Congrats - Frame Challenge

Yes, it's another Congrats Graduate card for my nephew who is graduating from -get this- Preschool!
I just had to send him a little card to let him know I'm thinking of him as he has his special day.  Be on the look out for one more Graduation card, as his sister is graduating from grade school and entering Jr. High. (that's a big deal!) LOL

I wanted to play along with another challenge and for this card I chose to enter into Emma's MCT Throwback Thursday Challenge.  For this weeks challenge we were to use any Cricut Cartridge and make a card with a "Frame" on it.

The measurements for this card is 4x4 inches.  I used the heart frame on the Elegant Edges card, and shifted so it was just the frame and no cut outs in it.  I stitched with white gel pen around the edges.
Then took a piece of white card stock and glue it behind the open window of the frame.  Then I stamped "Congrats Graduate!" from Emma's MCT new stamp release All Around Stamp set.

It's a super simple card, but hey, what is a five year old going to do with it?  He'll just grab the dough I put in it and it will end up in the bottom of the toy box, right?! 

I hope you enjoy my card and post today.  Stay tuned I'll have one more graduation card soon.

Have a great day.  Chao for now!  --C

Congrats Graduate 2012

My very first niece is graduating from High School this year, and has been accepted into a nursing program.  I'm so excited for her!!!! I made this Congrats Graduate card in classic black 'n white.

This card measures 3 3/4" wide and 5" in length...it opens from the bottom.

I used corrugated black card board and cut 1x1" inche squares and placed them so they were opposites to give it some depth.

I used MCT scallop and circle dies and stamped the sentiment "Congrats Graduate" from the new release All Around Everything stamp set.

The tag is cut from Plantin Schoolbook cartridge and I stamped 2012 with some loose number stamps.  I punched two small holes and tied the tag to the circle.  Used a large BLING button (what teenage girl, or I should be saying, Young Lady, doesn't like BLING, right?!)  And viola!  There you have it.

I'm entering this card into a 'new to me' challenge blog. I'm excited to be branching out and join MOJO Monday.  I've been wanting to play along, and finally had some time.  This is the sketch I followed for today's card.



I hope you enjoyed my card and post.  See you again here real soon.
Chao for now!  --C

Just A Note

For this card, I stuck with the same sketch as my Many Thanks card I posted yesterday,  This is the second card type in my friends set.  This card is actually like a Golden BROWN with white swirls from KI Memories - Enchanting paper pack.   I wanted to make a few cards that would not be gender specific. 

Again, I used Fiskars scallop to edge the center strip.  I also used TH felt applicators and rub/blend some copper ink onto the edges of the middle strip. I have to say it looks really cool, even though you can't really see it in the photos.

I just love this stamp, I've had it for years.  I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink. You can see a little of the copper ink blending on this picture.

Yes, I think she'll like these too.  :-)
Thanks, Cindy, for commenting about the photography in my recent post.  And go figure all these papers are from the same stack and took the same type of photo.  Very interesting.

Chao for now! --C

Many Thanks!

First, I have to apologize for my pictures.  I'm not sure why the color isn't as good as some of the other pics I've taken.

A friend asked for a set of different types of Thank You cards. This is the first of three styles I made for her.
The card size is 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 
The paper is from K1 Memories  Enchanting paper pad

I used Fiskars scallop edging for the band of paper and satin ribbon

For the sentiment and circle I used MCT  stitched scallop and circle dies and Many Thanks! from her new stamp release called All Around Everything.  The small flower in the center is from my stash of stamps.

That's all for today, stay tuned for the other two styles of cards I made for my friend. 
Chao for now!  --C

Sponging Technique - Dream Big

For today's card, I'm using a 'new to me' technique (not sure how many out there are using this technique already) but after watching the video from Gina K, HERE that was featured on Just US Girls Challenge blog, HERE I just had to try it. 
This technique is very simple, and in my life right now, I need simple and there is nothing more satisfying than making a very simple and elegant card. Don't you agree?!

I ripped some card stock in half for the 'edgyness' of my lines and taped it down, where I wanted to sponge on my card.  I also used 110# card stock weight, this helped to hold the sponging of ink.
For my card, I sponged a layer (actually, I didn't have any sponge squares, so I just used my felt squares and the Tim Holtz tool and it worked well) using three different colors. 

I first took a little blue and just dabbed it down the middle, then I took two different purples and used one on each side and blended them together in the center, and blending the blue into them.  And then the most amazing thing happened... Well, I thought it was amazing, because as the card sat there while I was getting the butterfly stamp ready to go, the colors continued to blend into this beautiful watercolor.  And the more it sat, the more it transformed.  I LOVE THIS NEW TECHNIQUE!!!  Thanks JUGS for bringing this to my attention.

Then I stamped the butterfly stamp using Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black. The stamp, which my good friend Tracy gave me...she's always on the look out for stamps for me when she sees a good deal.  It's another one of those..."can you make me some cards using this or that" LOL So guess what she's getting this week.

Needless to say, since this card turned out as well as it did, I'm entering it into the Just Us Girls Challenge -- YOU CAN SEE HERE BELOW THE CHALLENGE AND RULES.
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Just Us Girls #132 - Technique Challenge

Hi everyone! Lisa here with this week's technique challenge. I found a fun one that I've been wanting to try and so I'm bringing it to you. It's from Stamp TV and it's called Sponging a Layer. You can watch the video from Gina K and Stamp TV here to learn the technique and then play along.

How to play: Please copy and use our graphic on your post. You need to upload your project for this week's challenge to your online blog or public photo gallery. Leave a link that goes directly to your project in the Linky Tools form at the bottom of this post. If you upload to online galleries, please also use the keyword or tag, JUGS132. After you post to Linky Tools you can also leave a comment here.

Deadline to be considered for the "Chic of the Week" is 9:00 PM EST on Thursday, April 19th. The Linky Tools form will close at that time. Our top pick, "Chic of the Week", will be announced on the following Friday morning.

We can't wait to see your interpretation of this technique! Thanks for playing along with Just Us Girls!

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So if you have the time, I hope to see some of your 'new' sponge techniques.

Have a great day! Chao for now! --C

Thank You

Hello to my friends,
Today I made a Thank You card for a friend who will send it to a church who had prayed for her during her time recovering from, not ONE, but TWO aneurysms.  She is doing much better now and has started to get out and about.  She's one lucky lady and she wanted to give Thanks to some friends.

This card is 5x7.  I cut the scalloped circle from Elegant Egdes, page 65, at 5" in height and then 'chopped' off a little bit for somewhat of a semi circle. And a plain white circle in the middle.

I stamped a leafy design in lime green.  The butterflies are cut from the Indie Art cartridge, using the shadow button at 1 inch.  You can't see it well here, but I used two different color pinks and layered the butterflies.  I added pearls for the body.

And a Thank You card has to have the sentiment, right?!  I stamped Thank You using a stamp from my stash and stamped it on the Stitched Oval Die from My Creative Time.  Then I used Liquid Pearls for the dots/pearls on the ends.

Since it was such a big card, I added another senitment, from my stash, on the inside.  I actually forgot I had this sentiment and felt it fit right in for this card knowing where it was going. 

I hope you enjoyed my post for today.  I'll be posting again soon.
Have a great one.  Chao for now! --C

Easter Wishes to All

Hello Everyone,
Happy Easter to all of you.  I wish you the best this holiday and may you and your family be blessed this Sunday and always.  
It's been really busy over here on my end...trying to find as much time as I can in the craft room.  There 'were' so many Easter projects I wanted to get done, but time didn't permit this year.   I did work on gift card sets (5 cards each) for my 9 co-workers.  I made Thanks A Latte cards click HERE to see original post of these cards using the MCT Coffee Break Set and I also had a few minutes to put these few Easter cards together. 

This "real cute chick" is from the Create A Critter cartridge on a 4x4 card  - added a few buttons, some ribbon, and google eyes and VIOLA! Super simply card that says it all.

 For this card I used the same chick from Create A Critter but also used the Shift feature and added the shell in a fun print.  The grass is cut from Plantin School Book cartridge. I added some buttons and used liquid pearls on the bottom.  Inside I stamped Happy Easter to a Real Cute Chick.

Carri over at Double Click aka A Busy Bee is having an Easter card challenge.  I think I'll enter this one into it.  It's all apart of CCR Creative Cutter Room.  Come join us if you have a fun Easter project.

Hopefully I'll post again this weekend, but I can't make any promises :-)

Have a wonderful Easter!!! 

Chao for now! --C