Happy Birthday “Dude” card

Another masculine card in the basket, always good to have one for back up. 

I’m creating this card for this week’s Just Add Ink challenge #397

I decided to use a Happy Birthday sentiment for my “H”  I layered up heavily on this one with lots of different elements.  Black cardstock for the base with a topper of a Simon Says stitched die rectangle of My Mind’s Eye ‘Lost and Found’ DP.  I stamped a sentiment from Jillibean and die cut it in a square shape and added a black cardbase backing, trimmed and then a really glossy rich red thick cardstock beneath that.  I stuck the little Dude puffy sticker on from We R Memory Makers.  I added some black twine and then some dots I made myself from melted down pony beads (THAT was a fun project!) 

I hope you are enjoying the day and I thank you for stopping by.  Is there an element that YOU have made by hand? 

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Its the Little Things card

My photo does not do justice to the pretty colors on my card, kind of washed out in the snapping of it.  However, I think this reflects the them of “little things” – as I look at this inspiration cue from Inspired by all the Little Things #80

Because… this is how my own home is and heart is too – a showcase for all the little things that take my fancy and bring me pleasure to look upon.  Yup, some might call me a bit of a collector of odd things, but I love it.  So looking at this inspiration galvinated me to simply jump in and express what makes me happy in layered happines upon cardstock ♥

I used a good Neenah columns cardstock base.  Added a backdroped, die cut (Simon Says) stitched rectangle of DP by DWCV.  I topped this with a deep gold heavy cardstock, again using a stitched die, added a pretty vellum image, again by Bo Bunny (I’m getting my milage out of this sheet) and topping it with sequins by Pretty Pink Posh and a die cut sentiment by DieNamics 

Do YOU surround yourself with small touches that make you happy too?  I’d love to know what it is that makes your heart flutter…

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Life is Beautiful… a card

Life IS beautiful, isn’t it?  I don’t mean that its always sparkly and shiny, but that in everything we go through we can always appreciate the opposite situations – the contrast causes us to savour each think in “real time”.  There is beauty in joy and beauty in sufferings, though it is hard to see it when we go through the worst of times.  When we do we are able to see the supportive people in our lives, and to have empathy for those who might be going through the same situations at some point.  Ok, enough about the why I chose this theme.   I’m making this card for this week’s The Paper Players #382 sketch

I chose my middle section first  - this lovely panel by Bo Bunny and added this sentiment from Forever in Time, stamped in versamark on cardstock, then  cut with a Simon Says die.  I backed the first panel with a pink sparkle paper and then a thicker vertical glitter cardstock in a dark grey.  I placed all this atop a die cut cardstock embossed with a Darice folder.  My final touch was the small heart I affixed next to the sentiment, punched out of a bit more of the Bo Bunny panel. 

I hope your day is passing by as creatively as mine! 

Technorati Tags: The Paper Players,Paper Players,Barb Derksen,Barbara Derksen,Mrs Miles,Simon Says,Simon Says Stamp,Bo Bunny

Birthday Wish in Soft Tones

I’m enjoying quite a few challenges “new to me” these days.  I liked this theme for Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #440

I chose a very pretty, slightly shimmery and glittery close to white paper (a gift from a friend who crafted with me last week).  I embossed the background using a Darice paisley pattern embossing folder.  I stamped a sentiment from My Favorite Things and then die cut it with a Simon Says stitched rectangle.  I glued it to a bit wider of white cardstock, added these pretty flower sequins and added a little gem in each.  Pure and sweet card in the end.  Sometimes simple is best!

So glad you could pop in! 

Congratulatte Sequined Card

Popping in quickly to post as my handsome and talented Mr is cooking a huge Indian Feast for guests today and I’m in charge of table decorating and flatting the tandoori bread.  I’ve got my Sari (gift from my dear friend Kuljeet) at the ready – its so beautiful!  With no further ado, here’s my post:

I’m fuelled by dark and light, meaning good strong caffeine and nice bright sunshine too – so making any card along these themes excites me much.  I was happy to jump in on this week’s Inkspirational #155 Photo Challenge – COFFEE!

Yup, even though thought of a dark roast first thing in the morning puts butterflies in my tummy!  Haha! 

I used a lot of white on my card to allow the graphic and sentiment to be the focus.  I used a Stampin’ Up stamp for the focus, embossing it in a Gold Tinsel.  The sentiment is also Stampin’ Up.  I employed some Simon says Dies for the windows. I embossed the forefront window panel with a We R Memory Keepers embossing folder.  I finished off with various sequins, including Pretty Pink Posh.

Layered Pink & Brown Birthday

My photo is a little darker than usual because I couldn’t get the proper lighting I was hoping for.  I am making this for Freshly Made Sketches #325

I took liberties with how I interpreted by making my sentiment and shape as one, but adding some small floral diecuts as a small complimentary shape.  I married K & C Company DP with basic brown cardstock, cutting opposites using some die cuts and just cutting other layers on the slicer.  I kept rotating bits all the way.  I used a birthday sentiment from Your Next Stamp  with versamark and finished off with a strip of florals diecut from Sizzix.  The final touch were three tiny gems.

Technorati Tags: freshly Made Sketches,Barb Derksen,Barbara Derksen,Mrs Miles,Osoyoos,Osoyoos BC,Okanagan,Sizzix,Your Next Stamp,K & C Company

Be Brave Enough card

I’m really managing to get a few card makings tucked in between work and chores this week – makes me super happy.  I’m building this card on the theme of this week’s CAS(e) this Sketch #260

I used a DP from Studio Calico – “Wanderlust”, Sentiment Forever in Time and the tiny puffy sticker by We R Memory makers “High Five”.  I’ve also used an embossing folder by Darice and some rectangular die cuts by Simon Says 

It is a FABLUOUS sunny day outside but I’m choosing to stay inside to make cards as the creative feeling is upon me.  Do you think I made the right choice today? 

Technorati Tags: CASe this Sketch,Barb Derksen,Barbara Derksen,Mrs Miles,Osoyoos,Osoyoos BC,Handmade Card,Homemade card,Simon Says,Simon Says Stamp,We R Memory Makers,Studio Calico

A Gentle Card – no sentiment

Its not often I make a card without a sentiment on the outside, but I found it refreshing.  Sometimes saying nothing says a lot of things!

Following the cue of this week’s Tuesday Throwdown Sketch Challenge #380 – I used a scrap of pretty DP from an earlier project (so earlier I don’t remember which it was – I must remember to pencil in the info on the back of the paper before storing…)  I layered this up several times and I used this lovely stamped image by Stampin’ Up and coloured it in with soft hues which compliment the DP using my Tombow Markers. 

Our lake is finally frozen over all the way to the other side of the lake (as far as I can see, at any rate) and the conditions were perfect this morning so I bundleed up in several layers and headed for the shore. 

Even a small feather becomes ‘fethered’ with ice crystals

This one makes me think of a fried egg!

Thanks for stopping in today – I hope you’re finding some magic in the little things, wherevery you are. 

Technorati Tags: Tuesday Throwdown Sketch Challenge,Tuesday Challenge,Barb Derksen,Barbara Derksen,Mrs Miles,Osoyoos,Osoyoos Lake,Osoyoos Ice,Ice,Okanagan Ice,Stampin' Up,Tombow

Monochrome Masculine Birthday Card

Another challenge I’ve never taken before!  Gotta love this – Hand Stamped Sentiments Sketch Challenge #283:

I chose this backdrop of grey cardstock embossed – (can’t recall the name of the folder) – and then layered it up.  The vertical panel is a scrap of DP.  I stamped this birthday wish from an ART-c which I die cut, then layered it atop of coordinating grey and black to frame it.  I seated a bit of black ribbon between the two!  I finished up with various sized sequins, some of them from Pretty Pink Posh 

Technorati Tags: Mrs Miles,Barb Derksen,Barbara Derksen,Handmade Card,Pretty Pink Posh,Hand Stamped Sentiments Sketch Challenge,Card Challenge,Osoyoos,Osoyoos BC,Okanagan

Thinking of You floral card

I’m always happy to join in a new challenge and so  I was taken with The Library Challenge today.  I really liked the following inspiration photo/sketch:

My SIL  Judy joined in crafting with me from afar. 

I have a good collection of floral paper which I love to rumage through.  I found my Designer Paper from Basic Grey – this one called Curio.  It had both the blooms, some faux lace and some writing on it so I let the paper do a lot of the work.  I stamped a Hero Arts Sentiment onto some vellum.  I added on another strip of die cut vellum and then glued a thin bit of real lace atop this.  Next I painted a bit of glue onto the rose and added some Fairy Dust glitter on the edges of petals. Lastly I added a black base behind my card and bumped it all up with foam tape. 

So far this year we have escaped much of the cold temperatures and snow which has hit everywhere else so I have no reason to squeek about it being below freezing with a biting wind today. I was not going to let this stop me from going out for a walk though.  I dug out snowpants and my warmest of warm layers and mummyed myself up and topped it all off with a fluffy soft grey sequined scarft.  I imagine I looked quite the sight as I was going about.  I was nice and toasty though and thats whats important.  I took this photo at the lake’s edge.  I love how deep blue the water gets in winter.  Do YOU still get out in the cold for walks?

I also would like to give a Thank You shoult out to Pop Card Press for sending me this LOVE-ly card I won through a contest!  I will save it and savour it on my mantle for a while and then send it to someone to brighten up their day.  I enjoyed seeing all their beautiful cards online! 

Technorati Tags: The Library Challenge,Pop Card Press,Barb Dersken,Barbara Derksen,Mrs Miles,Basic Grey,Hero Arts

Catch a Wave Card

Sometimes I make a card for the sheer fun of it, and this is one.  Because, I really have nobody in mind at the moment who this could make sense to.  I mean I do know people who live near the ocean and even some who are going on vacations near oceans but I won’t be there with them so they can’t catch a wave “with me”  but I’m sure one day this card will find its way to the perfect person at the ideal time. Do YOU ever make a “just because you’re inspired” card?  At any rate, I was inspired to take this week’s Tuesday Morning Sketches (joined by Nina and Judy who are family who create with me)  Only, I’m more than a few days after the Tuesday we created together.  This week’s sketch looked like this:

I Used Designer Paper from the “Coastal” premium stack by DCWV, Stamps and Die Cuts by Sizzix, Sequins by Pretty Pink Posh and Simon Says and the cool silvery Sea Horse from K & C Company. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Technorati Tags: Tuesday Morning Sketches,Simon Says Stamp,Simon Says,Pretty Pink Posh,DCWV,Barb Derksen,Barbara Derksen,Osoyoos,Osoyoos BC,Okanagan,Craft,Card Making,Handmade Card