Anything But a Card Challenge #7 By the Sea

Deck the halls with sailboats and sunsets! Fa la la la la la la la! What?! You've never heard that version???? While others are dreaming of a white Christmas, I'm sharing visions of sunsets and sailing for the current challenge at Anything But a Card.  We are challenging you to share a creation with the theme By the Sea.  This can be anything sea or ocean related, the colors of the sea, marine life, beaches... get the picture? 

I originally thought about doing a vacationing Santa theme, but that lent itself more to a card, which would have been a BIG NO-NO at Anything BUT a Card...  My inspiration came as I was looking for a sentiment stamp for another project and I spied my Sail Away stamp tucked in the 'retired' tote.  I LOVE this image and have always dreamed of spending a day on a sailboat soaking up the sun.  I decided that this image would work well for a little gift for my DD's teacher, who happens to be a man.  Every year we pack tins full of homemade cookies and treats for the teachers and I like to include a little handmade gift as well. I always struggle with the male teachers' gifts and what makes it even more difficult is that this is the same teacher she had in 3rd grade,so I can't 'recycle' my idea from the last time...  I finally decided on a desktop post it note holder and thought the sailing image would work well to dress it up.

 

It was a lot of fun to pull out my pastels again to create the scenery for the sailboat.  This was a pretty simple little project and I enjoyed using some supplies that had been sitting idle for a while!

I hope I have inspired you to join my by the sea and share your creation with us!  Be sure to sail by and check out the rest of the team's fabulous projects too!!

Project Recipe: Cardstock-sahara sand, baja breeze, whisper white, Ink-black stazon, pastels, Stamp Set-Sail Away, Extras-post it notes

Getting personal and My first club project!

Today was my birthday (29 again!!) and it was a fabulous day!  Fridays are my early days at work and I'm usually finished by 11:30.  My wonderful husband took a half day of vacation and took me out to eat at a little Italian restaurant for lunch.  Then in the evening, my Mom called to sing Happy Birthday before our family went to our local Dairy Queen for dinner.  An entire day without having to cook or do dishes! Woo!Hoo!  I am feeling so blessed to have such a wonderful family to share this day!
I don't normally share much personal information on my blog because I figure most people come here to see ideas, but I also feel that my blog is an extension of me.  I've also made some wonderful friends through my blog.  I jokingly call them cyber friends since I have never physically met them, but we still get to know each other and share our love of creating with paper and stamps.  Sometimes we even motivate each other just by leaving a little comment.  I love my blogging friends! OK, I'm finished being all personal and mushy, so on the the creativity!

This weekend is my first club's first meeting and I am so excited.  Before becoming a demonstrator, I belonged to a club formed by my upline.  It was such a fun experience and it really encouraged me to use my supplies more often and in different ways.  I know we are going to have a wonderful time!  Since the summer mini ends in a few days, one of our cards features the stamp Sail Away.  I love this stamp even though I have never been on a sailboat!  I will be sad to see it go since it is such a great image for masculine cards.  I'm just glad I have it!!  Anyway, on to the card...

Originally, I knotted the twine in the center, but wasn't sure I liked it that way.  So I made another where it is just wrapped around and the knotted in the back where it's not visible.  I really wish I knew how to do some sailors knots...

Card Recipe: Cardstock-real red, whisper white, pacific point, Ink-jet black stazon, Stamp Set-Sail Away, Accessories-square lattice folder, top note die, white bakers twine, pastels

Father's Day

The ladies at Hand Stamped Sentiments have a Father's Day card challenge this week.  So I pulled out my trusty Sail Away stamp and got busy.  Masculine cards are not normally my thing. Especially since the females in my home outnumber the lone male!  But I do have  brothers, nephews, and of course my Dad to make cards for as well, so I often have to step out of the comfort zone and make 'manly' cards.  Other supplies on this card are brilliant blue (ret.), real red, and very vanilla card stock, black Stazon  and brilliant blue inks, pastels, linen thread, and some retired star brads. I also used my 'go to' square lattice embossing folder.  Since I already had the paper cut, I went ahead with a birthday card too. I'm pretty sure none of my male family members will view this before receiving their card!  :-) TFL!

Both card images were colored with chalks.

Sail Away- Father's Day Challenge

Update: I made the top 3 with this card (insert girly giggle here)!

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This is my second challenge card of the day!  This is the challenge from SUO Challenges.  Their challenge this week was to create a Father's Day card.  I decided to get out one of my newer stamps, Sail Away, since it is one of my more masculine stamps.  (I don't think my Dad would be overjoyed with my more 'girly' images that I normally use!)  I used Baja Breeze and Whisper White card stock.  Inks used were Baja Breeze and Stazon Black-was originally going to watercolor this one, but changed my mind at the last minute...  I dry embossed the first layer of whisper white with the square lattice folder.  The image is colored with chalks.  The sentiment is from the stamp set Bold Blossom.  Both stamp sets are in the Summer Mini. TFL!