I don't typically make cards for the 4th, we have multiple birthdays within a week of the holiday, but I was simply inspired. This card was fun and easy. I'm entering it into several challenge blogs, some I'm new to so I hope it fits the bill.
Fantabulous Cricut Challenge - Happy 4th
PaperPlay Challenges - Stars & Stripes
Flourishes - Timeless Tuesday Challenge #124
Mojo Monday - Sketch Blog #97
I used my new CriKit gel pens in red to spell out the word on the tag.
The rest of the recipe is: Wild Card, Plantin Schoolbook, & Paper Lace carts. Chipped Sapphire, Vintage Photo, & Antique Linen Distress inks. EK Success stickers. Celebrate It ribbon & DMC embroidery floss. Offray stylish accents.
Hmm, maybe I needed an additional item here to employ the "rule of 3" when it comes to embellishments? But truth be told, there was an inky smudge here that my sweet flower covered up, and I didn't really have anything else. I hope it works with the tag ok.
When it comes to the LIM Challenges, either the cards come together like that (snap of fingers goes here) or they don' (like last week's). This challenge? Quick and simple. I can only hope it holds up with the other fabulous posts!
This little mini album came together so quickly. 6 interior pages plus a front and back cover for you to decorate. So much fun!
Vintage is great any time, but I particularly love it when it comes to Halloween, which is my favorite holiday of course. I used Dover clip art from this CD, as well as stickers from this book. Both purchased from Amazon many moons ago.
The metal word is from Making Memories, distressed with LSG's Chocolate Truffle, as was the Offray ribbon and pom pom trim. Lacy Labels tag.
Recollections flower, colored with LSG as before and Hog's Wart Orange. Paper from the "Thriller" collection by Rusty Pickle which is sadly no longer in business. I also tucked a little feather in there just to add Victorian whimsy.
Sticker and clip art fun!
I also "aged" this lace with LSG and adhered with with spray mount, same for the sticker.
For this page I covered it with 2.75x5.75" paper to fill the page. Clear embossed a stamp (unknown) and used several colors of Distress Ink to bring out the image in a resist technique. The owl is just one part of a Sizzix embossing folder, "Owl with Tree." More LSG inks at work here along with a bronze ink pad.
If you look closely you'll see that this paper was first stamped with a stamp that is "certificate of death," (source unknown.) I know this is supposed to vintage and romantic, but a little spooky never hurt anything Halloween.
More embossing folder and clip art fun.
Final two pages, very vintage and very romantic!
Sometimes its nice to let the eye "rest" on the page. I decided to do that here, and bling it up a little with some gems by Recollections, and my new Pearl Pen.
I wanted things to dry quickly, so I made tiny black dots in the center of the green polka dots. I can't wait to play with these pens more!
I can't wait to see what new Fall themed carts for my Cricut will be released this year. Thanks for stopping by. As always, I enjoy your comments!
Lisa, indymermaid.blogspot.com, gave me my first ever blog award! I still feel like such a novice with many things in the blog world - wow! Thank you Lisa.
As a recipient, it is my duty to pass the sweet stuff along. The rules for the award are the following: 1) Send a thank you to the person who nominated you and include their link. 2) To accept this award, answer 7 random facts about yourself. 3) Pass the award on to other awesome blog buddies.
Here are the 7 random facts about "moi".
There's a funny mnemonic associated with the pronunciation of my last name: "I rode a cow on a ski. Rodakowski!"
At a barn I used to train at, I was known for being able to "Indian mount" one of the ponies. The only adult who could! (Or was dumb enough to try.) (See #3 on video for a look at someone demo-ing this skill.)
I studied French for "deux" years in college. That's about the extent of my knowledge.
From my craft room I look across North America's 4th largest volume river.
I see into the neighboring state to the south from my window as well.
I've belly danced in restaurants before.
I first learned about rubber stamp arts at the Oregon State Fair in the mid 1990s. Hooked ever since!
And here's who I'd like to bestow the "Irresistibly Sweet Blogger" Award to:
Here's my entry into Mary at CardzTV's Father's Day Beach Challenge. Thank you Mary for hosting such a fun challenge. I love those mini clear stamps from Inkadinkado! Its been fun to see all the other entries. Check out Mary's blog here.
This alternate pic shows off all the variegated sparkle the mica powders offer. Brilliant!
Rubber stamp from Stamp Cabana. Clear stamps from Fiskars, Heidi Grace Designs: Everyday Alpha. Mica powders and stains from Lindy's Stamp Gang. Moon Glow Micas in Indian Summer Turquoise, Pumpkin Blush, and Deep Burnished Bronze. Starburst stain in Dark Chocolate Truffle. All other products shown.
All cuts shown from "Stretch Your Imagination." So simple!
Bow is Glossy Accents & Hottie Pattotie Pink, LSG
Lots of birthdays this summer! My sister's is in early July, so I need to get it in the mail now in order for it to reach her by her birthday. She lives in Germany and wow, does it take FOREVER for mail to get there. But for a handmade piece of love to arrive via post - its worth the $2 or so it will cost to send a square card!
This simple, flat card was straight from the pages of my "Stretch Your Imagination" cart. Such a deal as I purchased it new for only $17!
The inside sentiment was from Paper Lace. Can you see how much razzle-dazzle sparkle the lettering has? Its from Lindy's Stamp Gang's Starburst Spray, Witch's Potion Purple. Purple was my sister's favorite color growing up.
Finally, do you see the little notches cut into my card base? Well since its going to a relative, I wasn't going to sweat the small stuff. Has it ever happened to you where you are on your last piece of cardstock (in this case it was the matching color) and all but one teensy flaw keeps it from working out perfectly? I've learned to embrace these "oopsies" in my creations. I just will add a comment like, "Extra artistic cut, just for you. Free of charge!" That will at least make them smile and know the card, like its creator, is not perfect!
This spring I picked up a pack of vintage papers from a retailer at the Portland Heirloom Productions stamp show. I just thought they were cool. I didn't know how historic they really were!
I'd already picked up a pack from another vendor that had accounting logs printed with "Budweiser Brewing Co., St. Louis, Mo." I thought that was cool since Bud is no longer an American company. Who could have seen that coming back in the days of handwritten accounting ledgers?!
At any rate, this second pack of papers was even older and all came from the Multnomah County (Oregon) Sheriff's office. They were a bunch of "official" documents, checks, receipts, ect. It was so cool to be holding something in my hands that was written so long ago, right in the city/county I was in! And of course the printing on the paper was fabulous - both the litho/offset (?) and handwriting. Notice the date on this reciept, 1901!
I put several documents on the glass of my copier and color copied them before using them in my card. I also used a copy to make the envelope for the card too. Some of the fold likes are my "boo-boos" while figuring the dimensions on my MS Scoreboard, but some others are authentic to the document. One fun note: some of the papers were not secured together with a paperclip (American patent, 1867), but with an aged straight pin. Funny...
There are a flurry of birthdays coming up in my family, so I need to get busy with some all-purpose birthday cards. This simple triangle tri-fold fits the bill for more than one recipient. Simple and "masculine" enough for my dad, and/or flat enough to send to my sister in Europe. Hmmm.... I'm thinking Dad....
Second panel
Inside panel
I am entering this on "The Scarlet Lime: June BIRTHDAY Challenge" which can be found here.
DCWV cardstock, "Mediterranean Cafe." Lacy Labels cart. Various stamps from Fiskars, Cloud 9 Design: "Laughter" & "Happy Birthday." Memento & VersaFine inks. Green cording. Finished card is 4x4" square.
I'm always on the lookout for interesting sentiment stamps. I'm limited with my printer so printing sentiments on cardstock is difficult. At the Portland stamp show this spring, I picked up a number of these "Simple Thought" sets for a steal! 30 awesome individual stamps for only $9! That's the kind of bargain you love!
I recently picked up the "Nifty Fifties" cart for a super deal, $24! I had fun putting this card together as a thank you to a friend who surprised me with a fun apron as a housewarming gift.
So flirty and fun!
I was originally going to go for a bright, summery DP, then found this scrap from K&Co. and it reminded me of an old linoleum floor. I inked the edges with Mustard Seed Distress Ink and put my cheery little cuts on top of it. I think the bright colors add the right amount of whimsy to the vintage. What do you think?
My friend is from Montana, so when it came time to create the envelope for my thank you card, I recalled an old atlas that I had saved just for crafting. (When moving I discovered we had two. What a great excuse to use one for crafts!) I used my MS score board to create the A2 size 'lope.
One last thing: when will they formulate a "quick dry" Stickles? As you can see on my card, there is red glitter stuck all over the front of my apron cut. Of course a piece of paper swooshed across my card before it was done drying smearing red, gluey glitter all over the cut. Arrrggghh! It happens to me more than I'd like to admit.
First creation from my craft space in my new home! To get my creative juices flowing after a long hiatus, I went to my favorite challenge blogspot, "Less Is More". Things come together so quickly for these creations. This week it was MONOCHROME.
"A Child's Year" & "Gypsy Wanderings" cuts. Fruit Punch Stickles. Victorian Velvet Distress Ink. Various papers. A2 size card.
Thanks for stopping by for a look.
P.S.
To Chrissie & Mandi's point in the comments, the lighter cardstock actually IS pink, I think its the photography and light that makes it look lavender. A second attempt to re-photograph made the Stickles look too orange. Errrrr. What's one to do...?
I appreciate the critiques and comments - they are all treasured!
