Birthday Wishes

Today, I get to be a guest designer for Stick It Down Challenges!  Yippiee!!  So excited to be asked by them to play along this month.

 And here is the fabulous sketch we are working with this month:

I created the background with strips of scrap papers.  It's one of my favorite things to do when I come down to the end of a paper pack.  Luckily, I had enough of the polka dotted paper left to die cut a butterfly.  And the fancy oval half was already in my bits and pieces stash.  So, this card is made completely out of scraps!  LOVE it!!  Some rhinestones and a few sparkly sequins finish  it off.

I hope you will head on over to the Stick It Down blog and maybe even get a chance to play along.  The sketch is super fun!

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Surely Goodness"
Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle; PTI butterfly; Spellbinders "Floral Ovals"

Challenges:
Crafty Creations #339--anything goes
Penny's Challenge #324--anything goes
Creative Craft Cottage #85--dies/punches
Shopping Our Stash #298--use punches or dies
Hiding In My Craft Room #296--super scraps
Aud Sentiments #177--birthday or #7
Love To Craft Challenge Blog #9--anything goes
Divas that Cut--birthdays
Crafting with an Attitude--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper

Best Wishes

It's Wednesday and that means it's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built.  This week we have a fun tic-tac-toe challenge for you:

And here is my card:

 I used the middle column: eyelets, paper piecing, and anniversary.  I also used yellow and blue and though I don't actually have any dew drops, I used clear texture drops on some of the leaves to look like actual dew drops.  You can see them a little better in the photo below.

This is one of my absolute favorite images for paper piecing; the vase looks stunning in so many different patterns.  I just got my new yellow set of spectrum noir markers and it was perfect timing, because these tulips look fabulous in yellow!  And I got to use up some scraps on this one, too.  All the papers on this card are part of my favorite 2 paper packs that are almost all gone (sigh) and are mostly just little strips but it was perfect for this fun layout.  I hope you will get a chance to play along with us this week. Make sure you hop on over to The House Blog to see what the rest of the DT did with this challenge.

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Vase of Tulips" and "Best Wishes"
Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle
Darice: damask embossing folder

Challenges:
Come And Get It--In the garden
Die Cuttin' Divas #312--Easter/Spring (tulips are spring flowers in our neck of the woods)
Creative Craft Cottage #85--dies/punches
Shopping Our Stash #298--use punches and/or dies
Di's Digis--spring and/or Easter (spring tulips)
Sweet Stampin'--mellow yellow
Hiding In My Craft Room #296--super scraps
A Bit More Time To Craft #41--anything goes
Brown Sugar #245--anything goes
Little Miss Muffet #160--anything goes
Sugar Pea Designs #30--sketch

Crafting By Designs--anything goes
Creative Inspiration #272--spring spectacular
Crafty Calendar--April Showers or Spring
Crafting with an Attitude--anything goes
Card Mania #91--April Showers bring May Flowers
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Unicorn Challenge #20--Petal Power

Eat Cake

I had so much fun playing with my scraps this week!  You can see two other cards I created with SCRAPS from the same old paper pack here and here.  I also made a couple backgrounds and a few fun paper strips that will be showing up soon.  And I made this card with a stripped tag and a paper pieced cupcake liner.  Even more fun: I had these card candies out for an earlier card and was able to use up the rest on this card; I have had them for years and years.

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Baker's Dozen"
Dies: Papertrey Ink "Baker's Dozen" and "Tag Sale #8"

Challenges:
Hiding In My Craft Room #296--super scraps
A Bit More Time To Craft #41--anything goes
Brown Sugar Challenge #245--anything goes
Aud Sentiments #177--birthday or #7
As You Like It--favorite card base shape & why (my favorite is the A2 rectangle  for the sole reason that you can get two out of an 8X10 inch piece of card stock with no waste.  And I can use invitation envelopes to send them)
Mod Squad--Ya Wanna Piece of Me? (the cupcake liner is paper pieced and I pieced my tag together with strips of patterned paper)
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday--anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--happy birthday
Addicted To Stamps #236--anything goes
YNS Stamps #61--sketch

Happy Birthday

The last couple of days, I've been having a blast working on using up some scraps from an old paper pack.  It started with the card from my previous post and continued on to this one:

The houndstooth pattern in the back was the larges piece I had left (I did trim it down a bit as it was almost a full 6x6 piece).  But the two other layers were much smaller, so I turned to one of my favorite tricks for using patterned paper: pick a sketch that allows you to cut your patterned paper into smaller pieces and adhere them in a way that makes them look larger.  I cut both pieces of paper in half and then used the circle die cut to cover up the empty spaces.  And no one will ever know, except you!   I used some coordinating paper to paper piece the cupcake liner; it adds such a great touch!  For the base layer, I used water color paper as it's not as bright white as my white card stock, AND it added some awesome texture to the card; it mixes with the texture on the papers.

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Baker's Dozen"
Dies: Papertrey Ink "Baker's Dozen"; Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"

Challenges:
Mod Squad--You want a piece of me?  (paper pieced the cupcake liner)
Crafty Creations #338--anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes
A Bit More Time to Craft #41--anything goes
Brown Sugar Challenge #245--anything goes
Aud Sentiments #177--birthday or #7
Crafty Gals #117--3+ layers
Penny's Creations #323--anything goes
Crafting By Designs--anything goes
Die Cuttin' Divas #311--sketch

Crop Stop--anything goes (I used a Spellbinders circle die)
Pixie's Creations #275--anything goes with snippets
Divas that Cut--birthdays

Loving Father

This card is for my Dad's birthday next week.

 I'm working on using up the scraps that are all that is left of a paper pack I have had for a long time.  Most of what is remaining is too small to use for panels like these, BUT The horizontal strip gave the perfect opportunity to actually piece together smaller pieces to look like they are larger.  And no one will ever know!!  I was having so much fun with these papers, that I created another birthday card, just for fun.  I will create separate posts for the following two cards, but I just wanted to show how I'm using the scraps.

I also created a striped panel, but it hasn't made it onto a card yet.  And I still have enough bits to created another tag elements similar to this one.
Anyway, back to my main card, here is the inside:

My dad had rather serious surgery a couple weeks ago so I felt this sentiment held extra meaning this year.

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Strong Anchor"
Dies/embossing folders: Verve "Classy Label" die; Sizzix "Flower circles"

Challenges:
Mojo Monday #491--sketch

Crop Stop--anything goes
Dare2B Artzy--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Divas That Cut--birthday
Cards Galore--anything goes
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday--anything goes
Crafty Creations #338--anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--happy birthday
Crafty Gals #117--3+ layers
Penny's Challenge #323--anything goes
Crafting By Designs--anything goes

You Make Me Smile

It's Wednesday again, and time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built.  This week is a designers choice, and Joy has chosen to challenge us to use die cuts!  I love using die cuts, so this wasn't much of a challenge for me!   But I sort of challenged myself to create a CAS card and use die cuts, and I managed to use two on this simple card.  And I used a nice strip of patterned paper that is in the pack I'm working on right now.

I tried the inlaid die cut technique for the first time, and I rather like how it turned out.  I started by die cutting the rounded rectangle.  Then I stamped the image in black onto that rounded rectangle.  I put it back into the base panel and used my stamp-a-ma-jig to line up my image, and after removing the rectangle, I stamped the image again  with a light gray.  I colored the image on the rectangle and then inserting it back into the base panel and adhering them both to my card base.  I die cut the "torn" sentiment strip twice out of vellum so I could adhere them together to create a little more distinction for the sentiment.  I inked the edges of the panel to add a bit of interest and make the white blend in with the patterned paper better.  I hope you will get a chance to play along with us this week; this is an easy one.

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Bass Harbor Light (lg)" and "You Make Me Smile"
Dies: MFT "Smartphone" die--rounded rectangle, and "Blueprints 13" washi tape strip

Challenges:
Dare2B Artzy--anything goes
LTCCB #9--anything goes
CAS Mixup--stamping, inlaid die cutting + your choice (I use sponging, heat embossing, and coloring)
Scrapper's Delights #65--anything goes
Addicted To CAS #108--smile
YNS #61--sketch (I flipped it to the opposite side to fit my image better)

Girlz Rule

Happy April!  It's no joke that it is time for our new challenge on The Love To Scrap Challenge Blog!  This time we are celebrating women with our Girlz Rule! challenge.  Just make sure it's a girly creation!  Our wonderful sponsors are:

Pickled Potpourri

Little Blue Button Stamps

Heartfelt Creations

I just got this gorgeous multiple step set from Hero Arts and wanted to get it inky!!  The poppies are just stunning and there are actually four different layer stamps for each, counting the "fluff" in the center.  I think I need to find a lighter red for the base color so all the depth and details are able to stand out,  but I still really like how they look!

I hope you will get a chance to play along with us this month; I can't wait to see what you create!

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts "Color Layering Poppy"
Dies: Hero Arts "Color Layering Poppy Frame Cuts"; Spellbinders "Teardrop circles

Challenges:
Cardz TV #6--anything goes
Creative Fingers #127--anything goes
Fussy & Fancy #184--embellish it (I used pearls and ribbons)
Cute Card Thursday #741--warm colours/tones
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday--anything goes
Inspiration Destination #125--anything goes
Crafty Creations #338-anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes
Crafty Gals #116--anything goes
Penny's Challenge #322--anything goes
Die Cuttin' Divas #310--anything goes