Fall anniversary card

It's about to be that time of year again. My other SIL is about to celebrate her anniversary and I need to make her a card. So...I'll post the card I made for her last year. (I know, blogging hasn't been a priority lately, but hoping to change that.)

Back to the card....

It's been a year since I made this card, so I'll try to remember what I did. I know I used SU leaf stamp and coordinating Sizzix die, woodgrain embossing folder and a piece of burlap. The background was created from leftover Distress Ink on my craft surface. I just used paper to mop up the ink and then sprayed it with gold Glimmer Mist.

I wish I could pick up the sparkle, but at least you can see the texture.

Thanks for looking!

Welcome Baby Girl card

I'm finally an aunt!! My brand new niece was born 9/13 and I wanted to make an extra special card just for her. I found inspiration in "100 Fresh and Fun Handmade Cards" by Kimber McGray. I used the New Arrival cartridge for the image cuts. I inked edges and used the Wink of Stella clear pen (love this!!) to add some sparkle. (Unfortunately, this didn't show up in the photo.)

For the inside: This is the real WOW factor. Each image is inked and stickled and suspended from the pop out with invisible thread.

Supplies:

patterned paper-stars (Martha Stewart Modern Festive), blue stripe (3 Bugs in a Rug)

cardstock-pink (Blush, Colonial White and Buttercup from CTMH), white (Office Max, 110lb.)

inks-CTMH

stickles

twine

brad

Wink of Stella clear

I hope they like it!

Tryscrapbooking,

Lara

Fall cards

Here are some fall cards I recently created. I had two birthdays and an anniversary in October, so I got to use 2 of my favorite stamp sets-Lovely as a Tree (SU) and Nature's Vein (CTMH).

The anniversary card was made using Lovely as a Tree (SU). I inked up the leaf part with distress inks in three colors, then added clear embossing powder while the ink was still wet and heat embossed. The trunks were inked with a brown dye ink marker. That ink dried as soon as it touched the paper and didn't get any powder. I Cuttlebugged the card base and layered a darker orange scrap with distressed edges. The stamped image was matted with brown cardstock. Tied a brown satin ribbon over the corner and presto!! a beautiful card. The card design was cased from http://www.kerinstamps.com/stampin_with_kerin/2009/09/lovely-as-a-tree.html

The second card was used as a Fall birthday card. I used Nature's Vein (CTMH) and did the rock and roll technique to get 2 colors of ink on the stamp. The background on this card has also been Cuttlebugged, but I added ink over the raised design. The twill was already distressed, from my stash. This card was cased from: http://didyoustamptoday.blogspot.com/2010/10/vintage-autumn-with-brayering.html

Hope you like these fall cards. They were both pretty quick and easy to make.

Tryscrapbooking,
Lara

Weddings

I was asked to make 2 cards for some co-workers that will be getting married soon. I didn't know any wedding details, so I did what I could. In a way, that was freeing and in another, very nerve wracking! Both cards fit in standard, A2 envelopes.

For the 1st card--I used SU Bella Blue DP. I cut 2 card bases and stacked them. I needed to make sure that everyone at work had room to sign the card. The inner pages were border punched with the SU Scallop punch. The front panel was cut out and vellum sandwiched between the layers. The church was cut using the Cricut. I added Prima flowers and pearl centers. Each page was stamped with a flourish corner, with another Prima flower.  I used some brown, polka dot ribbon to tie all the pages together. Ok, so here are the pics.....

For the next card, my inspiration was the CTMH Butterfly paper from the Life Delights pack. Then I cut butterflies using my Cricut and painted them with CTMH Shimmer paint!! Again, I had to make enough pages that people could sign, so this time I went with an accordian design. I cut bracket corners with the Cricut and put those on the corners. Here it is....

 

I'll try to get some actual scrapbooking on here next time....since my goal was to have a scrapbooking blog!!

Tryscrapbooking,

Lara

Christmas Thank you cards

Tonight's project was to get those Christmas Thank You cards completed....well, started AND completed :)

Simple card design--standard card size, tent-fold. Patterned paper is from 8x8 CK Scrap Pad (purchased from Big Lots for $2!!) and white CS. The green border strip was edged with my perforator tool on my Cutterpede trimmer. WRMK Corner Chomper at 1/2" for the bottom corners. I used my Cricut to cut out the snowflakes. The red shiny bling are some flat-backed buttons from Walmart. Thank you stamp and SU Basic Black ink.

Now to get them written and mailed. Have you sent your thank you cards yet? Within 2 weeks after Christmas is considered proper etiquette--that's this Friday!!

Tryscrapbooking,
Lara

Snowflake Card Trio

I know I wanted this blog to be about scrapbooking, but we're in the Christmas season and I've been inspired to make Christmas cards!! My inspiration for this card was found on Jan Tink's blog. I loved her card so much, I just had to break out of my rut and make one...I mean three!!

This is the first card I created using Jan's as inspiration. I used kraft CS as the base. I stamped the background with SU's Paisley background in Ranger's Distress Ink-Frayed Burlap, then sprayed with Gold Maya Mist to give it some shimmer. I matted that layer with CM's gold metallic paper. The layers are notched at the corner with SU's corner ticket punch (a favorite of mine!) For the snowflake, I cut that out with my favorite scrapbooking tool, my Cricut Expression-Winter Woodland cart, snowflake 4 (I used real dial size/layers option).

Next, the center design was created using:
SU's scallop circle punch-gold paper,
SU's 1 3/8 in circle punch-cream CS,
CM 1 1/4 in circle punch-gold paper,
CM 1 in-cream CS(stamped image is from SU Party Punch, same ink as above)

The bottom trim was cut 1 in wide, then punch with Fiskars Threading Water punch, wrapped with cream ribbon. I pop dotted both the snowflake and the center scallop.

After talking with some fellow crafters (Beck and Suzie), I just had to experiment with some different colors of metallic paper. I thought a pink snowflake card would be pretty and I'm pretty happy with the results. This card was made with the same basic design, with a few changes. The pink metallic paper came from a paper pack I bought at Walmart and white CS. The dotted background is actually CS from the Co'oredinations Whitewash collection, embossed using the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder, sanded slightly to bring out the pink color. (Co'oredinations CS is fun to use. I really liked the results on this card.) The center was created the same as the above card, but using CTMH Blush ink to stamp the image. The snowflake was sprayed with Elmer's Spray Adhesive, then sprinkled with Crystal Coarse (MS Frosty Gingerbread Glitter pack). OMG!! It's so sparkly IRL!! The picture just doesn't do it justice. Finished off with white satin ribbon.

I think the blue snowflake card is my favorite, although I think that whenever I look at each card! Same basic design as the first two, but this time the background was created using SU glossy CS and an alcohol ink technique. I have a few alcohol inks, but not a large variety of colors, so I borrowed a neat trick I learned from Juli P. and soaked my felt in rubbing alcohol and added a few drops of SU reinkers-Bashful Blue, Soft Sky and Night of Navy, mixed with a drop of TH Metallic Silver mixative. Randomly stamped on the glossy CS, the "alcohol inks" slowly bled together creating a marbled stone look. This time, the snowflake was stamped with Versamark ink and embossed with glittery, embossing powder!! Looovvve it!! Center image was stamped with Night of Navy. Finished with silver ribbon.

So, that's it. There are the 3 Christmas cards I've made. Guess I have some work ahead of me because I don't want to give these away! I've told you my favorite, now tell me which one you like!

Till next time!

TryScrapbooking,

Lara

SNOW time like the PRESENT!!

For those of you who have been patiently waiting for the next blog entry....I've decided to post 2 projects today! My computer is now up and running top speed!!-thanks to the tech-y husband.

SNOW TIME.....

I created this layout for a swap. It was a simple design  meant to use your 4x6 photos, no cropping required! I cut strips from a DCWV paper pack (can't remember exactly which one). The main technique I want to focus on for this page is the title. I cut the letters out in vellum using my Cricut- Mickey Font. I used Liquid Applique on each letter. **If you've never used this before, you should try it. It has a tip so you can really place it where you'd like and then get that heat gun out!! The Liquid Applique PUFFS up!! So cool. I've gotten more compliments on this layout just for that technique. When I was adding the photos to the layout, I thought it still needed something, so I used a white marker to draw a stitched outline on each of the letters. I thought it made them pop more. Be careful when heating....vellum is VERY easy to burn and it will turn brown. The pink rectangle is supposed to be the journaling box (notice the "blankness"). Hope you like it!

...THE PRESENT!!!

I signed up for a Christmas Thank You card swap in Dec. 2007. I had to create a card using "The 3 Wise Men" as my inspiration. So I thought a little pull-out insert would be cute. It was pretty simple to make. I used Basic Grey's Blitzen paper. A little stamped sentiment and Voila!! (BTW, tooting my own horn here....I was voted the best card! A total shock to me since there were some beautiful entries. Thanks, MW!)

Have fun, tell your friends!

Tryscrapbooking,

Lara

For my next trick.....
This is a card I made for my SIL and BIL for their anniversary on Wednesday. They had a fall wedding so every year, I try to make them a fall-themed card. This one was insprired by a card I found here. My pictures didn't turn out as well. Natural, non-direct sunlight is the best to photograph your projects. Too bad I'm a night owl!!

Anyway, I used Tim Holtz alcohol inks (Butterscotch, Wild Plum, Cranberry) on glossy photo paper to create the background for the leaf. The leaf was stamped with my brand new CTMH Nature's Vein, then heat embossed with clear powder. I stamped the veins using brown Staz-On. The leaf was stamped with Versamark ink on regular cardstock that I sponged with 3 different ink colors-CTMH Hollyhock, SU So Saffron and CTMH Sunflower. I dry embossed scraps of cardstock using the Cuttlebug Stylized Flowers embossing folder for the 4 squares and brown cardstock for the matting and background. The tag was a chipboard tag I found in my collection that I swiped with Colorbox inks and stamped with a phrase from CTMH From Me to You. I finished it off with some brown ribbon. I cut out the leaf shape and raised it with pop dots, then popped up the entire center mat image.

I hope you like it!! It's really much prettier in person. I'll have to keep working on my photography skills or at least take my pics during the day :)!
Tryscrapbooking (or card making!),
Lara