Tag: birthday cards

Art Inspiration, Budget & Stash Stretchers, Cards, Creative Tips, My Favorite Things, Simon Says Stamp

Geometric Birthday

Ruth Cooper

Hi Angels!

This week in February has all the birthdays I need to make cards for in the same week.

Our youngest son’s birthday was Tuesday and since my guys don’t like any fuss made for their birthdays I opted for a simple geometric design. Of course he probably would have been happier if I’d skip the card but hey, it’s what I do. BTW – my “baby” is now 27 years old. I don’t feel like the 60 I will turn soon so the age of my kids seems a bit unreal.

I don’t play with geometrics nearly enough. When My Favorite Things re-released their Trendy Triangles set, I knew I wanted it for my collection. The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp Birthday Sweets set. True to my favorite clean & simple designs, I opted for red & black on a light gray base.

Masculine cards can be difficult and geometrics can be one solution when you are creating. I don’t have sports, fishing or hunting guys in the family. My guys tend towards the technical side of things. That limits what I create in the masculine style. So geometrics, nature & vehicles are usually what I am working with.

Sometimes limited supplies can be an issue too if you are just starting out or are on a budget. Always be looking for ideas when you check out other card designs and see what you can adapt to what you already have. It’s always a good idea to start with a few stamp sets that can give you some versatility. Many suggest before purchasing, you think about the set & if you will be able to make 3 – 5 different designs with that set. And of course a good basic all around sentiment set is a must when getting started. You can always work within your budget with a little planning & thought.

Stay safe & warm.

Cards, Catherine Pooler Designs

Retro Cake

Ruth Cooper

Hi Angels!

I wasn’t entirely sorting/organizing last week. I had to make a birthday card for Miss Margaret’s 81st birthday Sunday.

I wanted to do something with red, one of her favorite colors, so decided a retro style cake would be perfect.

This wonky cake is so much fun! It’s the new Birthday Cake Remix stamp & die set from Catherine Pooler Designs paired with the Dotted Bursts Background Stamp. I also own the original CPD wonky cake stamp set from one of my very first Stamp of Approval kits. I am going to have to design some more wonky cake cards soon.

I am starting to get into the habit of using my CPD inks more & used Rockin Red, Cranberry Fizz, All That Jazz & Aquatini for this card.

Hope you are staying warm.

Cards, Impression Obsession, My Favorite Things

Purple Princess

Ruth Cooper

Hi Angels!

Yesterday I was busy organizing my dies so I started this card but didn’t finish it. I couldn’t post it until today anyway as it’s the 2nd birthday card for my granddaughter’s birthday.

We had a private nail salon visit for nails on her birthday Thursday & today we had presents & cupcakes.

The Ice Princess & Friends set from My Favorite Things is so fun to create with. Who wouldn’t want to play with an ice skating polar bear?

The mountains gave me a bit of trouble since it’s the first time I used the Impression Obsession Mountain Layers slimline set. Sometimes solid image stamps just take a bit to get broke in and don’t stamp well. Figuring out their placement took a bit too. Where I ended up with a gap, I colored it blue to look like a lake in the distance between hills. Remember they are not mistakes, just creative detours. Of course if it’s truly awful, it just a few cents in paper and you can start again.

Hope your weekend is filled with creating & relaxing.

Cards, Creative Tips, Watercolor, Whimsy Stamps

Peaceful Birthday

Ruth Cooper

Hi Angels!

We had a wee bit of snow for New Year’s day here in Oklahoma. Always love to see the earth blanketed with fresh snow.

With a break from posting most of last month, let’s crank 2021 into high gear with fresh inspiration.

Our Christmas week is very busy with our oldest son’s birthday on the 21st and our oldest daughter’s anniversary on the 22nd, which usually means we get the granddaughters for a sleepover, then it’s straight into Christmas.

I did find some time to create for their special occasions.

First up is Matthew’s birthday card using Whimsy Stamps Canoe set.

Who doesn’t enjoy a peaceful day at the lake? This image is stamped on watercolor paper and I used my Koi watercolors to color it in. Variation & shading are still a struggle but I keep working on these techniques.

When we create we are always our own worst critics. I have 2 tips to share:

1. If you are getting frustrated or feel a lot of uncertainty, walk away from your project for awhile. Then go back and look at it with fresh eyes.

2. If you find yourself trying to “fix” a section over and over again it can be the hardest thing to just stop & let go. Repeat step one and see how it looks later. Chances are it’s just fine.

My favorite saying – “There are no mistakes in creating just creative detours.” And if you really hate it chances are it’s only a few cents worth of paper, ink, paint, etc. Trash it and start fresh.

I am finishing up working some of my set up, goals & project lists for the New Year but they are almost done. It’s nice to have a long holiday weekend to take care of some planning.

I hope you have had a wonderful first day of the New Year!

Cards, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

Birthday in Time

Ruth Cooper

Hi Angels!

Tonight’s card was created for my Son-in-law Dustin’s birthday today. I challenged myself to use just Sweet n’ Sassy stamps. I love being able to mix it up with all the wonderful companies but it’s also fun to try & use just one company’s product. This card will also be featured in my masculine card class.

I’ve been inspired to do a bit more collage type work since I participated in the My Heart’s Fancy Quarantine Art Challenge back in May. It’s something I enjoyed doing in the past, finding stamps that would make cool designs together. It’s fun to revisit old techniques & styles. I went hunting for some ideas on Pinterest & a couple of collage style cards popped up so I set about recreating one.

I used a dark blue, medium blue & gray ink for the collage elements from Sweet n’ Sassy Texture Tiles 1 and Gear Up. The pocket watch is from Time Well Spent & is embossed with a custom mixed hematite embossing powder that believe it or not is over 10 years old. If you take care of your supplies, they can last a long time. With embossing powders is important to protect them from dampness & humidity. The Happy Birthday sentiment is from Beautiful Birds. I added in some gear die cuts for more interest.

The card was a hit & allowed Dustin to pull out his pocket watch & show my oldest granddaughter that’s how we used to tell time.

Thanks for popping in!