Christmas Anniversary

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:

My parents' anniversary is the day after Christmas (49 years this year!!).  So, I figured I could get away with using some Christmas themed items on my card for them.  The paper and gold ribbon were already on my desk from previous Christmas cards and the little sparkly red heart has been on my desk for a loooong time (in my little bits and pieces stash).  The ripped edge rectangle die cut had its very first outing on this card.  I have had it for a while, but haven't used it.  I honestly have no idea where it even came from (their was no info on the packaging) or when I got it.  But now that I have rediscovered it; I will definitely be using it more often!

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 "Be Blessed"; Repeat Impressions "Pine Cone"

Dies: Eliazabeth Craft Designs pine branch; Picket Fence Studios "A Bow for all Reasons"; Memory Box "Snowberry Twigs"; Verve "Scalloped Trim Trio" little heart negative; unbranded stitched label die from Amazon;  stitched rectangle die (I have absolutely NO idea where it came from)

Challenges:

Cards Galore Challenge #142--anything goes

Crafty Calendar--winter or Christmas

We Love Stamping--red and green

613 Avenue Create--anything goes with the optional twist: sparkle & shine

NBUS--never before used schtuff (the rectangle die)

Colorful Options--green, red, brown, white OR rainbow

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

Word Art Wednesday #733--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #268--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday--sparkle & shine

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #661--sketch

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--add a sentiment

 

Wrap it Up

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

 Here is my card:

My ribbon is my "Wrap It Up" element.  My sentiment is from Mirtillamente; I didn't feel like coloring an image and I thought the font on this was really beautiful!  So, I printed it out nice and large, not quite sure what I was going to do with it.  As I was looking for a circle/oval die I discovered this wreath die and the card grew from there.  I found a circle die that matched the interior of the wreath die and used it to die cut the sentiment.  Then I die cut two of the wreath shapes out of a pine green card stock.  Then I chose a plaid patterned paper pack that had some of that same green in it and pieced several strips together to form the background.  I adhered it to a green base and adhered the sentiment circle to the background, then I layered the wreath die cuts together and adhered them around the sentiment.  I added the bits of gold sparkle ribbon and then used red enamel dots to create "berries".

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 "Mrs. Peters 2-2" digi sentiment

Dies: Paper Trey Ink "Rustic Wreath"; unbranded circle die

Challenges:  

Double Trouble #206--Wrap It Up (Thing #1: 3 of something {3 colors: red, green, gold}, 2 or anything {2 wreath die cuts}, 1 of everything else {sentiment}; Thing #3: ribbon, twine, bow, etc.)

Fab 'n Funky #627--Christmas

Penny's Challenge #610--anything goes

Jingle Belles--anything (Christmas) goes

Sweet Stampin'--It's Christmas

Cards Galore #142--anything goes

Die Cut Divas--Christmas/winter

Cheerful Sketches (I turned the sketch on its side)

Crafty Calendar--Christmas/winter

Creative Inspiration--Tis the Season

Crafty Gals #272--'Tis the Season

{Pin}spirational Challenge #332--cozy Christmas

613 Avenue Create--anything goes with the optional twist: sparkle and shine

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

C.R.A.F.T. #770--anything Christmas goes

Alphabet Challenge--R is for ribbon

Simon Says Stamp Monday--anything goes for Christmas holidays

The Paper Shelter--anything goes with the optional twist: Christmas

Lil' Red Wagon #838--Christmas

Blessed

Happy Friday!!!  It's time for a new challenge from the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.  This week, the challenge is: (Use an) Oldie but a Goodie

Here is my card for your inspiration:

This card was made almost entirely with items that were on my desk.  I was inspired by my super messy desk AND a Jingle Belles challenge from a couple weeks ago "Delicious Leftovers".  It was a challenge to use items that were left over from other projects.  I didn't get a chance to participate in that challenge, but it has been percolating around in my mind ever since.  The die cut black circle, the large snowflake and the "Blessed" die cut were all pieces that had been cut and just didn't make it onto a previous card.  The pattern papers are all from the same paper pack and it was on my desk from a previous card as was the gold sparkly ribbon.  The only things that I had to get out were the red card stock and the gold pearls.  I did have to die cut the vellum circle that is on top of the black circle, but the sheet of vellum was on my desk.

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: PaperTrey Ink "Fancy Flakes"; Spellbinders "Classic Circles, Large"; My Favorite Things "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle

Challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #267--anything goes

Pixie's Snippets Playground #521--anything goes with snippets

Cupcake Inspirations #632--Let It Snow

Double Trouble Challenge #206--Wrap It Up (Thing #1: 3 of something {patterned papers}, 2 of anything {die cut circles, layered}, 1 of everything {sentiment, ribbon, snowflake}; Thing #3: ribbon, twine, bow, etc.)

Girlz Creative #154--anything Christmas goes

Fab n' Funky Challenge #627--Christmas

Word Art Wednesday #729--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Lil' Red Wagon #837--J is for "just one word"

Penny's Challenge #610--anything goes

Die Cut Divas--Christmas or Winter

Be Merry

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

 Here is my card:

I was feeling lazy and did not feel like coloring.  I thought it would be fun to print out the image on some ledger paper that I had gotten at a second hand store a month or so ago.  It has a pale green tint, so I paired it with some patterned papers that have some green patterns.  I actually took a bunch of scraps from that paper pack and made my own background.  All but one of the strips was already cut to width, I just had to trim off the ends.  I stamped the sentiment on the same ledger paper and die cut it with a circle.  The ribbon was on my desk--just the perfect length.  And I finished everything off with some large, gold sequins.

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 "Mrs. Peter 21" digi; Papertrey Ink "Just Sentiments: Be Merry"

Dies: STAMPlorations stitched rectangle; unbranded circle die from Amazon

Challenges:

Creative Fingers Challenge #313--anything goes

Fab n' Funky #627--Christmas

Penny's Challenge #610--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--use dies

Double D--Christmas wrappings

CRAFT #769--Christmas OR anything goes

Cards Galore #142--anything goes

Die Cut Divas--Christmas/winter

Creative Inspirations--'Tis the Season

Crafty Gals Corner #272--'Tis the Season

Peace on Earth #101--anything Christmas goes with the optional mood board (I did not use the board)

Trio of Tags

Happy December 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 project for your inspiration:

I made three little scrap tags.  Something I started doing several years ago was create tags with little strips of patterned paper.  It's fun, cute, and uses up a lot of those scraps that are too small for anything else.  All of these strips were already cut to width, I just placed them on the tag base and trimmed for length.  I was happily stamping my little snowmen and paper piecing them with other scraps from the same paper pack when I realized I was creating for Critter Crazy Challenge and I needed to use a CRITTER!  I'm pretty sure snowman are not critters, so I got out the adorable little reindeer from the same stamp set.  To help the images stand out from the patterned background, I die cut vellum circles and placed them behind the images.  I die cut stitched banners and stamped the sentiment before adding them to the tag.  I finished them all off with bronze eyelets and scraps of ribbon that were on my desk.

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: YNS "Holiday Snow Globe" images; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" sentiment

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" tag base and "Blueprints 14" stitched rectangle; unbranded circle die from Amazon

Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T. #769--Christmas/anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #272--'Tis the Season

A Gem of a Challenge #12--anything goes

Jar of Flowers

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

Here is my card for your inspiration:

This is the birthday card for my youngest daughter.  She loves plants and flowers and has been growing dahlias the last couple summers.  So, I wanted to make her a card with a bouquet of dahlias.  I sized and printed out a whole bunch of blooms, leaves and buds to created this card.  I colored them and fussy cut them all out and then layered them together in the jar as if I was really creating a little bouquet.  I had to add some stamped stems as the digi set I used didn't have any stems with the flowers (other than with the buds).  I tied some twine around the jar and added some clear dewdrops to look like . . . dew drops!

Then I had some fun creating this fun fold card.  I have a die set that makes it nice and easy.  The hardest part is figuring out what colors you are going to use!  I stamped a second sentiment behind the sliding portion for a special surprise.

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: Repeat Impressions "jar"; Fred She Said "Dahlia Garden Digi set" (I used most of the images in the set); Verve "Be Blessed" outside sentiment; Papertrey Ink "Just Sentiments: Birthday"

Dies: My Favorite Things "Slider Surprise" and "Blueprints 13" stitched banner

Challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms #35--anything goes with optional mood board

A Gem of A Challenge--anything goes

Creative Creases #109--anything goes with a fun fold

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #266--anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #727--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Penny's Challenge #610--anything goes

Sweet Stampin'--birthdays

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Sending a little sparkle

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

 Here is my card:

I went very sparkly on this one, even adding the word "Sparkle" die cut from black glitter paper.  I also used a bit of recycled gold glitter ribbon and added gold sparkle and shine on the unicorn's wings, spots, horn and in her main and tail.  You can see all the sparkle a bit better in the photo below.

I also added a sprinkling of pink gems in case I needed some more sparkle!

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: Polkadoodles "I am so fluffy unicorn" digi; Papertrey Ink "Sparkle and Shine: Holiday"

Dies: PaperTrey Ink "Sparkle and Shine"

Challenges: 

Cards Galore #141--anything goes

Pattie's Creations #236--anything goes

Die Cut Divas--critters

Penny's Challenge #610--anything goes

Di's Digi Designs--wings/horns/tails (I have used them all)

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Creative Fingers #312--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #266--anything goes

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #656--sketch

Fab n' Funky #626--all that glitters

Little Red Wagon #834--Let's Fly!

Happy Cake Day

Happy Friday!!!  (Actually, I'm a couple days late--we had a big birthday weekend and I didn't have time to get this posted before Sunday!)  It's time for a new challenge from the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.  This week, the challenge is: Your Favorite Color

Here is my card for your inspiration:

I bet you can't guess what my favorite color is!  Yep, it is blue!  Blue also happens to be my daughter's favorite color and this is her birthday card.  She and her twin sister turned 17 this past week.  She loves monkeys, so of course, I had to add this super cute little guy and her favorite cake (mine, too) is called Death by Chocolate by one of our local restaurants.  It is a dark chocolate cake (so moist!) with a dark chocolate ganache type frosting  and the sides are studded with mini chocolate chips.  Soooooo good.  Anyway, I made the cake to look like that cake and added some die cut numbers to look like candles.  And of course added a fun sentiment that fit with that yummy cake!

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: Mama Elephant "Lunar Animals"; Cardz TV "Sugar Rush" sentiment

Dies: MFT cake (including candle flames); PaperTrey Ink "By the Numbers" border die numbers; unbranded circle die from Amazon

Challenges:

Creative Fingers #312--anything goes

Shopping Our Stash #364--A few of my favorite things (blue, ribbon, cake, rhinestones and patterned paper!!)

Cards Galore #141--anything goes

Pattie's Creations #236--anything goes

Die Cut Divas--critters

Cheerful Sketches--sketch

 

Penny's Challenge #609--anything goes

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Snowflakes

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

 Here is my card:

What better occasion for which to use sparkle than Christmas??  So, I chose to use this adorable winter fox with his winter hat and scarf.  I added ultrafine diamond glitter to his pom pom and hat trim and also to the snowflake he is holding.  The glue I was using came out too thick on the snowflake, so after I added the glitter I didn't like it and ended up scraping it all off.  For a fun twist, it left a very thin layer of glitter on the snowflake.  I also added some red glitter paper behind the fox to separate him from the background and backed that with a bunch of die cut snowflakes.  The picture below shows the sparkle a little bit better.

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: Polkadoodles "Snowflake Freddy Fox"

Dies: unbranded circle die from Amazon; PaperTrey snowflake dies

Challenges:

Creative Fingers #311--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #265--anything goes

Sparkles Christmas Challenge #178--festive wear

Cards Galore #141--anything goes

Pattie's Creations #236--anything goes

Unicorn #115--Christmas/winter

Crafter's Cafe #324--anything goes with the optional twist: Christmas

Die Cut Divas--critters

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 #315--sketch

Creative Inspirations--wrapped up in winter

Craft Rocket #131--Christmas/winter

Paper Funday #625--anything goes with the optional twist: Merry & bright

Penny's Challenge #609--anything goes

CRAFT #767--Christmas

Sweet Stampin--use red for Remembrance Day

Colorful Options--red or rainbow

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

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