Make a card - and Envelope to Match

Do you ever stamp a card and then make a matching envelope? I seldom do that, but always like when it turns out. I really LOVE this new Fall set from Stampin' Up! It lends itself so well to doing a collage style. With Fall upon us, you can choose so many colors to mix and match. I think the only thing missing on this card is maybe a button or sparkle or something on the bow. This challenge was posted yesterday on the 365 card blog and when I saw it I immediately thought of this stamp set. So, I dug out all my stuff once again and had fun laying down the colors in the leaves. As I stamped the card, I did the envelope too. I really think that stamping matching envelopes and even doing the inside of a card is something I want to do more of in the future. It doesn't have to be fancy - sometimes just a single image or a strip of cardstock or patterned paper is all it takes to really dress up a card.
Well, that is it for today. I may attempt to do the sketch challenge for today at the 365 Card blog - it is a simple one - but thinking that I need to pack up alot more stuff than I had intended on taking on the road with me. I will probably end up with my baggie full of Sugar Nellie and Magnolia Images and my colored pencils and be happy to color my way across the states! The countdown has started - yesterday was my last day at the spa - and Tuesday the moving truck will be here.
Thanks for stopping by - I hope you have enjoyed your visit and I will be back very soon.

~Paula~

Palm Trees?

Yeah, while Fall is all around us - Pam over at 365 Cards decided to throw out this challenge. It was for Day 234 and we were to Imagine Palm Trees. Well, I had to think on this one a bit - knowing I didn't have any palm tree stamps (if I do, they are all packed up) or any paper that would fit the idea. I even thought about doing a TALL card - with leaves on it at the top - but I decided against that and went with this card. This card is SO unlike me - it sort of takes me back to the days of scrapbooking with stickers! Oh my!!! I wanted to do a 'beach-y' kind of card because here in San Diego there are palm trees at the beach - and we are leaving all that in a couple of days - so this card was sort of a remembrance of all that. I had even thought about getting out my pictures of the palm trees and creating a digital card - not sure if we can do that or not - but I decided against that too.I think digital takes way longer than a regular card.

Thanks for stopping by - I have one more card to post - so you might want to stick around.

~Paula~

Friday Five

Pam over at the 365 card blog really keeps us going with the challenges she posts everyday. Yesterday we had the 333, today we have the fabulous five (or Friday Five)!! Only five elements on your card! I started out with the base (not part of the five) - then layered with my first mat, then a red mat, then my patterned paper. I added the ribbon and the 3-D embellishment for my last two items. I like the way this card turned out. It is simple - but I am only working with limited supplies due to the Joann's Craft for a Cause Contest. I haven't decided yet what card I will enter - you can only enter one item. Perhaps when I think I am done making the cards, I will put them all out there for a vote and see what you all think.

Thanks for stopping by - now I am going to see if I can find a palm tree to use for the challenge from Wednesday (I know, I am going one step forward, two steps back!!) - that one has me stumped. May just have to do leaves!

~Paula~

Three Three Three

Well, I didn't think I was going to get any time to craft these last few days of packing. But after spending nearly all day trying to finish up some last minute packing, I decided to sit down and make a few simple cards. I am still doing the challenges on the 365 card blog - and the challenge for Thursday was to pick three patterned papers, three colors and three embellishments. Now, my cards are quite simple and there is a reason - besides the fact that we are moving in just a couple of days - I am going to enter one of my cards in the Joann's Craft for a Cause. My cause is Operation Write Home and I send cards so they can be sent to the troops. So, the catch was that you had to buy all your supplies from Joann's. I didn't want to get alot - and since there is a push to do Christmas Cards and get them sent by the end of this week, I decided to choose some items that I could put together some Christmas cards rather quickly. So, for my card I chose these three patterned papers, my three colors are red, gold and green and my three embellishments are the ribbon behind the Christmas tree, the angel with the horn and the tree itself. All my elements are from K&Company and the Christmas tree is a 3-D sticker that came in a package with several other stickers.
Simple, but it fits the challenge - and I am sure someone out there will be happy to receive this card from their deployed loved one!

Thanks for stopping by,
~Paula~

Last Post for awhile

As you might have read in my posts over the last several days - I am moving actoss the country in another week. I have been packing up the house and it is coming down to the final few items to get packed up. I have a box of crafting stuff to keep me happy until we get settled - but I have to put it away for now and concentrate on finishing the house. If there is time when everything is ready to load on the truck - then I might make a card or two - but until that time, I must say so long for awhile.

~Paula~

CAS White Space!

I like simple cards. Sometimes they can be really elegant the more simple they are. These cards are not as easy as they appear - oh, the final card might be - but the thought that goes into making them CAS is not simple. When I saw the challenge for today on the 365 Card Blog I thought - hmm, that should be easy enough - especially as my craft supplies are dwindling down as I get them packed away. We were to follow a certain idea in making our card. Just two spots and only in those areas were we to embellish - no other area was to have embellishments, stamping, patterned paper, etc. So, lots of white space. I actually like the way this turned out - I might have used dry embossing on the base - but the rules prohibited that. I hope you like my card and I would encourage you to create one - it is really not that difficult - leaving all that white space! I must say that the picture doesn't really give it that elegance - it really is pretty in real life. :)

~Paula~

Day 232 - BUTTONS

When I saw my friend Gloria's card on the 365 Card Challenge blog yesterday and it said to use 15 buttons - I thought to myself - I am so glad I haven't packed up the button box yet. I had packed away all the buttons I generally use in my crafting - but not the button box. So, I looked through it today - sorting and finding all kinds of crafting treasures among which I found these adorable tiny buttons. I just happened to have the exact number of buttons that we were to use - 15!! I have had this cute little Lily of the Valley image that another friend stamped for me. Isn't she just adorable? I decided that I didn't want to take away from the image by adding alot of other embellishments - so I just kept it simple. I hope you like her.
I have a couple more items to share with you - so stick around.

~Paula~

Sketch for Christmas

I had a chance today to do a few of the challenges from the 365 Card Blog that have been posted over the last couple of days.
This first one was the sketch challenge. Quite a simple sketch and I chose to use the Stampin' Up Holiday paper - 'Deck the Halls' for my background. I looped this bow - I wanted something a little different and it was probably the hardest part of this card. While going through my old button box - an antique from my great grandmother - I found these buttons. I doubt they are as old as the box - but I thought they looked cool with the vanilla ribbon. I used pearls under the sentiment just for an added touch. After making this card - I had to go pack a few more boxes. My goal was to pack a couple boxes, make a card - then back to packing - rewarding myself with a bit of crafting indulgence. It worked - I got more packed and caught up on the challenges - which I will be posting shortly so stay awhile and have a look around while I am busy uploading my cards.


~Paula~

Embossing

I like embossing - as long as it is dry embossing! When it comes to heat embossing - it is not one of my go to techniques. It is messy, and you can't always see if the embossing powder has been sufficiently heated. However, today on the 365 Card Blog the challenge is to pull out a technique that you don't often do - or don't like to do. When I first saw the challenge I immediately thought of heat embossing - but had already packed away my tools for doing this. Well, a discount coupon for my LSS gave me reason enough to go pick up a small jar of embossing powder - besides - mine is SO old I don't know that it would even do what it is supposed too. My heat gun hadn't quite been packed away yet - so I pulled it out and created this Fall card.
I embossed the leaves on the base mat and then stamped a few extra colors in just plain dye ink. I matted with the new Crushed Concord cardstock - which is a beautiful rich color.
I hope you have enjoyed my very simple card.I appreciate all your lovely comments as well.

~Paula~

Triple Challenges

I haven't had as much time to create as I have wanted too - but this morning, I took some time to complete a card for a few challenges. The first challenge was for the 365 Card Blog. Yesterday's challenge was to use specific shapes on your card in a BIG way - A Circle and a Diamond. Well, I had to think about this one for a bit. I knew I hadn't packed away my clear stamps and this diamond pattern is from a clear set. So, I thought on it some more and finally came up with this design. The next challenge that I am doing this card for is the 7 Kids College Fund Challenge #6 Which is to use layers and flowers. I started out by layering the red pattern DP on my card base. Then I cut my large nesties scallop circle and taped that down. I then cut a smaller nesties scallop and then ran it through with one of my CB folders. I popped this off the first circle. I stamped the scroll diamond and fussy cut it and popped it off the circle and finally I stamped the smaller diamond and cut this out and popped it off the previous diamond. I really liked the way it looked and was going to leave it like that, but then decided to add the flower arrangement. Part of the challenge is always to use an image that 7 Kids carries - so I added this ADORABLE Magnolia Angel. I got her in my Fall kit that I got recently and she was just the finishing touch to this card (I think anyway).I colored her with my prisma color pencils - but used Gold Lame on her wand and wings.
I am also entering this card in the ABC Challenge The challenge this week is the letter F - for FLOWERS! There is a fabuloous prize to be had on that blog.
Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed my card. It was fun to do and actually went together quite easily.

~Paula~