Thanks

 Happy Friday!!!  It's time for a new challenge from the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.  This week, the challenge is: How Does Your Garden Grow

Here is my card for your inspiration:

My husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary back at the end of July.  Our kids threw us a big party so I have a number of Thank You cards to make and send out.  I wanted something that was relatively easy to mass produce but was still pretty and elegant.  So, I used some watercolor markers on this beautiful flower image and stamped it onto watercolor paper.  Then I just used a fine paintbrush with a tiny bit of water to create the watercolor look.  It is a little time consuming, because I have to switch back and forth with the markers, but it really creates a beautiful card!  I die cut the panels with a stitched rectangle die and stamped the sentiment.  I die cut a second stitched rectangle to mat the image and mounted it all on a white card base.  Then I added some clear drops and done!

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: MFT "Beautiful Flowers" (seems to be no longer for sale) and "Something for Everything"

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" smaller stitched rectangle and "Blueprints 12" larger rectangle

Challenges:

Penny's Challenge #579--anything goes

The Paper Shelter #608--add a flower

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--stamp it

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #237--anything goes

Cards Galore #127--anything goes

Sheepski Designs #90--anything goes

We Love Stamping--handcolored image OR Anything Goes

{Pin}spirational #317--stitching

Krafty Chicks #732--stamps

Triple B--anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms #20--anything goes

Be Merry

 Happy  September 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 created a cute little tag using an adorable polar bear from a stamp set I had yet to ink up.  I will be using him a lot for Christmas projects, I think.  This one used a lot of bits and pieces.  I had the strips of patterned paper already on my desk, I just had to trim them to length.  The little strip of silver paper was also on the desk as well as the holographic snowflakes.  I stamped the polar bear on white card stock and the scarf on a bit of a coordinating patterned paper.  Then I stamped the sentiment onto the patterned paper strips.

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: MFT Stamps "North Pole Pals"; Papertrey Ink sentiment

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" tag die; Papertrey Ink "Snowglobe" snowflake dies

Challenges:

Inkspirational Challenge #323--CAS with the optional twist: animal

Penny's Challenge #579--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

C.R.A.F.T. #731--Christmas

Creative Knockouts #529--anything goes

Krafty Chicks #731--anything goes

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #237--anything goes

Snippets Playground #488--anything goes with snippets

Moving Along With the Times #170--not a card

Christmas Joy

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

 Here is my card:

I chose this pear image and figured I was going to have a really hard time coloring them as I wasn't sure how to achieve the right color combo for a pear.  But I have to say that it turned out really well (at least in my opinion)!  Probably I didn't use the correct colors for this type of pear, but my favorites are D'Anjous and that's the color I went for.  I took three patterned papers and cut them into 1/2 in. strips and used them to create the background.  For a little fun, I used the "outside the box" technique which allows some of the image to remain outside the outer edge of the die cut you use.  I also let part of the image hang off the right hand edge of the card itself.  It just adds a fun look.

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: Beccy's Place "Pears and Mistletoe" digi image; Verve "Beyond Measure" sentiment

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, Large"

Challenges: 

Pattie's Creations #221--anything goes

Sheepski Designs #89--anything goes

{Pin}spirational Challenge #316--die cuts

Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers #48--sketch

Creative Fingers #283--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #236--anything goes

C.R.A.F.T. #730--anything goes OR back to school

As You Like It--favorite coloring medium and why (my favorite medium is Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and here's why: they are much less expensive than Copics and I love how you are able to blend the colors/shades together.  And I just love the bright, rich color you get with alcohol markers)

Krafty Chicks #730--all occasions (Christmas)

Jingle Belles--an old-fashioned holiday (these papers have a vintage feel to me)

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

City Lights

 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 brother-in-law has lived in NY City for the last several years.  When I discovered this die set in my stash, I thought it would make the perfect birthday card for him.  I started with a white piece of cardstock and inked it up to resemble a sunset sky starting with yellow, to pink, purple, dark blue and ending with black.  Then I die cut the top die cut layer out of silver cardstock and the base layer out of black card stock.  I poked out some of the window pieces and backed the black piece with yellow cardstock so it looks like some of the lights are still on in the buildings.  Then I adhered everything together and stamped a simple sentiment to allow the scene to shine!

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: MFT "Something for Everything" sentiment

Dies: Altenew "Layered Cityscape A & B"

Challenges:

Cards Galore--anything goes

Crafty Calendar--anything goes

Sheepski Designs #89--anything goes

{Pin}spirational Challenge #316--die cuts

NBUS #65--never before used schtuff (first outing for these cityscape dies)

Cupcake Inspiration #600--Happy Birthday

The Paper Shelter--anything goes

Penny's Challenge #578--anything goes

Creative Fingers #283--anything goes

Make My Monday #232--something metallic (silver cardstock)

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #236--anything goes

Cardz 4 Guyz #354--sunrise or sunset

C.R.A.F.T. #730--anything goes/back to school

Art Impressions #385--Keep Calm and Celebrate On

Krafty Chicks #730--all occasions

Christmas Joy

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

 Here is my card:

I saw this sentiment image and figured it would be perfect for paper piecing.  So, I printed it out and then printed it out again on patterned paper, cut out the letters and adhered it in place.  Then I picked out 3 other patterned papers in the same pack and used them to create the rest of the card.  I had a snowflake die cut from a holographic paper sitting on my desk and thought it would go perfectly.  I die cut a few more and since that same die cut a lot of tiny circles, I used them to sprinkle around kind of like enamel dots.  It adds so much shine in real life, you can see some of it in the picture below.

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: Beccy's Place "Christmas Joy" digi

Dies: Memory Box "Lindeman Snowflake"; MFT "Sweet Snowflakes"; Papertrey Ink "Snowglobe"

Challenges:

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #235--anything goes

Cards Galore Challenge--anything goes

Crafty Calendar--anything goes

Creatalicious #279--anything goes

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 #284--sketch

{Pin}spirational Challenge #316--die cuts

Paper Shelter--anything goes

Penny's Challenge #577--anything goes

Krafty Chicks #728--Christmas

Creative Fingers #283--anything goes

Friendship

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

Here is my card for your inspiration:

I created this card for the pastor of our church and his wife.  They unexpectedly had to leave our church so he could care for his father who has an aggressive form of dementia.  It is a sad time for all of us.  A few weeks before they left, we held a celebration picnic to wish them well and send them off with love.  I gave them this card at this event.  I paper pieced the sails on the boat making sure I was able to get one of the anchors from a sheet of patterned paper in the center of the larger one.

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 "Text Objects"

Dies: Spellbinders "A2 Matting Basics A" rectangle

Challenges:

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #235--anything goes

Cards Galore--anything goes

Crafty Calendar--anything goes

Sheepski Designs #89--anything goes

Creative Inspiration--summer fun

Creatalicious #279--anything goes

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

Cardz 4 Guyz #353--camping or outdoor activities

Word Art Wednesday #660--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

The Paper Shelter--anything goes

Lil' Red Wagon #768--make it masculine

Somebunny

Happy August 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:

Confession:  I have a whole, entire, large box of crafty items that I have never used and I've had them for probably 3 years (most of them anyway).  I've been thinking that I should just pull items out and use them instead of reaching for the things I use all the time.  This cute little bunny from CAS-ual Fridays was in that box and it was time to pull him out and get him inky!!  I stenciled a puffy, cloud sky for him to float in, added a bright, warm sunshine and a fun sentiment.  Then I finished it all off with some bright, sunny enamel dots (using up that package, finally!)

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: CAS-ual Fridays "Some Bunny"

Dies: Spellbinders "A2 Matting Basics A" rectangle

Stencil: Taylored Expressions "Set the Scene: Clouds"

Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday--4-legged friends

Make My Monday #231--Colouring mediums (I used alcohol markers)

Shopping Our Stash #527--Up, Up, and Away (use balloons)

The Paper Shelter--anything goes summer challenge

Penny's Challenge #577--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Crafty Catz #677--anything goes with the optional twist: use hot colors (I did not use hot colors)

Creative Fingers #282--anything goes

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

The Cutie Pie Challenge #196--Beginning with "B" (I have bunny and balloon)

Crafter's Cafe #310--anything goes with the optional twist: include some balloons

Creative Inspirations--anything goes

Creatalicious #279--anything goes

Paper Funday #67--anything goes with optional twist: critter crazy