Best Wishes

 It's my turn to share my Pick of the Week with you on the House That Stamps Built blog.  I'm continuing in my Pinspired series--taking cards I find on Pinterest and recreating them with Repeat Impressions stamps.  A while ago I found this beautiful card by Jennifer McQuire and knew I had to try my hand at making one:

I just love the bold flowers on the vellum, the outside the box cutting and how the flowers move around the sentiment.  So, I set out to give it a try.  Since I wanted to work with the "Flower Power Separates" images, I had to do a bunch of masking.  So, I started out by creating my layout on a piece of scrap white card stock just to see how the images would look.

The panel was cut to 5 1/2 by 4 1/4 and I cut a vellum panel to the same measurements, just a little bit taller so I had some room to work with.  I placed my stamped layout into my Mini MISTI so I could use it for stamp placement.

As you can see, I have a transparent grid sheet that I use in my MISTI and that helps with getting sentiments straight.  I started with the sentiment since the stems were going to be stamped around it.  I stamped and heat embossed each element one at a time (or sometimes two at a time if they weren't really close to each other) so I wouldn't mess up an area already stamped.

I used stamped and cut out masks for the flowers and used a couple pieces of washi tape to mask off the sentiment.  The tape has nice straight edges and just happened to be slightly wider than my sentiment is tall making it perfect for masking!  You can see in the photo above that my small flower on the left is already heat embossed and I have a mask on my large flower as it too has already been heat embossed.

     After all the elements had been heat embossed, I flipped the vellum panel over and colored the images on the back side.  Since I hadn't been extremely precise with my embossing powder and had a few "extra" white spots, I decided to sprinkle on some loose powder in a few other places and make it look like it had been done on purpose--a little artsy addition.

After letting the panel sit under some heavy objects for a while, I attached it to the gray card base with some liquid adhesive, hiding it behind the embossed lines.  Then I finished it off with some pearls. 

And here is the finished result:

 Thanks for stopping by!

Repeat Impressions stamps I used are: "Daisy Outline, large", "Daisy Outline, small", "Leaf Outline, small", "Stem Outline" and "Best Wishes"

Challenges:

Penny's Challenges #503--anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #506--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

The Paper Shelter #450--colour it

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Creative Moments #221--anything goes

Dare 2B Artzy--anything goes

Cute Card Thursday--anything goes

Creative Craft Cottage #143--no patterned paper

Time Out Challenge #195--colored card base with the optional twist: use embellishments

Krafty Chicks #574--all occasions

Cardz TV #148--anything goes

Sea it's your birthday

 I created this background a while ago.  I was playing with distress inks mixed with some water and blotted the leftovers onto some water color paper and this was the result.  It  reminded me of splashes of water so when I saw some water-themed challenges this week, I knew I had to play along!  This card is what I came up with.  Isn't it cute!!??

Supplies:

Stamps: MFT "Friends with Fins" whale, little fish and spout; YNS "Sea Creatures Sentiments" sentiment

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle

Challenges:

Addicted to CAS #204--fishy

Use Your Stuff #429--water/beach

Try Stampin' On Tuesday #520--Ink splatter (get messy) and/or sketch

Pattie's Creations #184--beach/under the sea

Die Cut Divas--watercolor (real or faux)

Sheepski Designs #153--Let's be cute

Creative Craft Cottage #413--no patterned paper

Simon Says Stamp Monday--spritz & splatter

Crafty Sentiments--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Christmas Joy

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

The challenge this time is: Pick 2 or more--Ribbon, bling, pearls, die cuts/punches, flowers, button, lace
And here is my card for your inspiration:

My pick 2 or more items are: ribbon, button, die cuts and pearls.  I used some fun papers from a Christmas pack, accented them with some black and a little bit of red.  I love how the black really makes it pop and it seems both whimsical and elegant at the same time.

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: 

Stamps: Di's Digi Stamps "Merry and Bright" digi; Verve "Beyond Measure" sentiment

Dies: Spellbinders "Fleur Di Lis Squares"

Challenges:

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round--starts with O and/or P (I have used a penguin and patterned paper)

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

Love To Craft Challenge Blog #61--anything goes

Crafty Calendar--anything goes

Dies R Us #175--anything goes with a brand DRU sells (Spellbinders)

Sheepski Designs #53--Let's be cute

ABC Christmas--P is for plumb, Q is for Quality Street, R is for ribbon (I used ribbon)

2 Crafty Critter Crazies #53--anything goes

Merry Little Christmas #37--anything goes

Paper Funday #32--anything goes with the optional twist: cute critters

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 #213--sketch

Cute Card Thursday--anything goes

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog #213--anything goes

Aud Sentiments #281--anything goes

Cardz TV #14--anything goes

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #164--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--add a sentiment

Ice Cream Goodness

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps.  This challenge is perfect for all the warm weather we have been having lately: Summer Fun!

And here is the card I created:

Ok, every once in a while I come out with a card that I just LOVE!!  This is one of those cards!  I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I really think it is the bright green patterned paper paired with the black and white.  The entire card just pops!  I had in mind something different using a flip flops image, but I was looking through some cards in my Pinterest boards for some ideas and saw some with ice cream cones.  So, I decided to go with a yummy ice cream cone--we only get those in the summer here in the Northeast.  I started by stamping my image four time--once with the whole image and three times with just the ice cream scoop.  I colored them starting with the bottom layer (mint chocolate chip), middle (vanilla bean) and ended up with the top (strawberry) .  Then I fussy cut them out and adhered the bottom layer directly to the whole image, then added the other two layers to the top of the previous layer.  I finished the card off with some black and white gingham ribbon (left over from a 40th birthday party favors) and black enamel dots.  At first I thought they might be too bold, but I really like how it turned out. 

Inside, I stamped a sentiment in black and then the ice cream cone in a light gray to dress it up a bit.  

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 challenge.  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 "Cool Treats" and "Sweet Things"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Ovals, large"

Challenges:

Unicorn Challenge #68--anything goes

Cards Galore #90--anything goes

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

Love To Craft Challenge Blog #61--anything goes

Crafty Calendar--anything goes

Dies R Us #175--anything goes using brands DRU sells (spellbinders)

Creative Inspirations--summer fun

Crafty Creations #424--anything goes

Moving Along With the Times #133--summer fun AND/OR summer colors

Crafty Gals #202--summer fun

Penny's Challenge #502--anything goes

Creative Moments #220--anything goes

Creative Fingers #213--anything goes

Cardz TV #147--anything goes

Sweet Stampers #59--dies and/or punches

Crafting Happiness #109--anything goes

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 #212--sketch

40th Birthday

 Last week, I created a tag, and today, I finally got it put unto a card to celebrate the 40th birthday of a man at our church.  I wanted to keep the card relatively simple so the tag could remain the star of the show.    I used a bit of blue from the same paper pack as the scraps on the tag.  But it seemed a bit too plain, so I stamped a circle background on it and then it was just right.  I added a bit of brown glitter card stock and some red enamel dots.

Supplies:

Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Cupcakes" and "birthday" from the "happy cling set"

Dies: PTI tag; Stamps of life star flip set

Challenges:

Shopping Our Stash--Sketch #3

Unicorn Challenge #68--anything goes

Crafts Galore #90--anything goes

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

Love To Craft #61--anything goes

Crafty Calendar--anything goes

Crafty Creations #424--anything goes

Give a Crafter a Cookie #159--inspiration photo (I used the colors)

Cute Card Thursday #691--anything goes

Cupcake Inspirations #525--aqua, red, brown

Cardz 4 Guyz #277--age is just a number

Alphabet Challenge--J is for just one word

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #164--anything goes

Birthday tag

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps.  This week is: Anything BUT a card.

And here the tag I created:

I wasn't feeling very motivated to create something 3-D, so I decided to make a tag.  (Shhhh . . . don't tell anyone, but I will probably end up putting it on a card for a man at our church that just celebrated his 40th birthday)  This was made entirely with scraps--not a single full-sheet of cardstock or patterned paper was harmed in the making of this tag!  I started by tracing the tag die onto a piece of cheap cardstock (the kind that  is NOT good for making cards) and adhering strips of patterned paper scraps (most were cut at 1/2 inch width).  Then I die cut the tag, set the eyelet and tied on some ribbon that was left over from a project earlier this spring.  The star also had been die cut for that project and has just been sitting on my desk for month.  I die cut a second one and adhered them together for a little dimension.  Die cut the "40" out of brown glitter paper and adhered it to the star.  I stamped on scrap cardstock, colored, and fussy cut out the cupcake and used foam tape to adhere it to the tag.  I finished it off by heat embossing "birthday" on some dark brown cardstock and fussy cut it before adhering it to the tag with foam tape as well.

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 challenge.  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 "Cupcakes" and "birthday" from the "happy cling set"

Dies: PTI tag; Stamps of life star flip set

Challenges:

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

If You Give a Crafter A Cookie #159--inspiration photo (I used the turquoise and red color combo)

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #409--anything goes with snippets (everything on this tag is a scrap or a left over from another project)

Simon Says Stamp Monday--heat embossing (I heat embossed my sentiment)

Crafting Happiness #108--anything goes

Cupcake Inspirations #525--red, turquoise, brown

Make some noise

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

The challenge this time is:  Include a Sentiment
And here is my card for your inspiration:

I created this card for my little nephew who just turned 7 (don't even ask me how THAT happened!).  I thought these little cuties made a fun birthday card with their giant, yummy cupcake!  I added a scrap of patterned paper along the bottom with just a little tiny accent strip of copper glitter cardstock.  You can see the sparkle in the photo below.  I stamped two sentiments in two different colors of ink to keep with the bright, colorful theme.

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.

For a chance at an extra prize, Double Trouble Challenge is asking you to show a photo of you with your fur babies.  Here is a picture of one of my almost one-year-old baby boys:

He was helping me pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.  By "help" I mean he was jumping in and out of each box and trying to take little stuffed animals out and play with them.  Packing boxes is tiring and he had to climb in my lap for a little nap when we were all done.  He still is the most snuggly out of my bunch and sleeps on my bed most nights while his siblings prowl about.  I have 4 orange stripey kitties--one old man, two bros (including the guy in my lap) and their little half sis.  Here is a pic of the three kittens "helping" me make cards:

Supplies: 

Stamps: Di's Digi Stamps "Ted's Cupcake Party" digi; CASual Fridays "Whoot!  Whoot!" sentiment

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 25" stitched rectangle

Challenges:

Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog #280--anything goes with a sentiment

Cardz TV #146--anything goes

Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #163--anything goes

Unicorn Challenge #68--anything goes

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

Sheepski Designs #53--let's be cute

Creatalicious #216--anything goes with the optional twist: animals

2 Crafty Critter Crazies #53--anything goes

Paper Funday #32--anything goes with the optional twist: cute critters

Double Trouble #90--are you Kitten me? (Thing #1: any cute or bay animal--I have cute and a little baby bear!; Thing #2: play with 2 Crafty Critter Crazies)

Crafty Happiness #107--anything goes

Crafty Sentiments--anything goes

Penny's Creations #502--anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #503--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Be strong and courageous

  Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps.  This week the challenge is to add a tag to your project.

And here is the card I created:

Oh, my word!  This was the card that just did NOT want to be!  I tried so many things to make it work; I even had to switch sketches and that has never happened to me!  I needed a sympathy card and I was determined to make it work, but I almost had to let that dream go!  But, eventually, I got it to turn out passably . . . Here's how the end result came about.  I started by die cutting the tag and stamping the sentiment.  It looked a little plain, so I stamped a sunflower image in a light gray ink and colored it with colored pencils to get a soft look.  I die cut a second tag out of a light gray card stock and tied them together with some black and white gingham ribbon and a bit of twine.  I made the base out of kraft cardstock, and cut a smaller piece, inked up the edges with a caramel ink, embossed it with a corrugated embossing folder and matted it with a very thin black mat.  Added some black enamel dots for a little something extra and it was done . . . FINALLY!!

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 challenge.  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 "Be Strong . . ." and "Sunflower"

Dies: PaperTrey Ink "Tag Sale #9"

SU! Corrugated embossing folder

Challenges:

Aud Sentiments #280--anything goes

Krafty Chicks #570--anything goes

Cardz TV #146--anything goes

Sketch Saturday #671--any past sketch (I chose #535)

Sweet Stampin'--gingham, tartan & plaid (I used gingham ribbon)

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #163--anything goes

Crafts Galore #90--anything goes

Dare 2B Artzy--anything goes

Crafting Happiness #107--anything goes

Time

 A new month has arrived and that means a new challenge from the Love To Scrap Challenge Blog.  This month's challenge is Old School (Back to School or Old/Vintage).

And here is the card I created:

I went with the Old/Vintage theme.  I am a homeschool mom, so my kids don't "go" back to school.  I guess I could make them first day of school cards, or something, but I don't.  Also, my brother-in-law turned 40 yesterday, so it's kind of a play on the Old theme.  (And I can say that because I am now over 40 myself!)  I created my own "papers" by spritzing some water color paper with water before stamping the images with Black Soot Distress Oxide ink and then spritzing with water again.  Some parts didn't run as much as I wanted and some ran too much, but I guess it adds to the vintage look.  I made sure the panel was dry before stamping the script in a pale red.  His favorite color is red and I thought it added a little something without taking away from the vintage feel.  Then I blended around the edges with some Old Paper Distress Oxide and some Creamy Caramel SU! ink.  I did the same steps with the striped panel, except I didn't add any red.  I die cut my clock face, which is also vintage looking, along with the hands.  After die cutting them, I sponged on a little bit of light turquoise and copper metallic guilding pastes to give a verdigris look.  I finished it off with a stamped sentiment and some copper mini brads.  You can see the clock hands a bit more in the photo below.

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: Papertrey Ink "Damask Designs", "Distressed Stripes" and "Hands of Time"

Dies:Papertrey Ink "Hands of Time"; MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle

Challenges:

The Paper Shelter--anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #502--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Crafting Happiness #106--anything goes

Crafty Sentiments--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Lil' Red Wagon #612--Bette Davis Eyes (anything with a face--( I have a clock)

Aud Sentiments #280--anything goes

Krafty Chicks #570--anything goes

Cut It Up #231--create your own background paper

Cardz TV #146--anything goes

Sketch Saturday #671--any past sketch (I chose #498, but flipped it to the other side)