Hello, friends! All day today, I thought it was Tuesday. For a few months, I was so used to posting almost every day and now that I’m only posting every two or three days, it feels so weird! That’s still quite often but it feels like forever to me. 🙂 Since my son has made a habit of not napping lately, I don’t have a lot of time to craft except at night, which I don’t enjoy, but I guess I’ll have to get used to it. So, since I’m supposed to be crafting now, I’m going to make this a short post so I can get back to ‘sublicating’ (making cards to submit for publication).
One of my husband’s co-workers just got back from a business trip to Italia and brought back two more Italian books for my son’s Barbapapà collection (Barbapapà su Marte e L’inverno dei Barbapapà). We spent all day reading them over and over! This card falls into the masculine projects category of the Hero Arts April Contest. I used the International Skyline as the main image and Typewriter Letters to spell ‘grazie’ (pronounced grat’-zee-ay) which means ‘thank you’ in Italian. My first time using the Basic Grey Wander Collection was when I got a card picked up for publication in Paper Crafts’ Go-To-Sketches, Volume 2. Come to think of it, I used the International Skyline on that card, too! It makes a great pairing, don’t you think? 😉
The skyline isn’t stamped in its original composition. I purposely stamped it twice directly on to the patterned paper and cut it so that the CN Tower (Toronto) is first and then the sentiment (where I wanted it to sit) spans between the two Italian monuments (Roma e Pisa). I cut out a couple of strips that reminded me of cobbles or tiles and added a dark green background. It looked like it was missing something so I drew in some faux stitching. It still didn’t look right so I punched some circles and wrapped them around the edges. I finished by sponging the edges of the kraft card base. Before I discovered distress inks, I always wondered why anyone would want to do that but now that I have a couple, I’m developing an addiction. I almost have to stop myself from doing it on every card I make, especially since I love kraft so much. LOL
It’s been a while since I mentioned anything about my blogoversary giveaways so I thought I’d reveal another one today. This MFT Button Quartet die will be going to one of my lucky readers! If you leave a comment during the month of April and are a follower of my blog, you might win this die!! So much for that short post, eh?
Sources: Gina K Designs pure luxury kraft cardstock; Basic Grey Wander Collection; Hero Arts International Skyline & Typewriter Letters; Memories Black ink; Tim Holtz Antique Linen & Walnut Stain Distress Inks; Ranger Blending Tool; Uni-ball Signo Gel Pen; EK Success 3/4″ circle punch
Such thee perfectly fun card!!
WOW! You sure rock with this stamp!! So perfect for the friend back from Italy!!! I love the warm and masculine feel of this card! Totally cool!
I just love that skyline!! Awesome card fir your friend!
"Sublicating" – what a great word! And the card is very contemporary and fun!
Love this card, how you placed the stamp and sentiment shows so much thought! Great colors and details to "finish it off"!
Ok, I hope you are back in your craft room! I know what it feels like to only be able to craft at night! Your card is gorgeous, love the paper you used! So nice to just be able to create your own sentiment, especially when you can make them short!
Great card Emily!! I have a hard time with masculine cards, but yours is perfect!!! (=
This paper is the perfect fit for this skyline stamp – such a great masculine card.
Your card is so perfectly masculine, Emily!! love the colors and your choice of image to go with it !!
Beautiful masculine card, Emily! Love the skyline and the bg colouring is fantastic!
Gorgeous! The papers are great and yes, they go perfectly with the stamp. I love the little details you add to your cards – like the placement of the greeting on this one. I think those thoughtful touches are what make your cards so wonderful and unique!
Another inspiring card!
How in the world did you stamp it twice without it being misaligned ?!!! It looks awesome! I love your little stitching too. Thanks so much for the chance to win!
Yep, the card is super-fabulous, of course (love that typewriter letter font), but I'm now fascinated with the fun Italian books — their illustrations look like a lot of fun! I'm sure little D is loving them.
Gorgeous card, love the idea of stamping the Italian phrase between the Italian monuments, sooooo clever 🙂
Wow, this card is another fab creation, Em! This paper does look awesome with the skyline–the pattern looks very "urban." I love how the circles and stitching makes it look like an vintage travel ticket. Glad you have started the distress ink addiction!
This card is incredible! I love how you planned so perfectly the placement of the CN tower and the "grazie". I also love the faux stitching you added.
It is so amazing that you are keeping up the italian for your son. I remember Barbapapa, not many people know of it! I picked up a keychain of Barbabeau when in Paris last year. 🙂
I'm guessing you like Barabalala. 😉
Can't wait to get Sketches Vol2 to see your cards.
hugs
Fantastic card! The paper is great and I love the shape…I think one of my bucket list goal is to see all of those buildings in real life 🙂
What a fun card. I love the background!
Hi Emily! 🙂 Another great card. I totally understand the crafting at night because the kid don't nap. It's the same here…..times 2 kids. 😉 Sometimes I blog once a month…life is crazy sometimes, but I heard we'll have more time when the kid gets bigger and we'll miss those days where they were small so, let's enjoy it. 😉 I'm now a follower of your blog too. 🙂 I'll mail you the name of my album and page protectors.
Oh i love how you moved the scenery around, hee hee!!
distress away. I haven't done it, it's just one extra step, sigh… looks great on your card!
I love that you're having blog posting addiction withdrawl! And of course you would personalize the order of the monuments for your benefit. I've only dipped a toe into the distressed ink world, but I think you're right, hook line and sinker coming my way.
A great card! The background paper looks awesome with the skyline stamp. I'm sure your friend will love the card!
Hi Emily!
First of all, I just saw that you're a Fab Five winner on the Hero Arts blog!! Congrats on that, that's great! You can have some fun shopping now, wihoe!!! 🙂
I love this card you created, and all you added, really does it! Loved reading your thoughts on this card and the way you positioned the skyline and the disressing! I had the same in that, I thought, why would you do that, but I see now that it can really add some depth that you just 'need' sometimes! Love the colors in your card and the bricks paper is great!!
Oeh, these buttons in your giveaway are wonderful! So sweet of you!
Good luck on the sublicating and wishing you a wonderful day!
Hugs, Wendy
Fabulous card! And I just saw that you won AGAIN over at the Hero Arts blog!!!! Woooo! Love seeing your name pop up.
I know exactly what you mean about the Distress inks! Once I figured out how to use them with the blending tools, and saw how easy it was, I wanted top use it on everything. I've been adding a couple colors a month since then and love the little something extra they add.
Also, love the color combination on your card and the way everything is tied together with the faux stitching. Just awesome.
What a great card! I love how you placed the CN Tower first – proud Torontonian, or Canadian, just like me : ).
You're definitely keeping up the inspiration!
A ticket to see the world…so cute!
Another great card! I love how your titles are always so perfectly aligned….so crisp….the scene is great, too!
Cool stamp…
*smile*
Cool card Emily I love the personalization!
Your cards are works of art Emily and this one would make a lovely framed piece along with the card in your last post. Have a happy Easter! Vx
What a totally cool card, Emily! I just love how you strategically placed the CN Tower–great thinking!!
I love this card! It's so perfect for your friend back from Italia! And I love that you put together grazie! And I laughed when I read your comment about the distress inks, I totally stayed away for a while I think it was the name, now I love them! It really does add so much!
I love your creations, Emily!! I love this card–it's perfect for your friend!! I love that you say you don't have a lot of time to craft, but you are constantly knocking my socks of daily! LOVE LOVE LOVE!! You are super talented–and I LOVE your "new" word that you made up–sublicating!! You rock!
gorgeous card! papers go so well with the image. Love the layout, too!
Congrats on another Hero Arts win, Miss Emily! You rock that site! 🙂 I won the new Cling Pops stamps today for being one of the people who submitted that name for the stamps. Whoo hoo for Hero Arts prizes!!
Gorgeous and very serene colors on this! Love the look! I used to blog daily too but now have cut back considerably, too much stress! As far as crafting, I just craft whenever I can morning, evening, night! I've found that I just have to do it or else nothing will get accomplished..lol! Good luck on the sublicating! Great word!
Multo bene!! Like that card a lot! You know what, posting comments on ur blog is gettiny really exhausting! A) you make so many lovely things I always need to leave a comment and then B) I have to scroll down til I am at the bottom of your millions of comments here … phew but now I made it again lol HUGS Janna
Ooh, what a cool card! Love the skyline on the orange… and that patterned paper is perfect!
What a fab fun card, love all those city scapes and cool colours.
I have massive amounts of Tim Holtz Distress Inks..it's kind of embarassing 😉 I love this card and masculine it is, he will love it!
Hi Emily, gorgeous card, love the skyline, have a lovely holiday weekend:0) xxx
Love your style, and I too love kraft cardstock. Stamping looks perfect-great card.
What wonderful patterns on this one!
What a great travel card! I have not seen this die before, super cute!