In my thoughts

So, I'm busy cleaning up my workspace (well, slowly, but still working on it).  Some of the "cleaning" involved putting away stamps and dies and other goodies that I got a while ago and haven't had a chance to use or organize.  This beautiful Avery Elle set, "Orchid" was a set I won several months ago and it has just been sitting there.  I wasn't really sure I would get much use out of it, but after inking it up and coloring it . . . wow, it is gorgeous!!  I got a chance to play with it this week and I have to say, this may be one of my favorite cards ever!!

 I stamped the image and colored it and was going to use the matching dies that I also won.  But, when I put the stamp on the block, I guess I didn't have it laid out correctly (the stamp is open between the stem and the flower cluster) and the die didn't fit.  So, I had to resort to fussy cutting, which is what I usually do anyway.  Then I created my own background "paper" using several of the flower/bud images from the same set.  It was a little too bold, so I covered it with  a piece of vellum.  Now it's so soft and pretty.  I used a brick wall stencil to create a soft background on the top panel.  I adhered my image with foam tape and after embossing the sentiment on black, I also attached it with foam tape.  Finished everything off with some purple sequins.  Now, a close up of these gorgeous flowers:

I wasn't too sure about the coloring until I added the little wisker lines with a white gel pen.  It adds soooo much!

Supplies:
Stamps: Avery Elle "Orchid"
MFT brick wall stencil

Challenges:
Double Trouble #53--SomeThing, AnyThing, Everything (Thing #1: anything goes)
Make My Monday #119--make your own background paper
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #128--anything goes
Pink Gem--anything goes
Sweet Stampin'--make your own background
Cardz TV #111--anything goes
Word Art Wednesday--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes
Time Out Challenge #158--lots or a little purple with the optional twist: friendship
ART Impressions Stamps #279--bloom where you are planted
CAS(E) #365--sketch

Crafty Gals #205--use flowers
30-Day Coloring Challenge--just color
STAMPlorations Stencil Challenge--anything goes with a stencil

Hugs

I won this stamp a couple months ago and really didn't think I would probably get much use out of it.  BUT, this thing is gorgeous!!!  The coloring takes a little while since it is so large, but you don't really need to do anything else to it since it is so large.    I've been very slowly cleaning up my crafting area.  No time and lots of new goodies means big piles of stuff!  So, as I'm organizing and putting new stuff away, I'm trying to use them (at least once).  This week it was this stamp's turn and while I had it out I made cards in two completely different colorways.  The first one is bold and beautiful.  I used reds and aquas.  I colored the "HUGS" with an ombre effect and added some clear wink of Stella to add some fabulous sparkle.  You can't really see it here, but you can in the next photo.

 You can just see the sparkle on the lower part of the "HUGS".  To finish this off, all I had to do was die cut with a stitched rectangle and add a heat embossed sentiment popped up on foam tape.

My second card card is a softer version of the first one.  I wavered back and forth between trying a no-line coloring technique on it  or coloring it and then heat embossing the image.   Well, my no-line coloring didn't turn out very well, so I ended up putting it back in my mini MISTI and stamping it again with versamark and heat embossing with silver embossing powder.  So, at one angle, it just looks like a pretty image, maybe you can see the embossed outlines.

 But turn it in the light just a bit and that's where the magic happens!!

Oh, my that silver embossing is just stunning!!  I popped up another small sentiment, this time in dark brown on kraft and added some clear Nuvo drops around the image to dress it up even more.  They ended up with some air holes, but that makes it have a fun bubble like look.  So, which do you prefer?  The bold and beautiful or the soft and elegant?  I think I prefer the first, but it's such a hard choice!

Card #1:

Supplies:

Stamps: The Grey Muse "Hugs"; MFT "Essential Sentiments"

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle

Challenges:

30 Day coloring challenge--just color

Through the Purple Haze #165--anything goes

Dare 2B Artzy--anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #205--use flowers

Creative Fingers #182--anything goes

Art Impressions Stamps #279--Bloom where you're planted

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Word Art Wednesday--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Creative Moments #187--anything goes
Cardz TV #111--anything goes
Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge--Never Seen Ink (As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, I've had this since before Christmas and had never inked it up until now.)

Card#2:

Supplies:

Stamps: The Grey Muse "Hugs"; Papertrey Ink "Mat Stack 2" 

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle

Challenges:

STAMPlorations Theme and Prompt--stamps  + nature

Creative Craft Cottage--for the girls
Penny's Challenge--anything goes
Southern Girls--anything goes
Creative Knockouts--anything goes
Addicted to Stamps #382--make your mark
Crafty Catz #479--anything goes: use kraft

Birthday Cake

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

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

I've had this tag made out of scrap paper strips for quite a while.  So, I printed my image out in a size that would fit the tag and colored it to match the patterns.  I actually had a second pack of the same papers, so even though the first pack was all used up making the tag, I was able to pull out some to match to create the horizontal strip and the little banners.  I stamped the background with a sheet music stamp as it seemed to fit the birthday theme.  Everything seemed a little plain still, so I die cut the filigree border and the fun little frame.  It is amazing how much the frame dressed everything up!  I finished up the tag with a jeweled brad that I have had for years and years.  As well as the tag, the frame and border were die cut from snippets, so a lot of scraps were used up on this one!

I hope you will get a chance to play along with us; I can't wait to see what you create.  And make sure you hop over to the Di's Digital Designs blog to see what the rest of the team has made for this challenge.

Supplies: 

Stams: Di's Digi Stamps "Birthday Cake Teddy" digi; PaperTrey Ink "Baker's Dozen" frame and sentiment; Hero Arts sheet music background

Dies: PaperTrey Ink "Baker's Dozen" and "Filigree Border" die; MFT "Blueprints 13" tag

Challenges:
30 Day Coloring Challenge--just color
Tuesday Throwdown #453--sketch

Penny's Challenge--anything goes
Creative Fingers #182--anything goes
Your Next Stamp #135--cute critters
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #374--anything goes with snippets
Crafty Sentiments--anything goes
Krafty Chicks #500--all occasions
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes
Creative Moments #187--anything goes
Little Red Wagon #542--leftovers
Crafty Catz #479--anything goes with the optional twist: use kraft
Cardz TV #111--anything goes

Happy Birthday, Wendy!!

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built and this week it is a fan favorite: Anything Goes!! And here is the card I created for your inspiration:

Our fearless leader, Wendy, had her birthday yesterday (Happy Birthday, Wendy!) and this is the card I made for her.  Don't worry!!  She already received it in the mail, so this post isn't ruining any surprises.  I used the beautiful "Lily of the Valley" and colored it with colored pencils on kraft card stock.  I've done this before with a different stamp and really love the look of it, so decided to try it again.  It always amazes me how bright colored pencil is on kraft. The white for the flowers looked a little dull, so I added a bit of white gel pen to make them pop a bit more.  I die cut the panel and inked the edges with some white kraft ink.  I used two scraps of patterned paper to make the banners and raided a button from my stash, then finished everything off with some clear jewels from Kat Scrappinness.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you will hop over to the House blog to see the rest of the DT's creations and then get inky and play along with us.  And if you need any of the stamps I used, check out my 10% off your ENTIRE order coupon code over in my left sidebar.

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Lily of The Valley" and "Happy Birthday"
Dies: Spellbinders "A2 Matting Basics A"

Challenges:
STAMPlorations Theme and Prompt--Stamps + nature

30 Day Coloring Challenge--just color
Cards Galore--anything goes
Through The Purple Haze #165--anything goes
Power Poppy Creative Spark--sketch it out

Penny Black--spring flowers
Creatalicious #183--anything goes with the optional twist: layer it up
Crafty Creations #407--anything goes
Cardz TV #110--anything goes
Sweet Stampers #42--Easter or spring (I chose spring)
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #128--anything goes
Use Your Stuff #394--spring
Double Trouble #52--die-lirious and punchy (Thing #1: spring item with cutting)
Shopping Our Stash #416--Happy Birthday
Crafty Gals #205--use flowers
My Favorite Things Birthday--flowers
Crafty Catz #498--anything goes with the optional twist: twine/ribbon

Birthday Tulips

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

And here is the card I created:

It's been a while since I used this gorgeous tulip image, so it was time to pull it out and color it up.  This is definitely one of my favorite Repeat Impressions stamps.  I stenciled the background with a brick stencil and some gray ink.  Then I colored and fussy cut the image, even added a little design to the vase with a white gel pen.  It's so fun!  I finished off the car with some olllllllld jeweled brads from SU! and some clear enamel drops.

Thanks for stopping by!  Make sure you head on over to The House blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has done with this photo.  And if you "need" any of the stamps I used, check out my 10% off your entire order coupon code over in my lift sidebar.

Supplies:

Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Vase of Tulips" and "Birthday Vertical"
Dies: MFT "Blueprints 25" stitched rectangle
MFT "Brick Wall" Stencil
Fabrika Decore transparent enamel dots

Challenges:
STAMPlorations Stencil Challenge--anything goes using a stencil

Unicorn Challenge #52--flower power
Cards Galore #73--anything goes
Pattie's Creations #168--anything goes
Stick It Down--sketch

Stinkin' Inkers--pastel palette
Creative Inspirations--pretty pastels
Penny Black--spring flowers
Creatalicious #182--anything goes with the optional twist: layer it up
Creative Craft Cottage #127--for the girls
Craft Rocket #68--flowers
Dare 2B Artzy--anything goes
Crafty Creations #407--anything goes
Cuttlebug Mania--happy birthday
As You Like It--Spring or Easter (I don't usually make Easter cards as we don't celebrate with the bunnies and eggs.  But I do love spring flowers, so I went with a spring card)
Time Out Challenge #157--birthday with the optional twist of die cutting or fussy cutting (I did both)
Cardz TV #110--anything goes
Sweet Stampers #42--Easter or spring (I went with spring)
Pink Gem Challenge--anything goes
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #128--anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Monday--stencil fun
Incy Wincy Designs--spring fling
Use Your Stuff #394--spring
Double Trouble #52--die-lirious and punchy (Thing #1: spring item with any kind of cutting)
30 Day Coloring Challenge--anything colored by hand

Christmas Mouse

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

The challenge this time is: Embellish it Awesome
And here is my card for your inspiration:

So, I got creating and I forgot about adding lots of embellishments!  Oops!!  Luckily, I did use some enamel dots (old patterned versions, that I colored with gold metallic gilding polish--same as I used to color the die cut sentiment), and die cut sentiment and gold paint pen for the centers of my flowers.  The sketch I used is by our very own Leslie Turner, our awesome leader at Love To Scrap!!  Awesome sketch, Leslie!

I hope you will get a chance to play along with us; I can't wait to see what you create.  And make sure you hop over to the Di's Digital Designs blog to see what the rest of the team has made for this challenge.

Supplies: 

Stams: Di's Digi Stamps "Poinsettia Mouse"

Dies: Lawn Fawn "Merry Christmas"

Challenges:
Unicorn Challenge #52--flower power
Cards Galore #45--anything goes
Cutie Pie #145--gorgeous green
Pattie's Creations #168--anything goes
Through The Purple Haze #165--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Love To Craft Challenge Blog #44--anything goes
Stick It Down Challenge--sketch

Power Poppy Creative Confetti--just color
ABC Christmas--E is for embossing, F is for Freebie and G is for gold (I used gold)
2 Crafty Critter Crazies #36--anything goes
Christmas with the Cuties #35--anything (Christmas) goes with the optional twist: Clean and Simple
CRAFT Rocket #68--flowers
Merry Little Christmas Challenge #20--anything goes
Kat Scrappiness--mostly green
Crafty Creations #467--anything goes
Double Trouble #51--Go Green; Thing #1: go green; Thing #3: use gold
Creative Fingers #181--anything goes
Cut It Up #195--green with envy
Simon Says Stamp Monday--a bit o' green
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--use some green
Krafty Chicks #498--Christmas
30-Day Coloring Challenge--just color

Just because

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built.  This week we have a fun Tic Tac Toe board for you:

Here is what I created for your inspiration:

I chose the middle row: Stitching, black and white +1 other color, and ribbon/twine.  My whole color scheme was influenced by a bit of bright orange ribbon I had in my bits and pieces stash.  I planned to use it for the band across the center of the card.  But I adhered it with sticky tape and I didn't quite get it on right, so I tried to peel it off to re-align and it created all sorts of pulls in the ribbon.  So, I trashed that and went on creating my card using a strip of card stock instead.  After I got all finished, I realized that the row I chose had to include ribbon and I hadn't used any and didn't really have any place to use it!  Uggghhh . . . Luckily, I had a tiny piece of the ribbon left, so I used it to create a little ribbon pull along the side of the image panel.  Phew . . . disaster averted!  I used a black nuvo glitter pen on all the black elements of the image and clear Wink of Stella on the colored portions.  You can see the sparkle (mostly on the black) in the photo below.  The patterned paper also has some sparkle in the black lines, so this is quite sparkly in real life.

Thanks for stopping by!  Make sure you head on over to The House blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has done with this photo.  And if you "need" any of the stamps I used, check out my 10% off your entire order coupon code over in my lift sidebar.

Supplies:

Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Flower Power Background" and "Because"

Dies: Spellbinders "Radiant Rectangles"; Verve "Classy Labels"; PTI border die; MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle

Challenges:
30 Day Coloring Challenge--anything hand colored
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #127--anything goes
Unicorn Challenge #52--flower power
Pattie's Challenge #168--anything goes
Power Poppy Creative Spark--just color
Penny Black--spring flowers
Creative Craft Cottage #127--for the girls
CRAFT Rockets #68--flowers
Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2--sketch (it's a little bit of a stretch but it was the basis for my card)

Incy Wincy--hand colored image
Crafter's Cafe #237--anything goes
Penny's Challenge--anything goes
Aud Sentiments #246--feminine

Winter Greetings

I had a chance to play for fun yesterday with a new set that I hadn't inked up yet.  This little Phoebe set is super cute; besides the fox, it also has a little penguin and an owl.  And it makes an adorable Christmas card:

Everything, except the green chevron paper, was scraps or cut from scraps.  Unfortunately, I added a piece to my bits and pieces stash so that was a loss.  But I have another Christmas card done and that is definitely a win!

Supplies:
Stamps: Your Next Stamp "Winter Wonderland Phoebe"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large" and "Address Book 2"

Challenges:
Creative Fingers #181--anything goes
Krafty Chicks #497--stamp act
Cute Card Thursday #624--anything goes
Try Stampin' On Tuesday #447--sketch with optional twist: letters/numbers

Incy wincy--hand colored image
Merry Little Christmas Challenge #20--anything goes
2 Crafty Critter Crazies #36--anything goes
Sheepski Designs #36--die cuts and/or punches
Power Poppy Creative Spark--just color
Die Cut Divas--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #127--anything goes
Pink Gem Challenge--anything goes
Crafty Friends--Animals/birds
30 Day Coloring challenge--anything hand colored
Cardz TV #109--anything goes

Feline Better

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps.  This week is a Designer's Choice Challenge and Esther has chosen: It's Raining Cats and Dogs

And here is the card I created:

I had in my head what I was planning to do, but as I flipped through my Repeat Impressions stamps, I came across the clock face and thought it would be a fun play on the word "soon" in the sentiment.  And then, my idea changed completely!!  I pulled out the umbrella paper and the print paper which has the words from the rhyme "Rain, rain, go away".  I've used these for get well cards before as they go with the "under the weather" theme.  I inked the edges of everything (except the card base) with gray ink and embossed the base layer with a fun embossing folder.  I die cut some flowers, spritzed them with water and crumpled them up.  After they were mostly dry, I layered 3 together and attached with a brad for each flower.  A few die cut leaves, some bits of ribbon from my bits and pieces stash (the circle the clock face was stamped on is also from the stash) and some clear drops finish everything off.  This is a bit more embellished then what I usually create with even a jeweled brad to hold the clock hands.

Thanks for stopping by!  Make sure you head on over to The House blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has done with this photo.  And if you "need" any of the stamps I used, check out my 10% off your entire order coupon code over in my lift sidebar.

Supplies:

Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Cat with Ribbon", "Feline Better", and "Clock Face #3"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; PTI "Hands of Time"; Verve "Sprightly Sprigs"; Sizzix flowers
Cuttlebug embossing folder

Challenges:
Creative Fingers Challenge #180--anything goes
Creative Moments #185--for the girls
Creative Knockouts #339--die cuts/punches
Alphabet Challenge--X is for X-tra embellishments
Crafty Friends #130--animals/birds
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Cheerful Sketches--sketch

2 Crafty Critter Crazies--anything goes
Die Cut Divas--anything goes
Sheepski Designs #36--die cuts and/or punches

Warm wishes

A new month has arrived and that means a new challenge from the Love To Scrap Challenge Blog.  This month's challenge is Anything Goes.

And here is the card I created:

A couple of weeks ago, I had a lot of fun playing with this mug stamp set and the remaining scraps of a favorite paper pack.  There were a few pieces that were big enough to stamp the mugs on, so I stamped them on plain card stock and on the patterned papers and pieced them together.  With the remaining scraps, I made a bunch of these patterned paper strips.  Now the paper pack is finally all used up and I have a bunch of fun embellishments to use.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Head on over to the LTSCB blog to see what the rest of the team has created and to get the full details of the challenge.  Then get inky and play along with us; I can't wait to see what you create.

Supplies: 

Stamps: Lawn Fawn "Thanks a Latte"

Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Winter Wonderland--anything goes
Penny's Challenge #465--anything goes
Creative Fingers #180--anything goes
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #372--anything goes with snippets
Crafty Sentiments--anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes
Krafty Chicks #496--all occasions
Crafty Catz #495--anything goes with the optional twist: pretty papers
Cardz TV #109--anything goes