Unto you

Happy Wednesday!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built.  This week we have a fan favorite: Anything Goes

It doesn't get any easier than that!  And here is my card for your inspiration:

 The inspiration for this card started a month or so ago when I discovered the lamppost image stamped on a random piece of paper.  I wanted to pair it with this sentiment and was planning on creating a window in the front of my card for it.  Then I discovered this pre-cut card base that has been in my stash for a looooooong time.  I stenciled the bricks on the front to look like a wall, stamped the sentiment on the inside of the card and adhered the lamppost to the side.  It was a little too plain so I went looking through my stamps to find something to accent the other side.  I found this pine branch/pine cone image and two of them were perfect to create the "outdoor" look to my scene.  I stamped and colored them and then fussy cut both out images and adhered them to the front of the card and then trimmed off all the parts that were over hanging the edge.  The next photo shows how it looks standing up:

I think it turned out really fun.  And my kids thought it was really cool.  I hope you will play along with us this week; I can't wait to see what you create.  And if you need any of these stamps I used; check out my 10% off your entire order coupon over in my left sidebar.

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Holiday Lamp Post", "For Unto Us" and "Pine Branch"
MFT "Brick Wall" stencil

Challenges:
Crafty Sentiments--anything goes
Shopping Our Stash #343--stashed stencils
Hiding In My Craft Room #341--any holiday
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #374--anything goes with the optional twist: use some gold
Southern Girls--nature
The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #23--anything goes
ABC Christmas--C is for clean, D is for distress (I went with C is for Clean)
Christmas at Sweet Stampin--anything goes
Love To Craft Challenge Blog #19--anything goes

Purrfect Birthday

It's Saturday!!  That means it's time for another challenge from Di's Digi Designs.

The challenge this time is: Die Cuts
And here is my card for your inspiration:

All of Di's images are super cute but I really love her kitties!!  Maybe it's because I love kitties in general. : )  Up until about 10 months ago, I had 3 of my very own.  Sadly, my "old man" passed away only a couple months before his 18th birthday so now, I'm down to two.  My "old man" was gray, so he is depicted by the kitty sitting on the present and my "big boy" is a stripey orange, so he's the other in the image.  I managed to pull a few pieces out of my bits and pieces stash for this one: one of the balloons, one layer of on of the teal roses and the sentiment banner, and the star for the "leaves" under the yellow flower.  It looks almost black, but the card base is a navy base I've had in my stash for probably 14 years.  Someone gave me a bunch of card bases and pieces and I am slowly using them up.  I colored both the image and my balloons with my spectrum noirs.  The smaller, teal roses were made with a punch and the yellow was made with a die.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you will get a chance to play along with us this challenge.

Supplies:

Stamps: Di's Digi Stamps "A Purrfect Day" digi; MFT "Essential Elements"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; MFT "Bold Stripes Cover Up Die" sentiment strip and "Blueprints 12" yellow flower and "Blueprints 13" star for smaller rose 'leaves'; PTI "Heart 2 Heart #2" balloons and "Fancy Flakes" 'leaves' for yellow rose

Fiskars small flower punch

Challenges:

Cardz TV #36--anything goes

Cut It Up #142--anything goes

Creative Fingers #143--anything goes

Crafty Catz #405--anything goes with optional twist: birthdays

Cute Card Thursday #518--cute critters

Little Miss Muffet #183--anything goes

Mod Squad--animal fun

Penny's Challenge #368--anything goes

Tuesday Morning Sketches #441--sketch

A Gem of a Challenge #213--spring flowers

As You Like It--favorite way to add a sentiment (I really like using these really narrow banners; they fit just about anywhere and add a bit of texture/interest)

MFT Birthday Challenge--bouquet of balloons

2 Crafty Critter Crazies #11--anything goes

Christmastime

Happy Friday!!  It's time for another challenge from Jo's Scrap Shack.  As always, we are now an Anything Goes challenge and our sponsors for this week are Little Blue Button Stamps. 

And here is my card for your inspiration:

I'm a firm believer in creating Christmas cards all year long so I'm not scrambling come December.  Well, I usually have a few left to make, but at least the large bulk of my cards are already finished by then.  This year, I'm already behind and since I had this image already printed and sitting on my desk I decided to go with Christmas.  Sorry!  I know we are all ready for warmer weather and thoughts of spring.

What do you need to do to enter?

Challenge Rules

1. Please post a direct link to your blog post that includes your challenge entry project, using the linky tool on Jo's blog. 

2. Be sure to include a link back to Jo's Scrap Shack and to the challenge post you are entering your project into

3. THREE entries per person are allowed for each challenge and you must post a separate blog post for each entry.

4. For all entries -NO BACK LINKS ACCEPTED- 

The date on your blog post should be dated between the start date and the end date for the challenge you are entering, in order to be eligible for the challenge & prizes

5. You may link up to other challenges but be sure to link back to Jo's Scrap Shack and to the challenge post you are entering 

 * All entries that do not meet the challenge requirements

WILL NOT be eligible for the top 3, any sponsor wins or any random wins by Jo

All random wins will only be mailed within the US and Canada only.

You have until March 2nd by 6:00PM (eastern, USA) time to link up.

All winners will be announced during the week of March 5th.

Have fun and we look forward to seeing what you create.

Supplies:

Stamps: Little Blue Button Stamps "Christmas Elements" digi; Verve "Merry and Bright" sentiment

Fiskars Apron Border punch

Challenges:

The Merry Christmas Challenge #18--anything goes
Penny's Challenge #368--anything goes
Fab n Funky #382--Christmas
Merry Monday #278--inspiration photo (I was inspired by the greenery and the red)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #373--anything goes with optional twist: use some green (on my holly leaves)
YNS #85--sketch

Winter Wonderland--anything goes
Crimbo Crackers #152--anything goes
Crafty Creations #360--anything goes
The Holly and Ivy #23--anything goes
Stamplorations---Paint it red

ABC Christmas--C is for Clean
Christmas at Sweet Stampin'--anything goes
Christmas Cards All Year 'Round--mainly red

Classic Birthday

I was in need of a masculine birthday card this week.  I've also started to try to use some sets that either have never been used or have been used only a couple of times.  This Classic car set is one of those unloved sets and it coincidentally works perfectly for a masculine card.

 The little tag pulls out to show the birthday greeting:

The designs for this card actually started with that little tag.  It was in my bits and pieces stash along with the bit of dotted brown ribbon.  I decided to use a monochromatic color scheme based on some scraps of paper I found.  All of the paper other than the tag are from the same pack.  The larger panel on the right was a little to plain for what I wanted, so I dressed it up a bit with a grid background stamp stamped with Antique Linen distress ink.  I then stamped two other cars from the set on top of the grid, but as I stamped them off on scrap paper first, it is very subtle and you can't really see it in the picture.  I finished it off by stamping a grungy dot pattern in random places and then sponged all the edges of the papers with the same Antique Linen ink.  A few eyelets to finish everything off.

Supplies:
Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers and Stamps "Classic Dad"; Simon Says Stamp grid background stamps; Verve "Better Together" dots
Dies: PTI "Tag Its #8"

Challenges:
Retro Rubber #80--dotty for you (I've had this stamp set for about 2 years)
YNS #83--sketch

Sweet Stampin'--add a tag
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #320--anything goes with snippets (every piece of paper/card stock on the card is a scrap except the largest panel that I did the stamping on)
heARTful Stamping--anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Monday--grunge it up
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--make your own background

Spring is coming

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built.  This week we have an inspiration photo for you that might help get you ready for warmer weather (as if anyone needs help with that!):

So, I thought I was using the color combo, but seeing the two pictures together show that my purples are a bit off.  So, good thing I also used the same flower as in the photo:

 I stamped and colored the image and then fussy cut it out and layered it on some torn mulberry paper.  Then I stamped the oval image,  colored it with the same green marker I used on the leaves and then fussy cut it out as well.  I added some glitter pen to the bee's wings and the centers of the flowers which you can see better in the photo below:

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you will play along with us this week.  I can't wait to see what you create.

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Frames--Oval and Round Cling Set" oval frame and "Hydrangea"
Dies: Spellbinders "Filigree Delights"

Challenges:
Aurora Wings #64--Bingo (I used the center row: flowers/green, die cuts, buttons)

heARTful Stamping--anything goes
A Gem of a Challenge #213--spring flowers (use any flowers)
Cardz TV #135--anything goes
Sweet Stampers--things with wings (the bee)
Fussy and Fancy #205--flowers, lace and pearls
Crafting By Designs--anything goes
Crafty Calendar--2+ layers
Inspiration Destination--anything goes with the optional twist: use a real stamp

Love is in the air

Today is my day to share my Pick of the Week for Repeat Impressions.  One of my favorite things to do with stamps is create my own backgrounds.  Don't get me wrong, I love patterned paper, but there is something about being able to make your own.  You can match your colors perfectly and all you really need is a stamp and some ink.  And as stampers, we all have those.  The first background I have to share with you uses one stamp (Love Letter), one ink color and a random stamping pattern:

I finished this one off with a stitched rectangle die and some inking around the edges.

 Random can be a little scary for me, so often, I will create something with a repeating pattern like this (using Love Stencil):

 You could use it just as it is, but I went ahead and dressed it up a little bit more with the Postcard stamp.  This is where it starts to look more like patterned paper.

 I decided to use this background for the Valentine's Day card for my husband.  Since I really liked how it turned out, I decided to keep the rest of the card very simple:

The sentiment was created by 3 different stamps from 3 different cling sets that I mixed, match, masked, and stamped together.  The "you" is from the "Hello Cling Set" and I stamped it just as it is.  The "me" is from the "Happy Cling Set" and actually read "you make me so" but I masked off the beginning and end to leave just the me.  And now we come to the part I am most proud of!  You can look through all the cling sets and NOT find the "and".  But I was very committed to this sentiment and was going to make it happen.  It turns out that "handsome" (which my husband is, of course!) from the "Hello Cling Set" contains "and" if you mask off the "h" and  "some".  Tricky, but perfect!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope this inspires you to look at your stamps in new ways, both for creating backgrounds, and also for creating new sentiments.

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Love Stencil", "Postcard", "Hello Cling Set", "Happy Cling Set"
Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle

Challenges:
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #76--anything goes
Cardz TV #135--anything goes
Alphabet Challenge--X is for Extra Special Occasion (Valentine's Day for my hubby)
As You Like It--favorite way to add a sentiment (I really like stamping the sentiment on a little banner; you can use it to add bold contrast, like on this card, and pop it up for a little more definition)
Crafty Creations #360--anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #322--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--add a die cut
Crafty Gals #159--add a heart
Penny's Creations #367--anything goes
Fab n Funky #81--babies, children or men (this one for my biggest child, my hubby)
Crafting by Designs--be my Valentine
{Pin}spirational #209--inspiration photo (inspired by the colors and the hearts)

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #87--inspiration photo (inspired by the colors and the hearts)

Creative Craft Cottage #104--love is all around
Sheep Ski Designs #11--red, hearts, love, romance
Dare 2 B Artzy--love
Unicorn Challenge #29--love/Valentine's

Otter Birthday

Playing along with 

This time I'm entering the 3rd event:

I chose the dry embossing technique (which I did by partially cutting with the cover die and partially embossing with the same die) and the shaker style card.  Since I had the otters out for my first event entry, and they are soooo cute, I decided to use them to create a fun birthday card for a young lady at our church.

 I believe her favorite color is fuschia, so I used a Razzle Berry card base and added hot pink and silver sequins in the shaker element.  The sentiment fit perfectly within the embossed stripes on the bottom of the card.

Supplies:
Stamps: MFT "BB Otterly Love You"
Dies: MFT "Bold Stripes Cover Up"

Challenges:
MFT Crafty Biathalon
Power Poppy--love to sparkle (the sequins are sparkly)
Always Happy Birthday--CAS
Incy Wincy--CAS
Double D--sequins (pink and silver)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--add a die
Word Art Wednesday #322--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Creative Knockouts #233--anything goes

Welcome Little One

I had a little bit of free time the past couple of days, so I decided to play along with 

The first event is

create a card using at least three different MFT sets.

Here is the card I came up with:

I just loved these otters as soon as I saw them in the sneak peeks before they were released.  I believe my sister got them for me for my birthday (in September) and this is the first time I have gotten to ink them up.  I think it was worth the wait!

Supplies:
Stamps: MFT "BB Otterly Love You", "Essential Sentiments", "BG Typewriter Text Background" and "DG Large Scale Backgrounds" (which I think is retired)
Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle, "Blueprints 12" flowers, and "Pierced Heart STAX"

Challenges:
MFT Stamping Slalom
Cardz TV #135--anything goes
Alphabet Challenge--X is for extra special occasion (baby arrival)
Crafty Catz #409--anything goes with the optional twist: use some pretty ribbon
Tic Tac Toe--I used the right row: baby, bow and green

ART Impressions Stamps #226--anything goes
As You Like It--favorite way to add sentiment (I've really been liking to add it on banners lately; you can stick it in pretty much anywhere and don't have to worry about stamping directly onto your card/imagee)
Inspiration Destination #144--anything goes
Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 #130--sketch

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--add a die cut
Crafty Gals #159--add a heart
Fab n Funky #381--babies, children or men
Crafty Sentiments--add flowers
heARTful Stamping--anything goes
2 Crafty Critter Crazies #11--anything goes
Craft-Dee BowZ--anything goes with handmade bow

Love

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built.  This week is a Tie-tac-toe challenge:

I almost managed to run the board on this one, again.  The only element I didn't use was the bright colors square.  The gray sentiment panel and the flowers were in my bits and pieces stash.  The flowers were shaded gray, and they just didn't work, but then I added some pink marker and now, they are perfect!

I hope you will get a chance to play along with us this week, tic tac toe challenges are so fun.  You can basically build your own challenge.

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Love", Flower Power Separates "Daisy Outline Small", and "Leaf Cluster Outline"
Dies:  MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle; Verve "Scalloped Trim Trio"; Spellbinders "Butterfly Corners" sentiment panel; Papertrey Ink "Bitty Button Basics" button dies

Challenges:
As You Like it--favorite way to add stitching (I love to use stitched dies to add my stitching--it's so easy and looks so neat)
Craft-Dee BowZ--anything goes with handmade bow
Unicorn Challenge #29--Love/Valentines
Crafting with an Attitude--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Die-Cut divas--love is in the air
Dare 2B Artzy--love
Crafty Calendar--2+ layers
Stinkin' Inkers--love is in the air
Creatalicious #152--anything goes with the optional theme of love, anniversary, thinking of you
Creative Inspirations--love is in the air OR pink/red
That's Crafty--I heart you
Penny Black--love, hearts and flowers
Use Your Stuff #297--button up
Creative Craft Cottage #104--love is all around
February Viva La Verve--sketch

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #75--anything goes
Crafting By Designs--anything goes
Cute Card Thursday #516--love
Crafty Catz #403--love is in the air
Cut It Up #141--layers of love
Die Cuttin' Divas #356--Valentine's Day

CRAB-ulous

This is the Valentine's Day card for my littlest nephew.  He's not quite 1 yet, so he really won't appreciate it, but I couldn't send one to his sister and brother without including him.  Plus, I think it came out just soooo cute!

I sponged Creamy Caramel ink on a piece of scrap paper, spritzed some water on it (which really made it look like sand) and die cut it with a stitched hill die.  Then for the sky portion, I sponged on some Tempting Turquoise and some Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide to create the water.  I also spritzed some water on it and then stamped some bubbles for the crab which I shaded with a turquoise marker and highlighted with some white gel pen.  The crab was stamped on a piece of scrap paper and fussy cut out.  I used my mini-MISTI to stamp the sentiment so I could highlight the "crab" part of the sentiment.

Supplies:
Stamps: YNS "Sea Creatures Set One" crab and bubbles; Cardz TV "More Critter Captions" sentiment
Dies Spellbinders "A2 Matting Basics A"; Lawn Fawn "Stitched Hill dies"
Inks: SU! Creamy Caramel, Basic Black, Real Red and Tempting Turquoise; Tim Holtz Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide

Challenges:
Crafter's Cafe--humorous
Cards Galore--anything goes
Pattie's Creations #443--love is in the air
Creative with Stamps #23--heart (the crabs hands and chest are hearts; so cute!)

2 Crafty Critter Crazies #11--anything goes
YNS #82--sketch

Try Stampin' on Tuesday--technique challenge: sponging
Cardz TV #34--anything goes

Yappy Day

The other day I posted the Valentine's Day card I made for my niece.  This is the card I made for her brother, my nephew, who is 2.  I was looking for a punny sentiment and saw that I had one that said "Yappy Day"  it looked like it would be easy enough to mask and stamp "Valentine's" in the middle.  It was and I ended up with "Yappy Valentine's Day"!  So fun!  And I found this sweet puppy that went along with it perfectly.

I managed to get it made and sent out yesterday, so maybe they will all arrive on time!  Oh, yeah, I almost forgot, the white heart was in my bits and pieces stash and it was perfect for backing this sweet puppy.

Supplies:
Stamps: Sweet n' Sassy Stamps "Cute Critters" image and yappy sentiment; Repeat Impressions "Valentine's"
Dies: Spellbinders banners; MFT "Pierced Heart STAX"

Challenges:
Crafty Friends #77--love is in the air
Crazy 4 Challenges #421--love/appreciation
Cut it Up #141--Layers of love
If You Give a Crafter A Cookie #87--inspiration photo (inspired by the red, white, and hearts, plus the stripes)

Stamplorations--Paint it Red

2 Crafty Critter Crazies #11--anything goes
Creative Inspirations--Love is in the air OR pink/red
Die Cut Divas--love is in the air
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes
Card Mania #101--red and hearts

Some Bunny Special

Eeeek!!  I cannot tell you how cute I think this card is!!  I have two little nephews and a sweet little niece who is 5.  I created this adorable card for her for Valentine's Day.  I like to keep the kid cards simple and super cute and this one definitely fits the bill.

 The paper pieced heart was in my bits and pieces stash and it seemed the perfect resting place for this cute little bunny.  To soften the background just a bit so the bunny wouldn't have to complete with it too much, I used a small vellum circle that was also in my bits and pieces stash.  Do you see the little heart on her belly?  It is included in the stamp set and seemed like it was the perfect fit AND the perfect way to tie the card into Valentine's Day.  Two narrow strips of scrap patterned paper, a bit of twine and several sequins and it's done!  Then I had to finish the inside:

Originally, I planned to stamp the sentiment and the bunny image directly onto the card base, but when I stamped the sentiment it didn't stamp completely.  And when I tried to fix it, I made it much worse.  So, I found the rectangle (also in my bits and pieces stash) that was a perfect fit; dressed it up with some mulberry paper and a very little hearts and no one will ever know it wasn't meant to be like that.  Well, no one except you guys, 'cause I just told you.

Supplies:
Stamps: Mama Elephant "Lunar Animals"  (cutest animals EVER) for bunny and hearts; Sweet n' Sassy Stamps "Cute Critters" sentiment
Dies: MFT "Pierced Heart STAX"; Spellbinders "Standard Circles, large" and "A2 Matting Basics A" rectangle

Challenges:
heARTful Blessings--anything goes
Fashionable Stamping #132--one for the girls
Crafty Friends #77--Love is in the air
Crazy 4 Challenges #421--love/appreciation
Sweet Stampin--girly
Hiding In My Craft Room #339--super scrap Saturday
Cardz TV #34--anything goes
Cut It Up #141--layers of love
Crafty Catz #40--love is in the air
Cute Card Thursday #416--love
Little Miss Muffet #182--anything goes
Double D Challenge--sequins and inspiration photo (inspired by the pink and the sequins)

Mod Squad--have a heart
Crafty Creations #358--anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--it must be love
Atlantic Hearts #250--sketch ( I hope it's ok I put my bunny front and center instead of the sentiment)

Simon Says Stamp Monday--love is in the air
Pink Gem Challenge #212--have a heart
CAS-ual Fridays #192--hearts, hearts and more hearts
2 Crafty Critters #11--anything goes (with critters(
That's Crafty--I heart you
Crop Stop Challenge #37--anything goes
Pattie's Creations #443--Love is in the air

Basket of love

It's Saturday!!  That means it's time for another challenge from Di's Digi Designs.

The challenge this time is: Lots of Pink and/or Red

With Valentine's Day (literally) right around the corner, this challenge is perfect for creating some love themed cards.  But it's definitely not limited to Valentine's Day, so let's see what you can do with it!

Here is my card for your inspiration:

I had the card base with attached patterned paper strips in my "bits and pieces" stash and knowing I was going to use this image, I thought it would be perfect.  With all the pink in the papers, I definitely had to go with pink and I think it looks good on this adorable bunny.  I added some mulberry paper for softness and sheer blue ribbon/bow and a little scrap of pink dotted ribbon that was also in my "bits and pieces" stash.  I have made some large strides in shrinking that stash, but I still have a long way to go!  I hope you will play along with us this challenge, I can't wait to see what you create!

Supplies:

Stamps: Di's Digi Stamps "Hearts for You" digi; MFT "Essential Sentiments"

Dies: Spellbinders "As Matting Basics A"

Challenges:

Cardz TV #34--anything goes

Crafty Catz #403--anything goes with optional twist: love is in the air

Tic Tac Toe Challenge-- (I used the bottom row: green {grass in the image}, heart, ribbon)

Southern Girls--mix it up (use 3 or more patterned papers--I have used 5)

Cute Card Thursday #516--love

Mod Squad Challenge--Have a heart

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--It must be love

Fab N' Funky #385--Valentine--say it with words

Dies R' Us #90--for the one I love

Penny Black--love, hearts & flowers