Sending You Love and Joy to the World cards

Another busy day.  Hubby and I went grocery shopping this morning, stopped for lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant (our first time there and the food was delicious!!) and then headed home.  I quickly made today's card and now need to head to the kitchen.  Tuesday is the day I make dinner for the three of us, plus extra for Evan and Nikki.  I am going to make a Spice Cake for dessert ... haven't done one of these for ages!!  This is one of the cakes that my Mom made when I was growing up.  I'm also making meatloaf & gravy, home fries and roasted vegetables for dinner - totally a comfort food dinner! 

Today I'm sharing two cards with you.  The first one is for this week's CAS Challenge (CAS146 - sketch by resqbarbie) and also covers today's Color Challenge (kraft, white, pear pizzazz ... or the closest colors I had), including the dessert (dots of any kind). It's was so much fun to make.  I love the CAS (clean & simple) style!!  I used paper-piecing on this card, which is another of my recent favorite techniques.  This card is made with all SU! products.  Hope you like.

"Sending You Love"

Stamps:  Easy Events (SU!)

Paper:  Old Olive, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Old Olive polka-dot DP, Cherry Cobbler (SU!)

Ink:  Early Espresso

Accessories & Tools:  corner rounder, Mistletoe ribbon, Sizzix polka-dot embossing folder, sticky strips, glue dot, Tombow glue, and dimensionals

* * * * *

I cut out a 2 1/2" square of Crumb Cake and rounded the corners.  I cut a 1/2" strip of Old Olive polka-dot DP and rounded two of the corners, lined it up on the Crumb Cake square and adhered.

I stamped the main image in Early Espresso ink onto the Crumb Cake square and also stamped it onto the Old Olive polka-dot DP.  I cut the top of the tree from the polka dot paper and set it aside.

I stamped the image again onto Cherry Cobber cardstock and cut out the heart and set it aside.

I wrapped the ribbon around the Crumb Cake square and tied a knot, positioning the ribbon over the join between the edge of the polka-dot DP and the Crumb Cake.  I used a glue dot to secure the knot in place.

I glued the polka-dot tree top onto the main image.  I glued the heart on top of the polka-dot tree top.

I ran a large piece of Whisper White cardstock through my Big Shot with the Sizzix polka-dot embossing folder.  Using sticky strips, I mounted the embossed cardstock onto a card base of Old Olive.

I mounted the main image on the front of the card, popping it up with dimensionals to add depth.

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The second card for today was one that I made for the CAS DT Winter Challenge (see yesterday's post).  I made two cards for the final challenge and agonized over which one to enter.  I finally decided to enter yesterday's card because I felt the use of the twine was something new and different.  This card was a CLOSE second ... it uses an adorable digi stamp that I got from Bugaboo ..."Joy".  I printed it off from my computer and added the sentiment below "to the world".  Hope you like!

"Joy to the World"

Stamps:  Joy (Bugaboo); computer-generated sentiment

Paper:  Whisper White, Garden Green (SU!); green polka-dot DP (unknown)

Ink:  Real Red, Garden Green (SU!)

Accessories & Tools: green glitter glue, clear glitter glue, small paint brush, silver pen, corner rounder, maraschino baker's twine (The Twinery), sticky strips, and Tombow glue 

* * * * *

I printed off the digi stamp along with the words "to the world" from my computer onto Whisper White cardstock and then cut the paper to 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" (card front).  I printed the digi stamp again onto green polka-dot DP and cut out the "J" and "Y"; I set them aside.

I colored the ribbon and stripes on the stocking with a Real Red Stampin' Write marker and the ornament using a Garden Green Stampin' Write marker.  I used a silver pen to color in the top of the ornament.  Using a small paint brush, I added green glitter glue on to the ornament and I added clear glitter glue for the cuff of the stocking.  I glued the cut-out polka-dot letters onto the main image and then rounded the bottom corners of the card front.

I wrapped Maraschino twine around the top of the card front three times, tying a knot just off center.  Using sticky strips, I mounted the card front onto a card base of Garden Green cardstock.

Celebrate

Here is my card for the CAS Design Team Winter 2011 Final Challenge (Round #3).  Round #3 Challenge is a photo inspiration.  I loved the green & white and the red & white striped candy in the photo and used that for my card below.  I stamped a tree image onto green cardstock and then pierced holes along both sides of the tree.  I zigzag stitched green & white twine down the tree, using every other hole.  I repeated by zigzag stitching red & white twine down the tree, using the alternate pierced holes.  I love how it turned out ... hope you like it too!

Photo Inspiration:

"Celebrate"

Stamps:  Holiday Cheer (Hero Arts); Season of Joy (SU!)

Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Garden Green (SU!)

Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Maraschino & Peapod Twine from the Twinery, paper-piercing tool, embroidery needle,  Sizzix die-cut, Big Shot, Stamp-a-ma-jig, mini jingle bell, corner rounder, adhesives, glue dot and dimensionals

* * * * *

I stamped the tree in Garden Green ink onto Garden Green cardstock (subtle).  Using a paper-piercing tool, I pierced holes along both sides of the tree, 1/8" apart.

I threaded a length of the Peapod Twine onto the embroidery needle and stitched in a zigzag down the tree, using every other hole.  I threaded a length of Maraschino Twine onto the embroidery needle and stitched in a zigzag down the tree, using the holes that were left earlier.

I ran the cardstock through my Big Shot with the matching die-cut tree from Sizzix (Holiday Cheer).

I dry-fit the tree on my front card panel of Whisper White to determine where the sentiment should go.  I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement and inked the stamp with Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green Stampin' Write markers.

I rounded the top right-hand corner of the card front and adhered it to a card base of Cherry Cobbler (also top right-hand corner rounded).

I mounted the stitched tree to the front of the card, popping it up with dimensionals.  I threaded a piece of Maraschino twine through the mini jingle bell and tied a bow.  I mounted it to the top of the tree using a rolled glue dot.

Jump for Joy!

I'm posting late tonight ... I spent the afternoon watching The Grey Cup ... and our BC Lions won!!!  Woohoo!!  I'm actually not a big football fan, but always watch the Grey Cup every year.  Today's game was sooooo exciting!!

That wasn't the only excitement today ... I found out late last night that I made it into the final round for the CAS Design Team Winter Challenge!  I'm so excited that the judges liked my cards enough to advance me into the finals!!  There are seven other finalists (a VERY talented group of crafters) that will be making cards for the final challenge which is due this coming Wednesday.  I had trouble sleeping last night, with design ideas floating around in my head ... I just couldn't rest.  Hopefully I can get some rest tonight and get a fresh start tomorrow on my next entry for the contest.  

I made this card yesterday for the SCS November Fan Club - this month's theme is "Child's Play".  I made a CAS card that highlights one of my favorite toys when I was growing up.  The sentiment was computer-generated.  Hope you like.

"Jump For Joy"

Stamps:  none (sentiment is computer-generated)

Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake (SU!)

Ink:  none

Accessories:  Maraschino Twine from the Twinery, two ball-chain key chains, corner rounder, Tombow glue, adhesives and glue dots

* * * * *

I ran a full sheet of Crumb Cake cardstock through my printer to add the sentiment.  I cut the cardstock to size and rounded the top right-hand corner.  I mounted it on a card base of Cherry Cobbler cardstock (also with the top right-hand corners rounded).

I took the end off of each key chain and threaded twine through the ends.  I tied a knot and then pulled it tight to hold it in place - voila, a skipping rope.

I added a rolled up glue dot onto each handle of the skipping rope and secured it to the card front.  I used three or four tiny drops of Tombow glue to attached the rope to the card.

Lone Winter Tree

I haven't made a brayered card for a while ... so yesterday afternoon I went surfing the 'net for inspiration.  There are wonderful photography sites that have hundreds of pictures of nature scenes, some of which would translate nicely into a brayered card.  I found a picture of a lone winter tree in a snow-covered field.  The coloring of the sky turned out very close to the picture ... and definitely conveys a cold, winter day.  Stampscapes has incredible stamps and I used two for the card below (Leafless Limb & Old Fence).  Hope you like.

"Lone Winter Tree"

Stamps:  Leafless Limb, Old Fence (Stampscapes)

Paper:  Basic Gray, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Sahara Sand, Basic Gray, River Rock, Basic Black (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Speedball Rubber Brayer, post-it notes for masking, sponge, Stamp-a-ma-jig, and adhesives

* * * * *

I ripped a mask from the post-it note and used it to cover the snow area.  I inked my brayer with Sahara Sand and brayered from the post-it note edge, upwards ... creating a gray haze above the snowline.

Next I brayered in River Rock, starting at the top of the sky and moving downwards until it reached the gray area.  I used a small sponge dauber to add Basic Gray ink along the horizon line.

I removed the mask (keep for later use) and stamped the leafless limb tree in Basic Gray ink just off-center.

Using the Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement, I inked the Old Fence stamp in Basic Black and stamped it a couple of times.

I placed the post-it note mask from earlier along the bottom of the fence and sponged more Basic Gray ink to create a shadow under the fence.  I also sponged a little at the bottom of the tree.

To finish, I sponged more Basic Gray ink along the bottom, top and sides of my main panel.  I mounted the panel onto a card base of Basic Gray cardstock.