A card for the Cloud 9 March 2013 Blog hop

Hi friends,
Here tonight with a card for the March 2013 Cloud 9 Blog hop.  Here is the inspiration photo that inspired my card:

I love the idea of the vase of flowers as I wish I had some flowers for my table currently!  LOL!  I am just so very ready for spring and tonight I am sitting in the Seattle rain!  I also thought the background looked like watercolor flowers floating behind the vase.  I ended up trying to create some flowers that were lighter and darker by stamping more than once without re-inking.

I used stamps from the new Chantilly Trim stamp set and even cut a single flower from the flower border stamp to do some additional individual flower stamping.  I also masked the flower stem stamp and stamped it 3 times initially in two different color pinks.  But I am not sure that you can really tell in the finished product as I then over-stamped the images with lighter inked flowers for a faux water-color look.

The card base is embossed with the Chevron Impression Plate also from WPlus9.  The sentiment is from Fresh Picked.  I also added a little plastic wrap as a border on my vase as if the flowers were still in their wrapping.  I stamped the lovely background square from Chantilly Trim and cut the vase out by hand.  I thought the twine bow and felt heart were a nice finishing touch to it.

Thanks for looking at my card!  My laptop is in the shop so I am missing visiting everyone's blogs late at night in bed like I usually do....hope it is all fixed soon!  I really want to go see what everyone else has created so I may stay down in my cold basement for a few minutes more after posting this to go take a look!

Hugs,
Jill

A little Pretty Patches Apple from WPlus9 for back to school time....

Hello Everyone,
I am here tonight with a card using a new little gem of a stamp set from WPlus9 called Pretty Patches: Apple.  I am still working on some cards for all of our favorite teachers at school and this set has been calling my name since I received it in the mail! 

I used retro sketches #26 to design my card.  Here is the sketch:

And there is a TON of gorgeous inspiration on their blog!!! Love it!

Here is my card:

 I made a window in my card base using the largest "Pinking Squares" dies from WPLUS9.  And then I created a "frame" for the window using red cardstock and the two largest dies again.  I seem to be really into making negative die cut spaces or windows in my cards this week!

 This is a side view of the window and a close-up of the beautiful perfect patches apple stamp.  I stamped the apple in red then colored the stem brown with a copic marker and added the adorable leaf in green ink before cutting it out and popping it up on an additional pinking square diecut stamped with a background from the "Country Charm" set also from WPlus9.  These were adhered through the window to the inside of the card. 

 And here is a first - washi tape on my card!!!!  I have picked up a few rolls of red and black tape for back to school projects and decided to be BOLD and BRAVE and try them out!  I must say they are  easy to use, easy to move around, and easy to cut in half to get any width you need!

The sentiment is from a Papertrey Ink stamp set called "School Time" and is selectively inked up to  say "I LOVE SCHOOL" only one time. 

 Here is another view from the side.  I used the WPlus9's Chevron Impression Plate (LOVE THIS!) on the card base to add texture and then inked it with various distress inks adding a little bit of tuxedo black to the edges.  I was going for an "old time" or "vintagey" looking school card.

Here is a picture of the inside of the card.  I also inked the inside lightly with distress ink and added the sentiment "so very thankful" also from Pretty Patches: Apple.  I think I may go back and add the word "Teacher" up at the top left of the die cut if I end up giving this to a teacher.  I like to leave my options open as it may end up in the Principal's hands or Office Staff's hands too.  I have had so many people support my son and our family while we were going through my husband's cancer and death that I am always wanting to give back and say thanks to all the wonderful people at the school.

Thanks for taking a look at my card.  I am sure enjoying the smaller sets of stamps that I have been purchasing from WPlus9.  Pretty Patches Apple is only $6.00 and it is a little powerhouse of beauty in my opinion. My crafty budget loves the smaller sets.  I get new things to play with and I don't break my vow not to overspend! Until next time!  Happy Crafting blog friends!

:) Jill

Thinking of Autumn...a card following Freshly Made Sketches #49

Hello,
Wow - two posts in one day for me!  Love it when I get to play for an hour in the morning and an hour at night! 

Tonight I worked on a card for my son's teacher as my little one will be heading back to school in just under 3 weeks now.  Thought I better start getting prepared as I hate trying to do everything at the last minute as there is never enough time once September arrives! 

I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches #49: HERE.  This is the picture of the sketch by Jen Mitchell:

Isn't it a great sketch! I had so many ideas floating through my head and could make a TON of cards with it...if I only had unlimited time in my crafty room....

Here are some pictures of my card:

I used a lovely stamp set by WPlus9 called "Winter Wishes" to make my "sweater" circles. 

"Autumn" and "Back to school" always makes me think of cozy wool sweaters and warm autumnal tones of browns, taupes, creams, and mustardy colors.  Not to mention textiles in general so I embossed the background with a chevron impression plate also a product from WPlus9.  The kraft panel is embossed with the "Old Parchment" embossing plate from Cheery Lynn Designs.  You can see the texture this adds better in the next photo.

The "Autumn Wishes" sentiment is from a set concepted by Michele Wooderson for Papertrey Ink called "Friendship Jar Fall Fillers" and is one of my favorite fonts.  The little acorn is from that same set and is colored with copic markers.  The die cut is from a My Favorite Things die. I liked the half circle edge as it mirrored my "sweater" circles below.

Those little baby tags show my love for all things Autumn.  They are from Stampin-Up's "Tiny Tags" set.  I use up my scraps making baby tags with their matching tiny tag punch and stamping them with a variety of stamps.  They sure are wonderful to add as embellishments to cards.  I always have a stash of them on my desk. 

Here is the inside of my card....another sentiment stamp from the Fall Fillers stamp set from Papertrey Ink.

Thanks for taking a look at my card! Happy Crafting!
: )  Jill