FREEBIE:

KINDNESS AND COFFEE:

Here's a little freebie for all of you who enjoy coffee...

and even if you don't enjoy coffee...

Enjoy!

CREATE A STAMP WITH A PUNCH:

This is a thank you card I made for my brother, Ron.  A couple of weeks ago he gave me a scanner and an iPad...wasn't that sweet of him!!!  Thank you, Ron!!!  I'm having a lot of fun with my new iPad.

Again, I used the "Create a Stamp With a Punch" technique on this card too.  I'm having sooooo much fun with that technique.

Thank you again, Jodi, for the technique...it is beyond fun!!!  :)

I just checked and the little butterfly stamp that I used for the background doesn't have a name on it.  The stamp itself is a red rubber and it's mounted on a large clear acrylic block.  The stamp is one of many that I got after a friend of mine passed away.  My friend, Joanne, and I stamped together for about 15 years!!!  She was 88 years young and I miss her sooooo!!!  We always had sooooo much fun together.  After she went to Heaven, her daughters had me over to her house for several days to help clean out her stamp room and they told me I could take as much of her stamp paraphernalia as I would like.  It was pretty sad...but now I'm glad I have a lot of her things to remember her by.  A special thank you to Sandy and Mary Jo.  Joanne was an AWESOME friend and I will ALWAYS miss her!!!

The butterfly on the front of the card came from artbyjean.blogspot.com.  She has some BEAUTIFUL images on her site.  I added some little white pearl beads for the eyes, some bling on the body and I made an antenna out of gold wire.  I also added a black butterfly under the main butterfly.  In real life the main butterfly doesn't blend in with the background like it does here.

CREATE A STAMP WITH A PUNCH:

Here's a technique I found on a blog called www.stampwithjodi.com.  This is my version of her idea:

1.  Start out with two pieces of paper...one piece of card stock cut to the size you want to use and the other a piece of computer paper cut to the same size as the card stock.

2. I took a Spellbinder's die (You can also use a punch the shape of a flower, heart, etc....pretty much any shape you want.) and I placed it on the computer paper where I wanted it and cut it out.

3.  Then I placed the computer paper that I just punched over the card stock and lined them up.  I placed a couple of pieces of drafting tape around the edges on either side so the papers wouldn't shift while I'm doing the next steps.

4.  I stamped a background image over the opening in the computer paper (It stamps onto the card stock.)  You want to use an ink that will not bleed when you sponge over it.  I used StazOn Jet Black ink.  Make sure the ink is dry before you sponge over it.  I happened to use a music background from Penny Black called Music Background 2025M.  You can use many different types of background images with this technique.  

5.  Next I sponged around the flower image with a pink pigment ink.

6.  Remove the computer paper, but save it for your next card you make like this.

7.  Layer the card stock on your choice of colors and stamp on your greeting.  I used a Hero Arts stamp called 73423 Wavy Birthday.

8.  On this card I also added a little flower that I got at Michaels Craft Store, a little button, and some baker's twine for the bow.

And, here's one more sample of what I did with a heart die.  On this one I stamped a heart stamp from Rubber Stamp Tapestry in the middle of my heart cut and added some little dots with a marker.  I also cut the corners with a Martha Stewart heart corner punch.

Here's another card using the same technique shown above except I didn't put a small flower in the middle and I used a sentiment that came from the $1.00 bin in Michael's Craft Store. 


P. S. For those of you who don't know, drafting tape is wonderful if you need a tape that will stick to paper, but is not permanent.  I use it all the time and as long as you don't stick it down really hard it is removable and will not remove your paper with it.

Here's what my computer paper looks like after cutting out the die and stamping and sponging for two cards.

And again, one more card using the above technique...this one's for a little boy at church.

This time I stamped a giraffe over the template, placed a mask over the giraffe, and then sponged around the edge and also stamped the greenery.  Then I outlined the template with a black pen.  The giraffe looks almost red here, but he's really orange.

The butterfly is really pretty on the card, but you can't see the beautiful colors on it.  It matches the card so well, but the camera didn't pick it up.

UPSIDE DOWN STAMPING:

This is an interesting technique I saw online some time ago and thought I'd try it.  I don't remember what it's called, so I call it Upside-Down Stamping: You start with one of your clear acrylic stamps.  I used a leaf stamp.  First of all you place your stamp on your acrylic block upside down.  Yes, upside down!  I had a hard time getting the stamp to stick on the wrong side, so I added a small piece of double sided tape to the acrylic block and that worked.  Ink up the wrong side of the stamp and this will give you a solid image of the shape of the back of the stamp.  Stamp it in different areas on your card with whatever color ink you like.  I used tan, orange, and green.  Then turn the stamp right side up and stamp the actual shape over the images you just stamped.  On this card I chose to stamp the leaf shape with black.  You can use any colors you like.  You just have to make sure your actual image is stamped with a darker coordinating color than the solid image is.  I also added  some smaller leaf images to fill in the blank spaces and also used a dot stamp in orange to fill in the rest of the blank areas.  On the top of the card I added a die cut butterfly and some bling on the butterfly.  On the white card behind the butterfly I just added some little dots in tan to take away the stark look of the white card.  I am sorry I don't remember where I saw this technique.  I would love to give the credit to the person who thought of it, but I am online a LOT looking for ideas/techniques and weeks/months later I remember something I saw and then sit down and make a card from what I remembered.  This was a fun background to make and I suppose you could try it with other shapes such as flowers as well.  Let your imagination go wild and enjoy!!!

I just figured out the website where I found this technique and it's:
www.janesdoodles.blogspot.com

Here's a sample of what I'm talking about:

Here's another card I made using the same technique.  It's pretty much done the same way as the first one except I used three leaf stamps on this one.

I've seen lots of cards online using hexagons and I've seen a lot of hexagon stamps.  Not having any myself, I went online looking for a hexagon.  I found a simple hexagon shape, printed it out onto card stock and then traced it onto the back of three different kinds of background paper and this is what I came up with.  I really like the way it came out and I have lots of ideas for more.

I added some bling in the center of two of the hexagons and a simple sentiment at the bottom.

Pretty simple layered card with a branch and leaves from some Spellbinder's dies.  I added an owl sticker and a sentiment.  
The cloud paper in the background was preprinted paper.

I made this for a friend of mine named Joe who has COPD and just had a heart attack.   Joe isn't doing well at all.  They don't expect him to live.  He and his wife and family could all use your prayers right about now.  We are hoping and praying that he heals and can go home.
I simply punched out a heart shape on glitter paper and then zigzag cut it down the middle.  Next I added a band aid and drew on the mouth and added wiggly eyes.  The sentiment was done in my card program.

Update: Joe passed away this last week on September 17th, 2013.  Joe went to be with Jesus...you WILL be missed, Joe!
Here's the sympathy card I made for Phyllis, Joe's wife.

The little birthday girl and the present were made with free online images from one of my all-time favorite stamp sites: Free Dearie Dolls Digi Stamps. 
She has some of the most awesome stamps on the net!!!  
The background and the banner I think were from another online site called Mein Lila Park.  She makes some really awesome backgrounds, etc.  You really need to check out these two sites.

This is another image from Free Dearie Dolls Digi Stamps.  I added the sentiment at the top and the bottom.  I also added a leaf on the bottom left side and an acorn at the top right.

Thank you Mary Ellen for always sharing so much of your talent with us!!!  You are appreciated!!!

I saw a card similar to this online and thought I'd do my best to make one similar.  I hand cut circles and ovals for the eyes and nose and used a half scallop circle for the mustache.  I like the way it turned out and will make one for my grandson who has a birthday coming up...he LOVES video games!

These next three cards are all similar except for the sentiments.  I simply printed out the sentiment in my card program and added a butterfly that was punched out of glitter paper.  I added three little seed beads on the butterfly to give him some character.

I like the way this card turned out.  I made it for a little boy at church who has a birthday coming up, but I'll probably also duplicate it for one of my grandsons.  
The checkered roadway was an image I found on the net and I simply added a CARS sticker to it.  
I did the sentiment at top in my card program.

The background on this card was from a piece of background paper.  I layered it and added some little Spellbinders branches and some flowers.  The owl is a sticker.

I have a friend who gives me a lot of her used cards because she thinks I might be able to use something on them.  This was one she gave me and I cut it up, added a sentiment, and some stars, and called it a card!!!  :)

Another simple little card.  The image at the bottom was stamped twice...once on the left and again on the right.  I added the Happy Birthday.
The butterfly was punched out with a die and I used black glitter paper, which you can't really see very well on here.

Here's a nice little card for the Autumn season.  I got the border somewhere online (free), added the butterfly, and formed the butterfly's antenna with some craft wire.

I thought some of the kids at church would enjoy some different type cards for their birthdays, so here's what I came up with.  

There are many, many sites out on the internet where you can get free mazes, word search puzzles, etc.

I found some free autumn borders, added some embellishments  and the card was ready to go.

I made several of these type cards, but I'm only posting a couple of them.

I haven't posted anything for a few weeks as my puter has been very very ill.  Also, I had 3 of my grandsons for four days and since they left I have been sick with a cold and sinus infection...yuck!  I have quite a few cards that I will be posting soon.  So, those of you who enjoy my blog, I should have some new posts soon.

FOLDED FRONT CARDS:

Here is a technique that I really like.  I saw a card similar to this on someone's site and can't for the life of me remember whose site it was on.  I don't even know what this technique is called, so I call them Folded Front Cards.  The real trick to this card is to find the center of the top background paper and cut it to or almost to the center of the paper and then fold the paper back.  It's nice if you use two-sided paper, but I don't have a lot of that, so on this particular card I simply stamped dots on the back of the top background paper.  Then use a coordinating background underneath the top background paper.
On my second card I did use two-sided paper and I think I like that better, so I guess I have to go shopping for more two-sided paper.  Yea I love shopping for stamp stuff because I always find more than I'm originally shopping for.  Hard on the budget though!!!  Tee hee!!!  :)
P. S. One little tip: If you want to round the corners on the top piece that you cut to the middle of the card, then do it BEFORE you glue it on as it is really hard to get to once it has been glued on.

This is another of the many cards I've made for the kiddies at church.  Their ages range anywhere from two to teenagers.  So I try and make some for each age.  I just make them and drop them off at church and let them decide which card to send to which child.  
The water in this card is a free-online image.  I hand made the boat and then cut from the edge of the water and then slipped the boat in.  I added a little saying, some clouds, and a bling bling for the top of the mast.  It was a fun card to make.  Here's the site where I found the wave image: 

http://www.123freevectors.com/realistic-water-illustration/#.Ug5oHtJsyeN

This too was a fun little card to make.
I started out with white card stock.  At this point I typed the saying into my card program and printed it out on the blank card stock.  I cut a big hole in it with a large Spellbinder's circle die, Then I embossed it with the Cuddlebug Happy Birthday embossing folder.  In my card program I typed "Happy Birthday" many times and printed it onto computer paper and then slipped that behind the hole.  I used a red crayon to color in some of the raised areas on the white card stock, and then I found a cute little bird that was a free image online and added him to the outside and the inside of the card.
Another cute little card for church.

BACKGROUND TECHNIQUE #2

The background on this card is a technique I've never tried before.  I'm always trying to think of something different to do on my cards.
Underneath the layered square in the middle of the background is a smaller square that I glued down onto a piece of white card stock.  Then I proceeded to take strips of three different kinds of background paper and glued them down in four different directions.  Below this card you will find a sample of what I drew on a piece of paper before I made this card.  I wasn't sure if I was going to make it look like a quilted card or not and that's why I drew in the little doodles on the paper.  But, from this sample you can see much easier what I was trying to explain here.
After the placement of my background strips I added the layered square with the leaf image on it and the Happy Birthday layer also.
The giraffe is a stamp from a company called Validated.  On the stamp itself it says: "Validated ©1997 Santa Rosa, Ca 95403 707-579-5443".  They make a lot of really nice stamps and if you like animal stamps, they make quite a few of them.  I actually stamped the giraffe on a piece of the giraffe background paper and then cut him out, went around the edges with a black marking pen, and raised him up with mounting tape.

FREEBIE:

This is my sample I was talking about.
Note how the direction of each group of papers starts out in a corner of the square.  Also, you don't have to have the square in the center of the paper...it can be placed anywhere on the paper you would like.  On my card above I placed it a little above the center and to the right as I knew I was going to add the giraffe on the left side of the square and I wanted to allow myself the space for it.
Please feel free to copy my sample and use it to make yourself a card also.  I would love to see what you do with it...please post a sample of your card if you use it and refer people to my blog for the sample.  Thank you so much!

FOR FOREST:

I made this card for my grandson, Forest, who has gone up to Oregon for the summer to visit his dad.  I will miss him sooooo much!!!  But, he is having a GREAT time and I'm happy for that.  He is a sweet, sweet boy and I love him dearly!

There is a river nearby where they live and they often take walks to it and go swimming (It's a very safe and shallow river.), so when I saw this image online (free), I just HAD to make this card for him and send it to him.

HAVE FUN on your vacation, Forest.  I'll see you when you get back!

I LOVE YOU!

FOR ANNA:

A little GET WELL card for a lady I know who's been VERY sick with pneumonia!
GET WELL Anna!!!