A New Year

  Happy Friday!!!  It's time for a new challenge from the Cut It Up Challenge Blog and it is the final one of the year.  This week, the challenge is: Happy New Year

And our fabulous sponsor is:

The Cutting Cafe

Here is my card for your inspiration:

I was given this fun cutting template to use.  I don't have an electronic cutter, so I had to cut it out with scissors and a kraft knife.  My card is not a traditional New Year's card, but it is a card celebrating a new year (a birthday card) at the beginning of the new year (January).  It is for a friend of mine who's birthday is near the beginning of January.  The beautiful flower was in my bits and pieces stash as were the two green leaves.  I die cut the banner die and stamped the birthday sentiment onto it before adding it behind the flower.  I finished it off with some punched butterflies and pearls.  It would have been quite quick and easy if I didn't have to cut the template out by hand, so if you have a cutter, go ahead and give it a try!

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" sentiment

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 25" stitched banner

The Cutting Cafe "January Word Shaped Card" template

Martha Stewart butterfly punch

Challenges:

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

Crafter's Cafe Blog Challenge #292--anything goes

Paper Funday #48--anything goes with the optional twist: holiday time

613 Avenue Create--anything goes with the optional twist: up in the sky (butterflies)

Penny's Challenge #536--anything goes

Creative Fingers #245--anything goes

Sweet Stampers #75--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #196--anything goes

Tuesday Morning Sketches #689--anything goes

The Paper Shelter--anything goes

CRAFT #662--anything goes

Krafty Chicks #644--anything goes

I appreciate you

 Hold on to your hats and maybe grab a snack, 'cause this post is going to contain a lot of pictures!  I created these cards for the Kendra's Card Challenge #8 on her facebook group.

The premise of the challenges is to take 6 sheets of 6x6 patterned paper and, following Kendra's cutting chart and card sketches, create 17 cards.  Yes, 17 cards!!  This time around, I created a set of "Thank You" cards as I was in need of several and they are always good to have in your stash.  So, here we go:

Before I start, I apologize for the color of the orangey card stock.  In real life it matches the patterned papers much better.  It is more of a melon color, but what are you going to do?

I chose some masculine-ish papers because I knew the first three I needed were going to go to the men who are the pastors at our church.  I made them back in October for Pastor's Appreciation month (yes, it took me three months to finish all of these!).  

I kept the embellishments minimal and tried to carry the star theme throughout the collection as some of the papers had stars on them and stars are good for both men and women.

I used the same sentiment set from Pretty Pink Posh on all of the cards; I used several of the different sentiments in the set.

I used the same three colored card stocks for all of the cards: kraft, Ocean Tides and Melon Berry from Papertrey Ink.

I used Spellbinders Circle dies on most of the cards.

A few of the cards got some texture from embossing folders.

Almost all of the cards have die cut stars from an old Verve star die set.

This card and the following card are two of my favorites.  They are much more feminine and use my all-time favorite embossing folder with a damask design from Cuttlebg.

Texture and stars on that one!

A few of them have some kraft grossgrain ribbon to add a touch of texture.

The above card and the one below have a bit of a patchwork look going on as one of the papers I chose had "strips" of all the papers from the set.

Several of the cards use some bright orange enamel dots.

I used a couple different border dies to add some fun and interest to some of the cards.

Phew!!  You made it all the way through to the end!  If you love patterned paper and like being able to use it up without having lots of little pieces left over, definitely check out Kendra's challenge.  She will have a new one starting January 1 that will run for 3 months.  I am going to try to play with more of her challenges in 2023, I only managed to play in 2 of them this year.

Supplies and Challenges:

Card #1:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large" and "Scalloped Circles, large"; Verve pennant border die

Challenges:

Word Art Wednesday #576--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Card #2:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"; Verve "To the Moon" small stars

Challenges:

Cards Galore Challenge #106--anything goes

Card #3:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Spellbinders "Radiant Rectangles"

Challenges:

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

Card #4:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Verve star die

Challenges:

Crafter's Cafe #292--anything goes

Card #5:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large" and "Scalloped Circles, large"

Challenges:

Crafty Calendar--anything goes

Card #6:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large" and "Scalloped Circles, large"; Verve pennant border die

SU! corrugated cardboard embossing folder

Challenges:

Penny's Challenge #536--anything goes

Card #7:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Verve star die

Challenges:

Creative Fingers #245--anything goes

Card #8:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Verve star die

Challenges:

Sweet Stampers #75--anything goes

613 Avenue Create--anything goes with the optional twist: up in the sky (stars are up in the sky)

 

Card #9:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large" and "Scalloped Circles, large"; Verve star die

Cuttlebug damask embossing folder

Challenges:

We love Stamping--I love . . . (I love damask designs in any for--stamps, dies, embossing folder, etc.!  I also love patterned paper AND being able to use up every little scrap of a patterned paper sheet!)

Card #10:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large" and "Scalloped Circles, large"; Verve star die

Cuttlebug damask embossing folder

Challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Card #11:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Verve star die

Darice embossing folder

Challenges:

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #196--anything goes

Card #12:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Ovals, large"

Challenges:

Tuesday Morning Sketches #689--anything goes

Card #13:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Verve star die

Challenges:

The Paper Shelter--anything goes

Card #14:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Verve star die

Challenges:

CRAFT #662--anything goes

Card #15:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Verve star die

Challenges:

Snippets Playground #444--anything BUT Christmas goes (while technically these cards didn't begin with snippets, after you cut the paper for the first one, they all use snippets--and they use up 6 ENTIRE sheets of paper!!  All the white layers were cut from snippets as well as all the stars and many of the mats for the different layers)

Card #16:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; Verve star die

Challenges:

Creatalicious #249--anything goes with the optional twist: CAS Christmas

Card #17:

Supplies:

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings"

Dies: Verve star Trim Trio border die

Challenges:

Paper Funday #48--anything goes with the optional twist: holiday time

First Christmas

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

And our fabulous sponsor is:

Pink and Main

Here is my card for your inspiration:

I was looking through my dies to find one that said "Merry Christmas" as I had a completely different card in mind using that die.  I found it and then saw this manger scene die that I had yet to use and a completely different card began to form in my mind.  I started out with a dark blue card stock cut with a stitched rectangle die and then I darkened the edges with Black Soot Distress Oxide ink.  I spritzed on a white shimmer and then used various products to flick on the "stars": white nuvo drops and white watercolor paint.  The larger droplets are from the shimmer spray.  I die cut  black "ground" layer with the same stitched rectangle die and trimmed it to leave just a bit at the bottom.  I then stamped and heat embossed my sentiment with gold embossing powder.  I die cut the manger scene from black card stock.  The star is actually attached inside the stable between Mary and Joseph, so I snipped that off and then die cut another star using the gold glitter paper.  I layered both stars together to create some dimension.  I adhered everything together and then adhered the whole panel to a dark blue card base.  It was relatively quick and simple and I'm glad I finally got to use that die!

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: CAS-ual Fridays "Snowy Sayings" sentiment

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle; STAMPlorations unnamed manger scene die

Challenges:

Sparkles Christmas Challenge #143--non-traditional Christmas colors

Cards Galore #106--anything goes

Creative Moments #241--anything goes with the optional twist: Christmas/winter celebrations

Die Cut Divas--anything goes as long as it is winter or Christmas

Crafty Calendar--anything goes

Sheepski Designs #69--'Tis the Season

Creatalicious #249--anything goes with the optional twist: CAS Christmas

Winter Wonderland--anything Christmas goes

Paper Funday #48--anything goes with the optional twist: holiday time

Dare 2B Artzy--Clean and simple

Moving Along with the Times #149--Christmas

Crafty Gals Corner #238--'Tis the Season

613 Avenue Create--anything goes with the optional twist: up in the sky (my star take up the whole sky!)

NBUS--never before used stuff (first time I have used this nativity die)

Incy Wincy Designs--Christmas AND/OR movement

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #624--anything Christmas goes with the optional twist: quick and easy

Sweet Stampers #74--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #195--anything goes

Use Your Stuff #473--anything goes Christmas edition

Crafting Happiness #137--Christmas

Fab n' Funky #563--last minute Christmas

Inkspirational Challenge #280--word prompt: GOLD (I have a gold star and gold embossed sentiment)

Penny's Challenge #536--anything goes

As You Like It--anything Christmas goes

Krafty Chicks #642--anything goes

Winter Hello

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

And our fabulous sponsor is:

Oddbart Art, Co.

Here is my card for your inspiration:

A while ago, I won this adorable little owl image.  I decided to turn him into a snowy owl for this challenge.  So, I colored him up in snowy owl colors (I had to look it up on the internet) and added some puffy snow to the branches.  I added some other snowy touches with a snowflake embossing folder and some die cut snowflakes.  I used some icy blue papers to add to the feel as well.  I stamped the sentiment which says "A Winter Hello" and finished everything off with some clear rhinestones on the die cut snowflakes.

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: Oddball Art Co. "Lizzy Love IMG 58A"; Papertrey Ink "Fab Flakes" sentiment

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; MFT snowflakes

Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

Challenges:

Creative Sketchy Girls #78--sketch

Simon Says Stamp Monday--Freezing Mood Board

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Creative Knockouts #481--winter wonderland

Time Out Challenge #228--winter or holiday season

Let's get together

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

And our fabulous sponsor is:

STAMPlorations

Here is my card for your inspiration:

Oh, boy, did I have fun with this one!!  If you read my last post, you will know that I don't drink coffee.  I LOVE the smell, but do not like the taste at all.  But I know a lot of, what I call, coffee addicts so it's always fun to make a coffee themed card.  I started with this fabulous "Sketched Coffee Cup" from Stamplorations (it's a digital image) and printed it out twice on white card stock, once on my patterned paper and a partial image on the kraft "sleeve".  I fussy cut one of the white images to use as the base, then fussy cut the patterned paper and adhered it to the base.  I fussy cut just the lid of the second white image and added a little shading with a gray marker then adhered it to the top.  I fussy cut the kraft "sleeve" and then ran it through my die cutting machine with a corrugated embossing folder.  I die cut the word "coffee" from brown card stock three times and adhered them all together, then adhered it onto the coffee cup.  The dimension on this is fabulous!!  The patterned paper background and the dotted strip are both cut and pieced together behind the main panel, but no one (except you) will ever know!  Both leaves were in my bits and pieces stash and the smaller patterned paper pieces were scraps.  My sentiment was pieced together from two different sentiment and part of the second was masked off to get the final sentiment.  Using the MISTI makes it so much easier, though I did have to fiddle around for a bit to get the two lined up correctly.

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: STAMPlorations "Sketched Coffee Cup" digi; Papertrey Ink "Heart to Heart #1" sentiments

Dies: Papertrey Ink large maple leaf; MFT small leaf; Verve "Coffee"

Challenges:

Snippets Playground #441--anything goes with snippets

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #499--sketch

Double Trouble #125A--De-Ja Brew (Thing #1: Coffee/tea/cocoa)

Double D--Hot Beverage

Cards Galore--anything goes

Crafter's Cafe #29--dies or punches

Paper Funday #47--anything goes with the optional twist: colors of fall

Dare 2B Artzy--non-birthday

Word Art Wednesday #570--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Incy Wincy--give thanks OR encourage a friend

Fall Thanks

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

And our fabulous sponsor is:

Lawn Fawn

Here is my card for your inspiration:

You know that feeling when you create a card you are really happy with and it happened pretty much by accident?  Yep, I have that feeling with this card.  The leaf (already inked), the sentiment banner, the glittery "thanks" and the focal circle were all sitting on my desk in my bits and pieces stash.  I had a sketch in mind for my card and all of these pieces fit it just perfectly!!  The two rectangular pieces of patterned paper I didn't even have to cut, except trimming the top 1/2" off the gnome paper.  They were already perfect!  And I used scraps for the little banners on the left and the coffee mug.  I did have one little goof that has added one piece back into my bits and pieces stash, unfortunately.  I wanted to add some dimension to the "thanks" die cut, so I cut three more out of scrap white card stock, adhered them all together and went to adhere the gold sparkly piece on top when I realized they were not cut with the same die! Then I realized that I must have borrowed the original die from my mother-in-law.  Thankfully, I had several more of the gold sparkly die cuts and I adhered a couple of them together to achieve the dimension I wanted.

Another funny story about this card:  I DO NOT drink coffee, ever!!  Well, I went out with my friend the day I made this card and I decided "hmmm . . . that caramel apple latte sounds really good; I'll give it a try."  Well, that was a mistake!!  My stomach roiled and rumbled ALL day!!  Apparently, if you don't drink coffee it does something will all the acids in your stomach.  I most likely will not be trying that again!  I think I'll probably send this card to that friend and hope she enjoys a laugh out of it.  

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: Lawn Fawn "Thanks a Latte" mug and sentiment

Dies: Lawn Fawn "Double Slider Surprise" sentiment banner; MFT "Blueprints 13" smaller banner; PTI maple leaf; Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; and Verve "Flag It" larger flag banner

Challenges:

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #192--anything goes

Snippets Playground #440--anything goes (with snippets of course) with the optional twist: autumn/halloween

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #497--sketch

Cupcake Inspirations #556--anything goes

Double Trouble #124--SomeThing, AnyThing, EveryThing (Thing #1: anything goes, Thing #3: play with past partners--I played with Atlantic Hearts and Cupcake Inspirations)

Die Cut Divas--anything goes

Sheepski Designs #68--gems, glitter, sparkle

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--thanks/thanksgiving

Creative Knockouts #477--lots of layers

Krafty Chicks #636--stamp act

It's all about the eyes

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

And our fabulous sponsor is:

DRS Designs

Here is my card for your inspiration (actually, I have 2 cards!):

My family doesn't celebrate Halloween, so I don't make Halloween cards, usually.  I had planned to make something with this sentiment that could be a Halloween card but wouldn't be limited to it.  But when I saw this inspiration photo from Cupcake Inspirations Challenge, I knew I HAD to try to recreate that little zombie cupcake on a card;

It was super fun and quite easy to make!  I started by cut 1/2 in strips of white card stock from scraps I had lying around.  Then I inked up the edges with the bit of Black Soot Distress Oxide Ink that was left on my blending brush after creating a different project.  I die cut the circle out of a panel of white cardstock and adhered a scrap of green card stock underneath.  Then I randomly glued the strips of white onto the card making sure to overlap the circle but not cover too much of it.  Then I die cut the whole panel with a stitched rectangle die.  I created the eyes with two black circles that were in my bits and pieces stash (left over from a project long, long ago) and die cut two slightly larger white circles (which were cut from scraps).  I used that same circle die to cut partial circles for the eyelids.  I adhered the sentiment with foam squares and adhered the whole panel to a black mat and then onto a purple card base.

The second card was actually one I had in mind when I chose this sentiment from DRS Designs to work with.  I die cut black card stock with a stitched rectangle die and then die cut two circles from it.  Then I ink blended the edges with Dusty Concord Distress Oxide.  I was hoping it would add a little bit of night sky look to the panel.  Instead it ends up looking a little foggy and spooky, but that works, so I went with it.  I popped in onto a black card base using foam squares and then adhered the googly eyes in place and added the sentiment.  Then I sat there for a long time trying to decide if I should just leave it as it was or add some kind of embellishments.  I really wanted to give the idea of small glowing eyes (from an unknown creature), but none of my enamel dots or gemstones, or anything gave the look I was going for.  I finally decided it was too play without any additions, so I used nuvo dots in a Christmasy green to add the glowing "eyes".  I would have preferred something a little more yellow, but didn't have it so went with what I did have.  So, now that you know the intent, if you squinty and look at it just the right way, maybe you can see the look I was going for.  

I will most definitely be using this sentiment again, for something other than a Halloween card.  I'm envisioning a love themed card (perhaps Valentine's Day) with a monster with a lot of eyes.  It will be so fun!

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. 

Card #1:

Supplies:

Stamps: DRS Designs "Eyes For You Greeting" (mine is digital, but they have rubber in the shop!)

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle; Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; the black pupils were left over pieces from PTI's "Hands of Time" clock face die

Challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations #555--Halloween Fun

Snippets Playground #439--anything goes with snippets (lots of snippets used here)

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #495--sketch

Double Trouble Challenge #123--Let's get around to it (Thing #1: at least one circle [I have 5 and two half circles]; Thing #3: fall/halloween; Thing #2: play along with Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge)

Unicorn Challenge #81--spooky AND/OR cute

Craft Rocket #97--autumn or Halloween

Crafty Friends #160--more than one die

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #173--inspiration photo (I was inspired by the mummy)

Simon Says Stamp Monday--halloween/spooky

Use Your Stuff #469--die cuts

Card #2:

Supplies: 

Stamps: DRS Designs "Eyes For You Greeting" (mine is digital, but they have rubber in the shop!)

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle; Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"

Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--spooky

Through the Purple Haze #197--Halloween AND/OR color palette

Crafty Calendar--Halloween

Creative Inspirations--autumn or Halloween

Aud Sentiments #298--Halloween/fall

Sweet Stampers #78--autumn or Halloween

Shopping Our Stash #481--frightfully delightful

Creative Knockouts #475--Halloween

Addicted to CAS #231--layered

Try Stampin' on Tuesday #579--monster mash AND/OR sketch