my friend

That's YOU, I hope!  So happy you decided to come for a visit today.  We had a pretty scary time of it this weekend with some nasty storms.  There were tornadoes in the area which did a fair amount of damage, but luckily no deaths or major injuries.  Certainly nothing like what the poor folks in Oklahoma have seen.  Lots of prayers going out to them.

On a happier note, I do have a card to show you today.  We're having 'friendship' week over at the Card A Day Blog.  I think a cheery card for a friend is one of the easiest cards to create.  Just put together a few elements that please you, and you're done!  That's pretty much what I did with my card.

I happened to have a few pieces left over from when my sister was visiting.  I thought it would be easier to use them for a card rather than put them away.  That sound too much like 'cleaning.'  I decided on a banner style, and started playing.

My base card is a piece of kraft cs that was left from an earlier project.  The blue mat was left from my sister's playtime, as were the three pieces used for the flags.  I used a border punch for the 'valance', then added a thin strip for trim and a few pearls for extra prettiness.  Last step was to add the cute little sentiment.

 

 

As you can see, I brought the colors to the inside with just a few thin strips of the design papers, using them in the same order as on the front, and then stamped the greeting.

 

This was actually one of my quicker cards to make, from idea to completed project.  I usually fuss for much too long a time before I manage to get started let alone get finished.  ;)   I'm also entering this card in the CDAC Anything Goes Challenge.

 

Here is your peek at the full front of the card.  I hope you can see the sparkle in the center flag.

 



The details are short and sweet:

          Papers:  KandCo and Recollections
          Pearls:  Recollections
          Punch:  Creative Memories
          Ink:  Versamark black onyx
          Stamps:  Stampendous 'Happy Messages' set SSC109

Thank you so much for your visit.  I'll be back with you in a few days.  In the meantime, I hope everyone has some nice calm weather and lots of wonderful moments!

Big HUGS,
CHRISTINE

Just Because

Hi lovely friends!!  This card was such fun to make.  The theme for this week at the Card A Day Blog is Just Because.  I guess you can use almost anything for a just because type of card to make it appropriate for the intended recipient.  I chose butterflies because they're light and free and fun, and they always make me smile.

I was with my sister recently.  Many of you know she also makes cards.  As usual she had lots of scraps laying on her table, so I brought a few home with me to make a card, and the pieces were just perfect for this week's theme.

As you can see, I have lots of butterflies flitting around the vine climbing the trellis.  The card base is the standard A2 (5 1/2 x 4 1/4).  I liked the look of the mat leaving a border only on the two sides so I cut it the length of the base and 1/4" smaller in the width.  The white mat is embossed using the Cuttlebug, and the butterflies are attached only in the center to look as though they're actually flying.

Here's a closer shot...all the butterflies are different:

 

 I decided to bring just a little bit of the design to the inside of the card.  I used just a patch of the DP for a tiny 'meadow' scene with some tiny butterflies.

Here's one more pic, and then your list of supplies:

     Embossing Folder:  QuicKut Diamonds & Dots

     Die:  Sizzlits:  Branch w/Leaves (medium)

     Paper:  K&Company DP 'Happy Trails', DCWV textured paper for leaves, Stampin' Up for base

     Punch:  Martha Stewart Border Arches, various small butterflies (sorry, don't know)

Wishing you a most beautiful day . . . . . . . just because!

Always keep your creative genius happy and well-fed!!

CHRISTINE

MY FAVORITE SANTA

Christmas is getting ever closer.  I hope all of you are closer to being finished with your preparations than I am.  I still have a looong way to go. ;~(   But this week on the Card A Day Blog we are preparing you for all those 'thank yous' you'll be needing once the holidays are over.  For my special thank you card I decided to go back to a novelty fold, but with a little surprise.

I definitely wanted to carry over the Christmas feeling with my card.  I started with a piece of two-sided designer card stock 8 1/2" square.  It was scored at 2 1/8" from each side, then rotated and scored at 4 1/4".  With the 4 1/4" score mark at the horizontal, I cut out the two upper 2 1/8" corners, leaving something that looks like a chunky upside-down T.  The top 4 1/4" square is folded down, and the two sides are folded in to create a gate-fold style card.  From there it's just a matter of the design elements. 

I wanted to keep it fairly basic since it was already a specialty card with the folds.  Here's the first photo.

I used a packaged tag, stamped the 'thank you' with Versamark and used black embossing powder.  I added a few die-cut pine branches and used foam tape to affix the tag to just the left side of the card front.

On the front surface of the folded down square, I used my own printed sentiment, cut it out with another die, inked it a bit and added two more pine branch die cuts.

 

When the inside piece is lifted, you'll see another packaged tag with a stamped Santa and the rest of the sentiment I printed and die cut.  The tag and the die cut have been inked.

The surprise I promised is that the Santa tag is a pop-up.  You'll have a better look in the next two photos.  I added another tag to be used for the signature and personal message.

Here is one last pic for you of the full front of the card:

As you can see, I really did keep the card clean and simple, letting my chosen card stock do most of the work for me.

So glad you came to visit today!!  Hope you'll have a sec to leave some love, too!

Here are the supplies used in this card:
          Paper:  K&Company 'Yultide" designer paper, Stampin' Up Very Vanilla, Tags from Hot Off the Press Luscious Christmas Labels pack
          Ink:  VersaMark, Tim Holtz by Ranger Antique Linen
          Stamps:  Papertrey Ink Communique Curves Sentiments set, Inkadinkado Christmas Characters set
          Dies:  Spellbinders Petite Scallop Circles and Lacy Ovals, Cheery Lynn Designs Pine Branch
          Extras:  Stampendous Detail Black Embossing Powder, Zig 2-Way Glue Pen, Inkssentials Opaque White Pen, Copic Markers

This is my final post for the Card A Day Blog for this year.  We'll be starting up again right after the holidays are over with lots more inspiration for your year-round cardmaking.  Be sure to stop by in the meanwhile; I'll be popping in on occasion as time allows.

Always keep your creative genius happy and well fed!

Christine