A SPRING CARD WITH CHIPBOARD

Here's a fun card I made for Spring, using a recycled piece of chipboard for an accent.  This also fits a sketch challenge for a Spring card and, as you know, Spring has been calling my name!
I've used our S-A-B Everyday Enchantment DSP for the card and to cover the chipboard accent.  If you're like me, it's easy to come across odds and ends of left-over embellishments, like my chipboard and so fun to put it to use in a new project.

This is a 5 1/4" square card.  It's fun to use this larger size when you want to include larger accent pieces.  I've added Pool Party ruffled ribbon for an accent across the front.  I used the Decorative Label punch for the sentiment (from the Sincere Salutations stamp set) and sponged around the edges, to add more dimension.

As you can see, this card has lots of green (very Spring!!!) and lots of dimension.  I used the Fun Flowers die to cut the layers of the flower and added one of our In Color brads to the center.  I finished off the card with a spritzing of my Frost White Shimmer Paint/alcohol mixture to give it lots of sparkle.

So, here's to green (another fun challenge) and to going green (with reusing old chipboard) and to Spring!

Just a reminder...

Do you need reminders for special days, events, 'to do' lists, etc.?  How about a little memo board to keep track of your reminders?
I've had this board sitting around for a while --- quite a while, actually --- and was waiting for inspiration on what to do with it.  It's really a write and wipe board, but I'm more apt to use a magnetic board.  Well... the other day, I was cleaning out my storage room and came across this board --- again:)  I had this 'I wonder' moment and grabbed a magnet to test on it.  Sure enough, it is also magnetic.  Wish I'd thought to try this a long time ago!
I decided to decorate it with some of our S-A-B Everyday Enchantment DSP.

I added a card I received from my friend Robin and 2 of the trifold cards I made.  They all use S-A-B materials.  The DSP is just held on with the magnets, so I can change it out to coordinate with whatever display I want to use with it.  The magnets are made with buttons and fabric covered brads that I had on hand.
Tip:
If you'd like to attach your DSP permanently to your memo board, you can brush on a liquid adhesive to hold the DSP in place.  Use a sponge brush and try to keep from getting the DSP too wet, as it will ripple.
So, if you'd like a quick and easy project --- for you or a special gift --- try a cute little memo board.

And, speaking of reminders, don't forget about my upcoming classes:
Mar. 12:   Scraps and Prayers (Monday)
Mar. 16:   Friday 3-4-5 Class (3 cards for $5.00)
Mar. 17:   Saturday Morning Brunch Bunch
Mar. 19:   Monday Morning Brunch Bunch
See my March class schedule for complete details.

A Hybrid Card

After my husband's car disaster this morning, I wanted to chase away the gloomy feeling by creating a very vibrant and cheery card.  I chose Poppy Parade, Concord Crush and Daffodil Delight.  I decided to use the Mojo Monday card sketch challenge to plan my layout.
Here's what I came up with, including some work with MDS:

The flowers are from the Fabulous Florets stamp set.  The flowers stamped on the Whisper White background are actual stamps.  The larger (daffodil delight) flowers were created using MDS.  The beauty of a hybrid card is that you can still coordinate all your images, but you can also create the size that you need to work with your design.  I printed mine on Whisper White CS and then cut them all out and attached them with dimensionals.

The center flower has extra layers of just parts of the image, to give even more dimension.  I used Poppy Parade ribbon and the text is from the Fabulous Florets stamp set.  I sponged the edges of the piece with the text.  You can also see that I added a layer of Everyday Enchantment DSP behind my little strips of CS.  Once again, I have a card with lots of layers, texture and dimension.  I added a bit of Frost White Shimmer Paint/alcohol mixture spritzed over the top of the completed card.

I hope you'll try creating a vibrant project.  It really perks you up as the colors just sing together.

Criss-Cross Card: Bonus Post:)

I decided to make another card today -- a criss-cross card, since I hadn't made one in a long time.  They're easy and quite fun.  This one is also for a 4-color challenge.  The challenge was to use these colors together:
Poppy Parade
Pool Party
Soft Suede
Very Vanilla
This is a nice color combination and would work well on many styles of cards or projects.

Notice how 1 of my flowers is attached to the card insert (instead of on the card front, like the other 2 flowers)?  This makes it easier to pull out the insert and see it.  The stamped flower image on the card insert is from the stamp set Mixed Bunch.  I actually stamped it on another piece of CS, punched it out with the Blossom punch and attached it to the card insert.  This is a way of giving a little dimension without too much bulk, so it will easily slip into the pocket.

Here's a close-up of the flowers (with a different card insert).  I've added a spritz of my Frost White Shimmer Paint/alcohol mixture to just the flowers.  The stamps used on this card insert are from the Creative Elements stamp set.

Here's how you create a criss-cross card:
Cut 2 pieces of 4 1/4 X 11" CS.
Score each piece at 5 1/2."
Cut each piece as shown, creating a diagonal cut from the center fold of the card to the lower outside edge on the front.  Notice that each piece goes a different direction, so you can create the criss-cross effect.

Overlap the 2 back pieces and attach them to each other.  (Optional:  Add DSP over the overlapping pieces on the front.)  Add a thin line of Liquid Tombow adhesive to the inside of the bottom of the card.  This will create a pocket.  

I used our new Blossom punch to create the flowers.  Each one has 3 layers.
Add whatever ribbons and other embellishments on the front that you would like.  Give it a try!

Clean and Simple

Today, I'm playing with more greens --- Pear Pizzazz and Lucky Limeade, along with some S-A-B Everyday Enchantment DSP and coordinating ribbon.  Remember how I 'painted' the silver Glimmer Paper to get the color I wanted?  I again used Lucky Limeade reinker to create coordinating hearts.

I was following a design sketch for this card that had 3 images in a row, across the front but my design emerged as a little more of a cluster.  I think it's still clean and simple and, because I had leftover glimmer paper that was already 'painted,' this card literally took me about 10 minutes to create.  Sometimes, a design just comes right together.  Other times, it may take hours, but that is the joy of creating.  No matter how much time is involved, it is always time well spent.

This card, when folded, is a  3 X 6" card.  I stamped the sentiment with the 'thanks' from the Thank You Kindly stamp set.
Here's a close-up of the hearts, cut with the heart framelits die.  (I used the next to the smallest sized heart.)  They really do sparkle!

Here's another card, just to show how you could have the pieces straight across.  I popped the center heart up on dimensionals.  The subtle background stamp is done with a stamp from the Creative Elements stamp set.

So straight design or clustered, go stamp up something fun!

Everyday Enchantment Layout

After all we had going on over the weekend, it was absolutely wonderful to get together with my Hostess Scrapbook Club last night.  We had a super busy evening!  They are a wonderful group of ladies and I love, love, love working with them.

We added some stamping to our mini albums we'd started in January, started a surprise calendar project and made a complete layout.  I also demonstrated how to use the new framelits dies and our newest embossing folders.  They were a hit!

I like to throw out a challenge once in a while to my scrappers, so I challenged them to bring back their calendar next month and show us how they completed it at home.  I sent them home with coordinating scraps to help them with the challenge.  They will earn a little prize if they bring the calendar and/or the mini album back to share with us!

Here's the layout we made, using the Everyday Enchantment DSP, the flower fusion and little leaves sizzlits, the Bordering on Romance stamp set and the tasteful trim die.  We colored the focal piece with inks and the Aqua Painter.  They did a super job on their coloring..... so much fun!!!

This gorgeous color story is bringing on a case of spring fever here!  Doesn't this make you yearn for spring?
Here are close-ups of some of the details.  We used one of the bitty punches from the punch pack to punch the flower centers.
The inks used for the coloring are peach parfait, calypso coral, poppy parade and lucky limeade.

Tips:

• When you color with the Aqua Painter, keep it as dry as possible.  
• Most people who have trouble coloring this way are having trouble because they have their brush tip way too wet.  It takes only enough moisture to move the color around a bit.  
• Keep a paper towel handy to blot up excess water and to clean your brush tip before switching to a new color.

Tips: 

• Use a square punch to create the v-cut in the 'flags' for the banner.  
• Use hemp twine or linen thread to hang your banner.

Above:  left page...
Below:  right page...

Does this make you want to go scrapbook something?  Well, go ahead... get going... and have fun!!!