Tuesday, March 22, 2011

My Recent Creations

Here are a  few cards that I have made in the last week.  I am just now beginning to get into cards and I know these are all pretty basic, but we all have to start somewhere, right?
This first one, (I apologize for the less then quality picture) was made for St. Patrick’s Day.  I used a readymade card from Avery (only because I had them and wanted to use them up) and covered the front with a green tartan design.  I then took a white piece of card stock and embossed it with my cuddle bugs. From there, I stamped the “Kiss me” and I added some green gems to make the card pop a little.   I completed the design by using a sheet of vellum and my printer to add the Irish Blessing, and completed the design by securing the vellum to the inside of the card with a band of matching card stock.


The next card is one I am playing with to make an Easter card.  I got a new Cartridge and decided to try it out. Inspired Heart (a lite cartridge) has some great cuts on it and I cannot wait to sit down and really do some special cuts.
After I made the card, with black and purple, I thought it looked flat. So, (as I have seen done on other blogs) I used a white marker pen and I added some stitching.  I am still not pleased with the whole thing, but, it is a starting point and I have some better ideas of what I can do differently.  I finished off the design with a satin purple ribbon.
On the inside of the card, I cut a crucifix and pasted it to the left leaving room for a hand written Easter message.


I get my inspiration from reading magazines and others blogs. I know I don’t thank those crafters enough for sharing their thoughts and ideas. This next card, I found in a magazine, and changed it up a bit to make it a card for a mother.  While it does not say anything specific for Mother’s Day, I believe it could be used for anything, such as just to show your mom how much you appreciate all she has done for you.
My favorite part of the whole card is the embossing. I used the Paisley folder for this card and really like the look of it. I am still looking for a better stamp to use in the center, although I do like this little stamp. It really reminds me of spring and my grandmother working in her flower garden.  
As you can tell,  I am a newbie at all of this, and I still need to work on my bow tying skills.  J As of yet, I have done nothing with the inside of the card.

The last  card I am adding for tonight is one that took me the better part of a day to make.  I used a stamp that came with one of the magazines I purchased.  The stamp set is called Molly Blooms.  The card is one that was in the magazine, I just made some changes to my liking.  So far, this is the favorite card I have made.  I set the stamp, then gave it plenty of time to dry before I sat down to color it with my Crayola Colored Pencils.
I have decided however, that I never have all the supplies I need.  I need buttons and ribbon of all colors.  I’m going on a shopping spree.  Look out craft stores here I come.  The Sending You Hugs card still needs to have some embellishments added, such as colorful buttons and some party sparkle. 

I would be interested to know what you think, and what improvements I could make to my designs. Don’t worry that you would hurt my feelings, I know we all have different tastes, but I would love to hear your comments and feed off your inspiration.
Kimberly
=)

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Spring Challenge

Good Evening…
I created this spring Layout for the Spring Sketch Challenge found on the following Link.  http://creationsbygillm.blogspot.com/2011/03/cbgm-blog-challenge-3-spring-sketch.html.
Flowers and Butterflies are a sure sign that spring has sprung.  The weather is warming up and the birds are happy and chirping outside my bedroom window each morning.  This too is a sure sign of spring.  We have even had a little spring rain storm complete with thunder and lightning.
I took this challenge and used two of my favorite spring things, lilies and butterflies to create something related to spring.  The bright yellow lilies are nothing more than a photograph, framed with orange paper to help bring up the colors in the lilies.  I used the greens to help highlight the color of the spring foliage. 
I hunted for a long time through my stamps to find a sentiment appropriate for my design, but nothing I had seemed to work, so I dug out my trust Cricut Pens and created my own on a scalloped circle.  I added two colorful butterflies to complement the colors within the photograph and finished off the design with sparkling green gems in the corners.
I mounted the orange paper over the top of the green with a ½” offset on the top and the left hand margins.  Why? I really don’t know, but at the time, it felt right, so I did it.
I hope you enjoy!