Happy Birthday!

This was a card I made for my Sister In Law - her Birthday is today.  All made out of scrap paper except the base, and I embossed the Happy Birthday on the front.  The inside says: Hope your day is as wonderful as you are"

Thanks for looking!
Mary

Christmas Cards - opinions welcome! (please?)

I made some Christmas Cards, and I have to admit - I am not too thrilled with any of them.  There are bits and pieces of each card that I like, and then there are bits and pieces that I don't like, so I turn to trusty crafty people to perhaps offer advice or inspire something else...  any takers?  :o)

I created the sentiment on the computer using various fonts, and I really like it, but I think it would be fine on the inside of the card if I don't use it on the outside.  I wanted to do an elongated card this year (never sent one of those) And I believe I have enough of every paper to mass produce any combination of any of the following cards.  I do like the reindeer and would like to use him on my cards this year.

So the first one - with the tree.  Like the faded multi-colored stripe, don't like the tree (designer's Calendar).  Don't like the holly backgroundon the sentiment, but without a mat (don't have corresponding color to mat the the sentiment that matches the background paper) it gets lost.

2nd card - I like the style?  Not a big fan of the paper in which the wording on the paper is so broad it's hard to use it and make sense of some of the lines and what they are saying.  I don't know if I like the scallopped edge with the holly paper - perhaps a more solid scallopped edge?  I love the reindeer cut from the Christmas Cartridge free with Gypsy upgrade.  I really love him and would like to use him. 

The third card, I like the red and white stripe...  crisp and clean...  like the reindeer... does he get lost?  Does he need something else?  Do I need to add anything?  I know simple is good, but maybe it is TOO simple?

The fourth one...  uhh.. yeah - a hot mess...  The sentiment - looks out of place and the reindeer totally gets lost on that background paper, BUT the wording on that paper is closer together, and more jumbled looking, so you can better get a feel for what it says, as opposed to the other paper with wording on it... 

I don't think I have run into so many issues with so many cards...  maybe I am being too picky, but I love to send out hand made Christmas Cards, and my hubby is a small business owner and I send cards to all of his clients as well.  So a lot of cards to mass produce.  I am hoping that maybe one of you can knock me upside the head and perhaps help me out a little?  I am stuck... 

Thank you in advance for your assistance! 

BIG HUGS!
Mary

Masculine and Feminine Birthday Cards

I made these cards over the weekend and still don't think the male card is "finished..."  if anyone has any ideas that would be greatly appreciated! 

The first one is more feminine.  Before I cut the circle out for the anniversary card for my inlaws, I thought I would go ahead and emboss the paper.  I then used a piece of paper on my Cricut mat the size I wanted to make another card, so that I could utilize the scraps.  So, one cut, and I was able to make two cards.  Using the postive and negative images.  So with this little window, I put some pink plain background paper and then used the same paper and embossed some presents with some stamps that I had in my stash.  I cut them out by hand and pop-dotted them, and colored in a few areas with a ink shimmer pen.  I used a piece of ribbon and added some doodling - and the sentiment is hand-written.  The inside says "aare made to come true." 

The next card I am not totally like the whole idea....  help?  I wanted to make a masculine card...  I designed the card on my Gypsy with the rounded rectangle and then glued the patterned paper and a plain piece of lined notbook paper on it.  I cut the scallop with PS.  Some doodling and Staples... staples are masculine, right?  Then I used a simple swirl stamp that was in my stash and embossed over some chipboard letters after I had inked them with some green chalk ink.  "Hb"  = Happy Birthday??  THe sentiment is hand-written.  But, I'm not happy with it...  any suggestions?

Thank you for looking!
Mary

Halloween Cards

I made these cards and completely forgot about them.... not good... so here they are!  The pumpkin is from Create A Critter and the inside was designed on my Gypsy.  I used a Rounded square tag and then welded a window, and welded the word "BOO" in the center.  The font is from Designer's Calendar and the spider welded in the window is I believe from DC as well.  I will write on the inside of the cards with a white gel pen.  Simple, but cute and fun I think.

Thanks for looking!
Mary

Celebrate Love - Happy Anniversary

My in-laws celebrated their anniversary yesterday and this is the card I made for the,.  I used all scrap paper except for the Kraft paper base.  The square card was designed and sized on my Gypsy as well as the two cirles sized up on my base.  I just welded to rounded squares together and cut the cirlces from PS.  The blue scallop edge was also from PS.  I did clear embossing on the base of the Kraft paper with a stamp from Basic Grey and then used the same stamp with some white embossing powder on the circle layer.  The hearts wew some cuts I had made on my cricut some time ago and had in my stash, but don't remember which cart they came from. The sentiment was hand-written, added quite a bit of doodling and some ribbon and it was finished.  My MIL and FIL seemed to enjoy it - so that was all that mattered.

Thank you for looking! 
Have a great day!
Mary

had to use this photo in here for the mere fact of - see that little brown furball in the bottom right hand corner - that is our chocolate lab, Abigail sunbathing on a cool, sunny afternoon!

had to use this photo as well because - on the bottom left side, you see that back of our "little boy" Scout, our black lab!  I had to use them, didn't realize they were in the pic when I was taking them!  :o)

Happy Anniversary

Tomorrow, October 14th, my husband and I will celebrate our 5 year anniversary.  5 years - holy moley! 

So, I thought I would make him a card to celebrate the day.  I used my Gypsy to design the card by welding 3 rectangles together once I knew what size I wanted.  I then welded a hole in the center of the card and used a wooden heart button I had in my stash and some embroidery floss to attach it to the card.  The base is Kraft paper and I used scrap paper from my stash as well.  A lot of doodling and the sentiment is hand written.  I hope he likes it!

Thanks for looking!
Mary