A Flowery Hello for the Card Chain Challenge

Hi everyone! I am finally feeling rested after the Valentine's Day frenzy.  Every year I do the same thing; I tell myself I am not going to make any more Valentine cards and I end up making one, teeny, little card and the next thing I know it's five days later, I have glitter glue in my hair,  my hand is glued to my desk, and I can't see anything among the scraps, stamps and embellishments that are all over the place.  I envision it like a crafter's "hangover" and it takes a while to recover!

Anyway, I made this card, which is totally out of my comfort zone (at least I think so) just because, but then I signed up for the Card Chain Challenge and discovered it fit the challenge!  I was really inspired by the new (to me) Spellbinders die set and I had some colorful scrap paper so off I went!  Here are the themes from which we were able to choose for March at the CCC:

Color Palette:

These colors are your guideline - exact matching is not necessary.

OR
Sketch

You can orient this sketch in any direction and/or flip it.
OR
One of the following themes: – Flowers  or  Fish  or  Friendship
OR
One of the following products: Stampers Anonymous stamps, Sequins, Fussy Cutting

My card, which was sent to Lizzy all the way in Australia, follows the theme of flowers and friendship. I hope you like it!

What I Used to Make my Card:
Square Card Base in Mint Green (5 1/4" x 5 1/4")
Blue Sky Paper (from stash)
DCWV Tie Dye Stack (discontinued but available)*
Unity Stamps "Hello" from He's a Wordy Buck, UK-705A
Spellbinders Die D-Lites Flower Field
Distress Ink in Wilted Violet
Martha Stewart Mini Pastel Pearls
Gems from my Stash
Pop Dots

*First, once again Die Cut With a View (DCWV) has released another stack with 

Original Tie Dye Stack

the same name as the stack I used in this project. Just in case you absolutely need the Tie Dye stack I used, this is a picture of the cover. I love DCWV stacks but they can be pretty pricey so I often end up buying them when they have been discontinued.  

All of the papers except the card base come from this DCWV Tie Dye Stack.  I cut out the dies a bazillion times and a bunch of extra flowers. If you aren't familiar with DCWV stacks they often include specialty papers and this one includes both glitter and gloss (a coating similar to the many commercial glazes out there).  All I used on this card were parts of the paper that had glitter, gloss or both, so I got some really pretty flowers.  And for once the gloss isn't leftover glue on the card. 

Another Look

Once felt I had enough of the die cuts, I figured out the placement on the mint green card base and started gluing the cuts down.  I ended up pop dotting some of the flowers but you can't really see that in the photos. There is plenty of texture with all the glitter and gloss; I added even more by using gems and pearls for the middle of some of the flowers.  You should be able to make any of the photos on my blog bigger by just clicking on them; let me know if you have trouble with this. 

Please take a moment to see the Card Chain Challenge Reveal that is posted on the main blog today.  

You get to see who sent who what and where everyone lives.  I am thrilled to be back playing in this "challenge;" it is SO cool to get a card in the mail - it sure beats junk mail! This month I was the lucky recipient of LesLee's card, isn't it fabulous!?! She had to take a short break from crafting, but do pop over to her blog and take a look at the work she has done - it really is marvelous and after that stop over to the Card Chain Challenge and check out the reveal!  Some of us may even include a goody or 2!

Thank you for stopping by and reading this rather long post.  I encourage everyone who makes cards to participate in the Card Chain Challenge.  It's so much fun to see a card online and actually have it in your hands! Please consider signing up, and if you have any questions not answered in the FAQs, feel free to email me and I will see what I can do to help you out. The rewards out weigh the effort!  Fondly, Christi

I am entering my Flowery Hello card in the following challenges:
Pixie's Crafty Workshop - week 275/276 - Anything Goes
Southern Girls Challenge - #156, Dyeing to See You (use a die)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes (entry #2)
Deep Ocean Challenge - #151, Flowers Everywhere
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday - Spring has Sprung

Irish Blessing

Happy March Everyone! This month at House of Cards you can use the following colors and/or Make a Scene.  Look at those moo cows! How cute are they!

Make a Scene and/or Use Color Palette 

I am mostly Irish (in fact, I have a family tree that dates back to the 1500's) and I have had this Irish Blessing stamp since 1999.  It's one of my oldest, but most cherished stamps.  I really only use it for St. Patrick's Day and I should break it out more often; it really is a lovely poem. 

What I Used to Make my Card:
Vanilla Card Base (square 5 1/4" x 5 1/4")
DCWV Linen Closet Stack (I have the OLD one, picture below)
Irish Blessings Stamp, PSX, K-2483
Hero Arts MMH January, heart die (sold out)
Martha Stewart Medium Scroll Heart Punch (discontinued but available)
Poppy Stamps Dianna Border Die, #1029 (retired but available)
Green and Gold Glitter Cardstock
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black

Before I get into the tutorial on how I made this card I have to share about the heart on the upper Dianna Border (the green glitter die cut.)  I knew I wanted to put a heart in the middle of the border and I happen to have the Hero Arts January My Monthly Hero kit still on my desk (shocking! Not really) so I decided to try one of the heart dies included in the kit.  I cut the heart out of gold glitter card and it fit perfectly on the border.  I felt it was kind of blah, so I fished out the Martha Stewart punch.  I have had this punch for ages and have never used it but I thought it would work to spice up my card. So, I punched out the heart in the same green glitter card and the hearts fit almost perfectly!!! I mean, it was like they were MADE for each other! I was SO excited but since this card wasn't posting until this month, I had no one to with whom to share this with, until now.  The Man didn't share my enthusiasm, but I know all of you will!

Another look at the card. If you enlarge
this picture you can see the texture of the dots.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, back to your regularly scheduled program.  I made a square card out of vanilla card and cut the dotted panel out of the DCWV Linen Stack.  You can't really tell, but the dots on the panel are raised just a bit.  I stamped my sentiment on a piece of scrap vanilla card and trimmed it down to fit in the middle of the card.  Then the border and the heart were die cut, and the over heart punched out.  I adore how this came out; it is so sparkly in person and I am awestruck by how cool that heart looks.  When things come together and look even close to what I picture in my mind it is a good day! 

Thanks for reading and I do hope you will join us at House of Cards! Grab your cow stamps, your green goodies from your stash and make some cards.  We would love to see what the prompt inspires you to create.  Fondly, Christi

PS: Here is the picture of the DCWV Linen Closet Stack I use.  Seems that this one is retired and they have come out with another one, so if you are looking for the papers I used be sure you get the "old" Linen Stack.  If you do an internet search for the stack, you can find it in a multitude of places. 






I am entering my Irish Blessing card in the following challenges:
Frilly & Funkie - Welcome Spring
Work it Wednesday - Use the Color or Word Green
Paperminutes - #476, Spring
Crafting by Design - Anything Goes
Crafty Cardmakers - #183, Go Green

Always Use Rubber ~ Destination Paris (#3)

I know this post is late - I got my dates messed up.  Ah well,  Better late than never, right? I made this card for the Always Use Rubber Challenge, #3, the theme this go round is Destinations.  You can use any type of destination, real or imaginary, as long as you use rubber/polymer stamps.  We'd love to have you join us!

I decided I'd like to go to Paris - I wanted to make this card look like an old fashioned post card.  What do you think?

What I Used to Make my Card:
(Most of these products are discontinued but readily available online)
Kraft Card Base
White Cardstock
Adirondack Ink in Latte, Currant & Caramel
Tim Holtz Stamp Set French Market, #CSS25863
Tim Holtz Washi Tape (I think it's Correspondence?)
Martha Stewart Pastel Mini Pearls
Basic Grey Bling It Rhinestones
Dresden Star in Gold

I have had these Adirondack Ink pads since I started stamping back in the '90's - they were the first ink pads I ever bought and I still love the color palette.  I know Ranger is discontinuing and revamping their inks, but you can still get these beautiful earthtone inks from most places online.  So, thinking about the vintage postcard look I wanted, of course I turned to these ink pads.

Another Look

I began by stamping the diamond pattern from the French Market set using the caramel ink and a very light touch.  I then stamped the Eiffel Tower over the background using the currant ink.  To blend the background and the image a bit better, I stippled latte ink over the entire piece.  I added the washi tape to the top and bottom of the panel and blinged it out a bit.  I cut the Dresden star in half and added that to the sides of the main image.  Lastly, I mounted the stamped panel to a Kraft card base. 

I enjoyed "getting back to my roots" with the ink choices and stippling (something I haven't done in SO long).  I hope you'll break out some of your long lost rubber and join us at Always Use Rubber! ~ I hope to see your stamped cards and projects there ~ Christi

I would like to enter my Destination Paris card in the following challenges:
Everybody Art Challenge - #387, Vintage
Brown Sugar Challenge - #223, Anything Goes
Craft Stamper Magazine (November) - Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting my blog.  I'd love it if you'd follow me (please let me know in the comments!) and I'd be thrilled to add your blog to my blog list.

Winter Inspiration at Craft-Room Challenges

The lovely Debbie adores using pictures as inspiration, so she chose this one for challenge # 91 at the Craft-Room Challenge.  I am very sad to say that this will be the last challenge at the Craft-Room Challenge.  I had a lovely time as one of the design team members and I am going to miss each and every one of my teamies - hopefully I will get to work with them in the future ~ ok, on with the challenge!

The woman in the black dress inspired me to make this holiday card. I enjoy making holiday cards out of non-traditional colors so that was the route I went.

What I Used to make My Card
Martha Stewart Punches 
Corner Punch from Stampin' Up!
Sincere Salutations Stamp Set from Stampin' Up!
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
A2 White card base
Black Cardstock
White Cardstock

I have seen so many lovely cards made with die cuts and Silhouette cuts, you

The punches I used

know those beautiful cards with layers and ribbon and flowers? Well, I am not much for flowers on my cards, I don't have the fancy dies to cut from yet and I need a new blade for my Silhouette so I decided to see what I could do with the punches I have. Honestly, I HAD to have the Martha Stewart punches and this is the first time I am using them.  I still can't get the hang of the coveted "punch around the page".
 

The layers (except the large black)

 I started out with a piece of black cardstock cut a 1/4" smaller than the card base and picked out some punches to decorate it.  I used the Martha Stewart "Swirly Corner" (I don't have names for the Martha Stewart punches, so I named them myself) in the corners and then used the "Scallop Dots" for the center of the panel.  I cut the white panel smaller than the black panel and used the same punches.  For the smallest black panel I used just the "Scallop Dots" since it was too small for the "Swirly Corner" punch.  The last white panel, after I stamped my sentiment, had the corners rounded using the Stampin' Up! corner rounder. I then layered the panels with pop dots (I'd used fairly low pop dots - I may want to mail the card) and that was it. 
 

Thought I'd show you the dimension of the card

I had a fabulous time coming up with different designs with the punches & I hope you like what I came up with! There are 2 full weeks for you to join us at the Craft-Room Challenge and we'd love to see how you interpret the inspiration photo and show some love for our last challenge. Blessings! Christi

I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - #288, Christmas
Craft Hoarders Anonymous - #21, Celebrate the Season (Martha Stewart punches are over a year old and this is the first time I have used them)
Crafty Card Makers and More - #129, Christmas
Fantasy Stampers Challenge - #25, CAS Christmas