I am back. And just in time for a wonderful challenge: Easter Bling!
Here is the card I made in hopes of inspiring you:

The new Spellbinder's cross dies from ABC Toys & Crafts arrived in my mailbox over the weekend and I just couldn't wait to use them, so the timing for this challenge was perfect :-)

The detail in the cross is awesome, and I had a pretty glittered Prima flower for the center.


I chose to use purple (a perfect Easter color) "baby bling" pearls for my challenge "bling". I love the size of these, as they are great to put around the Spellbinders scalloped circles and ovals.


I hope you will join us at The Perfect Sentiment for this fun challenge of using "bling" (pearls or rhinestones) on your card with an Easter sentiment. Our sponsor this week is Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps and More and they will be awarding our winner with a prize of five digital images!

And for even more inspiration, please check out all the great cards the design team has for you:
and our guest designer for April:

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes
Creative Card Crew: Spring
Cute Card Thursday: Challenge 210 Happy Easter
Totally Papercrafts: 110-Easter
The Sisterhood of Crafters: Celebrating Easter

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I can hardly wait to see your Easter card with bling! :-)
Blessings,
Sarah

Items used to make this card:
SU! Card stock- Lovely Lilac- textured (for base) and plain; Orchid Opulence; Naturals White; Certainly Celery; Bashful Blue
Patterned Paper by Paper Pizazz (purchased at JoAnn's)
Dies: Spellbinder's Shapeabilities Cross from "Crosses Two set); Spellbinder's scallop circle; Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish
Punches: SU! 1 3/4" circle; Martha Stewart butterfly trio
SU! Sizzix Embosslits Beautiful Wings (for tiny butterflies)
Stamp: SU! sentiment from Glorious Gift stamp set
Flower: Prima Gillian white
Pearls: Want 2 Scrap baby bling, purple
Ink: SU! Lovely Lilac
SU! Dazzling Diamonds glitter



Sunday, April 1, 2012

ABC DT Challenge

Well, today may be April 1st, but this is no April Fool's joke: It's time again for the ABC DT challenge! Yep- already ;-) So get your creative juices flowing because this month's challenge is sure to be a lot of fun since it is.... Anything Goes!!!!
That's right- you can create a card or project with a theme of whatever you want!

Here is the birthday card I created:

I wish you could see it up close in person, because there is a lot of dry embossing texture on it (maybe if you click on the photo to enlarge, you'll be able to see). Anyway, I love white on white with a splash of color, and the pretty paper from the Crafty Secrets Pastel paper pad provided exactly the amount of pattern and color I wanted.

I hope you will join us over at the ABC Toys & Crafts Blog for another awesome challenge. I can hardly wait to see what you come up with!

I am also entering this card into the following challenge:
Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog: Anything Goes


Thanks so much for stopping by today. I'd love it if you left me a comment to tell me what you think of my birthday card.
Wishing you many blessings and a happy start to April!

~Sarah

Items used to make this card:
PTI White card stock
Sizzix Textured Impressions Plate (for bottom layer)
Spellbinder's Fair Isle Shapeabilities Die (HERE)
Spellbinder's Scallop Oval Die (HERE)
Crafty Secrets Pastel paper pad (HERE)
Happy Birthday Stamp: SU! Elementary Elegance (SAB)
Ink: Memento Black (HERE)
SU! Cherry Cobbler seam binding ribbon
Bow Easy tool
Handmade stick pin
Flower: "Treasures" Paper rose sticker by Shabby Chic
Pearls: Want 2 Scrap