Floral Thank You Cards

I can't seem to stop making more than one card and these cards are no exception!  The floral panel is SO pretty {and I just got the stamp, first time using it!} I had to cut it in two to make double the cards.  Plus, super easy cards are fantastic and I can never have too many thank you cards {the trick is actually sending them out!}

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Bases
Gina K. Amalgam Ink in Obsidian 
Watercolor Paper {I use this}
Zig Clean Color Brush Markers 

Water Brush

Simon Says Stamp Pretty Peonies Background Stamp, #SSS101961
Simon Says Stamp Thanks & Leaves Stamp Set, #SSS101894 
Simon Says Stamp Fine Detail White Embossing Powder
VersaMark Ink 
Matching Dark Pink Cardstock

I stamped the peonies onto a piece of water color paper, using the Obsidian ink and used my Zigs to water color the image in.  I cut the paper in half, attached

One of the cards

each piece onto white card bases. Then, I was lucky enough to find some dark pink card that I think matched the peonies very well, so I used that to emboss the sentiment on.  I attached the sentiment and now I have 2 more pretty Thank You cards to add to my stash.

And the other card

As I am trying to use up the cards I make I think I will fill this out with just a Thank You saying on the

inside and put it in my purse so that the next time I go to the grocery store, or to get gas, or anything where I depend on others to work so I can get what I need and give them the card.  Maybe it will bring a smile to someone's face.  Thanks so much for visiting and I'd love to visit you back - leave me a comment so I can pop over to your crafty space and leave you some love ~ Fondly, Christi

I am entering my cards in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

NBUS - Challenge 14

Moving Along with the Times, #118 - Flowers

TTCRD - Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More, #391 - Anything Goes

Arty Divas, #22 - Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations - Say it with Flowers

We Were Mermaid for Each Other

While this is an older Lawn Fawn set, it's brand new to me and what better time to break out an adorable mermaid couple than when we are all stuck together and maybe not feeling so loving towards those we are stuck with?  I dearly love my family, but things are starting to feel a bit. . . crowded.  I just keep telling myself this too shall pass :) 

What I used to Make my Card:
Navy Blue Card Base
Lawn Fawn Mermaid for You stamps, #LF1167
Lawn Fawn Mermaid for You dies, #LF1168
Pre-made Distress Oxides Ink Background {I always have a bunch of these around}
Various Hero Arts Inks
Watercolor Paper {I use this}

Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black

Zig Clean Color Brush Markers

Light Blue Card
Sakura Gelly Roll Silver Pen, Stardust
Scrap White Card

I had already made the background of the card; I find it very helpful to have a bunch of these backgrounds in various colors ready to make into a card at any time.  I find it very relaxing to play with the Distress Oxides.  I love the fact that you really can do no wrong with them.  If you don't like the way the colors blended or thought it would look different, you can always add more Oxides to the watercolor paper or use any number of shimmer sprays to liven it up.  I also keep all the scraps from my backgrounds {at least the ones that are 1/4" or bigger.}  You'd be surprised at how many uses come up between stamping a sentiment or weaving bits together.

Since my background was done, I moved on to the elements of the card.  I stamped, colored, and cut all the pieces, some on watercolor paper and some on plain scrap white.  For the images I stamped on the white scrap that didn't need to be colored, I used various Hero Arts inks.  The Oxide Ink background was

Another Look

glued onto a navy blue card, another scrap of white was glued inside so the giver would be able to write inside the card, and then all of the pieces were glued onto the front of the card.  I am by no means a talented color-er but looking back at my earlier creations, say last year and the year before, I'm happy to say I've gotten better, at least with water coloring.  I look at my cards from way back and I just cringe, but I try to look at how I've grown rather than focus on how bad I was.  I'm talking cards so bad they will never see the light of this blog.  I've also lost my irrational fear of alcohol ink markers which is handy since I am watching videos and reading tutorials on how to use them {one of my on going goals.}  How are you doing with your crafty goals?  Do you go back to your older cards and marvel at your progress?  You should!  Maybe I should make a page {or start a challenge!} for "The Cards We Made Way Back Then!"  Hope you enjoyed my post and I hope you come back and visit me soon!  Fondly, Christi

I am entering my card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Make a Scene 
Little Patch of Crafty Friends, #130 - Anything Goes
Three Muses - Something Fishy
Through the Purple Haze, #166 - Anything Goes
Cardz TV, #112 - Anything Goes
Alphabet Challenge Blog - A is for Anything Goes

Binge Together

Those who binge together, stay together!  When the Man and I first met, I would go to see him in Detroit and there was nothing to do {meaning I couldn't craft} so we'd binge watch TV.  We watched two seasons of Orange is the New Black, countless Law and Order marathons, and much more.  I think you learn a lot about a person by the television shows they watch!  The fact that he had the same sick sense of humor I have had a major impact on our relationship ~ this card is for him!  

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Lawn Fawn Stitched Wood Grain Backdrop, #LF1501
Lawn Fawn Screen Time stamps, #LF1684
Lawn Fawn Screen Time dies, #LF1685
Tutti Designs Cross Stitched Nesting Rectangles, #TUTTI-410
Die-Namics Stitched Oval STAX
Die-Namics Stitched Fishtail Sentiment Strips
Watercolor Paper {I use this}

Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black

Zig Clean Color Brush Markers

Kraft, Dark Brown, Dotted Red Cardstock {stash}

Once I embossed the kraft paper with the wood grain backdrop {this reminded me of the paneling we had in the living room in the house where I grew up but the wood grain on the die is much nicer than the fake wood grain we had}, I proceeded to design my room.  I've seen quite a few cards featuring this set and the artists have drawn sofas and chair for seating the people - nope.  You probably wouldn't be able to tell WHAT they were sitting on if I tried that, so I decided they were on a beanbag chair which I cut using the oval die and the red card with dots.  You can't really see the dots in the picture, but they are there.  Then I cut the TV stand out of the dark brown card using the rectangle die.  I thought about adding a side table to the bean bag chair but it looked too crowded. 

The figures, television, food, drinks and other accessories were stamped, colored, and cut.  I actually made the male figure holding a soda and a pepperoni pizza, as my Man has been known to do.  I prefer to snack on chips so I made myself a bag of PopCorners chips in the Kettle Corn flavor.  Have you tried these chips yet? They have literally changed my life!  As far as snacks go, they aren't terrible for you; the bag is biodegradable and there all sorts of good reasons to eat them.  I bought a small bag at the Dollar Tree and loved them SO much I began ordering them by the case via Amazon.  If you like Kettle Corn, or sweet and salty snacks, these chips have your name written all over them.  I'd be happy to send you a sample {seriously, they are THAT good.}  Just look on the right side of the blog, find my email and drop me a line. 

Close Up

Back to the card - I attached all the pieces of the scene to the main card and put the little heart bubble above the Man's head since he's thinking how much he loves me since I've gotten him hooked on all kinds of reality television; nothing too fake, no famous-because-they-made-an-x-rated-tape type shows, just competition shows like Hell's Kitchen and some of the Marriage Boot Camp shows so we can giggle.  Oh, and we like American Beauty Star, Project Runway, and he turned me on to Chopped which is quickly becoming one of my favorite shows.  For the record, we also watch lots of documentaries so we aren't complete bubble heads.  What shows do you watch? Anything you'd recommend that I should watch?  Leave me a comment, making sure your blog info is available so I can visit your blog and leave you some bloggy love in return!  Hope to see you soon!  Fondly, Christi

I am entering my Binge Together Card in the following challenges:
Creative with Stamps - M, #35, Love
The Male Room - #104, Love Your Men
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Non-traditional Valentines
Watercooler Wednesday - #208, All About Occasions
Die Cuttin' Diva's - #407, Love
Try it on Tuesday - Romance
Shopping our Stash - #389, Make Your Mark {use markers}

I Love . . .

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know how much I adore Lawn Fawn.  It's such a departure from my old style but I just can't get enough of these amazingly cute critters!  I decided to use the older Stitched Cloud Background and Stitched Hillside Backdrop coupled with the new-ish Hay There stamps and dies to enter the Lawnfawnatics Challenge #37, Use Something Old & Something New. 

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Brown, Blue, Yellow and Red Cardstock
Lawn Fawn Stitched Cloud Backdrop: Landscape #LF1423
Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Backdrop: Landscape #LF1502
Lawn Fawn Hay There Stamp Set, #LF1595
Lawn Fawn Hay There Dies #LF1596
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Zig Clean Color Markers
Watercolor Paper (whatever you have on hand, I use Strathmore Ready Cut Series 500 paper)
Water Brush (chose whichever you have, but I always use a detail, or small, one)

When I get a new stamp set, I usually already have a card in mind once I break it out of the package.  This adorable set was no different.  I knew I wanted to use the cute little word bubbles that the cow and the ewe use to speak to each other and the card sort of fell into place after that. 

I stamped all my images onto watercolor paper, colored them, and then cut them out.   Then I die cut the hills, the clouds, the cute little cottage, and the smoke coming out of the chimney.  Those little heart shaped puffs of smoke are so sweet and you can choose to leave them open, or fill them in (with the leftover cut pieces) like I did.  

Another Peek

Once everything was colored, dried, cut, and ready to assemble, the first thing I did was attach the hills die cut to the clouds and let that dry thoroughly.  I used to struggle horribly with construction of scenes and water coloring until I learned to let everything DRY - dry this before you add that.  Things go much smoother for me and, since I already have everything cut out, once something dries I can just pop on the next piece with no issues.  Once the background was done, including the house, I moved my animals around to figure the best placement.  In no time I had placed the cow and the sheep and I was done.   One of my favorite things about dies is that you can use them together, or alone, or even mix sets! The possibilities are endless!

I hope this little tutorial inspires you to try something new, no matter what it is.  We grow exponentially when we experiment and play; I sometimes worry that making cards has become so competitive that the fun has left.  But, then again, you are responsible for your own fun, so I say get to creating some FUN! Hugs, Christi

I am entering my I Love Card in the following challenges:
Lawnfawnatics - #37, Use Something Old and Something New
Stamping Sensations - M, I Spy Something Beginning with the Letter B - bovine
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - M, #18, Anything Goes w/ a Critter (or 2)
Let's Craft and Create - M, #141, Anything Goes w/ Option of Friendship
Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - M, Sept, 2nd Entry
Sunny Day Crafting - M, Animals
Allsorts Challenge - #485,  Create a Scene 
Crafty Animals - #18, Always Anything Goes w/ an Animal
Brown Sugar - M, #282, All Creatures Great and Small
Cute Card Thursday - #547, Dies and/or Punches, 2nd Entry
Double Trouble {ref by Brown Sugar} - #10, 3 Colors and a Stamped Image, plus optional critter and punny sayings