Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue...

I had to prep some cards for a shoebox swap I am attending.  If you have read my blog in the past, you have heard and seen about my adventures with shoebox swaps.  It's just a fun time to prep some cards for other crafters.  We usually end up gathering sometime in the summer for this event.  We could design one card and provide enough supplies for each participant to do two cards with that design, or two designs and each participant would make one.  I chose two designs, mainly because one of my designs will be somewhat labor intensive.

I went with the "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" philosophy.  Hey, it's been 18 years since I was a bride, so why not?  The first card hits, something old and something blue.  I started with a totally different card concept... and I mean way different.  That became too complex, so I decided clean and simple was necessary (especially since I made this card after my first one).  I pulled out my Encore Ultimate Metallic silver ink for this one.  I stamped using A Muse's Bomb stamp, and the inside of my card uses the same ink with their Da Bomb! stamp (beware: after a while, this ink fades... not a good choice if you're keeping something in your stash).  I loved these stamps the first time I saw them because this is one of my pet phrases.  After stamping on a piece of 2 3/4 x 2 3/4 black cardstock that had been corner rounded, and allowing it a few minutes to set, I pulled out my SU! Crystal Effects to give the bomb some sheen.  I also used my Waterfall Stickles on the sparks to pull in some of the blue from the base of the card, and to add some more dimension.  I used SU!'s Bashful Blue (and then realized that was my only sheet, so many of my fellow swappers will be using SU! Baja Breeze, which is just slightly darker in hue) for my base for a 3 x 3" card.  You can't really tell from the photo, but I affixed the black panel using Dimensionals, which gave it a little lift from the blue.

I went fairly girly with my next card.  It, too, is the culmination of a few different tries.  I love how it turned out.  My something new: I am using my new Papertrey Ink Plum Pudding cardstock and my new Dawn McVey Signature Greetings set also from PTI.  I have the whole set in the shoebox, so my fellow swappers can choose a sentiment they need.  Something borrowed is the idea of crumpling patterned paper for flowers.  I crumpled some SU! Bella Birds DSP, then punched some flowers with my SU! Daisy punch (another oldie, but goodie).  They have a fabric-like feel to them when punched from crumpled paper (click on the photo for a closer look).  I affixed the flowers with some brass brads (I think they are from Hobby Lobby).  I used SU! Barely Banana for the panel, which I paper punched as well as inked with SU! Perfect Plum ink.  I also used the SU! Scallop punch for the panel.  I mounted the Barely Banana panel on another panel of Bella Birds.  I stamped the sentiment using SU! White Craft ink... a staple of mine when it comes to sentiments on darker paper.  I placed a panel of Barely Banana inside for note writing.  I love the heaviness of the PTI cardstock.  While it's not the best when you want to cut out an image (a little too heavy...scissor boo boos become glaringly apparent), it's a fabulous 4.25 x 5.5" base.