Happy Birthday

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

And here is the card I created:

I started by heat embossing the "Flower Power Background" stamp with white embossing powder on a sheet of white card stock.  Then I used a blender brush to blend Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers, Chipped Sapphire and Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide inks onto the panel.  I really loved the Cracked Pistachio in the center, but unfortunately, it got mostly covered up by the center elements.  For some subtle shimmer and shine, I spritzed on a glimmer spray from Hero Arts which you can see a little bit in the photo below:

I had thought I would cut the panel in half and be able to use it on two cards, but once I made the cut, I saw that half the panel wasn't enough to be able to see how pretty it is.  So, I pieced it back together and covered the join with a bit of ribbon (left over from another project) and a border die.  Now, no one will ever know!  To keep from covering the panel too much, I die cut a rectangle out of vellum; it gives a grounding place for the sentiment circle, but also allows some of the background to show through.

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 photo.  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 "Flower Power Background" and "Happy Birthday"

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle (main panel); Spellbinders "A2 Matting Bascis A" rectangle, "Classic Circles, large" and "Scalloped Circles, large"; Altenew border die

Challenges:

Dies R Us #167--anything goes using dies from brands DRU sells (I used Spellbinders)

Sweet Stampers #55--lots of layers

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #156--anything goes

Incy Wincy--colors of Spring And/Or Embossing (I used embossing)

Double Trouble #82--Flowers (Thing #1--include flowers on your card)

Mojo Monday #558--sketch

Mod Squad--flowers

Creative Moments #213--anything goes

Aud Sentiments #273--Birthday sentiment

Krafty Chicks #556--all occasions

Cardz TV #135--anything goes

Birthday Fishes

 Oh, my goodness, I just LOVE this adorable Birdie Brown "Friends with Fins" set from My Favorite Things!!!  The little sea creatures are just too cute!

This scene is super fun and cute by itself, but I used the Launch Party DieNamics to add a fun leaping dolphin to the mix:

When you pull the pull tab, he pops up to bring smiles and birthday wishes.  Oh, so fun!!

Supplies:

Stamps: MFT "Friends with Fins"; YNS "Sea Creatures Sentiments"

Dies: MFT "Under the Sea", "Ocean Motion", "Launch Party"; Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Paper Smooches "Cute Clouds"

Taylored Expressions "Set The Scene: Clouds" stencil

Challenges:

Pattie's Creations #181--birthdays

Creative Craft Cottage #39--include an animal

Stay Crafty with Hero Arts #22--birthday

Creative Fingers #206--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #156--anything goes

Crafty Sentiments--anything goes

MFT Sketch #538--sketch (I turned it on its side)

Aud Sentiments Challenge #273--birthday sentiment

Krafty Chicks #556--all occasions (birthday)

Gradient Hello

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps.  This week is a fun theme: Let the Sentiment be the Highlight (or the focus of your card).

And here is the card I created:

For my mother's birthday this past weekend, I made this card.  I loved the colors I used for the flowers and the paper was still on my desk, so I decided to use them again to create my card for this challenge.  I created an ombre effect on the large sentiment using my mini MISTI which made it really easy!  I started out by stamping it with the lightest color of ink, then moved on to the medium shade.  I inked about 2/3 of the word with the medium ink and then softened the edge with a cloth.  For the darkest shade along the bottom, I used the darkest ink and inked up only the lowest 1/3 of the word again softening the edge with the cloth.  Such a pretty color mix!  Then I stamped the smaller sentiment overlapping slightly with black ink.  I stamped several times to get a nice, dark impression.  I used the same technique on the flowers--getting darker toward the center.  I added a thin, gold border to the top and bottom of the sentiment panel and used a gold paint pen to add gold dots to the centers of the flowers.

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 photo.  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 "Hello Cling Set" both words, "Daisy Solid, large", "Daisy Solid, small", "Leaf Outline, small" and "Leaf Outline, large"

Challenges:

Dare 2 B Artzy--bright colors

Kat Scrappiness--flowers

Crafty Creations #420--anything goes

Crafter's Cafe #263--flowers

Cardz TV #138--anything goes

Penny's Challenge #494--anything goes

Word Art Wednesday--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Creative Fingers #206--anything goes

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #401--anything goes with snippets (the paper was left over from the previous card--plus it had already been a leftover piece--the sentiment panel was a scrap and the flowers and leaves were all stamped and cut from scraps)

Someone very special

 My mom's birthday was today; this is the card I made for her.  Red is her favorite color so of course, I had to stamp some red(ish) flowers and add some red ribbon.

I made a fun gate fold card/gift card holder:

I die cut slots to hold the gift card, and then stamped the sentiment so it would be hidden until the gift card is removed.  Now you see it . . .

 . . . now you don't!

Supplies:

Stamps: Altenew "Flower Arrangement"; Verve "Better Together" sentiment; Mama Elephant "Inside Birthday Sentiments"

Dies: Altenew "Flower Arrangement" and "Crystal Frames"; Papertrey Ink "Filigree" border die

Challenges:

Atlantic Sketch Challenge #416--sketch

Scor-pal #80--anything goes with the optional twist: April showers or Fool us!  (I just went with the anything goes option)

Kat Scrappiness--flowers

Crafty Creations #420--anything goes

Crafter's Cafe #263--flowers

Creative Moments #212--anything goes

Aud Sentiments #272--anything goes

Cardz TV #138--anything goes

Cuttlebug Mania--gift card holder

Try Stampin' on Tuesday #502--more than one fold

Stay Crafty with Hero Arts #22--birthday

Did Someone Say Cake?

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

The challenge this time is: Animals Acting Like Humans
And here is my card for your inspiration:

Aren't these little guys so adorable??!!  And who can refuse a yummy looking cupcake like this?  The card is actually a 5x7 size which is much larger than I usually make.  I printed out the image quite large intending to make a very CAS card, but then decided I wanted a little more interest so I had to go bigger.  Unfortunately, the image is so large it covers up most of the fun chevron paper I used in the background.  But, its so cute, it really doesn't matter!

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 "Teds Cupcake Party" digi; MFT "Delicious Birthday" sentiment

Dies: Spellbinders "A2 Matting Basics A" rectangle

Challenges:

Unicorn Challenge #64--include an animal

Cards Galore #86--anything goes

Pattie's Creations #181--birthdays

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

Sheepski Designs #49--animal magic

Creative Craft Cottage #39--include an animal

2 Crafty Critter Crazies--anything goes

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2--sketch

Moving Along with the Times--animals/birds

Incy Wincy Designs--Borders and/or bright colors

Aud Sentiments #272--anything goes

Cardz TV #138--anything goes

Crafty Sentiments--anything goes

Penny's Challenge #494--anything goes

Cute Card Thursday #682--ribbon/twine

Stay Crafty with Hero Arts #22--birthday

10 Day Coloring Challenge--just color

With Sympathy

About a month ago, I received this gorgeous set from Altenew: "Rosy Lookout"!  It is a fabulous layering stamp set.  I mean, look at them!  They don't even looked stamped.  I had a chance to play with it and stamped multiples of almost all the images.  It was really easy using my mini MISTI.  I created another card with the other images; you can see it here.  For this card, I was in need of a sympathy card, as you can see.

 I heat embossed the frame with gold embossing powder and then stamped the sentiment with black ink.  The matching die made it quick and easy.  A little bit of dotted ribbon and some gold Nuvo drops finished everything off.  You can see the shine from the embossed image in the photo below.

The embossing really adds just the right amount of elegance.  And every sympathy card needs some elegance.

Supplies:

Stamps: Altenew "Rosy Lookout"; PaperTrey Ink "Boutique Borders: Sympathy"

Dies: Altenew "Rosy Lookout"; PaperTrey Ink "Boutique Borders: Sympathy"

Challenges:

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes

Love To Craft Challenge Blog #57--anything goes

Kat Scrappiness--flowers

Crafty Creations #420--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #155--anything goes

Crafter's Cafe #264--flowers

Creative Moments #212--anything goes

As You Like It--Favorite: stenciling or embossing (I am starting to enjoy stenciling, but I don't do a lot of it.  I LOVE both heat and dry embossing!!  I love watching the powder change as it melts and creates something amazing!!)

Fab n Funky Challenge #519--embossing, wet or dry

Word Art Wednesday--anything goes

Crafty Catz #517--anything goes with the optional twist: embossing, wet or dry

Happy Spring!

 Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built and this week the challenge is: Spring Has Sprung.  And here is the card I created for your inspiration:

I stamped, colored and fussy cut the bunny image then adhered it to the main panel and then adhered a die cut grass strip to the bottom of the panel after tying some twine around it.  I lined up the letter dies for the word "spring" using a grid mat and a strip of washi tape to hold them in place and then to transfer them to the sheet of patterned paper.  That way they come out perfectly spaced and in a straight line.  I added a strip of acetate (recycled from a stamp set packaging) behind the die cut letters and created a shaker element.  I finished it off with a die cut "happy" and some sprinkled sequins.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you will hop over to the House blog to see the rest of the DT's creations and then get inky and play along with us.  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 "Clover Bunny"

Dies: MFT "Happy Trio" and "Stitched Alphabet"; Sweet n' Sassy Stamps grass border

Challenges:

Your Next Stamp #161--Sunshine & Smiles (My little bunny is smiling and I'm sure he will bring smiles to the recipient!)

Unicorn Challenge #64--include an animal

Cards Galore #86--anything goes

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

Love To Craft Challenge Blog #57--anything goes

Crafty Calendar--spring or Easter

Sheepski Designs #49--animal magic

Stinkin Inkers--recycle/reuse (I recycled some stamp packaging to create the shaker window)

We Love Chocolate Baroque--springtime

Creative Craft Cottage #39--include an animal

2 Crafty Critter Crazies--anything goes

Paper Funday #28--anything goes with the optional twist: spring has sprung

Moving Along with the Times--animals/birds

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #155--anything goes

Creative Moments #212--anything goes

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2--sketch

{Pin}spirational Challenge #276--inspiration photo (I was inspired by the bunnies and the pink)

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #155--inspiration photo ( was inspired by the white bunnies, the pink and the dots)