Go Navy!

 Hello!  Can't believe it is already May!  Time is just flying by and honestly, I don't like it!  But what can I do?  Not much.  I'm popping in today to share two cards that I made for someone who is graduating from the United States Naval Academy on May 16th of this year.   I have a niece who is currently finishing up her junior year at the Naval Academy, and it is her boyfriend, Frank, who is graduating.   My sister (my niece's mom) asked if I could make a card for him from the family and I said, yes!  Then she told her daughter and suddenly I was making two!   It was a little nerve wracking to come up with an idea for the second card, but I accomplished the task.  So, let's see what I created.

First up is the card that I made that is from the family.  A couple of summers ago I purchased some 49 and Market products called Summer Porch.  They have a nautical theme and I thought for sure I could find something to use on the card and I was in luck!  I knew that Frank rowed for one of the Naval Academy crew teams so I was excited to see the set of oars in a pack of chipboard images.  There was also the anchor!   I die cut some of the more nautical themed patterned paper using the postage edge dies from Pinkfresh Studio as a background.  I used dark blue patterned paper to die cut the USNA and 2026.   The little blue rope was from a pack of ephemera.  I adhered the USNA and 2026 to one of the postage background pieces and then stamped the "class of:" in between.  I then layered on all of the various pieces.  I finished with the Naval Academy motto Ex Scientia Tridens (which in Latin means From Knowledge, Sea Power) and Semper Fidelis.  I included Semper Fidelis because Frank will be commissioned as a Marine Corp officer instead of a Naval officer when he graduates.  

This is the card that I made for my niece to give to Frank.  I hope that she likes it.  My sister did so that is a good sign!  I'm going to put this card into the current JUGs challenge because it does have a big die cut sentiment.  I used the Naval Academy colors of navy and gold for the letters and numbers.   I die cut both and then adhered them together offsetting so that the gold showed.  I was very careful when positioning everything using my T-square ruler to keep everything straight.   I used the computer to generate the word "ACADEMY" printing it in dark blue and then trimming it down and backing it with the same gold cardstock used for the lettering.   I added the Naval Academy motto (also computer generated) as well as the "class of:".  The finishing touch was the anchor charm and the little gold heart.  The charm was a bright shiny silver, but I was able to tone it down by adding some distress foundry wax in the color Gilded.  I heat set it and then wiped most off it off.  Love how it turned out.   I really hope that Frank likes the cards.  

Well, that is it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Birch Press Design April Post #2

Hello, hello!  Can't believe it is the end of April!  I'm popping in to let you know that I have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog today.   Here is a little peek of what I created. 

Hope you will head over to the blog to check out what I created.  Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

sending hugs...

 Hello!  Popping in to share a card for a few challenges all of which will be closing very soon!  I have tried for days to get a card, any card made.  Finally, this one came together for me.   Let's have a look.

About a month ago I got this sweet little personalized stamp set in the mail from Altenew.  This is the second one they have sent me as I got the one they sent out last year.  It is a little surprising to me that I have gotten these sets as I don't often buy from Altenew.  They have beautiful products, but I find their selection overwhelming and honestly, I don't have a lot of money to spend on crafty supplies.   Anyway, this little stamp is so pretty that I just had to get something made with it.  Along came the current Color Hues challenge of coral and green.  Perfect!  Then I saw that the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge was feminine.  What is more feminine than a little flower cluster?  Then I decided to check out the Altenew April challenge.  The colors in the challenge work with my little flower!  Yay!

I stamped the flower using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored it with Copic markers.  I had to come up with my coral color myself and thankfully I had Copics that worked.  I think I did a pretty good job, too.   After I finished coloring the image I stamped it again to make the black lines a little bolder.  I did leave the image in my stamp positioner for that purpose.  I fussy cut the image which wasn't too hard to do.  Hoping they come up with a matching die.  The set I got last year has a matching die set so I am going to try to pick that up eventually.  I used my Simon Says Stamp Scalloped Arched Frames dies to cut white glitter cardstock and fog cardstock (both from Simon Says Stamp).  I adhered the glitter frame to the white cardstock panel, then added thin foam squares to the gray interior piece and inserted it into the frame.  I added the floral image using thin foam squares, as well.  I finished with the sentiment that is also in the set.  I die cut it with a labels die from my stash.   A simple card, but sometimes that is all you need!

Well, that's it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

Just Us Girls Guest Designer - Week 4 - Anything Goes with Stencils

 Hello!  I'm back to share my final project as a guest designer for JUGs this month.   Once, again, I had a lot of fun guesting with the JUGs team!  They are amazing.  Thanks so much for having me.  This week is stencil week and that means anything goes with stencils.  I had so many ideas for stenciling but had to settle on one.  For my card I used Waffle Flower Crafts Postage Collage Butterfly stencils and the Postage Collage die.  Let's see what I created.

My card for word week with JUGs featured stenciling and so I had alot of inks out on my desk as I decided what colors I would use.  When I made this card, I had spring on my mind and was thinking about the beautiful daffodils that bloom around here.  When I finished this card, I realized that it was actually giving off a fall vibe!    I used Altenew inks for the butterflies and then when I was finished with the ink stenciling I added some Ranger texture paste in transparent matte to the butterflies using the final stencil that adds the bodies and wing details.  I removed the stencil and then poured on Rock Candy glitter.  I do want to note that I did die cut the panel first with the Postage Collage die.  This made lining up the stencils so easy!   I finished with the sentiment that is also from Waffle Flower. 

That's it for me.  I hope you will pull out your stencils and join the fun at JUGs this week.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Birch Press Design April Post #1

 Hello, hello!  Just popping in to let you know that I have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog today and here is a little peek of what I created.

Hope you will head over to the Birch Press blog to see the full card.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Just Us Girls Guest Designer Week 3 - Moodboard

 Hello, hello!  I'm back to share my project for this week's JUGs challenge.  This week is mood board week it is a pretty one!   Let's have a look at what I made.

Of all the cards I had to create for this month's JUGs challenges this one was the easiest by far. Initially I thought it was going to be hard because I don't have much in the way of umbrella themed products.  But as I was thinking about what to do I was also going through my crafty stash and came across these pre-printed cards that I had gotten in a Simon Says Stamp card kit several years ago.  I idly flip through them and saw this one with the cute little chick and her umbrella.  Perfect for the challenge as the mood board features umbrellas!  Problem solved - YAY!   The image is printed on watercolor cardstock so I pulled out my Jane Davenport watercolors and got going painting this cute little image up.  Once I was done with the watercoloring and the image was dry I added a bit of gloss to the little raindrops using glossy accents.   When the glossy accent drops were dry I die cut the panel and adhered it to a yellow cardstock base with foam tape.   I love it when a card comes together like that!

Well, that's it for me today.  I hope you will take up the challenge of this week's mood board and play along at JUGs.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day.