You're Special Card for Daughter

I wanted to use a paint chip card on this You're Special card for my daughter. As I pondered how to make this card, I happened to wonder if I could score & fold the paint chip card. When I did, it worked beautifully and made me think of the striped awnings that used to be over storefronts. So I cut a scallop template that fit the lines on the paint chip card, then cut the scalloped edge by hand. The lower part of the awning is popped up with foam tape. I turned to my stash of wonderful old Hallmark and American Greetings giftwrap papers I have to get the floral background paper. I also stamped the two vases & flowers that are in them, colored them with my Bic markers, cut them out and adhered them in the corner on top of the giftwrap paper background. The sentiment is computer-printed. I was quite pleased with the way the card turned out! And my daughter Venetta, my lovely eldest daughter (I have 5 of them), loved it also, which made it all worthwhile!

Til my next post, happy cardmaking! Take care and may the grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with you!

Life Is Just A Bowl of Cherries

This card began with the image, a motif from my stash of old giftwrap papers. I added a twig from our yard, silk blossoms, brads to imitate cherries, and layered all of that over a strip of gingham wallpaper sample, red & cream cardstocks with scissor-cut scallops and Martha Stewart doily punched edging, on top of a dark green wallpaper sample. I think I'll use this for a Thinking of You card.

One Last June Cards Post

This pocket card is one of my very favorites. I love the colors and the design. The background paper comes from a DCWV stack pack, their Flower Shower Spring Stack to be exact. The floral paper is giftwrap paper. I added a border punched strip of white cardstock to the top of the pocket, trimmed with ribbon and a ribbon bow.

This pic shows the little card that goes inside the pocket of the main card. The stamped image is part of a set from Stampin' Up, I believe (I got it second-hand as a gift). I colored it with my Bic markers, then inked the edges.

This is the inside of the main card, as you lift the front flap. You get two sentiments for the price of one with this card.

This card is another of my favorites. I've had a lot of those lately, haven't I? This card started with the image of the bird's nest, which I copied from a book of bird nest illustrations available on the Smithsonian Libraries Digital Libraries website. I apologize for not making note of the artist's name. I LOVE the vintage seed & nursery catalog covers you can find there as well. I haven't had time to explore all the digital stuff archived there, but it looks like a treasure trove. The background paper seemed to fit the image so well, that all I needed to add was the bundle of twigs, from one of our trees, wrapped with a hemp string tied in a bow.

I write to a serviceman in our Armed Forces, the Army to be precise, serving overseas. I got his name and address from this organization: Adopt A US Soldier.org. This year I thought it would be appropriate to make a special card to send to him for our nation's Independence Day. I've never made a card for that holiday before so this was a bit of a challenge. I found this cute digi stamp image offered on the Stars & Stripes Operation Write Home blog, shared by The Stamping Boutique. The image is colored with Bic markers and given some heat embossed accents. I had to ask my sweetheart what colors to use for the little man's uniform as I didn't know what branch of the military this uniform most closely resembled; my sweetheart, who was himself in the Marines and who comes from a military family (Army & Marines), said that it looked the most like the Marines dress blues, so that is how I tried to color it. I used another wooden stamp that I have to do the fireworks on the sentiment tag; I colored the stamp with Crayola markers to get this effect. The round red seal is another stamped image, this time with one of those $1 wooden stamps from JoAnn's or Michaels. The gold button came from my button stash in the sewing room--it looks a lot like the seal of our country, which was too perfect not to use, even though I still think I should have hot-glued the thing down flat instead of just sewing it on where the ribbon is attached. The red shaped mat under the image is cut by hand, using my own template. A couple of star-shaped brads added a nice touch. The diagonal striped paper in the background is from a DCWV stack pack.

My last card for June is a birthday card for my sweetheart's brother Terry. I used clipart from DAISIE Company, which I recently purchased. The papers are from the same graphics pack. I added a mat of brown textured cardstock behind the central image, distressing the edges. I also added a strip of cork on which I mounted the sentiment, edges inked, and 2 bronze dragonflies. The card edges and the smaller printed paper are inked for effect as well.

Well, that does it for my June cardmaking. July is just getting started and I have a card on the work table now. I signed up for 3 swaps in the Crazy Card Maker group for the first half of the month and have a LONG list of other cards for family that I need to make. It feels good to be creative and make cards, though. Those months when I was busy with schoolwork it was very hard to find time to make cards. Cardmaking, along with other creative pursuits, is stress-relieving for me so I'm going to have to find ways to keep it in my schedule, no matter how much other stuff I have to do. Hopefully, it works the same for you.

Til my next post, happy cardmaking! Take care and may the grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with you!

My May Cards

I made this card for my mom for Mother's Day. Her favorite color is blue, too. The background paper is a print of a piece of fabric I scanned into my computer, then printed out. A paper print of fabric is easier to work with than the fabric itself and if you look closely, the individual threads are still visible so it looks like fabric, too. I used a corner punch on the corners, then added a small brad in one of the holes of the punched design. The floral image is stamped, heat embossed and colored with Bic markers, then cut out and adhered on top of part of a silver doily atop the background paper. The sentiment is stamped and heat embossed with Seafoam White embossing powder. I really liked how that turned out so I'm sure I'll do that again.

Here's another Thank You card, along the lines of the three that I made back in January. For my Curriculum & Instruction class I was assigned to work with Mrs. Wendi King in her 1st grade classroom. The children were so sweet and it was REALLY hard to say goodbye. Wendi is such a good teacher and I learned a thing or two watching her & helping in her class. The background paper for this card comes from a DCWV stack pack (probably my favorite papers and easily obtainable at JoAnn's). The apple comes from a DCWV cardstock pack and has glitter accents. The blossoms and hat pieces were cut from another piece of DCWV paper. I made the yellow shaped "diecut" myself. I don't own a diecutting machine; I make a paper template, trace it, and cut my own "diecuts" by hand. The blue scalloped circle is punched, then hand lettered. All the stitching is hand faux stitched. The blue hand cutout is a bulletin board shape purchased at Dollar Tree. The finishing touches were the star brads and the wooden bead circles.

My one and only son, Isaac, my youngest child, had his 24th birthday in May. This is the birthday card I made for him. It is a Z-fold. The lined background paper is the front of the card, then it folds back inside, and the back of the card had the polka-dotted paper on it. The sentiment is printed on a piece of paper shaped just like the matt under the image on the front, then adhered to the back of the card so it is right under the front image matt. The image on the front comes from a piece of giftwrap that is in my old suitcase stash. The giftwrap had all of these old tavern signs printed on it; they work really well on masculine cards. Brads added an extra touch.

My oldest daughter's husband, Brent, celebrated his birthday in May also. I wanted to try using little flags in a swag. I'd seen a card made with these on someone's blog and loved the effect. That person stamped the flags, then cut them out. I made a little template first, cut out the flags, then stamped each with the letters in Brent's name, using a little alphabet set I have. The flags were punched with my small hand punch, then strung on a piece of colored hemp, purchased at WalMart and intended for beading. I bought a bunch in different colors when it was on clearance. I'm glad I did because WalMart doesn't carry it in the stores by us any more and I like the stuff for cards. The sentiment is yet another example of the Two You acrylic set from Stampendous, heat embossed, colored with Bic markers, mounted on a circle of white cardstock, and jazzed up with a bit of ribbon. The background paper is a piece from a DCWV stack pack, matted on matching plain cardstocks. I liked how this card turned out! The little flags are definitely going to show up on another card in the future!

That is all of my May cards. It's going to take a couple of posts to get all of my June cards posted; I've been working on cards when it rains, which has been often this month, or when I haven't felt like working outside even if the sun was shining. So til my next post, happy cardmaking! Take care and may the grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with you!

A Few More From 2007

This sympathy card used wallpaper samples for the background and center strip. The sentiment was computer-printed, then torn to size.


This birthday card is one of my favorites. I used sticker paper for the rock frame around the lighthouse; this paper comes in printed sheets, with a peel-off backing, like Con-Tac paper. I picked it up at a liquidator store and like it a lot. The lighthouse picture is the front off a small pocket calendar. The sentiment is computer-printed and torn to size.

Another one of my favorites, using wallpaper samples and a floral motif cut from giftwrap paper. Very simple, actually, but also pleasing to the eye, I think.

Looking Back At Some Older Cards

This card uses wallpaper samples for the papers, a design cut from giftwrap paper (Holly Hobbie), and has a crocheted trim hot-glued around the design oval. I made this back in July 2007.


This card features a wallpaper background with a corner cut from a coordinating wallpaper. The design is cut from giftwrap paper. The sentiment tag is computer-printed. This card, also, was made in July 2007.

The Last Two To Date

This card was for Tim's cousin, one of the daughters of his Aunt Rose who recently passed away. I know this is going to be a difficult birthday for her, having just lost her mom, so I didn't want to get too bright with this card. I started with a white cardstock base, covering the front with the rose-patterned paper and the digital faux-corrugated paper at the bottom. The bottom digital print comes from ScrapbookScrapbook.com. I added a sticker ribbon strip across the card, added two little ribbon bows and a button, then stamped the sentiment in the lower corner. Then I inked the card edges--all rather simple, but still attractive, I think.

My daughter Holly's next-door neighbor generously offered to let me come dig up perennial flowers in her back yard. Pam is going to re-do her yard and wanted the extra perennials to go to someone who could use them. I never say no to free perennials, so I was more than happy to go dig up a bunch of them. I came home with daylilies, peonies, siberian iris, shasta daisies, and more. Now I just need to take the time to replant them in my yard! Guess what's on tomorrow's agenda?

Anyway, I wanted to send Pam a thank-you card. To make it, I started with a white cardstock base, covered the front with that green print I like so well (DCWV), then added an orange circle of cardstock, actually half of a circular card blank I got in one of those monthly cardmaking kits from the folks at Annie's Attic. On top of that is a white cardstock circle cut out with paper-edger scissors so I could get the scalloped effect. Then you have a floral print circle cut from giftwrap paper. I cut individual flowers out of that same giftwrap paper, mounted them on old index card and then adhered them along the edge of the circle, with the largest one having foam tape under it to "pop" it out. I stamped the sentiment down in the corner and just like that, there you have it...

Three More July Cards

This lovely card was made for my oldest daughter, Venetta. I had tried something a little different with this one. I started with a white cardstock base, then adhered a piece of scrapbook paper to cover the front. This paper comes from DCWV; the flourish and dragonfly are printed right on the paper. Then I cut out, very carefully with my X-Acto knife, a window around the flourish and dragonfly. Behind the window, I adhered a piece of floral giftwrap paper. To complete the front of the card, I stamped a sentiment in the lower right corner and added two mini-brads to the bottom of the flourish. On the inside, I adhered a liner of blue flecked paper. On the right side, I used a Martha Stewart edge punch to punch a border design. Under it, I adhered a strip of the floral giftwrap I used on the front. Usually I don't decorate the inside of my cards, as I print the sentiment right onto my cardstock base using the computer printer.

This card went to an online friend for her birthday. I started with a white cardstock base again, covering the front with a dark green cardstock. The background paper is a digital print I made on the computer using a background tile from KittyWompus.com. I added a strip of reddish print scrapbook paper from my scrap bag. Behind it I added a lattice-punched strip of white cardstock to mimic the gate in the painting. I used a print from a Thomas Kinkade page-a-day calendar (a gift from one of my daughters and you can be sure I saved every page!) for the design motif, matted on a reddish brown cardstock. To complete the card, I stamped the sentiment and added 3 white flower brads and a bronze dragonfly brad.

This bright, bold card went to an online friend who is laid up in the hospital, going through a rough time. I started with a white cardstock base, covering the front with the bright pinkish striped paper. Then I cut rectangles from two complimentary patterned prints--all 3 papers from DCWV, matting them on dark blue cardstock. I attached a strip of pink ribbon using staples and added a silk flower with a bright brad center to the ribbon. To finish, I stamped a sentiment in the bottom right corner.

And there you have it.

My Recent Cardmaking Results

Hi again! It's hard to believe that it's been a week since I last posted! The time sure does go by fast! Where've I been and what have I been up to? Well, we're still busy planting stuff here, trying to get the rest of our big vegetable garden in and back in shape. We have 14 beds, most 4 ft x 16 ft, in the garden, plus perennial borders all the way around it and odd bits of open area outside the beds, all of which need a great deal of work. I have 5 of the beds planted so far and another is given over to strawberries, so a third of the beds are done. There's still SO much more to do, though. I also have all sorts of container plantings outside our main garden, in my "outdoor living room" and my "garden room." So between rains and other things that have demanded my attention, I've been trying to get my gardening done. But not forgetting my cardmaking...

I'll show you my latest cards but am not going to go into detail about what I used to make them this time. If you have a question about something, I'll be happy to answer it however.

So picking up where I left off last time, here's the purple birthday card I made for my daughter Lois...




Next in line was a Thinking of You card for an online friend...




Then I redid the Purple Birthday card which I made for Valerie...I just didn't like that smudged sentiment and taking the advice of the ladies in the Crazy Card Makers group, I decided to restamp the sentiment, incorporating it in an overlay. I think the re-do looks MUCH better now...





Then I made another Thinking of You card for an online friend....




Then it was this simple birthday card for our stepgrandson Connor who turns 3 on Friday...




Next up is a birthday card I made for my friend Connie. I really like this one; the colors are my favorites.




And last but by no means least is this encouragement card I made for a young woman named Elisabeth, daughter of my online friend Kathy...




And there you have it...Next up will be my sweetheart's Father's Day card which is still laying on the cutting table, so til then, Happy Cardmaking!

Birthday Card For My Son

I made this card for my son Isaac, who turned 23 last week. Isaac lives about an hour's drive away from us, with his wife Amber, and their baby son, Alan, who's now 2 months old. We haven't seen them since the baby was born. Isaac decided last month to sever his ties to me because of my faith in Yeshua the Messiah and the fact that I cannot help but mention God, Yeshua, the Bible or something connected to those topics, whether in words or actions. Even though Isaac wants no contact with me in any way, shape or form, he is still my son--in fact, my only son, as well as my youngest child and I will not be forgetting about him any time soon. So I decided that I would set aside a pretty tin and keep all the cards I would otherwise give to him & his family in that tin, for the day when Isaac either changes his mind and returns to fellowship with me or I die and he inherits the tin. I've made sure that at least a couple of his sisters are aware of the tin and know what it contains, so that Isaac will be sure to get it if I am not here to give it to him personally. And just a word of encouragement to anyone who may be facing difficult and heart-breaking circumstances in their life--life is hard, but God is good. I know that the LORD hears my prayers for my son & his family, that He is working in their hears & lives, and that I can trust Him with their welfare.

On to how I made this card...I started with a cardstock base of Light Creamy Cocoa ColorMates by World Win. To the base, I adhered a piece of blue checked wallpaper sample over the entire front. I used my corner-rounder punch to round the corners of the card. Then following a card sketch from the book CardMaker's SketchBook, I cut a larger rectangle from the same Light Creamy Cocoa, topped with a pattern of circles which is a computer-printed scrapbook paper design from ScrapbookScrapbook.com. The long rectangle uses Deep Creamy Cocoa and Dark Creamy Cocoa cardstocks. I rounded all corners. To this rectangle, I added three brown buttons, sewn on with brown embroidery floss. I got the floss at a local liquidator store for about 10 cents a skein; it works great on cards! The buttons came out of my sewing supplies. A hint: save all the buttons off your old clothes that are heading for the rag bin or garbage can. And save them in an empty candle jar (put it in the freezer for a few hours and getting out any leftover wax will be pretty easy). The other rectangle uses a computer-printed tile paper, topped with a giftwrap paper motif.

And there you have it...

A Couple More of My Old Cards

This was a get well card for a male friend of ours who had a heart attack a couple years ago, made in June 07. I started with a cream cardstock base, then added two pieces of wallpaper samples from the same family, and cut the cross piece out of the matching wallpaper border sample. Simple, but attractive.

This card went to an online friend who had a baby boy, made in June 07. The base is a medium blue cardstock. There are two layers of blue striped wallpaper samples, topped with a cute bear giftwrap cut-out.

This birthday card is one of my favorites, made in June 07, for an online friend. The base is a light blue cardstock. The background is a plaid wallpaper sample. I used another giftwrap cutout motif here, a cute little girl with flowers. I cut the sentiment tag out of the same cardstock as the card base using edger scissors, then drew the stitching with pen and added the sentiment.

Sharing Some of My Older Cards

This pretty in purple card was a birthday card for my stepdaughter Paige, made in June 07. I used purple cardstock for the base, then layered with two different wallpaper samples. I used a Crayola marker to highlight the card edge with a darker purple. The floral motif in the center is cut from giftwrap paper, one of my favorite designs--love those violets! I glued on buttons & bows and attached a tag with the sentiment. I had used the same Crayola marker to "paint" the tag purple; it started out white. It's one of those garage sale price tags you can buy in a quantity pack. I've had them sitting here for a long time and never used them, til now.

I made this card for one of my many nephews when he graduated in June 07. I started with a tan cardstock, then added layers of complimentary wallpaper samples. The center picture is a motif cut from giftwrap paper, another of my favorites, particularly for guys.

This sympathy card was made for a young couple who are in-laws to my daughter Holly. They tragically lost their first-born son to SIDS two years ago. The card was made in May 07. I began with a light green cardstock base, added layers of complimentary wallpaper samples, and put a floral motif cut from giftwrap paper in the center. The sentiment tag is cut from a purchased card we'd received when we had a death in our family. To finish, I glued on a pastel blue bow.