Guy card for a guy

Here's the card I sent to Sid with the Dragonflies ATCs that I made for our last swap. I used Life's Journey paper by K&Co and stamps by Artful Illusions. A few buttons completes the card.

Until my next post,
Diane

Pull out message card

Here's a card I made at a make and take a while back. This uses stamps by Just For Fun along with this special card that hides the tab when it is put together. When you pull on the tab a wavy message shows "To someone special". The inside sentiment says "Birthdays are good for you, The more you have, the longer you live.
Until my next post,
Diane

Easy to make backgrounds

I saw this tutorial on the Splitcoast Stampers website and modified it a bit using my new Ranger Distress inks. They called for light colored ink but I wanted to see how the new colors looked and I think they look great. These pieces are the perfect size to use for cards so look for them in upcoming posts.

Until my next post,
Diane

Dragonflies ATCs

Here's the latest set of three ATCs I made for Sid. He picked the theme of Dragonflies. For the one on the left I stamped with Brilliance Ink then stamped using Stamping Ground stamps. I sprayed Glimmer Mist and the Brilliance resisted the coloring. I added a type stamp by Altered Arts and a few brads as an accent. The one in the middle also uses a Stamping Ground stamp that I colored with Prismacolor colored pencils then cut out and layered over paper by Leisure Arts. All dragonflies have stickles on their wings. The one on the right is my attempt to recreate this technique that was featured on the Design Junkies blog. I used swirl and flower stamps by Inque. The dragonfly is by Stamping Ground and the Diamonds by Stampers Anonymous.

Until my next post,
Diane

Housework Stinks card

Here's a quick card I made using paper by K&Co and an image by Crafty Secrets. I used a Fiskars border punch and ribbon by DCWV as background elements and finished it off with a few flowers and a flower brad.

Until my next post,
Diane

Ruler of the Remote Card

Here's a card I made for my father-in-law. I used a base of glossy cardstock that I had applied alcohol inks to. I then used a stamp by Stamp Camp which really makes it look like marble. The stamps I used are by Crafty Secrets.

Until my next post,
Diane

Inky Flowers Card

I sent this card with an ATC swap recently. I used K&Co papers, an EK Success border punch and stamps by Inkakinkado that I colored in with chalks.
Until my next post,

Diane

Rise and Shine Card

Here's a card I sent with a recent ATC swap. The papers are by K&Co and the image and sentiment are by Crafty Secrets. The ribbon is actually printed paper and looks pretty real.

Until my next post,
Diane

Double Bugging Anniversary Card

Yet another of my Double Bugging cards. I thought these two mirrored birds looked like they'd work for an anniversary card. I don't think it was possible to have them facing each other which would have looked better. I stamped a suitable phrase using a stamp by Heidi Grace that I mounted on die cuts by Spellbinders.

Until my next post,
Diane

King of the Castle Birthday card

I made this card for my brother. Sometimes it's tough planning a card for guys. Last year I did the nut and bolts, screwdrivers and tools thing. This year it is a bit different. I went with a background of Farmers Market Alcohol Inks. The stamps are from Crafty Secrets that I layered a bit using a Spellbinders die as the base. I also used a McGill punch.

Until my next post,
Diane

Famous Faces ATC

Here's an ATC I made for the Altered Designs Yahoo group with the theme of "Famous Faces". I used spray watercolors and stamps by Stamp Camp. I added a bit of bling to the upper left and lower right corner and added a postage stamp of Einstein to finish it off.

Until my next post,
Diane

Want to save a little money?

I saw an article on Yahoo the other day that said you can save some money in your printing costs by changing your fonts. Certain fonts use less ink or toner and this can translate into some savings. Keep in mind you might want to change the size of the font as well.

The same group that did the research has a neat web site to recommend a printer for you based on your needs. Once you get the recommendations based on the entering arguments you can check out reviews for reliability.

Until my next post,
Diane

Another motorcycle themed card

This one is for hubby. He has not one but two Harleys and another motorcycle that he keeps at his sisters. He says he might get rid of one but it doesn't bother me. If he should ever question how much I spend on my hobby I can always point to the garage. I used themed paper and stickers by EK Success and stamps by Artistic Outpost.

Until my next post,
Diane

What it's not.....and what it is

Is this a new technique for using powdered pigments like Perfect Pearls or Pearl Ex? Could it be that I've used an alcohol ink background and the powdered pigments? Or perhaps it's something else altogether and I've created the next wave in background papers.

No, I'm not that inventive. It's my husbands car covered with pine pollen this morning. It lasts about a week and then we are done. We had our screened porch enclosed with sliding glass windows a few years ago and needless to say the windows won't be opening until this stuff is gone. Before we had it done I'd let the cat out in the porch and I wouldn't let him back in the house until I rubbed him off with a towel which he wasn't to fond of. We've got loads of pollen here in the Hampton Roads, Tidewater, South East Virginia area. Most of the stuff that bothers me isn't as visable as this.

Until my next post,
Diane

Sweetie Pie card

I grew up in the Northeast and we didn't insert words like honey, sweetie, or cutie into our vocabulary. It is one of the things that I still smile and chuckle at living below the Mason-Dixon line when folks say those things to me and I barely know them. I haven't lived in the Northeast for over thirty years but things are ingrained into you when you are growing up and those words still don't creap into my speach unless I'm talking to my husband or my cat. The image on this card came from Crafty Secrets and I thought it would look good paired up with this K&Co paper. I used a Fiskars border punch in the background and a few flowers and flower brad to complete this card. Now all you honeys, sweeties and cuties out there have a nice day!

Until my next post,
Diane

Happy Easter

Here's the cards I made for my family for Easter. I used images I got from various blogs or downloaded from free sites on the web. I got the layout from Sheetload. The papers are a variety of plain and patterned. I used Fiskars corner punches and corner rounders and finished off each one with two brad flowers.

Until my next post,
Diane

Because you're special card

Here's another card I made using the Double Bugging technique with my Cuttlebug. It is such an each background to make and then you can add a sentiment and then you have a quick card. I used a sentiment by Inkadinkado and a bit of ribbon I got at Michaels to complete this card. This card went in the mail with a recent ATC swap I did for the Stampers Corner Yahoo group.

Until my next post,
Diane

It’s mathematically impossible

How is it that I remain in suspended in time as a 29 year old yet I got my commission 30 years ago today?

Until my next post,
Diane