Under the weather

Happy November 1st!!  It's time for a new challenge on the Critter Crazy Challenge blog!  As always, it is a month long challenge: Anything Goes as long as you feature a creature.  Here is my card for your inspiration:

Thanks for stopping by!  Hop on over to the Critter Crazy blog and check out the details and the rest of the projects from the Design Team.

Supplies:

Stamps: Clearly Besotted "Under the Weather"; Verve "Joyful Blooms" and "To the Moon" trio of hearts

Dies: MFT Stamps "Blueprints 13" banner 

Challenges:

Pattie's Creations Challenge #235--anything goes

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 #313--sketch

Love Those Pretty Papers--anything goes with the optional twist: woodland critters

Word Art Wednesday #723--anything goes

Penny's Challenge #608--anything goes

Crafty Catz #703--anything goes with the optional twist: halloween (I did not use the twist)

Snippets Playground #518--anything goes with snippets (all of the patterned paper were scraps or cut from scraps.)

 

Thankful

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

Here is my card for your inspiration:

October is traditionally Pastor Appreciation month--a time for church congregations to shower their pastors with appreciation.  They work hard guiding, teaching, leading, etc. and so it is a good time to show them that we appreciate them.  This card is actually not for one of our pastors but for a man who has filled in for our church several times when we have been between pastors and is also teaching a class that my husband and I are taking.  So, I decided to give him a card as well as the four pastors at our church.  We gave them each a gift card to Dunkin' Donuts because, here, in Rhode Island, no one can live without their coffee!!!  (Except me, I don't drink coffee.)  Since I was including a coffee gift card with this card, I decided to continue that theme over onto the card front with the little travel coffee cup.  I thought I had a larger one in stamp form, but after thinking about where that would be, I decided it was most likely in digital form and I didn't have time to search it out, so little it is.

I embossed the front of the card base with a really pretty leaf embossing folder.  Then I added two different die cut maple leaves (I just love the shape of them the best!) cut from a really bright, rather hideous orange card stock.  After inking the edges with red ink, I think they turn into the most beautiful leaves!  I stamped, colored and die cut the travel cup and adhered it on top of the leaves and then die cut the word "thankful" from gold matte card stock and stuck it on the top of the pile.  I finished it all off with some tiny yellow rhinestones.  I didn't want anything too flashy as this is a masculine card, but I think the rhinestones are a good touch.

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: PaperTrey Ink "Heart to Heart #2" coffee cup

Dies: Papertrey Ink large maple leaf; unbranded set from Amazon including the smaller leaf and sentiment

Park Lane embossing folder

Challenges:

Creative Inspirations--autumn/something spooky

Creatalicious Challenge #293--anything goes with the optional twist: fall colours or Halloween

Can You Handle the Pressure--anything goes with the optional twist: pumpkins or orange (I have orange leaves)

Creative Knockouts #557--Halloween OR fall

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #264--anything goes

Penny's Challenge #608--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday--add some texture (texture from the embossing folder, the rhinestones and the layered elements)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Crafty Chicks #792--anything goes

Paper pieced pumpkins

Hello, everyone!  It's time for the mid-month reminder for the challenge from the Creative Moments Challenge blog.  The theme is: Wings and Things.  I am using an image from our fabulous sponsor: Mirtillamente.

 Here is my card:

I wasn't feeling like coloring this image this time around, so I decided to paper piece the entire thing.  I'm not sure why in the world I thought that would be faster OR easier!  Not my brightest idea, but it did turn out really great!! (At least, I think so!)  It took forever because I had to print out each section pretty much one at a time (and I may have miss printed a couple times and had to redo it).  I used scraps from this beautiful paper pack for the images and then used paper from the same pad for the rest of the card.  The largest pinkish panel is a piece of patterned paper from the pack, but since it is plain, I ran it through a leaf embossing folder for some texture and interest.  I punched out some butterflies from coordinating paper from the pack and added them with gold pearls.  I finished it off with some beautiful gold ribbon.

You have all month to play along.  So, get inky and link up your creation; I can't wait to see what you create!

Supplies:

Stamps: Mirtillamente "Autumn Season" digi

Dies: unbranded circle die from Amazon

Martha Stewart butterfly punch

Challenges: 

Unicorn Challenge #114--autumn AND/OR Halloween

Cheerful Sketches #149--sketch

Creative Inspirations--autumn/something spooky

Creatalicious Challenge#293--anything goes with the optional twist: fall colours or Halloween

Craft Rockets #130--autumn/Halloween

{Pin}spirational Challenge #330--pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere

Love Those Pretty Papers--anything goes with the optional twist: Halloween colors (I did not use the optional twist)

Inkspirational #352--seasonal

Pearly Sparkles Challenge #112--pumpkins and/or leaves

As You Like It Challenge--ribbon or twine and why? (I use both, but I prefer ribbon.  I love the texture it adds and the fact that it comes in ALL the colors.  And It creates really beautiful bows.  Since this is an extra large size, I will probably either hand deliver this one or include it inside a package, so the added bulk isn't a problem.)

Creative Fingers #310--anything goes

Plaid birthday

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

Here is my card for your inspiration:

This was the card I made for my brother's birthday.  I used a fantastic stamp set from Altenew that created that beautiful tartan/plaid background.  It takes a little bit of time, but you can create a fabulous background in any color!  After stamping the panel, I die cut it with a stitched rectangle die.  Then I die cut the "happy" several times from white card stock and adhered the layers together for some dimension.  I stamped the "happy" from the coordinating stamp set onto the die cut layer.  I stamped "birthday" on a piece of dark gray card stock and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  I adhered that panel onto the "happy" and added some enamel dots.

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: Altenew "Tartan" (unfortunately, it does not seem to be available anymore); PaperTrey Ink "Pairings: Commodities" (also does not seem to be available anymore)

Dies: My Favorite Things "Blueprints 13" (discontinued); PaperTrey Ink "Pairings: Commodities

Challenges: 

Cards Galore Challenges #140--anything goes

Die Cut Divas--anything goes

Moving Along with the Times #182--sentiment as the focus

Word Power--sentiment as the focus

Penny's Challenge #607--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday--add some text

Krafty Chicks #790--CAS

Birthday Wishes

Hello, everyone!  It's time for a new challenge from the Creative Moments Challenge blog.  The theme is: Wings and things .  I am using an image from our fabulous sponsor: Mirtillamente.

 Here is my card:

I colored up this beautiful "Rose Mandala" image, added gold enamel dots, a die cut bow and some punched butterflies (for my wings).  I added more of the enamel dots to the centers of the butterflies for a fun touch.  I die cut the main panel with a stitched rectangle die and matted it with gold matte card stock before adhering everything to a teal card stock base.

You have all month to play along.  So, get inky and link up your creation; I can't wait to see what you create!

Supplies:

Stamps: Mirtillamente "Rose Mandala" digi; Verve "Be Blessed" sentiment

Dies: My Favorite Things "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle; Picket Fence Studios "A Bow for Any Reason"

Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch

Challenges:

Double Trouble Challenge #201--SomeThing, AnyThing, EveryThing (#1: 3 colors of card stock {white, matte gold, teal}, 2 dies, 1 sentiment)

Krafty Chicks #788--birthday

Creative Fingers Challenge #309--anything goes

Di's Digi Designs--hand colored image

Cards Galore Challenge #140--anything goes

Pattie's Creations #235--anything goes

Crafter's Cafe #323--anything goes with the optional twist: flowers

Die Cut Divas--anything goes

Creatalicious Challenge #293--anything goes with the optional twist: happy birthday

Beautiful Blossoms #33--anything goes with flowers with the optional mood board

Snowy Christmas

Happy Friday!!!  It's time for a new challenge from the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.  This week, the challenge is: Use more than one die cut.

Here is my card for your inspiration:

As always, I was looking to create a quick card (I just can't seem to get myself together enough to have time to actually spend creating!) and this one fit the bill.  I looked through my stash of new(ish) dies and stamps that is sitting on my desk and found this gorgeous snowflake frame die from Lawn Fawn and knew I definitely wanted to use it.  As I went to my other desk to use my die cutting machine, I saw this commercially produced Christmas card front in one of my other stashes and knew it would be perfect to go behind my snowflake frame and it was!  Then I die cut "Christmas" out of gold mat card stock and "merry" out of black card stock (twice, so I could stack them together for a bit more dimension) and glued everything in place.  Quick, easy, and quite stunning in real life, I think.  I didn't add any embellishments as I thought there was enough going on without them.  In hindsight, I wish I had placed a layer of vellum over the background picture so the greeting would stand out a bit better, but I didn't, so . . . this is what I ended up with.

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:

Dies: Lawn Fawn snowflake cover plate die (unfortunately, I don't see it on their website); Picket Fence Studios "Merry Christmas Word Dies"

Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday--trees

Penny's Challenge #606--anything goes

Little Red Wagon #827--H is for Holidays

As You Like It--favorite: square or not (I almost always create an A2 sized rectangle card because you can get two card bases out of one sheet of 8x11 inch card stock.  That makes it more economical for me and I can easily get envelopes to fit.)

Cards Galore Challenges #140--anything goes

Die Cut Divas--anything goes

Moving Along with the Times #182--sentiment as the focus

Word Power--anything goes with the sentiment at the focus

Hoppy Birthday

Happy October 1st!!  It's time for a new challenge on the Critter Crazy Challenge blog!  As always, it is a month long challenge: Anything Goes as long as you feature a creature.  Here is my card for your inspiration:

This is the birthday card for my brother-in-law whose birthday was earlier this week.  We have quite a string in our family: his was the 16th, my husband's was the 19th, my longtime family friend was the 20th and mine was the 21st!  Anyway, I had some fun with this one.  The striped border piece was created from small scraps of a paper pack that I have finally managed to use up (I have one border strip left and several tiny die cut circles left).  I laid some number dies along the bottom of the main panel and partially die cut them so the tops are still attached.  I added a tiny strip of green to ground the numbers and then stamped and colored my little scene.  I have been having a lot of fun with this set lately and I feel like it has gotten enough use that I can put it aside and move onto using some of my other stamp sets that I have had for a long time and haven't had the chance to ink up.

Thanks for stopping by!  Hop on over to the Critter Crazy blog and check out the details and the rest of the projects from the Design Team.

Supplies:

Stamps: Memory Box "Hoppy Holiday"

Dies: PaperTrey Ink "By the Numbers" border die

Challenges:

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #262--anything goes

Double Trouble Challenge #201--SomeThing, AnyThing, Everything (#1: 3 of something {images, I actually used for different stamps to create the main image}, 2 of anything {patterned papers--I a LOT on that border strip}, 1 of something {one border die})

Penny's Challenge #606--anything goes

Di's Digi Designs--hand colored image

Pixie's Snippets Playground #516--anything goes using snippets (I used up a ton of scraps on the border strip)

Crafter's Cafe #323--anything goes with the optional twist: flowers (I did not use the twist)

Creatalicious Challenge #293--anything goes with the optional twist: happy birthday (I did not use the twist)

Stuck Santa

A couple weeks ago, I won the chance to be a guest designer for Penny's Challenge.  So, this week begins my challenge, and I was given this fun image by the sponsor, Dr. Digi's Stamps.  The challenge (as always) is: Anything Goes.  Here is the card I created for your inspiration:

I decided to keep it simple in order to allow the image to shine.  I die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die (this is probably my favorite die; I use it more than any other die, I'm pretty sure!)  Then I die cut an icicle border out of white glitter paper.  I stamped the sentiment and added some snowflakes around it with light gray ink.  After coloring the image, I added a very fine diamond glitter to the snow parts of the image.  You can see all the glittery goodness in the photo below:

Thanks for stopping by.  Make sure you head over to the Penny's Challenge blog to see what the Design Team created for this challenge.

Supplies:

Stamps: Dr. Digi's Stamps "Stuck Santa" digi; Verve "Merry & Bright" sentiment

Dies: My Favorite Things "Blueprints 12" stitched rectangle, and Icicle border die

Challenges:

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #262--anything goes

Crafter's Cafe #323--anything goes with the optional twist: flowers (I did not use the twist)

Creatalicious Challenge #293--anything goes with the optional twist: happy birthday (I did not use the twist)

Fall Birthday

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

Here is my card for your inspiration:

For this fall card (which is my husband's birthday card), I pulled out an old set from Papertrey Ink and inked up the leaves in varying colors of ink to get the fall look.  The white cardstock was already cut and was in my bits and pieces stash.  I stamped some falling leaves on a kraft panel, roughed up the edges and inked around them with some Antique Linen Oxide ink.  I tied some twine around the based panels and added a small die cut leaf.

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: PaperTrey Ink "Through the Trees" and MFT "Essential Sentiments"

Dies: MFT tiny leaves; STAMPlorations "Stitched Rectangles

Challenges:

Cards Galore #139--anything goes

Die Cut Divas--anything goes

Creatalicious Challenge #293--anything goes with the optional twist: happy birthday

Paper Funday #80--anything goes with the optional twist: changing seasons

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #270--fill in the blanks: fall . . .  (leaves)

Cardz 4 Guyz #378--autumn/fall

Sweet Stampin'--use die cuts

Inkspirational Challenge #350--trees

Penny's Challenge #605--anything goes

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #647--sketch

The Paper Shelter #651--anything goes with the optional twist: the leaes are falling

Double D--make your own background

Christmas Joy

Hello, everyone!  It's time for a new challenge from the Creative Moments Challenge blog.  The theme is: Trees.

 Here is my card:

I have had this stack of commercially made Christmas cards that I have been holding on to thinking they would be good to recycle to make new cards.  This is one of them.  It was a long slim image surrounded by white, so I just trimmed it down to fit the width of my card and took a little off the top to make it fit my layout better.  The background paper is one sheet, the pattern contains strips of all the other papers in the paper pack.  I added a very narrow strip of red glitter card stock to the top of the image panel and finished everything off with some red pearls on the tree and on the sentiment strip.

You have all month to play along.  So, get inky and link up your creation; I can't wait to see what you create!

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve "Beyond Blessed"

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 14" stitched banner

Challenges:

ABC Christmas Challenge--S is for Stockings, T is for Trees (I chose trees)

Creative Inspirations--Christmas in September

Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers #61--sketch

Inkspiration Challenge #350--trees

Penny's Challenge #605--anything goes

C.R.A.F.T. #764--Christmas

Creative Knockouts #555--anything goes

Fall Trees

Hello, everyone!  It's time for a new challenge from the Creative Moments Challenge blog.  The theme is: Trees.  We don't have a sponsor this month, so it's just for fun.

 Here is my card:

Since we did not have a sponsor, I pulled out an OLD, old, old, SU! stamp set: Lovely as a Tree.  It's been ages since I've used it, and it was perfect for our theme this month.  I stamped it and then colored in the trees with fall colors.  My fall paper packs didn't really match the colors I had in my image, so I created my own background with an embossing folder.  First, I die cut a white card stock panel with a stitched rectangle die.  Then I placed it in the embossing folder and inked up the top of the embossing folder with Distress Oxide ink in Speckled Eggs.  I ran it through my die cutting machine and repeated this several times to get some nice color on the background of the panel while still keeping most of the raised parts white.  I used some scraps of patterned paper to finish off the sketch.  For a fun touch, I dabbed glue onto the trees and sprinkled on some super fine glitter.  It has a really nice sparkle which you can see in the photo below:

I used a matt gold shimmer card stock to mat the image panel and also to die cut the sentiment.  I was a bit concerned to cover the image with the sentiment, but it is delicate enough that it really doesn't hide very much of it.

You have all month to play along.  So, get inky and link up your creation; I can't wait to see what you create!

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! "Lovely as A Tree"

Dies: My Favorite Things "Blueprints 25" stitched rectangle; Your Next Stamp "hello" die

Challenges:

Di's Digi Designs--show some sparkle

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #645--sketch

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--stamp it

Simon Says Stamp Monday--stamp it

Creative Fingers #307--anything goes

Cards Galore Challenge #139--anything goes

Pattie's Creations #234--anything goes

Creatalicious Challenge #292--anything goes with the optional twist: use lots of bling/glitter

Paper Funday #80--anything goes with the optional twist: changing seasons

Colorful Options--anything goes

Mistle-toad

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

Here is my card for your inspiration:

Doesn't this card make you laugh??  This was my daughter's idea.  I was going to use this frog stamp set and was trying to figure out what to hang off the bow for the "mistle-toe".  My daughter suggested attaching the frog to the string.  At first I wasn't so sure, but I tried it and she was right!  I added a sprinkling of snowflakes with a dot of silver stickles in the centers.  I was planning on it being super CAS, but thankfully, at the last minute I remembered that I was supposed to use a die cut!  So, I quickly cut a panel out of the already finished card and adhered it to another card base.  Crisis averted!! 

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: Memory Box "Be Hoppy"

Dies: My Favorite Things "Blueprints 25" stitched rectangle

Challenges:

ABC Christmas--P is for Pastel Colors, Q is for Quick, R is for Robins (I chose Q for quick!)

Jingle Belles--cardstock Christmas (no patterned paper)

Di's Digi Designs--show some sparkle (the stickles on my snowflakes)

Simon Says Stamp Monday--stamp it

Girlz Creative Christmas Challenge #140--anything goes

Paper Shelter #649--anything goes with the optional twist: CAS

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--stamp it

Cards Galore Challenge #139--anything goes

Pattie's Creations #234--anything goes

Die Cut Divas--anything goes

Creative Inspirations--Christmas in September

Paper Funday #80--anything goes with the optional twist: changing seasons 

Thinking of you

Happy September 1st!!  It's time for a new challenge on the Critter Crazy Challenge blog!  As always, it is a month long challenge: Anything Goes as long as you feature a creature.  Here is my card for your inspiration:

Several months ago, a friend's son passed away.  I've recently discovered that he had a thing for dragonflies and as such, she has taken a liking to them as well.  I wanted to send her a card letting her know I was thinking of her in her grief and thought a beautiful dragonfly would be the perfect focal point!  I used some beautiful SU! papers--the dark blue paper has a nice sheen to it.  I also repurposed the sparkly gold ribbon; it was a part of a gift wrapping that this same friend had sent me before her son died when I was going through an especially difficult time.  I thought it made a fitting embellishment.  I colored the dragonfly using blue and green inks and added some gold shimmer nuvo pen over top to add some sparkle and shine.  You can see it in the photo below, but it definitely looks better in real life!

I finished everything off with a few tiny gold pearls to draw in the gold ribbon and the gold sparkle on the dragonfly itself.

Thanks for stopping by!  Hop on over to the Critter Crazy blog and check out the details and the rest of the projects from the Design Team.

Supplies:

Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Large Dragonfly"; Verve "Accent Notes" sentiment

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Ovals, large"

Challenges:

Crafter's Cafe #322--anything goes with the optional twist: use patterned paper

Creatalicious Challenge #292--anything goes with the optional twist: lots of  bling/glitter

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #260--anything goes

As You Like It--favorite coloring medium (I love my Spectrum Noir markers--I love the blendability and the bold colors)

Word Art Wednesday #714--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Penny's Challenge #604--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Di's Digi Stamps--show some sparkle

Sweet Stampin'--use your favorite color (though the shade has changed over the years, blue has been my favorite color for as long as i can remember)

Rawr!

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

Here is my card for your inspiration:

This birthday card was for my nephew who turned 11 last month.  It is part of my push to use up all the scraps of this paper pack!  It was such a fun background that it needed a fun monster to go along with it!  The ones were die cut from scraps from the same pack, and I die cut them twice more from scrap cardstock to give them some dimension off the card.  I did the same with the balloons which were die cut from scraps of card stock.  I used some gold embroidery thread for the strings.  I used glossy accents on the monster's eyes to give a nice shine.

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: Your Next Stamp "Silly Monsters" image and sentiment

Dies: Spellbinders "You Don't Say" speech bubble; MFT balloons; Papertrey Ink "By the Numbers" border die

Challenges:

Crafter's Cafe #322--anything goes with the optional twist: patterned paper

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #207--happy birthday

Colorful Options--neutral color palette or rainbow colors (I chose the rainbow options--I used all the colors!)

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Creative Fingers #306--anything goes

Di's Digi Designs--use die cuts and/or punches

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #260--anything goes

As You Like It--favorite coloring medium and why? (I love using alcohol markers--specifically my spectrum noir markers--I love the blending ability and the boldness of the colors)

Merry Christmas

 It's my last week as a guest designer for CRAFT Challenge.  I've had a great time and hope I have inspired you with my creations!  This challenge is: Christmas.  We have two wonderful sponsors: Sheepski Designs and All Dressed Up.

I used an image from Sheepski Designs and here is my card for your inspiration:

I was able to use up a bunch of scraps on this one.  All the strips on that center panel are from scraps and the snowflakes were all die cut from scraps of white card stock, as was the sentiment banner.

Head on over to the CRAFT Challenge blog to see what the DT created, then get inky and play along!  I can't wait to see what you create!!

Supplies:

Stamps: Sheepski Designs digi image (I don't have a name, just a string of numbers!); PaperTrey Ink "Just Sentiments: Be Merry"

Dies: unbranded circle die from Amazon; Memory Box "Lindeman Snowflake"; My Favorite Things "Sweet Snowflakes"; Verve banner die

Challenges:

Sparkles #175--include a tree (the top strip of patterned paper has a bunch of trees)

Pattie's Creations #233--anything goes

Crafter's Cafe #322--anything goes with the optional twist: use patterned paper

Lil' Red Wagon #821--circle of life

Pixie's Snippets Playground #513--anything goes with snippets

Unicorn Challenge #112--girls

Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers #60--sketch

Make My Monday #258--snow in August

Di's Digi Designs--die cuts and/or punches

Peace On Earth #94--anything goes with optional mood board (I used the red and white color scheme as inspiration)

Sympathy

Hello, everyone!  It's time for the mid-month reminder for the challenge from the Creative Moments Challenge blog.  The theme is: Embossing.  I am using an image from our fabulous sponsor: SheepSki Designs.

 Here is my card:

Another sympathy card needed.  I absolutely love how this one turned out!  I had an idea in mind and it actually turned out pretty much how I envisioned.  I printed out the image in a large enough size to really take up most of the card.  I colored it up and then fussy cut it out so I could adhere it on top of an embossed panel.  I stamped the sentiment and at first had a fancy border stamped around it as well, but it just didn't seem to fit with the feel of the card.  So, I cut off the borders and popped up the simple sentiment and it just finishes the card perfectly!!  I added a few small pink pearls and that was all it needed.

You have all month to play along.  So, get inky and link up your creation; I can't wait to see what you create!

Supplies:

Stamps: Sheep Ski Designs "Wild Roses" digi; PaperTrey Ink "Boutique Borders: Sympathy"

Darice Damask embossing folder

Challenges:  

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #259--anything goes

Cards Galore Challenge #138--anything goes

Pattie's Creations #233--anything goes

Creative Inspiration--anything goes

We love Stamping--flowers

Can You Handle the Pressure--anything goes with the optional twist: summer fun

Triple B--anything goes with birds/blooms/butterflies

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Creative Fingers #306--anything goes

Penny's Challenge #603--anything goes

Counting the stars

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

Here is my card for your inspiration:

I have been working really hard to use up EVERY single scrap of this patterned paper pack!  The partial star was already die cut from a previous project and the side strip was made with little tiny scraps of the same pack.  And then I had some little tiny scraps left and I die cut out the three brown stars. I pulled them all together and thought the would work perfectly with this sentiment.  I will probably use it as an encouragement card.  If God knows the names of the stars, He certainly knows your name and He cares about YOU!!

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 "Shining Star"

Dies: My Favorite Things "Star Stax";  Stamps of Life little stars

Challenges:

Word Art Wednesday #711--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #259--anything goes

Snippets #512--anything goes with snippets (every single thing on here is a snippet, other than maybe the card base)

Cards Galore #138--anything goes

Creative Inspirations--anything goes

Colorful options--mood board colors OR rainbow (I went with the rainbow option)

Hello

I was chosen as the Star of the Month for CRAFTChallenge several months ago, and I get to guest design for them for the month of August.  For the first challenge the theme is Summer/Holiday (Vacation)/Anything Goes.  The sponsor is Star Stampz.

I chose to go with the Summer theme.  Where I live (on the coast of New England, USA), strawberries ripen at the beginning of summer.  So, when I saw this image, I decided to go with a strawberry themed card, and here it is for your inspiration:

I colored up my image and then chose some green and red patterned papers to extend the color scheme.  I die cut the "hello" and finished everything off with some red pearls.

I hope that you will stop by the CRAFT blog to see what the Design Team did for this challenge.  And then come back and play along with us.

Supplies:

Stamps: Star Stampz "Strawberry" digi

Dies: YNS "hello"; unbranded circle die from Amazon

Challenges:

Shopping Our Stash #553--eat 5 a day (fruits and veggies)

Creative Fingers #305--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #259--anything goes

Cards Galore #138--anything goes

Creative Sketchy Girls #105--sketch

 

Pattie's Creations #233--anything goes

Unicorn Challenge #112--girls

Creative Inspirations--anything goes

Creatalicious #291--anything goes with the optional twist: summer fun/at the beach (summer fun: picking strawberries)

613 Avenue Create--anything goes with the optional twist: summer fun

Love Those Pretty Papers--summertime

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Bear hugs

Hello, everyone!  It's time for a new challenge from the Creative Moments Challenge blog.  The theme is: Embossing.  I am using an image from our fabulous sponsor: Sheepski Designs.

 Here is my card:

Yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary!  This is the card I made to give to him.  I used an embossing folder on my patterned paper on my base layer--something I don't think I have tried before.  It gives a fun texture, obviously, but I'm not sure I like it and it sort of muddies up the pattern on the paper itself.  Overall, I do think it turned out really cute.

In the photo below you can see the sentiment I added to the inside as well as one of the die cut hearts left over from the front of the card.

You have all month to play along.  So, get inky and link up your creation; I can't wait to see what you create!

Supplies:

Stamps: Sheepski Designs "Fuzzy Friends"; PaperTrey Ink "Inside and Out: Love"

Dies: unbranded circle die from Amazong; MFT "Tag Builders: Blueprints 5" hearts

Challenges:

Sweet Sketch Wednesday (Retro) #229--sketch

Can You Handle the Pressure--anything goes with an embossing folder with the optional twist: birthday or anniversary

The Paper Shelter--anything goes

Crafty Catz #699--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday--summertime blue

Make My Monday #257--masculine

Penny's Challenge #602--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Little Red Wagon #818--masculine

Krafty Chicks #779--anything goes

Creative Fingers #305--anything goes

Hoppy birthday

 Happy August 1st!!  It's time for a new challenge on the Critter Crazy Challenge blog!  As always, it is a month long challenge: Anything Goes as long as you feature a creature.  Here is my card for your inspiration:

This card was created with a bunch of scraps and bits that were lying on my desk just waiting to be used.  Since I was in a bit of a hurry (as I very often am), I decided to use some of these pre-made elements and create a fun, and cute, birthday card for a family member.  I really enjoy trying to use up every last bit of patterned paper from my paper packs.  When I get down to just little scraps, I love to create the border pieces using small strips of scrap paper.  The varying widths and patterns make for a fun element, I think.  So, I trimmed off the front of my card base and adhered one of these border pieces to the front.  I also had the die cut "hello" letters (two sets of them, don't ask me why I had two sets!!) sitting on my desk and thought it would be a fun addition to the sentiment AND add a bit more interest to this otherwise very CAS car.  I stamped the frog, fly and trail and sentiment directly onto the card base, colored up the frog and glued the "hello" in place and it was finished!  I love the pun in the sentiment!

Thanks for stopping by!  Hop on over to the Critter Crazy blog and check out the details and the rest of the projects from the Design Team.

Supplies:

Stamps: Memory Box "Hoppy Holidays"

Dies: MFT "Essential Hello"

Challenges:

NBUS #76--never before used schtuff (this is the first outing for this adorable frog stamp set)

Inkspiration Challenge #346--birthday

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #258--anything goes

The Paper Shelter--anything goes

Crafty Catz #699--anything goes

Make My Monday #257--masculine

Word Art Wednesday #710--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Penny's Challenge #602--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Little Red Wagon #818--masculine

Krafty Chicks #779--anything goes

Creative Fingers #305--anything goes

Monochrome

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

Here is my card for your inspiration:

I had a bunch of fun with this one as I stepped outside my comfort zone and went a little bit mixed media.  I started by stamping a French Script in several places over the background.  I then stamped the frame image three times and added several butterflies, all in the same Aqua Mist ink.  I splattered on some gold and black splatter from Picket Fence Studio.  I stamped the sentiment with the same Aqua Mist ink and added some gold thread and some gold nuvo enamel drops to finish everything off.

You can see the shimmer on that gold splatter in the photo above.  I also swiped on some of that same platter in onto my sentiment panel for some extra shimmer.

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: Hero Arts "French Script"; Altenew frames; Picket Fence Studio butterflies; Verve "Be Blessed" sentiment

Dies: My Favorite Things "Blueprints 13" stitched banner

Challenges:

Inkspirational Challenge #346--birthday

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #258--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday--make your own background

Nbus--never before used schtuff (the first time out for the butterfly stamp set)

Creative Knockouts #551--sparkle & shine

Cards Galore #137--anything goes

Die Cut Divas--happy birthday

We Love Stamping--sun, sea & sand OR anything goes (I went with anything goes)

Joy to the World

 A couple months ago, I won the chance to be a guest designer for CRAFT Challenge Blog.  This challenge is the one I get to design for!!  Yippee!!  The challenge is "Christmas in July" and the two amazing sponsors are The Cutting Cafe and Dr. Digi's House of Stamps.

I am using an image from Dr. Digi's House of Stamps and here is my card for your inspiration:

I thought using this gnome as a Christmas image was a bit of fun, so I colored him up to look a bit like Santa.  And he is "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."  Now that I say that, I wish I had added a Christmas tree; that would have been so fun!!

I used some scraps of patterned paper and a snowflake border die cut that was in my bits and pieces stash.  The silver stars also were in the stash.  To go with the music theme, I embossed the base panel with a music score embossing folder.  It added so much interest to all that white space!

Supplies:

Stamps: Dr. Digi's House of Stamps "Tony I Gnomey" digi; Papertrey Ink "Just Sentiments: Be Merry" sentiment

Dies: Memory Box snowflake border; Verve stars

Darice embossing folder

Challenges:

Cards Galore Challenge #137--anything goes

Pattie's Creations #231--anything goes

Crafter's Cafe Blog #321--anything goes with the optional twist: Christmas in July

Creative Inspirations--stars AND/OR stripes

Craft Rockets #127--Christmas in July

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 #307--sketch

Moving Along With the Times #180--masculine

Crafty Gals Corner #268--fill in the blank-- . . . in July (Christmas)

613 Avenue--anything goes with the optional twist: any holiday

Creative Fingers Challenge #305--anything goes

Make My Monday #256--embossing

Di's Digi Stamps--Christmas in July

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #258--anything goes

Paper Shelter--anything goes