HAPPY RETIREMENT!

I have a nephew who has been in the United States Marine Corp for 25+ years and has decided to retire the first week in May of this year.  The retirement ceremony will be held in San Diego, California and as much as I'd like to attend I just can't at this time.

So, the next best thing is to make a special card just for him.  My inspiration came from Margaret Moody of Pals Paper Arts.  I used her sketch and of course the colors she used were the exact colors for the Marine Corp so I had to go with the same.  I  added 4 gold brads to the corners to give it a military look and although it's difficult to see the "ribbon" has been dry embossed with lines.  I was able to find the USMC emblem online which I printed on photo paper to make it look more realistic and popped it up.  The sentiment was computer generated (also CASED from Ms. Moody) and thought it was so appropriate for someone who has served so many years in the military.

Here's my card, I'd love to hear your thoughts about it.

I know he will get a kick out it, and that's what it's all about!

THINK SPRING!

No matter where you live it's time for Spring, right?  I made this card for a family member back in MI and I know they're hoping for Spring-like weather soon so I thought this card reflected that thought.   It's rather hard to see but the center butterfly has bling on his/her antenna and I just had to add some paper piercing to two of the corners.  It's so hard for me to leave "white" space, how about you? What do you think?  I'd love to hear from you.

My card will be entered into the The Paper Players Challenge for a  CAS one layer card.

Here's my card...

Here's a peek at the inside of the card as well.  I love stamping an image and then adding the sentiment over it, kinda ties it all together.

Supplies used:
Stampin' Up ink, Primrose Petals, Daffodil Delight, Kraft and Wisteria Wonder
Stamps, PTI's Over Under Easy & Stampin' Up's Everything Eleanor
Cardstock Stampin' Up's Very Vanilla & Soft Suede
Piercing tool

The Play Date Cafe Challenge

Check out these fabulous colors at The Play Date Cafe, aren't they yummy colors? This should certainly help everyone get into warmer weather mode!

I chose a very simple design for my card letting the sentiment do all the work, added a bit of ribbon and a couple of enamel dots, popped the white cs onto a turquoise card base.

A very quick and HAPPY card, hope you like it.  I'd love to hear from you.

Nancy

CITY CRAFTER CHALLENGE BLOG - HAPPY 3rd ANNIVERSARY!

If you haven't already checked out the blog at City Crafter you should!  In honor of the 3rd anniversary of their blog, they're having wonderful challenges, contests and some major looking prizes.  There are a variety of ways you can play along, check it out.

 Here is my Happy Birthday card for the blog, I hope you like it.  In my excitement to catch a late afternoon picture of my card with some flowers in my yard, I didn't notice one of the flowers deposited a droplet of water on the upper green leaf (well I'm going to think of it as being quite appropriate, water, flowers, get it)?

Anyhow I die cute my beautiful violet flower, heat embossed both with versamark and clear embossing powder, added a touch of bling to the center, die cut and stamped a few leaves attaching all to a white CS framed in the same color as the flowers.  I stamped the sentiment by masking off one of my stamps to get just the words "Happy-Spring" then die cut the word birthday from the same color CS as the flower and popped it up below the sentiment.

I think it's a perfect card for one of my gal pals who has a birthday in May, don't you agree?

Also kinda happy to show off some of my container flowers that are doing quite well and helping to perk up the patio area.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on my card,
Hugs,

Nancy

Supplies used:
CS from Stampin' Up
Flower stamp and all dies f rom Papertrey Ink
Container flowers from Nancy's patio!

Birthday cards

It's always good to have a few Birthday cards on hand, I tried my luck with this new Water Color Stamp set from Maile Belles of Papertrey Ink and a few of their other newer stamps.
All three cards are quick and easy one layer and the colors you choose are the key to everything.  I sometimes need a masculine card and never seem to have one on hand, so I thought the card in the upper right hand side would work.well.

What do you think?  I'd love to hear from you,
Hugs,
Nancy