Happy Hello

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built.  This week we have an awesome sketch for you:

If you have visited my blog before, you probably know how much I LOVE sketches!!  This one is a good one!  Here's what I created for your inspiration:

 I had the sketch, I picked the image I was going to use, found some papers, got the image all stamped, embossed and colored . . . and it didn't really fit (physically) with the sketch.  Which was actually ok, because I didn't really like how it had turned out once I got it colored.  So I went looking through my images and decided my favorite floral image fit the bill.  It also is quite large, but I had the brilliant idea of cropping it so I didn't have to use all of the image.  And I LOVE it!!!  I might almost like it better this way!  I paper pieced the vase (it is soooo perfect for that technique) and stamped the sentiment which just happened to be the perfect size to fill up the empty space in the bottom corner and voila!  This card is soooo much better than it would have been with that other image.  Just sayin'.  For a bit more fun, I made it a gate fold; here it is in action:

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you will get a change to play along with us this week; a sketch is a fabulous starting point for your project.  And if you need any of the stamps I used . . . check that . . . you NEED this tulip stamp (I'm telling you!), check out the 10% off your entire order coupon on my left sidebar.  Here is the collection of cards I have made using this beautiful image:

Oops . . . one got in there that didn't belong.  Just ignore the middle one on the bottom. : )

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Vase of Tulips" and "Happy Hello"

Challenges:
Scor-pal #48--May flowers
Pattie's Creations #146--flowers
Divas That Cut--April Showers bring May flowers
Dare 2B Artzy--dreaming of flowers
Crafty Creations--anything goes
Inspiration Destination #151--anything goes
As You Like It--flora or fauna?  (While I do love cute little animals, I think I would choose flowers for most situations; I love that you can make them pretty much any color)
Cardz TV #49--anything goes
Sweet Stampin'--paper piecing (on the vase)
A Gem of a Challenge #220--use 3 of something (I used tow groups of three pearls and I used 3 different patterned papers)
heARTful Stamping--anything goes

Holly Berries

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

Here's what I've created for your inspiration:

I had my card all ready to go, uploaded to the team site and was creating my blog post when I realized the card I made did NOT use a Little Blue Button Stamps image.  Arghhh . . . I thought it was but when I went looking in my files for the name, I discovered that it belonged to another company.  So, I had to do a quick creation.  Yeay for having these fabulous scrap backgrounds already created.  And luckily, I already had this beautiful image printed out.  I added a vellum die cut circle behind the image to soften the background a bit.  The heart border was in my bits and pieces stash, so this card made almost entirely of scraps!  Love it!

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 June 1st by 12:00AM (eastern, USA) time to link up.

All winners will be announced during the week of June 3rd.

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

Supplies:

Stamps: Little Blue Button Stamps "Christmas Elements" digi; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" sentiment

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle; Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Verve "Scalloped Trim Trio"

Supplies:

The Merry Christmas Challenge #21--holly and ivy

Inspiration Destination #151--anything goes

Crafty Creations #361--anything goes

Tuesday Throwdown #393--tic tac toe (I used the diagonal: die cut, digi or rubber stamp, ribbon)

Crafty Gals #166--anything goes

Penny's #381--anything goes

MFT #386--sketch

The Paper Shelter #344--use a digi image
Fab n Funky #395--Christmas
Crafty Sentiments--anything goes
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #82--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #386--anything goes with optional twist: candy canes
Christmas at Sweet Stampin'--anything goes
Christmas Cards All Year 'Round--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper

Have you heard?

Back in February, I was one of the top picks for the Crafting By Designs Anything Goes challenge and I was asked to be a Guest Designer!  Such an honor.  This is the week I get to Guest Design for them and our challenge is: Getting Ready for Christmas.  Christmas is my favorite occasion to create cards for, so it is a perfect challenge for me!  Here is the card I created:

I made a bunch of these fun backgrounds a couple weeks ago with the remaining scraps from a Christmas paper pack.  The black part of the phone was in my bits and pieces stash, so I die cut the red portion to go along with it.  I had in mind to use a cute little snowman from this same stamp set, but when I saw the angel, I had a really fun idea.  The angels were the first to announce the birth of Christ--which is the real reason we have Christmas to celebrate.  So, I got to thinking what it might look like if God were to announce the birth of his Son in the vernacular of our day and age.  Everyone is so attached to their smartphones; maybe the announcement would come by text with a cute angel emoji/icon, complete with a #BESTDAYEVER message.  The hearts indicate God's love, the reason for sending his Son.  And here is a picture of the inside, with the rest of the good news message:

Supplies:
Stamps: YNS "Winter Snow Globe"; MFT "Friend Request"
Dies: MFT "Smartphone" and "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle

Challenges:
The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #29--anything goes
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #326--anything goes with snippets
Word Art Wednesday #336--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Love To Craft Challenge Blog #22--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Crafting with An Attitude--anything goes
Christmas Cards All Year 'Round--anything goes
Crafts Galore--anything goes
Christmas at Sweet Stampin'--anything goes
Creative Fingers #147--anything goes
Cardz TV #48--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #386--anything goes
heARTful Stamping--anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Monday--inspired by a song (Hark the Herald Angels Sing)
Crafty Sentiments--anything goes

Marvelous

Happy Wednesday!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built.  This week is a fan favorite: Anything Goes!!  Here is the card I created for you:

 I love Beta fish; they are so elegant looking with their flowing fins.  And their colors are so rich and vibrant.  I made this fun shaker card to look sort of like a fishbowl.  The embossed top panel reminded me of bubbles.  I used a bit of glitter gel pen on the scales of the fish and also to create a few glittery lines in the fins.  You can see it better in the photo below.

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

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Beta Fish",  "Plant" and "In all things"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"
Sizzix: Circle Flowers embossing folder

Challenges:
Love To Craft Challenge Blog #22--anything goes
Penny Black--anything goes
2 Crafty Critter Crazies #14--anything goes
Crop Stop #39--anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #334--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Crafter's Cafe #194--all creatures great and small
Penny's Challenge #380--anything goes
Double D Challenge--bling it up
Craftaholics R Us #120--anything goes
Little Miss Muffet #189--anything goes
Cardz TV #48--anything goes
Crafty Friends #84--B is for . . . . Beta Fish
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #82--anything goes
Use Your Stuff #312--found (upcycle/recycle)  my acetate is a piece of recycled stamp packaging; I always save them to use for something like this

Mom

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

The challenge this time is: Load on the Embellishments
And here is my card for your inspiration:

     This is the card I created for my mom for Mother's Day.  I used another one of the  long, narrow card bases I've had in my stash forever.  This is kind of a long image (or can be) so I thought it would work perfectly.  So, for my loads of embellishments, I used: punched flowers with jeweled brads in the centers, rhinestone flourishes, ribbon, heart charm, punched butterflies and tiny rhinestones for the butterflies.  Oh, and die cut letters for MOM.

    I hope you will play along with us this time, I can't wait to see all the embellishments you can load on your projects.

Supplies:

Stamps: Di's Digi Stamps "Hey, ho, hey, ho mice" digi

Dies/Punches: MFT "LLD Stitched Alphabet"; Martha Stewart butterfly punch; Fiskars flower punch

Challenges:
Use Your Stuff #311--for the Moms
Craft Rockets #48--use embellishments
Creative Craft Cottage #107--Dies and/or punches (I used both)
Creative Inspirations--CAS or fussy and fancy (this is pretty fussy and fancy for me)
Stinkin' Inkers--April Showers bring May flowers
Crafty Calendar--things with wings
Dare 2 B Artzy--dreaming of flowers
Divas That Cut--April showers bring May flowers
Creative with Stamps #26--mother

Pattie's Creations #146--flowers
Cutie Pie #123--add a butterfly

Where you hang your heart

Happy Friday!!  It's time for another challenge from Jo's Scrap Shack.  As always, we are now an Anything Goes challenge and our sponsor for the week is the Oddball Art Company.  

I was given this adorable mushroom house image to work with, and here is the card I created:

For some reason, I have a bunch of these long, narrow card bases in my stash.  I haven't measured, but I think they are around the size of a business envelope.  Anyway, when I saw that this image was tall and narrow, I immediately thought it would work perfectly on one of these bases.  The sentiment reads "Home is where you hang your heart".  The little turret on the right had two stars hanging from it, but when I decided to use this sentiment, I die cut the heart border along the top and added a couple of the little hearts that came out of it to the strings.  So cute!  I also added white nuvo drops to the dots on the tops; it adds a fun bit of texture.  And, of course, I had to use some red and white doted ribbon!

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 May 25th by 12:00AM (eastern, USA) time to link up.

All winners will be announced during the week of May 27th.

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

Supplies:
Stamps: Oddball Art "Whimsical Mushroom Home" digi; Cardz TV "Just Sayin'" sentiment
Dies: Verve "Scalloped Trim Trio"

Challenges:
Unicorn #32--monochrome
Crafting By Designs--anything goes
Creative Fingers #147--anything goes
Crafty Creations #306--anything goes
Inspiration Destination #150--anything goes
Alphabet Challenge--D for dots
Make My Monday #71--hint of summer to come
Addicted To Stamps #292--make your mark (spectrum noirs)
Penny's #380--anything goes
Cute Card Thursday #530--the great outdoors

Life is a Beach

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built.  This week we have a beautiful photo inspiration for your:

Here is the card I created:

I have to admit that this is one of my least favorite type of challenges.  Color mixing is so hard for me!!  Maybe I shouldn't have tried to use ALL the colors in the photo; that might have been easier.  But I had visions of cute, little flip flops of all colors for a fun, summery card.  I'm so ready for summer!!  Or at least nice spring weather.

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Flip Flops" and "Life's A Beach"
Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle; Verve "Pennant Trim"

Challenges:
Creative Craft Cottage #107--dies and/or punches
Creates and Makes #21--anything goes
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #81--anything goes
Crafty Creations #306--anything goes
Inspiration Destination #150--anything goes
Cardz TV #47--anything goes
heARTful Stamping--anything goes
Make My Monday #71--hint of summer to come
Cupcake Inspirations #446--inspiration photo (inspired by the colors)

Birthday Monkey

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. 

Here is the card I created:

I know I just showed off this sweet little monkey a couple weeks ago, but he's just sooooo cute!!  We will be celebrating my little nephew's 1st birthday next weekend and I thought this little guy was perfect!  Doesn't he look so dapper in his little hat?!

   I hope you will get a chance to play along with us this week.  There is a fabulous prize up for grabs!

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 May 18th by 12:00AM (eastern, USA) time to link up.

All winners will be announced during the week of May 20th.

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

Supplies:

Stamps: Little Blue Button Stamps "Monkey in Hat" digi; Your Next Stamp "Keep on Trucking" sentiment

Challenges:

Crafting with an Attitude--anything goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper

Feeling Sketchy #192--sketch

Brown Sugar #208--masculine or Father's Day

2 Crafty Critter Crazies #14--anything goes

Creative Fingers #146--anything goes

Cardz TV #46--anything goes

Hiding In My Craft Room #351--freestyle

Crafty Friends #83--animals

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #81--anything goes

Penny's Challenge #378--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--for the boys

Crafty Creations #366--anything goes

Pause, Dream, Enjoy #19--anything goes

Rustic birthday

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

As you know, I love these challenges.  There are so many options and you can basically make your own challenge.  I used the first column: buttons, birthday and patterned paper.  Here is the card I created:

This was the first time I had inked up this image and for some reason it really wanted to be used with this sketch. : )  I didn't really have time to color the image, but I think it looks just as good uncolored and fits with the more rustic feel of the card.  The buttons were salvaged from clothes that my girls have outgrown.  When the clothes are too stained or worn to pass on to others, I always cut the buttons and zippers out before tossing them. It's how I've gotten almost all my buttons.
   I hope you will get a chance to play along with us this week; I can't wait to see what you create.

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Whitetail Doe and Deer" and "Birthday"
Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle; Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"

Challenges:
Cardz 4 Guys #194--Men's Hobbies  (it's not MY favorite, but men do enjoy hunting)
heARTful Stamping--anything goes
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #81--anything goes
Crafty Friends #83--animals
Sketch Saturday #512--sketch

Hiding In My Craft Room #351--freestyle
Cardz TV #46--anything goes
Creative Fingers #146--anything goes
Cute Card Thursday #528--anything goes
Crafting By Designs--anything goes
2 Crafty Critter Crazies #14--anything goes
Creative Craft Cottage #107--dies and/or punches
Brown Sugar Challenge #208--masculine or Father's Day
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper

Mother's Love

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

The challenge this time is: For Mom or a Special Woman
And here is my card for your inspiration:

This is the Mother's Day card for my mother-in-law.  One of her favorite colors is purple and it just so happened that I had a little bit of purple organza ribbon hanging around, so I started with that.  I won these gorgeous handmade flowers from Petal Lu a couple months ago and really wanted to use one, so I decided to use a purple and gray color combo.  The ribbon was just big enough to tie the bow and the fun sparkly die cut in the upper left corner was in my bits and pieces stash, so yeay for using up some scraps!  I created the background using Guide Lines 2 from PTI.  It was a little bit bold for the look I was going for, so I covered it with a vellum panel, and then it was perfect!  I used some liquid pearls to add to her pearl necklace and finished the card off with pearls and a cut little heart charm.

Here is the sentiment on the inside: 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you will get a chance to play along with us; I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Supplies:

Stamps: Di's Digi Stamps "Candy 1920s" digi; Verve "Text Objects" sentiment; PTI "Guide Lines 2" and "Mother: Tucked In"

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle; Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large" and "Fleur Di Lis Pendant" little glittery piece

Challenges:

Cut It Up #147--flowers
Crafty Catz #415--anything goes with optional twist: add flowers
4 Crafty Chicks--women celebration
Double D--May flowers
Mod Squad--how charming
That's Crafty--a stitch in time (stitched rectangle die)
Hanna and Friends #293--bingo (I used the top row: stitching (stitched die), glitter (on my die cut embellishment), pearls)
Creative Inspiration--CAS or Fussy and Fancy (this is pretty fussy and fancy for me)
Shopping Our Stash #352--Mother's Day
Craft-Dee Bow Z--anything goes with handmade bow
Creative with Stamps #26--mother

Love and Life

My husband and I have a wedding to go to tomorrow.  This is the card I created:

 I won these gorgeous handmade flowers from Petal Lu a month or so ago and knew they would be perfect for a wedding card (no going through the mail for these beauties!!).  Then I saw the Viva La Verve sketch for the month of May and knew it was the one I was going to use.  The stitched circle was in my bits and pieces stash as well as the bit of lace behind the dotted ribbon.  I created the "paper" with PTI's "Guide Lines 2".  I love this set for creating patterned "paper".  To soften the black ink, I added a panel of vellum directly over the top of the stamped layer; it adds such a soft touch.  The torn mulberry paper helps with that, too.  The little panel on the right was embossed with a damask embossing folder.  Everything was finished off with some pearls and a small light gray heart stamped on the sentiment panel.

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Text Objects" sentiment and heart; PTI "Guide Lines 2"
Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle and "Blueprints 12" stitched circle
Cuttlebug Damask embossing folder

Challenges:
Word Art Wednesday #323--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #325--anything goes with snippets (the two pieces from my bits and pieces stash, the black fishtail banner, the white embossed layer and the mulberry paper were all scraps)
Cupcake Inspirations--inspiration cupcakes (I was inspired by those beautiful peach roses)

Make My Monday #321--embossing
Crafting with an Attitude--anything goes
Dies R Us #96--flowers
Power Poppy Spark Challenge--black and white with a pop of color
That's Crafty--A stitch in time (stitched rectangle and circle)
Craft Rockets #48--use embellishments
Crafting By Designs--anything goes
Fab n' Funky #392--embossing
The Paper Shelter #337--love is in the air
Penny's Challenge #378--anything goes
Double D--May flowers
Pause, Dream, Enjoy--lots of layers
Cute Card Thursday #328--anything goes
Viva La Verve May--sketch

Crafty Catz #415--add flowers
Cardz TV #46--anything goes

Father's Day Wishes

Happy Friday!!  It's time for another challenge from Jo's Scrap Shack.  As always, we are now an Anything Goes challenge and our sponsor for the week is digistamps 4 joy.  

Here is the card I created:

I was given this fabulous image to work with.  It seemed perfect for a Father's Day card, so that's what I did.  I added a little cattail stamp in the bottom left corner to coordinate with the image.  The scalloped green piece (which I actually cut in half to make two pieces) was in my bits and pieces stash--it's been there for probably at least 3 years; I'm so happy to finally use it!

Make sure you head over to Jo's Blog to see what the rest of the team has created.

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 May. 11th by 12:00AM (eastern, USA) time to link up.

All winners will be announced during the week of May 13th.

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

Supplies:

Stamps: digistamps 4 joy "Duck Take Off" digi; Verve "Strong Anchor" sentiment; Repeat Impressions "Cattails"

Dies: Spellbinders "Scalloped ovals, large"; MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle

Challenges:

Crafty Gals #164--anything goes

Crafty Creations #365--anything goes

Inspiration Destination #147--anything goes

Art Impressions #231--winged things

Time Out Challenge #108--wild

Aud Sentiments #202--masculine

Hiding In My Craft Room #350--any holiday

Tuesday Throwdown #390--critter crazy

Cards Galore--anything goes

Crafting By Designs--anything goes

MFT #383--sketch

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--animal magic