FMS#61, and DD#29

Hello friends, hope you are all doing well.  I'm excited today because I managed to make two cards for a couple different challenges that I haven't been able to participate in for a while.  The first challenge is Freshly Made Sketches #61 (see sketch below).  I just couldn't resist this sketch.  The second challenge is Dynamic Duos #29 - which has one of my favorite color combos of Marina Mist and Black with the dessert option of a snowman (my card has two snow people on it).  I wanted to us a snowflake charm but didn't have one so I thought the heart worked well with the saying of kind words warming the winter months.  I am not typically a winter person (too cold for me) - but making snowmen with my kids is one activity I enjoy :o)

I had fun making this card.  I used my blender pen and some Marina Mist ink to color in parts of the image.  Pretty pleased with how it turned.  Usually CAS is hard for me - but this sketch really helped me.  Oh and I also did something fun on the inside where I used a couple different snowflake punches...

Hope you enjoyed this card! Thanks so much for stopping by to visit.  Til next time... Hugs and Happy Crafting!

 

 

Supplies (Stampin Up!): Cardstock - Basic Black and Whisper White.  Ribbon - 1/8" tafetta ribbon in Basic Black.  Charm is a retired product from a previous holiday mini.  Stamp and sentiment  - Winter Memories. DSP is from the Patterns Designer paper stack (subtles).   Other - scallop edge border punch, basic rhinestones, corner rounder punch.

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - Theme Challenge #11 {Scripture Verse}

Hello lovely friends and blog followers!  We  have a terrific theme challenge for you this week at 52{Christmas} Card Throwdown.  We want to see your cards/creations using a scripture verse as your main element.  Here's what I came up with:

I decided to keep it as CAS so that the scripture verse stands out. Of course, I'm no good at one layer cards so I added some depth by using my Labels framelits as well as the snowburst texture folder (retired SU).  I sponged around the main image with Summer Starfruit ink and also gave this a shot of color around the outer edges as well.  The sentiment is stamped in gumball green. 

 

I made another one that I will share with you later in the week - this one was my daughter's favorite so I chose to share it first.  Hope you will decide to join us this week at 52CCT - I can't wait to see what you create.  Please pop on over and see what the rest of the DT has made - can  you say GORGEOUS?!  Til next time... Hugs and Happy Crafting!! 



Sneak Peek - Addicted to {Red and White} Stamps and More! Color challenge #4

Hello my lovely friends and blog followers - so happy that you're here to visit me today!  I'm so excited about the challenge this week at Addicted to Stamps and More! Its a Color challenge using Red and White.  I am missing my summer flowers (which have been replaced with snow - sad face) so I decided to make a cheery jar of red flowers.  I wasn't sure if I really liked this card at first - but the more I look at it the more it grows on me.  Hope you like it and that it inspires you to pop on over to Addicted to Stamps and More! and play along with our current challenge.  The other DT members have prepared some stunning cards using this vibrant and happy color combo. I punched some of the flowers out with a 1" circle punch and pop them up for extra effect. 

The challenge starts later today and I can't wat to see what you create.  Now that I've given you a sneak peek get going, get creating and share it your card with us at ATS&M :o)  Thanks so much for stopping by today - til next time...hugs and happy crafting!!  

Supplies (all Stampin Up!): Cardstock - Whisper White and Real Read.  Ink - Real Red and Basic Grey. Stamps - Perfectly Preserved (available in the holiday mini).  Other - basic pearls, 1" circle punch and 1/8" tafetta ribbon in Real Red. 

ABC Challenges - Its a Sketch

Hello lovely friends and followers, so happy that you've come by to visit my blog today.  This week at 'ABC' Challenges our wonderful challenge leader Patty has come up with a sketch for you to try.  I decided to keep mine very simple (see below) but you could add layers and embellishments too.  Just keep the sketch visible so we can recognize it when we come to visit you. 

Sketches are such a great way to jump start your creativity or help you create a card in a hurry. I think I spent more time thinking about what kind of card and what papers I wanted to use than I acutally did  making it.  I think the overall production time on this card was close to 10 minutes (probably less).  Sometimes it is just awesome to create a quick and simple card that still has a great pop of pattern and color - this sketch helped me do just that.    What will you do with the sketch this week? I can't wait to find out!  Pop on over the our challenge site at 'ABC' Challenges and see what the rest of the DT members have made to share with and inspire you.  Til next time - Hugs and Happy Crafting!!

 

Supplies (all from Stampin Up!): Cardstock - Daffodil Delight, Island Indigo and Whisper White.  Ink - Real Red. DSP - Summer Smooches. Stamp - Happiest Birthday Wishes (retired hostess set). 

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - Color Challenge

Hello friends - we have a fabulous non-traditional color challenge this week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - Color Challenge #11.  If you have been following my blog at all you will have noticed that I LOVE to use pink in my Christmas cards so I was excited that this is our color combo this week.  The color of pink that is in the button in the inspiration photo above also happens to be my favorite color.  So...how are you doing on your Christmas cards?  Are you feeling like you are pretty caught up - or are you just deciding to get started?  Playing along with us at 52CCT each week will help you keep caught up, or get you started - depending on which spot you are currently in - so I hope that you will join us!! Here's what I came up with this week (WARNING - lots of pink below):

I started out thinking that I was going to do a CAS (clean and simple) type card but then got carried away with stamping my doily snowflakes and before long it wasn't CAS at all.  I really struggle with CAS cards for some reason - sorry I digress. I embossed the larger snowflakes with Early Espresso and just stamped the smaller ones and punched out for a bit for dimension and effect.  I forgot initially that I needed to use a little white or cream too so managed to get that in before I finished it.  I love how my fellow DT member Mynnette uses bling on most of her cards (and how she groups the bling) so I made an attempt to give it a go too with the brown rhinestones. So... a busy card but my 12 year daughter told me she thinks it an elegant card - so I'm pretty happy about that :o)  Hope you like it too and that I've inspired you to play along with us this week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown.  There's lots more inspiration to be found from our other DT members on the challenge site so pop on over there and check it out.  Til next time - Hugs and Happy Crafting!!

Supplies (all from Stampin Up! except the rhinestones): Cardstock - Pretty in Pink, Whisper White and Early Espresso.  Stamps - Delicate Doilies and Border Banter (sentiment).   Brown Rhinestones - Close to My Heart (thanks Beth!).



Addicted to Stamps and More! - Flowers

Hello dear friends and blog followers - feeling a bit under the weather yesterday and today so a quick card and a brief post today.  The theme this week at the fabulous Addicted to Stamps and More! challenge is "Flowers".  It's a nice cheery theme especially since we are not seeing many flowers anymore here in Montana - in fact my poor flower bed really needs to be cleaned up and readied for winter.  Only have a couple more days to get it done as we are expecting snow (90%) starting Thursday - yuck! Oh well... at least I can make flowery cards to bring some color and sunshine to someone's life :o)

Hope you will decide to join us this week and share you beautiful flower creations wtih us.  The DT members over at ATS&M have prepared some fabulous cards for your inspiration and viewing pleasure. 

I am also entering this card in the Less is More challenge - week 92 "Pink". 
Thanks so much for stopping in to visit me. Til next time - Hugs and Happy Crafting!! D

Supplies (all Stampin Up!): Cardstock - Pear Pizzazz, Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla, Melon Mambo (little flowers) and Lucky Limeade (leaves).  Punches - Bird Builder (leaves), Blossom (two bottom layers of the flower), 1 1/4" circle, Boho Blossoms and Itty Bitty Shapes (smallest flowers).  DSP - Designer Series paper stack (brights collection).  Sentiment - curvy verses (retired). Other - rhinestones. 

'ABC' Challenges - 3 in a Row

Hello friends and happy fall y'all! The challenge this week at 'ABC' Challenges (this means All Beautiful Cards) is to make a card picking 3 in a Row . You get to pick any 3 squares in a row - up , down, across or diagonally.  How fun is that?!   My card today uses the middle 3 squares of Punch, Fall Theme and Dry Embossing. 

 

I used two different types of dry embossing - on the main background and on the leaves.  I used 4 different punches on this card too - the leaves, the 1" circles, the 2 3/8" scallop circle and the 2 1/2" circle punch.  I colored the main image with my Stampin Write markers directly onto the stamp and just love how it turned out (though I will admit that I had to put my readers on to see those tiny little leaves).  I sponged a little of the Cajun Craze ink around the edges of the card too. It's a little busy of a card - but I like how it almost seems as if the leaves are flying around the main image.  Am not quite sure how it happened here in Montana but I just didn't feel like we had much of a fall this year - very short amount of time for the leaves turning the gorgeous colors and then BOOM we had snow

:o( (that's my grumpy face).  Here's the inside of my card too:

I got a little punch happy when I was making the leaves (its kind of theraputic to use punches) so I decided to put some on the inside too.  The sentiment stamp is from a Christmas set but I thought it worked well for the Fall/Thanksgiving Season too.  Please pop on over to the 'ABC' Challenges site and check out what the other ladies have made to inspire you.  We hope you will continue to play along - we've been so pleasantly pleased with the number of entries and the inspiration we are getting from you.  Leave us a comment if you like - we love to get mail.  Can't wait to see what you make! Til next time - Hugs and Happy Crafting!! 

 

Supplies (Stampin Up! unless noted otherwise): Cardstock - Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy, Whisper White and Rich Razzleberry (ink colors are all the same too except I also used Choc Chip, Early Espresso and Soft Suede).  Dry Embossing folders - Herringbone and Perfect Polka Dots.  Stamps - Four Seasons (Hostess Only) and Greetings of the Season (sentiment).  The letters are from Close to My Heart - stamped and then punched out of the middle with a 1" circle punch.  The leaf punch is one I've had for a long time in my basket of punches.