Some of the cards I have made. Let me know what you think.

Birthday card for my father.

I tried to make a simple card for my father last night.  I did succeed, but it took me 3 hours! Only because I was trying to make the card between TV commercials. 


My favorite shows were on last night.  There are not too many shows I am a "real follower" of so I have been trying to turn the TV off or have music playing when those favorite shows are not on.

I have a harder time making card for Guys than I do for Girls.  As I was browsing online I saw this sketch, so I thought I would use it as my starting place for a masculine card.

The paper is so shiny, it was quite the challenge to get a good photo.



Recipe

Blue paper (lightest) ~ The Paper Company Seaside collection

           4 1/2" x 5 1/4" card base

           2 1/4 "x 1 1/8"  rectangle in center

           A little bigger than 4" x 1 1/4" for die cut

Alpine Socks ~ KI Memories 

           2 1/4" x1 3/4"     4 pieces  

Brown ~ The Shimmer Stack by DCXV

           2 1/2" x1 15/16"     4 pieces  

Die cut
          Fancy Labels ~ Spellbinders

     

Close to Cocoa Ink ~ Stampin' Up 

Sincere Salutations stamp  ~ Stampin' Up

Scor-Tape  adhesive

Dimensional ~ Stampin" Up

Sponge

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The concept is easy. 

1. Stack the printed paper (Alpine socks) on top of the solid paper (brown shimmer). 
2. Place on card base evenly spaced 2 high x 2 wide. 
3. Make die cut (Fancy Labels by Spellbinders).
4. Adhere in center of card. 
5. Cut center piece for label.
6. Stamp "Happy Birthday" on center piece.
7. Sponge Close to Cocoa around edges of center piece.
8. Adhere dimensionals on back of "Happy Birthday" center piece , place in center of label.
9. Admire your GREAT work of art!

Brayered Happiness Always Card

 

This is my all time favorite card!  I made this several months ago and placed it on my Etsy shop.  I hope it sells, but honestly I will be truly sad to not have it my hands to look at everyday for inspiration.

The supplies I used are at the bottom of this post.

I like to use glossy paper when brayering.  I find it smears the ink a little better than matte paper.

Tearing the scratch piece of paper unevenly (keep both sides) place on glossy paper to cover where the grass is to be. 

I inked my brayer with a light color of blue, rolled the brayer onto the glossy paper, repeating with a darker blue and gradually moving upwards to the top of the card with watch color.  I was careful not to roll the brayer to many times because the ink will re-coat the brayer if not dry.

After waiting a few minutes for the ink to dry, I then took the other side of the torn paper to cover the blue sky so I could brayer the bottom of the card green for the grass.  I did the same type of brayering, starting with the lightest green

and working to darker greens.   I lightly sponged some dark mossy green to show as shadows.  I took the same green and stamped areas of grass.

I stamped the tree first in black, pushing very hard onto the paper, this leaves an outline of the stamped.  I re-stamped the tree with normal pressure in brown.  Added the red apples and the black tire swing.  I lightly sponged green around the top of the tree.

I used my Big Shot and Spellbinders Label 4, to make  the decorative die cut.  Keeping the metal die on the paper, I sponged with blue in a circular pattern.  By keeping the die on the die cut, this allows the edges to stay white.  Then stamped with the die cut with 'Happiness Always".

The "Happiness Always" die cut was mounted using Popdots.  Picture was mounted on a green cardstock and attached to a white card back with Scor-tape.

If you have any questions about this card, please let me know.

Supplies used:

• Glossy paper
• Green cardstock
• Varies inks in blues and greens
• Black, brown and red inks 
• White cardstock for card base
• Branch Out stamp set by Stampin Up
• Sponge
• Brayer
• Scratch paper
• Big Shot or other die cutting machine
• Spellbinders Labels 4 die cuts
• Popdots
• Scor- tape