Happy Birthday, Matt

My dear husband is turning the Big 3-0! His birthday isn't til next week, but we're celebrating tomorrow night with a family cookout and cupcakes (which I just baked this afternoon - yum!) Here's his birthday card....I tried very hard to make it "manly", which I know so many stampers struggle with! My tricks for masculine cards - use lots of brown, and don't use ribbon (I know, I know, it's so hard not to use ribbon! But trust me - the fastest way to girlie up your card is to use ribbon!) I opted for vintage brads to add some dimension instead.

By the way, isn't this the neatest stamp set?!?! You can customize your cake so the candles say whatever number you want! I thought it was just perfect, and HAD to order it as soon as I saw it! Perfect for kids and milestone birthdays. And I love the scallops - on a girlie card, I would use the border scallop punch to match! But like I said - the less frills, the better, on masculine cards. :)

~Supplies~
Stamps: Birthday Numbers (My Cute Stamps); Humorous Birthday (Inkadinkadoo)
Ink: black (Versamark); Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink); Always Artichoke, Creamy Caramel, So Saffron (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Kraft; Chocolate Chip, To the Nines Specialty DSP (SU); Vintage Cream (PTI)
Other: Vintage brads (SU)

Some Raspberry Suite Color Leftovers

I enjoyed the colors in Dawn's latest color challenge so much, I actually made two cards! This one is made with all the "leftovers" from my first card.


I cut the word bubble out freehand....it turned out so cute, I've decided I *need* to find a punch in that shape!

~Supplies~
Stamps: Funky Nature and Birthday Numbers (My Cute Stamps); Polka Dot Basics (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Ripe Avocado and Raspberry Fizz (PTI)
Paper: Stamper's Select White, Ripe Avocado, Raspberry Fizz (PTI); Certainly Celery (Stampin' Up!)
Other: Scallop border punch, dimensionals (SU)

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #7

I LOVED the colors in Dawn's latest color challenge! Here's my card:




~Supplies~
Stamps: Funky Nature (My Cute Stamps); Flight of the Butterfly (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Raspberry Fizz, Ripe Avocado (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Stampers Select White, Ripe Avocado, Raspberry Fizz (PTI); Certainly Celery (SU)
Other: Ripe Avocado and Raspberry Fizz ribbon (PTI); Certainly Celery ribbon (SU); buttons (Basic Grey); twine; dimensionals (SU)

Kristina's Color Inspiration #53

Here's Kristina Werner's latest color challenge. The colors are definitely outside of my comfort zone - but that's why I do the challenges, right? :) Here's my submission:


I even tried a little something new (for me) with the layout. I like it! Here's a couple close-ups:


~Supplies~
Stamps: Very Punny (Stampin' Up!); Polka Dot Basics (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Black (Versamark); Summer Sun (SU)
Paper: Black, Whisper White, Pacific Point, Summer Sun, Real Red (SU)
Other: Real Red marker (SU); Scallop edge punch (SU); dimensionals (SU); red ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon); white button (Making Memories - Chloe's Closet); twine

Happy Anniversary

This card is 4 1/4 x 4 1/4. I usually try to make my square cards so they fit in normal size envelopes, so I don't have to worry about mailing them.

~Supplies~
Stamps: Heart Prints; Polka Dot Basics (Paper Trey Ink)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink (SU)
Other: Heart Punch (EK Success); pink ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon); gemstones

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #6

Here's another color challenge from Dawn McVey. I turned it into the Father's Day card that my daughter will be giving my husband next month. Awwww....

~Supplies~
Stamps: Studio G Series 30
Ink: Dark Chocolate (Paper Trey Ink)
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Cool Caribbean, Raspberry Tart DSP (Stampin' Up!)
Other: Button (Basic Grey); Ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon); twine

Kristina's Color Inspiration #52

Time for another color challenge from Kristina Werner! This card is clean and simple, like most of my works.

I didn't have any Sahara Sand cardstock or ink, but luckily I had some To The Nines DSP, which featured Sahara Sand as a color.


~Supplies~
Stamps: Heart Prints (Paper Trey Ink)
Ink: More Mustard (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Baja Blue, So Saffron, To The Nines DSP (SU); Stamper's Select White (PTI)
Other: Scallop Border punch (SU); Heart punch (EK Success); white ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon); dimensionals (SU)

Card Club

This was my card for my monthly card club, which we held at my house this past Wednesday. It is simple, yet fun and whimsical. I think the girls enjoyed making it. :)


~Supplies~
Stamps: Spunky Nature (My Cute Stamps); Everything Happy (Stampendous)
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Pixie Pink, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip (SU)
Other: dimensionals

Masculine Birthday

It's REALLY hard to make birthday cards for men! Add a ribbon bow or a "girly" color, and it just doesn't look masculine enough. Lesley and I set out to make some masculine birthday cards a few weeks ago using the color scheme from Washington Apple DSP. Here is what I came up with.

~Supplies~ (Everything from Stampin' Up!)
Stamps: Party Hearty, Bitty Birthday
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black
Paper: Bashful Blue, Riding Hood Red, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Whisper White, Washington Apple DSP
Other: Circle and Scallop punches, dimensionals

Happy Mother's Day

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day. I did! My husband and daughter cooked me a fabulous dinner on the grill. My daughter got to "draw" on her card to me and thought it was the greatest thing ever (so did I). :)

This is the card I sent to MY mom. Another very CAS card - just her style.

~Supplies~
Stamps: random rubber stamp from Idaho I bought a long time ago!
Ink: Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette, Bordering Blue, Bella Birds DSP (SU)
Other: brown ribbon (Basic Basic)

Pocket Silhouettes

This card is kinda sorta CASEd from last year's Stampin' Up! catalog. Their card was more complicated, though, and involved bleach stamping and more embellishments. I cleaned up the lines a bit, changed the colors, and embossed the silhouettes instead. I think mine is a little more striking. And more my style, of course. :)

~Supplies~
Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Versamark
Paper: Kraft, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, and Chocolate Chip (SU)
Other: White embossing power, heat tool, dimensionals, brown ribbon

Shrinky Dink!

This was my card for our monthly card club in April. I wanted to do a technique the other girls had never done before - stamping on Shrinky Dink. Yep, that cute little heart charm is made from Shrinky Dink and the heat tool. This card is made mostly with Paper Trey Ink (PTI) supplies. The sentiment is from a floral set from Stampin' Up!, but I thought it went really well with the heart stamps.


~Supplies~
Stamps: Your Friendship Makes my Heart Happy (Stampin' Up!); Heart Prints (Paper Trey Ink)
Ink: Summer Sun (SU); Ripe Avocado and Raspberry Fizz (PTI)
Paper: Stamper's Select White and Raspberry Fizz (PTI)
Other: Medium and Large Heart Punches (EK Success); Shrinky Dink Rough N' Ready; twine thread; silver jump ring; heat tool

Jen's Challenge

The other day Jen emailed me with a picture from a magazine of a card she liked. She wanted to make her own version. I decided to make my own version, too. I don't think I can post a picture of the original due to copyright laws, but here's mine! I used the original layout, just changed up the colors and a few details.

Both of the patterned papers are from Basic Grey's Sugared collection, as is the matching button. The sentiment comes from a neat little clear set I just picked up at Michael's for $3.75! Bargain! I love the clear stamps because I was able to stamp that sentiment perfectly straight without having to use any other tools.

~Supplies~
Stamps: Everything Happy (Stampendous)
Ink: Bravo Burgandy (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Bravo Burgandy and Pretty in Pink (SU); Sugared (Basic Grey)
Other: Scallop edge punch (SU), flower (Chloe's Closet - Making Memories), vintage brads (SU), button (Sugared - Basic Grey), hemp thread

Five Minute Card

Here's a quick and easy card for you....it will literally take you five minutes!

~Supplies~
Stamps: Happy Everything (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Black (Versamark)
Paper: Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, So Saffron (SU); Chloe's Closet (Making Memories), Kraft (unknown)
Other: Scallop edge punch, oval punches (SU)

Celebrate

Clean and simple at its best...I think the empty space really lets the DSP and pretty pink ribbon shine.

~Supplies~
Stamps: Hero Arts
Ink: Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette, Bordering Blue, and Bella Birds DSP (SU)
Other: Oval Punches (SU), pink ribbon (Basic Basic)

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #4

I am also a huge fan of Dawn McVey, and I am excited to enter her latest color challenge.


As you can see, I just couldn't get away from this butterfly - he fits so well inside these Marvy punches. I also love the paper piercing detail.

~Supplies~
Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly (Stampin' Up!), Heart Prints (Paper Trey Ink)
Ink: Sage Shadow and Chocolate Chip (SU)
Paper: Whisper White, Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip, To the Nines DSP (SU)
Other: Brown ribbon (Basic Basic), circle and scallop punches (Marvy), paper piercer