Father's Day and PaperCutz Challenge 96

Happy Friday everyone!  Last week I thought I'd be able to make a post each day showing masculine and/or Father's Day cards.  However, real life was secretly laughing at me.  So, I have several cards to show you today.  These are cards I designed and taught at my local LSS.  This was the first class that was all me so to speak and it was a lot of fun.  I forgot one step in one card, but hey, its paper.  First is the card for PaperCutz Challenge #96. 

The challenge is a Father's Day card using a tag and any colors.  I made this pocket card.  It is a standard A2 card.  The pocket stamp is from Heartfelt Creations, the 2 sentiments are HOTP and the dad comes from a $1 stamp from Michaels.  I used textured white paper and denim Adirondack ink to make the jeans material.  All embossing used pewter Zing embossing powder.  I couldn't find any pewter brads so the rivets in the pocket are copper Stickles.  Quick, easy and fun.  The pocket can also hold a gift card.  If you are a sewer, you could probably make this card out of a real pair of jeans!

The next card is a regular pyramid card with a masculine focal.  I really enjoy using these LaPashe focals.They don't need to be cut out and they have many different varieties.  They can be purchased here.  

 


These are easily made for any masculine card needs.  You can just change the greeting inside.







The last group of cards were done using stencils for theorem painting.  All 3 come from Jean Hansen Publications.  Generally, these stencils are used with paint sticks, but I used Adirondack and Distress inks. The wolf and moose are pullout cards, using the tab to "open" the card for the greeting.  This is very simple to do; using an A2 card place it with the fold on the bottom cut a second piece of cardstock slightly smaller, decorate both as desired and put the smaller panel inside the card (this piece must be inserted upside down or the greeting will be upside down) aligning with the bottom and right corners and use a brad to put them together.  I made small pull tabs from circles to make it easier to open the card.

This is an interesting twist on a traditional card.  The stencils are very easy to use and produce "wow" effects.  After a little practice (not shown LOL), I can do one of these stencils in about 10 minutes using inks.

The bear was finished the same way.  Only this card is a traditional 5x7.  I used wood that is sold in sheets for papercrafting.  I'm hooked on using this, it makes a wonderful look with various shading, but can also be altered.





That's it for this week.  With 5 boys, a husband and 2 grandsons I need to have many different options for masculine cards.  I hope these ideas help you as well.

Have a great weekend and Happy Father's Day!

Please, leave comments - I'd love to hear from you.

PaperCutz Challenge #95

Happy Friday everyone!  Here in Maine we finally have sunshine and close to 90 degree weather.  Summer finally decided to arrive.

This week at PaperCutz Challenge we're having an anything goes with a twist week.  Make any project you would like using pink, white and black only.  Be sure to check out what the rest of the design team made, they are gorgeous.  I decided it was finally time to use my pink and black flocked paper - I've had it forever but couldn't make myself cut into it.

The entire card is made from HOTP supplies and I used 3 of their "specialty papers" - flocked, glimmer and "shine design" which is a glossy paper.  I used the Scandinavian Heart template for the focal and a punch for the flowers - you simply fold them and add a brad!  I really like HOTP templates, I use them over and over again which makes them a great value for my scrapping dollars.  I offset the heart with a white one I had glittered up (can't tell in the picture).  This card is destined for my Operation Write Home box, so I am going to have to swap out the glitter backing for plain white.

As always, I hope you play along with us and have a great week!  I am teaching a Father's Day card class at my LSS and am hoping to post one of the cards each day next week.  Please stop by!

PaperCutz Challenge #94

It's Friday again and I am off to camp for the weekend.  Not my favorite place but my husband LOVES it and I love him...you know how it goes.

This week the PaperCutz Challenge is to make a project with a beach or travel theme using any colors you  would like.  I chose to use this wonderful stamp - she certainly has character to make a card for Operation Write Home.  At the moment I can't remember which company the stamp is from, but if anyone is interested, I'll dig it out when I get home.  I colored her with Copics (I'm getting better, but still learning) and papers are from DCWV, finally, the flip-flops are from Joanne's (bought years ago when I made calendars for sisters-in-law).

 Be sure to check out the other design team  member's projects - they are terrific and full of inspiration!

l also wanted to share another card using my Heartfelt Creations stamp.  The flower center is Prima and the wonderful border is Spellbinder's.  The papers and greeting are HOTP.  Hard to see in the photo but the inside bottom is lined with shiny silver paper to match the silver tinsel EP from Stampendous.





I'm really working at using what I have, especially when it comes to paper!  It is hard though - there is always something I "have to have" because it is "ooh, so pretty".  Problem is I already have enough paper to last the rest of my life (and I'm not really that old :).  I've made an exception though for the Heartfelt Creations stamps and dies.  But that's it...I'll keep you posted.

Have a great weekend, spend some time being creative - it is the most relaxing thing I know!

Heart felt Creations

Happy Memorial Day everyone!  A special thank-you to all those who have served in the Armed Forces or have lived through a loved one's deployment into harm's way.  A special heartfelt thank you to those who have lost a service member.  I will never forget those who answered the ultimate call to duty for their country.  It's easy to say "freedom isn't free", its much more difficult to put your life on the line everyday for that belief.  As a disabled veteran myself, I know that the cost of service for our country is often a life-long challenge for the veteran and those they left behind.

I have been busy playing with absolutely wonderful stamps from a new to me company Heartfelt Creations.  They have beautiful floral stamps with a twist - many of their designs have matching dies for cutting.  The blooms either work with an existing Spellbinder's die or they are a Spellbinder's exclusive for the stamps.

I found out last fall my daughter had a tattoo!  I know they are very common, but with five boys as well as Toni, I never thought it would be her.  I decided to do a page about this and used blossom's from Heartfelt to make a feminine feel to the page.

The main papers are from HOTP and they are flocked - I finally decided to use them instead of just "petting" them.  Toni's tattoo is actually the initials for her and her 3 brothers.  She knows they always have her back, so she decided to always have them with her.  I must admit, I cried when she told me why she picked "brat" for a tattoo.

 These are closeups of the flowers.  All are heartfelt with the exception of the 2 small pink ones in the second picture.  They were made from dies by Ecstasy Crafts.  The stamps from Heartfelt are easy to use on DP, vellum or cardstock.  You can layer them as is or as I did with the light blue and purple ones in the second picture, I cut off the back petal from the stamp to get an entirely different look.

These flowers also make wonderful card focals.  Another set is Daffy Daffodils and I made this card from them:

The three daffs on the border are one stamp and what I really appreciate is the stamp of a single daff which you can use for accent.  It isn't easily seen, but I stamped the daff head tone on tone on the yellow DP (DVWV).  I colored the images with Copic markers and foam taped them over the images for some dimension on the card.

All of the stamps are available from Inspired Designs.

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful long weekend.  Here in Maine, we finally have some sunshine!

Operation Write Home Sketch 70

I was lucky enough to be able to help out OWH by making samples for one of Julie's wonderful sketches.  The original OWH post is here.  I had a lot of fun making these samples - by now they have made their way overseas and (hopefully) been sent back home with a note of love by one of our Sailors, Soldiers, Airman or Marines.  Making cards for OWH has become very important to me; I was hoping to be able to send a  box of cards a month, but I am averaging a card a day, so I think my new more realistic goal will be 365 in 2011!

This card was made using K&Company paper.  It's hard to tell in the picture, but the heat embossing was done with Zing! neon orange on purple cardstock.  Sounds funky, I know, but it came out very cute.  I used my Nesties to cut the circle from the card front and to make the scallop.  The flower was made from a punch.

This card was made from HOTP papers using Nesties again for the circles and I folded a large flower in half.
Please, join in on the fun, make some cards using the sketch or not and help our service people keep in touch with home!

Operation Write Home and Father's Day

Seems a little early to be thinking about Father's Day, doesn't it?  But, to get cards to the troops and then back home to their loved ones everything has to be early.  I had just finished filling a box with cards, when I saw this post about not having enough Father's Day cards.  I hadn't made any, thinking they probably had more than they needed, but what do I know? LOL

So the challenge was to make five of the tie cards from the post (a great tutorial by the way!).  I ended up making 12 and because I didn't make it to the post office today, I'll probably add a few more before shipping them tomorrow -  I even gave a few pockets and handkerchiefs.  If you can, whip up a few and send them to the shipper nearest you - they will be much appreciated.

As always, I'd love it if you left some comments!

PaperCutz Challenge #91

Hello everyone!  This week at PaperCutz Challenge we are tasked with making a project for grads using any colors.  I have posted pictures of my son's graduation from college.  To tell you what kind of scrapper I am, I finally did his pre-school graduation a week before his college one.  I've never scrapped in order, I'll go through pictures and find the ones that "speak" to me. Thank goodness for 3-ring albums LOL.

I definitely know the papers came from HOTP, I'm not sure about all the embellishments.  I'm very proud of him; he is now in grad school working on his Master's.

Please play along with us this week!