Mini Album-Tombstone

 I have made a couple of mini albums since my first try at it.  This is one I made for my husband after our trip to Tombstone.

Below is the link to the video showing the inside of the mini album.

I apologize in advance for my poor video quality.  Something I need to work on.

The album cover is made with heavy weight chipboard.  All the papers are from Recollections.  The catus and other die cuts I used from Cricut's Design Space.

I think this album turned out pretty well.  I am still, however, waiting for the DH to put the pictures in the album.  It still has happened and this has been completed for months.

Eventually, I will put them in myself.  😉

Glittered Congrats!

Getting back into the swing of things has been hard.  Also, I misplaced my mojo.  If you see it please have pity and send it back to me.

I came across this challenge by Curtain Call.  It made me itch to play with some glittered cardstock.  I knew I wanted the sentiment to be in blue cardstock.  I used my Papertrey Ink Congrats die to cut out the sentiment using Recollections glittered cardstock.

Then I wasn't sure what I wanted to do from there.  I have had this card sketch in my head awhile:

I love it, so I used it for inspiration for the rest of the card.  I used a very old Prima stamp set to add the polka dotted strip to the top and bottom of the purple reflective cardstock (also from Recollections).  I used Stampin' Up's Pacific Point to add the dotted stripes.

But, then, it felt like it was missing something.  I really envisioned some silver thread behind the sentiment strip.  However, I did not have any.  So I deconstructed some yarn I had bought from the Dollar Tree before Christmas.  I also popped up the sentiment strip on some foam tape for a bit of dimension.  

That was how this card was born.  It is generic so you could use it for just about any occasion.  The final card is 4 1/4 x 4 1/4.  I even made matching envelopes. 

Not sure I love this card, but I don't hate either.

I am submitting this card to:  Curtain Call's Icicle Challenge

&

"Less is More" Challenge #312 New Beginnings

The last of "The Dreaded Men" Cards

Life has thrown a curve ball, so my year hasn't started out as expected.  But, regardless, I wanted to show you the rest of those cards I made for a swap.  Those cards we all struggle with (or at least I do).  Those cards for the men in our life.

 For the cards above, the mustaches, the feathers, and sentiments were all done with the Cricut.  The paper is all from a Recollections 6 x 6 paper pad I bought that has a travel theme.  The colors were perfect for these cards.

These cards are also birthday cards.  One with a couple of trees I got from the Target Dollar spot during the holidays.  The golf bag is from Cricut's Design Space.  Again, the sentiments I also made with my Cricut writing out what I wanted.  I added two green enamel dots from my stash I made out of pearler beads. I kept these all matching my using the same paper collection.

Finally, here is the whole group of them together.  I loved how they turned out.  I also think the recipient has been enjoying them too.

Hope your 2017 is going well.  I am trying to decide what cards I want to make this weekend.  If I get crafty,  I will be sure to share with you!

Birthday Card Stockpile

I knew it was time to seriously up the number on my birthday stash of cards.  I had depleted it pretty well.  Birthday cards are what I give out the most of.  So as typical in my process, I scoured blogs, Pinterest, my stash till I had something that was coming together in my head. (I typically won't start working on anything till I can "see" the card in my head.)

Now, not every time does it mean I end up with 10 cards in one sitting.  In this case, though, it did.  Yay! 

So, I started out with the latest challenge sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch.  

It is a super cute sketch.  I think I love CAS(E) this Sketch because it is simple and quick.  This happens to be my style.  I still want to be able to pull off shabby chic but I just struggle with that one.  But the super quick, lots of white space, simple cards I just get.  Ya know?

I have been itching to do some ink blending, so I got out my distress inks.  I stuck to a simple color scheme with those, just yellows and pinks.  I used:  mustard seed, scattered straw, spun sugar, and picked raspberry.  I then got out my stash of scrap papers.  I began with the strips of 1 1/2 inch by 5 1/2 inch scraps.  (I cut all my scraps down to certain sizes and if the scrap is less than that or can't be cut down to those set sizes it gets tossed.  😲 Shocking I know.)

Then I just began blending till I liked what I was getting.  To some of the strips I added stamped images from Simon Says Stamp, or some stamps I got with a magazine.  Whatever hit my fancy.  I did stick with the birthday theme.  For some of the strips I added some washi tape from the Dollar Tree.  The plaid tape was gifted to me in a swap.  The owls I picked up from my local Dollar Tree (aren't those owls the cutest?)

Then back to my scraps I went looking at my 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch pieces that would match with the strips.  I then cut those pieces with my stitched landscape dies by poppystamps.  (I picked these up from Simon Says Stamps)  I cut the pieces to show the designs underneath as far up as each one seemed meant to be cut.

I then added some prima flowers to some, some with a few square clear gems, and then some with sentiments I picked up premade from Dollar Tree on kraft cardstock and corrugated board.

I love how they turned out.  Some I am not quite  through with.  I may add some balloons, more gems...we'll see but for the most part they will be given as they are right now.  This was a great sketch that offered a lot fun.

Here are all the cards I made:  

I am entering these cards into CAS(E) this Sketch's #203:See the link Here!

And Incy Wincy Designs Challenge Blog:  Celebrate Challenge