Vintage Lady Birthday Card

Today I want to share with you a birthday card I made for my friend Melissa.

I was running short on time and had to make this card rather quickly which led me to think of other ways to embellish the card rather than use my Cricut machine.

Not that I don't love my Cricut machine mind you… But when I'm limited on time and space sometimes it's just easier to do without it.

(As I've mentioned before, I no longer have my dedicated craft room that I had previously set-up and therefore my Cricut machine is stored away and has to come out on the kitchen table when I need to use it.)

I found this adorable graphic of this vintage lady from Keren at "Free Pretty Things For You".

Her blog is just a delight! So many pretty, vintage goodies and many of them are free for personal use.

Check out her site if you get a chance...you won't be disappointed, I promise!

I had downloaded the graphic from her site, quite awhile ago and was just waiting for the perfect project to use it in.

I knew this would be the right time to use this sweet lady, as my friend Melissa likes vintage things and her son even plays in a band called The Vintage Vandals!
(They are GOOD...you can check them out here).

I used a medium weight white card stock (110 lb.) to make this card and stamped it with a flowered background stamp from hero arts using an olive green pigment ink stamp from Studio G.

I really felt that the pattern and color on the stamp was reminiscent of vintage 50's decor...almost like wallpaper you would have seen back then!

The pretty vintage girl from FPTFY was printed on the same cardstock using my Lexmark Printer.

I cut her out and added some Mod Podge Dimensional Magic to make her shine!

Then, I affixed her to the card using some foam adhesive dots to give her some more dimension.

I created the word sentiment myself as I could not find any on the Internet that I felt worked for the type card it was.

The journaling frames/shapes (inside and out of the card) were made using My Memories v4 Digital Scrapbooking Software.

*(For $10.00 off on this awesome software, see the link/code in the ad on my right sidebar!)

The journal frames were a part of a Birthday Kit I had purchased called "Birthdays and Many More" and the embellishment was called "Journaling Pink".

The sentiments were made using the MyMemories Software and I used the font: Bella Donna.

I printed these embellishments out on some cardstock and then I cut them out.
(This is where I'd usually use my Cricut Imagine!)

I added the polka-dot ribbon and tiny button embellishments to add an extra pop of color and dimension.

The final touch was to add my personalized blog stamp (PSA Essentials Peel and Stick), to the back of the card and it was ready to fly!

Here is a photo of the supplies and tools used to make this card:

Supplies/Tools List:

White Card Stock, GP ImagePlus, 110 lb.

Digital Download Graphic, Color, Adorable Lady (Vintage) from: Free Pretty Things For You

Polka Dot, Grosgrain Ribbon, Aqua/White, 3/8", Item #3980 (2007) Devrian Global Industries LLC

Flower Patterned Rubber Stamp, Hero Arts, #K5346 (2010) "Flower Burst Card"

Pigment Ink, Olive Green, Studio G, #VP0017

Mini Buttons, Lime Green, Aqua

Mod Podge Dimensional Magic

Foam Adhesive Dots, Round, Recollections

Fiskars Scissors, small pointed tip

Scotch ATG Tape Gun

Xyron Mega Runner Tape Gun

PSA Essentials "Peel and Stick" Custom Stamp

My Memories v4 Digital Scrapbooking Software

Lexmark X4975 Printer

*(Note: In the interest of Disclosure and IAW FTC 16 CFR Part 255: I am an affiliate for Making Memories and therefore make a small commission on purchases made using the code and the link in their ad on my sidebar. I was not paid for this post or any other post containing reference to their product. I was originally given one copy of their software to review.
The opinions expressed in that initial review and any further review or mention of this product are my own and have not been influenced by anyone or any compensation monetarily or otherwise.)

Thank-you for stopping by and checking out my card!

I would love it if you became a follower and let me know what you think by leaving a comment!

This post/project is linked to the following link parties/sites:

New Year's Ladybug Card

Hope you all are having a great New Year so far!

I've been wanting to get back into making cards lately and found the perfect excuse/opportunity to make one  when I came across the latest challenge posted at Die-Cuttin' Diva's!

This challenge is Challenge #96: A Sketch for 2013 and here is the card map:

The challenge did not call specifically for a New Year's Day card, but I've never made a card for New Year's and the timing is right, so I went with it!

I just recently purchased the "Lori's Garden" Imagine Cricut Cartridge and noticed that it had a cute ladybug diecut on it. 

I had somehow remembered (back in the dark recesses of my old mind somewhere...) that ladybugs were considered "Good Luck" in some cultures, so I thought it would be appropriate for a card ringing in the New Year!

I used the Cricut "Create a Critter" cartridge to cut the leaf and the "Enjoy the Seasons" Imagine Cartridge for the pattern on the leaf.

The "Happy New Year" sentiment was cut using "The Good Old Days" digital cartridge from the Cricut Craft Room.

I heat embossed all of the die-cuts using clear embossing powder and embellished the ladybug with some little green gems to give him some bling!

For the final touch, I added some brown satin ribbon and pretty sheer ribbon roses to dress the card up a bit.

I added a short sentiment on the inside also.

I wanted to be sure and make this card a standard size, so it would fit in a purchased envelope, so I made it 4" x 9-1/4" which fits perfectly into a standard business size envelope (4-1/8" x  9-1/2").

Here is a photo of all the tools and supplies that I used to make this card (list following):

Supplies/Tools:

Carson's Creation Sketch Map #13

Cricut Imagine Machine

Cricut Cartridge - Lori's Garden (Imagine)

Cricut Cartridge - Create a Critter

Cricut Cartridge - Enjoy the Seasons (Imagine)

Cricut Cartridge (Digital) - The Good Old Days (Not Shown in Photo)

Paper/Cardstock, Lt. Weight, Brown - Best Occasions

Paper/Cardstock, Lt. Weight, Beige - Best Occasions

Gold Glitter Cardstock, DCWV, (The Mariposa Cardstock Matstack #MS-003-00054)

Fiskars Paper Cutter

Architect Tri-Ruler

Cricut Tool Kit

Cricut Spatula

Medium Steel Scissors (Compton)

Tweezer Bee Tweezer's

Steel Spatula Dental Tool

Tweezers

Spouncer Sponge Dauber Tool, Plaid

Marvy/Uchida Embossing Heat Tool

Recollections Craft Collector Tray

Makeup Blush Brush (For embossing powder clean-up)

Ranger Inkssentials Emboss-It Pad, Clear

Tsukineko Versamarker Watermark Pen

Ranger Super Fine Detail Embossing Powder, Clear

Stampendous Embossing Powder, Kaleidoscope, Transparent (#EP030)

Sharpie Paint Marker, Metallic, Copper Rose, Ex. Fine Point

Ribbon, Satin, 1/4", Milk Chocolate, Really Reasonable Ribbon

Ribbon Roses, Sheer, Dk. Red, JoAnn's (#1201-7125)

Darice Self-Stick Gems, Green

Terrifically Tacky Tape, 1/4", Provo Craft

Zots Singles, Medium Clear Adhesive Dots, 3/8", Therm-o-Web

Zots, Clear Adhesive Dots, 3-D, 1/2", Ultra Strength, Therm-o-Web

Glue Dots, Mini, 3/16"

Aleene's Original Tacky Glue

Xyron Mega Runner Tape Gun

PSA Essential's Custom Name Stamp

Hope you enjoyed my post and if you get a chance, stop by and see all the great cards from this challenge at the Die-Cuttin' Diva's!

This project/post is linked to the following sites/link-up parties:

Cricut Wild Card Christmas Card

I know this is a bit late...since it's a "Christmas" themed post...but I was so darn busy during the Holidays, I found it almost impossible to get the photo editing and post ready to go before now...so here it is...a little bit of Christmas in January!

Recently a bloggie friend, Rhonda Greene ( mrsgreene.info ) posted a very heartfelt plea for cards that really touched my heart.

Her Grandmother has cancer and is not expected to see another Christmas, so she asked for cards to be sent to her this Christmas.

If you would like to read her story, click here.

I really wanted to make a "homemade" card for her, but wasn't sure if I could get it done in time to get it mailed off and to her by Christmas, so I said I would most certainly send a card, but wasn't sure if it would be homemade or not.

I pulled out my Cricut Expression, (which I haven't used in quite a long time) and went to work!

I knew that I had tons of Christmas stuff on various cartridges, so I figured that would be a great place to start.

Here is the card that I came up with...in somewhat of a hurry I might add:

It is not as neat as I would have liked it to be, but overall, I was pleased with how it turned out.

I liked that it was a "shape" card and the patterned paper added a nice touch to set-off the ornament!

The ornament shape and sentiment were cut from the Cricut "Wild Card" Cartridge using my Cricut Expression.

The ornament and "Merry Christmas" sentiment are found on page 74 of the Wild Card booklet.

I inked the edges of the ornament shape and the sentiment to make them stand out a bit.

I used a little sprite/sparkle stamp to make the decorations on the ornament, though they are very light and  a bit hard to see in the photo.

I also added a touch of glitter just to make the card "pop" a bit without being too gaudy.

For the inside of the card, I found a sentiment/poem from an old Christmas Card and typed it into Microsoft Word and then printed it out on light weight cardstock and trimmed it to fit inside the card.

For the finishing touch, I added my name to the back of the card using my customized Peel & Stick Stamp made by PSA Essentials.

I finished the card just in time to get it mailed off via Priority Mail to arrive in time for Christmas!

(UPDATE: I just checked Rhonda's blog and she has posted an update on the results of the Christmas Card Request...see it here.)

Here is a photo and a list of the tools and supplies used to create this card:

Supplies/Tools:

Cricut Expression
Cricut Wild Card Cartridge
Stampin' Up Patterns Pack II (#114325) 6x6
Red Cardstock
Green Cardstock
White Cardstock
Buff Cardstock (Lt. Wt.) - Best Occasions
Elmer's Classic Glitter Glue - Gold
Clear Acrylic Stamp - Sprite/Sparkle, (Purchased from Walmart, Unknown Brand)
Green Ink Pad - Memories Direct, Forest Green
Green Ink Pad - Oriental Trading
Gold Ink Pad - Oriental Trading
Black Ink Pad - Oriental Trading
Tsukineko Fantastix Coloring Tool
Scotch ATG Tape Gun
Xyron Mega Runner
Zig 2-way Glue Pen, Jumbo Tip
Zig 2-way Glue Pen, Squeeze & Roll, Fine Ball Pt.
Fiskars Mini Trimmer
Cricut Spatula & Pick Tool
PSA Essentials Peel & Stick Custom Stamp

Hope to be back soon with another post...my New Year's Resolution is...POST more to my blog this year!

Thank-you to all my loyal followers for sticking with me, even when I go awhile without posting.

You are AWESOME and I LOVE YOU!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

This project/post is linked to the following sites/link-up parties:

Veteran’s Day Card

I've been away for awhile… summertime is so busy for me and hubby that it's hard to stay on track with my blog!

In between our summer trips and my latest sewing project I decided to make a card and even though Veterans Day is several months away I decided to go with that theme for this card.

This card can also be used as an Operation Write Home “Any Hero” card.

If you haven't heard of Operation Write Home you can learn more about it here. 

It is an awesome organization that supports our troops by sending blank handmade greeting cards to them in the field, where they often do not have access to these items.

I come from a military family and currently have a son who is in the Army guard and a son-in-law who is in the Air Force so these type organizations are near and dear to my heart!

In addition Veterans Day is an especially important holiday for our family as we have a long legacy of relatives who have served this country proudly and we are most grateful to them and all the troops past and present who have served this wonderful country!

For this card I wanted a special message of thanks, so I searched the Internet for famous military quotes and came up with one by John F. Kennedy one of the most famous ones no doubt!

I felt it was really appropriate for this card.

I typed the quote into a Microsoft Word document and then printed it out on my laser printer.

I decided that I wanted to give the quote a bit of an aged and distressed look, so I wrinkled up the paper and stained it using brown ink and then dyed it further using coffee.

After that, I used a wood burning tool to burn around the edges of the quote.

I used Mod Podge to glue down and seal the quote on the cardstock.

On the inside I stamped a sentiment from the Pink By Design Stamp Set: “Our Troops”.

I stamped the back of my card with an "OWH" stamp and my custom stamp from PSA Essentials.

Here is a photo showing all the tools and supplies I used to create this card:

List of Tools & Supplies Used For This Project:

Lexmark X4975 Ink Jet Printer

Fiskars Paper Trimmer

Xyron Mega Runner

DuraSharp Pointed Scissors

Scribe/Awl

Plaid Wood Burning Tool

3M Superfine Sanding Pad

Foam Paint Brush

White Ink Jet Paper

White Card Stock

DCWV The Mariposa Cardstock Matstack (6.5"x4.5")

Camo Print Paper (From Stock-on-Hand)

PSA Essentials Custom Stamp

OWH Clear Polymer Stamp

Pink By Design Clear Polymer Stamp from "Our Troops" Set

Clear Acrylic Block for Stamping

EK Success Brands,Inkadinkado Dye Ink Pad, Black

Studio G Pigment Ink Pad, Tan Brown

Studio G Pigment Ink Pad, Dark Brown

Eyelet Outlet, Pearl Brads, Lt. Olive Green, 8mm

Offray Grosgrain Ribbon, Brown with Green Stitch, 3/8"

Berwick Offray Spool O' Ribbon - Poly/Satin Ribbon, Olive Green, 1/4"

Mod Podge, Gloss-Lustre

Glue Dots Mini, 3/16"

Glue Dots, Glue Lines, 1"

Therm O Web SuperStik Glue Stick

Elmer's Craft Bond Precision Tip Glue Pen

Beacon Adhesives Fabri-Tac 

Thanks for stopping by!

This post/project is linked to the following sites/link parties:

Thank-you Card Featuring Vintage Graphic from FPTFY

It's been awhile since I've made a card and I've been itchin' to make one...especially because I've been checking out the "Free Pretty Things For You" blog and getting so excited over all the beautiful vintage graphics she (Keren) shares there!

So, I decided that making a card was the best and fastest way to use one of her graphics creatively and showcase it here so that those of you who may not have discovered this site yet can check it out!

(You won't be disappointed...there is so much fun to be had there!)

For this card, I chose the "Apple Cheeked Sweetheart Girl" vintage graphic which Keren featured on her site on June 4th.

You can see/download it here.

This sweet little girl just reminded me so much of the "old days" when I was growing up!

Me and my Sister wore dresses so similar to what she is wearing, especially during the Holidays like Easter and Christmas.

The basket of flowers reminded me of my Grandma's garden which was always chock full of flowers and yummy vegetables!

After I downloaded the graphic from Keren's site, I created a blank Microsoft Word Document and inserted the graphic into the document and resized it to the size I wanted to fit the card. 

(I copied it twice to the document, so I'd have an extra one in case I messed anything up!)

I printed it out on Cardstock using my Lexmark X4975 printer.

I cut out the graphic using regular and precision scissors on the detailed areas.

The window graphic/cutout with the pie was cut using my Cricut Imagine and the "Kate's Kitchen" cartridge.

I really like this cut-out, because again I was reminded of my Grandmother, who was always baking something...including pies!

Here is a photo showing what I used to create this card:

Here is a detailed list of the supplies and tools used for this project:

Apple Cheek Girl Vintage Graphic - www.FreePrettyThingsForYou.com

Georgia Pacific Image+ Cardstock, 110 wt., 8-1/2" x 11", acid free

K & Company Blank White Card, A6 (4.25"x6.25")

Provo Craft Precision Stainless Steel Scissors

Recollections Blue/Off White Polka Dot Cardstock, 1/2 lb. Asst. Printed Cardstock Pack

Essentials Grosgrain Ribbon (Blue/Green), 1/4" (#865-3537)

Provo Craft Terrifically Tacky Tape, 2-Sided, 1/4" (#24-3071)

Therm-o-Web Super Stik Permanent Glue Stick

Glue Dots, Mini, 3/16"

Pink By Design Clear Polymer Stamp, Damask

Jolee's (ek Success), All That Bling, Border Sticker Sheets, Flat Pearls, 4 pcs. (asst. colors)(#50-00200)

Studio g, Acid Free Pigment Ink, Stamp Pad, Melon Pink, (#VP0017)

Provo Craft Bone Folder

Metal Dental Tool, Flat Paddle

Studio g Clear Stamp, "Thank-You" (#VS4911 Series 14)

Inkadinkado (ek Success), Dye Ink, Pad, Black (#61-100000)

Cricut Imagine Cutout, Window w/curtains & Pie - Kate's Kitchen Imagine Cartridge (Provo Craft)

AdTech Permanent Bond Glue Runner

Scotch ATG Glue Gun

Inkadinkado (ek Success) Clear Stamp, "You're So Nice", (Spring Mini Clear Asst. #60-30378)

Therm-o-Web Zots, Clear Adhesive Dots, 3-D, 1/2"

PSA Essentials, Custom Blog Stamp, Self-Inking

So happy you stopped by!

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment if you'd like!

This project/post is linked up to the following sites/link-up parties: