Sunday, January 29, 2012

Card-a-Copia: Eat Cake Graphics Birthday Book

Loving these clever images from Eat Cake Graphics!  I created this birthday reminder book featuring this little fellow who is wearing a party hat I embellished with baker's twine.  I added a computer-generated sentiment. 




Stamps: Cupcake the Dog (Eat Cake Graphics)

Ink:  Copics
Paper:  Hoop-La (Rubber Soul), Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise (Stampin' Up)
Misc.:  mini composition notebook (Staples), ribbon (Stampin' Up), baker's twine (Whisker Graphics), circle dies (Nestabilities)





I added computer-generated monthly tabs for each month.




Sunday, January 22, 2012

Card-a-Copia: Love and all that other love crap

Finally, February is upon us!  I'm so excited for Valentine's Day to come and go.  I enjoy making Valentine's Day cards, but that's pretty much the end of it.  I have a couple more designs to share before "the big day," so there's more to come!

This first card was started about a year ago.  I could never figure out how to finish it in a way that was pleasing to the eye.  Finally, I put on some ribbon and a tag that filled some of the empty space at the top of the card and, voila, it looked finished!  (Because this was started so long ago, I may not remember all the details about the card.)

Stamps:  "Who Loves You" digi (Tiddly Inks)
Paper:  card base (Georgia-Pacific), brown (Core'dinations), 
Ink:  Copics
Misc.:  nestabilities, ribbon (Michael's), baker's twine (Whisker Graphics), punch (Martha Stewart)








This next card is a no-stamping card.  I cut the circles and added them onto the card and the hearts I punched.  The belt is paper cut from leftover background paper.

Stamps:  none
Paper:  white card base (Georgia-Pacific), Purely Pomegranate (Stampin' Up!) and blue (Core'Dinations), Vintage Valentine "Valentine Strips" (Fancy Pants Designs)
Ink: Purely Pomegranate 
Misc.:  circle Nestabilities, doily die (MFT), heart punch (Stampin' Up!), heart buttons (Pebbles), buckle (CTMH), sponge



I used the altered doily approach again on this card.  I  like the "airiness" it gives to the image.  I also hand-cut the clouds and created the sentiment on the computer.  I'm entering his image into Stamp, Scrap, and Doodles "Have a Heart" Challenge.

Stamps: "High-Flyin' Mouse" digi (Rick St. Dennis)
Paper: Core'dinations
Ink: Copics
Misc.: MFT doily die, baker's twine (Whisker Graphics), heart brad (Making Memories)


Friday, January 20, 2012

Card-a-Copia: Snow Day! (and snow day and snow day)

Aside from the constant worry that an extraordinarily tall fir tree completely coated in ice is going to plunge through the roof of the room I'm unable to relax in, the past three snow days have been productive!  I'm damned tired of eating frozen pizza, though, and that's not a weather-related joke!  If there's power tonight, I may try to make something containing actual protein.  (And I DO SO hope there's power, because it's really hard to sleep under three blankets, a regular comforter, a down comforter, and four cats.  Just sayin'.)

OK, on to the art.  This card is made from a series of freebies from a U. K. magazine.  Somewhere in my rats nest of unorganized digis I have the artist's name; I'll update when I figure out who it is.  I fussy cut the fish to give it more of skeletal look.  The sentiment tag is computer generated.

Stamps:  cat digi (Papercraft Essentials)
Paper:  card base (Georgia-Pacific), green and black (Core'dinations), Baby Mine "ABC-123" (Moxie), and Nan's Favourites Collection (KaiserCraft)
Ink:  Copics, Creamy Caramel (Stampin' Up!)
Misc.:  baker's twine (WhiskerGraphics), brads (American Crafts), corner punch (Stampin' Up!)



Following the same type fold pattern, this is a winter card that uses a lot of Spellbinder's snowflakes.  

Stamps: Uh, help? 
Paper:  card base (Georgia-Pacific), green (Core'dinations), Baby Mine "ABC-123" (Moxie), and Nan's Favourites Collection (K & Co.?), Mimosa "Chartreuse" (SEI)
Ink:  Copics
Misc.:  brads (American Crafts and Stampin' Up!), ribbon (Artco), computer generated sentiment


Don't ya just hate it when you have a scathingly brilliant idea and it doesn't pan out?  I just knew the "fur" on the hat and coat would look super cute with fun flock on it, but it didn't actually come out the way I saw it in my head.  Sigh.

Stamps:  Snow Day (Mo Manning)
Paper:  card base (Georgia-Pacific), pink and black (Core'dinations), print (Miss Elizabeth)
Ink:  Copics
Misc.:  doily die (My Favorite Things), Fun Flock (Stampin' Up!), brads (American Crafts), ribbon (Michael's), rhinestones (Michael's),  computer generated sentiment






I was a little slow getting all my cards out in December, so I whipped these up to send to the people I missed in the first flurry of end-of-year updates.  I paper pieced the shirt so it would look tropical.  (Given the weather we've had here, it seemed more than appropriate!)


Stamps:  Reptile digi (Hambo)
Paper:  card base and white block (Georgia-Pacific), Brook Collection "Wild Flowers" (Crate Paper), Homestead "Bosenberry" (SEI)
Ink:  Copics
Misc.:  paperclip (Michael's), brads (CTMH), ribbon (Stampin' Up!), consumer generated sentiment

And a cute photo of Yael to end the post.  He and Cocoa take turns hiding in a small space where they can see but can't be seen.  Love these boys.  

When will they quit climbing the curtains?

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Card-a-Copia: Holiday Break Creativity

Here's one of the cards I made during the holiday break. It's amazing how the amount of my mojo is proportional to the amount of sleep I get!  (The long holiday break and summer vacation are two of the few major perqs that come with being a teacher!)  I love the colors and the fact that this is long card - it fits into a business-sized envelope - and has a wacky circle behind the main image.  (I cut down the edges of a die-punched circle to get this one.)  


The old parts of this card - for the Old-New challenges below, are many!  I've had the paperpack in my papers for at least a year.  I colored the Jellypark image last year but couldn't get a layout I really liked.  The new part, and perhaps my favorite old-new element, is the use of a computer-generated border.  I do a lot of sentiments on the computer, but this was the first time I'd tried the repetition effect.  I LIKE IT!


I am submitting this for TCP's Dancing in Pajamas "Heart" inspiration challenge, The Pink Elephant's "Anything Goes" challenge, Southern Girls Card "Show Us Your Sparkle" challenge, Dilly Beans "Winter Wonderland" challenge, JellyPark's "Old Year-New Year " challenge, and Little Darlings "Cold" challenge.

Stamps:  Girl With Heart (Jellypark digi stamp)
Paper:  Basic Black (Stampin' Up), blue (Core'dinations), pattern (K & Co.)
Ink:  Copic
Misc.:  Stickles, red sparkle stickers (Stampendous), computer generated sentiment

Got some great news this week; I'm on Eat Cake Graphics latest design team!  I just love Holly's playful, humorous images and promise lots of fun cards and projects in the next few months.

And, yes, the season is over, but this is just too good not to share simply because the tree isn't up any longer.  (All you cat people out there will be able to identify, I'm sure!)