Magnolia - Newspaper

I made this card for a friend to give to neighbours who always bring her newspaper in for her.  She greatly appreciates it and I figured this little Magnolia image is perfect for the sentiment. This card is one in a series of 12 I made for this friend - who is actually my mother-in-law's friend.  Emily, my granddaughter quite likes Helen as well, and loves her house so I feel like I'm doing this for little Em as well!
Materials:  Image: Magnolia; CS/DP: SU: Sentiment: SU: Spellbinder Dies; Colour by Copic

Mo Manning- Tea Cup Fairy

I'm not sure if I chose the right background colours - and I definitely didn't chose the right colour on which to stamp the thank you as it's almost invisible --- oh well!  The image itself is quite cute - but I'm not sure about the hair either -- now that I look at it here I'm almost thinking --- what was I thinking!  I guess this is going to have to be one of those - it's the thought that counts kind of cards!
Materials:  Mo Manning - Teacup Fairy; CS: SU: CP: CTMH: Spellbinder Die; Prima Flower; Colour by Copic

Art Impressions - Happy Birthday Al

One of our friends is a real softie who works rather hard at exhibiting a grumpy exterior.   I thought this grumpy old man was the perfect image for Al's birthday.  I also chose some garish colors as Al is quite conservative and wouldn't be caught dead in that type of get-up!  The card makes me smile.  I keep trying that dappled background and am not quite sure I'm getting better it, or just used to my interpretation! I will keep trying.
Materials: Stamp: Art Impressions: CS: SU: Spellbinder Die; Sentiment: CTMH: Colour by Copic

Happy Birthday Sweet Sarah

My eldest daughter, Sarah, turned 37 on the 25th.  Where has the time gone?  I chose this Sugar Nelly image because it sort of reminds me of Sarah as a little girl and of her two daughters.  I have been remarkably blessed in my life to have two beautiful daughters who have turned into such wonderful women.  Sarah is a teacher and I truly believe is serving as a very positive influence and role model on/for her students.  In addition she is a remarkably patient mother (not like her mother is) and will I think, benefit in the long run because of her good parenting skills.
Materials:  Image: Sugar Nelly; DP: CTMH: CS: SU: Spellbinder Dies; Colour by Copic

Needle

I just love this image - Needle is so darn cute, which is of course what you except from Mo Manning.  This card is for a sewer (as in one who sews, not a stinky transportation for dirty water) - and is for a friend to give to her sister.  I am getting more and more used to the outside-the-box technique and am using it more often as it allows me to highlight the image more.  I like the colours on this one - and while it doesn't really show in the picture, I've used Copic Spicas to highlight the wings, etc.
Materials:  Digital Image by Mo Manning; CS/DP: SU: Colour by Copic - Button by CTMH

Mo Manning - Bernard - Get Well

Where, I wonder, would I be without Mo Manning's delightful images?  Some things are just better left not knowing I think! This little get well card was made for a friend to give to a friend in a package of cards.  The nice thing about it is it's generic enough to give to either a male or female and gets the message across!
Materials:  Mo Manning - Digital Image - Bernard; CS/DP: CTMH: Sentiment: SU: Corners by SCACD and colour by Copic

Cased - Simple Butterfly Thank You

While cruising around on Pinterest I came upon a beautiful, simple design for a card - unfortunately, my numerous attempts to find the originator of the design were unsuccessful, which was too bad because I loved it enough to copy it - mostly.  The original design had a different butterfly and different words, and different flowers, but basically this card is close enough to be considered a copy I think.  This is a 3.5 x 5" note card that I made a few of to give away to a friend who needed a few thank you cards.  I love the simplicity.
Materials:  Stamps & Sentiment: SU: (French Script Background; Garden Silhouettes) and the butterfly is Memory Box. 

Cased Card = Close to My Heart

I was looking for something to make with this Close to My Heart Stamp Set so went to my favourite inspiration site -- Google.  A search of images brought up a card, very, very similar to this one - in fact other than changing the corner designs, it's pretty much the same except the person who originally did it seems to have had darker blacks - I'll have to work on that.  Regardless, the originator of the card is The Stamping Banana at  www.bananastamper.blogspot.ca . The card is a simple black and white number using the above set - white mounted on a black mat, and stamped with black ink.  I quite like the simplicity. I made it for my mother-in-law's friend Helen for her choir master.

Beautiful Horses

Here is a stamp I seldom use -- not because I don't think it's beautiful because it is -- moreso because I never know who to send it to.  This time it was easy.  One of my work friends recently had a birthday - and she's absolutely crazy about horses.  She has a gelding named Remington -- he's a source of much joy and stress-relief for her.  I thought she's appreciate receiving a card with some other beautiful horses.
Materials:  Stamp:  Coronado Island Stamping; Ink: SU: Embossing Folder: SU/Sizzix; CS: SU

Get Well Soon Nicki

Another of my colleagues (and yes I have an awful lot of colleagues -- big organization the government) is off   sick for the next few weeks -- she's had a bad year - mother died while my friend was on vacation; then her world slowly began to unravel on her.  I thought this little butterfly might cheer her up.  You can't really see it in the picture I don't think but behind the purple butterfly is a sliver glittery one -- looked quite nice in person.
Materials:  Scroll Die: SU: Butterfly: Memory Box; Sentiment: SU: CS: SU (Both the purple and the glitter)

Miles & Maisie & Birthday Cake

 One of my old bosses (and I use the word old advisedly as I am actually older than he is) recently had a birthday and while I don't get to see him that often anymore, I still like to send him a card so he knows I still think of him fondly.  I really like these little Kraftin' Kimmie (I think Stephen Leary is the artist) critters and although I don't use them as often as I used to, think I should more often!
Materials:  Stamp by:  Kraftin' Kimmie; Spellbinder Dies; CS: SU: DP: ??: Sentiment: CTMH: Colour by Copic

Get Well Soon - St.Bernard

Where would I be without Mo Manning I ask?  Yet another super cute digital image -- and I know I've said it before but I'll say it again - I love digital images (much to my surprise) because I can make the image whatever size I want to suite whatever card size I want to make. And, let's face it, sometimes you just want to fill up the card front with the image.  This card is for one of my work colleagues who recently had an operation --- she's kind of an unknown entity to me and this card is for my boss to send to her -- I figured a St.Bernard was cute and likely a safe image to send -- he's soooo cute!
Materials:  Digital Image by Mo Manning; Embossing Folder: SU/Sizzix; Sentiment: SU: CS: SU: Colour by Copic; Spellbinder Die

With Sympathy

And, as if getting sick and being hospitalized and almost dying wasn't enough attention for my work colleague, his 101 year-old grandmother did die - fortunately after a very brief interest.  I don't know who said it by people want to live to be 101, especially when they are 100!  Regardless, this is another adaptation of a card I was on Pinterest (thank the gods for Pinterest as I believe my own brain has begun to atrophy) - I thought this was simple and said it all pretty much.
Materials:  Stamp:  SU: Sentiment: SU: Butterflies - Sizzlits Die; CS  SU: Embossing Folder: Sizzix