Friday, December 30, 2022

A New Year

  Happy Friday!!!  It's time for a new challenge from the Cut It Up Challenge Blog and it is the final one of the year.  This week, the challenge is: Happy New Year


And our fabulous sponsor is:
The Cutting Cafe

Here is my card for your inspiration:

I was given this fun cutting template to use.  I don't have an electronic cutter, so I had to cut it out with scissors and a kraft knife.  My card is not a traditional New Year's card, but it is a card celebrating a new year (a birthday card) at the beginning of the new year (January).  It is for a friend of mine who's birthday is near the beginning of January.  The beautiful flower was in my bits and pieces stash as were the two green leaves.  I die cut the banner die and stamped the birthday sentiment onto it before adding it behind the flower.  I finished it off with some punched butterflies and pearls.  It would have been quite quick and easy if I didn't have to cut the template out by hand, so if you have a cutter, go ahead and give it a try!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you will hop over to the Cut It Up blog for the full details of the challenge and to see what the rest of the Design Team has created. 

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Be Blessed" sentiment
Dies: MFT "Blueprints 25" stitched banner
The Cutting Cafe "January Word Shaped Card" template
Martha Stewart butterfly punch

Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Paper Funday #48--anything goes with the optional twist: holiday time
613 Avenue Create--anything goes with the optional twist: up in the sky (butterflies)
Penny's Challenge #536--anything goes
Creative Fingers #245--anything goes
Sweet Stampers #75--anything goes
The Paper Shelter--anything goes
CRAFT #662--anything goes
Krafty Chicks #644--anything goes

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

I appreciate you

 Hold on to your hats and maybe grab a snack, 'cause this post is going to contain a lot of pictures!  I created these cards for the Kendra's Card Challenge #8 on her facebook group.

The premise of the challenges is to take 6 sheets of 6x6 patterned paper and, following Kendra's cutting chart and card sketches, create 17 cards.  Yes, 17 cards!!  This time around, I created a set of "Thank You" cards as I was in need of several and they are always good to have in your stash.  So, here we go:

Before I start, I apologize for the color of the orangey card stock.  In real life it matches the patterned papers much better.  It is more of a melon color, but what are you going to do?
I chose some masculine-ish papers because I knew the first three I needed were going to go to the men who are the pastors at our church.  I made them back in October for Pastor's Appreciation month (yes, it took me three months to finish all of these!).  
I kept the embellishments minimal and tried to carry the star theme throughout the collection as some of the papers had stars on them and stars are good for both men and women.
I used the same sentiment set from Pretty Pink Posh on all of the cards; I used several of the different sentiments in the set.
I used the same three colored card stocks for all of the cards: kraft, Ocean Tides and Melon Berry from Papertrey Ink.
I used Spellbinders Circle dies on most of the cards.
A few of the cards got some texture from embossing folders.

Almost all of the cards have die cut stars from an old Verve star die set.


This card and the following card are two of my favorites.  They are much more feminine and use my all-time favorite embossing folder with a damask design from Cuttlebg.

Texture and stars on that one!

A few of them have some kraft grossgrain ribbon to add a touch of texture.
The above card and the one below have a bit of a patchwork look going on as one of the papers I chose had "strips" of all the papers from the set.

Several of the cards use some bright orange enamel dots.

I used a couple different border dies to add some fun and interest to some of the cards.

Phew!!  You made it all the way through to the end!  If you love patterned paper and like being able to use it up without having lots of little pieces left over, definitely check out Kendra's challenge.  She will have a new one starting January 1 that will run for 3 months.  I am going to try to play with more of her challenges in 2023, I only managed to play in 2 of them this year.

Supplies and Challenges:
Card #1:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large" and "Scalloped Circles, large"; Verve pennant border die

Challenges:
Word Art Wednesday #576--anything goes with uplifting sentiment


Card #2:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"; Verve "To the Moon" small stars

Challenges:

Card #3:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Spellbinders "Radiant Rectangles"

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

Card #4:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Verve star die

Challenges:
Crafter's Cafe #292--anything goes


Card #5:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large" and "Scalloped Circles, large"

Challenges:
Crafty Calendar--anything goes


Card #6:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large" and "Scalloped Circles, large"; Verve pennant border die
SU! corrugated cardboard embossing folder

Challenges:
Penny's Challenge #536--anything goes


Card #7:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Verve star die

Challenges:


Card #8:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Verve star die

Challenges:
Sweet Stampers #75--anything goes
613 Avenue Create--anything goes with the optional twist: up in the sky (stars are up in the sky)
 
Card #9:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large" and "Scalloped Circles, large"; Verve star die
Cuttlebug damask embossing folder

Challenges:
We love Stamping--I love . . . (I love damask designs in any for--stamps, dies, embossing folder, etc.!  I also love patterned paper AND being able to use up every little scrap of a patterned paper sheet!)

Card #10:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large" and "Scalloped Circles, large"; Verve star die
Cuttlebug damask embossing folder

Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Card #11:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Verve star die
Darice embossing folder

Challenges:


Card #12:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Ovals, large"

Challenges:


Card #13:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Verve star die

Challenges:
The Paper Shelter--anything goes

Card #14:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Verve star die

Challenges:
CRAFT #662--anything goes

Card #15:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Verve star die

Challenges:
Snippets Playground #444--anything BUT Christmas goes (while technically these cards didn't begin with snippets, after you cut the paper for the first one, they all use snippets--and they use up 6 ENTIRE sheets of paper!!  All the white layers were cut from snippets as well as all the stars and many of the mats for the different layers)

Card #16:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Verve star die

Challenges:
Creatalicious #249--anything goes with the optional twist: CAS Christmas

Card #17:
Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"
Dies: Verve star Trim Trio border die

Challenges:
Paper Funday #48--anything goes with the optional twist: holiday time





















Friday, December 16, 2022

First Christmas

  Happy Friday!!!  It's time for a new challenge from the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.  This week, the challenge is: Christmas!!!!


And our fabulous sponsor is:
Pink and Main

Here is my card for your inspiration:
I was looking through my dies to find one that said "Merry Christmas" as I had a completely different card in mind using that die.  I found it and then saw this manger scene die that I had yet to use and a completely different card began to form in my mind.  I started out with a dark blue card stock cut with a stitched rectangle die and then I darkened the edges with Black Soot Distress Oxide ink.  I spritzed on a white shimmer and then used various products to flick on the "stars": white nuvo drops and white watercolor paint.  The larger droplets are from the shimmer spray.  I die cut  black "ground" layer with the same stitched rectangle die and trimmed it to leave just a bit at the bottom.  I then stamped and heat embossed my sentiment with gold embossing powder.  I die cut the manger scene from black card stock.  The star is actually attached inside the stable between Mary and Joseph, so I snipped that off and then die cut another star using the gold glitter paper.  I layered both stars together to create some dimension.  I adhered everything together and then adhered the whole panel to a dark blue card base.  It was relatively quick and simple and I'm glad I finally got to use that die!
Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you will hop over to the Cut It Up blog for the full details of the challenge and to see what the rest of the Design Team has created. 

Supplies:
Stamps: CAS-ual Fridays "Snowy Sayings" sentiment
Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle; STAMPlorations unnamed manger scene die

Challenges:
Sparkles Christmas Challenge #143--non-traditional Christmas colors
Cards Galore #106--anything goes
Creative Moments #241--anything goes with the optional twist: Christmas/winter celebrations
Die Cut Divas--anything goes as long as it is winter or Christmas
Crafty Calendar--anything goes
Sheepski Designs #69--'Tis the Season
Creatalicious #249--anything goes with the optional twist: CAS Christmas
Winter Wonderland--anything Christmas goes
Paper Funday #48--anything goes with the optional twist: holiday time
Dare 2B Artzy--Clean and simple
Crafty Gals Corner #238--'Tis the Season
613 Avenue Create--anything goes with the optional twist: up in the sky (my star take up the whole sky!)
NBUS--never before used stuff (first time I have used this nativity die)
Incy Wincy Designs--Christmas AND/OR movement
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #624--anything Christmas goes with the optional twist: quick and easy
Sweet Stampers #74--anything goes
Use Your Stuff #473--anything goes Christmas edition
Fab n' Funky #563--last minute Christmas
Inkspirational Challenge #280--word prompt: GOLD (I have a gold star and gold embossed sentiment)













Penny's Challenge #536--anything goes
As You Like It--anything Christmas goes
Krafty Chicks #642--anything goes

Friday, December 2, 2022

Winter Hello

  Happy Friday!!!  It's time for a new challenge from the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.  This week, the challenge is: Winter


And our fabulous sponsor is:
Oddbart Art, Co.


Here is my card for your inspiration:
A while ago, I won this adorable little owl image.  I decided to turn him into a snowy owl for this challenge.  So, I colored him up in snowy owl colors (I had to look it up on the internet) and added some puffy snow to the branches.  I added some other snowy touches with a snowflake embossing folder and some die cut snowflakes.  I used some icy blue papers to add to the feel as well.  I stamped the sentiment which says "A Winter Hello" and finished everything off with some clear rhinestones on the die cut snowflakes.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you will hop over to the Cut It Up blog for the full details of the challenge and to see what the rest of the Design Team has created. 

Supplies:
Stamps: Oddball Art Co. "Lizzy Love IMG 58A"; Papertrey Ink "Fab Flakes" sentiment
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; MFT snowflakes
Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

Challenges:












Simon Says Stamp Monday--Freezing Mood Board










Creative Knockouts #481--winter wonderland
Time Out Challenge #228--winter or holiday season