Crafty Secrets Thank You Cards

After all these years, I am still in (big "L") LOVE with my Crafty Secrets stamps.  They are such a fabulous company, and Sandy, the owner, works really hard to bring her customers fantastic products.

They've developed a wonderful line of digital images on CDs.  As soon as I'm able, I'm going to invest in a decent printer, so I can play with them.  In the meantime, I am very content with my CS Clear Art Stamps, Creative Scraps, and Image & Journal Notes booklets.  If you love their stuff as much as I do, make sure to stop by their new online store.  They're having a sale!

Here are a couple of cards I made recently using Crafty Secrets stamps.

A thank you card for my daughter's teacher:

Details:
Stamps: Crafty Secrets - Story of Me set; Stampin' Up - Apothecary Art (sentiment)
Patterned paper: October Afternoon - text paper; Making Memories (background papers, bookplate, & frame)
Cardstock: Gina K Designs (ivory)
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Tea Dye
Markers: Copic Sketch
Brads: Making Memories


This card is for a family friend, who surprised us with an amazing watercolor portrait of my daughter.  Shannon is on the archery team at school.  So Lisa painted her in a medieval Ireland setting shooting a longbow.  My heart leaped when I saw it.

Details:
Stamps: Crafty Secrets - All Dolled Up set; Stampin' Up! - Friendly Phrases (sentiment)
Patterned Paper: K&Company - Carolyn Gavin
Cardstock: Core'dinations (red & yellow); Gina K Designs (ivory)
Ink: Ranger - Adirondack Ink - Espresso & Distress Ink - Tea Dye
Die Cuts: October Afternoon - Sidewalks
Ribbon: Stampin' Up

Thank YOU for stopping by today!

Hugs,
Marcy

Thank You Cards

I've found myself in need of a lot of thank you cards lately, which is pretty awesome when you think about it. Since my hubby's job was eliminated in July, we have been continuously blessed by the kindness and caring of our family, friends, and neighbors in so many ways. These loving gestures, both big and small, have made this trying time much more bearable, and they just add to the mounting evidence of how very much God cares for us in every aspect of our lives. He is indeed so good!

So here are two very different thank you cards. The first one is for the mum of one of my daughter's classmates. It's very feminine with lots of purple and flowers. It also has a good bit of sparkle with the rhinestone brad flower center and Spica Atyou Glitter pen highlighting the flowers (the glitter pen is hard to pick up on camera, but trust me, it's there).

Details:
Stamp set: Crafty Secrets - Bouquets of Joy
Dark purple dp: K&Company Recycled
Lilac dp: K&Company Brenda Walton
Natural Cardstock: Neenah
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo & Stazon - Royal Purple
Markers: Copic Sketch
Accessories: Copic Atyou Clear Glitter Pen, ribbon - Michaels, flower - Prima, rhinestone brad - Making Memories, corner punch - Fiskars
This card is for a pastor and his wife, so I wanted it to be a little more suitable for a male recipient. I used a more masculine color palette (greens, blues, and browns) and limited the embellishments.

Details:
Stamp set: Crafty Secrets - Bug's Life
Plaid dp: Brenda Walton
Brown cardstock: Core'dinations - Chocolate Box
Natural cardstock: Neenah
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Markers: Copic Sketch
Accessories: ribbon - Michaels, glitter glue - Stickles - Stardust, clear gloss finish (to make eyes buggy) - Plaid

Thanks to YOU for coming by to visit today!

VBS Volunteer Thank Yous

Typically when I'm making cards, I do not make multiples. I try to make each card specific to the individual's likes and personality, but sometimes with a limited time frame and budget, making multiples is a necessity.

This card is a sample of the thank yous that I am sending out to our Vacation Bible School volunteers. I wanted to make cards that reflected our VBS's woodsy summer camp theme, that were only one layer of cardstock with no embellies, and that I could stamp quickly and easily.

I made these cards assembly line style. Once I made my prototype, it probably took me ten minutes tops to make a big stack of these cards. I cut a bunch of cards out of various shades of sage or olive green. Using the retired Pines set from SU!, I stamped the pine branch around the edge of each card in SU! River Rock and went around again with Staz-on Olive Green. Next I stamped the bear with Ranger's Vintage Photo Distress Ink and used the same ink to stamp the sentiment from SU!'s Favorite Teddy Bear set.

The Bazzill cardstock I used for these cards is very heavily textured, and I really like the distressed look it gives the images. It really lends to the handmade feel of these cards, and that's what stamping cards (for me) is all about. If it looks like it was cranked out on a printer, then what's the point?

Thanks for stopping by today! We're getting the fill dirt for under our front porch today. Never thought I'd be excited about dirt, but it's amazing how your values shift when you're doing home improvement! :) Have a good day!