MASCULINE BIRTHDAY CARD - AHOY

HEY BLOGGIES,

I forgot to post this birthday card I made for one of my son-in-laws for his birthday this week.

 I love how this card came out.  So cute with the nautical theme and so pretty with the blue and white colors. I used Open Sea stamp set.

 I used blue and white bakers twine around this little panel of the anchor, and even glued the twine on the rope part from the stamp and had it coming out the hole where the rope came out.  I really like this part a lot, very personalized, I think.

On each side of the anchor panel are two very large rivets/brads that I hammered into the card.  But I left the middle part from the background paper so it looks like a port hole on a ship.

I stamped Happy Birthday inside the card, but sorry that I forgot to get a photo of that part.  The "Oh Hello" is stamped on the decorative label punch and slipped under the layer so only a portion of it shows.

Thanks for stopping by.  This idea could be a great Father's Day card as well with the new GOING GLOBAL Occasions stamp set.

MY FIRST DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

HEY BLOGGIES,

Today I have an AWESOME card to share with you.  My stamping friend, Tammy, showed me some tips and tricks for MDS cards.  She is a whiz at the Silhouette and all that goes into printing, cutting and creating with digital downloads.  I created the sketch this week for SKETCH FRENZY FRIDAY and wanted to create an OVER THE TOP CARD.  Tammy helped that come true with all her talent and tips.

I have also entered it at Technostamper Monday Challenge, Retrosketches,  and The Paper Players Challenge.

First, here is the sketch I created at SKETCH FRENZY FRIDAY for this week:

Now here is our card:

 This flip card or swing card as some people call them, is such a fun card to make.  First we used the World Map digital stamp and then distressed it with crumb cake and baked brown sugar inks.  The base of the card is early espresso card stock. With eyelets we attached the Happy Father's Day banner and the jute knot.

 The stamped ship from ON THE SEA stamp set was stamped several times on very vanilla card stock and fussy cut to make the sails in several layers so they billow in the breeze.  The ship was also stamped on soft sky card stock for the back layer so the sky would show through the sales.,

 This closeup is so you can see that the water was the same stamped image on soft sky and then ran through an embossing folder for texture and movement,

Behind the ship is a piece of burlap with lots of threads pulled out so the early espresso card stock shows through. And one more time the ship was stamped on red card stock for the top flag on the tallest mast.  That was Tammy's idea and it certainly finished off all the sails, doesn't it?!!

One more photo of the whole card.  The compass rose is a Silhouette download made from early espresso, island indigo, coastal cabana, real red and cajun craze card stocks and paper pieced together.  The very center is an Antique Brad that just looks like it was  made for the center of this Compass Rose.

Won't you hop over to SKETCH FRENZY FRIDAY and participate by making a card with the sketch this week?  We would love to see your card.

Thanks for visiting.

p.s.  I was chosen for weekly picks at:

SANTA IS TRAVELLING AROUND THE WORLD

HEY BLOGGIES,

I am FULL MODE Christmas now and really enjoying it.  I have for the next three days some cards made with the set SANTA'S LIST.  I LOVE IT because I can do some watercoloring with it.  I can practice some of my newly acquired watercoloring techniques I learned at a friend's hand a few weeks ago.

I saw this on Michelle's blog and fell in love with the idea of using the WORLD MAP stamp and SANTA'S LIST together.  From there, I changed it a bit to become mine and I am really enjoying it.

For the style, I was going for a very OLD world map that Santa has used for centuries.  I distressed the edges with our Stampin' Distress Tool and sponged layers of color with crumb cake, baked brown sugar and soft suede inks and a sponge.  But I wasn't quite done yet with the map.

 Next I used some swirls I have had for years and stamped with versamark all over the map then embossed with gold embossing powder.  Lastly, I used a wet sponge and rubbed all over it again to get it to crinkle up like an old vintage map would do.  NOW IT WAS FINISHED.

 You can see the gold embossed swirls close up here, as well as the distressed edges and the brown aging.

I stamped Santa with Black Stazon Ink and then used markers and an aqua marker to color him.  I used the white chalk marker for his beard and eyebrows.  Then after I had aged the fur on his coat a bit, I used Dazzling Details here and there on the fur to put a bit of sparkle and for it to catch your eye.

Inside I used the greeting from the set, and it says "He is making a list and checking it twice..."

Hope you enjoyed my old world Santa.  Please come back tomorrow for another Santa's List card.  I am LOVING this set for sure!!

WORLD MAP STAMP

I saw a beautiful card made by Justin Krieger, a fellow demonstrator (hey JK) and had to use his idea in a card of my own.  His was a Christmas card, but mine is an everyday card.

Very vanilla and coastal cabana card stock with baked brown sugar and coastal cabana ink.

 The extra large circle punch 2 1/2" is what I used for both the stamped sentiment and the layer behind it.

YOU mean the world to me, those of you who faithfully come visit my blog and also leave me such nice comments.  THIS is why I do my blog - YOU.  Thanks so much for your support.

Thanks for visiting today.  See you again soon.

I have entered this card at:

Try Stampin' On Tuesday