Core'dinations Design Team Call

I've been making my own greeting cards for more than twenty years, starting with birthday and Christmas cards to my aunts and uncles and closest friends.  I like to use calligraphy, watercolors and colored pencils in cardmaking...almost always with some sort of stamping.

I just discovered Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock in my favorite craft store within the past year, and now I find myself applying for their next design team.  


Unfortunately, I've been needing a lot of sympathy cards this year, so first I created this one, using a lovely green from the Core'dinations Nostalgia stack.  I love the soft supple feel of this paper--the fact that it doesn't get little tears when scored!

Morning

First I scored a sheet for a 5 x 7-inch card, but I left the front a little long, because I wanted to tear the edge.  Wet the area first for an easier, prettier tear.

Then I sanded the front, rougher around the edges, gradually sanding more gently as I worked inward.

I calligraphed a quotation along the right side and then inked the edges with Chestnut Roan from Clearsnap.

I stamped the first flower along the left with black ink.  After cleaning the stamp, I misted it with water and colored directly onto the stamp with watercolor pencils.  Misted again and then stamped.  Voila!  A beautiful watercolored flower!

**Supplies**

Cardstock:  Nostalgia pack (Core'dinations)

Clear stamp:  Meadow set (Inkadinkado)

Chestnut Roan fluid chalk ink (Clearsnap)

Tuxedo black dye ink (Tsukineko)

Watercolor Pencils: kingfisher blue, olive green, copper beach, imperial purple (Derwent)

Scheaffer calligraphy pen

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From Paradise

That green cardstock I had just used...I was immediately pairing it in my mind with shades of brown.  I thought of someone finding an old treasure map.  With that in mind, I created this birthday card.  

First, I had to "destroy" my precious cardstock!  (I did this several times, just to make it even softer with wrinkles.  I found it easier with this cardstock than with other brands.)  When you get past those first guilty feelings, it's actually kinda fun.

From this wrinkled piece of paper, I cut a 3 3/4-inch square and stamped the palm tree with brown and green chalk inks.  On leftover paper, I stamped this "Happy Birthday,"  tore the edges close around it and sponged those edges with brown ink.

I created the card base from dark brown cardstock.   And cut my green cardstock 4 1/4-inches square.  I attached the wrinkled palm tree square to this green square with four brads and finished assembling the card, giving it a sort of random look.

**Supplies**

Cardstock:  Nostalgia stack (Core'dinations)

Stamps:  Palm tree (Michaels) Sweetheart Birthday set (Flonzcraft)

Chalk ink:  Chestnut Roan, Olive Green, Burnt Sienna (clearsnap)

4 brads

Zots glue dots

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My favorite card I've created lately is this one.  I've fallen in love with hydrangeas in the past few years.  We've put SEVEN of them around the yard!  And so I come back to this hydrangea stamp quite often.

Today

I started by making a 5 x 7-inch card of lilac cardstock.  I cut a piece of pale celery green 4 3/4 x 6-inches and then trimmed one short edge with the Floral Crochet punch.

I stamped two hydrangeas with Chestnut Roan (carefully masking the first one before stamping the second!) and colored them with blue, lilac and olive green colored pencils.

On a scrap piece of the light green, I stamped this "live, laugh, love, today."  I gently sanded just the edges of each piece before assembling the card.

I just LOVE this card!  I already know who I'll be sending it to.  And I'm planning my NEXT Core'dinations card!

**Supplies**
Cardstock:  Nostalgia stack (coredinations)
Stamps:  Hydrangea, Cherish Yesterday set (Hero Arts)
Chestnut Roan fluid chalk ink (clearsnap)
Colored pencils:  lilac, deco blue, olive green
Large Crocheted Flower Punch (Martha Stewart)

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