“Seize Today” masculine card

I’ve had a set of ticket themed stamps I bought in the dark ages – from Forever in Time and have spent a lot of time wondering where I’d use these.  Today’s Atlantic Hearts Stamp Challenge #260 was the perfect cue:

Now I was not certain whether the ‘image’ square was to say there has to be an image here or in the larger rectangular bit or?  So I just did what felt right and hopefully its ok for this sketch. 

I used a recollections designer paper (I’m really ALL about paper, I used a recollections patterned one.  I chose a coordinating bit of green cardstock to stamp with the ticket image.  I then chose a piece of dark grey cardstock and stamped it with Inkadinkado Life’s Journey Key with embossing ink and gave it a blast of Tim Holtz Distress Powder in Antique Linen.  I like the way it turned out.  I fussy cut it out.  Lastly I stamped the “Seize Today” from Forever in Time onto black using a detail white embossing powder, then die cutting it out. 

I gave it some texture by layering up and voila! 

Technorati Tags: Atlantic Hearts Stamp Challenge,Tim Holtz. Barb Derksen,Barbara Derksen,Osoyoos,Osoyoos BC,Handmade card,Homemade cards,Card challenge

Rectangle “Wishing you Happiness” card

Very creative and productive weekend!  I’m talking about chores AND making cards.  5 loads of laundry, changed sheets on two beds, vacuumed top to bottom, dishes, mopped floors and patio.  I am WOOOOMANNNN!  LOL.  Well, it has freed me up to play today.  I’m working on photobooks for my grandbaby too.  I went to a scrapbooking/crop/creative drop in locally and made stuff all the while catching up with friends.  I whipped this card up last  night after choosing this challenge for Sunday Stamps #176

I loved this simple sketch and I was able to fish about in my scraps bin and pull together a card I really like.  I matched these blocks of cardstock and then a pretty floral.  I decided to emobss the whole works and then I added thin strips of white in between because they sort of just mashed together.  I stamped this Stampin’ Up sentiment and then die cut it with a stitched die from Simon Says  and then the outter one with a Spellbinders die.  I used a punch for the two ribbons and then random gems for the finishing touches. 

Bonus – its RAINING outside, gives me a ticket to just settle in “my space” – to create and get my cards out!   What will YOU be doing today? 

Technorati Tags: Sunday Stamps Challenge,Sunday Stamps,Card Challenge,Handmade Cards,Homemade cards,Barb Derksen,Barbara Derksen,Mrs Miles,Osoyoos,Osoyoos BC,Okanagan

“Love Ya”–simple floral card

I managed to fit a card in today – between tasks – do YOU ever do this?  Or are you the type to sit down and stay put?  Is your creative time a reward for meeting goals?  Or do you have the ability to ignore everything around you and just go for it?  Well, I do a bit of both, depends on how I’m feeling.  I do like the “do and then reward” system particularly – especially when I know I have other family and folk online who are doing the same.  We can bemoan the boring tasks and celebrate the something creative we manage to slot in on the side. 

I was attracted to this week’s CAS(e) this Sketch #267

Since I struggle with “SIMPLE” I decided to simple simply by combining the strip WITH the sentiment all into one.  I hope this still makes me eligible to take part as I believe its our interpretation of the sketch more than everything having to be exactly in place.  At any rate, I truly enjoyed making this card. 

I used a square diecut from CottageCutz to frame a pretty piece of Designer Paper from a 6x6 block from “In Bloom” by My Mind’s Eye , backing it with a dark grey cardstock. I die cut the Love Ya from Lawn Fawn.  After everything was assembled on a sturdy Ninah columns cardstock I simply added some diamond accents onto the florals and sprinkled it lightly with Twinkle Dust by Clearsnap while it was still wet.

Technorati Tags: Barb Derksen,Barbara Derksen,Mrs Miles,Osoyoos,Osoyoos BC,Okanagan,Handmade cards,Homemade cards,My Mind's Eye,Clearsnap,twinkle dust,Lawn Fawn,CAS(e) This Sketch,card challenge

Masculine Taco Birthday!

This is fun, not only am I taking this challenge for the first time ever – The Paper Girls #149 (Masculine theme) but I’m also using a stamp set I bought waayyyyy back around Valentines day or something… well when I discovered it 70% off.  What a crime not to have used it till now, but my sis, Nina had purchased the same one so we made a decision to wait for each other!   So there is no sketch for this challenge, just the freedom to decide on a macho masciline guy pleasing card.  What fella could resist a taco themed card in bright colors? 

I used this Avacado themed stamp and die cut set from Recollections for the sentiment and taco, colored the fillings with Tombow markers.   I stamped in Versafine for the taco – embossed atop that.  I stamped the sentiment in detail white.  The designer background paper is Studio Calico South of Market 6x6 collection.  I ran a piece of ribbon through a chevron patterned embossing folder for extra texture. 

Technorati Tags: Recollections,Michaels,Studio Calico. Versafine,The Paper Girls,Barb Derksen,Barbara Derksen,Mrs Miles,Osoyoos,Osoyoos BC

MISS YOU card (across the miles)

I had picked up this paper a while ago at Michaels and have had an itch to use it for some time.  I was delighted to find this challenge from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #259

So this is how I interpreted it.  The Recollections designer paper featured ALL of North America, but I isolted British Columbia, where I am from, and then added a section showing Georgia where my dear friend Valinda lives.  I did a whole lot of layering over an ebossed backdrop and bumped the BC layer up using foam tape.  I stamped some sweet florals using a Hero Arts stamp set, created a little wire loop to join us… then added a couple of Pretty Pink Posh sequins for the centers.  I stamped a sentiment from Forever in Time and used a stitched die cut on that. 

In the end, I’m quite happy with this and need to pop it in the mail at the first chance I get. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Technorati Tags: Atlantic Hearts Stamp Challenge,Hero Arts,Michaels,Forever in Time,Versamark,Pretty Pink Posh,Barb Derksen,Barbara Derksen,Mrs Miles,Osoyoos,Osoyoos BC

Mauve and gentle Yellow Birthday Card

Not the greatest photo of my card ever, however I feel fortunate just to have a window to create this card and get it posted!  I’m a week home from Houston, Texas and I’m sooooo sick.  Just a cold/flu thing I cannot seem to shake. I’ve slept on and off for two days, hopefully tomorrow will dawn bright with me feeling better.  I made this card based on this week’s sketch from Just Add Ink #401

loved the simplicity of this sketch which allowed me to bring this together quickly, using scraps of DP and to use my crafting purchase from when I was in Houston, these spellbinders scalloped circles. 

I layered up atop a blank cardstock base, with a folder embossed layer, then two layers of DP backed with coordinating colors of cardstock.  The finishing touch is the Happy Birthday using a My Favorite Things stamp and then backed with this lovely foil scalloped circle. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Technorati Tags: Just add Ink,spellbinders,spellbinders Shapeabilities,My Favorite Things,Mrs Miles,Barb Derksen,Barbara Dersken,Okanagan,Houston

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? 

Technorati Tags: Just Add Ink,Card challenge,handmade card,Greeting Card,handmade greeting card,Simon Says,Simon Says Stamp,My Mind's Eye,We R Memory Makers,Barb Derksen,Barbara Derksen,Mrs Miles,Osoyoos,Okanagan,Osoyoos BC

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…

Technorati Tags: Inspired by all the Little Things,Barb Derksen,Barbara Derksen,Mrs Miles,Osoyoos,Osoyoos BC,Okanagan,Handmade Card,Greeting Card,Simon Says,Simon Says Stamp,Bo Bunny,Pretty Pink Posh,Die-Namics

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!