Rockin' Out - Graduation Card

I had a lot of fun creating this card for my friend Corey.  Her friend's daughter just graduated high school is off to UC Davis.

Big thank you to Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge for the wonderful sketch.

Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge

Challenges Entered

Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge - Challenge 107

Order of the Opus Gluei - Girl Things

Paper Sundaes - Challenge #73: Girly Girl

The Emerald Faerie Garden - Challenge #2: Lots of Bling (I hope the bead work counts) 

The Paper Shelter - Challenge 17: Celebrate

Rat Pack - Swing Card

I'm up a little late this evening.  Way too much coffee today.  I probably should hit my pillow soon but I wanted to share a card I made for my friend's husband.  She wanted something a little "Mad Men" and a little "Rat Pack."  Her husband loves scotch so I went with a hand-drawn scotch filled glass. I decided to go with a swing card.  This is the first time I made a swing card.  I think it turned out well...and goes with the entire theme of the card. 

Wish I new who made this paper.  I have so many scraps of paper and it is hard to keep track of where I got it from.

I punched out some black circles and strong them with embroidery thread. The little circles move as well.

Challenges Entered
Bows and Berries - Challenge 7: Masculine 
Craft Your Passion - Challenge 61: Anything Goes 
Crafting for all Seasons Challenge Blog - Challenge 2: Father's Day
Creative Craft Challenges - Movable Parts Challenge
Creative Inspirations - Dad/Man in Your Life (I hope this counts even though this is card is for my friend's husband)
Delightful Challenges - Father's Day
Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT Challenge Blog - Its All About Males
The Crazy Challenge - CCH#70: Father's Day 
There's Magic in the Air - Magical Monday: Masculine 
Top Tip Tuesday - Challenge 37: More Than 1 Fold

Road to Nowhere

Good evening fellow bloggers and anyone else who happens across my little blog.  A fairly productive weekend even with fighting off some bog.  Apparently there is something going around and I was privileged enough to catch it.  Oh well...at least it isn't as bad as the cold I had last December.

I'm trying to get some Father's Day cards done to post at my Etsy shop before the end of the month...can you believe it is already the 15th --- time sure does move fast.  I've been in a retro grungy sort of mood lately (might be because I am under the weather) so some of the latest creations have a 50s feel to them.  The Nifty Fifties Cricut Cartridge certainly has been very useful and has a ton of images I can't wait to use.  A lot of cool images to cure your retro urges.  I added some pearl glitter to the headlights for a little shimmer.

A close-up of the car and the panels.

A close-up of the greeting.

CPS - Card Sketch Weekly Challenge - CPS 218

I was inspired by CPS-Card Sketches Weekly Challenge - CPS 218.  This blog has one of the best sketch designs I have seen.  They are always coming up with something unique and fabulous.  I had a great time cutting out all of the panels and adding stitching to the borders.  The Tim Holtz Idea-ology Retro Grunge paper and sprockets really added a nice touch to the card.  Have I told you guys I am having a love affair with Tim.  Okay..not really with him...more like all of his products.  I would love to meet him one day to tell him face-to-face how much I love all of his stuff.


Card Challenges Entered:
Card Positioning Systems Weekly Sketch Challenge - CPS 218 
Creative Belli Blog - Challenge 117: Starts with an "S" Challenge (my "S" is sprocket)
Emerald Faerie Garden - First Challenge: Anything Goes
Inspire Me Fridays - Anything Goes
Lothian Crafts Online - Easel Card
One Stitch at a Time Challenge Blog - Challenge 62: Anything Goes
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge - Challenge 53 Anything Goes
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturdays - Old Supplies Challenge (old supplies used: red buttons, sprockets, brad, and glitter)
Wags n' Whiskers Stamps - Challenge 54: Circles 
Sew Many Challenges - Anything Goes

Recipe
Cream Cardstock
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Retro Grunge Paper
My Mind's Eye Complete Boy Paper
Red, Black, Silver Cardstock for the Retro Car
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Sprockets
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Vintage Photo
Buttons
Machine Stitching
Embroidary Thread

Its Alright to Be A Little Blue on Valentine's Day

After making the Teabag Folded card for my mom, I went searching for some new and interesting techniques on card folding.  I came across StampARTic's blog and she had an interesting folding card tutorial.  She's got some amazing tutorials that I want to try out (and I recommend that you check them out in your spare time).

Her folding technique is gorgeous and definitely has a vintage feel.  She was gracious enough to grant me permission to use the technique for a card that I wanted to make to sell at my Etsy shop.  I wanted to go a little vintage and use non-traditional colors for the card.  I went to Michael's on Thursday on my way back from Fresno, and found some great blue and cream colored designer paper by My Mind's Eye 29th Street Market Classic "Everyday" Fresh Linens.   Now all I needed to do was get home and work on my card.

Card Challenges:
Creative Card Crew Challenge -  Lets See Some Fancy Folds
Paper Pretties - Wednesday Challenge PWC136
AllSorts Challenge Blog - Week 85 Fancy Fold

Its Alright to Be A Little Blue on Valentine's Day - Handmade Vintage Inspired Card

After two attempts of using the folding technique and the Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page Heart Chain (I realized the Whirlpool Cardstock from Bazzill Basics was a little larger than the 12x12 size used for the technique), I was able to get the fold for the card completed. The punched edge hearts got a little squished when folding the the edges of the paper but I think it adds more of a vintage feel to the card.

I used four different designer papers to decorate the card (you have to cut out different size triangles to do to this - again check out the folding card tutorial).  I decorated the inside and outside of the card.  For the larger triangle folds for the inside of the card, I added a some pale blue ribbon just to embellish the card a little.  The card is already pretty embellished with all of the different papers used...but what the hell....ribbon is pretty.

In order for the card to close, you need to create a belt to wrap around the card.  You can probably do whatever you want to keep the card close.  I decided I wanted to use a bow to fasten the card.  After cutting out two different strips of paper for the belt, I attached two grommets to the card to thread the pale blue ribbon through for the bow.  I cut out four hearts (using cream colored card stock) from the Love Struck Cricut Cartridge and stained the the hearts using Broken China Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad.  I layered the hearts to create two hearts which I mounted on both sides of the card.

There you have it.  It took me all day but I am very happy with the card.  I think it is perfect for Valentine's day.

Materials Used
Whirlpool Cardstock from Bazzill Basics for the Base
My Mind's Eye 29th Street Market Classic "Everyday" Fresh Linens
Linen Closet Paper Stack with Glitter by Die Cuts with a View
Complete Boy Paper Pad by My Mind's Eye
Cream Colored Cardstock
Broken China Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad
Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page Heart Chain
Love Struck Cricut Cartridge
Light Blue Ribbon
Silver Grommets