A cased card from Nic's twitter posts for Make it Monday #16 - sympathy cards

Note:  This post edited to add second card that I finished...the turquoise one below...

I cased an incredible card over at:  Cassie's blog via a twitter post from Nic over at Papertrey Ink for the Make it Monday #16 - sympathy cards.  I fell in love with Cassandra's card and decided to try it myself and came up with two cards.  I apologize for the lighting in the pictures it was late at night when I took these and even with extra lighting I still didn't get good detail!

 

Thanks for looking!

A sympathy card all in pink....

I needed to make a few more sympathy cards for a customer so I whipped up a "breast cancer themed" sympathy card all in pink with a special pink ribbon in the background.  This card will be donated to the Bastyr Integrative Oncology Research Center (B.I.O.R.C.) where my husband goes for treatments.  The incredible staff at this research and treatment center sends out many cards and they asked if I could make them some.  Here are some pics of this card:

Thanks for taking a look!  By the way the post before this one has my first ever attempt at a youtube video linked.  It shows my new die-cutting station.  I had fun trying a new form of media tonight and learning how to upload it to youtube and to this little blog of mine.  Thanks for looking!

 Make each day count!

:) Jill

My first ever video....new cutting station

Well here it is...my very first attempt at a video.  Everyone is always interested in how people store their crafting supplies as there are so many small odds and ends when you are a card-maker or scrapbooker.  I craft in my basement, usually while I am working on the laundry, and I make do with what space is available.  This Memorial Day weekend I was able to go to Ikea to buy some small "expedit" shelving units and some accecessories to set up a cutting station in some hallway space in my basement.  While I will not have time to finish setting everything up till next weekend I am still very happy to have this project started.  It will take me time to label and organize my supplies but I thought I would share what I have done so far.  It sure does feel good to organize things - I hate it when I can't find something I need!  Thanks to Nichole of Papertrey Ink and several other spaces that I borrowed ideas from.  If you have questions put them in the comments and I will try to answer them.

Note:  You may want to scroll to the bottom of my page and turn off the music before watching the video or go over to youtube.  :) 

Thanks!   Jill 

Papertrey Ink's Make it Monday #16 - Sympathy Cards

This weeks Make it Monday challenge at Papertrey Ink is all about sympathy cards.  Here is a very simple sympathy card that I made this weekend at the request of a dear friend named Jackie at Bastyr University where my husband receives his immuno-therapy drips each week.  It is for a donor who passed away recently and helped start this research center in Kenmore, Wa. after losing his wife to breast cancer.   

Most of the products used are Papertrey Ink products including the sentiment from "Sending You" and the Fillable Frames #4 die and stamp for the focal piece that the sentiment is stamped on.  I also used the largest nestabilities Label 7 die in aqua mist cardstock.

The rose is made from PTI felt and the butterfly punch is from Martha Stewart.

Here is a close-up shot.  Thanks for taking a look!  Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!

Make it Monday #14 - Selective Inking

Edited to note: This post was actually done earlier this week but due to problems with Blogger I only posted it tonight - Saturday May 14th.....

Well tonight I had a couple hours to try the selective inking technique and I needed to get three cards made to be put in the mail tomorrow morning. 

Here are some pics:

This first card is 1 of the 2 sympathy cards but does not involve selective inking of the sentiment stamp.

The flower was made using "Sending You".  The butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch.

Little pearls were used to accent the butterflies body and some stickles on the butterfly and flower center add some sparkle.  I also heat embossed the smaller white portion of the flower center after stamping it.

This card does use selective inking on the "Thank You" sentiment.  It is from PTI's Think Big favorites #2 stamp set. 

I used PTI 2.5" scalloped limitless layer and circled it with die-cut butterflies all the way around.  I used those new micro-mini glue dots to attach the butterflies and it was a breeze!

Here is a closer look.

This was the first card I made but I am not sure if I like the way I split and combined the sentiment from 2 different sets.  I added some flowers in opalite ink behind the sentiment but the picture does not show them.  This would be a card that I would probably do over if I had the time but with my husband's brain cancer time always seems to be at a premium these days and the most important thing to me is to show the people that I am sending this card to that I care.  I think a hand made card does this - even if it is not perfect in my eyes.

Here is a close up of the sentiment.  I used the PTI background basics gingham set to make the patterned paper behind the diecuts.  A little bit of pink twine finishes off this card.  I think looking at this picture that I will add a button to the twine bows to finish it off.  Well that is it for me tonight.  I am off to check on my hubbie and make sure he takes all his supplements and meds before bed!

NOTE:  Most of my products are PTI for my cards.  The dies used are mostly PTI  with some MFT dies thrown into the mix. 

Thanks for looking!    

Papertrey Ink Make it Monday Challenge #13

A quick post....I squeezed some time out this Mother's Day early morning to do one more card so I could join in the PTI challenge...

This is a sunny card for my sister Joanna!  She is a sunshine girl and the Seattle rain often gets her down...this card is to cheer her up!  All in sunny yellow tones and with a sentiment from American Crafts "Celebrate Sunshine" that was a perfect match!  The diamond embossing plate and pinked edge die that I made the background with are from Papertrey Ink.  The cardstock for the card is also PTI. 

Here are some pics:

I would normally have made a flower by hand using some of my PTI dies but since I only had a few minutes to finish this card I used a chipboard daisy from my craft stash.  The butterflies and edge design are from punches by  Martha Stewart.  I used Tim Holtz Mustard Seed distress ink to color the white cardstock yellow and to make the sun look like it is rising in the sky - darker toward the bottom and lighter towards the top.  Pearls add a nice finishing touch along with some yellow twine.  A quick card and I learned a new technique too! 
Again - Happy Mother's Day to one and all!

Happy Mother's Day 2011!

Today is Mother's Day 2011 and I want to wish all of the wonderful women who mean something in children's lives a very happy day!  This includes my lovely sisters who are Aunties to my son and are like second Mom's to him - only more fun then me! LOL!  My sisters take time to do special things with my son even though many of them are not Mom's themselves and lead very busy professional lives.  This is such a blessing especially since my husband has cancer and we both have less quality time to spend with him as we attend so many medical appointments each week.  I am also blessed with the most beautiful and giving Mother in the world and a wonderful Mother-in-law who is so kind to me.  The list of important women in my life continues with a group of Mom's that I have met through my son's preschool and kindergarten.  We help each other, support each other, laugh together and even sometimes cry together.  We rejoice when one of us gets to meet Dave Matthew's in person and we giggle over the silly things that brighten our days.  Women are amazing and Mom's most of all.  That is why MOM spells WOW upside down!  So God Bless all the amazing women in my life on this beautiful Mother's Day!  Wow!

On to some cards I have made to commemorate this important day.  Most of these cards were made while I was sitting by my husband's side as he received a drip this week to improve his immune system.  Making cards is something that I can take with me and work on in fits and starts as time permits when I am at some of his appointments.  It makes the time go by and keeps me from worrying so much.  Plus I can work on the many thank you notes that are needed for all the friends and family members that are helping us out right now.

Here are some pics of this weeks cards:
Card 1:

This card is probably my favorite.  I made the flowers by tearing a piece of paper into a circle and then rolling it up to make the "rose" shape.  Then I loosen the rolled flower until it takes on the shape that I like and use glue dots to hold it in place.  I also tore the paper stems and leaves and grass.  The butterflies are from two different Martha Stewart punches and are made of vellum with some light pink pearl accents for their bodies.  I haven't decided on a sentiment for this card yet because I am not sure if I will use it for Mother's Day or some birthday's that are coming up.

This picture is a little bit closer.

And closer still.

Card 2:

This card was made for my niece who is celebrating her 19th birthday! 

The dress form stamp is from Gina K Designs and is stamped on Crate Paper. Dies are from Spellbinders and Papertrey Ink.

Card 3:

This card I made for my Mother-in-law.  I am hoping that it reaches her on time to celebrate the day!

The stamp is from The Girl's Paperie and I love it.  The doily is a die from My Favorite Stamps and the other die that the sentiment is on is from Papertrey Ink.

Card 4:

This is another Mother's Day card!  I am just in love with the baby roses made from paper.  I made one by hand and I used my MFT rolled rose die for the other 2.  I like both methods of making these flowers and especially like that you can make them anytime with our without the die in your hot little hands!  The torn ones on my first card are the best of all in my book - lots of texture from the torn edges.

Here's a close up of the design...

A little bow using some twinery twine finishes the bouquet of flowers along with some handcut leaves.

Card 5:

This card is similar to the last one except it has a vertical profile instead of horizontal. 

The background paper is from Papertrey Ink - Happy Spots.  And the dies are from both MFT and PTI.

Well that is it for card-making for this week.  I didn't enter any challenges but I was away from home when I made most of these and just went the way my mood took me.  I got an offer again to make cards ongoing for a business but right now I am focusing on getting my husband well so I turned it down for now.  Maybe someday....wouldn't that be a dream come true to get paid for doing something that is a labor of love!

Have a great Mother's Day everyone!  God Bless!

Jill