The Milwaukee Card swaps were amazing this year. I was glad to be able to be at the show this year. Last year I was in the process of moving and I had to wait until the cards came back to the office to see all of the great card creations. This year the creativity was off the charts! We had two winners on Friday for our Most Appreciated Card Contest and four (yes, four!) on Saturday. Just take a look and you will see what I mean by all of the talent we had at the Milwaukee swaps this year.
Carol Tackes was one of our winners on Friday. This beautiful card features a stained glass creation with a sparkling cross to top off this card. This card brings a feeling of peace to all of us.
Diane Barnes’ elegant birthday card is amazing. A beautiful card base highlighted with flowers and an intricately detailed Happy Birthday die cut with thin thread all add to this adorable card that is so very charming. This card was inspired by a special person in Diane’s life who was celebrating a birthday. This card is sure to be used as a decoration and will be a keepsake for years to come.
The winning card from our first Saturday contest brings out the jolly in all of us. This Christmas-themed holiday card highlights the jolly old man himself with that special holiday sentiment “To All A Good Night.” We certainly wish this sentiment to everyone in our lives. Think about who your “Santa” is in your life. And I bet you are also a Santa to someone as well. Doing good and sharing good things is a symbol of what being a Santa is all about! Thanks to Sharyn Weaver for this sparkling card creation.
Katie Walker lets the cat out of the bag with this “Black Cat” card to celebrate another fun season of giving, or maybe better yet, gathering of all of those sweet treats from your neighborhood friends and family. I love the incorporation of the sheet music patterned paper with the traditional orange and black colors of Halloween. Is this card delivering a message to beware of good things to come? I always want the message to be a good one. It looks like this Black Cat card measures up to the test as you can see from the design of the card.
The colors of spring highlight this card created by Susanne Alicea. This stand-up card is filled with the message to smile and be happy. The card features sparkle and sprinkle elements with glam and glitter. The purple flowers top off the card and add a certain elegance to this tabletop decoration for sure. This card will certainly bring a smile to your face each and every time you see it.
Butterflies, butterflies, and more butterflies! We all love butterflies as they add such a calm element to card making. The detailed butterfly in the middle of the card on the front is ready to fly right off the page at you to say “Thank You” like the sentiment on the inside. This card will brighten the day of the person you want to thank. Thanks to Roxanne for this butterfly-filled thank you card.
Hop on as we take to the road with this card full of fun and adventure on two wheels. This card was created for a special father for Father’s Day. Just like riding a bike, there are sentiments to share at each twist and turn of this card. You could add so many variations to this card to express several messages at once. Step outside the box and you will find what you can create, just like Starr did.
Next month I will be featuring cards from our card swaps in Puyallup, WA and St. Paul, MN. I can’t help but wonder what great techniques and tips we will learn from our card makers at these locations.
As always, keep sharing and making those special cards!
Dave
Dave,
Love your posts. I enjoy seeing everyone’s creativity shine through. It’s so inspiring. I’m sure it brings joy to those who receive their wonderful cards.
Fantastic cards!
Is there a way to get directions on making any of these innovative cards?
Thank you Dave!! This was my first time doing the swap…I am working on my entry for the Schaumburg class!!