Day # 1

In my last post I told you about my two day stamp session where I completed all 20 cards for the DTGD week over on SCS. Here are the first few that I did.

For this first card I chose to make my dad's birthday card. (Continuing on with my birthday box creations, see, I'm sticking to my goal of actually making AND sending out cards.) This challenge was given by Laurie. The challenge was to use vellum on a card. How we used it was up to us. So I decided to use it as a kind of pocket. Was that original intention? No, it just kind of happened that way. LOL For this card I started with my Night Of Navy base and I decided to stitch the vellum on using Navy thread. I got halfway around the card and decided I had enough stitching. Hence, the pocket. I tore the other half off and then did faux stitching with a white gel pen around the rest of the card. I stamped the tree using Night of Navy ink onto Whisper White and mounted that to Sahara Sand CS and placed it at an angle under the vellum (again, hence pocket). I finished off the card by stamping Happy Birthday onto the vellum with my Navy ink. I hope he likes it! This next card was for Lauren's Monochromatic Challenge. For those of you who know me and my husband, or have been reading my blog for a while now, you know that my DH and I have a special thing for elephants that all started when he joined the Army. I normally make him cards with elephants, but I decided that this years Anniversary card (our 7th is on Sunday) I would use Lauren's challenge and use DH's favorite color. His favorite color is red so I went with it. The color I chose is Rose Red. Why? Because I have Rose Red Prints Paper. So I cut and layered my peices and then added a peice of satin ribbon. I then pulled out my cuttlebug and my Olivia Alpha diecut set and cut out the word Love and the flowers. I sent the letters through my xyron (can I tell you how I love that machine! It makes attaching oddly shaped objects so much easier!) and attached them to the bottom of the card and then attached the flower using a brad in a light rose color (it matches the light rose in the printed paper). I hope he likes it. It's a little more girly then I would normal do for him but I do like how it turned out.

I have a lot of birthdays this coming week. Not only is there my dad this weekend, but my step dad on Monday, my Brother in law on Tuesday and my mom next weekend. crazy! So here are their cards as well:

For my stepdad's card I chose Michelle's Masculine card challenge. I used Earth tones (Old Olive, Really Rust, Very Vanilla and River Rock to be exact) and then used the Monkey for the Pink Cat Studios set Wild Animals. I colored the monkey using colored pencils after I stamped it in Chocolate Chip. I added some hemp to add to the rustic feel and I stamped my sentiment using Chocolate Chip ink as well.

For my Brother-In-Law Joey's card I chose to take Christine's watercolor challenge. I wanted to do something fun since it is his 30th birthday so I chose the Ahoy Matey set from SU. I watercolored the pirate using markers and an aquapainter (this can be done by "coloring" your marker on the back of a plastic case -I used my stamp set box- and then picking up the color with your aquapainter. The excess just rubs right off when your done.) I colored the sword using a silver gel pen so that it gave the sword a shiny look. I stamped Ahoy Matey in the upper corner of my image (Happy Birthday is stamped on the inside). I mounted it on River Rock and then Basic Black and Old Olive were used for the rest of the card. I completed the card with some brads.
The final card that I have for you today is my mom's birthday card. I wanted to make her a simple but elegant card and thought that JulieHRR's white card challenge was perfect. I love doing all white cards. They are so simple and quick yet really make a statement. For this card I started out using my cuttlebug on the bottom border embossing it with the textile embossing folder. Then I chose the Delight In Life set from SU and stamped the flower using Mellow Moss and Always Artichoke. I stamped the "To my Wonderful Mother" using my new Wonderful Favorites stamp set. (I have no clue why I waited so long to buy this set, I love it! I love that I could make a card that says to my favorite step grand nephew in-law. I don't have a grand step nephew in-law, but if I did I could make him a card using this set. It rocks!) Sorry bout' that, back to the card. I finished it off using the rest of my sheer mossy ribbon (I need to get some more!). I just love how this turned out. I hope my mom does too. Speaking of which, I hope she doesn't read my blog before her birthday. Oops! So anyhow, thus ends your first glimpse into my attempt at the Dirty Girl challenges. I will have some more for you tomorrow. I'm so excited because I now have all of August, September, October and most of November cards done! Wohoo!! More tomorrow!