Valentines from bits 'n pieces

In the recent edition of the Technique Junkies Newsletter there was instructions for a Herringbone pattern background made with strips of paper. I pulled out my envelope liners and wallpaper samples and played. The envelopes were inked up with Distress inks before cutting. The crowned heart is an Inkadinkado image. The sentiment is from a set by Heidi Grace for Fiskars.

My file of handmade backgrounds is huge. The base and the blue piece came from the file. The Cuttlebug cut filigree piece is cut from a wallpaper sample. Using wallpaper made it easy to handle the delicate piece. The medallion is layers cut with Spellbinders dies. The only stamp I used is the star stamped heart. It was a find from The Dollar Tree. Doesn't stamp all that well but I like the image. I had fun sewing on this one!

Inspired by...

Bibbi's blog http://bibbisdillerier.blogspot.com/ is such an inspiration for me! She designs for Melissa Frances.

Hand beading on the wallpaper heart. I love the Spellbinders scalloped heart dies. The word is embossed using a Sizzix folder. The leafy gold embossed layer is a stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms.

The sentiment is one of my early stamp purchases from Stampa Rosa. I still miss that company!

The background blues on the last 2 cards is The Dollar Tree's Miss Elizabeth line. The narrow gold star is wrapping paper. The 'love' sentiment is a Studio G stamp.

All these cards went off to Operation Write Home. Hope someone feels loved when they get this card!

Valentines for little fellas

Making Valentines for boys is a fun challenge.

Can't go wrong if you include dogs on them, lol. This border punch from Martha Stewart is a favorite of mine when making cards for guys. Fun for layering too. Can't resist using die cuts. The little hearts are cut with a Sizzix Original Gingerbread Boy die. The hearts are the buttons on the chest. I use it way more for the hearts than for Christmas. It cuts cleanly, much better than my heart punch.

Do you remember making Valentines when you were in Elementary School? This image totally brings back those days. I loved making Valentines then as much as I do now.

All the vintage images on these cards are from a CD I purchased on Etsy; Peggy's Vintage Cards, Valentines Vol.1. I edited the last image in PSE. Love how easy it is to alter digital images!

I adore making Valentines. This is the time of the year when Operation Write Home is doing me a favor by taking them, lol. I pull out my die cuts, punches, stamps and paper and have at it. The fun cherub is a Rubber Stampede image with a word stamp from Studio G added. Dies used are from Spellbinders and Cuddlebug. I used Prismacolor pencils on the cherub.

I think there are almost enough hearts on this card ;-) Dies are from Spellbinders and Sizzix. One of the hearts was cut with decorative scissors. Cuddlebug embossing folder and ink to highlight the embossing on the collaged heart. The stamped heart has images from Co-motion and Stampa Rosa, both companies now gone. The dots are pearlized fabric paint.

The stamps on this one are from Serendipity Stamps (the heart and text) and Cornish Heritage Farms (background). Die cuts from QuicKuts and Spellbinders. Corner punch is no longer made.

Michael Strong Sketch Set

The frames in these cards is a Michael Strong stamp which I also used on yesterday's card. Hetty on the enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Yahoo list gave us a sketch to use and these are what I came up with.

Santa Claus is coming to town!

Aren't they cutie pies? This was a black and white photo of my sisters when they were little girls. I played with colorizing them in Photo Shop Elements. It was very fun. The red frame is parts of a Michael Strong frame stamp. It was embossed in pink. Sentiment is computer printed.

I sent this card off to my parents who will be hosting a do with my brother, one of my sisters (the little one with big eyes) and the son of the other sister. I hope they get a smile out of the photo.

Naughty or Nice?

The challenge at The Cat's Pajamas this week is embossing, hot or cold;-) Of course mine is hot. Couldn't be anything else with devilish Sprinkles on the front. This was one of the first of The Cat's Pajamas' stamps I bought. The sentiment and the pierced swirl are clear stamps from a set of Alma's Christmas stamps. I stamped the swirl on a text weight heart die cut, layered it onto the hot pick heart and pierced through them both with a push pin. You do need a foam pad or stack of newspaper to stop the pin. The words are gold embossed and I used bleach to make them stand out on the pink.