Clean & Simple: 20 Years Together

Dear Reader,

What feels better than sending an anniversary card to a couple who have been happily together for several years?  Anniversaries are truly joyous occasions because they mark and celebrate people's ability to love, build a partnership and life together, compromise, commit and see the best in another.  In no way is marriage easy and for two people to reach these milestones is really amazing and a true inspiration.

My aunt and uncle recently celebrated 20 years of marriage.  I wanted to go with a clean, sophisticated look.

I have these number dies by Papertrey Ink that may have been one of my best purchases from them because they make birthday and anniversary cards so much easier.  For this card I wanted to use the piece of patterned paper I cut the 20 from as the main focus of the card.  I adhered the strip to the white card base using dimensional adhesive.  The celebrating and amazing years comes from a birthday themed stamp set by Papertrey Ink that coordinates with the dies.

I thought I was done with that, but I felt it needed something a bit more organic and pretty so I pulled out my beloved Flourish Fun 1 by Paper Wings Productions designed by my friend, Julie Mogford and stamped the main bold flourish in grey (this was actually stamped off once on a piece of scrap paper and then stamped on the card stock for a softer grey).

Inside the card I used a mix of sentiments from stamps by Papertrey Ink and Simon Says Stamp! in red and grey inks and the same technique with the flourish stamp before (stamping off once on scratch paper before stamping in the card).  The border is a piece of the same red and white herringbone patterned paper from the front with a border sticker over top of it.

And another view of the card before sending it off:

Thank you so very much for taking the time to stop by!

Shay.

20 Amazing Years Card
Supplies:
Stamps: Big Birthday Wishes, Papertrey Ink; Flourish Fun 1, Paper Wings Productions; mini scrapbook series: journaling circle, Papertrey Ink; Beautiful Words, Simon Says Stamp!
Ink: weather vane and chili powder, Jenni Bowlin for Ranger
Cardstock: solar white, Neenah
Patterned paper: Little Boy Blue 6x6 paper pad, Crate Paper
Dies: By the Numbers Die Collection, Papertrey Ink
Other: dimensional adhesive; border sticker from Portrait collection, Crate Paper

Coming Soon...

Dear Reader,

My handwriting and some of my doodles will soon be available in stamp form over at Paper Wings Productions.  Along with these stamps, are several awesome stamps by my friends, Julie, Liz, handmade by Lissie girl and cling stamp sets by Carrie Avery, the owner of and brain behind Paper Wings Productions, that are great for autumn, the upcoming holidays and well beyond.  

Carrie has also been extremely busy working on the updated website and packaging.  For sneaks and more information, check out The Aviary.

Here are bits of a few cards I made with my new stamps with some previously released Paper Wings Productions stamps:

What do you think?  Excited to see more?  Check back here and on The Aviary for more projects and inspiration.

Happy Friday,
Shay.

Wishing you...

Dear Reader,

Sometimes there are occasions we don't want to make cards for, but are necessary to show our love and support.  Recently I made a card for an aunt who is very ill and she may never get better.  Understandably it is a wrenching situation for my aunt and her family.  "Get Well Soon" although a hopeful and lovely sentiment isn't always appropriate.  What then?  I found a solution using The Greenhouse Society's May 2012 stamp set by Technique Tuesday.  For the design, I wanted something pretty with bright colors including red and this is what I came up with:

A close up of the layers of stickers and die cuts:

The inside of the card:

Wishing you all the best,

Shay.

Supplies:

Wishing you.... card

Stamps: Greenhouse Society 05-12, Technique Tuesday

Ink: chili powder, Jenni Bowlin for Ranger

Cardstock: solar white, Neenah

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye and Crate Paper

Punches: Stampin' Up! and Martha Stewart Crafts

Die: Mat Stack 1, Papertrey Ink

Stickers and Die Cuts: October Afternoon and Studio Calico

Quilting Birthday Cards ala Papertrey Ink

Dear Reader,

Life is at last returning to normal at our household which is a huge relief.  I can't say how grateful I am not to have to make a daily trek to the hospital and eat take out.  With that said we have a family friend and a family member who are dealing with very dire health issues.

I recently made a couple of cards for quilters for their birthdays.  I had been eyeing some stamp sets from Papertrey Ink because my mom loves to sew and occasionally does some quilting as does her friends.  I finally bought the Quilter's Sampler and Stitches & Swirls stamp sets.

The first card up is all about warm fall colors and using the log cabin square from Quilter's Sampler.  I have been on a gold embossing powder kick lately so I embossed several squares on different pieces of patterned paper then I colored them in with Copic markers for more of variation in color.  All of this is mounted on red cardstock and then mounted on a piece of yellow patterned paper stamped with Stitches & Swirls in red ink and finally attached to a red card base. The banner is made from a Papertrey Ink die cut from patterned paper.

Inside the card is more gold embossing:

This second card is all about the hexagon die from Papertrey Ink.  I remember my great grandmother made my aunt a quilt in a hexagon pattern...perhaps that is the genesis of my hexagon love?  Whatever the reason, hexagons are definitely found in quilting and I like them so I was bent on using this new die with blue and green patterned papers.  The sentiment and the threaded needle image are embossed in white.  The button is wrapped around the navy strip several times.

Inside the card I added some more of the hexagons cut using the die:

Thank you for taking the time to stop by!

Have a fall-tastic day,
Shay.

Supplies:
Autumn Quilting Birthday Card
Stamps: Quilter's Sampler, Stitches & Swirls, Botanical Silhouettes, Papertrey Ink 
Ink: Versamark, Tsukineko; chili powder, Jenni Bowlin by Ranger
Cardstock: red, Stampin' Up!
Patterned Paper: Random 6x6 paper pad, Crate Paper; Farmhouse 6x6 paper pad, Crate Paper; Little Bo Peep 6x6 paper pad, Crate Paper; Autumn Press 6x6 paper pad, Studio Calico; Stampin' Up!
Die: Double-Ended Banner, Papertrey Ink
Other: gold embossing powder; Copic markers

Blue and Green Hexagon Birthday Card

Stamps: Quilter's Sampler, Stitches & Swirls, Inside & Out: Birthday, Papertrey Ink

Ink: Versamark, Tsukineko; seed packet, Jenni Bowlin by Ranger

Cardstock: solar white, Neenah; navy, stash

Patterned Paper: PB&J 6x6 paper pad, Basic Grey; Pretty Party 6x6 paper pad, Crate Paper; Little Bo Peep 6x6 paper pad, Crate Paper

Die: Cover Plate: Hexagon, Papertrey Ink

Other: white embossing powder; button; white embroidery thread