Bold Thanks

I love purple on cards, but it is a hard color to work with sometimes.  I had this circle in my "bits and pieces" stash and thought it was going to be difficult to fit into something.  But, I think it turned out really well.  It's bold, but the chevron paper and the pops of black hold their own against it.

 I stamped the flower twice, cut out one entire flower and the center portion of the second, and layered them together with foam tape for some fun dimension.

Challenges:
Sugar Pea Designs #19--sketch

Loves Rubberstamps #137--anything goes
Shopping Our Stash #187--Getting Inky: use your oldest ink.  (The gray ink I used on the flower and the chevrons under the sentiment is, if not my oldest ink, part of my first ink purchase--probably $1 per ink pad about 12 years ago)
Word Art Wednesday #169--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
C.R.A.F.T. #297--decoupage (my flower)
Brown Sugar Challenge #132--anything goes
Sister Act Card Challenge #92--anything goes

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Joyful Blooms" flower and "Better Together" sentiment and chevrons; Hero Arts "French Script" on the flower
Dies: Spellbinders "Standard Circles, large"; MFT "Fancy Flourish"

CAS Thanks

This card started out with that gray oval which was in my "bits and pieces" stash.  I'm trying to use at least one item from there on each card I make until they are used up, and this piece was one I wasn't sure I would be able to use very easily.  But I LOVE the way this turned out.  The white embossing on the gray just really sets everything off.  I usually only stamp sentiments on white panels; but I will try to do more of this stamping onto dark because I really like it.

Challenges:
Clear It Out Challenge--theme: thank you; stash item: real/faux stitching (I used a stitching stamp on the yellow patterned paper)
Word Art Wednesday #168--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
DRS Designs #159--so shapely (long, thin rectangle and the oval)
Sister Act Card Challenge #91--anything goes
Suzy Bee's Blooming Challenge #65--anything goes: real or faux stitching
Digi Sketch Challenge--any sketch and/OR for the girls (I used the Digi Sketch from last week--such a fun sketch


Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Better Together" sentiment and "Text Objects" stitching
Dies/punches: Spellbinders "Radient Rectangles" oval; Fiskars "Upper Crest" border punch

Thanks

Sympathy cards are never fun to have to make.  But with that being said, I really did enjoy putting this card together.  If you have visited my blog at all since the new year, you know I am trying to use up my "bits and pieces" stash.  So the item on this card is the white sentiment panel.  

 I did harm a single piece of patterned paper for this card.  Everything was created using stamps and ink (and an embossing folder that I highlighted and softened with some gray ink).  Here's a close up of the "patterned paper" and the sentiment panel.  When I remember to do it, I really love adding subtle images to sentiment.

Challenges:

Word Art Wednesday #168--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

The Crafter's Cafe #101--create your own background

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday--anything goes

Sister Act Card Challenge #91--anything goes

Mojo Monday #383--sketch

Through The Purple Haze #76--anything goes

Cards Galore--use a stamp or digi

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve "Be Blessed" flowers; PTI "Boutique Borders: Sympathy" sentiment; Hero Arts "French Script"

Dies/embossing folders: Verve "Classy Label dies"; Cuttlebug embossing folder

Card Stock: PTI "Lemon Zest" and "Soft Stone"

Inks: PTI  Lemon Zest, Soft Stone, New Leaf and Sweet Blush

PTI Lemon Zest ribbon

Poinsettia for You

Happy February 1st!  I'm hear with my card for the Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra to inspired you to come play along this month.  As always, our sponsor is the fabulous Bugaboo Stamps and the winner will get to pick SEVEN images of their choice!!  Remember, you have all month to play along; you can link up as many times as you want and get a good jump on your Christmas card making for this year.  I used the adorable "Poinsettia Bear" from Bugaboo and I LOVE how this card turned out!  (That doesn't always happen to me, but it sure did this time.)

Not a single piece of patterned paper was used on this card; I created both patterns with good ol' stamps and inks.  I really like how the snowflake "paper" came out.  Of course, what really finished this card off is that fabulous snowflake die down the side.  It was sent to me by Gail Lass after I commented on how much I like the one she had used on one of her cards.  Wasn't that sweet?!  (You should go check out her blog, she does beautiful work!)  Anyway, I love how it adds depth and texture without covering up too much of the background.  And for my self-imposed challenge for this year, the shape the sentiment is stamped on was hanging out in my "bits and pieces" stash; another item used up!  After the card was all adhered together ('cause I've messed this step up before) I added some Stickles to the center of the poinsettia to give it some extra sparkle.

Now it's time for you to play along.  You can never start working on Christmas cards too early!

Challenges:

Digi Sketch Challenge--cute & sparkly OR the sketch (I think I managed to use both)

Crafter's Cafe #101--make your own background

Fab n Funky Challenges #244--Christmas

The Paper Shelter #188--Layers and lots of them

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday--anything goes

Southern Girls--sparkle and shine

Creative Knockouts #74--animal antics

Winter Wonderland--lots of layers

Supplies:

Stamps: Bugaboo Stamps "Poinsettia Bear"; Verve "Merry and Bright" snowflakes and "Ornamental Christmas" sentiment; PTI "Distressed Stripes"; Hero Arts French Script

Dies: Spellbinders "Standard Ovals, large" and "Classic Scalloped Ovals, large"; Verve "Mini Classic Labels"; MFT "Stitched Scalloped border"

Glory

Here's another fun card using an item from my "bits and pieces" stash.  This patterned oval has been in the stash for at least 2 years!!  I just wasn't sure what to do with it, because the pattern was a little strong to stamp over.  But then I started thinking about vellum and knew it would soften it up enough to allow the pattern to show, but not overwhelm the sentiment.  Yeay!  Another difficult piece used.  And it is what inspired the color combo.  It's a bit bright, but I think it's rather pretty.

 After adhering all the layers together, I spritzed the whole card with some Glimmer Mist.  It's hard to see in the photo but it really adds such a nice subtle sparkle.  And see that gorgeous diecut?  A very lovely woman sent a whole bunch to me after I commented on some dies she had used on her card.  Thanks, Gail!!

Challenges:

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round--anything goes

MFT #212--sketch

Meljen's Designs #244--let it snow

Di's Digi Designs--add sparkle

Suzy Bee's #64--add layers

Sentimental Sundays #243--anything goes

Christmas Card Challenge #8--anything goes

Tuesday Throwdown # 186--facets for crafting (rhinestones)

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve "Richly Blessed"

Dies: Spellbinders "Standard Ovals, large" and "Classic Ovals, large"; MFT "Stitched Scalloped borders"; Whimsy Stamps snowflake border (thanks again, Gail)

Cupcake Love

Time to get started on those Valentine's Day Cards.  I think I made 10 cards this week (might be a new record for me!) and this is the only one that didn't use anything from my "bits and pieces" stash.  But I really wanted to use this sketch and didn't have any pieces that worked.  BUT I have had that bling oval FOREVER and have never really figured how to use it.  I think it is a fun way to draw even more attention to this adorable cupcake cupid.

 Challenges:
Raisin Boat #30--Love is in the air
Sweet Stamps--hearts
Cuttin & Stampin--Valentine's Day
Word Art Wednesday--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Crafty Creations #281--something old, something new (the background stamp is old, old, old and the scalloped die is new)
DRS Designs #158--lovely hearts
Sister Act Card Challenge #90--anything goes
Dis Digis--add sparkle
Card Mania Challenge #64--Make it Sparkle
Retro Rubber #6--sketch


Supplies:
Stamps: Taylored Expressions cupcake set; SU! hearts & swirls background stamp
Dies: MFT "Stitched Scallops"; Sweet n' Sassy Stamps heart die

Happy Birthday

I had these three die cut circles in my "bits and pieces" stash and I had an idea floating around in my head.  And it actually came out pretty close to what I was thinking of.  CAS and quick and easy and kind of fun, too.

Challenges:
Card Mania Challenges #64--Make it Sparkle (lots of sequins and silver foil paper)
Stamping Our Stash #185--not your normal paper (I bought this foil paper several months ago and had yet to cut into it)
Crafty Creations #281--something old, something new (the card stock and paper are all over a year old and the "Happy Birthday" die I just got for Christmas)
Sugar Pea Designs One Year Birthday Bash--birthday
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday--anything goes
Sister Act Card Challenge #90--anything goes

Supplies:
Dies: Spellbinders "Standard Circles, large" and word die