Another Funky Fold Card...

A few days ago, I shared a Funky Folds card and alot of you liked it.  Here is another of the "Funky Folds" card.  For this one, I used Real Red cardstock and layered it with the Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack  in Real Red.  I also used Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White on this card.  The flower stamp is from the Punch Bunch Sale-a-bration set. The butterfly and sentiment is from the Thanks for Caring stamp set in the Occasions Mini Catalog.  That is a glimmer brad on the ribbon bow.

 Here is a close-up for the card's folds. 

 So, here is my instruction sheet on how to cut and score the card.  You start with a piece of cardstock that is 6" x 6: square.  Score and cut it as I've shown below.

I hope you can figure out the folds (scoring and cuting) from my sheet.  If you have questions after trying it, please email me.

Smiles, Laura

Fun Flowers really are fun...

I've had a great time lately playing with the new Fun Flowers die that is in the Occasions Mini.  My friend Judy came over to stamp with me last week and here is one of the cards we made.  I love the colors on this one.  The card itself is Pear Pizzazz and I topped it with Poppy Parade and used Sunny Garden designer paper on top of that.  The flower layers are punched from Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, and So Saffron.  I embossed each layer with a different embossing folder to give them texture and sponged it to show details. 

I glued all the flower layers together and then glued them to the Sunny Garden DSP.  Then I cut around the petals and glued that to the Poppy Parade layer.  I cut around that and then glued it to the Pear and cut around that. 

I put a different pattern of the DSP inside the card, so where I trimmed around the flower would really show up.  The leaves on this card are punched with the Blossom Petal Punch.  I used the largest petal for the leaf.  I used my stylus to make the lines, sponged it and put it under the edge of the flower.

 I'm sure you are wondering where I got the sentiment, GLADNESS.  I bought two of the Delight in Gladness builder wheels.  I pulled the rubber of one off the wheel and made stamps with it.  Gladness is one of those stamps.  That's one of the delightful glimmer brads in the middle of the flower.

Here is another card, same layout, that  I made.  This one uses some designer paper purchased locally, along with Certainly Celery, Bravo Burgundy and Baja Breeze cardstock.  I like how it turned out, too.
                
Thanks for visiting me today!!  Smiles, Laura

Ginny's birthday card....

 My frind Ginny had a birthday recently and I wanted to make her a special card, something we had not made in class.  Here is the card I came up for her.  The card itself is white with a layer of Pear Pizzazz and them a layer of Elegant Eggplant.  I cut an oval from white for my sentiment using the Ovals 2 die.  For the corners, I punched out scalloped squares and cut each one in half, diagonally.  These make neat corners. 

 For the flowers, I folded a piece of white cardstock and punched it out with just the top two curves of the Heart punch.    Then I sponged purple color on them on the edges, and put Pear on the centers.  They are supposed to look like hydrangea blooms.  Can you tell?

The leaves are freehand cut from folded piece of  Pear cardstock, then run through the crimper, and sponged with Pear.

Thanks for checking in wtih me today!  Smiles, Laura

Funky Fold Card....

Here is a card I made recently using the Aviary stamp set and a new fold I found.  I have shared this with several friends and it's definitely a hit.  So I'll show you have to cut and fold it.  It's called a Funky Fold card, I'm finding.  I just called it a tent fold when I was playing with it.

The card itself is made from Not Quite Navy CS and I used Baja Breeze on it.  I punched the Baja strips with the Scallop Trim Border Punch.  I like the effect.

 Here is a side view of the card.  You can see I trimmed the highest part of the card edge with the Baja and also put a strip of it down each side. 

 Here is a close-up of the sentiment.  I stamped "hello"  from the Chic Boutique stamp set on Vanilla, punched it out with the Curly Label punch, and sponged the edges.  I  backed that with Baja cardstock punched out with the Decorative Label punch.

 OK, here is how you make my card.  I say "my card" because I've seen several samples of this online, but they are all larger and do not fit into the standard card  envelopes.  My stamping customers like cards that will fit the standard envelopes, so I adjusted the dimensions so it will end up our regular size--4.25" x 5.5". You start out with a 4.25" x 11" piece of CS.   I have tried to write on the picture below all the scores and cuts.  I hope you can figure it out.  I still have to learn how to do a video tutorial!!

OK, I hope you can figure out how to make one of these Funky Fold cards yourself!  If not, email me and I'll help you.  It is neat to do something a little different like this!!

Thanks for visiting today!  Smiles, Laura

Birthday wishes....

I have several birthdays to acknowledge this month and here is a card I made for two of them. I used three In Colors for this card--the card itself is Peach Parfait, the next layer is Poppy Parade and the top layer is Pear Pizzazz.  I love this color combination.  The designer paper is from the Sunny Garden collection--both the striped piece and the floral piece.   I punched the circle using the new 3-1/2" die from the Occasions Mini.

 I punched two flowers using the new Fun Flowers Bigz L Die from the Occasions Mini. I embossed them with embossing folders--the bottom one with the Perfect Polka Dots folder and the top one with the Vintage Wallpaper one.  I sponged Poppy on both of them to add depth.  Love that pear glimmer grad in the middle of the flower, too.

The Birthday Wishes sentiment is from the Occasional Quotes Level 3 Hostess set.  That will be one I'll use a lot. 

I hope my friends who get this card like it!! I think it will be a hit!  Smiles, Laura

Slice of life....

Since I have this sample as my blog heading right now, I thought I'd share the whole card with you.  I love the colors on this one.  I used Pear Pizzazz for the card itself, and layered Not Quite Navy behind the striped DSP from the Springtime Vintage collection from the Occasions Mini.  There are some really GREAT colors and patterns in that collection of papers. 

I stamped the image from the Slice of Life hostess set (also in the Occasions Mini).  I colored it in with markers.  The word "Friends" is from the Just Believe stamp set.

The center shape is cut 3" square and I sliced off each corner and layered it onto Not Quite Navy CS.  I think this is a neat card---I'll be making more of these to send to friends. 

Thanks for stopping by today!! Smiles, Laura

Finally!!!

If you've been reading my blog for long, you will see today that I have FINALLY figured out how to get the blog heading like it SHOULD be and delete all that white space I had under the heading.  I am thrilled, to say the least!  It's hard to be a fairly illiterate computer user and to have to struggle so when designing blogs, posting, etc.  I'm about 10 to 20 years too old to have "grown up with" this computer stuff.  I REFUSED to hire someone to design my blog heading for me, but I was almost there!  Anyway, I hope I can improve the picture, but for now, I'm just glad it is alittle like others' blogs!!
Smiles (and I mean big ones!), Laura

Welcome,Johnny....

Windy and Mimi, friend of ours, recently had a new grandson!  It's always exciting to have a new baby!!  This little fellow was named Johnny for Mimi's dad, the baby's great grandfather.  That's really special to her!  I wanted to make a cute card to send them to congratulate them on the news.  Here is the card I came up with.

I had seen a cute stamp with a baby hanging from a tree, but couldn't find where to purchase the stamp.  So I decided just make my own card using punch art,

The baby's "blanket swing" is made from the largest oval in the Ovals die.  I ran it in both directions through my crimper, to give it some texture and folded it in half.  I trimmed each corner to give it the curved shape.    The baby's head is made using the 1-1/4" circle punch and the legs are punched from the Word Window punch.  I free-hand cut the tree branch  and clouds.  The leaves on the tree are punched with  Two-step Bird punch.

The sentiment, "Welcome Baby" was stamped with the Something to Celebrate SS, a level 2 hostess in the Occasions mini.

I think Mimi and Windy will like this card! I hope so.  What do you think?
Smiles, Laura

In Memory of Jax and Lillie.....

Yesterday was a sad day for my grandchildren and their mother.  They had to put down their dog Jax, our granddog.  We were all so sad about it.  Jax was a wonderful dog and we all loved him.  He is being cremated and his ashes will be spread at our farm near the graves of our two dear "girls", Penny and Curie.  Jax was about 12 or 13 years old--we don't know since he was a rescue dog.  But apparently he had a tumor in his tummy and was at his end.  I made the card (below) to cheer up Dillon and Jessica and Meg.  I tried to make the picture of the dog look alot like Jax!  I know the kids will like it when it comes in the mail.

 The dog is made using various punches and Crumb Cake, Soft Suede and Very Vanilla cardstock.

 This sentiment is from the D is forDog stampset.   I stamped it with Suede on Vanilla and backed it with Pumpkin Pie.

 Here is a picture of Jessica with Jax at our house last February, when he came to enjoy the snow with the children.  I made him the colorful "blankie" he's wearing.

 And here is Jessica with Gabby and Jax--that same week.  We are sure going to miss our granddog!

 We also got word yesterday that some of our friends had lost their little girl Lillie.  She was a cutie and I wanted to make them a card with a dog that looked like Lillie.  Here is the card I made for Max and Bill, Lillie's "parents".

 And here is sweet little Lillie. Do you think I captured her likeness in my card? I hope they see it. 

It is so very hard to give up a pet!  All of us who have lost a friend know that they truly do leave paw prints all over our hearts.  We will miss these two four-legged friends!!
Smiles (and it's hard to say "smiles" today), Laura

Happy Valentines Day!

I've been saving my favorite Valentine to post on Valentines Day.  This one I made for my hubby and he is going to love it!  I've been seeing some of these heart "chests"--some as a suit and dress and some as bride and grooms.  But of course I had to do one with a red dress for Valentines. 

I love this sentiment stamp from the For All You Do set--"for all you do, for all you are, for all you mean to me...."   Well, that says it all except, "I love you", which is what I stamped on the inside.  My husband is the nicest guy, always trying to please me.  He is a good sport--he wears red for Valentines when we go out to dinner and yesterday for our church Valentines dinner.  Little things like that I know he does just  to make me happy and I love him for that, well, and a whole bunch more.

The card itself is Basic Grey with a white and a Real Red layer.  I punched hearts from Marina Mist blue and added that as the top layer. 

For the "bodies" on the card, I punched them using the Heart  punch.  I sponged some red on "her" so it would look like shadows under her curves.  Can you see where I added two pink circles to create cleave?  Cute!  And I had to put a pearl necklace around her neck!  I cut the heart and created folds for the lapels on "his" jacket.  His tie is a piece of Marina Mist folded to look like a tie.
                            
I've had this card ready for hubby for a month.  I will give it to him later this morning, or perhaps over our Valentines dinner tonight.  I know he's going to like it!

Have a great Valentines Day yourself.  We all have ONE person who loves us, but my wish is for you to have many, many people who love you!!

Visit me often!! Smiles, Laura

Hearts and Flowers....

While looking at a stamping magazine the other day, I saw some paper used on a card that had hearts  inside of flowers printed all over the paper.  I decided that our small heart punch would fit nicely inside of our largest flower from the Boho Blossoms punch then glued onto card stock to create a similar look.  To get this to work, you punch out the heart first, and then punch the flower out around that.  I used four colors for the flower/hearts--Real Red, Poppy Parade, White and Pink Pirouette.  The Chocolate Chip that the hearts/flowers are glued to is actually the card itself.  I glued a piece of Pink Pirouette Patterns Paper on the top.

 Here is a close-up of the top of the card.  I punched out a circle from Chocolate Chip with the 1-3/4" circle punch.  Then I punched out two of the small hearts and stamped

the sentiment on them.

A ribbon in Poppy Parade tied around the middle completes the card.

I hope you like this one! Smiles, Laura

Simply said, I love you...

This is a very simple card, but I think a stunning one--maybe more so because of its simplicity.  The card is Soft Suede.  The top of the card is Pink Pirouette run through the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. 

 The bottom half of the card is designer paper from the Elegant Soiree pack.  I punched hearts from the Red Glimmer cardstock using the Heart to Heart punch and lined them up between the top and bottom portions of the card.

 I stamped the sentiment "I love you" from the Three Little Words stamp set on a white cardstock and punched it out with the Decorative Label Punch.  That little red glimmer heart just sets off the sentiment. 

Come back to visit another day!! Smiles, Laura

Envelope full of hearts.....

How do you like this envelope full of hearts?  The card itselt is Rose Red cardstock.   I punched strips of Pink Pirouette cardstock with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon punch and tucked one edge of it under some Patterns Paper Stack designer paper, so it looks like lace on the edge of it.  I lilke that look.

.

I punched the envelope using the Bitty Box and Envelope die and my Big Shot.  The sentiment tag on it is made using the large oval punch and the scallop oval punch.  I tied a Pretty in Pink taffeta aroun d it. 

I punched the hearts from the Patterns Paper Stack designer paper and punched a FEW from Red Glimmer cardstock.  This card looks really good in real life. 

Just a few more days until Valentines.  I have a few more samples to show you, so come back to see more.

Smiles, Laura

Flamingos....

Here is another card using black and Poppy Parade and the Valentine Defined stampset.  I did this tree the same way that I did the last time I show this tree--I stamped it in Poppy and stamped the tree trunk in black, cut it out and layered it on the poppy trunk.  This card is black with a white layer and then a Poppy Parade layer.  Don't you love the black and white striped ribbon on this one!  I try to find occasions to use this lucious wide ribbon!!

                          

Here is a close for the flamingos and the "love" sentiment.  The sentiment is stamped n a Modern Label punched piece.

Thanks for visiting with me today.  See you another time! Smiles, Laura

Love tree....

Here's anotheer Valentine we made in our January classes.  This one used the Poppy Parade paper and it is such a cherry, happy color. 

The tree is from the Valentine Defined stamp set and is stamped in Poppy.  Then we stamped the tree "trunk and limbs" again in black and cut them out to glue over the poppy.  You could also use a marker to color that part of the stamp after loading it with poppy ink.

The paper down the right side is from the In Colors Patterns Paper Stack, Poppy Parade.  I love those stripes. 
                                         
For the sentiment on the ofront, I punched a scalloped circle from the poppy, and a large oval from black cardstock.  Then I stamped the Love sentiment in black, and punched a heart with the Heart to Heart punch to glue over the heart on the stamped image.  I put a black brad through the hollow "o".  Then I popped this up with a dimensional. 

Another cute Valentine, right?  There are so many fun ones this year!! Smiles, Laura

The Key to my Heart....

OK, I'm alittle disappointed there are no comments on my little dragon.  You KNOW he's a doll.  SO, here is another Valentine for you today.  I have several more to share, so I hope you are not bored with Valentines.  Next to Christmas, it's the next single event with so many cards to make and send.  I put all mine in the mail to family and friends today.

This one uses the largest heart on the Heart to Heart punch to punch out the largest and smallest hearts.  They are glued to the center of circles and then raised the circles with dimensionals. 

                                             

Here is a close-up of the hearts and circles.  You will notice that some of the hearts are punched from the Red Glimmer cardstock in the Occasions Mini.  I just LOVE that cardstock!!

I used the Framed Tulips embossing folder around the outside of the pink layer of the card.  That color is Mambo Melon and the card itself is Tango Tangerine.  I stamped "Key to my Heart" from the You're a Gem stamp set, also in the Occasions mini. 

I hope you like this one.  I think it's a hit!!    Smiles, Laura

Valentine Dragon...

I hate to share a card before we've made it in class, but I've shared this little fellow on the Stampin' Up! Stampers Connection and so decided to go ahead and post him here.  This little fellow will be my grandson Dillon's Valentine.  I saw a dragon last year on a card made by Kimberly McDaniel (different colors) and thought he was so cute.  I have a customer who has been asking for us to make a dragon, so I decided to try my hand at him for Dillon's card.  Isn't he the cutest!

                                      

 I used Cherry Cobbler for the card itself and designer paper from the Patterns Paper Stack in Subtles for the background.

Here is a close-up of his head and below are the punches used:
Head:  1-3/4" circle
Snout:  Wide Oval
Lower jaw:  Large oval
Eyes and teeth:  Small Oval and retired Slit punch
Nostrils:  Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack
Points on head and back:  Star Punch
Sentiment:  Scallop Circle Punch
"Thought" dots:  Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.
The sentiment is from the Gratefu Greetings stamp set.

He was really pretty easy to make.  I hope Dillon likes him when he gets him!!  And I hope my customers like him when we make him!
Smiles, Laura

Nine Little Hearts...

I saw a card similar to this somewhere and decided I wanted to make one.  The card is Rose Red and I used white and Pretty in Pink with it.  I ran the Pretty in Pink through my Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, then wrapped two pieces of Rose Red hem tape around two corners, and glued it to the Rose Red card. 

I punched nine 1" squares from the Patterns Pack Designer paper (Subtles) and layered them on a piece of cardstock and glued that to a white square.

Here is a close-up of the card.  You can see I punched 9 hearts from white and put them on the 9 1" squares.

This is a great layout to use for any occasion.  You could punch out 9 shamrocks to put on a St. Patrick's Day card.  Or you  so small eggs on an Easter card.  While there's no stamping, the layout is classic.  But you could add a tag to the ribbon with a sentiment on it.

Thanks for visiting today.  See you soon!! Smiles, Laura

Last of the calendars for 2011---September through December

I hope you aren't tired of my 2011 calendars.  If so, this is the last of them.  But I know from your emails to me, some of you are enjoying them.  Here is the September one.  This stamp set was in the mini last year and I'm sure hoping it will come out in the new Idea Book and Catalog.  I love this set.  I've used it alot on cards for my grandchildren, as well as on this calendar.

 Here is the October calendar.  This image is from the Every Moment set.

 Here is November.  This set is not a Stampin' Up! set, but I do love this bowl of fruit.

 December uses the Come to Bethlehem set.   I like the set but it is hard to get it to ink completely.

So that's the year in calendars.  I hope they have inspired you to make your own.  I buy these calendars online from a supplier.  I'm not sure if she is interested in expanding her business right now, or I'd post a link to her.  Anyway, thanks for visiting today.  Come back soon!! Smiles, Laura