Pretty Paper....

Here is one more card I wanted to share using the non-Stampin' Up! paper that I love.  You cannot see the sheen on this one,but the circles have some shine to them.  

This card is easy to make and good for any occasion.  The layout is a basic one and you can use it over and over.  Any sentiment could go in the white oval.  You could replace the butterfly for something more masculine if you were making a card for a man.  You might use a leaf or perhaps a fish or something else you have a stamp or punch for.

 

This card is made from Pacific Point and white card stock.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day!!  Smiles, Laura

Dots and Stripes.....

Today I'm sharing some cards I've made recently, all using the same layout.  The first one of these I made was a bear.  I saw something similar online or in a Paper Crafts magazine and when i tried to make one, I wasted a TON of designer paper.  I tried to make each of the 4 big sections individually and just could not get it figured out.  I tossed it aside and decided I could not make this card in class--it used too much designer paper!!

One morning as I awoke, I realized this card was MUCH simpler than I was trying to make it.  (Perhaps our dreams really DO help us solve problems.)

  

To make the card, cut two rectangles of your designer paper, 4" x 3".  Layer those onto white card stock that is cut 4-1/4" x 3-1/4" so you have a border all around.  Affix those to the card as shown below, letting the parts of each hang off.

 Trim off the parts that overhang and use them to put onto the card in the open spaces, as shown here. Trim those even with the sides of the card.

 That's it.  Yes, it's really that simple--you use two small rectangles of designer paper to cover the front of the card.  Then decorate the front any way you'd like.  I used the Mixed Bunch flower on this one.

 This one is in Poppy Parade and has butterflies on it.

 Here is a card in Mambo melon.  I will put the sentiment on it sometime when I need a card for an occasion.
                                               
 These two are in Turquoise and Old Olive.  These two show you that it doesn't matter which side you put the dots and stripes on.  They are reversed on the turquoise one, but it works just as well.

This is a wonderful way to use the Stampin' Up! Patterns DSP stacks.  So you ask, how does it look in patterned designer paper.  Here are a couple of samples I made with the non-SU paper.

The possibilities for this layout are endless and it can have a masculine or feminine "bent" to it.  Now run, see what you can make!!  Thanks for stopping in.  Smiles, Laura

Hello again......

Yes, finally you hear from me again.  I have been busy with other things and classes and a play day to stamp and when a  lot of going on, I'm afraid to say my blog suffers.  And Blogger made some changes to our blogs which threw me for a day or so when I tried to log on and post.  So finally I'm back today.

Today I'm sharing a couple of samples a friend and I made during our last "play day".  This first one was using a layout on a card sent to me by my friend Rose.  (Her card is shown below.)

 This card uses Stampin' Up! card stock but designer paper in a pack I bought at a local store and LOVED.  It has shine in it, which I love.  The card itself is Pacific Point, layered with Old Olive, and topped with Marina Mist.  I also used white and Bashful Blue on the card.  I cut the flowers out from some of the designer paper that had flower on it.  I love this layout and I know Rose does, too, because she's sent me two cards using it.

It is delightful to find a layout you like and use it in several different colors.

I shared this card and layout with you on April 9.  It was the inspiration for the card below.  This is a great layout for a man's card because it's small in width, but same height as our usual cards.  It's cut 6" x 5.5" and then folded so the card itself ends up 3" x 5.5"  It's fine for any sentiment or message you want to send, but slim.  I sent a Christmas one like this to a new man in our church and he commented to me he'd love to have some cards this size to send to his friends.  So that's why I'm sure its size appeals to men.

During play day I made this card like the one above, using the non-SU designer paper.  It has pacific Point (like my first card) and Old Olive.  I cut strips of paper 3/8" wide and glued them diagonally onto the card.  So easy, and yet a good card to send a man.

Thanks for sticking with me and my blog.  I hope not to be gone so long next time.  Smiles, Laura

Happy Birthday, Becky--2012...

I titled this entry, "Happy Birthday, Becky--2012" because I used the same title last year without the year.  Funny, how fast the years roll around!  I also made Becky a golfing card last year because she LOVES playing golf and her birthday is so close to the Master tournament each year.  Anyway, here is another card I made for Becky and I hope she has a wonderful day!!

This card is Cherry Cobbler layered with Marina Mist.  I saw a similar card on Pinterest and liked it but didn't have the stamp set they used on it.  (Ed.note:  I went back to Pinterest to try to find the originator of this card idea.  It was Julie Kettlewell from the UK.  You can find her version at juliesjapes.blogspot.com. )  I decided to use the trees from Scenic Season for my card.  The sentiment is from the Petite Pairs set.

I used the Petite Pennants Builder punch for the flag.  The golf ball is punched using the 1" circle punch then run through the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  I used the Small Oval for the ball "cup".  I cut the number using another die set.

I hope Becky liked the card and has a wonderful birthday!!

Smiles, Laura

New header photo, borrowed....

I found this delightful picture of colors on Pinterest and saved it.  Today I was SO READY to change my blog heading but did not have a picture prepared, so I decided to use this one for a few days.  (As I reviewed this entry, I noticed the "life" portion of my blog heading didn't get in, so the "and" is left dangling.  Oh, well, that will keep us all guessing.  I'll change it later.)  I'm giving Pinterest a plug today.  It's become my latest passion.  I LOVE pining pictures that I find on there to my boards and going back and looking at them.  The ones that are very colorful inspire me so that when I go down to my stamp room, I'm ready to think COLOR!!  This is also a good time to tell you I've added the Pinterest "pin" under each of my entries, so if you want to pin my cards on your Pinterest boards, it will be easy for you to do so.  That will give them all to you in one place so you can go back and look at them quickly, even it I should take them down for space requirements.  I am having to delete some old entries to make room for more photos. So "pin" the ones you like!! 

I plan to photograph and upload some new cards later today.  Bear with me!!  And thanks for stopping in....
Smiles, Laura

Congratulations, Confirmands.....

On Palm Sunday, our church confirmed four of your youth.  I was so proud of them and the work they did to get to this service.  Unfortunately, I cannot post their names because I haven't gotten permission from their parents, but we all celebrated this important step in their lives.

I wanted to personally congratulate each of them, so I decided to make them each a card of congratulations and send them the above picture for their scrapbook.  Below is the card I made for them. 

I did not have the cross stamp set SU puts out, but I did cut a cross from white cardstock and embossed it.  I used the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and rubbed crumb cake ink directly on it before inserting and embossing the cross.  I was pleased with how it turned out.  I cut the filigree behind the cross from vanilla using a non-SU die. 

I hope they liked their cards and realize how many people love them and wish the best for them in their lives to come.
Smiles, Laura

Lattice Share....

Today's card started out as something else but evolved.  I had planed to use the pieces cut out of three lattice images to make something, but it didn't work out (yet).  So I decided to use the lattices themselves on a card front.  It's not fancy, but would be a nice card to send to someone to cheer them up.  I used Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point and Certainly Celery on this card. 

I layered the three lattices one on top of the next, barely overlapping them, so they create sort of a shadow effect.  I liked this look. 

I used the "get well soon" sentiment from the Delightful Dozen stamp set.  I used the 1-3/8" circle punch, the Curvy Label punch and the Decorative Label punch to highlight the sentiment and stuck one little yellow piece in each side (from the lattice cut-out).  I think it's a "right respectable" card!

Stop in soon!! Smiles, Laura

Happy Easter, Happy Spring....

I hope you all had a beautiful Easter.  We did.  Our church sanctuary was decorated with flowers all around the altar making it a lovelier-than-normal place to worship. 

We always decorate a bare cross with flowers making something ugly into something beautiful.  After the service, we take it outside to the lawn where all passing by can see its beauty.  It was a very moving day for us!

Today I want to share two "men's" cards with you.  The first uses the herringbone technique (which I've shown you before). I used the Well Worn designer paper for this one.  My previous herringbone had a flower on it, but since this one was for a man, I decided to use the leaves from the Gently Falling set.  And it was a "thank you" card, so I used the sentiment from Day of Gratitude.  The strips for the herringbone are cut 3/8" wide. Believe me, this is a fun technique to make and you can use ANY colors for your card!

     I had a lot of strips of designer paper left over, so I made this small card for another male friend to whom I wanted to send get well wishes.  The card itself is made from Not Quite Navy (like the one above), with the front layered onto Cajun Craze.  I cut the card 5.5" x 6" and folded it to 5.5" x 3".  This is a great size and still fits into our #2 envelopes.  Rather than using a herringbone layout, I just layered strips of designer paper across the card, diagonally, alternating the four patterns.  I left the bottom the plain Soft Suede.  I stamped the sentiment from Sincere Salutations onto vanilla cardstock cut with the Wide Oval Punch.  I backed that with Cajun cut with the Decorative Label Punch and put Not Quite Navy punched with the Curvy Label punch behind that.  This is a quick card to make and yet it will please the man who receives it.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  Have a wonderful week and come back soon.  Smiles, Laura

Curved Corners...

OK, if you saw my blog a couple of days ago, you saw that my Neutrals Challenge card is a lot like this one---only with more blocks and a flower.  I guess I'm on a "curved corners" kick.  This is a card we made in my classes this month and I love the simplicity of it.  This one uses Patterns designer paper in blacks and greys and Real Red.  The squares of designer paper are punched out using the 1-3/8" square punch and then two opposite corners were rounded.  I added a block of red  for my sentiment and a butterfly to this one.  I punched the butterfly using the Butterfly punch and then embossed it with the Snowburst embossing folder fromt he Holiday mini.  I'm pleased with how it turned out.

 I liked the red so much, I decided to try it using Tempting Turquoise.  Look at this one.  Like it as well?  I do.

Thanks for stopping in!! See you again soon.  Smiles, Laura

Another Rose....

Rose Kerry, that is.  I know, soon you will think this is Rose's blog.  ha!  I just HAD to share this card I got yesterday from Rose.  She made it for this week's challenge, in which I did not participate.  But Rose wanted me to have one of her cards.  You see, it is the SAME layout as the Neutrals card I shared yesterday---only this one is in colors.  Again, I am amazed that it came to me without getting smushed in the mail. 

Rose made the flowers on this one using the scallop circles punch and dies.  Isn't it LOVELY!! Rose used the Thoughts and Prayers stamp set on this one.

 Here is the inside.

Next time I will share some of my own work.  Rose doesn't have a blog and I just HAD to let you see some of her work (with her permission, of course).  Thanks for this one, Rose!!!
Smiles, Laura

Neutrals challenge....

Recently I participated in a challenge with one of my yahoo groups where we had to make a card using only colors from Stampin' Up! Neutrals collection.  Here is the card I made for my challenge partner.  I used the Neutrals Patterns Collection in some of its colors.  You cannot tell from this shot (because it is laying on my counter) but the card is Soft Suede with a Very Vanilla layer on front.  I used white embossing powder to stamp and emboss the Mixed Bunch flower onto vanilla card stock.  Then I punched it out with the Blossoms punch and smudged it with Crumb Cake ink--inside the petals and around the edges.  Can you see the pearls I put on the dots in the center of the flower?  The sentiment is from the Sale-e-bration Elementary Elegance stamp set.  I hope my partner liked it!

 Here is the same card, photographed on a white background and without the pearls.  I think the pearls add to that flower, but it's OK without them, too.

This is the challenge card I received from Rhonda Sands.  She did a wonderful job and added pearls to hers, too.

My friend Rose Kerry also participated (she had another partner) but she graciously shared her card with me, too.   I love her layout!  I can't believe those beautiful flowers she made.  They even made it through the mail to me without getting scrunched.

 Here is the inside of Rose's card.  She always goes the extra "mile" to decorate her inside.  What a treat to receive TWO cards from this challenge!  Thanks, ladies!!

Stop in again to see what's doing.  Smiles, Laura