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:

 

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:

Pattie's Creations #234--anything goes

Creative Inspirations--Christmas in September

Christmas Kickstart #102--Santa in September

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Sweet Stampin'--use die cuts

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

Creative Knockouts #555--anything goes

As You Like It--your favorite die (this stitched rectangle die is one I use a LOT.  I adds a fun detail of stitching to the panel

Krafty Chicks #786--CAS

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)