Mr Cardmaker is a Wishful Guy

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah, and a most prosperous, creative and healthy 2012.  My heart swells to think that you find me important enough to spend your precious time with me for a few moments here and there.  I hope to see more of you!

As always,
Thanks for stopping by!
ALL Best-
Richard

Mr Cardmaker is a Cagey Fellow....

I felt like I was really lucky to get my cards done and out this year.  GIFTS?!  You want me to make GIFTS!???   Ok, so I made those pad thingies, seen HERE, but those were meant to be PRE-Holiday gifts, because they were for Christmas lists.  Get it? 

Anyway, my sister always sends me a lovely gift, even though we were supposed to be done with that years ago....I HAD to make her something, right?

SO I made these things--

This card collection was made with A*Muse Studio stamps, the Life is a Song set.  I liked all the different sentiments, and the cages are pretty, too.  I really wish I had taken a better close up of some of the cards, but I made and sent these babies out in one day, and I barely managed to get the pics I did get. 

The card base is GinaK Designs Pure Luxury Ivory, in the heavy base weight.  I ran it through my Cuttlebug with a Sizzix hounds tooth folder.  The heavy weight paper really makes the embossing pop. 

I then layered on pieces of DP from DCWV.  This paper was amazing for this project.  It was random words with definitions, and I managed to make some of the words work really well with the corresponding sentiments.  I even found the word "reminiscence" for my sympathy card.  I was so happy and amazed at how well it worked.

The image is on more Ivory, done with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and the birds are Distress Ink, Broken China.  I added detail with a gray copic, and a black pen.

I tore the card stock, and edged it with SU More Mustard ink, and backed it with a torn piece of More Mustard paper, which I also edged in the ink.

Because I wanted these cards to be sent with no issue of extra postage, I didn't add any bling.  The only ornamentation is the little bit of paper piercing I did at the top right part of the image, and under some of the sentiments.  Simple. 

I have to admit, I sense a slight balance problem with some of these cards.  Too much on the right side of the image, I think.....but, maybe I am just overly critical.  I tend to do that.

I then grabbed some envelopes and popped the whole shebang into a clear box, also from GinaK Designs.  The medium box easily (but snugly) held all six cards and envelopes.  The box is causing the glare in the pic above.   Sorry about that.

So, that's my ONE Christmas gift.  I have a calendar template on my computer, maybe I can get somethings together to be New Year's gifts.  Wait, those will need cards, too, right?  And then there's that thank you cards I have to make....Hoo BOY!!  I better get to work!!

Thanks for stopping by!  Your continued support is my best Christmas gift!!!
All Best-
Richard

Mr. Cardmaker is Comin' In for a BIG Finish!

I have to post quickly, because I'm working today.  Somebody tell my cold to "buzz off" already!!

I finally came up with a sketch and image that I was happy with, and I pounded out the last of my cards.  Of course, I had to play with different papers and stuff, just to keep it interesting.   I made these--

 This is the one that I made the most of.  I made the DP myself with a speckle background stamp from JoAnn's, and a snowflake stamp from SU!  The Sizzix embossing folder is from SU as well, as and the card stock is actually from The Paper Company (my discount stuff from AC Moore).  I liked the colors, I had plenty of it, and I like the light weight for layering.  The ribbon is from AC Moore's dollar bin.  I ran out of this.  Boo.

 The Image is from SU!, and I have no idea about which set, because this was a gift.  I colored him with copics, and had a BLAST doing it.  I learned about doing white images from CardMaker Mag. and Theresa Momber, who is an amazing colorer and all-around artist.  I had also stamped the card stock with the speckles from the DP I made.  The papers in the card above are from AC Papers, the Dear Lizzie Christmas set, and the snowflake is punched with a SU punch from DCWV paper.
Hey, I forgot to put the rhinestone on this one....oops.

The big change here, other than the DP, is the fact that I did a direct-to-paper rub with white ink over the dry embossed paper.  I think it helps point up the flakes. 

So, the cards are done and out.  I did some others, and I may get to post them, but I have SO much to accomplish before NEXT SATURDAY!!!!  ooooooooh, my heart.  oooooooh, my back.   ooooooh, my goodness!!!

Hope your projects are going well, and that you are not so nuts at this time of year.
Thanks for dropping by!!
All Best, and Happy Holidays-
Richard

Mr. Cardmaker has had his "Thinking Yarmulke" on...

 Progress is a good thing, especially when it comes to my Christmas projects.  I made this little notepad a while back for my SIL.  I made more.  These are them (they?).

These have more good stuff all over them than the original.  I was under a time crunch on that one.  You can see it and what the insides of all of them looked like HERE. 

As you can see, these are multi-denominational.  My SIL Andee will be getting the Hanukkah one.
I also worked hard to keep the snow theme prevalent, but those stickers from K&CO's Life's Little Occasions were too hard to resist.  I made the medalion on the non-Jewish one, with some SU and EK Success punches, and a stamp I found somewhere along the way.

Speaking of things Hanukkah, I also made a card.  It looks like this--

I made this using some candle stamps I got from Ditto.  I have used them primarily as birthday candles, but they dress up really nice for Hanukkah. 

I stamped these with Delicata gold ink.  LET me TELL you how much I love this ink!!!  It is so rich in color, and it looks like it has been embossed all on it's own.  SO pretty.

I tore the edges of my blue card stock, (some of my discount stuff....shh, no one will ever guess!) and inked it with some Night of Navy ink from SU.  Then I sprayed it with some  smooch spritz from SU.I also tore some shimmer paper just a bit larger and did the same inking. 

 I layered them onto a piece of gold Christmas paper (shhhhhh.....)that I edge punched and inked up with an EK Success and some more Delicata. 

I stamped the Star of David onto more of the Xmas paper, punched it with a 1 1/2" circle punch (Fiskars) and I inked the edges of that, too.  The card front is a piece of shimmer paper from DCWV, and the whole thing is on a white card base made with PTI card stock.

Lastly, I added the little gold pearls, and staggered them to help create the idea of a flickering candle. 

I have only one Hanukkah card to make each year, so far, and I love taking some time and making it just right. 

I have finally come up with my perfect sketch and image to finish up my cards for this season.  I'll show you them next time!  To say I am relieved is a HUGE understatement. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Get those cards done!!

All Best-

Richard

Mr. Cardmaker has been a Working Guy

Clearly, I have been conspicuously absent from the blog arena.  I have been a BUSY card maker!

I got some new, fun supplies from Stampin'Up!, and have been trying to put them to work.

I made these--

I ran this one thru the cuttlebug with a SU! Sizzix folder, and I tried to mask off the doily/snowflake.  Big fail!  I almost broke my Cuttlebug.  There is LESS embossing on the doily, but it definitely did NOT do what I wanted....

Let me say how happy I am that I do NOT have to send one person a thousand different cards, because it would surely kill me.  I am very happy to lots of variations on a theme!

These are all made with the Hello Doily stamp from SU!, and some white embossing powder.  I LOVE this stamp, and how much it fills up my card!  I cut around portions of the doily to give some emphasis in areas, but I rough cut them (as usual) because I think the doily would get lost without a tiny bit of framing.

I also did a touch of copic coloring in some of the letters. 

The sentiment is from Studio G in the cards above.  Below is from Stampendous, the Holiday Home set.

Here is where I switched from stamping on Melon Mambo, and instead moved to patterned paper.  I love the combinations!!  These papers are American Crafts, Dear Lizzie set.  The shimmer paper is all DCWV.  The little snowflake punch is Martha Stewart, and the big one is SU!

The Merry Christmas above is punched out with the words window punch from SU.  I use this a LOT this season.  That, and the modern labels punch.  I'll show you those cards soon!

The sentiment above is A*muse Studio.

The tags here are done with GinaK Designs All Occassions Tags set, and Spellbinders grommet tags dies.  The sentiment is SU! Teeny Tiny Wishes.  The tag and the sentiment are both wet embossed to punch them up.  That frame above is one of those happy accident moments, where I used a leftover scrap to make a rectangle and got a fun little frame.  These things make me grateful for my two-way glue pen.

As you can see, my sentiments DO get to floating around just a bit.  Oh well....

I have plenty more cards to go, and more to show you.  Stay tuned. 

Sorry for the brief amount of explanation here, gang, but I gotta get back to work!!! 

More later, as soon as I can get them photographed!!!

I hope your cards are going REALLY well, and that PANIC MODE hasn't settled in at your house.  (I am not QUITE there yet, but I hafta get OFF this computer!)

Thanks for stopping by! 

All Best-

Richard