Anna Griffin Holiday Trimmings!

I am really loving the Anna Griffin Holiday Trimmings Cardmaking Kit.  Anna outdid herself with her designs on this one. 

 

As there is enough product to make 60 cards in this kit, I decided to just make this post a compilation of the cards as I make them.  I mentioned in an earlier post that I'm making these for a charity auction.  I'll bundle them in sets of four cards.  The initial cards follow very closely to the sample designs included with the kit.  I've added some embossing, bling, distressing and corner punching but these cards are pretty much all Anna - assembled by me. 

 

If you click on a photo, you will be taken to a better view of each card.  I hope you enjoy them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green and Purple Birthday Card

Hello Everyone!

This card was requested by a co-worker for his wife.  He wanted a purple and green birthday card with flowers.  I had a heck of a time photographing it.  But here it is.  What do you think?  Everything is Anna Griffin except the ribbon and the Stampendous Diamond Dot stickers.  I also distressed a bit with bronze pan pastels. The jury is still out on whether I like these pastels.  I'm pleased with the card and hope my co-worker's wife will be too.

 

I love comments.  Please take a moment and let me know what you think.

 

 

 

 

 

First Holiday Trimmings Card + A Handy Idea

Anyone who knows me very well, knows that I'm a big fan of Anna Griffin and her paper crafting products.  I've been building stockpiles of her paper for about 15 years or more.  I remember meeting Anna in person at one of the Recollections stores near Dallas shortly before the debut of her first TSV on QVC.  The Recollections stores have been closed for about six years now and Anna has moved over to HSN.  But I keep building up my supply. 

I come from a very small family.  There isn't a great need to create cards for a family of two!  But I did find an outlet this year for my cards - actually I found two.  The first is Operation Write Home (OWH).  OWH gathers cards made by volunteers and sends them to Americans serving overseas.  They are not cards made for the soldiers, but are cards for the soldiers to use to send home.  Of course, you can send cards to the soldiers as well.   Cards made in the Anna Griffin style are generally too thick for OWH.   But I often use her papers without all the layered embellishments for my OWH cards.

The other outlet has been Michaels Cares.  I work at Michaels Corporate Offices.  Michaels began a charity that provides aid to employees in need.  Last April was a fundraising month for Michaels Cares.  Everyone was doing bake sales and other events.  I don't bake - but I could cook up a few cards.  I ended up making 30 cards and raising $195 for Michaels Cares.  Most of the feminine cards were made with Anna Griffin papers.

I guess I should get to the point of this post!  I bought the gorgeous Anna Griffin Holiday Trimmings card kit from HSN last September.  My intent is to make a few sets of cards to be sold in the Michaels holiday auction benefitting Michaels Cares.  This is my first card from this gorgeous card kit.  The kit makes 60 cards so you've been warned!!

I followed one of the samples provided pretty closely for this card.  I did add a few things.  First, I cut the corners of the green layer with my SU reverse corner punch (not really sure what it's called).  I then added some of the Stampendous Diamond Dots that I've had for years.  I also embossed the green layer and added a bit of gold pan pastels over the card base and embossing.  I hope you like it.


I next wanted to pass on a good idea.  I don't take any credit for it.  I put together two different ideas I had seen on YouTube.  The first was to use junk mail to make envelopes with my Envelope Punch.  The second was to attach a 6x6 envelope to the back of the 6x6 paper pads to hold paper scraps.  Last night I decided to use junk mail envelopes in the back of my 6x6 pads.  I'm always losing the scraps.  And a scrap box becomes too unwieldy.  I think this idea may work.  Plus it's a use for the tons of junk mail that accumulate!  This picture isn't too great, but it shows the back of one of my My Mind's Eye pads with the envelope adhered to the inside of the back cover.  I've put all the scraps from this pad inside the envelope.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Our Daily Bread Designs October Challenge and Critters at the Dog Park!

I'm trying all kinds of new challenges this month.  Another new one is the Our Daily Bread Designs (ODBD) monthly challenge.  October's challenge was to make the sentiment the main focus of the card.  I saw the sentiment I used on this card during the Operation Write Home World Cardmaking Day blog hop and had to get it.  It's by Stampabilities and is called Patriotic Subway Art.  I hope you like it. 

 

 

Just about everything on this card is from Stampin' Up.  This is somewhat strange as I'm a Close To My Heart demonstrator!  But that's okay.  I used Real Red and Not Quite Navy markers and paper.  The twine is also SU.  I embossed the navy cardstock with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and lightly sanded it.

 

 

I've been on an animal card making whirl this week.  I've had the Lawn Fawn Critters at the Dog Park for quite awhile.  Yesterday was the day to finally use it.  I'll tell you.  This card almost made me give up card making.  It's not that it was particularly difficult.  It's just that everything that could go wrong went wrong.  I had trouble with the brown dog die lining up with the stamped image. The "grass" gave me fits.  The sentiment didn't show up on the green paper.  That's why I added the banner.  I ruined several banners - once because of ink on my finger, another because I had the exclamation point upside down.  And on and on.  I'm so glad I really like the final product.  Yikes!

 



Supplies:

 

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up

Designer Paper :  My Mind's Eye Hootenanny from Michaels

Stamps:  Lawn Fawn Critters at the Dog Park

Embossing Folder:  Stampin' Up

Coloring:  Copics

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I really appreciate your comments.



Being Deployed and Freddie Misses You!

I have two cards today - again very different in design.  The first is a very special card for me.  A co-worker asked me to make a cards for her son.  He is being deployed in a few days to Korea.  I quickly accepted even though she needed it the next morning!  She had already purchased the stickers and the green cardstock.  So this is what developed:

 

Supplies -

 

Stickers - K&Company

Green Cardstock - Unknown

Navy Cardstock - Bazzill

Gold Mirror Paper - Anna Griffin

Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug

 

 

 

I also made a card for my first CAS(E) this Sketch challenge. This sketch is challenge #50.

 

Meet Freddie!  He and I have spent so much time together getting his coloring just right, that I had to name him.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to give him away!! (Freddie will eventually make his way to Operation Write Home.)

 I've learned that CAS doesn't mean quick.  If you've followed my posts, you know I consider myself the Queen of Slow Card Making.  I maintained my crown with this card.  But I do like it. 

Supplies -

 

Freddie the Pug - Paper Smooches

Coloring - Copic Markers

Dies - Spellbinders

White Cardstock - Bazzill Smooth

Designer Paper - My Mind's Eye Hootenanny

Sentiment - Hero Arts

Black Ink - Momento Tuxedo Black

Other Supplies - CTMH Liquid Glass, SU Dimensionals, Glue Dots

Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave a comment if you can.



Double Challenge - Foxy Hello

I entered my first Mojo Monday sketch challenge this week.  It took me all the way through Wednesday to get my mojo going!  I really like sketch #315.  Wow, how did I miss the first 314 sketches?

 

I'm also entering this card in Operation Write Home's Design Bootcamp.  This month's topic is balance.  I believe my version of the sketch qualifies as asymmetrical balance.  Am I right, Paula?

 

 

 

My card doesn't match my vision, but I think it came out cute.  The image and sentiment are from Papertrey Ink's Foxy Hello.  I colored the fox with my Copics.  The paper is from my stash and is ancient (the plaid paper is Daisy D's - remember that brand?).  The ribbon is Verve.  I used my Spellbinder's scalloped rectangle die as well as the Papertrey Fox die.



 

 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I love to read your comments.



Operation Write Home Sketch Challenge #194 and Gettin' Blingy

Sketch Challenge #194

Operation Write Home posted the Sunday challenge on Saturday this week.  That's fine with me!  The weather here is rainy - perfect for making cards.  It was a hectic week at work as well.  Crafting serves as a stress buster for me.  So I have two projects for you today.

The week's sketch has lots of layers, which I love.  I had to alter it a bit but am really pleased with how my card came out.  What do you think?

 

 

Supply List:

 

Patterned Paper:  Heidi Swapp Vintage Chic

Card Base:  CTMH Colonial White

Hand Die Cut:  Anna Griffin

Sentimet:  Hero Arts OWH Fundraiser Set

 

Gettin' Blingy 

 

I bought the Close To My Heart (CTMH) Base and Bling fabric necklace kit a few weeks ago.  Last night I decided to give it a go.  (I was really stressed!)  I was surprised at how easy it was to put together.  The hardest part was freehand cutting 1" circles from the fabric provided.  A paper punch didn't work with the fabric.  The kit is only $14.95.  I think it's a great buy for the results you can achieve with it.  I had lots of extra fabric and a few pieces of bling.  Do you like it?

 

 

 

 

 

A Crafters Call To Action!

Hello Fellow Crafters,

One of our own has lost everything in a recent house fire in San Antonio, Texas.  I've done my due diligence and have no doubt that is a real emergency.  There is a news picture of the fire and one of the ruins of Annette Griffin's craft room down below.  SVGCuts.com is kindly going to replace the Sizzix Eclips machine shown in the photo as well as some other supplies.  See their post on Facebook here. 

Please contact Annette's sister at Jericoliz@aol.com to get a mailing address if you're at all able to donate some crafting supplies.  I don't feel comfortable in publishing an address for Annette in this public forum.  But Liz, Annette's sister was very prompt in getting back to me.  Here's what she said:

Annette does have kids and her crafting style runs along the lines of romantic I think.  She's actually an amazingly talented scrapbooker.  (She passed me up years ago, lol!)  She also like to do jewelry making and of course, svg's.  :)  

 

I talked to my brother-in-law to tell him that packages of craft supplies would be arriving for my sister. He choked up so badly he couldn't even talk. When he recovered himself he said that this kind of generosity has literally brought him to his knees. He said that there are no words to express is gratitude. 

 

I'm so moved by the generous spirit of the SVGCuts family, I can't even tell you. Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

I've already sent my favorite crafting item - an ATG gun.  Think about what you'd miss the most if your craft room went up in flames.  I know we all have extra supplies.  How about getting them into the hands of someone in need.   I know crafters everywhere are a generous bunch.  Let's show them how much!

 

Operation Write Home Sketch Challenge #193

It's Sunday once again.  I just about missed the Operation Write Home sketch challenge for today.  I think I'm still worn out from World Card Making Day!  Here's our challenge:

I also wanted to enter a weekly challenge at Cricut.com using paisley.  So here's what I came up with:

 

I'm such a knucklehead!  I stamped paisley swirls on the beige paper in VersaMark.  My lighting wasn't too good so I ended up stamping the sentiment on the opposite side.  I didn't notice it until everything was put together.

 

All papers are from Close To My Heart's Laughing Lola collection.  I also used  a CTMH Thank You stamp and black hemp.  There are highlights made with my Sakura Star Dust pen that don't really show up in the photo.  I thought I'd practice a bit on my paper piercing.  It's not as easy as it looks but I'm getting better.

 

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my card.  I really do appreciate your comments.

World Card Making Day 2013

Click To Go To The Top Of The Hop

Hello and Happy World Card Making Day!

I'm so thrilled to be part of the celebration this year.  I know you have a lot to see and do so I'll be brief.  Here's my thank you card using OWH Sketch #146.  I've also included a bonus Any Hero card below.  I hope you like my cards and welcome your comments.   Enjoy your weekend!

Supply List:

Patterned Paper - Anna Griffin

Sentiment and Star Die Cut - Anna Griffin

Corner Punch - Stampin' Up

Distressing - Color Box
Creamy Brown Chalk Ink

Trim - Celebrate It Jute Ribbon from Michaels
Card Base - Close To My Heart Colonial White

 

 

 Supply List:

Combat Boots Stamp - Stampers Best

Sentiment - Unity Stamp Company

Paper - Recollections Green Camo from Michaels
Card Base - Anna Griffin
Distressing Ink - Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip
Cardstock - Coredinations Gold and Bazzill Brown

If you are following along on the hop, your next stop is Madame Wong.