Birthday Cards

I've been following the newest Online Card Class: Stretch Your Dies.

Lots of great ideas! They inspired me to get caught up on my family birthday card stash. Don't worry, the intended recipients do not read my blog!

Here's the first:

Beautiful Bokeh background with Distress Inks and white pigment ink, plus home-made circle stencil. Then, those lucious-looking letters! These were inspired by Jennifer McGuire. The letters were white card-stock, cut with Avery Elle alpha dies, coloured with Distress Markers and inks to match the card, glossed with Wink of Stella, then covered with Liquid Glass for that shimmery, shiny effect.

Next up, one for my niece. This card is a shameless CASE of Laura Bassen. I used my rubber embossing mats to make the Polaroid impression with a Lil' Inker's die.  I masked off the edge, and stamped a photo-bomb scene, using Paper Smooches Chubby Chum Pals. Those were coloured with Copic Markers.

For the sentiment, I blended two Copic colours from the scene above, then die-cut the letters from Paper Smooches Sassy Script.

I tried a couple different colour combos before deciding on the blue and brown. Lining the dies up with washi tape helped keep them straight, even when using the magnetic platform.

One more view:

I am linking these up to:

And the Online Card Classes' gallery.

Have a crafty week!

Caroline

Radar Love

 Okay, maybe I meant "Radio Love."

I've been trying to follow along with Kathy Racoosin's 30-Day Colouring Challenge;

I can't say I've managed to do 5 minutes everyday, but the days when it DOES happen are feel-good days!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending all day creatively.

My friend Heather Telford organized a series of technique demos by the attendees at her monthly card-making workshop. Some great tips, and many more media avenues to explore.

My husband just returned from a two-day trip to Chicago. He told me he turned his suitcase inside out, and couldn't find a love-you/miss-you card from me ☹. Normally I manage to tuck one in while he's packing. How could that have slipped my mind?! So, I'm going to put the card featured here into his briefcase, for him to find at work tomorrow.

This one's nice and simple. 

More Copic colouring of those cute vintage radio designs from Create A Smile. Speech Bubble border die set from Lil'Inker Designs, and word dies from Paper Wishes.

I'm linking this one up to the Stretch Your Dies Online Card Class, too (another good thing about this past week!).

Hope your day involves some colouring!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

I Love Java...

One last entry for the Spring Coffee Lovers' Blog Hop:

So many excellent entries!

This idea has been PERCOLATING in my brain all week... :)

Song lyric mash-up between Manhattan Transfer and Cole Porter. Can you name those tunes? The ransom alphabet message should help.

Coffee cup stamp and die from The Stamps of Life.

Alpha dies, assorted ones from the stash.

Go pour yourself a cup, and check out the entries. Link-up open until midnight, Pacific time.

Happy crafting, 

Caroline

Miss you (in colour)

 I'm enjoying the Coffee Lovers' SPRING Blog Hop this week.

Check it out HERE, through Friday March 6th, at midnight, PST.

However, today's post is to join in the fun at Kathy Racoosin's blog, where she begins the 30 Day Coloring Challenge.

I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up the pace, but I LOVE the idea of colouring, even for 5 minutes, every day.

Here's a card  I thought of mass-producing for Operation Write Home.

The products are from Create A Smile: the "Say it" stencil and "Perfect Tune" stamp set.

I coloured with Copics. Wouldn't you have a loved a hot pink radio when you were a 'tween?

 That's it for tonight, folks!

Check back tomorrow. I may have some more radios to color. Or maybe some flowers?

Happy colouring!

Caroline

Life begins after...COFFEE!

Slightly warmer temps and longer days...can spring be far behind?

 

The  Coffee Loving Cardmakers don't think so...

They have organized another fun hop. The linky is open through this Friday, March 6th. There are lots of prizes from some wonderful sponsors, and tons of inspiration from the participants.

I broke out some caffeinated supplies from Verve Stamps: the Coffee Stamp set and coordinating word die.

I planted those coffee beans in some watercolour soil, "watered" them with some warm coffee (mug coloured with Copics), surrounded the panel with some sunshiny Bokey patterned paper, and watched those fresh plants sprout.  The sentiment says it all.

 

The card layout is based on Freshly Made Sketches #175.

I flipped the sketch, adding ribbon to the cursive "coffee." Snail courtesy of Paper Smooches "Green Thumb."

Go check out the Spring Coffee Lovers' Blog hop!

Supplies:

Watercolor paper: Tim Holtz

Bokeh paper: Close to My Heart

Cardstock and ribbon: the stash

Distress markers

Copic markers

Stamps: Verve and Paper Smooches

Die: Verve Stamps