With Sympathy

It seems as if I have needed a lot of sympathy cards lately.  Maybe it is because I haven't been good at sending them previously and I'm just starting to make it a priority.  Whatever the reason, I have been making a bunch of them and this is one I made and sent out this week:

Challenges:
Mark's Finest Papers #277--sympathy
Hiding in My Craft Room #214--Freestyle (anything goes)
Suzy Bee's #95--make you own background
Brown Sugar #161--make the sentiment big
DRS Designs #189--feeling sentimental
Addicted To Stamps #159--CAS
Word Art Wednesday #198--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Crafty Cardmaker's #146--no patterned paper
Crafting Musketeers #288--sketch

Creative Knockouts #69--anything goes

Supplies:
Stamps: PTI "Boutique Borders: Sympathy"; JustRite Stampers background stamp; Stamplorations "Frames and Flowers"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Ovals, large"

Fabulous Birthday

Just popping in with a quick birthday card.  Hope everyone is having a fabulous day!

 Here's the inside:

Challenges:
Craft Dee Bow-Z--anything goes with handmade bow
Cas-ual Chic #2--pretty patterns
Creative Craft Cottage #46--anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #198--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Mod Squad--Birthday with sparkle (the silver rhinestones)
Penny's Paper #242--girly
Inspiration Destination #48--anything goes
Crafty Gals Corner #34--lots of layers
Sugar Pea Designs #19--summer sweetness (roses bloom in summer and these colors are definitely summery)
Sister Act Card Challenge #122--anything goes
Crafty Catz #207--flowers
Di's digis--ribbon/lace/twine any or all
Fussy & Fancy #146--birthdays
Viva La Verve August week 3--sketch

Sweet Stampin'--spots and/or stripes

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Better Together" sentiment; PTI "The Sweet Life" roses; Repeat Impressions "Beautiful Days" inside sentiment
Dies: Spellbinders "Floral Doily Motifs"; Verve "Classy Label" and "Sprightly Sprigs"; PTI "The Sweet Life"
MFT "Diagonal Stripes" stencil
PTI: Lemon Zest card stock: Lemon Zest, Sweet Blush, Berry Sorbet inks
SU! Real Red ink

Nature

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built and this week we have a wonderful sketch for you to follow:

I love sketches and this one is a good one!  I turned the sketch on it's side and overlapped some of the elements, but the bones of the sketch are still there.

It's been quite a long time since I've used this technique, but I actually used markers to color on the stamp before I stamped the image.  I must have tried two or three times just using brown ink and it just wasn't working for me.  I was trying to color in the pine needles after I had stamped it and it was just looking muddled.  Then I remembered the marker on rubber; duh!  And, it was perfect!  I used the same marker and stamp to add a bit of interest to the sentiment panel.  I guess that this card could be used pretty much any time of year, but I made it to be a Christmas card.  The pine branch just makes me think of Christmas.

Head on over to The House blog and see what the rest of the DT has done with this sketch.  Let me tell you, they are all different.  Then get inky and play along.  I'd love to see how this one inspires  you.  And don't forget the 10% off your entire order code over on my left sidebar.

Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Craft Dee Bow-Z--anything goes with handmade bow
ABC Christmas--Q is for quantum leap (I chose to use D is for die cuts)
Sister Act Card Challenge #126--anything goes
Di's digis--ribbon/lace/twine/ or all
Creative Fingers #92--anything goes
Hiding in my craft room #213--any holiday (Christmas)
Sweet Stampin--spots and/or stripes
Christmas Card Challenge #38--anything goes

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "2708W Pine Branch" and "4009W In All Things . . ."
Dies: Spellbinders "A2 Filigree Delight" and "A2 Matting Basics" rectangle
Ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon

Who's three?

My niece is turning 3 next week and I wanted to make her a fun card.  And what is more fun than a pop-up box card?!  

 Here's what it looks like when it is folded up ready to go into the envelope:

 And here is the back, where the birthday wishes will go.

Challenges:
As You See It #100--celebrate
Crafter's Cafe #130--shaped card
MFT #242--sketch (the front panel of the card is based on the sketch)

Creative Knockouts #103--celebration
Scor-pal #18--more than one score: birthday celebrations
Verve Diva Inspirations Challenge--Celebrate
The Cutie Pie Challenge--cute & girly
Die Cuttin' Divas #229--celebrate it!

Supplies:
Stamps: PTI "Big Birthday Wishes" front sentiment; MFT "Delicious Birthday" back sentiment; Wild Rose Studio elephant image
Dies: PTI "By The Numbers" large 3's and Numbers Border die small 3's; MFT "Blueprints 13" front banner; Verve "Pennant Trim" die

Happy Hello

Happy Wednesday!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built.  This week, we have a beautiful inspiration photo for you:

Don't you just love those colors?!  Here's my take on it:

The background was created using Sharpie Markers and rubbing alcohol.  Seriously, it was that easy.  I followed this tutorial that I found on Pinterest.  After creating the background and stamping the butterflies, I spritzed on some Glimmer Mist to give it a really pretty sparkle, but it's really hard to catch it in a photo.

Ooo . . . yeah . . . see those pink stripes on the bottom of my sentiment panel?  I created that with my newest favorite tool: a stencil.  I'm so in love! Head on over to The House blog and check out how the rest of the DT interpreted this challenge.  And if you see a stamp you have to have, make sure you use the 10% off discount code on the left hand side of my blog (It's off your entire order!)

Challenges:
One Sweet Challenge--back to school; use a new technique or medium (I've never used this sharpie technique before)
Pattie's Creations #113--anything goes
The Paper Nest Dolls #8--anything goes
Through The Purple Haze--flowers
Vintage Stamping Challenge #35--anything goes
Viva La Verve August week 1--sketch (I used a bit of vellum for the layer under to tag layer; I didn't want to cover up that beautiful background, but did want to add some softness)

Fab n' Funky Challenge #270--things with wings
Sister Act Card Challenge #119--anything goes
Hiding in My Craft Room #212d--use die cuts

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "9001 Butterfly (lg)" and "9717 Happy Hello"
Dies: PTI "Tag Sale #8" and flower die; Verve "Flag It!"; MFT "Fancy Flourish"
MFT "Diagonal Stripes" stencil

Nature Fairy

It's time for another challenge from The Love To Scrap Challenge Blog.  Last challenge seemed a bit hard for everyone, but this time it is super easy: Anything Goes!  We have three wonderful sponsors:

Pattie's Creations

(prize is 3 images)

Kith & Kin Stamp Co.

(prize is 3 images)

SLS Lines

(prize is $10 gift certificate)

I wasn't really familiar with SLS Lines before, but they have some gorgeous images!  I was given this beautiful "Nature Fairy" to work with.  Sooooo beautiful.  The flowers reminded me of chrysanthamums which made me think of Fall.  I'm not trying to hurry along summer, but I just had to go with that Fall theme.

Now, head on over to the LTSCB blog to get the full details of the challenge and to check out what the rest of the DT has been up to.

Challenges:
Hiding in my Craft Room #212d--use die cuts
A Gem of a Challenge #151--One for the GIRLS
Aud Sentiments #138--Fairies
As You Like it--favorite 2 embellishments and why (ribbon and pearls are my favorites; ribbon is a great way to add texture and extra color and pearls are just so pretty.  Both can be used on so many different styles of cards.  Just love them!)
DRS Designs #187--You left me hanging (my tag and charm)
The Paper Shelter #214--lace and/or ribbon
Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2--sketch

Fab n Funky #270--things with wings
Crafter's Cafe #129--the great outdoors
Clear It Out--theme: brown; stash: brown/kraft embellishments
Top Tip Tuesday--ribbon & pearls
Aurora Wings #17--anything with wings

Supplies:
Stamps: SLS Lines "Nature Fairy" digi; Flourishes "Charmed" sentiment
Dies: Spellbinders "Fleur Di Lis Squares" and "Scalloped Tags"
Ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Charm and corner piece are from Miriam's Crafting Supplies

90th birthday!

Not many people live until their 90th birthday, but today we celebrated my husband's grandfather's 90th!  For me, masculine cards are more difficult and add to that an older male and phew, it's really tricky!  But I had seen a few cards around on pinterest using this clock face die from PTI, and I loved the look of them and knew that was the idea I was going with.  When I saw this sketch by Viva La Verve and it was a perfect fit.  I love how this turned out.  Masculine (even with sequins!), very layered and quite sophisticated, I think.

To create the diagonal stripes, I used a stencil that I had just gotten and sponged on some black ink.  It's really the first time I have used a stencil, and I'm pretty sure I'm in love! : )  Now I can have stripes in ANY color.  Yippie!

Challenges:
Inspiration Destination #46--anything goes
Penny's Paper #240--anything goes
Addicted to Stamps #157--make your mark
Crafting by Designs--3+ layers
Word Art Wednesday #196--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Hiding in my Craft Room #212c--Happy Birthday
As You See It #100--celebrate
Viva La Verve August week 2--sketch

Sister Act Card Challenge #119--anything goes
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday--anything goes
Little Miss Muffet #118--anything goes
Art Impressions #166--anything goes
Verve Diva Inspiration Challenge--celebrate
Cas-ual Chic Challenge #2--pretty patterns
One Sweet Challenge--back to school; use a new technique or medium (first time really using a stencil to create a pattern)
Come And Get It--round things (my clock face and sequins)

Supplies:
Stamps: PTI "Hands of Time"; JustRite Stampers "Crackle Backgroun"
Dies: Verve "Classy Label"; PTI "Hands of Time", "By the Numbers" and "Sparkle and Shine: Sequins"
Stencil: MFT "Diagonal Stripes"