Quilt Block Card

I needed a get-well card for a friend who is an avid quilter, and creating a quilt block card was the first thing that jumped to mind. I used mostly circles and squares, then designed a layer to coordinate (the green bits) and cut it using my Cricut and SCAL. This week's sketch over at Mojo Monday was the perfect jumping off point for this large quilt block! The paper is from Crate Paper, and I hand lettered the sentiment. TFL!

P.S. If you're interested, I've listed my quilt block cut file and piecing instructions in my etsy shop. Thanks!

Blog Candy Alert!! There is really great blog candy going on at the following blogs:

Gramma's House of Cards
Going Buggy

Plus all sorts of great inspiration, so check 'em out!

Happy Birthday, Dad! (No peeking!)

My daddy's birthday is coming up, and this week's sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You seemed like the perfect springboard for me to try out this accordian flower technique I've been wanting to try (I believe I first saw it in the SU catalog). It turned out to be trickier than I expected! I highly recommend the tutorial at De Stampin' Corner if you want to try it out -- I think it would have been much easier if I had looked that up first rather than just winging it! I added some piercing accents by drawing flourishes and punching along them with my piercer.

The pp and card base are from We R Memory Keepers Urban Window collection. I cut the 4" circle with my cricut, then sanded it. The circular stamp is from the CTMH Free Spirit set, and the others are from various SU sets. "dad" is from the Cuttlebug Olivia font. TFL!

Here are a couple of close-ups:

A whole stack of stampin' cards...

It's been far too long since I posted a new card -- I've been busy, busy this month! I turned the big 3-0 and had lots of fun with my family and friends celebrating the big event. This past week, I've finally been able to make some cards. Hooray! (Mom, if you're reading this, don't go any further, because one of these is for you...) This one is my favorite -- it's an engagement card for my little brother and his new fiance. The pp is from Sassafrass Lass and the stamps are from the Stampin Up Love Matters set. I colored the letters with PrismaColor pencils and blended with Gamsol. The artisan label is my own design, cut with SCAL and my Cricut (the cut file is available in my etsy shop!).



The following two cards I created for the 2 Sketches 4 You Spring Design Team call. I wasn't going to enter, but I liked the sketches so much I decided to just go for it. I think I emailed in my entry about 5 minutes before the deadline Saturday night! I just got these Stampin Up sets from my friend Tammy for a really awesome deal (thanks again, Tammy!) and I'm having so much fun playing with them. This first one uses the Love Matters set and that same artisan label again, as well as a 5 1/2" scalloped square from the Cricut Mini-Monograms cartridge:



This one uses the "Pick a Petal" set and a JoAnn's metal rim velum tag. I created the scalloped border for the tag using my Cricut and Design Studio. The little tab at the top is from the Cricut Fabulous Finds cartridge, cut at 1". "hi" is from the Cuttlebug "Typewriter" alpha.



These last two are quick cards that I made several of each as thank you's for Christmas and birthday presents. The one on the left uses Stampin Up cardstock (last year's In Color combo) and a cool set of acrylic stamps my mom gave me for my birthday. Their from Inkadinkadoo and came in a huge set of 130 stamps! I'm pretty sure she got them at Costco. I cut the circle and scalloped circle with the Mini-Monos cartridge, and made the scalloped border with my Fiskars Threading Water punch. The little flower is an EK Success punch.

The card on the right uses Chatterbox paper that I've had in my stash for years and a Stampin Up block party stamp, along with another EK Success flower punch for a quick embellishment.



I've started listing some of my cut files in my etsy shop! If you have SCAL for your Cricut, be sure to check them out. I think they'll also work for the Pazzles and Wishblade, but I need to learn more about that. I'll be making a big announcement and offering some fun blog candy once I get more files ready to go, so stay tuned!

Bits and Pieces

I realized I never did show the fun projects I made as Christmas presents. This first one is my favorite -- The quote slips into photo corners, and there's an envelope on the back of the frame with a bunch more quotes so my SIL can change them out from time to time. I love how it turned out! I started with a $1 frame from Michaels, then used Basic Grey paper -- LOVE this Ambrosia line -- Fancy Pants chipboard, and a Making Memories Pin. The butterfly is cut from some of the PP. I designed the quote on my computer.


>

My second project was something special for my mom and dad. This is to hang by a pretty tile portrait of my sister Carissa, who passed away last spring. I took an MDF plaque, spray painted the bottom layer with gold, then added crackle finish before applying the cream layer. I love the effect of the gold peeking through the cream. I cut the vinyl with my Cricut and Sure Cuts a Lot.

It's no secret that I love a challenge blog -- it seems like the only time I get projects done is if I have a deadline! And thanks to my new scrappin' friend Brooke Stockman (whose blog is very much worth checking out on its own), I've discovered two new blogs I'll definitely be participating in:

Mojo Monday -- a new card challenge every Monday, with prizes the first Monday of each month

Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge -- weekly challenges using great movies as inspiration. I think this one will really get my creative juices flowing!

Miss You -- Kazan Sketch #17 at 2S4Y

Another week, another lovely sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You! I decided to let the big flower make the major statement on this card, and I used chalk ink to grunge it up to go with the pp. A little stitching and a hand-written label (which I cut using my own design on my Cricut machine) finish it off. TFL!

Materials:
PP -- Scenic Route
Lace Trim -- Fancy Pants
Flowers -- Heidi Swapp (large), Fancy Pants (small)
Cardstock -- Provo Craft
Chalk Ink -- ClearSnap (Cat's Eye)
Brad: unknown