Simple birthday card?

Well, this one started out to be just a simple little Mojo Monday inspired card and somewhere along the path things took a turn.  I started punching flower pieces and something took over and the next thing I knew the bottom of the card was covered ... this is definitely NOT my style but nonetheless here it is.  The colors and papers are awesome and from Close to my Heart.

Speaking of card styles I hoped everyone has picked up a copy of PaperCrafts special issue Card Style .  I so highly recommend this issue.  Naturally, it has wonderful cards completely worthy of CASing and reinterpreting!  However, beyond that it totally enabled me to pinpoint my personal card style.  The issue is laid out in sections such as Fun & Cute, Clean & Graphic (my personal favorite), Classy & Elegant (second favorite), and Shabby Chic & Vintage (absolute least favorite!) My hope is that with the halves of my brain in agreement I will begin to choose card designs (and eventually creating my own) that reflect the styles I am drawn to and be able to identify  a challenging style beforehand.  I confess that often times this was certainly not the case.  Take my word check out this great special issue!

A little birthday card?

As I said earlier this card was suppose to be of one of the Mojo Monday challenges.  I used a bunch of punches and a lot of CTMH's Emporium My Reflections paper pack.  Sorry for the awful picture - I'll need to find another special issue of a magazine to improve my photography skills! :-P

Supplies:
Stamps: Close to my Heart Piece of Cake, 7gypsies Grunge interchangeable certifiable stamp
Ink:  Stampin' UP! Classic Basic Black
Paper:  Close to my Heart Emporium, Twilight, Crystal Blue, Colonial White, Stampin' UP!  Purely Pomegrante
Accessories/Tools:  Punches (lots of punches), Brads (lots of manufacturers)

As always, thanks for looking and yes HE stamps!

Wonderful Mother

So, here's my first take at a Mother's Day card.  These cards are never easy for me to make.  While my Mom appreciates handmade cards it ends there, scrapbooks and the like are just not received well by her ... not sure what that's about but I'm working hard to just accept it.  Mom can be a tough egg to crack sometimes, she likes to say one thing but actually feels/thinks a completely different thing.  Anyway, it's hard to do creative things when you worry that it might be unappreciated.  Sorry bout my moment of melancholy there ...

Close to my Heart Wonderful Mother

Details

Paper:  Close to my Heart Topstitch

Cardstock:  Stampin' UP! Whisper White, Close to my Heart Vineyard Berry, Colonial White

Stamps:  Close to my Heart Love Is in the Air, Stampin' UP! French Script, Well Scripted

Ink:  Close to my Heart Colonial White, Stampin' UP! Very Vanilla

Embellishments:  Close to my Heart Soft Suede Pinwheels, Mini-Medley Colonial White, Recollections Pink Rhinestones

Fibers:  Offray Organza Pink Ribbon

Punch:  EK Success Oval Punch 1-1/4" x 2"

Diecuts:  Sure Cuts A Lot Software, Cricut, Unknown Maker Scallop Ding-Bat Collection

Design:  PaperCrafts May/June 2010 issue, pg. 45 Sweet, Sweet Flower Card

As always thanks for looking and yes HE stamps.

Caprice Thought Away

Well, there's a mixed reaction around here with this card.  Some like and others don't.  So I'll post it and let you dear reader decide.  I used the retired Close to my Heart Caprice Level II paper pack for this one.  I couldn't find this paper anywhere on Ebay and just happen to mention on a forum that I was looking and within days had a full AND a half pack of it.  I really like the distressed Polynesian feel to this pack.

This card is for my sister-in-law Eileen who is in Florida undergoing chemotherapy treatments for her third bout with leukemia in a little over a year.  Eileen was originally diagnosed with breast cancer and is one of the rare cases who developed leukemia after treatment.  She is a strong woman who has been through a lot in her life and it's tough to know what she's going through.  I know this card won't alleviate much in the big picture but perhaps for one brief moment she will know that we're here in Connecticut thinking about her.

Caprice Thought Away

Details:
Paper: Close to my Heart Caprice
Cardstock:  Close to my Heart Bamboo

Stamps:  Close to my Heart Togetherness, Stampin' UP! Whimsical Words

Ink:  Close to my Heart Chocolate
Embellishments:   Basic Grey Buttons (Unknown Collection), Stampin' UP! Linen Thread

Punches:  Stampin' UP! Scallop Trim Border Punch, Curly Label, Trio Flower

Diecuts:  Making Memories Slide Design Basics 1, Spellbinders Nestabilities Petite Scallop Circles LgDesign:  PaperCrafts magazine, March/April 2010 issue, Go-to Sketches, pg. 20

As always thanks for looking and yes HE stamps!

From the Lilac Avenue Collection

Another card today.  This was a get well card for my favorite aunt and uncle.  Not a lot to say, it came together super easy thanks to PaperCrafts Stamp It! magazine!  Got a chance to use some of the KaiserCraft Lilac Avenue Collection paper, it's a beautiful group of papers that I have yet to use much of -- kept waiting for spring.

A Thought Away

Details
Paper: KaiserCraft Lilac Avenue Collection
Cardstock: Stampin' UP! Whisper White, Perfect Plum

Stamps:  Stampin' UP! French Script, Whimsical Words 

Ink:  Stampin' UP! Classic Ink  Sage Moss
Embellishments:  Recollections Pearls, Stampin' UP! 5/8'' Whisper White Organza Ribbon
Die Cuts:  Making Memories Slice Design Card Basics 2

Design:  PaperCrafts Magazine Stamp It! Sweet Baby Girl pg. 28

As always thanks for looking and yes HE stamps!

A Treasures thank you

Awhile back, I decided to give Close To My Heart stamps another try ... you see in the past I bought some USED CTMH stamps on Ebay only to discover they were not properly cared for. I ended up throwing a good portion of the stamps away. Lesson learned do not buy USED clear stamps!

The stamp set used for this card is Treasures (D1375) and I really like this one. Unfortunately, at times some of the images included in CTMH stamp sets are too large for a A4 card and fit better on a scrapbook page so the card making buyer must be conscious of this detail. A detail that I was not thinking about when I bought this particular set. Nonetheless, here's the card I made using other images in the set.

Treasures Thank You



Details:
Paper: Basic Grey Wisteria Collection
Cardstock: Whisper White, Certainly Celery and Elegant Eggplant.
Ink: SU Craft Certainly Celery and Elegant Eggplant, Versamark Pad.
Ribbon: SU Retired Certainly Celery 1/2" Organza
Stamps: Close To My Heart Treasures (D1375)
Miscellaneous: SU Emboss Powder White
Design: PaperCrafts magazine Jan/Feb 2010, Go-To Sketches.

Thanks for looking and yes HE stamps!