With Sympathy

This is one of the cards I had the ladies make at my first stamp a stack.  I love this color combo!  It's very soft and soothing to me.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Set: Elements of Style & Peace and Comfort (retired)

Card Stock:  Soft Suede, Very Vanilla and Crumb Cake

Classic Stampin' Pad:  Soft Suede

Punch:  Decorative Label
Ribbon:  5/8" Satin in Very Vanilla

Card Box

Wow, I'm a little slow this week putting anything on my blog. :(  Yup, it's been a busy week, but I must admit it's nice to take a little break every now and then.  Today I decided to post a "box" instead of my usual card.  I've been seeing a lot of beautiful cards lately that are 3-D...I've even made a few myself.  But I've been wondering how are you suppose to give those kind of cards away?  I don't want to hand a card to someone that's not in an envelope, but they don't fit in them!  I started looking around for tutorials for boxes and figured with all the time I spent looking I could be busy making something.  So that's what I did, and this is what I came up with for a card I made earlier for a challenge.

A picture with the box all set to give away.  Still not sure how I'd mail this though.  You'd think with my husband working for the Post Office I'd have something up my sleeve!

I had to show a picture with the card inside the box.

And finally a close up of the flowers.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Here are the instructions for the box.

You will  need two pieces of card stock cut to 8 1/2" x 8 1/2".  

The bottom needs to fit the 5 x 5 card so I want the bottom of the box to measure 5 1/4" x 5 1/4".  I scored my paper at 13/16" all the way around, then I scored it at 1 5/8".  Your card stock should look like this...  Just click on the picture to make it bigger if you can't see the score lines.

Now the top of the box needs to be slightly larger than the bottom to fit over it.  I need that to measure 

5 3/8" x 5 3/8".  I score this one at 25/32" all the way around, then I scored it at 1 9/16".  Your card stock should look like this...

Yes, these are strange measurements, and the score lines look the same, but they are slightly different and do work. :)

Now you need to fold each of the score lines.

Now cut the corners like shown.

Now use sticky strip to adhere your first flap like shown.

Now fold the flap over the corner piece and adhere.  I used two-way tape all the way along the edge for this part.  Once your tape is on, fold the flap over pressing in the middle first and work your way out to each edge making sure it's nice and tight.  

Tuck the next corner in and repeat steps until finished with the top and the bottom of the box.
Here is the finished box.

Clean and Simple Thank You

Today's card is for a new challenge I found on someone's blog that I follow.  I actually made a couple of thank you's for my stamp a stack that were inspired by this challenge and decided to make one more to enter in the Less Is More challenge blog ~ clean and simple, off center. I was also looking at the Friday Mashup challenge which is black, white and square.  That's where I got my colors...or you could say lack of colors!  I love how it turned out though. 

A little closer view...

I also wanted to show the small detail I added using my scoring blade.  Not sure you can see that very well unless you click on the first picture to enlarge it.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Sets:  Elements of Style & Thank You Kindly

Card Stock:  Whisper White & Basic Black

Classic Stampin' Pad:  Basic Black

Big Shot Embosslits Die:  Beautiful Wings

Jewels:  Basic Pearls

Left Overs Part 3

Today's card is another leftover from one of my parties.  I was hoping to get two different ones done to show at the same time, but I just can't seem to get around to making a second card.  I need a little motivation!  Click here if you want to see the original card.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Set:  Elements of Style

Card Stock:  Old Olive & Whisper White

Classic Stampin Pad:  Old Olive

Versa Mark

Big Shot Texturz Plates:  Backgrounds 1

Punch:  1 3/4" x 7/8" Oval

Stampin' Pastels  Shimmer Paint:  Champagne Mist

Jewels:  Basic Pearls

Happy Mother's Day

Today's card is a sneak peek into one of the five cards I'll be doing for my first stamp a stack next week.  Although I'd like to say I came up with this one all by myself, I can't.  As I was browsing through Stampin' Connection I came across this card made by Carolyn Beam.  I liked it so much that I decided to use it as one of my cards in the stamp a stack.  If you're a part of Stampin' Connection you can view her card here.

Pictures never seem to do the cards justice, but here's a close up of the 

flower so you can see the shimmer paint a little better.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Card Stock:  Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive & Very Vanilla

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Rich Razzleberry and So Saffron

Stampin' Write Marker:  Perfect Plum 

(because I don't have the new colors yet!)

Big Shot Embossing Folder:  Vintage Wall paper

Punches:  Butterfly & Two-Step Bird

Ribbon:  5/8" Grosgrain in Rich Razzleberry

Shimmer Paint:  Champagne Mist

Jewel:  Basic Rhinestones

I colored the pansy using sponges (on Very Vanilla). I don't have many re-inkers so I had to come up with another way to do it.  I started with So Saffron ink in the middle of the butterfly, and sponged outward toward the edges.  I dragged it on the card stock...no dabbing or it won't give you the right effect.  Then I went around the very edges with Rich Razzleberry.  After I went all around the edge, I carefully went in a little farther, but always stroking outward.  I sponged over it again with So Saffron to blend the colors in a little better where they meet.  Hope that makes sense to anyone who wants to give it a try.

Left Overs Part 2

A couple of days ago I posted a card that I had originally made for one of my workshops, along with another card I made using the left overs.  Here are two more cards that I made using the same left over card stock.  I got the idea for the sponging from someone on Stampin' Connection.  I always like to give credit to the person that inspired me, but I can't find the card again to give anyone the credit. :(  If you happen to see this and it's your idea let me know.  I'll gladly put a link to your blog for others to see.

I kept my first card smooth with only the base embossed, but on the second card I did the opposite.  I left the base smooth, but embossed all of the other layers.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Set:  Lovely as a Tree

Card Stock:  Chocolate Chip, Garden Green, More Mustard, Bravo Burgundy & Very Vanilla

Classic Stampin Pads:  Chocolate Chip, Garden Green, More Mustard & Bravo Burgundy

Big Shot Embossing Folder:  Square Lattice

Punches:  1 3/4" x 7/8" Oval & 1 3/8" x 5/8" Oval

Ribbon:  5/8" Grosgrain in Bravo Burgundy (retired)

If you haven't done any sponging lately give it a try!  I do it on a lot of my cards around the edges.  It seems to soften the card and helps blend things together.  For this card I taped off the areas where I didn't want the ink and starting lightly sponging Garden Green, then added More Mustard and finally Bravo Burgundy. Keep doing it until you've blended it to your satisfaction.

Easter Basket

Today I decided to try something a little different for two of my challenges. Instead of a card I made a cute little Easter basket. Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge #63 is an Easter theme this week.  Stampin Celebration Challenge # 48 is also an Easter theme, but I did this challenge for the colors too.  I was hoping to get it posted earlier, but a basket without candy just didn't quite look right!  Well, my hubby has the day off, and as I am writing this he is out picking up the candy for me while braving the snow.  Ok, so it's not a lot, but still, snow on April 18!  I know Michigan can have some weird weather, but this is just crazy!

And here is a lovely picture of the snow outside today...  That's actually our neighbor's barn, but it showed the snow the best.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!  

And remember the real reason for Easter...

The death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Card Stock:  Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, Perfect Plum, So Saffron, 

Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist & Bashful Blue

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Pretty in Pink, Perfect Plum, So Saffron, 

Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist & Bashful Blue

Big Shot Bigz Die:  Fancy Favor

Big Shot Embossing Folders:  Vintage Wallpaper, Square Lattice, 

Elegant Bouquet & Perfect Polka Dots
Punches:  1 3/4" x 7/8" Oval & 1 3/8" x 5/8" Oval

If you click on the picture it should make it bigger so you can see more detail.

Here is a template of the basket I made along with everything used to make it. Just in case you can't read it, you measure 1 1/4" down for the basket.  To make the handle I cut another piece of  paper about 3/4" x 12" and put it on the edge of the Fancy Favor Die where the scallops are, then flipped it over ~ making sure the scallops match ~ and ran it through again.  To make the grass I cut the card stock 2" x 7" so it fits around the front and sides of the basket.  I folded it off center so the back would be longer than the front, ran it through the crimper, sliced it with the scissors, then separated it a little bit so I could chop it at odd angles to make it a little jagged.  I used Sticky Strip on the front and sides (at the very bottom) to attach the grass.  To make the eggs I used the punches listed above and ran them through the embossing folders listed.  For a little extra detail I sponged around all the eggs and the top of the basket and the handle.  To attach the handle just punch a small hole on each side and use a brad of some sort.  I put buttons over my brads because they didn't match, but you can use whatever you have available.  Just slide the eggs in wherever you think they look good and then attach (I used glue dots).