Nautical Thanks

 

IC1083 - The Crazy Craft Lady & Pinterest - INSPIRATION

I was immediately drawn to the gorgeous colors in the inspiration piece, and I knew I had the perfect nautical collection tucked away in the stack of papers I am working to use up this year. The soft blues, sandy neutrals, and gentle florals in the collection felt like a lovely match for the theme.

For the main panel, I die cut several scraps from the collection and selected two special pieces to feature. One showcases a delicate sea shell, and the other highlights a beautiful flower that brings a touch of elegance to the design. Each die cut circle is layered on a grey die cut for contrast, and the top two circles are popped up on dimensionals to create a little lift and interest.

To complete the card, I added another piece from the collection as the background layer, mounted on grey cardstock and then placed on a crisp white card base. The Heartfelt Thanks sentiment is popped up on dimensionals so it stands out nicely, and a few candy dots finish the card with a simple, cheerful touch.

This card came together with a mix of color inspiration, favorite papers, and a little dimension, and I love how peaceful and pretty it feels.

Thank you for stopping by to see my card today. Your thoughtful comments are always appreciated. If you leave a note, a visit to your blog will follow.

Nautical Thanks

Shepard Thank You

WT1121 - Wood of Faux Wood

F4A863 - Dog Days of Summer

MIX710 - Seeing Stars

USEIT2026 - Dog

For this card, I began by pulling out this adorable little dog that had been tucked away in my tote of items I want to use up. He has such a sweet expression that he immediately became the perfect focal point. I layered him on a couple of square panels to give him a nice framed look, then added a thank you sentiment at the top. The dog is popped up on dimensionals so he stands out with a bit of playful dimension.

Once the focal point was finished, I turned to my stash of kraft cardstock scraps. I added crisp white and bold black layers to give the kraft pieces a more polished feel, then trimmed two of them into banner shapes. These banners add a nice balance to the layout and help tie the elements together.

The larger designer paper is a wonderful woodgrain pattern that fits perfectly with this week’s Ways to Use It challenge. It is also part of the stack of designer papers I am determined to use up this year, so it felt good to give it a home on this card. I layered the woodgrain panel on black cardstock for contrast and then mounted everything on a clean white card base.

This card came together with a mix of scraps, favorite images, and challenge inspiration, and I love how warm and friendly it feels.

This will be another of my pet donation cards.

Thank you for stopping by to see my card today. Your thoughtful comments are always appreciated. If you leave a note, a visit to your blog will follow.

Shepard Thank You

Masculine Anniversary

 

WT1121 - Wood of Faux Wood

For my card, I began with a warm brown card base and layered a soft cream panel over it to create a gentle, neutral foundation. To add a bold metallic element, I adhered aluminum foil to white cardstock and ran it through a Tim Holtz metal embossing folder. The embossed foil brings in a rugged, industrial texture that contrasts beautifully with the smooth cardstock layers.

Next, I reached for a favorite Tim Holtz heart die and cut the pieces from a mix of brown and tan cardstock. A bit of sponging on each layer added depth and warmth, giving the hearts a worn, masculine feel that works perfectly with the metal background. I die cut the Happy Anniversary sentiment from black cardstock and layered it directly across the hearts to create a strong focal point.

To reinforce the masculine theme, I added small screw die cuts from Impression Obsession, tucking them around the hearts for extra detail. The heart cluster is popped up on dimensionals, and I finished the design by adding several leaves from my scrap leaf drawer, nestling them around the hearts to soften the edges and complete the arrangement.

Thank you for stopping by to see my card today. Your thoughtful comments are always appreciated. If you leave a note, a visit to your blog will follow.

Masculine Anniversary

Napkin Leaf Birthday

 

SC1130 - this week's sketch on splitcoaststampers.com

For my card, I began with a deep black card base and masked off a portion to create a clean, defined area for added texture. Once the mask was in place, I used Heidi Swapp white spray to add a soft splatter across the exposed section. The contrast between the crisp black and the delicate white speckles gives the background a bold, artistic feel that sets the stage for the rest of the design.

For the leaves, I reached for a simple stack of white napkins and die cut them with a Simon Says die. The napkin layers create a wonderfully delicate texture, and adding watercolor brought gentle, organic color that feels light and airy against the dramatic card base. The soft wash of color on the napkins adds a handmade charm that pairs beautifully with the splattered background.

To finish the card, I added a birthday sentiment and popped it up on dimensionals. The raised sentiment creates a crisp focal point and adds just the right amount of lift to complete the design.

Thank you for stopping by to see my card today. Your thoughtful comments are always appreciated. If you leave a note, a visit to your blog will follow.

Napkin Leaf Birthday

Life with You is a Picnic

 

CAS914 - Eat Outside Day

For my card, I pulled out this adorable Pink and Main image, stamped it on white cardstock, and colored it with Copics. The bright colors give the little character such a cheerful look, and adding the sentiment right under the image keeps everything clean and nicely centered.

I cut the white panel rather large so the image would have plenty of breathing room, but I left just enough space around it to layer it on a green designer paper that looks a bit like lettuce. The fun pattern adds a playful touch and frames the focal panel beautifully. Everything is then layered on a white card base for a crisp finish.

Thank you for stopping by to see my card today. Your thoughtful comments are always appreciated. If you leave a note, a visit to your blog will follow.

Life with You is a Picnic

Congratulations Grad

 

FS1021 - A Blast from the Past... I chose this INSPIRATION from Tracy (whoistracy).

I was immediately drawn to the books image, and it reminded me of the dimensional sticker set my sister gave me for Christmas. My nephew’s girlfriend will be graduating this upcoming year, and since she is also my son's sister-in-law, I decided to work ahead and create several cards so I will be ready for her celebration.

For this design, I started with a black cardstock base, added a bright red layer, and topped it with graduation caps designer paper to set a bold and festive tone. I built the focal point with a black center panel layered with white cardstock, then placed the dimensional graduation gown so it would stand out with a crisp and polished look.

To finish the card, I added the books and the success banner. Both pieces are dimensional, which gives the card wonderful depth and a cheerful sense of accomplishment that ties the whole design together.

Thank you for stopping by to see my card today. Your thoughtful comments are always appreciated. If you leave a note, a visit to your blog will follow.

Congratulations Grad

Hogs N Kisses

 

IC1082 - Jean Haines Watercolour - INSPIRATION

That pig painting is amazing, and it immediately reminded me of this adorable image from Whipper Snapper Designs that I had tucked away in my stash. He was absolutely perfect for the challenge. I stamped the image, colored him with Copics, and added a Valentine sentiment beneath him to complete the focal panel.

Once the coloring was finished, I trimmed the panel and layered it on bright pink cardstock for a cheerful pop of color. I paired it with this lively lip patterned paper that reflects the playful lipstick marks on the hog. To add a bit more interest and texture, I tore the edge of the lip paper and tucked a coordinating plaid piece underneath. Both layers were then mounted on a bright pink card base to tie the entire design together.

Thank you for stopping by to see my card today. Your thoughtful comments are always appreciated. If you leave a note, a visit to your blog will follow.

Hogs and Kisses