Penguins

Yeay!!!  It's Friday!  And that means it's time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.  This week we have a beautiful inspiration photo for you.  Here it is:

And here is my card:

Our sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps and the prize is 7 images of the winner's choice.  I got to work with this adorable penguin image.  Obviously, it was the place to start for my inspiration.  Then I went directly to the damask pattern in the background, 'cause I am completely a damask girl.  LOVE it!  I really want to use turquoise damask but I didn't have any paper that color, so I went with this stunning paper from Bearly Mine and a coordinating dotted paper (there are lots of dots in the inspiration photo) also from Bearly Mine.  Now it's your turn.  How will you interpret our photo?

Challenges:
Crimbo Crackers #46--anything Christmas goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #134--stitching faux or real (I used faux)
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra--anything goes
52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown #19--recipe challenge: 1 ribbon; 2 design papers; 3 gems
There She Goes #217--sketch

Merry Monday--month long anything Christmas goes
Crafting By Designs--Christmas in July
Get Inky #9--Christmas in July or Birthdays
{Pin}spirational Challenge #67--inspiration photo (I was inspired by the Christmas theme and the polka dots on the ornaments)

Southern Girls #74--animal antics
Crafty Ribbons--anything goes with ribbon
Beat the Christmas July 25-August 24--anything Christmas goes
Raisin Boat #13--Christmas in July

Supplies:
Stamps: Bugaboo Stamps "Little Penguin Winter--Decorate Tree"; Verve "Ornamental Christmas"
Papers: Bearly Mine "Festive Fun"

Love

 Isn't this such a sweet sentiment?  A I love Winnie the Pooh so it's doubly perfect!  This is my anniversary card for my husband--we will celebrate our 14th anniversary next week.

 The above photo shows how the right hand strip of paper is actually on the inside of the card.  It is the twist on this week's VLV sketch.

And this one shows the sentiment on the inside.

Challenges:
Viva La Verve July week 4--sketch

Creative Inspirations #224--bingo (I used ribbon/buttons/sentiment)
Word Art Wednesdays #90--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Verve July Diva Dare--"Tattered Pages" distressed edges and uplifting sentiment

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Beautiful You" sentiment "Text Objects" love "To the Moon" hearts
Dies: Verve "Vintage Labels"; spellbinders border die
Papers: Basic Grey

At the beach

We've been having perfect beach weather around here: hot and humid!  But we don't go to the beach because that's where all the tourists go and most locals avoid tourists like crazy!  The time to go to the beach around here is just after labor day when everyone has gone back to school.  But this cute little dragon found himself a nice deserted space of beach to play at, and he is having a blast!

Challenges:
V's Sweet Ideas #13--Summer fun
Seize the Birthday--month long anything birthday goes
Frosted Designs Fabulous Friday--The great outdoors
Stamping with Dragon--on the beach
Mojo Monday #303--sketch

Eureka Stamps #49--Happy Birthday
Get Inky #9--Christmas in July or birthday
Creative Inspirations #224--bingo (I chose the first row: twine/ribbon; buttons; sentiment

Supplies:
Stamps: Stamping with Dragon "Jiggy_Beach"; Verve "Birthday Phrases"
Dies: spellbinders circles, large; PTI "Buttons #1"

Tiny wishes

 Three little mini Christmas cards.  3x3, so they would be perfect for tags on boxes, baskets, food gifts, etc.  Anything handmade since the sentiment reads "Made Especially For You".  Each has the same layout but is embellished differently.  Here is a close up of each of the cards. This is the most embellished with the three "poinsettias"

 This one is nice a simple with just two little tiny rhinestones to add a bit of  sparkle.

 For some reason, this one wouldn't photograph well.  This is the more masculine of the three with the more neutral colors and just some twine for the embellishment.

Challenges:
Timeless Tuesdays #229--Make it Mini (make 3-3x3 mini cards)
DRS Designs #79--Lucky Stripes
Just Rite Stampers--Christmas in July
Sister Act #16--anything goes

Supplies:
Stamps: JustRite Stampers "From my Kitchen"
Dies/punches: spellbinders circles, large and Floral Doily Motifs; Fiskars flower punch
Papers: Basic Grey paper; PTI rip avocado cardstock

Gifts

Can you believe that it is Friday already!?  You know what that means; it's time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long: Favorite Technique.  The twist is that the design team gets to use their favorite techniques and then you get to pick which of those to use on your own card.  It was really hard to decide what my favorite technique is, because I don't think using die cuts counts. : )  I finally decided that one thing I use a lot is embossing; both dry (with embossing folders) and heat (using embossing powder).  I've used both on this card.  I dry embossed the green panel and heat embossed the sentiment.

 Here is the inside.  I decided that with all those presents in the image, I should make the card to hold a gift card.

Our fabulous sponsor for this challenge is Broken Box Stock.

Now it's time to hop on over to the CSAYL blog for all the details and to see what the favorite techniques of the rest of the design team are.

Challenges:

Seems a Little Sketchy #43--sketch

The Squirrel and The Fox--use something spooled (ribbon)
Christmas Card Challenges #33--embossing
Desert Island Craft Challenge #58--choose at least 3 of the following (I chose #3, 6 {in my embossed panel}, 9 {it holds a gift}, 10)
1. non-traditional Christmas colors
2. paper rosettes
3. ribbons
4. put a tag on it
5. put a tree on it
6.use snowflakes
7. snowmen
8. use paint
9. make it a gift
10. use a star
There She Goes #216--metal (brads)
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra--anything Christmas Goes
Merry Monday--month long anything Christmas goes
Beat the Christmas Rush (June 25-July 24)--anything Christmas Goes


Supplies::
Stamps: Broken Box Stock "Gift Toodles" digi; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" sentiment
Dies: Verve "Charming Ovals" and "Scalloped Trim Trio"
Embossing folder: cuttlebug embossing folder

Christmas Ornament

So, I have some exciting news to share with you!!  The Clearly i Stamp Challenge Blog sent out a design team call a couple weeks ago and I was asked to join the First Ever Clearly i Stamp Challenge Design Team!!!  Yippie!! I'm so excited!  Today is the first challenge with the new Design Team and our challenge is: Christmas in July.  It is time to begin those Christmas cards, folks.  So, hop on over to the blog and check out all the details.

Challenges:
Viva La Verve July week 1--sketch

Card Mania Challenge #25--pearls and/or gems
Eureka Stamps #48--Christmas in July
{Pin}spirational Challenges #66--inspiration photo (I took inspiration from the stitching--even pulled out my sewing machine!)

Crafting By Design--anything goes
Delightful Challenges--glitter bling and sparkly things (I used lots of clear rhinestones and spritzed my ornament with glimmer mist before adhering it to the card)
C.R.A.F.T. #216--inspiration photo (I took inspiration from the brown and turquoise colors in the photo)

Southern Girls Challenge--No spoolin' (don't use anything that comes on a spool)
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra--anything Christmas Goes
Merry Monday--month long anything Christmas Goes
Beat The Christmas Rush (June 25-July 24)--anything Christmas Goes

Supplies:
Stamps: Clearly Digi Stamps "Vintage Ornaments" and "Vintage Ornaments sentiment"
Papers: Basic Grey
Dies: spellbinders circles, large; Verve "Charming Ovals" dies

60 sensational years

My card for my Uncle's 60th Birthday.  I created it for the Flourishes' Birthday Celebration 10-minute challenge.  I CASED Cindy's card (the card for the Flourishes' challenge post).  I loved the bright strips of paper and the CAS layout.

Supplies:
Stamps: PTI "Big Birthday Wishes"
Dies: PTI "By the Numbers" dies

60 and fabulous!

My Aunt and Uncle are both celebrating their 60th birthdays this year.  This card is for my Aunt.  The dramatic elegant color combo (Black and White) is inspired by Flourishes' Birthday Celebration Black & White Challenge.  I did add a little bit of silver to the roses, they would have been too flat just white and black roses?  I don't think so.

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink "The Sweet Life" and "Big Birthday Wishes"

Dies: PTI "The Sweet Life" dies and "By the Numbers" die; Spellbinders "Floral Doily Motifs" and "Labels Five"

Sizzix botanicals embossing folder

30 amazing years

 Verve is holding their monthly Diva Dare Challenge.  This month is "Tattered Pages": a combination of uplifting sentiments and distressed edges.

This is the inside of my card.  My genius idea was to place the hands at the date of my brother's birthday, but unfortunately I didn't check the clock face before I stamped it and the circles aren't exactly lined up correctly.  Oh well, no one will know.  Except you, 'cause I just told you. ; )

Challenges:

Verve's Diva Dare--Tattered Pages

Viva La Verve July week 3--sketch

Word Art Wednesdays #89--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Seize the Birthday--month long anything birthday goes

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Hands of Time" and "Big Birthday Wishes"; Sweet n' Sassy "Celebrating Milestones"

Dies: Verve "Classy Labels" die; PTI "Hands of Time" die

Ahoy, Friends

Here is my second project for the month long Pirates challenge at the Lollipop Ladies.  You only have a little bit of time left to enter, and remember that we are also having a Design Team call.  Here is the inspiration photo:

and the optional challenge is water.

Isn't this little pirate gorgeous?  As soon as I saw her, I knew I had to have her. : )  Her name is Captain Jacquee and if you have seen any of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies than you know exactly what I thought of when I saw her.  I've used some sky paper and some water paper and two gold doubloons (ok maybe not, but they are two coin charms) to go with the theme.  Come play along; pirates are fun to hang around with.

Challenges:

Just Add Ink #173--just add water

Sister Act #13--anything goes

Lacy Sunshine Challenge #12--anything goes

Sweet Sketch Wednesdays #215--sketch

Brown Sugar Challenges #50--shades of blue

There She Goes #216--metal

Supplies:

Stamps: Lacy Sunshine "Captain Jacquee" digi; Verve sentiment

Papers: DCWV

Dies: spellbinders A2 matting basics (rectangles), Charmed, I'm sure (charm), swirls from butterfly squares

Bears

 It's time for another challenge on the Christmas Stampin' All Year Long blog and I think it is one you are going to like: use kraft paper.  Yep, how easy is that?!  I'm not a big kraft person, but I know a lot of you are because I see it on a lot of cards.  And actually, I've been using it a lot more lately, since it seems to be the theme of a lot of challenges.  That's why they are called challenges, right?  They get us out of our comfort zone.  Anyway, the awesome sponsor for this week is Meljen's Designs and the prize will be a couple of their adorable images.

 I decided to go all sparkly for this one.  I added big chunky glitter to the snowbank and the Christmas tree, used a glitter pen on the snowflakes coming down and around the star and to add a little bit of sparkle to the bears' eyes.  Then for the background, I stamp the snowflakes in versamark, added heat 'n stick powder and  once I had that melted, I sprinkled on some fine glitter.  I also added some chunky glitter to the snowflake in the  corner.  The picture below shows a bit of a closer up shot to catch all that sparkly stuff.

I made a second card with another image that came at the last minute.  But it was super cute, so I had to use it.  So, here's #2:

Now, hop on over to the CSAYL blog to get all the details and then play along.  Can't wait to see all those "krafty" cards. : )

Challenges:

Card #1:

Viva La Verve July week 2--sketch

Crimbo Crackers #45--girly (Christmas)

Jingle Belles--Cardstock Christmas (no designer paper)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #132--for a child (it's going to be for my little niece)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra--anything Christmas goes

Merry Monday--anything Christmas goes

Cutie Pie Challenges #48--cute and cuddly

Sparkles Christmas Challenge #30--Christmas Trees

Sarah Hurley #82--pink sparkles

There She Goes #215--Animals

Tammy's Scrappin Corner #70--Animals

Holly Jolly--tic tac toe (I used the first column: ribbon, glitter, pearls/gems.  I also used the top left to bottom right diagonal: ribbon, die cuts/punches, embossing{heat}

Fab 'n' Funky #179--Christmas in July

C.R.A.F.T. #215--Christmas in July

Beat the Christmas Rush (June 25-July 24)--Anything Christmas goes

Card #2:

Charisma Cardz--no designer paper

Crafty ribbons #52--anything goes with ribbon

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round--It's All About Santa (this little guy is a Santa wannabe--can't you tell by his outfit?--and I'm sure is a good helper)

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown #19--sketch

Meljen's Challenge #168--tag-You're it

Supplies:

Card #1:

Stamps: Meljen's Designs "Bitty Christmas Tree Bears" digi; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" sentiment, "Merry and Bright" snowflake

Punches/dies: Martha Stewart snowflake punch; Verve "Elegant Label die, mini"

Card #2:

Stamps: Meljen's Designs "Beardy Gnome" digi; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" top part of sentiment "Merry and Bright" bottom part of the sentiment; Rubbernecker Stamps background stamps

Star Struck

Happy Friday!  And a nice long weekend if you are in the U.S. as we just celebrated the 4th of July yesterday.  Today begins another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long: Stars.  It can be star stamps, paper, die cuts, rhinestones, etc.  What can you come up with?  Our sponsor is:

The Paper Shelter

and there is going to be a fabulous prize, but you'll have to go check out the details on the CSAYL blog.

So, here is my card for your inspiration.  And yes, it is a Christmas card!  I was inspired by the Independence Day holiday colors of red, white, and blue.  And since the flag is talked about as the stars and stripes, it was meant to be.  Plus, I just had to see if I could make those colors work on a Christmas card.  I think they worked pretty well.  I think I got it all: stars and stripes; red, white, and blue; sparkle and shine; Christmas in July, oh yeah!

Today is your lucky day, because I have two tips for you:
Tip #1--you can color rhinestones with sharpie markers.  See my red ones?  Yep, colored!  It's awesome and easy.
Tip #2--Maybe no one else has this problem, but after using them a few times, my clear stamps stop sticking to their packaging, which is bad 'cause sometimes they just fall off and almost get lost.  Well, I just started cleaning my stamps with Baby wipes (mostly because I ran out of my SU! stamp cleaner) and I decided to wipe off some of the backs of the non-stickers.  All this black junk came off (must by old ink mixed with cleaner) and now they stick great!  No more flopping around everywhere.

Challenges:
The Squirrel & The Fox #47--Christmas in July
Mojo Monday #300--sketch

Card Mania Challenges #24--Christmas in July
Eureka Stamps #46--stars and stripes
Merry Monday--anything Christmas goes
Creative Inspirations #221--red, white & blue
Word Art Wednesdays #87--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Crafting by Designs--anything goes with the colors of your flag (red, white, and blue)
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra--anything Christmas goes
Beat the Christmas Rush (June 25-July 24)--anything Christmas Goes

Supplies:
Papers: SU! cardstock "Nearly Navy" and "Real Red"; DCWV Christmas paper pack
Stamps: Verve "Star of Wonder" large sentiment and star, "Richly Blessed" small sentiment.  I did some fancy taping off to get just the part I wanted, and then retaped and reinked to add the Scripture reference
Dies: Verve "Scalloped Trim Trio" star die, "Classy Label Die"; Sizzix star die
Clear Rhinestones colored red with sharpie marker except the one in the center of the red star

Birthday . . . ahoy!

The current challenge on The Lollipop Ladies blog is: Pirate Lollies with the optional challenge of water.  And here's the inspiration photo:

There are 4 weeks to play along this time as we are looking for some new Design Team members.  Today is my first post of the challenge; I'll be back again with another project in two weeks.  Come and play along; you've got three more weeks and there is a fabulous prize.  But it will only be given away if we have more than 7 entries.  There's only one so far!

So, here's my take on the challenge.  Isn't this little guy so cute!?  The map is a free image I found online.  I printed it out onto kraft paper to give is a more aged parchment map-y feel to it.  Then I colored in parts of it with colored pencils.  I had to hide the "x" marking the spot under my circle, but there was just no way for me to let it show.  

Challenges:

DRS #76--The Letter "B" (I used a Button and the pirate has a Bandana and Boots, he is also a Boy and it's a Birthday card)

Seize the Birthday #20--sketch

Brown Sugar Challenges #48--boy/man

Sister Act #13--anything goes

Squigglefly #26--Purple Passion (it was hard to use purple on a boy card, but I think it really works well)

Desert Island Craft Challenge # 57 (use at least 3 of the following: I used #1 {my map is a picture of outside, right), #6 twine, #9--plus, I think I should get a bonus for using a map of a desert island, ha!)

1. Let's go outside

2. flowers

3. step card

4. rainbows

5.clouds

6. ribbon/twine

7. paper piecing

8. emboss it

9. dies/punches

10. metal

One Crazy Stamper--use kraft paper

Supplies:

Stamps: Squigglefly "Pirate Kids"; SU! sentiment

Dies: spellbinders standard circles, large