Cards That Care Week - Day Three!

Hello, friends!  Back again for day three of my very own "Cards That Care Week!"  Today I have two similar cards to share...with one subtle difference between them.

I will also be entering these cards into the current Hero Arts monthly challenge since I blinged it up again with the ultra-fine glitter.  I just can't resist using it... it adds so much punch to a card!

Both cards use the same Hero Arts stamps: retired "Watercolor Poinsettia" and "Season's Greetings Message," Flower Plate cling, along with Shabby Shutters distress ink and Marvy markers.  Here is the first card:

Here is the second card...can you tell the difference?

You've probably figured it out...I inked up the poinsettia stamp with markers, spritzed it with water and stamped it for the first card.  Then, without re-inking, I spritzed it again and re-stamped it on the second card.  That second imprint is much more subtle and soft...I'm not sure which I like better.

Here is a close-up of the glitter on the first card...

Be sure to check back to Vera's blog for the winner list from the blog hop...the winner list is being posted today!

That does it for today...I'll be back tomorrow with a fun little number!
Take care,
Judy

Cards That Care Week - Day Two!

Hello, friends!  I'm back with day two of my very own "Cards That Care Week" in honor of the card drive going on HERE.  Please go check it out if you haven't already!

Today's card has lots of sparkle and shine..."bling" if you will.  I will be entering this card into the November Hero Arts challenge described HERE. 

The main image is the retired Hero Arts "Singing Angel" which I colored with colored pencils and then added ultra-fine glitter to the dress, wings and halo.  I stamped the Hero Arts Music Background using Shabby Shutters distress ink and added the simple sentiment from a $1 Studio G stamp set.  Finally, I border punched the edge of the card and added some strips of patterned paper.

Here is a close-up of the bling:

I hope whoever receives this card will like the sparkle and shine...it is much prettier in person than in pictures! 

Thanks for stopping by for day two...hope to see you again tomorrow!

Take care,
Judy

Cards That Care Week - Day One!

Hello, friends!  Thanks to all those who stopped by this weekend for the Cards That Care Blog Hop...it was loads of fun, wasn't it?  So much inspiration and talent out there, and it is so wonderful to see such talent being shared with those who could use a smile this holiday season.  You can find my blog hop post HERE.

In honor of the Cards That Care Card Drive, I decided to have my own special week entitled "Cards That Care Week!"  Every day this week I will share cards that I will be sending in for the card drive.  Details on the card drive can be found HERE...remember, all cards need to be received by November 30th. 

So, on to my first card this week.  I was inspired by the current Paper Crafts Holiday Cards & More, Volume 6 in which I spotted several holiday cards using typewriters.  That got me thinking...I have my trusty Hero Arts typewriter cling, and I also have some great SRM Holiday Stickers that look like type.  Here is what I put together using those items along with some patterned paper and a sweet Daisy Flourish embossing folder:

I am looking forward to sharing holiday cards with you all week...I do hope you'll stop by!

Thanks for visiting...have a good day!
Judy

Cards That Care Blog Hop

Hello, friends! 
Welcome to the Cards that Care Blog Hop! 

Hopefully you are stopping by after visiting the talented Stephanie Muzzulin's blog.  If you are stopping by mid-hop, feel free to start at the beginning with Vera Yates and go from there...you will find a complete list of blog hop participants there. 

Did you know that there are lots of prizes being offered?  These companies generously offer prizes for the hop: Lawn Fawn, May Arts, Penny Black, Sweet Stamps Shop, Avocado Arts, Hero Arts, Mami Doodles, The Craft's Meow, Jennifer McGuire's OnlineCardClasses, & Monica Wright"s print "I Love It All." 

Check out Vera's blog HERE for more details on the prizes.  Winners will be chosen randomly from comments left on participants blog; the more blogs you leave comments on the better your chances of winning!  You have the whole weekend to leave comments (until Sunday, 11/6/11 midnight CST).  Good luck!

So, now for my cards.  I made two styles, and I made two of each...I figured I might as well since I had out all of the supplies!

First up: My "Christmas Chick" card.  I stamped the Hero Arts Flourish Background using Soft Pool shadow ink and added glitter highlights with a Gelly Roll Clear Stardust glitter pen.  I stamped "Chick St. Nick" (by Stampendous from their Calendar Collection) onto watercolor paper and painted him, adding glitter to his hat and the ground.  One one of the cards I added a blue gem for the bauble, while I used Glossy Accents for the other one.  The sentiment is from the clear design Hero Arts "Laughter & Merriment" set.

Next Up:  My "Ornament and Branch" card.  I am really happy with this card and can see myself making these in bulk...not hard at all!  I stamped the Hero Arts "Real Pine" woodblock stamp using Grass chalk ink and added some brown highlights with colored pencil.  I stamped the Hero Arts Flourish Ornament onto two different red patterned papers, added highlights with the Gelly Roll Stardust Clear Glitter Pen, then cut out and mounted with a pop dot.  Finally, I tied a jute bow and adhered with a glue dot.   The Paper Smooches Pretty Phrases sentiment, although not necessarily a Christmas sentiment, makes it appropriate no matter what holiday you celebrate during the holiday season. 

Be sure to send in a few cards to bring some holiday joy and cheer to nursing home residents this holiday season.  I will definitely be sending these cards in, along with a few more.  Mailing details are at Vera's blog HERE...I do hope you will join me!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Next stop in the hop...ANNIE LUNG !!! 

Have fun hopping, my friends!
Judy

Happy Halloween!

Hello, friends!  No card today, just wanted to wish you all a Happy Halloween!

I love fall and all the fun things it brings for our family...playing in the leaves, picking pumpkins, carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating...I love it all!

Can't you see why?  Look how happy everyone looks!

Picking pumpkins at Johnson's Farm...

Carving pumpkins...

Lighting them up...(BOO!)

All dressed up before trick-or-treating...

Yep, all good fall fun.
Have a great Halloween, everyone!
Judy

Brother & Sister Birthday Cards and Snow in October?!

Hello, friends! 

Crazy day, that's all I can say.  We had a snowstorm today and it is not even the end of October!  More on that later.

I wanted to share two birthday cards I made for my nephew Nate and my niece Adrienne...they are brother and sister, and their birthdays are within a week of each other.  Here is the card I made for Nate, who tuns two tomorrow:

I embossed the gumball machine from the Sweet Stamp Shop's Sweet Tooth set onto watercolor paper, cut it out, and adhered it to a two-tone card.  I stamped the sentiment at the top and added a Hero Arts "Happy Birthday" (from the Birthday Messages set) at the bottom.  The pearls were added for dimensional gum balls.  I hope he doesn't try to actually eat them!

Nate's older sister, Adrienne, is turning five next week.  I adapted a card I previously posted and made it into a birthday card.  Here is what the card originally looked like (posted in September at my blog HERE):

Here is what I did to make it into a birthday card, adding a Hero Arts paper-pieced elephant and some Martha Stewart punch balloons, patterned papers, and a fine Sharpie:

It is so nice to have these simple one-layer cards on hand...so easy to jazz up for any occasion!

OK, so back to the snow.  We had to drive about 75 miles north/west to my brother's house for Adrienne and Nate's birthday party today.  When we left our house it was raining, no big deal.  As we were halfway there it turned to snow, and it snowed hard and fast. 

It was funny the way fall and winter mixed together on this ride...we would be riding on the snow-covered road and all of a sudden we'd be under a big old maple tree full of glorious red leaves and the road under it would be dry...then within seconds we'd be back on the snow-covered road with white pine trees all around again. 

Here is the view out the passenger side windshield as we drove there:

By the time we reached their house, visibility was bad.  Here is the view when we pulled into their driveway...see the ice on the windshield?  Can hardly see their house in the distance...and this was around noon!

They still have some cute fall decorations out on their back deck...poor scarecrow!

Our drive home was crazy...it took us 2 1/2 hours to get home, when it is normally a 1 1/4 hour drive.  We got detoured about four different times due to fallen power lines, tree branches, and slippery hills our poor minivan could not get up!  Luckily, at one point we got behind a snow plow (maybe a quick answer to a silent prayer whispered as my 9-year-old daughter cried in the back seat because she was scared?)...it was a slow drive but it cleared a path for us to follow, at least until it came to a fallen tree branch that it couldn't get by and it turned around...we actually fit under the branch and kept going. 

By the time we got home it was just raining.  Go figure. 

I hope this is not a sign of what is to come this winter!

Have a peaceful night...I know we'll sleep well!
Judy

Better Luck Next Time!

Hello, friends!  Just wanted to share two cards I made and submitted to the 2011 World Card Making Day Contest this year....unfortunately they didn't get chosen but I am so happy for the 20 winners (such talented ladies, I tell ya!).  Check out the list HERE.

The first is a quick card I made for the "Love" category using a free digital sentiment from Kim Hughes as well as some stamps from the Paper Smooches A Little Lovin set. 

I embossed that cute little frog onto watercolor paper and painted it, then cut out and popped it up for dimension.  I stamped the crown onto the kraft card and colored it with a gold gel pen.  The sentiment was printed directly onto the kraft card and I embossed the swiss dots with my Cuttlebug.  The border punch is the EK Tools Double Embossed Dotted Lace Edger Punch.  I added some gems and drew a few lines and outlines with a Gelly Roll glitter pen to finish it off.



The next card I made fell into the "Christmas/Season's Greetings" category.  Can I just tell you that I found THIS awesome Clearly Wordsworth stamp set in the clearance bin for $2?  Total luck...LOVE this set!  Did lots of paper-piecing on this card...its so fun changing their clothes!  I also filled in the fur sections with the glitter pen...very shiny in person!

Sorry for my lack of blogging and visiting...been crazy hectic with school, work, sports, a gazillion family birthdays this month, and the upcoming Halloween festivities.  We spent the afternoon raking, and do you believe it may SNOW here tomorrow?  (Say WHAT?)  I'll keep you posted on that!

Hope all is well with you.  Congrats again to all the WCMD winners.
Thanks for stopping by!
Judy