Mid Challenge Reminder for TRCC - Red Romance

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

It's the middle of the month, so I'm back with a reminder of my card for The Rainbow Card Challenge.  We are a monochromatic challenge and while we ask you to keep your creations as such, we appreciate the need for neutral colors and or a hint of others. 

This month our theme is RED ROMANCE, though the latter is optional, and here's the inspiration photo...

And my card, details of which can be found on my original post...

I'll be back soon with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

Happy New Year!

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

I know it's VERY late to be sharing this card, but I had to make sure it had reached the recipient before posting.  Even more so because the Christmas card I sent her was returned thanks to an incorrect address.  Oops!

Late last year I found... and quickly became just a tad obsessed... with the Groovi parchment craft system from Clarity Stamp.  The daisies in the card design came from my first "baby plate" purchase, which was rapidly followed up with subscription to their New Design Groovi club, which resulted in the arrival of the other elements.  Grin.

I've had an ahem, bunch of fun playing with the plates I've got and will show you more of the creations later this month, around the time my next one will arrive.  Grin.

Card: SU's Whisper White and Sahara Sand, and Clarity's parchment
Marker: Dark Purple one from Spectrum Noir
Tools and embellishments: Clarity Stamp's Daisy Flowers Groovi Baby Plate, Alphabet A5 Square Groovi Plate Mate and Labels insert, and embossing tool.  Silver brads from my stash

Challenges...
#13 Fun Technique at Crafter's Castle
AG at TTCRD
#343 Use Snippets at Pixie's Snippets Playground (large snippet used to back the parchment)

I'll be back soon with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

Red Romance at Rainbow Card Challenge

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

Happy New Year!  I'm incredibly honored to be kicking 2019 off with my first Design Team post for Rainbow Card Challenge!  Yep, my pretty much suck up application in November was successful, and together with six other amazingly talented ladies whose links can be found in my blog side bar, we'll be bringing you MONOCHROME challenges on the first of the month.

Although it's only the first of the year, our theme this month is in anticipation of Valentines Day, although your card does NOT have to be romance card, if you don't want to!  As you can see by my card, while we require the majority to be RED and NEUTRAL, we don't mind a hint of another color if necessary.

And here's my card...

Card: SU's whisper white, cherry cobbler, mossy meadow and Sahara sand
Tools and embellishments: Tonic Roseanna's Terrace, and Die'sire Floral Delight dies, and Nuvo Sparkle Shimmer pen

Challenges...
#342 Use Snippets at Pixie's Snippets Playground (all elements created from snippets)
#181 AG at Crafty Gals Corner
#216 AG at 613 Avenue Create

I'll be back soon with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

Another Christmas Card

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

The card I'm sharing today is very similar to the monochromatic one I shared here, but I've changed up a few things... added the silver mirror card elements and used a Nuvo pen for the shimmer instead of glitter embossing powder. 

Card: SU's Whisper white and silver mirror, and Tonic's Denim Ripple
Tools and embellishments: SU's Star of Light thinlits, X-cut Merry & Bright dies, Nuvo Sparkle Shimmer pen, Ranger Glossy Accents, and unbranded rhinestones. 

Challenges...
#341 Use Snippets at Pixie's Snippets Playground (all dies cut from snippets, including the 'invisble' white layers used to pop up the sentiment)
#382 Super Scraps Saturday at HIMCR (see above for scraps used)
AG at TTCRD

This is my last post of 2018, so THANK YOU for all your love and support during the year.  I'm busy planning some new projects for 2019, so I hope you'll join me then, and in the meantime I will still be commenting on any of your posts I see. 

Mini Wrap Journal Pictorial

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

I've shared a number of mini wrap journals recently, and as mentioned in one of the posts, I did get around to creating this pictorial for you.  Of course, by its nature, the post is image heavy, but I hope you'll agree the process is really easy.

What you'll need...
Card: (Shown in image one) Covers (two) 5 3/8" x 6", Spine 1/2" x 6", Center panel 4 1/2" x 6"
Papers: Various folded sheets (I used 5), cut 1/4" smaller than the covers
Twine: Approximately 42" (though the first time you make one, it's better to keep it on the reel until you're sure how much)
Adhesive: Strong glue or double sided tape (I used both Tombow glue and double sided tape)
Optional extras: Additional card for cover elements, inks, dies etc (Distress Inks, my favorite Birch Press Delfina background die, and an SU Timeless Textures stamp used here)

This image, or at least the notes on the post its, is a little confusing, as I mention the front cover twice.  Sorry!  I just found it easier to cut the front 1/2" wider, then cut the spine from that...

Decorate the card pieces as desired.  I used the same direct to paper technique for this one as I have with the others, but kept the front of the front cover plain, so the detailed die cut piece would be the focus.

Score both front and back covers at 1/2" and 3/4" on the short side.  I did this after adding the die cut piece to the front (and trimming 1/8" off the height of everything to match the die cut)...

Attach the covers to the center panel using adhesive of choice.  Because I inked everything, the join is near enough invisible, but if you look closely you can see it...

And the join is clearer on the reverse, where you can see the uninked front...

Not for long though, as it's now time to add the spine piece.  You can use glue, but I used tape for added strength...

Now it's time to wrap the twine around the center panel allowing a little wriggle room.  If you're thinking this is where the journal gets its name, you'd be right.  I wrap mine 3 times, but it's up to you, and another reason to not cut the twine before creating the first.  I tie mine at the bottom, then move the knot as shown...

We're almost done.  All that's left now is to slip the pages into the twine on both sides...

And admire your work...

What do you think?  Will you be trying it, in this or another size?  It's pretty handy as it is, but could be made any size you like.  If you do, I'd love to see your creations.

Challenges...
Create your own Background at Incy Wincy (created the inked background before cutting with a background die for the cover)
Linky party #46 December at Crop Stop
#431 Crazy Egg (AG) at 4 Crafty Chicks

I'll be back soon with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

End of Term Blog Hop at House of Cards

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

The end of the 6 month long DT term at House of Cards would usually mean it's time for a Blog Hop.  Today is no different in that regard, but after much thought and deliberation between HoC's owner Mynn and DT Co-ordinator Judy, they have come to the very difficult decision that this month will be the last challenge at House of Cards.

It is, of course, a decision which myself and the other Design Team members fully understand.  I'm sure we'll all continue to support both amazing ladies, as well as each other, when the doors to our House close. 

I am beyond honored to have been with the team for SEVEN terms, or 3 and half years, plus a GDT spot in early 2015 before joining that July.  And have been utterly inspired by all the amazing creations, not just from the DT, but challenge participants too!  Thank you! 

We're not done yet, and this month's challenge will run until December 15, after which the winners will be posted.  Here's the gorgeous inspiration photo...

Our hop sponsor is Beccy's Place...

Prize - $10.00AU Gift Certificate 

And here's my card, using a gorgeous poinsettia from one of Beccy's sets which I printed twice...

Card: SU's Whisper White, Basic Black, and Cherry Cobbler

Markers: Spectrum Noir
Tools and embellishments: Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions Noble Ornate Pierced Squares and Intermediate Weaving dies, Die'sire Downton Abbey Bow die, and Nuvo Sparkle Shimmer pen

Challenges...
#340 Use Snippets at Pixie's Snippets Playground (bow cut 3 times from cherry cobbler card and stacked)
AG at TTCRD
Wk 47 AG at Polkadoodles

Here's the hop order...

House of Cards Blog

Cohenna 

Donna 

Em <--- you are here

Judy 

Karen

Michele

Rocky 

Rosi 

Sue N. 

Susan 

Make sure you leave a comment at each person's blog along the way because the prize is hidden and we'll be doing a random drawing from the blogs where it is hiding! :) 

 After you're done, we would love for you to make a creation to share with us, too.

I'll be back soon with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

Jim & Jill

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

Today's card is another direct to card inked and stamped creation.  Yet, it's stepped up a notch with the addition of some unbranded letter dies...

Created for Jim and Jill's anniversary, the letters were cut out from off cuts from their mini wrap journals.  As you can see, I changed up the colors and ink a bit for his by using my NBUS Distress Oxies.  The card background is a piece of unstamped lavender over Tumbled Glass Oxied card.

Card: Unbranded white, lavender and linen card
Ink: Tumbled Glass and Mowed Lawn Distress Oxides, Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord and Antique Linen Distress Inks
Stamp sets: SU's Timeless Textures
Tools and embellishments: Birch Press Delfina Layer Dies, Unbranded letter dies, and Glossy Accents

Challenges...
AG at TTCRD
#380 Any Holiday (anniversary) at HIMCR
#11 AG at Crafter's Castle

I'll be back soon with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.