Creating Embellishments!

Plain chipboard die cuts

Decorated brads, borders, etc.

Chipboard die cuts stained and distressed with metallic paints

Thought I would give you a view of my workspace where I do a lot of my card design work.  Here are some chipboard cutouts that I distress with stains and then highlight with metallic dauber paints.  The fun part is trying to get the stains and paints off my fingers when I'm done for the day!

Nature-Inspired Cards

Flower/Bird Vine

Acetate Butterfly 

Bird Egg printed cardstock/embellishment

                                               

I've been playing with some embellishments, border punches, and papers and designed a few new cards using a nature theme for the Little Red School House craft show that will be held the first Sunday in October.  Everything has to have something related to a nature theme for that particular show.  Some of the embellishments are acetate designs (butterfly and bird), chipboard (vines), and 3-dimensionals (words).  

50th Wedding Invitation

A lady who purchased a few of my greeting cards at a craft show last fall called me to see if I might be interested in designing invitations for her and her husband's 50th wedding celebration.  I scanned a copy of their wedding photo and cropped it down to the size I would need to balance the front of the invitation.  I chose four different printed cardstock designs and started tearing and distressing the paper until I came up with this design.  I stamped the word "Memories" on one of the printed papers and attached two antique brads to the sides.  I distressed all edges of the papers and photo to give it a vintage look.  A small silk flower with a pearl center is attached with a tiny glue dot after the edges were distressed.  I found a golden-colored organza ribbon that gives the card a little more elegance and wrapped it around the entire front of the card.  The inside of the card was printed directly from my computer.  The couple was thrilled with the results and originally ordered thirty invitations. A week later, they order an additional ten invitations!  I am really proud of the result!!!

More Mother's Day Cards!

Here are three more cards I designed for Mother's Day, each one is unique!  The first one uses a die cut that is in the shape of an apron.  I embossed the entire shape after it was stamped.  I then added stamped flowers that I cut out individually and attached using small glue dots for a little dimension.


The second card was distressed on the edges of the mat, the border strip that I cut from a new Martha Stewart punch, and the flowers made from a Tim Holtz die cut -- lots of fun!  


The third card used three embossing folders:  one for the top section of the card, one for the bottom section, and the third for the hat.  I used a circle punch, a scalloped oval punch and a smaller oval punch to make the hat.  Added a small width ribbon to the hat brim, punched a small flower, added a tiny yellow pearl in the center of the flower...and added the vintage lace around the center for texture.  


Let me know what you think!

Mother's Day Card from Kids

Card front

Inside of card

Here is the Mother's Day card I made for my co-worker 's kids 

to give to their mom.  

I used a printed cardstock for the front, printed the words on my computer, cut out the tags and attached them to the flower stems using bright yellow-orange twine.  

The inside verse was placed over a pink cardstock mat that coordinates with the front of the card.

Let me know what you think!

Mother's Day Card

I made this card for one of my co-workers needing a Mother's Day card for his wife.  I like the coordination of the ribbon that has the brown border and the printed cardstocks.  I also was happy with the flowers and how well they balanced the card front.


Let me know your thoughts!

Baby Shower Invitation

Front of Baby Shower Invitation

Inside of Baby Shower Invitation

Music Student Teacher Thank You Card

Add caption

Here is a thank you card I made for Steve's music student teacher who will be leaving the school district the end of this week.  I found the cover vellum paper in the "Performance" card stack.  I embellished the card front with a tulle flower and added some gold rhinestones to the music staff, etc.  I also found some burgandy/gold foil paper and used a border punch along one strip for the top of the card and then ran a piece of off-white satin ribbon with gold stitching along the border strip.  The inside verse is perfect for a future teacher!  I also used a strip of the burgandy/gold foil paper as a bottom border for the inside of the card.  I am really happy with the way this turned out!

Let me know your thoughts!!!!!