Anniversary Card with a repurposed card focal

Square card base with decorative bracket style edge

Color palette inspiration is the repurposed card used as the focal embellishment

This anniversary card is for my brother and sister-in-law. I think it is their "golden" 23rd for July 23rd. I've always got to figure it out because I got married 1 1/2 years afterwards. So Joe and I are at 21 1/2 years, so yes, this should be their 23rd for the 23rd. But no numbers found on this card. I kept it pretty and floral.

The bridesmaids' dresses were an off-white/beige background with lots of pinks and pastel green flowers fabric, so when I came across this recycled card front in my supply stash, I wanted to use it as the inspiration for their card.

The micro size decorative tapes were found at a Dollar Tree store!!! I couldn't pass them up and it gets even better--the package has like 7 small rolls for $1!!! Yes!!! Yahoo!!! Unbelievable! One has multi-colored hearts so that was perfect for this anniversary card.

The card focal center is a wishing well scene. Of course,  we wish them well.

The inside is a lovely cardstock with pink background and white flowers. I kept it simple with a small sentiment "Best wishes" stamped inside.

With the beautiful front filled with those subtle messages of hearts and wishing well, I didn't want to overdue it with too much stamping. I hope they like it and know that it was made out of love for them.

Busy crafting in the heartland,
Becca

Christmas 2017 Preview #2

More Christmas cards to show that were made about June 25th

Yes! Getting a start on holiday cards in the summertime!!!

You will see layout similarities especially with the focal pieces made from upcycling gift card type labels. This style was actually designed like a little card, so the back part was cut off and the sticky foam adhesive tabs were moved to the 'wrong' side of the front or focal part.

Then some card fronts have a swirly snowflake clear stamp used and 2 have a poinsettia clear stamp.

I really love that I was able to get these 7 plus the previous 1 posted completed using 2 work sessions. I WOULD love it even more if I can get more made, but so far, none. I did get 3 Thanksgiving ones made last night! Wa-hoo! I will make a post of those later.

Here are several different angled photos to show the fronts of 7 Christmas 2017 cards:

Cards made fairly quickly because of these 3 items: re-purposing gift tags, decorative tapes, and beautiful large clear stamps.

The focal pieces set the color palette: reds, golds and browns, whites and creams.

My favorite one thus far is the vertical snowman card at the top of this third photo with the snowflake wind swirls on the left side. But the deer are so cute; and the ......

Happy crafting! From the heartland, Becca

Feminine birthday cards in soft pinks, yellows, grays, and greens

What's more fun than creating a birthday card?

Making 2 birthday cards, right?!?!

The goal of my color and paper palettes was to have a cherub, heavenly muted appearance. The cardstock of the embossed raised panels blank card was a soft creamy yellow that I swirled 3 different inks onto. Then add on patterned papers, ribbon, and voila!!!

front cover of one (the other was almost a mirror image of this photographed card); I thought the "once upon a time" printed cardstock was a clever incorporation for a birthday!

Can you notice a difference in the inking application? One has long linear like strokes of base pink color and the other was swirled on.

 The inside of each card was kept very simple, however the dark teal green cardstock was a bolder choice. I felt like if I chose an olive green, the card would seem too light in tone effect.

I've had about 2 days off from crafting. I wonder what tomorrow will bring? Maybe back to upcoming winter cards or maybe get started on those Thanksgiving ones I've wished to do....????

From the heartland of America, Becca

Christmas 2017 Sneak Peek

YES!!!! I'm excited because I wasn't sure with as crazy has it has been with all my husband's projects around our property and wheeling-dealing that I would have some quiet time to craft at the kitchen table.

Last week during 2 different crafting sessions, I've managed to get 7 cards made. Here's a look for one that I took time to photograph:

Finished folded size is about 4" x 6". Focal is a gift tag type card using just the front panel and moving the foam stick-ons from the back panel behind the front section.

Supplies: white cardstock, kraft brown cardstock, red cardstock, gold metallic decorative tape (http://www.scotchbrand.com/3M/en_US/scotch-brand/products/all-tape/decorative-tape/) , Hampton Art ink pad set, poinsettia clear stamp was a freebie with a UK crafting magazine subscription, glue stick, scalloped edged scissor,

More of the gold metallic tape along with some red masking tape also from Scotch (http://www.scotchbrand.com/3M/en_US/scotch-brand/products/all-tape/decorative-tape/), and a sentiment stamped in brown ink using another free clear stamp from the UK magazine completes the inside to complement the front panel.

And with the card standing open you can see that the unifying color create a pleasing combination. I created the total 7 made thus far in stages mounting those gift tag focals as first step. The pack of gift tags bought at Dollar Tree last winter had the wreath, deer, snowflake, and a snowman all in the same color palette.

Common for me is to NOT do more than a few cards that are exactly alike. I've got too too creative of a brain plus supply stash to do assembly type mass production!!! So hopefully before this Independence holiday week is over I can spend some time making some more Christmas cards with supplies on hand or even some sunflower/harvest theme cards for Thanksgiving. That's my intention. Oh, I've got some July birthdays and anniversaries to acknowledge, with last night making 2 for this week, so those will be featured in the next posting in a few days.

Busy crafting in the heartland, Becca

Get Well Card

Speedy recovery

Size: folded finished size about 5" x 5"

This view focuses on the main section of the front an extra large local using a focal made from a pre-printed boxed card which sets the color choices for this get well card.

Orange decorative/masking tape is shown here. http://www.scotchbrand.com/3M/en_US/scotch-brand/products/all-tape/decorative-tape/

Lime green decorative/masking tape is shown behind the center section against the kraft brown cardstock used for the card base and there is a slight difference of kraft browns with the base for the focal. I love the summery colors of this card. http://www.scotchbrand.com/3M/en_US/scotch-brand/products/all-tape/decorative-tape/

Because of using the pre-printed box card design for the large focal, it did not take long to create this. About 20-30 minutes total from making the base card to completing the front and inside.

One of my aunts required emergency surgery so as soon as I heard of that, I wanted to hurry and get a card made and posted in the mail. She's on the mend, praise the Lord.

Busy crafting in the heartland....Becca

Anniversary card

Focal background: using part of a purchased boxed blank card front

Color tones set with the background focal and navy blue (wedding color for the couple)

Size: 5" x 7"

Supplies include: white folded blank card & envelope, denim printed paper, blue cardstock, gray cardstock, blue & white cording, glue dots and stick, ruler, paper trimmer, heart stencil, black permanent marker, sentiment stamps, Hampton Art ink pads

Left heart says: 1st Anniversary
Right heart stamp: Just for you
Inside sentiment stamp not shown: Best wishes

This was quick to make (or at least for me) in about 30-45 minutes from start to finish, but the most important part was styling a card using the newlywed's colors of blue and gray. This has a little gray and silver but more medium to dark blue tones.

Next post will either be a get well card created about 4-5 days ago or a sneak peek at Christmas card(s) I started making last week. Normally by this point in summer I've also started on Thanksgiving but all my autumn-theme supplies are still buried in garage after moving last year. Ugh. Just don't have much interior house space for crafting supplies. Right now I've got 2 dresser drawers and 2 storage organizers. I do have some sunflower theme supplies I could use for autumn/harvest/giving thanks cards maybe I'll ponder about just so I can get a few made. For the last few years with full-time teaching and a husband to manage (yea!!) I've only averaged about 10 Thanksgiving and 15-20 Christmas or New Year hand-made cards. I'd like to do more to include more relatives, but time is a factor, so sometimes they receive a pre-printed card that I've embellished with stamping or stickers or decorative tape, just to give it that Becca touch.

Hope you who read this post are finding ways in your own lives to be creative. It is good for the soul. Happy crafting in the heartland, Becca  

bright colorful geometric gender neutral card for a guy

Yea, I said gender neutral. Age-appropriate? It's for one of my husband's best buds who is 17 days younger than me (55). He's had some hardships lately and I felt he needed to have a colorful birthday card.

I've used some of the same pattern papers recently but in a totally different way.

Non-traditional card format: two 6"x6" light blue cardstock pieces twined together
Twine holes: 1" apart
Twine/cording: 3 different ones=yellow& white, blue & white, and red & black
Pattern papers, happy print patterned cardstock, glue stick, scissors, paper trimmer, black marker, Hampton Arts ink pads, small sentiment stamps,

Inside or back square page was kept super simple: on the left side going vertically down, I wrote large H. B. (for happy birthday) #55.

Here's front page:

And this is a glimpse of the back:

I've made some other cards too this week, including Christmas!!! Yes, I have tried for about 8 years now to get a few made in the summer months because it always seems like the fall gets so busy and complicated. I've got a quick make get well card to show and a sneak peek of the first Christmas 2017 cards to write about in a few days. So with a heart for creativity--Becca