A Beautiful card for Fall Using Chalk

Good morning everyone,
I had great intentions of posting this card yesterday but my friend called me and I went on a road trip with her to buy her new car. Here is a picture of her behind the wheel. So we headed out around noon hour and got back around 9 last night.everyone had to fend for themselves for supper, and all of my card making stuff was over the table. Oopsie, hehehe

Also my Stampin' Up order arrived yesterday, so I can hardly wait to get into that.

Ok enough of me, on to the card. I saw this card idea, and when I find out where I saw it I will give her credit, and I really wanted to try it. I think this would really be a nice way to add color to some of your really intricate stamps.

I added more layers then i usually do, but I really wanted to bring all of the colors together. I cut each of my layers 1/4 inch bigger than the previous one, and I don't know about you, but to make sure I have my layers cut just right, I write out the dimensions on a sheet of paper. You know what they say, measure twice cut once.
I used my Stamp a ma Jig for this project, and you'll see why as we go.

First I cut white card stock 4.25 x 3 inches, then using my Stamp a ma Jig I stamped one of the trees from the stamp set Lovely as a Tree in More Mustard. This is one of my favorite stamp sets and one of the first ones I bought. You can use the trees for so many possibilities.

Next take your chalks, and using a cotton swab, or even the cheap eye makeup applicators that you can buy at the dollar store, start adding dabs of color all over the tree. I chose greens for the base, where the grass would be, and then added greens to the tree foliage as well as yellow, orange and red. It isn't going to look like much to begin with.

Ater you have enough color where you want it, take your Stamp a ma Jig and line up where you stamped your tree and re-stamp over your chalking in chocolate chip. Amazing, huh?

Next I took orange card stock cut at 4.5 x 3.25 inches and sponged the edges with Cajun Craze. Yellow card stock cut at 4.75 x 3.5 inches and sponged the edges with More Mustard, and green card stock cut at 5 x 3.75 inches and sponged the edges with Old Olive. I just realized, looking at my posts, that I said Cajon Craze but in the picture an orange stamp pad is showing, I tried the orange first but it didn't show up well on the card stock so I switched and the Cajun Craze gave a much nicer effect.

I cut a 5 inch piece of Old Olive ribbon and wrapped it around the top card piece and attached with snail adhesive. Then assemble the pieces.

I wanted to add a little something more to the card, and I have a fall leaves punch from Creative Memories, so I punch out some leaves with my leftover coordinating card stock and sponged the edges as well.

I stamped a sentiment from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, this is one of my new stamps sets I just received. Punched it out with my Word Window punch, and layered it with the Modern Label punch. I think it came out beautiful, and as I always do when making cards, you could easily have a dozen of these laid out and made in a short period of time, and I think they are a nice masculine card as well. And masculine cards always seem to be a little more difficult to make.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and that I have inspired you to try this on other stamps. Happy crafting, Tina

Layering Your Decorative Label Punch

Well the guys are downstairs, amusing themselves, and I thought I would come and add the post I promised. It really is quite easy.

First punch out the decorative label, with the saying or sentiment attached. I find it easier to center it, as opposed to trying to stamp later.
Then punch two more punches in the color you would like to layer your label in. I chose blue because that is what I had sitting by my craft table.

Cut one of the blue punches long wise in half and the other short wise in half.

The shorter cut ones you will then cut out a piece from each corner, as shown.

Next apply snail adhesive to the back of the white label and adhere the short ends to each end and the long ones to the sides.

There you have it, a layered decorative label punch.

Hope this helps and until next time,
Happy crafting, Tina

Another Week - Easel Card #2

Hello everyone,
I noticed in my post last night that pictures really would have helped to show exactly what I was talking about. So here goes.....

This is what your paper cut to 11 x 4.25 should look like.

This is the paper scored at 2.75 and 5.5.

Now fold along score lines and crease with your bone folder for a nice crisp fold.

Next assemble your card front, you can pretty much adapt any card front to suit this type of card.

Then attach a sentiment with pop dots, to give the card front a place to rest against.

And there you go, you have an easel card. Not too difficult. Next post I am going to show you how to how I outline, or layered, the decorative label punch.
Hope you're having a great day and happy crafting, Tina

Easel Cards

Hello everyone,

     I really like these types of cards. They are different, and so easy to make. Just cut your paper longwise, 11 x 4.25. Then take your card and score at 2.75 inches and 5.5 inches. Crease both folds in the same direction. Now you will have a flat base with a mountain fold on top. To the front 2.75 section attach your card front. and since most of my cards I make card fronts and attach this to that section. Another idea, as you can see in the Angel and Penguin cards in the gallery, is if you have a large element or or single image you can adhere that to the front of your card. In order to make this image or card front stand up, I add a saying or sentiment and attach it with pop dots to the base, to give your front a place to rest when standing. I will take some pictures that will help to explain this a little better, tomorrow. Any questions please don't hesitate to leave a comment.

The penguin is from the Create a Critter cricut cartridge. I added glossy effects to the lights around his neck. The angel was an idea I saw, I added a halo and thought she was perfect for an easel card. Hope these give you some ideas.

Come back soon, Tina





It's That Time of Year

Well Chris and I "harvested" the cucumbers from our garden yesterday. We made 13 jars of mustard pickles, and I still had tons of cucumbers left, so I decided to try to make bread and butter pickles. I will let you know if they turned out. I thought it has been a while since I made raspberry jam, and I don't know why I haven't made any because everyone loved it, well we went to Costco and bought some raspberries and I made jam today. We are all going to Chris's mom's for supper, mmmmmmm and best of all I don't have to cook! Here's a couple pictures of some of the jams/pickles.

In front of all the jars are the cucumbers we had left over. Think we'll bring some tonight with us for Chris's mom. Hopefully we won't be too late tonight and I will add a description of another card. Have a great rest of your weekend.
:o) Tina

LadyBug Card

I was sitting here trying to decide which card I would like to describe to you. I had the whole entry written and then my cat came and walked across my keyboard and erased it all. Good thing we love her. I just got up from my computer a couple of minutes ago, and decided to close my screen before I left it. I think it was a good idea, what do you think?? hehehehe

I think Freckles is feeling left out when I am on my computer.

Now on to the card.........

This lady bug is so cute. I saw a lady bug during one of my google images searches and thought, ''I could make that''. Like I have said, I don't have all of the Stampin' Up punches, but I have the circle maker from Creative Memories. So for the body I made 2 - 2 inch circles one in red and one in black, and for the head I used my 3/4 inch circle punch. I then took the red 2 inch circle and used a regular hand-held hole punch and punched out some small black circles, glued them in place on the body and then added crystal effects to each little black circle. You have to let it dry for a while. Once dried, I cut the red circle in half, to make the wings. I then glued them to the black 2 inch circle, and then glued the head in place. I sponged clouds on the 4.25 x 5.5 card base for my background. I'll show you in another post how easy it is to make the clouds. Next, place the ladybug on the card, I took my fine tip black marker and drew in the antennaes. The swirl, at the back of the ladybug, is a stamp I used from another stamp set I have. I used my "grass" cut craft scissors (you know the ones we all just had to have when we started) to cut the grass and used my cricut and one of the cartridges to make the grass on each side.
I hope you enjoy making these cute ladybugs for your cards. Leave me a note or link to your site, I would love to see your ideas.
Until next time, happy crafting, Tina

Time Sure Flies........

Hello everyone,
     the summer sure has flown by. I am sorry I have been absent, but between family issues and our whole renovation project, which is another story, I have not had much time for anything. Michael graduated from his Primary Care Paramedicine course, and we had a graduation party for both Matthew and Michael, last Sunday. This summer has been so busy and I have had no time for me, let alone my crafts. But like my blog name says it was time for me to take a "craft break for me", before I broke. So this week I have been busy making cards, I do have a craft fair to get ready for, plus it is my R&R time. On top of all the cards I have made, I also have about 4 more card ideas started, and though I cannot promise to be here every day, I am going to try to be here at least once a week. So be sure and come back often to see new cards ideas that I hope will inspire you in your crafting endeavors.
     Here are some pictures I took of one of my craft tables with some of the cards I have been making. I will post the cards in my gallery so you can have a closer view of each of them.

Thankyou for sticking with me and hope you enjoy the cards and fun. I would love to hear from you with ideas for improving my blog, as I am new to this, or card ideas and techniques you would like to see.

Big smiles always, Tina