Card Set - Card # 3: Thinking of You

Here is the last of three cards in the set I've now given to my friend as a hostess set. She loved it!

This card is a 4" square to compliment the shape of the beautiful wreath.

I figure this card could be used for an ill friend, or just a "hello" card, or even a sympathy card.

The wreath is a lovely Flourishes stamp, colored with Copic markers and then fussy cut in fine detail. I adhered it to a soft pastel pink parchment, using foam tape. The sentiment was computer-generated and printed in deep purple. I hot-glued the bow to the top of the wreath, and mounted the pink on lilac cardstock.

For this envelope, I inverted the paper and put the color (deep lilac) on the outside. It could be reversed as well, if the sender chooses.

I put the entire set into a "zodiac" box I found at my local candy supply store. It's about 4.5" square, with an open/glassine window in the front. Because my "theme" for the event was strawberries, I put yesterday's strawberry card in the front of the box.

I also brought the altered candy tins (see last Friday's post) for my fellow attendees, as well as a little more than a dozen chocolate covered strawberries I made at the hostess's request.  I packaged the chocolate-covered strawberries (they were super-large!!), a half-dozen to a box, in a clear acetate single long-stemmed rose clamshell box that I also found at the candy supply store for $1.00.  They looked so wonderful that the hostess said, "oh, I thought you were going to make them, not buy them!"  LOL.

Have a berry nice day, yourself!

To Stitch or Not to Stitch

Hello, Friends and Fellow Bloggers!

First, my apologies for being delinquent in a daily post. Some sort of intestinal bug had gotten the better of me so I'd spent a few days in the hospital. While in the hospital, I didn't have my card stash (shocking!), but I did get Mr. Smiley to bring me my bead collection, so I made a few nice bracelets. More on that later ...

I actually made two versions of this "Thinking of You" card, and I'd love to hear your comments as to which one you like better. On the top right here, you'll notice that there is stitching around each of the paper pieces. This was done using my Husqvarna Designer Diamond sewing machine -- the ultimate machine for those who've figured out how to use it. (I'm not one of those, and lately it's been relegated to my paper crafting.)

At left here is the unstitched version, with pieces just glued onto the formed card onto which I'd printed (HP printer) the sentiment.

As you can see, I used a collection of soft pastels in complimenting tones. I cut 1.5" squares, and then rounded the two opposite corners using my Martha Stewart rounding punch.

I've left the inside blank, onto which I'll write personal messages to some friends who need extra *hugs* these days.

What is your opinion: to stitch or not to stitch, that is the question?

Thinking of You

This morning while the loads of laundry were running ... thank goodness we're no longer beating our clothes on rocks down by the river! ... I was upstairs in the craft loft, finishing the 60 baby shower cards, and straightening up a bit.

I must have Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, because the smallest bits of usable treasure found on the floor leads me back to crafting ...

First, I found this lovely mottled bit of peach paper and the lavendar cardstock circle. I set them aside as I continued dealing with the mess, but they were calling me.... AHA! Louder and louder they called, until I found a darker purple butterfly that I'd recently cut from a pop-up template I purchased from a gal in England. (More on that another day!)

Then I spied my relatively-new, terribly expensive, and unfortunately not well-used Husqvarna Designer Diamond sewing machine. Hmmm. It was sitting there, lonely, already set with lavendar thread. It seemed like a perfect time to try out a decorative stitch around the peach paper.

On to the message: Thinking of You, which I have been doing a lot of today and yesterday, wondering if I will attract readers to my new blog. More importantly, I do want to give a bit of the joy back to the many bloggers from whom I get so much inspiration. I hope they know how much I appreciate their work!

One of the bloggers led me to Wild Orchid Crafts where I found the most beautiful paper roses, and I'd just received my precious boxful of them from England. Another blogger taught me by video how to make these myself ... which I haven't yet tackled ... but for now, isn't this just stunning?

The message, meant for all the paper artist bloggers in the blogosphere, comes from the Cricut Calligraphy cartridge, cut in 2" in both standard (dark orchid) and in shadow (cream, to match the card and the rose). Stickles glitter glue (I'm an addict) in deep purple and opal finished off the butterfly. Voila!

I hope you know I'm thinking of YOU today!