I'm just playing...

Heck!  if you knew how good it is to say "I'm just playing"!  I rarely get to create cards just for the fun of it.  They are usually for a class either at the store or online, not to mention how busy Craft-Dee BowZ keeps me.  So this is a treat!

I have this 'thing' about clocks, watches, etc.  So when this set came out by Papertrey Ink, I HAD to have it!  I have a wonderful  collection of antique keys, clocks, clock hands and pieces,  and watches (I don't have enough arm space to wear them all!)  I have some other ideas I want to try using this set, but now my classes and Craft-Dee BowZ are calling once again.  But I thought I'd share the card with you anyway.

The background is stamped using Memento Gray Flannel and stamped off once before applying to card.  The clock face, of course, is die cut.  I chose to use some Roman numerals and dots for the other numbers.  After die cutting the hands I then embossed them with some of the new Piccolo powders.  The black piece at the bottom is the negative of the border die (see inside picture) -- it just seemed to fit.

Then the inside is pretty straightforward.  This is one of the new Sizzix border dies (4 different dies in one set) that I have fallen in love with (oh, surprise!).  A simple card done at my leisure and for absolutely no reason in the world!  One never knows when an emergency birthday card will be needed.

Hope you enjoyed - ciao for now!

Ciao Bella! 

Cards from the Heart...

Hello stampers.  I was sent this link for Valentines cards to be sent to children in various hospitals.  I thought I'd share this link and these cards with you and if you have the time, it's an extremely worthwhile cause.

These cards were actually designed by my talented daughter who does not have a blog nor the time for one (our loss).  She loves Paper Smooches and she actually designed these cards for me to teach at Kept Creations.  I'm not the "cutesy" type when it comes to stamped images and have a very difficult time creating cards with them.  So this was the solution we came up with -- my daughter designs the cards and Mom teaches the class.  A little unorthodox, but it works!  So here's a really cute one with the frog.  There's some great Stampendous glitter and Flower Soft in this card as you can see.

And on to the next card (my personal favorite).  She did a fantastic job with this whimsical little card, don't you think?  I love how the rabbits are hanging on by their teeth -- and doesn't this just signify what some of these poor children in the hospital are doing.  Bet this will get a smile from one of them.

So, you have the link and if you have the time, please follow the rules set forth.

Ciao for now!

Ciao Bella! 

FIve little Washi cards

Good morning all!  It's a crisp and windy day out there.  But any day without snow makes it in my book :)!  Today I thought I'd bring you some little 4-1/4" square cards using Washi Tape (of course).  I tried to keep these "uber" simple since I'll be doing a class on them at Kept Creations next month.  So here are the five cards I selected to do:

In a hurry?  Well these fit the bill just perfectly.  You could make these up and create a box for a gift -- perhaps for a hospital visit, Mother's Day, a thank you for your hostess, etc.  The list goes on.  But the overriding idea is that they are quick and simple to make.  

I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed creating them.  Feel free to leave a comment.

Ciao for now!

Ciao Bella! 

Back to a little bit of winter...

I seem to have another fascination --  using corner dies.  This is a set by Cheery Lynn and I just knew I had to do something a little bit different with one of the dies in particular.  The set contains three different style corners (there are several different sets by Cheery Lynn).  So, combining my love of teabag folding and corner dies, here's the end result.

This is simply a 4" x 11" card scored at 2-5/8" to form a cupboard fold, I embossed the front flaps only then mounted it on an aqua base.  I used a Spellbinders Lacey Circle die for the aqua base then cut eight of the corner dies by Cheery Lynn, folded them, inked the edges and placed them on a 1" circle with a big glue dot in the center to form a "snowflake" and placed a pearl in the center.  This is the end result.  What the camera fails to pick up is the glitter on the embossed areas and some glitter on the "snowflake".   I finished it off with a simple knot tied from tulle and added a sentiment.

Ciao for now!

Ciao Bella! 

Poor October -- it got left out!

Oh my!  My mind is on a different plane for sure.  Either that, or I can't count the 12 months of the year.  I was just going thru all my pics and realized I had left the month of October out of the Graphic 45 series.  I'm sure you were just dying to see it (not!).  Well, here it is anyway. And none of you caught the omission either -- not paying attention, are we? (LOL!)

For some reason I had a wee bit of trouble putting this one together.  Choosing just which images you want to go where is the only challenge  -- the images are so creative!

This particular card was created with a single sheet of cardstock and scored, cut and folding in such a way as tocreate a book form and here's a peek at the first inside page...  The center page actually allows you to turn down a corner and create a pocket.

And here are the last pages...

So that concludes a year in total and I really hope the ladies at Kept Creations will join me in this fun series.  We're going to be doing January and February in the first class and from then on, it will be one per month.  So once the calendar is posted, feel free to sign up for this fun class and let your imagination run wild.

Ciao for now!

Ciao Bella!