Sunday Coffee With Deb, Celeste, and a Masculine Card Sketch

Happy Sunday everyone!!!  My coffee loving/crafty friends - Deb and Celeste asked me to join them again for some coffee and cards.  It's a beautiful morning here in the countryside of São Paulo and, for some reason, my brain woke up early today.  I'm sitting on the veranda, drinking some Hazelnut coffee from Dunkin Donuts and listening to the birds wake up along with me.   I love this time of the morning.

For today's card, Celeste picked a sketch for us to work with - 

and the card had to be masculine, which, believe it or not, I have issues making.  I went through my stash and pulled out the Engraver Collection Kit by Prima, which was perfect.  

I started with a top folding A2 white card base to which I adhered a piece of dark brown, textured cardstock.  Then, using a stitched rectangle die I cut a piece from one of the sheets in the Engraver pad.

I distressed the edges with Black Soot distress ink and adhered it to the card front.

Next, using the Fishtail/Banner Die set (Your Next Stamp), I cut two pieces from the Engraver pad using two different sized dies.  For the main focal point of the card front, I found a mustache stamp and die set in my stash (Hero Arts/Retired).  I stamped one of the designs and then die cut it.

I distressed all the pieces with the Black Soot distress ink.  Then I adhered the longer fishtail banner piece to the card front.  I also trimmed the thinner fishtail banner piece and adhered it under the mustache.

Finally, I adhered the mustache/banner piece to the card front with pop dots and then I adhered the word "Original", from Tim Holtz' Quote Chips, under the mustache.  

Done!  Here is the final card - 

This was a last minute card and I really love how this came out.  I hope you do too and I'd love to know what you think.  Please don't forget to stop by Deb's blog {HERE} and Celeste's blog {HERE} and show them some love!  

As always, thanks for taking the time to stop by my little blog and, until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil!

Michael  

Happy 4th of July Card with Anthony's Paper Craft

Hello everyone!  This year is really moving quickly. It feels like it was just January but it's already June!! Well, this means that the 4th of July is right around. The other day I made a photo folio (a future post) using an old paper pad from Heidi Swapp, and I was left with a lot of scrap papers that I wanted to use for cards. 

Today's card is the first card using these scraps and paired it with a set called 4th of July from Anthony's Paper Craft.  

I started with one of the leftover scraps, a design with some bluish stars, which I adhered to a piece of white cardstock, leaving room on the bottom for the sentiment.   

Next, I die cut the piece using a stitched rectangle die (Simon Says Stamp) and my Big Shot (Sizzix).

and adhered this to my card front of red textured cardstock.  Now I have my red, white, and blue colors.

I stamped the Statue of Liberty image and had my Scan N Cut cut it out.  You can also fussy cut the image if you want.  I adhered it to the card front with some pop dots, stamped the sentiment to the left of the image, and then adhered 3 sequins, 1 red, 1 clear (for the white) and 1 blue.  

That's it.  Super easy to make.  Although this pad is pretty old I am sure you guys have paper in your stash that would work just as well.  I'll be back with some more simple cards to make with scraps.  

Until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil - 

Michael

There Is Beauty In Simplicity

Hello everyone.  I hope you all had an amazing weekend.  Ours was quiet.  Saturday night was burgers, beer, and live music at our favorite pub here - Art & Fato Music Pub.  

and Sunday was a quiet day to work on projects and color for The Daily Marker's 30-Day Coloring Challenge.  Can you believe this is her 10 year anniversary?  Crazy!!    Yesterday, for Day 3, I made a very quick and simple card using an old stamp from Great Impressions Rubber Stamps.

I started with a piece of white cardstock cut with a stitched rectangle die.  Then I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then I colored it with a variety of Ultra-Fine tip BIC Markers.    

I wanted a simple sentiment so I grabbed my package of Small Talk Stickers by Tim Holtz and decided on "there is beauty in simplicity", which I cut and adhered next to the image.  

I adhered a piece of black cardstock to my white base and then I adhered my card front to the black. I didn't add anything else because I wanted the simplicity of the card to match the sentiment.  

I hope you enjoyed this quick card.  Let me know if you are taking part in the 30 Day Coloring Challenge.  I would love to see your work.  

Thanks for stopping by the blog today and, until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil - 

Michael