Saturday, February 15, 2025

Two more

 I thought my previous post had my last Valentine's Day cards, but then I got thinking and realized I still had two more I hadn't posted yet.  So, I went looking and found the photos and here they are:

The first one was for one of my three girls.  I made them all similar but different.  Each of them had the same focal panel and elements, but the scarves are different and the layout for the rest of the card.

The second card was for my cousin.  Since he is a guy, I decided to steer clear of the pinks and used some blues and greens.  

Card #1:
Supplies:
Stamps: My Favorite Things "YUZU North Pole Pals"; PaperTrey Ink "Kid Kuddos" sentiment
Dies: unbranded label die from Amazon; My Favorite Things "Tag Builders #5" heart

Challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner #264--fill in the blank-pink . . . (I used pink card stock, papers and twine)
Crafty Catz #687--anything goes with the optional twist: use a die
Creative Fingers #294--anything goes













Fab n Funky Challenge #610--stitching, real or faux (stitched label die)


Card #2:
Supplies:
Stamps: My Favorite Things "YUZU North Pole Pals" 
Dies: Sweet n' Sassy Stamps heart

Challenges:
Creatalicious Challenge #286--anything goes with the optional twist: use green

Shopping Our Stash #541--thrice as nice (at least three patterned papers)
Word Art Wednesday #687--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Penny's Challenge #590--anything goes
Sweet Stampin'--masculine makes

Friday, February 14, 2025

Final batch

I managed to finish up my Valentine's Day cards yesterday (the day before Valentine's Day).  I really thought I got an early start and was going to be finished in plenty of time, but as always I was finishing up at the last minute.  This first one is for my husband's brother.
I had a really great time using this adorable bear set!  It's designed to be a Christmas/winter set, but since Valentine's Day is in February, I think it worked perfectly!  I added a little red tag and some black die cut hearts that have been sitting in my bits and pieces stash for a while.

 The second card is for a sweet older lady from our church.  She has been in an assisted living facility since December, so a friend and I went to visit her on Valentine's Day and I decided to make her a little card.


And the final one is for one of my daughters.  I used the same image/sentiment combo for all three girls, but changed up the layout and the combination of patterned papers for each one, so they are similar but different.


Card #1:
Supplies:
Stamps: My Favorite Things "YUZU North Pole Pals"; Verve "Take Note" sentiment
Dies: unbranded label die from Amazon; Verve "Scalloped Trim Trio" little hearts left over from die cutting a scalloped border

Challenges:
Creative Inspirations--Love is in the air
Crafty Catz #687--anything goes with the optional twist: use a die
Cupcake Challenge #611--red, black & white














Card #2:
Supplies:
Stamps: My Favorite Things "YUZU North Pole Pals" sentiment
Dies: Sweet n' Sassy small hearts

Challenges:
Unicorn Challenge #106--dots AND/OR stripes
Double D--hearts













Creative Fingers #294--anything goes
Shopping Our Stash #541--Thrice as nice (use 3+ patterned papers)
Word Art Wednesday #687--anything goes with uplifting sentiment













Card #3:
Supplies:
Stamps: My Favorite Things "YUZU North Pole Pals"; PaperTrey Ink "Kid Kudos" sentiment
Dies: unbranded label die from Amazon; My Favorite Things "Tag Builders #5" heart

Challenges:








Fab n Funky #610--stitching, real or faux (stitched label die)
Penny's Challenge #590--anything goes



Tuesday, February 11, 2025

A few more

 I've had a chance to create a few more Valentine's Day cards this week.  This first one is for my husband.  I didn't want it to be all girly, so I used some blue and greens, but there are still hearts in the stenciled background!  I stamped the bear on the card base and used a previously created mask so I could stencil in the background.  I also stamped the scarf portion on a scrap of patterned paper and adhered it in place.  

The second card is for one of my kiddos.  They are all teenagers, but they are still my kiddos.  For this one I used both the cutie bear and one of the adorable penguins from the same set.  I also paper pieced their scarves as it is the perfect way to dress these little guys up!


Card #1:
Supplies:
Stamps: My Favorite Things "YUZU North Pole Pals" and "Everyday Sentiments"
Stencil: My Favorite Things heart stencil

Challenges:
Creative Inspirations--love is in the air
613 Avenue Create--anything goes with the optional twist: lots of love
Aud Sentiments #321--love/anniversary/wedding AND/OR shimmer
Creative Knockouts #540--love/anniversary/wedding/Valentine's Day

Card #2:
Supplies:
Stamps: My Favorite Things "YUZU North Pole Pals"; PaperTrey Ink sentiment set
Dies: Sweet n' Sassy Stamps small hearts; unbranded label die

Challenges:
Colorful Options--pinks or rainbow











A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--love is in the air
Double D--hearts













C.R.A.F.T. #748--love/anything goes
As You Like It--favorite? stamping or digital imagers (I definitely prefer stamping.  It allows me to combine images like this bear and penguin and make them hold hands!  Also, I can change the color of ink in the sentiments)
Crafty Catz #687--anything goes with the optional twist: use a die






Friday, February 7, 2025

I mean it

 Happy Friday!!!  It's time for a new challenge from the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.  This week, the challenge is: Makes Me Smile

Here is my card for your inspiration:
Still working with these super cute bears and having so much fun paper piecing the little scarves!  This is what makes me smile: the bear and his little scarf!!  The pink ribbon was left over from some packaging and between this card and another I was able to use it all up (which also makes me smile!).

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you will hop over to the Cut It Up blog for the full details of the challenge and to see what the rest of the Design Team has created. 

Supplies:
Stamps: My Favorite Things "YUZU North Pole Pals" and "Essential Sentiments"
Dies: My Favorite Things "Stitched Heart STAX" and "Blueprints 13" banner

Challenges:
Di's Digis--have a heart
Cards Galore #132--anything goes
Unicorn Challenge #106--dots AND/OR stripes













Colorful Options--Pinks or rainbow
Creative Knockouts #540--love/anniversary/wedding/Valentine's Day

Because

 Hello, everyone!  It's time for a new challenge from the Creative Moments Challenge blog.  The theme is: Make It Cute.  I am using an image from our fabulous sponsor: All Dressed Up.

 Here is my card:
I had some fun with these cute little llamas and some patterned paper.  I thought the blue was a fun and slightly unexpected addition to the traditional pinks of Valentine's Day.  I was able to use some blue rhinestones with an oily type coating that give them a nice color changing quality.  I have had them forever and was so glad to be able to pull at least some of them in on this card.

You have all month to play along.  So, get inky and link up your creation; I can't wait to see what you create!

Supplies:
Stamps: All Dressed Up "Llama" digi; Verve "Take Note" sentiments
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Sweet n' Sassy Stamps heart

Challenges:
Di's Digis--have a heart
Cards Galore #132--anything goes













613 Avenue Create--anything goes with the optional twist: lots of love
Aud Sentiments #322--Love/Anniversary/wedding AND/OR shimmer
A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes
Double Trouble #184--Love is in the air (Thing #1: 3 patterned papers, 2 shapes {circle and heart}, 1 image or sentiment; Thing #3: one or more hearts; Thing #2: Try a Sketch on Tuesday--sketch)


Thursday, February 6, 2025

Having fun

I'm still having a lot of fun making Valentine's Day cards and playing with different items that are either lying on my desk or in my bits and pieces stash.    This first card uses a tag that was made from left over pieces from a card you can see here.  I added the final, last bit of hot pink ribbon and added a few more left over die cut hearts.  It seemed to need just a little bit of something, so I added pink nuvo enamel to the hearts to give them a puffed up, shiny look.
This second card is a bit different.  My oldest daughter has her first boyfriend and he has just moved to the area and is staying with my in-laws.  They live right across the street from us, so we have him over for dinner every night.  I wanted to make a Valentine's Day card for him, as well, but I didn't think pinks and "I love yous" would work for him.  So, since I had the dark blue card stock sitting on my desk, I went with blue and greens.  I just LOVE this adorable little bear and I am having such a great time paper piecing these scarves!!
The third card uses up some more of those bits and pieces from my stash--the hot pink rectangle on the tag, the stitched banner and all the little black hearts.  They really pop against all the pink and pull in the black from the penguin.  It's hard to tell because it's so tiny, but I did paper piece his little scarf as well.


Card #1:
Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Text Objects"
Dies: My Favorite Things "Tag Builders #5"

Challenges:
Shopping Our Stash #540--crafty remnants
Unicorn #106--dots AND/OR stripes
Creative Inspirations--love is in the air
613 Avenue Create--anything goes with the optional twist: lots of love
Colorful Options--shades of pink OR rainbow











Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--love is in the air
Double D--hearts













Creative Knockouts #540--love/anniversary/wedding/Valentine's Day

Card #2:
Supplies:
Stamps: My Favorite Things "YUZU North Pole Pals"; Verve "Take Note"
Dies: unbranded Amazon die

Challenges:
Word Art Wednesday #686--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Cards Galore #132--anything goes
Aud Sentiments #322--Love/anniversary/wedding AND/OR shimmer
A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes













As You Like It--favorite: stamping or digital image (I have a LOT of digital images and while I do like the ability to resize, I am definitely a rubber/clear stamp girl!  I'm not super tech skilled, so I love that you can stamp your physical stamp anywhere you want.  Case in point, I was able to stamp my sentiments after I put the rest of my card together.  I also like the fact that you can use a different ink color as I have with the sentiment.  And, I can paper piece much easier with physical stamps.)

Card #3:
Supplies:
Stamps: My Favorite Things "YUZU North Pole Pals" and "Essential Sentiments"
Dies: My Favorite Things "Tag Builders #5" and "Blueprints 13"

Challenges:
Di's Digis--have a heart












Snippets Playground #499--anything goes with snippets (the hot pink rectangle, stitched banner and little black hearts were all in my bits and pieces stash.  The little penguin was stamped on a scrap of white card stock and the patterned papers other than the base panel were scraps)
C.R.A.F.T. #748--love/anything goes




 

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Wintery Love

Sometime last year I was asked to be a Guest Designer for Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2.  This month, I am finally getting the chance.  They have two fabulous sketches that you can work with for the entire month.  Here are my two cards:



I had this adorable stamp set out and had used it for a birthday card and decided to use it again to create a Valentine's day card.  I really love paper piecing on simple images and the scarf on this guy is perfect for the patterns.  I stamped him and then stamped him again on the patterned paper, cut the scarf out and adhered it in place.  Then I stamped some hearts around him in a pale pink ink.  The snowflake was already die cut and sitting on my desk .  I finished everything off with some gems, some ribbon and an adorable little tag.
 
My second card uses some more images from the same stamp set.  These penguins are super cute.  I created a little scene where the penguins are marching off to the mailbox to send some love.  Super cute!!  I added some glue with some chunky glitter to create a "ground" for each of the images to add a bit of sparkle.  The sentiment is from the same set, but it actually reads "May Your Heart (And Mailbox) Be Packed With Merriment", but I wanted it to be for Valentine's Day, so I masked off the "Merriment" so I could stamp "love" instead.  I was FINALLY able to use up that heart ribbon in the background--I have had it FOREVER!!!  I also added a bit of a fancy border die cut piece to add a bit more interest.  I finished it off with some pink rhinestones that were left over from projects my girls did years and years and years ago! Oh!  And I paper pieced each of the scarves on these little cuties!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will go check out the Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 blog for more inspiration.

Card #1:
Supplies:
Stamps: My Favorite Things "YUZU Polar Pals" and "Everyday Sentiments" for 'love'; Pretty Pink Posh "Penguin Pals" small hearts
Dies: Memory Box "Lindeman Snowflake"; unbranded label die

Challenges:
Creative Fingers #293--anything goes













Penny's Challenge #589--anything goes

Card #2:
Supplies:
Stamps: My Favorite Things "YUZU Polar Pals" and "Everyday Sentiments" 'love'
Dies: Papertrey Ink border die; Kat Scrappiness "Slimline Distress Edge" nesting dies

Challenges:
Creative Knockouts #539--something to say
Shopping Our Stash #540--crafty remnants (ribbon and border die cut from scraps)
Fab n' Funky #609--include a stamped image
Word Art Wednesday #686--anything goes with an uplifting sentiment
ART Impressions Stamps #396--highlights (I used a white gel pen to add highlights to the penguins, the mailbox, and the hearts on the letters)