Thinking of You

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps.  This week is a Designer's Choice Challenge and Laurie has chosen a beautiful inspiration photo:

Isn't it beautiful!!??  There are so many things to be inspired by: that fabulous door, the wreath, the colors, the word "hello", flowers, etc.  Just pick something and go for it!

And here is the card I created:

So, the first thing that caught my eye was that glass jar of white puffy flowers in the foreground.  That was my starting point.  I took the "Jar" image  and made it smaller so it would fit better in my card designs.  I inked up only the top and stamped it and then inked the bottom and used my stamp-a-ma-jig to line them up.  I didn't cut off a lot, but it made a big difference.  I was trying to figure out how to make those puffy flowers when I came across this "Lily of the Valley" stamp and knew it would be perfect.  I was also inspired by the color of the front door and the polka dots on the little white bag hanging on the lower rack--they inspired my patterned paper choice.  I added some navy dotted ribbon, 'cause I loved the pop of dark blue in the photo from the denim jacket hanging on the top rack.  (shhhh . . . don't tell anyone, but it also covers up the spot where I joined the too pieces of jar together and they didn't quite line up perfectly.)

Thanks for stopping by!  Make sure you head on over to The House blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has done with this photo.  And if you "need" any of the stamps I used, check out my 10% off your entire order coupon code over in my lift sidebar.

Supplies:

Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Jar", "Lily of the Valley" and "Thinking of You"

Challenges:

Creative Moments #207--anything goes

Cardz TV #133--anything goes

Sketch Saturday #645--sketch

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Crafts Galore #84--anything goes

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

Pick of the Week--Deepest Sympathy

Today is my day to share my Pick of the Week for The House That Stamps Built.  I'm continuing in my series on being inspired by Pinterest finds.  This time I needed a sympathy card, so I looked for something simple, elegant, and soothing.  This is what caught my eye:

(Of course, it doesn't actually link to the artist, but by the watermark it seems to be Seelen Z Art).  I just thought this was so pretty and clean and I loved the patterned circle under the leaves.  Here is my take on the card:

I didn't want to use white on white because I felt that would be a little stark for a sympathy card, so I used a pale gray card base.  I used a white panel for my main panel, but to take away some of the contrast I inked the edges with a gray ink.  To get the patterned circle, I inked up the "Postcard" stamp with some gray ink and then pressed the "2" Circle Silhouette" against it to transfer the ink.  I then stamped the circle stamp onto the white panel to get a perfect patterned circle.  It worked perfectly!  I die cut two green sprigs and adhered them together to look like one branch.  I stamped the sentiment, "Deepest Sympathy",  with gray ink to keep it soft.  I finished it off with a button and some twine, but it just needed something . . . so I roughed up the edges of the main panel, which helped . . .  Then I added some clear drops and it now feels finished!  

I hope this inspires you to look at the stamps you already have in your collection and see how you can use them in different ways.  You don't have to have the exact product that is used; make it work with what you already have.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great week!

Supplies:

Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Postcard", "2" Circle Sil." and "Sympathy"

Dies: Verve "Sprightly Sprigs

Challenges:

Creative Fingers #200--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Creative Moments #207--anything goes

Creative Knockouts #386--die cuts & punches

Cardz TV #133--anything goes

Peanut Butter and Jelly

A new month has arrived and that means a new challenge from the Love To Scrap Challenge Blog.  This month's challenge is "Love Is . . .".  So, create any project that has a love theme.

Here is the card I created:

It's time to get started on those Valentine's Day cards!  Last month I posted a set of 10 cards that I had made using a one sheet wonder template.  This month I am going to use the same template (different patterned paper) to create a bunch of my Valentine's Day cards, but I've only got this one finished so far.

I decided to use these super cute jars of peanut butter and and jelly (strawberry of course!) from Sugar Pea Designs.  I stamped the jelly jar on the card base with red ink for a tone-on-tone background. Stamped my sentiments and stamped, colored and fussy cut the images which were adhered with foam dots.  I die cut two different hearts and added them with foam tape before coating them with Glossy Accents for some shine (thanks to Jennifer McQuire for that tip).

I decided to mat my patterned paper with a light gray cardstock as white seemed just a little too stark against the red shades I used.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Head on over to the LTSCB blog to see what the rest of the team has created and to get the full details of the challenge.  Then get inky and play along with us; I can't wait to see what you create.

Supplies: 

Stamps: Sugar Pea Designs "Together" (but it seems to be retired)

Dies: Sweet n' Sassy Stamps small hearts (larger heart); MFT "Smartphone" smaller heart

Challenges:

Word Art Wednesday #476--anything goes with uplifting sentiments

Creative Fingers #200--anything goes

Crafty Sentiments--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes

Creative Moments #207--anything goes

Cute Card Thursday #671--Valentine's Day

Aud Sentiments #267--sending love

Krafty Chicks #544--any occasion (Valentine's Day)

Cardz TV #133--anything goes

Sweet Stampin'--love

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Hero Arts Stay Crafty #19--include a heart

Deepest Sympathy

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built and this week it is a fan favorite: Anything Goes!! And here is the card I created for your inspiration:

This is the second sympathy card I have needed within a week and I don't like that!  But, I do like how this card turned out.  The colors are so soft and the CAS layout feels really elegant to me.  Other than the coloring it was really quite quick and easy to create (thanks to it being so CAS).  I added a bit of sheer light blue ribbon and some clear droplets to bling it up just a little.  I also stamped a sympathy sentiment on the inside:

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you will hop over to the House blog to see the rest of the DT's creations and then get inky and play along with us.  And if you need any of the stamps I used, check out my 10% off your ENTIRE order coupon code over in my left sidebar.

Supplies:
Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Vase of Tulips", "Sympathy" and "Warm Memories"
Dies: STAMPlorations stitched rectangle

Challenges:

Unicorn Challenge #61--CAS

We Love Chocolate Baroque--feminine

Crafty Creations #417--anything goes

Incy Wincy Designs--anything goes

Try Stampin' On Tuesday #490--sketch

Penny's Challenge #488--anything goes

Double D--flowers in containers

Creative Fingers #200--anything goes

Crafting happiness #81--anything goes

Love You

It's Saturday!!  That means it's time for another challenge from Di's Digi Designs.

The challenge this time is: Tic Tac Toe

And here is my card for your inspiration:

Oh, my goodness, I LOVE this adorable little bear!!  I was just given it by Di herself (I did get to pick it out) and had to use it right away!  So sweet!!  So, for my tic-tac-toe challenge (which I love, by the way!  It's pretty much up to you to decide what the challenge is.) I ran the entire board.  I used the color blue, a handcolored image, stickles (on my flower petals), 1 circle, a digi image, dies, a fun fold (inspired by Jennifer McGuire to create this fun z-fold), pearls and a sentiment!  In the photo below you can see how my fold opens up:

With the fold, it won't stay flat, so I created a little "belly" band out of the heart border along the bottom.  The little bear in the sitting position inspired to me to have a little fun.  I used the "out of the box technique" to make it look as if she is sitting on the edge of the die cut.  I added silver stickles to the edges of the flower petals and finished off the whole card with some small heart pearls.

I hope you will get a chance to play along with us; I can't wait to see what you create.  And make sure you hop over to the Di's Digital Designs blog to see what the rest of the team has made for this challenge.

Supplies: 

Stamps: Di's Digi Stamps "Rosie Bear" digi; PaperTrey Ink "Damask Designs" sentiment; STAMPlorations "Wreaths and Flowers" little hearts; Verve "Valentine's Day Plain Jane" inside sentiment

Dies: "Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large" and "Teardrop Circles"; PaperTrey Ink heart border die

Challenges:

Pattie's Creations #178--anything goes

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

Crafty Calendar--make it cute

Creative Inspirations--animal antics

Creative Craft #136--must use a digi

2 Crafty Critter Crazies--anything goes

Paper Funday #25--anything goes with the optional twist: use blue

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2--sketch

Aud Sentiments Challenge #266--anything goes

Cardz TV #132--anything goes

Hero Arts Stay Crafty #19--include a heart

Pink Gem Challenge--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #150--anything goes

Incy Wincy--anything goes

Crafty Sentiments--anything goes

Penny's Challenge #488--anything goes

Little Red Wagon #585--die-ing to get crafty

Coffee Blessings

 I missed some birthdays in my church back in November and December--life gets a little crazy during those months, doesn't it?!  Anyway, I made this card for a gentleman from the church.  It won't exactly be a birthday card since it is so late, but I might add a belated birthday sentiment on the inside; haven't decided, yet.

Both he and his wife are avid coffee drinkers, so I thought a coffee themed card was a fun touch.

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve "Jeremiah 17:7 Plain Jane"

Dies: CAS-ual Fridays coffee cup; Kat Scrappiness "Crafters Essentials 1" stitched, rounded rectangle

Challenges:

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

Love To Craft Challenge Blog #54--anything goes

Stinkin' Inkers--Make It Hot

Creatalicious Challenge #203--anything goes with the optional twist: kraft

Craft Rocket Challenge #77--for the boys/men

Dare 2 B Artzy--anything goes

Mojo Monday #551--sketch

Aud Sentiments #266--anything goes

Cardz TV #132--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #150--anything goes

Incy Wincy--anything goes

Shopping Our Stash #437--I need a cup of coffee

Crafty Sentiments--anything goes

Penny's Challenge #488--anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #475--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Little Red Wagon #585--anything goes

Blessed is he

 I was in need of a masculine birthday card for a man at our church.  So, I pulled out this beautiful sentiment stamp and some cool, masculine patterned paper, added a bit of chocolate brown ribbon and some copper brads.  All the panels were matted on kraft card stock and everything was adhered to a kraft card base.

I've been seeing this fun idea round about on a bunch of blogs: Just Stash January (where you go the whole month of January without buying ANY new supplies--use what you have!) and decided to play along.  We all have so many unused goodies languishing away in our craft rooms.  Let's pull them out and show them some love.  The patterned paper has been in my stash for 2-3 years and I've had this sentiment much longer.  The ribbon and brads I have also had for several years.  Nothing new to see here!

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve "Jeremiah 17:7 Plain Jane"

Dies: Spellbinders "A2 Matting Basics A" rectangle

Challenges:

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

Sheep-ski Designs #46--anything goes

Creatalicious Challenge #203--anything goes with the optional twist: use kraft

Craft Rocket Challenges #177--for the boys/men

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2--sketch

Word Art Wednesday #475--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Creative Fingers #200--anything goes

Aud Sentiments #266--anything goes

Cardz TV #157--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #150--anything goes

Use Your Stuff #414--Out with the old