Birthday Purple

I recently made this card for my precious daughter-in-law's birthday.  She is a lover of all things purple.  I used the new Card Base Pop n' Cuts and Dress Form Pop n' Cuts from Stampin' Up!  The accompanying stamp set and Framelits Dies are appropriately called "All Dressed Up."  This was so much fun to make.  It was a bit like playing with paper dolls which I absolutely loved as a kid.  I created the "mirror" behind the dress form with the Stampin' Up! Labels Framelits Collection (as well as the shapes for the larger DSP.)  I put two graduated size together and cut the "frame" then added aluminum foil as the "mirror."  The greeting is from the SU stamp set "Perfectly Penned."  Pretty cute even I do say so myself!

New Year - New Creations

After being sick with the flu for over a week, I finally felt well enough to go into my craft room and try some new techniques and equipment.  I think the results were pretty good!


I created this cute little "dresser" for my friend, Phyllis.  This was her Christmas present.  I used the "Matchbox Dresser" tutorial from Lydia Fiedler on SplitCoastStampers.  It took an inordinate amount of time, but the results were pretty awesome.  It is made of 24 little matchboxes (Stampin' Up! Matchbox die - discontinued of course).  Phyllis loves black and red so that was my color inspiration.

 

 

 

The little blue dresser below is a modified version using only six "drawers" cut with the matchbox die.  I think it is particularly sweet.  This one was for Rita whose favorite color is blue.

 

The roses on this card were made using the Heartfelt Creations Vintage Floret stamps and dies.  I used the Stampin' Up! doily die and a Spellbinders die called Fantastic Flourish One.  I also used a WOW! embossing powder called Angel Wings.  With bits of lace and ribbon, it turned out very pretty.

 

Santa's Sweatshop

I've begun making special cards for special people.  This one is for my sister Dede.

 

And this one is for Briley.

 

 

This one is for our little angel, Bella.

 

Unfortunately, I don't have time to write anything clever.  I must get to the church to practice the organ.  I have five services to play this month.  Ugh!  And I must get back to Santa's Sweatshop.  Those gifts won't make themselves and so far I have found no evidence of elves just cat hair!

 

Pretty Little Works of Art

I really love easel cards!  This card was created for a friend who has been very ill.  I do hope it will cheer her and help her to recover quickly.  It also gave me the opportunity to use some new toys that I had not used before, i.e. Heartfelt Creation's "Decorative Chateau Gate" die and "Outside My Window" stamp set.  There are lots and lots of layers.  The image of a mill is hand colored using SU Markers and and Aquapainter.  It turned out pretty wonderful even if I do say so myself!  I will definitely be using this die and stamp set again.

Since I love the easel card so much, I made another 6X6 using only Stampin' Up! paper, ink and accessories (except for the brown ribbon and lace which were in my sewing stash!)  This Elegant Bird die is to die for!!!  The color combination is pretty cool as well.  Pool Party is my all time favorite blue (I describe it as a warm aqua blue - reminds me of the Caribbean).

This is waytoo much fun to be legal!!!!!

Father's Day

I thought today was Father's Day so I worked feverishly yesterday to get this card finished.  That was on top of having had NO sleep on Friday night.  When I say no sleep, I mean no sleep.  My butt was totally dragging the ground all day Saturday.  Oh well, enough of poor me!

This card has all the elements of Richard's passion - gardening.   Plus it has his big red truck!  Unfortunately, we have both been very upset about our rose garden which is nine years old now.  It has been infected with a horrible virus called Rose Rosette Disease.  It is spread by microscopic mites.  All of the infected bushes must be destroyed.  Richard has been cutting them out and burning the canes.  It is very sad.  Not to mention a lot of money going up in smoke!

I hope the card will let him know how much I appreciate all the work he does to make our home stunningly beautiful!  (That's when I give it to him NEXT Sunday!!!)

Here are some pictures of the gardens that I took a couple of weeks ago.  Richard has such an amazing green thumb!!!



Birthdays All Around!

There are several birthdays in May and June (including my own!) so I have been making special cards.  One of my favorite techniques is the Treat Cup Slider on Split Coast Stampers (http://www.splitcoasstampers.com) created by Lydia Fiedler.  I seem to keep finding new ways to interpret this card. It is really labor intensive - at least for those of us with a short attention span! I tend to look at the pictures and forget some of the steps so I mess up a lot! However, it's all worth it in the end. Here is the card I created for Robert's birthday. Robert is an avid gardener and grows lots of butterfly attracting plants including the milkweed that attracts Monarch's. I believe he reported 68 caterpillars one day. The evolution must have been amazing to watch. At any rate, I created this card as a nod to his love of flowers and butterflies. Too bad I missed the cake!!!  

Tuesday is Charlotte Ann's birthday.  She was born exactly one week before my second birthday!  So I don't remember much of life without her.  She has been my rock for as long as I can remember.  When I was 5 (she was three) I was taken to kindergarten.  Being a very shy child (I know, it's very hard to believe, but true nonetheless!) I cried and cried because I did not want to be left there.  Charlotte Ann came up to me, put her arm around me and said, "Don't cry Turter (that's three year old for Sister), I'll stay with you."  And she has always been there when I needed her.

We also have waaaaay too much fun for adults.  That's probably because we are Geminis and Geminis never really grow up (The Peter Pan Syndrome!)  We both play music - piano, flute, sax - and sing, so when we get together there is lots of wonderful noise!  And lots of laughter.  We both love to sew as well.  Our grandmother's were both amazing seamstresses.  I guess we got that gene from both sides.  This card takes it's cue from that love of sewing.  Happy Birthday, little Turter!

The chick in the hot pink dress points up the fact that Charlotte Ann stands out in a crowd!!!

A Bag for Miss Rosie

      My sister called the other day and told me about a little lady in her church named Miss Rosie.  In the south we always precede a lady's name with Miss (or Aunt - if she's very close!)  Miss Rosie teaches Bible study and has a wonderful ministry in their church.  My sister asked if I remembered the bag I had sent her for her birthday in which to carry her music.  It was embroidered with a grand piano and musical notes.  She furthered queried where I had gotten that bag.  I replied that, of course, I had made the bag myself - silly girl!  She proceeded to tell me about the ratty bag that Miss Rosie carries for her Bible and study materials.  Obviously, this bag is a complete disgrace!  We cannot have that.  So, knowing that I could not refuse her, my sister asked if I would make something more presentable for Miss Rosie's stuff.

     I went to my computer and looked through the designs I have and found one I thought would be perfect.  It is a Sunbonnet Sue reading her Bible by Embroidery Library (www.emblibrary.com)  I get some of my best designs from them.  I added a couple of floral fluorishes (from a design CD called Spring Linens - I think by OESD) and her name.  I stitched it out on my Babylock Ellisimo.  It took most of a day to stitch out the design and about half an hour to put the bag together.  LOL!!  I must admit, if I could get by with carrying a bag monogramed "Miss Rosie" I'd keep this thing.  It is just way too cute!