Wooo loves you?

This card took so much longer than I originally intended, but I really like the outcome.  Specially since I am going to give it to my husband's grandfather and his wife.  The grandfather is was a carpenter so the woodgrain touches will be perfect for him.  I created the wood planks with my scorepal, creamy caramel, brown and white craft ink.  I think splitcoaststampers has a tutorial for it.  I also created the frame for my image by "mitering" the corners of the top and bottom strips of paper.  And lastly, I made the "rickrack" strips with a tutorial I found on Pinterest.  You use a scalloped punch, flip the paper over and punch again with the scallops lined up opposite the first punching.

Challenges:
Just Add Ink #150--sketch
C.R.A.F.T. Challenges #191--Valentines' Day or Love
Our Creative Corner--woodgrain and a button

Supplies:
Stamps: Taylored Expressions owl stamp
SU! scalloped border punch
scor-pal

CAS love

A clean and simple Valentine's Day Card.  I hand cut the heart and used the negative space as a mask to create the sponged shape.  Before removing the mask, I stamped the music image.  A true one-layer card.

Challenges:

Viva La Verve January week 5--sketch

Fabulous Friday--music

supplies:

Stamps: Skipping Stones Design "Timeless Textures"; Clear Dollar Stamps "Elegant Flourishes"; Papertrey Ink "Damask Designs"

Ink: SU! Creamy Caramel and Real Red

Beautiful You

I made 6 cards yesterday and I think this one is my favorite.  I'm not sure why, maybe because I managed to combine two patterned papers together.  ha, ha.  That is a big challenge for me, so it just might be the reason.  Or maybe just 'cause it's bright and cheerful and makes me happy with those cute little birdies.

Challenges:
Inkspirational #4--sketch (I took a little liberty on this, but the main idea is there)

Delightful Challenges--thinking of you
The Squirrel and The Fox #36--something new--the sentiment is from a brand new Verve set I just got this month

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Joyful Blooms" and "Beautiful You"
Papers: Basic Grey
Dies: spellbinders standard circles and scalloped circles, large

Elegant love

 So, I got brave and tried something new!  Have you ever tried making a 3-D Pedestal Pop Up Card?  I hadn't.  Don't think I had even heard of one actually, until I visited the Technique Tuesday blog and saw their tutorial and challenge to create one.  And it was kind of fun and rather easy, too, once I figured out how you are 'supposed' to fold the triangle part.  Messed it up the first try. : )  I also had to trim a little off the dimensions to fit the oval I wanted to use.

Challenges:
Technique Time Tuesday--3-D pedestal pop-up card
Creative Inspirations #198--anything goes with the option of using flowers
Fab n' Funky #155--favorite color combo--green and pink is my favorite card color combo (not for anything else, though ironically), but I already had the two butterflies punched out and I wanted to use them together and now after putting this color combo (pink, brown, greenish-blue) together, it is definitely my new favorite color combo ever!! LOVE it.
Flutter By Wednesday #224--sketch with butterfly or fairy

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Damask Designs" on front of card; Verve "Happy Valentine's Day" plain jane and "Text Objects" inside card
Paper: DCWV (pink); Basic Grey (blue/green); SU! Chocolate Chip
Dies/punches: spellbinders standard ovals and scalloped ovals, large; Martha Stewart Butterfly punch; Fiskars border punch; Papertrey Ink Butterfly die (inside card)

I "woof" you.

A good Valentine's Day card for a guy.  No extra fluff, but just enough to let him know that I love him.  And I got to use up two hearts and an oval die cut from my stash!!  Love that.

Challenges:
Eureka Stamps #23--anything goes
{Pin}spirational Challenges #41--inspiration photo

Sweet Sketch Wednesday #190--sketch

Pretty Palette #80--aqua, blue, kraft, light brown

Supplies:
Stamps: Dog image was in a little $1 set I got at Michaels; French Script from Hero Arts; Verve "Text Objects" love
Dies/embossing folders: Cuttlebug tiny mosaics embossing folder; spellbinders standard ovals and scalloped ovals, large

You're Sweet

This inspiration for this card came from the Design Team call at The Lollipop Ladies.  I wasn't going to enter, since I really do have plenty of things to do to keep me occupied (namely three little girls), but as the deadline is arriving in a couple days and only 4 people had entered the last time I looked, I decided to give it a go.  Why not, right?  It can't hurt.
  The card is going to be a Valentine's Day card for my littlest one.  She really is sweet and loves sweet things, too!

Challenges:
The Lollipop Ladies DT call challenge--inspiration photo

Seems a Little Sketchy--sketch
Cutie Pie Challenges #36--3 different textures (I have pearls, ribbon, glitter, lollipop stick, and smooth paper)
House of Gilli #49--anything goes with pink & bling
Timeless Tuesday #204--A fishtail (flag), pearls and a circle
Our Daily Bread Designs #139--for a child

Supplies:
Stamps: circle sentiment from Bird's cards; lollipop is cut out of a larger gingerbread house from Meljen's Designs; Papertrey Ink "Damask Designs" sentiment
Dies/punches: Sweet n' Sassy heart die; Fiskars apron border punch
Lollipop stick trimmed to fit and a leftover ribbon from my stash!!

I {heart} you

Though simple, I just find this card really cute!  I think it might be a Valentine's Day card for one of my little girls, but I'm not sure yet.  It took me 9 minutes and 11 seconds, but that's because I had it all put together and then realized the color challenge for Craft Dash #10 included gray and I hadn't used it.  So, I had to peel off the green "i" and "u" and find gray ones.  Then I had a little bit extra adhesive in the wrong places, so I had to add glue around the edge of the panel and dump on some glitter.  Problem solved!  And I think I like it better this way, anyway.

Challenges:
10 minute Craft Dash Challenge #10--pink, green, dark gray in under 10 minutes
Just Add Ink #149--use die cut machine

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Damask Designs" (on heart)
Dies: Spellbinders labels 4; Sweet n' Sassy heart die

Courage

I love this "Blue Skies" stamp set from Verve.  There are so many beautiful sentiments.  I think I am going to send this card to a friend that needs a little reminder that sometimes, it's just enough to get up every morning and keep trying.

Challenges:
Viva La Verve January week 4--sketch
JUGS #172--white, gray, lime green


Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Blue Skies"
Dies/punches: Verve butterfly die; fiskars "Upper Crest" border punch

Time for Tea

Challenges:
Mojo Monday #276--sketch
{Pin}spirational Challenges #40--inspiration photo (I went with blue, white, teacups, and roses)
Tuesday Alchemy #48--winter wonderland inspiration photo (I went with the blue and white theme
Delightful Challenges--tag you're it
DRS Designs--tri-fold card

Supplies:
Stamps: Clear Dollar Stamps tea set; SU! "Everyday Phrases"; Papertrey Ink "Life is Sweet"
Dies/Punches: Fiskars border punch; spellbinders classic circles, large and floral doily motif; Papertrey Ink "Life is Sweet"; Verve "Mini Classy Labels" die.

Silent Night

 Wow!  White on white can really be a challenge!  It's hard to make it interesting with only one color (or non-color).

Challenges:

Our Daily Bread Designs #138--border it (at least one side as a border)

Flutter By Wednesdays #223--All white with a butterfly or fairy

Crimbo Crackers #33--white on white

Our Creative Corner--white on white with a decorative edge

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve "Silent Night" sentiment, "Richly Blessed" inside sentiment

Dies/Punches/embossing folders: Verve "Classy Label" die; Martha Stewart Butterfly punches and snowflake punch; fiskars border punch; cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

Sweetest Kitten Ever!

Doesn't this little kitten just make you smile?  He's so cute!  Just wish I could remember where I got him.  He's a digi, can anyone help?

Challenges:
Card Mania #12--Oh, so girly . . .
Creative Inspirations #197--one for the girls
Pretty Pattern #80--sketch

Supplies:
Stamps: "Bouquet Kitten"; Clear Dollar Stamps "Elegant Flourishes"; Papertrey Ink "Damask Designs" sentiment
Dies: spellbinders classic circles, large and floral doily motifs

Noel

 I have to admit, this is not one of my favorite cards.  Ever get those?  You don't love it, but just can't think of what to do to make it better.  Maybe it will come to me eventually.  What I do love is that I finally got to use a scrap of ribbon that's been sitting around on my work table for a loooooong time.  I so hate to throw anything away that could be used for something.

Challenges:
Eureka #22--layer it up and let it snow
C.R.A.F.T. #190--Christmas in January
Clearly Inspired Challenge #67--brown and red
Stamping with Dragon--In the winter garden
Sweet Stop Sketches #194--sketch with a spin: use snowmen
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #108--recycle or use something free (my piece of brown ribbon originally was part of a gift packaging and this little piece was left over from using the larger piece on another card)
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra--any Christmas card
52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown--patterned paper, glitter (I used a glitter pen on the snowman and stickles on the holy berries), decorate the inside of the card

Friends are Flowers

Isn't this sentiment just beautiful?  This card is for one of my sweet flower friends for Valentine's Day.

Challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wendesday #189--sketch

Crafty Ann's #81--recipe: 2 papers, 0 flower embellishments, 1 image/photo, 3 embellishments (I used ribbon, butterfly punch out and pearls
A Day for Dasies--Add some red
Sweet n Sassy Digi Challenge: #88--anything goes (and the sentiment I used is one of their's!)

Supplies:
Papers: DCWV
Images: A Day for Daisies "Blooming Cherry Branch" digi; Sweet n' Sassy "Flower Sentiments" digi
Dies/ punches: Martha Stewart Butterfly punch; Verve "Mini Classy Labels" die

Penguin fun

Don't these little penguins just make you smile?!  Last time, I used this image, I colored the "snow" penguin black and white, but this time I went more realistic and left him white.  I definitely think I like it better this way.  I made 5 cards yesterday (see the previous posts if you're interested) and I think this is my favorite, but it also took the most time because I had to stamp the papers.  I wanted stripes (was just in a stripes mood) and didn't have any in the correct color scheme.  And then I had to make something to match.  A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right?

Challenges:
{Pin}spirational Challenges #39--inspirational photo (I went with the penguin theme)
Creative Inspirations #196--color combo: dusty yellow, pale & mid tone green, navy and medium tone blue (I used all but the yellow, couldn't figure out how to fit it into a Christmas card)
Sweet Sketch Wednesdays #188--sketch

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra--any Christmas card
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #107--reindeer is resting (no reindeer)

Supplies:
Stamps: Dearie Dolls snow penguin digi; PTI "Distressed Stripes"; Verve "Merry and Bright" (snowflakes), "Ornamental Christmas (sentiment)
Dies: Verve "Charming Ovals"; spellbinders classic oval, large
Cardstock: PTI enchanted evening

A cup of hot coffee . . .

 . . . or hot chocolate, since I don't drink coffee.  But there are coffee beans on the paper, so it must be a cup of coffee.  Whatever it is, it's a little something to warm up a cold winter's morning.

Challenges:
Fab n' Funky #153--Winter
Viva La Verve January week 3--sketch
Sweet n' Sassy Digi Challenge #87--coffee, tea, hot cocoa--must use a digi
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra--any Christmas card

Supplies:
Stamps: My Time Made Easy "Grab a Cup & Sentiments" digi (mug, whipped cream, steam); Verve "Ornamental Christmas" sentiment "Bright and Merry" snowflake on mug--embossed with white embossing powder
Papers: My Time Made Easy "Coffee Beans" digi paper
Dies/punches: Verve "Pennant Die"; Martha stewart snowflake punch

The true gift of Christmas

 I apologize to those who think it is too early to start on Christmas cards, but, it's the only way I can get them all finished in time!

Challenges:
Cutie Pie Challenge #35--sketch (sorry, just realized this is supposed to be "cute" but those little gray snowflakes are cute, right?)
Eureka Stamps #21--make it sparkle
C.R.A.F.T. #189--color combo (white, gray, and three shades of blue)
JUGS #171--dry embossing with added ink (I embossed my center strip and then rubbed silver ink over the embossing directly from the inkpad)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #107--no reindeer
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra--any Christmas card

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Star of Wonder", "Richly Blessed"
Paper: My Time Made Easy "12 Days of Snowflakes-blue"
Punches/Embossing folders: Martha Stewart Snowflake punch; Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

To the Moon

It's time to get a start on those Valentine's Day cards!! Yep, it's only a month away.  I always send them out to relatives and a few friends.  I know it is the only Valentine some of the older relatives get.  That makes me sad, but happy too, that I can still send them some love.

Challenges;
Seems a Little Sketchy #30--sketch
Delightful Challenges--add hearts
Our Creative Corner--Shabby Chic

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "To the Moon" sentiment "Vintage Oval Plain Jane"; Clear Dollar Stamps "Elegant Flourishes"
Paper: Basic Grey
Dies: Verve "Vintage Oval"; Sweet n' Sassy Heart dies

Blast Off!

I had a bit of time to stamp last night, and I must have been in a CAS mode, because none of the cards I made have any extra "stuff" on them.  But that's okay, I'm mostly a clean and simple girl anyway.  And it worked out great for this card, I think, since it's a birthday card for a boy and they don't like a lot of extra "stuff".

Challenges:
Make it Monday #99--repeats and rainbows (you had to use one of the provided rainbow color schemes, and I chose #3 since I have ocean tides ink and colors that were close enough to the other colors given)

Celebrate the Occasion #94--boy birthday, must use blue (my sentiment inks and ribbon are navy blue though they look black in the picture)
The Squirrel and the Fox #35--anything goes

Supplies:
Stamps: PTI "Boy Basics: out of this world" (rocket and flame image and 3, 2, 1 sentiment), "Big Birthday Wishes" (inside sentiment); Verve "Birthday Phrases"
Inks: SU! real red, night of navy (also night of navy ribbon), barely banana (but it's such a light color that I traced over it with a yellow sharpie); Martha Stewart orange; Mementos green; PTI Ocean Tides

I "heart" you

Flourishes is throwing out a "Love Letters" challenge as part of their release week festivities.  The challenge is to use letters, the theme of "love" or the colors of love (red, pink, etc).  This idea for a sweet little card to stick in my husband's lunchbox just popped into my head the other day and I had to go with it.  I used the lowercase alpha dies from Papertrey ink (still all hooked together, 'cause I don't want to risk losing one and it worked perfectly for this technique) to deboss the letters.  Then I cut out just the "i" and "u" from red cardstock along with the heart.  It needed a little something else, so I searched through my stamp sets and found the sweet sentiment to finish it off.  Quick, easy and perfect for a guy--no extra fussy stuff. : )

Supplies:
Dies: PTI lowercase alpha dies; Sweet n' Sassy heart die
Stamps: Clear and Simple Stamps "Love" (sentiment)

Nurse Daisy

Isn't this image just too cute!?  My best friend had surgery last month to donate a kidney to a man at her church and she is still really wiped out.  So, I wanted to make her a "thinking of you" card.

Challenges:
Sweet Stop Sketches #192--sketch
DRS Designs #54--torn paper technique
Clearly Inspired Challenge #66--puppy love (card of love featuring an animal)
Timeless Tuesday #202--New (the sentiment is from a brand new set I just got last week)
Our Daily Bread Designs #137--something old and something new (Old: paper and image though I have never used it before; New: sentiment stamp)

Supplies:
Stamps: JustInkLined "Nurse Daisy" digi; Verve "Joyful Blooms" sentiment
Dies: Sweet n Sassy heart die

Chalkboard art

Chalkboard art is all over the internet (I'm sure you know that by know); it's kind of the "new thing" to do, I guess.  It's also the challenge from Papertrey Ink's Make it Monday series this week.  And it was kind of fun. : )  so many things you could do with it.

Challenges:
Make It Monday #98--Chalkboard technique
Sweet Sketch Wednesday #6--sketch

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve "Accent Notes" corner brackets, "Beautiful You" sentiment, "Ornamental Christmas" fancy flourishes; Papertrey Ink "Life is Sweet" roses and loopy flourish

Dies: PTI "Life is Sweet"

White embossing powder, white colored pencil, SU! white craft ink, pearls, lace ribbon

Winter Wonderland

Getting a start on those Christmas cards already!  Gotta do it, 'cause otherwise Christmas sneaks up on me and I don't get the cards out ahead of time.

Challenges:
Sparkles Christmas Challenge #24--snowmen
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge extra--ANY christmas card
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #106--NO santa
Frosted Designs--recipe challenge (this was a TOUGH one, but I managed to use 4: rub-on snowflakes, brads, snowflake punch and snowman stamp)
52 Christmas Card Throwdown--sketch

Supplies:
Stamps: Gina K Designs snowman set
Paper: DCWV Christmas pack
Punches: Martha Stewart snowflake punch

Joyful Thanks

Stamping these gorgeous flowers on patterned paper is one of the main reasons I bought this stamp set (Joyful Blooms by Verve).  When I saw some of the DT do this, I knew I "HAD" to have these stamps.  LOVE it!!

Challenges:
Viva La Verve January 2013 week 1--sketch
Timeless Tuesdays #202--choose your favorite Timeless Tuesdays challenge from 2012 (I chose #171--thank you)

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Joyful Blooms"; PTI "Life Is Sweet" flourish; Flourishes (don't know the name of the set) sentiment
Paper: Basic Grey; PTI ripe avocado

Warm Woolen Mittens

I thought the adorable mitten image would be perfect for a thank you card to someone who gave my husband and I scarves handmade in Scotland for Christmas.  Nice and warm and toasty!

Challenges:
Card mania #11--winter wonderland
Viva La Verve January 2013 week 2--sketch
Sweet n Sassy Digi Challenge #86--something new (sentiment is from a brand new stamp set)

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Joyful Blooms" sentiment; Sweet n Sassy mitten digi
Paper: DCWV Christmas pack
Dies: spellbinders classic circles, large and scalloped circles, large

Thanks a bunch

This is a card that I'm sure took less than 10 minutes to make.  I'd love to have more of those, but it never seems to happen.  I really love how this turned out and it was so simple!

Challenges:
Eureka Stamps #20--something old, something new, something borrowed or something blue (2nd entry--blue ink and cs and new stamps!)
Stamping with Dragon--Anything goes
JUGS #170--sketch
Our Creative Corner--aqua and pink plus flowers

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Joyful Blooms"
clear rhinestones

Fairy tales

 Happy New Year!  Can you believe it's 2013 already.  Whenever the new year arrives, I always think back to Y2K and the big deal that it was and then wasn't!  And here we are 13 years later.  Here's a fun little card to start off the year; it's the perfect card to have in my stash since with 3 little girls, there is bound to be a little girlfriend's birthday sometime and what little girl doesn't love fairy tale princesses!!??

Here is a close up of the sentiment, I stamped a shoe behind it.  Unfortunately, it came out a little bit more faint then I wanted, but it is easier to see in real life

Challenges:
The Squirrel and the Fox #34--party time
Eureka #20--something old, something new, something borrowed or something blue (the blue is obvious, and my  somethings new are the image, the sentiment and the pennant die
Tuesday Alchemy #47--Hopes, dreams, resolutions (it might be a stretch, but fairy tales are all about dreams coming true!)
Flat Friends #4--Put a bling on it
Creative Inspirations#195--celebrations
Pretty Pattern #79--sketch
Flutter By Wednesdays #221--"new" + butterfly or fairy (new digi image, sentiment and pennant die)
C.R.A.F.T. #188--make your own backing paper
Sweet n' Sassy digi challenge #86--something new (new digi image, sentiment and pennant die)

Supplies:
Stamps: Flat Friends "Cinders" digi image; Verve "Joyful Blooms" sentiment;
Background paper: Clear Dollar Stamps "Fancy Flourishes"; Skipping Stones Designs "Dandelion Dreams" and shoe behind sentiment
Dies/punches: Verve "Pennant Trim"; Martha Stewart butterfly punch