Let's do some quilting

Let's do some quilting--on paper of course.  Before I started making cards and being so "in to" paper crafts, I was a die-hard quilter.  I made quilts for the bed, quilted wall hangings, quilted banners for my church, placemats, table runners, you name it.  So it seemed appropriate to try this quilted card.  I used Soft Suede, Primrose Petals and Whisper White for my quilt squares.  I punched them out using a 1" square punch and cut them in half diagonally before "piecing" them together in this pattern.  The center square is Comfort Cafe designer paper. 

Because the background of the Designer Cafe paper is vanilla, I should have used vanilla paper rather than white, so I smudged vanilla ink all around the card to darken the white a bit.  Works for me....

The sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  

There are TONS of quilting patterns that will make wonderful card fronts.  I will be making more of these!!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Smiles, Laura

Perfectly Preserved....

OK, on August 1 we could start ordering from the Holiday Mini.  I ordered almost everything in the catalog during the preorder period and spent TOO much!! But I loved this canning set--stamps and dies that coordinate.  What a great set this is going to be to use!!

This first card I made for a swap I participated in.  It used Island Indigo cardstock for the card itself and the fold-over is made using Cajun Craze.  I used the new Window Frames Collection Framelits to cut the cajun cardstock.  I also used the new Festive piercing pack to pierce around that shape.  The designer paper on the indigo is from the new Orchard Harvest collection.

The jar is from the Perfectly Preserved stamp set cut with the Cannery Set framelits.

 Since I had used most of my designer paper in that cross-stitch pattern, I created this card (below) for my class to make.  We used the same designer paper, same stamp set and dies, but the card is Lucky Limeade and More Mustard.

To me, it doesn't matter which colors you use.  I love this card!!  Have fun making your own!!
Smiles, Laura

Zoo Review...

Here is a masculine card I made for a friend's birthday, which is today.  I hope he has a wonderful birthday!

This one uses the Zoo Review animals.  The card is made from Island Indigo cardstock and I used soft suede striped paper from the Neutals Patterns series.  The animals are stamped with suede ink on vanilla cardstock.  They are all mounted on Soft Suede cardstock and backed with the Island Indigo.  Nice there there is no coloring on this one, but I think it makes a greater impact without coloring!

The Thinking of You sentiment is from the Best Dad Ever stamp set.  I stamped it on very vanilla cardstock and backed that with suede and indigo, and of course raised it with dimensionals.


This card is carrying special birthday wishes with it!!  Smiles, Laura

Elegant Butterflies.....

Today I'm showing you one card, with just a slight variation on another.  This card is Gumball Green with Floral District designer paper on it.  I punched 1-1/4" and 1-3/8" circles and the punched out butterflies using   the new Elegant Butterflies punch.

When I got to class, I decided to see how the butterfly looked against the Rich Razzleberry card stock, without the white circle on top.  We all decided we liked it better that way, so hence the two different looks. You can decide which you like better.

The sentiment on this one is from the Itty Bitty Banners set punched out using the Bitty Banner Framelits.  This made a nice birthday card to send to my friend Margaret.

Thanks for stopping by.  Leave your comments; I love reading them!

Smiles, Laura

Serene Silhouettes....

This card uses another new stamp set I just love.  It's Serene Silhouettes.  You can stamp it in black and it's quick, but makes a GREAT card.  I was inspired for this card by one my friend Regina made.  She's SO talented!

This card is Bashful Blue and the front is the new Summer Starfruit backed with Basic Black.  Now, lots of you don't like the starfruit color; I'm hearing.  While it's not my FAVORITE, I do like it.

I stamped the flower from the Serene Silhouettes set on the starfruit cardstock using the Summer Starfruit stamp pad.  I wanted it to show up but not dominate.  In the lower right corner, I stamped one of the sentiments from the Trust God stamp set in black.

For the image on the front, I took a white piece of card stock and brayered Bashful Blue on one half and Summer Starfruit on the lower half.  Then I stamps the "weeds" image using black ink.  That is then backed with black cardstock.  

Well, I decided it still needed something else.  I decided to punch two small shapes using one of the punches from the new Little Layers Punch Pack.  I folded it so half was on the front and half on the back.  Still I wanted more!! So I used the Beautiful Wings Embosslit to cut just one small butterfly to put on my card.  I think that was it!

Hope you like this one today.  Come back and visit my blog soon.  And leave a comment if you'd like; I read every one and LOVE hearing your input!

Smiles, Laura

Bragging time....

OK, it's time to brag on my two wonderful grandchildren.  You will just have to bear with me!  Dillon is 14 and Jessica is 11.  I'm so proud that they both are wonderful Christians and love their church and activities there.  They have both been on mission trips with their church this summer and both are really high from their trips.  Dillon went to New York City and his group won 293 or more people to Christ.  Dillon personally knows he led 10 or so and what a great feeling!

Jessica and her mother recently returned from Alaska, where they worked with the native Alaskans during the salmon run.  They were very busy and very gratified with their work with the Alaskan people.  And they got to see some beautiful countryside, too.

While Jessica and her mother were gone, Dillon and his grandfather went camping, so I decided to make him a camping card using the new The Great Outdoors stamp set--just to welcome him back home.  Here is his card.  I used retired designer paper to paper piece the folding chair and tent.  I colored in the campfire, and added just a smudge of color to the sky and ground.  I hope Dillon liked his card!

 Jessica has cats at home and I know she missed them while away.  So I made her this Hello Kitty card, which I cased from one I saw on Pinterest.  (I wish I had captured the name of the original creator.)  I know Jessica liked it--and getting back to her kitties!

Thanks for allowing me to brag!  I just wish I got to see my grandchildren more often, but try to stay in touch with cards occasionally.
Smiles, Laura

Christmas cards already....

Yes, it's hard to believe it is time to start thinking about making Christmas cards, but if you have a lot to send, now is the time to start making them.  I try to teach one Christmas card a month in my July - Sept. classes, to start giving my ladies ideas.

Here is a card we made this month.  It used Cherry Cobbler and the new Gumball Green colors.  The designer paper is from the Be of Good Cheer series.  

I stamped the flowers from the Christmas Blessing set using Gumball Green ink and then colored in the flower itself using Cherry Cobbler.   The sentiment from that same set.  It is stamped in the Cherry Cobbler ink.

I added shots of this twice because one is brighter, but without the glitter on the flower.

 

 After the flower dried, I decided to add some sparkle using the Cherry Cobbler and Dazzling Details  Glitter Adhesive. Doesn't it give the flower and its center a nice look.  You cannot see it too well in this picture, but I also dotted some of the Cherry glitter on the "sparkles" that are printed on the designer paper.

The ribbon I added is the new 3/8" stitched satin ribbon.  I LOVE how it lays down so well and adds so much to a card.

Oh, and the shape I used on the front for the designer paper and its backing is one I just cut freehand.

I hope this inspires you to get started on YOUR Christmas cards!!
Come again soon.  Smiles, Laura