A shaker card for a girl was a new territory for me.  Out came my sticker maker, die cutter, and off to work I went.  This was the result.  I cut the butterfly in the paper and a fun foam sheet which I adhered together with my Xyron sticker maker.  It makes this soooo easy!  I layered an acetate sheet between the paper and the fun foam and put the peachy-pink back on after I stamped it with a subtle butterfly that coordinates with the die.  

A bit more adhesive and then attached it to a card base.  Mounted the sentiment strip and it was complete.  I really like these micro jewelry beads for the shakers since they work so well and have a nice noise when you shake it.


Thanks for looking.


Paper: DCWV - The Stack 6 - whimsical outdoors and dots, PTI - Sweet Blush
Ink: PTI - Hibiscus Burst and Sweet Blush
Stamps: PTI - Pretty Peonies Anniversary Set
Other: Pretty Peonies Anniversary Set die (butterfly), Xyron 5", Cuttlebug

I find that I create sympathy cards on an as needed basis.  When I needed one for a wonderful family from my church, I began right away.  I grabbed my gladiolus stamp, some Copics, and this sweet sentiment.  

It says, "Know that you are surrounded by caring thoughts and loving prayers."  After masking off the sentiment, I added Copic lines to define it, and then stamped the flowers on top.  (This was a MIM technique a few weeks ago.)

I used a clear Spica glitter pen on the yellow areas for a pretty shimmer and Glossy Accents on the orange stamens.  Each one has a nice dollop of glossy height.  The butterfly was stamped from Beautiful Butterflies set, cut out, and glued only on its center so the wings lift up slightly. 

Thanks for stopping by!


Paper: PTI - Plum Pudding, Winter Wisteria, and Stampers' Select White
Stamps: PTI - Year of Flowers: Gladiolus, Healing Touch Sentiments, Beautiful Butterflies
Ink: PTI - Plum Pudding (old formulation) and Berry Sorbet, Memento - Tuxedo Black
Embellishments: Atyou Spica Glitter Pen - clear; Glossy Accents; Copics - YR16, Y11, Y15, Y19, YG11, YG13, YG17, BV0000, V01, V12, V15, V17, 0 (colorless blender)

I joined the banner trend bandwagon with this card and I must say I like banners on cards.  

The banners were just a strip of a party confetti print paper that snipped into five pieces and cut the V shape into.  To thread my floss through, I pulled out my Big Bite to make small holes on the top.  I only attached it behind my cardstock base so you move the banners and it flaps around when you move it.  


I pulled my Spellbinders ovals out to stamp the sentiment on; they have proven to be a valuable investment in my paper crafting time and again!  


Paper: PTI - Blueberry Sky, Canyon Clay; The Paper Studio - Birthday Extravaganza stack - path confetti
Ink: PTI - Dark Chocolate
Stamps: Movers & Shakers
Embellishments: Lime green floss, Cuttlebug - circles embossing folder, Spellbinders - Ovals
Other: Cuttlebug, Crop-a-dile Big Bite

This is the first card set I have made.  I made it back in January while at craft retreat but they have been sitting on the shelf as I couldn't figure out what I was going to do with the missing element--an outline around the edge.  I really wanted to stitch the border on the pale pink cardstock, but I forgot until after I had adhered all them together with permanent adhesive.  

Then it dawned on me--I could do an outline border with yellow marker! 

After I stamped the image, I colored in areas with my Copics.  The pearls were adhered with Glossy Accents and aren't going anywhere!

This set I left free of sentiments.  The inside is simply stamped with a single flower on the kraft cardstock.

I put them in an acetate box I adorned with a yellow ribbon.  The four of them fit perfectly in the box with room to spare for the envelopes.

Paper: Papertrey Ink - Sweet Blush, Autumn Rose, Kraft
Ink: PTI - Autumn Rose
Embellishment: The Paper Studio - pearls, PTI - Lemon Tart twill ribbon
Other: Copic - BV0000, Y11, YG11; Sharpie Ultra Fine - yellow; acetate box

I just realized I hadn't posted a card for Father's Day (or Mother's Day but that is another post).  

Tada! Better late than never, right? :) 


I grabbed this patterned paper at my local craft house because I knew it would be great for masculine cards.  For texture I ran brown card stock through my paper crimper.  I chose to put the Father's Day sentiment on a curvy die cut to echo the curves in the paper.  I sure wish dies for the On the Links set would come out...


Paper: Webster's Pages - Tennis Anyone?, The Paper Studio - brown, PTI - Vintage Cream and Enchanted Evening
Stamps: PTI - On the Links and Happy Day
Ink: PTI - Enchanted Evening, Pure Poppy, and Simply Chartreuse
Embellishments: PTI - Happy Day die, Marvy Uchida - paper crimper
Other: Cuttlebug, craft knife

A few months ago I came across this great video tutorial on Youtube on how to use the Rose Creations dies by Spellbinders to make fabulous paper roses.  Not only does the lady who made video go step by step, but the results were easy (but a bit time consuming) to recreate.  My husband insisted that I take pictures to show the process as he too was amazed.  The video shows this all in much greater detail.  I highly recommend watching it as I am sure there are gaps in my explanation and at least for me seeing it being done really helps.

First, I cut two flowers from four different sizes from PTI Raspberry Fizz cardstock--this cardstock takes this technique beautifully.  Quickly dab the edges of the petals with ink.  The lady from the video suggests Versamark watermark which works well.  Next, using a bone folder, you curl each side of the pedals creating a V except for your two smallest pieces.

The smallest pieces you 'cup.'  She uses a nifty ball bearing tool but I don't have one so I used one of my Cricut tools that has a rounded metal back and pressed it in a circular motion quite hard on top of a piece of fun foam.  My cupped flowers are not as tight as hers but they worked.

Glue what ever you wish in the center of one of the smallest flowers and when dry, glue a small part of the edge of a petal to the one next to it all the way around the flower.  I found that Zip Dry glue works really well for this.  It gets rubbery and elastic when dry (and dries fast) and you can position the petals pretty realistically wit the give. 

Next, glue each of the same sized petals together.  Be sure to stagger the petals for a realistic look.  These are the largest flowers glued together here, which will be the base.

The next size set of flowers get glued together and then glued to the base.

By the time you go to glue the third set of flowers, you'll need to position them into the petal crowded area.  I found that holding them down by pinching the top to the base with my thumb and index finger helped while they dried.

Glue the cupped flowers in the middle.  You may need to fuss with the petals a bit to get the look you want.

That is it. A little work and you can create these pretty paper roses.

I just realized I hadn't posted a card for Mother's Day (and Father's Day). 

How could I not post this beauty?! Well, if you must know, I usually give the cards away before I take pictures of them for my blog. That was the case here.

I am in love with paper roses.  I made this one with some Spellbinders dies (tutorial to come). In person they look they are made out of ceramic.  I mounted it on a Spellbinders oval and then colored the edge with my BG11 Copic marker.

The lace is a stamp, which I used on the front and the inside.  There is a strip of satin ribbon at the top and two tiny pearls on either side of the filagree oval frame, but their height goes unnoticed because of the massive flower on the front--they just add a little pretty shimmer to pull the inside together.  I had to edit out my writing--my mom was nice enough to give it back for me to photograph.  She knows my house turns into a twilight zone for other people's things--they take for-e-ver to get back to people once they have entered. 

I had to make a box to put this card in as the rose rises almost an inch off the paper.  To go with the rose theme, I stamped roses in Autumn Rose and then scored the cardstock to make a box.  

You don't expect to get a card when you open a box.  :)


Paper: PTI - Autumn Rose, Aqua Mist, and Sweet Blush; unknown - cream; Staples - white 
Stamps: Kaiser Craft - lace, PTI - Pretty Peonies and Year of Flowers Collection
Ink: Versamark - watermark, PTI - Aqua Mist, Autumn Rose
Embellishments: The Paper Studio - pearls, PTI - Aqua Mist Satin ribbon, Spellbinders - Ovals and Rose Creations, Filagree - gold embossing powder, Cuttlebug - floral embossing folder
Other: foam dimensional adhesive, Cuttlebug, Martha Stewart Crafts- Scoreboard

I am really liking my On the Links golf themed stamps.  They lend themselves easily to masculine cards, but with color changes you can make a feminine one.  Glad I purchased this!  Now that I am getting older, I have many more friends taking up golf.  


The three lighter golf bags were stamped with watermark ink, which made that great green.  It needed some oomph so I stamped the golf balls on the edges.  Next, I ran it under the Canvas & Linen Impression Plate to give it texture.  After I stamped the navy golf bag, I cut it out quickly with a craft knife and adhered it with dimensional foam.  I feel like I achieved a bight and masculine card for this one, which totally reflects the recipient for whom I made it.


Paper: PTI - New Leaf, Staples - white, DCWV - The Guy Stack - green plaid
Ink: Versamark - watermark; PTI - Fresh Snow and Enchanted Evening
Stamps: PTI - On the Links
Other: PTI - Canvas & Linen Impression Plate, Cuttlebug, craft knife, dimensional foam