Simply Amazing

  Happy Friday!!!  It's time for a new challenge from the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.  This week, the challenge is: April Showers Bring May Flowers

And our fabulous sponsor is:

Pink and Main

Here is my card for your inspiration:

Pink and Main sent me this lovely Stamp Set and Die set to work with.  There are 3 gorgeous flowers and sentiments to go along with them.  The die set cuts out the flowers and has three banner dies that fit the sentiments.  I chose to use the rose bud image, one of the sentiments and the banner die that coordinates with the sentiment.  Along with the brand new goodies, I pulled out some ooooold stuff out of my stash.  The background is a page from an old, old, old encyclopedia set, there's a bit of mulberry paper from back when it was so popular (great stuff, really) and an old spellbinders die set that I have had for years!

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: Pink & Main "Roses"

Dies: Pink & Main "Roses" dies; Spellbinders "Filigree Delight"

Challenges:

Word Art Wednesday #559--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Penny's Challenge #519--anything goes

Art Impressions #325--fun with flowers

Creative Fingers #229--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #180--anything goes

Double Trouble Challenge #108--Frame It (Thing #1: basic die shape {I used an oval, which I think is pretty basic}; Thing #3--flowers and/or butterflies; Thing #2--play with Dies R Us)

The Paper Shelter #508--world book day (I used a page from a book)

Cards Galore Challenge #98--anything goes

Dies R Us #190--flowers/spring (I used a spellbinders die)

Pattie's Creations #193--anything goes

Sweet Sketch Wednesday #227--sketch (I turned it on it's side to fit my image better)

NBUS #37--the stamp set and coordinating dies hadn't been opened until this card (I only just got them this month, but still . . .)

Crafting Happiness #122--anything goes

Easter Blessings

  Happy Friday!!!  It's time for a new challenge from the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.  This week, the challenge is: Easter and/or Make your own background

And our fabulous sponsor is:

DRS Designs

Here is my card for your inspiration:

I decided to create an Easter card, and I chose this beautiful Easter image from DRS Designs.  Because it is such an interestingly shaped image, I printed it out really big and used it as the main (and only) panel.  I colored the image with my Spectrum Noir markers, then masked the image so I could stamp the sentiment "Easter Blessings" repeatedly over the background with a pale gray ink (that way, I also completed the "make your own background" portion of the challenge).  Then I die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die.  I adhered it to a pale purple card base and finished everything off with some clear dew drops.

For the inside, I used the same stitched rectangle die to cut a panel of white card stock and then stamped a second Easter Sentiment and adhered the panel to the card base.

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: DRS Designs "Easter Lily and Crosses Oval" digi; Easter sentiments are from an old Flourishes set

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle

Challenges:

Incy Wincy Designs--Easter and/or animals (I went with Easter)

Cards Galore--anything goes

Pattie's Creations #193--anything goes

Creatalicious #232--anything goes with the optional twist: Easter

Crafting Happiness #122--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #179--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday--Easter/spring

Inkspirational #262--inspirational photo (I was inspired by the spring flowers)

The Paper Shelter #506--pastel Colours

Mod Squad Challenge--anything goes

Double D Challenge--Easter

Thankful for you

This card was made almost entirely from my bits and pieces stash.  The patterned paper and the die cut butterflies have been in there for a couple years; they were part of a little thank you gift for ordering some stamps.  The die cut heart was also in the stash and the "thankful" was left over from Thanksgiving.  I die cut 3 more out of cheap yellow card stock and layered them all together for dimension.  I heat embossed the sentiment on a little scrap of black card stock with white embossing powder and added a few pink enamel dots.  Quick and easy when it's all made out of scraps!

 Supplies:

Stamps: Verve 

Dies: MFT "Stitched Heart STAX"; unbranded "thankful"

Challenges:

Crafty Catz #589--anything goes with the optional twist: lots of layers

Snippets Playground #425--anything goes with snippets

Creative Fingers Challenge #228--anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #537--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Creative Moments--special lady (this card was made for my twins' Sunday School teacher who is looking for a new church closer to where she lives.  She has been their teacher for at least 8 years, so she is very special!)

Crafty Friends #154--colours of spring

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #179--anything goes

Penny's Challenge #518--anything goes

Krafty Chicks #605--anything goes

Birthday Wishes

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

And our fabulous sponsor is:

Taylored Expressions

Here is my card for your inspiration:

Taylored Expressions was so generous and gave the designers this beautiful stamp and die combo and a set of circle masking stencils to use for this challenge.  The flowers are just gorgeous!  And I'm excited to get to try the circle masks in different ways.  Thanks, TE!  I started by stamping the flower image and coloring it (for some reason, I find it much easier to color an image before I cut it out.  I guess I really need to be able to see those lines, I really don't know), then using the matching die to die cut it out.  I actually used the die to cut three more out of an inexpensive white card stock and layered them all together for some dimension.  I used the circle mask along with a brick wall stencil from MFT to create a landing place for these gorgeous flowers!  It also looks like it adds dimension, but the base is just one layer.  Using my mini MISTI, I curved my sentiment to fit in the blank space.  I finished everything off with a smattering of pink pearls  and then added some gold glitter shimmer pen to the green leaves which you can just see in the photo below.

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: Taylored Expressions "Spring Spray"; Verve "Better Together" sentiment

Dies: Taylored Expressions "Spring Spray"

Stencils: Taylored Expressions "Masking Stencils-Circles"; MFT brick wall

Challenges:

Cards Galore #97--anything goes

Pattie's Creations #192--anything goes

Die Cut Divas--birthday

Sheepski Designs #60--flowers

Creative Inspirations--spring flowers

Dare 2B Artzy--anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner #229--add a flower

Crafty Friends #153--flowers

NBUS #36--anything goes (the flowers, die and masks are all brand new, never before used)

Fab n' Funky Challenge #547--hand colored image

Penny's Challenge #517--anything goes

CRAFT #631--anything goes

Creative Fingers #221--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #178--anything goes

Krafty Chicks #604--all occasions (birthday)

Party like a pirate

 I have no idea how this happened, but my oldest is turning 16 tomorrow!!  16 is a big deal, so I wanted to create a fun, interactive card, and this is what I came up with: a fun 3-D pirate-themed box card.

I bought the MFT "Out of the Box" die a month or so ago and hadn't gotten it out to play yet.  This was the perfect time!  It was really quite easy to put together, if I had stuck to the basic design . . . but, no, I wanted to create a see-through look on the front so I made it a little more difficult for myself.  But the way it turned out was worth it.  Since there really wasn't any place for a sentiment on the front of the card, I added some decorative panels on the sides: this side has the sentiment . . .

and this side has a black, glittery "16", die cut out of black glitter paper.  You can see the fun dimension added by all the little shelves inside the box.

So fun, and I love how cute the different sea creatures are!

Supplies:

Stamps: MFT "Party Like a Pirate" and "Friends with Fins"

Dies: MFT "Outside the Box", "Ocean Waves", "Ocean Floor"; Lawn Fawn "Stitched Hillsides"; Papertrey Ink "By the Numbers" border die

Stencil: Taylored Expressions "Set the Scene: Clouds"

Challenges:

Pattie's Creations #192--anything goes

Cutie Pie  #169--beginning with B (I have a lot of blue)

Die Cut Divas--birthday

Love To Craft Challenge Blog #67--anything goes

Craft Rocket #90--use an animal

Dare 2B Artzy--anything goes

NBUS #36--anything goes with never before used shtuff (first time using the out of the box die set)

Incy Wincy Designs--nature and scenery

Fab n Funky #547--hand colored image

Penny's Challenge #517--anything goes

Creative Fingers #257--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #178--anything goes

The Paper Shelter #504--animals

C.R.A.F.T. #631--anything goes

Krafty Chicks #604--all occasions

Christmas Present

 I decided to recycle some of the Christmas cards I received this year.  The present was recycled from one of those cards.  I found some red dotted ribbon in my bits and pieces stash and then found some matching patterned paper scraps to go with the color scheme.  The three snowflakes were part of a bunch of crafty items I bought at a yard sale a couple years ago.  They were already punched and I adhered two together to create each element, to give a little depth and stability.

I added a little bit of red and white twine, a little red brad and a stamped sentiment to finish it all off.

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve "Ornamental Christmas" sentiment

Martha Stewart snowflake punch

Challenges:

Unicorn Challenge #75--dots and/or stripes (dotted ribbon)

Sparkles #134--Santa Claus is coming to town (there are two Santas on my patterned paper, and they brought a gift)

Cards Galore #97--anything goes

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

Love To Craft Challenge Blog #67--anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #43--anything goes

Winter Wonderland--Christmas presents

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 #225--sketch

Christmas Kickstart #60--snowflakes are winter's butterflies

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #177--anything goes

Blessed my life

 A couple weeks ago, one of my cats knocked over my bits and pieces stash (in their defense it was quite precarious!).  So, I took a little time to organize it and look through the different bits and pieces I had.  Most of the elements on this card were in the stash, so it was a very quick and easy card to create.  The patterned papers, sentiment and matching leaf sprigs have been there for several years.  I received it in an order I received from Verve, probably just as they were closing up shop.  I colored the little sprigs and fussy cut the two that are not part of the sentiment.  Then I pulled the already stamped flower out of the pile thinking it worked quite perfectly!  I just needed some pink card stock and pearls and a bit of olive organza ribbon to finish it off.  I love quick and easy!

Supplies:

Stamps: Altenew

Challenges:

Unicorn Challenge #74--dots and/or stripes (I've got both)

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

Creative Sketchy Girls #68--flowers

Crafty Calendar--spots/stripes or Easter

Sheepski #60--flowers

Crafty Gals #229--add a flower

Crafty Friends #153--flowers

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #177--anything goes

Try Stampin' on Tuesday #546--sketch

Simon Says Stamp Monday--feminine

Word Art Wednesday #535--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Penny's Challenge #517--anything goes