Mini Card

Happy Friday!  It's time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.  This week the challenge is to create a mini card (3x3 inches).  Our fabulous Sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps and the prize is 7 images of your choice!

I got to work with this adorable 4 Snowmen Tag image and it's just perfect for a little card to put on a gift.  Now, I know it supposed to be 4 snowmen, but I thought the two in the center didn't really look like snowmen (no carrot nose) so I colored them to be like gingerbread men.  As there isn't a whole lot of room for embellishment on a 3x3 card, I just added a star border and a snowflake that I spritzed with some glimmer mist to give it a bit of sparkle.

Now it's time to head on over to the CSAYL blog to get all the details.  

Challenges:

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #139--cute

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

Christmas Card Challenges #39--punches

Beat the Christmas Rush August 25-September 24--anything Christmas goes

Charisma Cardz #34--just one (use just one of something--I have one image, one patterned paper, one color cardstock, one die cut border, one punched snowflake)

Supplies:

Stamps: Bugaboo Stamps "4 Snowmen Tag" digi

Dies/punches: Verve "Scalloped Trim Trio" die; Martha Stewart snowflake punch

Heartfelt thanks

It's time for another challenge at the Clearly iStamp challenge blog and this time it is to create a "thank you" project.

I got to work with this GORGEOUS Dahlia set and I am sooooo in love!  My mom has a dahlia like this: white with purple tips and as soon as I say this image, I knew I wanted to attempt to color it like the one my mom has.  I pulled out some supplies I have not used in a super long time: my watercolor pencils and SU! blender pens.  I scribbles the tips of the petals with the pencil and then used the blender pen to draw it to the edges and blend it a bit.  I did the same with the stem and leaves and then added a bit more pencil to add darker areas.  Then I lightly scribbled around the outside of the flower with a blue pencil and then used the blender pen to soften it up (I did the same around the sentiment).  The picture doesn't do it justice, but the effect is so soft and gorgeous.  The rest of the card is completely different from what it started with.  I tried to use two different purple patterned papers that I've had forever, but I didn't have a cardstock that matched well and it just wasn't working for me.  So, I created my own "paper" and matted it with white cardstock instead. Then I finished it off with embossed stripes on the top section.  LOVE it!  Sorry, that was a lot of blabbering, but I love this card, can you tell?  Now hop on over to the CIC challenge blog to see what the rest of the DT created.  Then, play along, I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Challenges:
Seems a Little Sketchy #46--sketch

Card Mania Challenge #28--ribbon
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner #77--anything goes
Crafting By Designs--anything goes
Crafter's Cafe #26--embossing wet or dry (dry embossed the top panel)
Digi Stamps 4 Joy--anything goes
Delightful Challenges--make the cut (use die cuts, punches, decorative scissors, etc)

Supplies:
Stamps: Clearly Digi Stamps "Dahlia" digi and sentiment; PTI "Guidelines 2" patterned paper
Dies/embossing folders: spellbinders ovals and scalloped ovals, large; Sizzix stripes embossing folder; SU! corner rounder

Love is the key

This anniversary card is for my  brother and sister-in-law.  It's a bit bigger than I usually make: 6 1/2 x 5 (I usually use A2 size cards) but I wanted to use this large scale damask image and it would have been completely lost on a smaller card (or overwhelmed it).  I layered a piece of aluminum tape over some scrap cardstock before running it through my die cutter to make the keys and the lock.  It's such an easy way to create "metal" embellishments.

Challenges:
Viva La Verve August week 3--sketch

Word Art Wednesday #94--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Eureka Stamps #54--be sentimental
Cuttlebug Mania--anything goes with die cuts
My Heart Pieces--use a piece of metal

Supplies:
Stamps: PTI "Lock &  Key" sentiment; Kaiser Craft "Dear Santa Collection" damask and flourishes around sentiment
Dies/Punches:  Spellbinders A2 Locking Loops; PTI "Lock & Key"; Verve "Classy Labels Die"; SU! scalloped circle punch (flower)

At the seaside

We've got a lot of birthdays and anniversaries coming up in the next month or two, so, yeay, lots of excuses to make cards. : )  I've taken my 3 girls out yard saling a couple times this summer.  Usually, one at a time, but this week I had all three.  At one yard sale, there were several old SU! sets for $3 each!!  I got three and my 7-year-old got one, but we are going to share.  This seaside set was one of the ones I bought.  Unfortunately, it didn't have the name on the box, so I don't know what it is.  Anyway, I wanted to try the smackin' acetate challenge from Technique Time Tuesday and I thought this set would be perfect to create a beach scene.  It was a bit tricky since I didn't want the colors to be where the chair was.  So, I stamped the image on my Stamp-a-ma-jig sheet then flipped it over and pressed it against a scrap piece of cardstock (had to have the reverse image so it would work out right when I flipped the acetate over).  Then I laid my piece of acetate over the image and used it as a guide as to where to color with the markers.  Spritzed it with some water and then flipped it over onto my square of cardstock and there it was: a cool watercolored scene with a blank white space just perfect for stamping my chair onto.  I added a little bit more green to the grass with my marker after I stamped the image to define the grass a bit more.

Challenges:
Technique Time Tuesday--smackin' acetate
Viva La Verve August week 4--sketch

Raisin Boat--Hooray for Summer

Supplies:
Stamps: unknown SU! stamp set (chair and seashells); "Sweet n' Sassy Stamps "Anniversary Innies"
Embossing Folder: The Paper Studio "Quatrefoil"

Cute snowman

Don't you just love this little guy!?  He's so cute!  I love his little smile.  Sorry for the odd picture, I had to lay it down flat so it didn't pop open like in the second photo.  I think this makes Christmas Card #50 (or might be 51 now).  Just about finished the amount I need to make.

Challenges:

Jingle Belles--Christmas tic-Tac-Toe (I used the top row: snowman, glitter/bling, emboss--glitter on the wings and star; snowflakes embossed on the red strip)

Timeless Tuesday #234--dainty doilies

Christmas Challenges with Sketches #87--sketch

Charisma Cardz #33--more than one fold (got two!)

Southern Girls--warm fuzzies (if you don't get warm fuzzies from this snowman, I don't know . . . )

Crafty Ribbons--anything goes with ribbons (it's small, but the little tab under the main panel is a folder up piece of scrap ribbon)

Sister Act Card challenge #21--anything goes

Crafty Catz #195--stitching with the option of material (I pulled out my machine & the ribbon counts as material)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #139--cute

Crimbo Crackers #48--It's snow business

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

Supplies:

Papers: DCWV Christmas Pack (all scraps!)

Stamps: Bugaboo Stamps "Snowman Topper Star"; Clearly Digi Stamps sentiment

Dies/embossing folders: Spellbinders Floral Doily Motifs; Verve "Charming Ovals" die; Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

First Christmas

Hi!  It's Friday again and time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.  This week it's an inspiration photo challenge:

Our sponsor is Bearly Mine Designs

And the prize is £10 gift voucher

We were all given this gorgeous pack of papers from Bearly Mine Designs called Christmas Wishes.  It didn't have the traditional Christmas color scheme, so we had to interpret the photo very creatively. : )  The background of the photo reminded me of a quilt, so created a blocked strip for the bottom of my card and I even pulled out my sewing machine for the stitching!  I also used papers that had stripes and dots like some of the squares in the photo.  Now it's time to hop over to the CSAYL blog and then play along.  I want to see how you are inspired by the photo.

Challenges:

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #138--no sentiment

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

Stamping With Dragon--Christmas in August

Cutie Pie Challenge #51--anything goes

There She goes #221--Fur Friends (how 'bout "wool" friends?)

(Pin}spirational Challenge #71--inspiration photo i was inspired by the different shades of blue and the stripes)

Seize the Sketch #2--sketch

Beat the Christmas Rush July 25-August 24--anything Christmas goes
Sparkles Christmas Challenge #31--Charmed I'm sure (charms and or brads--I don't have any charms, but I did use 3 jeweled brads)

Supplies:

Stamps: Wild Rose Studio "Nativity"

Papers: Bearly Mine Designs "Christmas Wishes"

Fall and push pops?

It's time to post my project for the current Lollipop Ladies Challenge:

Push Pops with the optional challenge of movement

and here is the inspiration photo

It seems like my mind is always going in 10,000 different directions and never focusing long enough on one thing to do it right.  I was so busy focusing on the "Movement" part (since it had me so stumped!!) that I forgot we were supposed to be inspired by the photo.  But I think I did manage to salvage it with the pops of orange that speak to that orange push pop in the forefront of the inspiration photo.  (Good save, right?)

 This is an anniversary card for my cousin and her husband.  Their anniversary is next month and her favorite flower is the sunflower.

 Here's the movement part:  when you pull out that orange tab on the right, the front panel folds up and shows a secret sentiment underneath.  I used this tutorial from splitcoaststampers.  First time I have tried it and even though I had to figure out my own measurements because my card is a different size than the example it was not all that difficult.

And here's the sentiment on the inside.  Now hop on over to the Lollipop Ladies blog to check out all the details.  And then come play along, please.  We have to have 7 entries to give out the prize and as of now, there aren't any.

Challenges:
Sweet Stop Sketches #224--sketch with a twist: sunflowers

Sister Act Card Challenge #20--anything goes
Tammy's Scrappin' Challenge #76--Image containing food (it  might be a bit of a stretch, but pumpkins ARE food and so are sunflower seeds)
Word Art Wednesday #94--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Sweet Stamps #131--anything goes

Supplies:
Stamps: Pixie Cottage "Fall Wagon Wheel"; Verve "Tall Oaks" pumpkins inside; Sweet 'n' Sassy Stamps "Anniversary Innies" sentiment inside
Dies/Punches: Spellbinders A2 rectangles; SU! Labels punch (tab end)

1st birthday

My new little niece is turning 1 next week!!!  How did that happen??  I had to make her a nice girly card with pink, and butterflies and glitter.  After I stamped the butterflies, I spritzed them with some glimmer mist for a bit more glitter and shine.

Challenges:
Viva La Verve August week 1--sketch

There She Goes #220--grey, pink, turquoise
Seize the Birthday--anything birthday goes
Verve August Diva Dare--pile on the sweetness

Supplies:
Stamps:Verve "Blue Skies" Butterflies; PTI "Heart 2 Heart #1" sentiment; Sweet n' Sassy Stamps "Celebrating Milestones" 'st'
Dies: Verve butterfly die; PTI "By the Numbers" Die; Spellbinders standard circles, large, labels one and fancy squares

CAS birthday

A clean and simple birthday card.  I just adored this sketch by Seize the Sketch and HAD to use it.

Challenges:
Seize the Sketch #1--sketch

Seize the Birthday--anything birthday goes
Creative Inspirations #227--monochrome (shades of one color only with white)

Supplies:
Stamps: PTI "Heart 2 Heart #2" coffee cup and "Hands of Time" senitment
Dies: PTI Heart 2 Heart #2 die
Recollections Washi Tape(s)

Baby Boy

A friend of mine had a baby a couple weeks ago.  I am bringing her a meal tonight, so of course I had to get a little gift and make a sweet little card to go along with it.  She is a card maker herself, so she'll definitely appreciate it.

Challenges:
Sister Act Card Challenge #20--anything goes
Sugar Creek Hollow #67--a Child's life (must use an image of a child)
Sweet Sketch Wednesdays #219--sketch

Word Art Wednesday #93--anything goes
Verve August Diva Dare--pile on the sweetness (use lots of layers and either something sweet or a cluster of flowers)
Desert Island Craft Challenge #60--choose at least 3 of the following (I used #2, 6, 7)
1. books
2. blue
3. bees
4. butterflies
5. barn/barnyard
6.baby
7. boy
8. buds and/or blooms
9. back to school
10. birthdays

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "To the Moon" sentiment; A Day For Daisies "Babies Smile" digi
Papers: Pink Paisley "Declaration" digi papers
Dies: Verve "Classy Labels Mini" dies

Christmas Camper

Happy Friday!  Time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long: sewing/stitching real or faux.  Our fabulous sponsor is Emma Canning

There will be 3 (yep 3!) lucky winners this week and each winner will be able to pick 2 of the super cute images from Emma's Store.  Now that's worth playing for, let me tell you!

I totally planned on getting out my sewing machine and doing some real sewing on this one.  But once I got creating and laying everything out, I forgot about the challenge until I had already adhered everything together!  So, a bit of fake stitchery it is.  Head on over to the CSAYL blog to view the other creations by the rest of the design team (I know at least one used REAL sewing) and then get crafty and play along.

Challenges:

Flat Friends #11--pink, grey, black color combo

Viva La Verve August week 2--sketch

Christmas Card Challenge #37--evergreen trees (well, I do have one on top of the camper)

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

Beat the Christmas Rush July 25-August 24--anything Christmas goes

Card Mania #27--use your favorite embellishment (rhinestones are a definite must for me)

{Pin}spirational Challenge #70--inspirational photo (the pink soles on those heels really caught my eye)

Holly Jolly--Gimme glitter

Crafting by Designs--anything goes
C.R.A.F.T. #220--Christmas in August

Supplies:

Stamps: Emma Canning "Christmas Camper" digi; Verve "Merry and Bright"

Dies/punches/embossing folders: Spellbinders oval and scalloped oval, large dies; Sizzix snowflake sizzlit; Fiskars apron border punch; Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

New pencils

It's time for another Clearly iStamp Challenge and today we are celebrating the start of the new school year.  The Challenge is:

                                                               CiSC #5 - School Time!

Anything to do with school will work.

Can't wait to see what this inspires you to create!

Any type of crafty project is allowed as long as it meets the theme.

Dates: Aug 16(8/16) –  (8/30) Central Time

Prize: $10 gift code to Clearly Digi Stamps for digital stamps. If you use a CDS stamp they will be entered into the drawing twice.

There will also be a Top 3 award!

Here are my cards:

 I have homeschooled my oldest daughter for her first two years of school and this year I am going to start with my twins.  So, they won't be going to school, but we will still have a first day of school which we can now celebrate with these cute cards.  Did you notice something amiss in the photo?  No, it isn't a mistake, but the pencils on the center card are facing the opposite direction which was on purpose because my youngest is left-handed and therefore, her pencils will be pointing in the opposite direction.  See the photos below for close-ups of each card.

 I pieced the pencils with coordinating papers and wrote each girl's name in the center pencil.  I embossed the top section of the card with an alpha die to go with the school theme.

 I used a different paper that matches the pencils on each card.  That way the cards all coordinate but are different for each girl.

So head on over to the CIC blog for all the details and to see the other school projects from the DT.  Then come play along.  School time will be here before you know it.

Challenges:

V's Sweet Ideas #14--something twine

Sarah Hurley #83--texture and dimension (texture with the embossing, die, twine and popped up circle)

Word Art Wednesday--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Sister Act Card Challenge #20--anything goes
Seems a Little Sketchy #45--sketch

Inkspirational Challenge #33--inspiration photo (I've got the letters embossed into my background

Supplies:

Stamps: Clear Dollar Digi Stamps "Pencil Talk"; PTI "Lock & Key" sentiment; Martha Stewart Save the Date numbers

Dies: spellbinders circles, large; Verve "Border Trim Trio" die; PTI alpha dies used for embossing

Fancy Ornament

Happy Friday!  It's time for another challenge on the Christmas Stampin' All Year Long blog and this time the challenge is to use one of the color combos used by the design team.  Our sponsor is Fred She Said and the prize is a $10 gift certificate to the store!

I would have to say that my favorite Christmas card scheme is blues and white (maybe with silver thrown in), but since a couple of the other DT ladies already chose those, I decided to use my all time favorite card color combo: pink and green.  I'm sorry that the green looks grey in the photo, but it is a nice mid tone soft green (ocean tides if anyone is familiar with PTI's cardstocks).  It's non-traditional I know, but is really quite gorgeous!

Hop on over to the CSAYL blog for all the details and to see the color combos you can choose from.  Then play along; I'd love to see your pink and green creations (hint, hint).

Challenges:

Jingle Belles--Home for the Holidays (I have the word "house" in my sentiment)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge--spread a little joy and love (from our house to yours)

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

Beat the Christmas Rush July 25-August 24--anything Christmas goes

Christmas Cards All Year Round--Christmas Extravaganza (make it fussy and fancy)

Christmas Card Challenge #36--sketch

Supplies:

Stamps: Fred She Said "Christmas Ornament 2" digi; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" merry christmas and "Merry and Bright" sentiment

Dies: spellbinders fleur de lis squares die; Verve "Mini Classy Labels" die

CASE

Phew!  I am just getting in under the wire to enter Flourishes "CASE Maki" challenge!  I think it ends tomorrow.  This gorgeous lemon card is the one I chose to CASE.  Isn't it stunning!?

And here is my card:

I just love the whole entire layout, so I stuck right to it, except that I added pearls around my sentiment.  Whoever first thought of that idea was a genius!!  Also, I used a border die instead of ribbon under my main panel.  I even used two Flourishes stamp sets though I think they are quite old and maybe not even available anymore.

Challenges:

Creative Inspirations #226--something old & something new (the pearls and red cardstock are less than a month old and I have had these two stamp sets for 4 or 5 years)

Word Art Wednesdays #92--anything goes with an uplifting sentiment

Crafting by Designs--Celebrate Women (all though it isn't very frilly, this is definitely a feminine card)

Supplies:

Stamps: Flourishes "Herbs" geranium and "Line Lines" sentiment

Punch: Fiskars "Upper Crest" border punch

Snowflakes

 Another Christmas card for my stash.  The second picture is a close up to show the tiny pearls in the center of the three large red snowflakes.  It's hard to see in either photo so you might have to just trust me that they are there. : )

Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra--anything Christmas goes
Beat the Christmas Rush July 25-August 24--anything Christmas Goes
Make it Monday #128--Stamping Random backgrounds
Tammy's Scrappin Corner #74--anything goes: music (I've got a musical score stamped in my background)
Timeless Tuesday #232--stamp your own background
Holly Jolly--sketch

DRS Designs #81--diamonds AND pearls
Winter Wonderland--red, white, kraft

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Merry and Bright" snowflakes and "Ornamental Christmas" sentiment; Skipping Stones Design "Timeless Texture" musical score; PTI "Mat Stack #2" frame
Dies: PTI "Mat Stack #2" and border die

CAS flowers

 Sorry for the dark photos!  Someday, I'm going to learn how to take really good ones.  This is a little gift I created for the women who led my oldest daughter's craft class at the storyhour we attended this year.  I made some note cards with her initials and stamped a coordinating image on the envelopes (sorry, didn't take a picture of that).  Then I bundled them together, with a sweet little belly band.  Very simple and very elegant, I thought

Challenges:

Card Mania Challenges #26--summer blooms

Eureka Stamps #51--CAS

Supplies:

Stamps: Flourishes "Summer Blossoms"; PTI "Fresh Alphabet"

Dies: spellbinders ovals, large (used to emboss the oval around the flowers); Verve "Mini Classy Labels" die

Two roads

There's a new challenge up and running over on the Lollipop Ladies blog.  The theme is Star Lollies with the optional challenge of sparkle and here is the inspiration photo:

And here is my project:

Do you know how hard it is to find a baptism image that is not for babies??!!!  A young lady at our church is getting baptized this Sunday (as Baptists, we don't practice infant baptism; instead we practice believer's baptism and it is a choice taken to show your willingness to follow Jesus Christ) and of course I needed to make a card.  After searching with Google (usually a life saver) to no avail, I discovered this sentiment in my stamp collection.  Though it is definitely NOT designed for baptism, it still fits, because choosing to follow Christ is not the popular road these days.  So, I found it to be very fitting.
To go with the star theme, you can see I chose papers with subtle star details and added a few die cut stars.  The aqua stars and covered with glitter and I detailed the red stars on the papers with glitter pen which you cannot see in the photo.  Come on over and play with the Lollipop Ladies.  We can only give out the prize if at least 7 people play and right now we have only 2 entries.
Challenges:
Desert Island Craft Challenge #59--choose at least 3 of the following (I chose 2, 4, 6, 10--ribbon, rhinestones, die cuts with glitter--lots of texture)
1. posted color scheme
2. bling
3. pearls
4. layers (at least 3)
5. ATC
6. sentiment
7. animals
8. wings
9. embossing
10. texture
Our Creative Corner--words, words, words
Mojo Monday #305--sketch

There She Goes #219--aqua and red
{Pin}spirational Challenge #69--inspiration photo--I went with the pops of red and blue in the photo

Delightful Challenges--add stars or sparkle

Supplies:
Stamps:
Verve" Beautiful You"
Dies: Verve "Classy Label" die; sizzix star die
Papers: Pink Paisley "Declaration Papers"