Addicted to Stamps and More! Sketch #5 {Gotta Love Stella}

Hello and hope you are all having a most wonderful week!  The challenge is week at Addicted to Stamps and More! is a Sketch Challenge.  I used this sketch and a digital image Bugaboo Digi Stamps which is the  ATS&M Challenge sponsor this week. I made a couple small creative changes to the sketch.  Here's my card (warning may cause spontaneous laughter):

Seriously don't you just gotta love Stella??  This makes me laugh out loud!  I love this image so much because that's how I feel about my morning coffee - and everyone in my house knows it :o).  I decided to have a little fun with the sentiment and cut it up much like those popular magnet words that I see everywhere lately.  Here's the inside using a Fiskars set that I picked up a while back at a screamin' discount and couldn't resist:

Hope you like this card and sketch and that you will decide to come join us this week at Addicted to Stamps and More! The other ladies on the DT at ATS&M have prepared some fabulous inspiration for you as well - so please go visit them and see what they've done.  Til next time... hugs and happy crafting!  

'ABC' Challenges - Valentines

Hello!  So happy that you've dropped by to visit me today :o)  I made this card for the Valentine theme challenge at 'ABC' Challenges.  For some reason I had a hard time wrapping my head around the thought of that Valentine's Day is just around the calendar corner.  It's still so cold and wintry here (yuck!) - maybe that had something to do with it.  Nonetheless it will be here soon and I do enjoy telling my family and friends how much I love and appreciate them - so I am up for the challenge to make a valentine's card!  What better way to say "I love and appreciate you" than with a handmade card?  Oh.. a box of chocolates and a foot massage is nice too of course :o).

As simple as this card seems, I fussed around with with it for what seemed like a very long time.  I started out trying to use patterned paper (its quite unusual for me not to use DSP)  - but it just seemed to distract from the pretty doily and frilly heart - and the sentiment was really lost in all the busyness.  So I finally decided to forgo the DSP background (after trying 5 or 6 different ones). Then I felt like it needed some embellishments to keep it from looking too flat (this is also why I haven't been able to move completely into digital scrapbooking - not enough "touchy-feely stuff" for me). So I decided to add the pearls and flowers. I must have moved those resin flowers around the card 50 times before I finally decided that I liked where I had put them in the first place (so silly).  Somehow I kept feeling like I should add more - it felt too simple to me (this is why I struggle with the CAS concept in general - I always want to pile on more stuff).   After what seemed like forever (lol) I walked away from it and came back a while later. Suddenly I decided it didn't need anything else and I really liked it.  Whew.. finally I finished a  simple card with a wonderful message for Valentine's day.  Hope you like it too!

Please go check out what the rest of the DT at 'ABC' Challenges has made for your inspiration this week.  I sure hope that you will play along - can't wait to see what you come up with.  Til next time... hugs and happy crafting.

Triple Time Stamping for 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown

Hello dear blog friends!  Is it just me or has this month absolutely flown by already?  I remember when I was little and my Grandma would tell me that time goes by faster as you get older.  I didn't believe her then, but I sure understand what she meant now.  Our last challenge of January at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown is "Triple Time Stamping".  I absolutely love using this technique.  Here's what I came up with:

Supplies (all from Stampin Up!): Cardstock: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke.

Stamps: Bells and Boughs (card front), Welcome to Bethlehem (sentiment inside).

Even though I kept it pretty simple - this technique produces stunning results.  I just used 3 larger layers for my card, but you could use more layers and/or smaller layers to get an even different look.  

To get the two colors on the flowers I inked up my stamp with SU markers (Riding Hood Red and Cherry Cobbler for the flowers, Always Artichoke for the boughs).  Then I added some bling to the middle of the poinsettias which created a gorgeous pop of texture and subtle elegance.  Seriously, I am so happy with how this turned out. I wish the pictures showed how pretty this really is IRL!  Here's a couple more from different angles:

and of course the sentiment on the inside:

If you haven't tried it before - now is a great time to give it a go.  The DT over at 52CCT  has prepared some cards using this technique that will knock your sox off :o)  Go check it out won't you - and leave them some love while your at it?  I hope you will decide to join us this week and share you Christmas card creations using this fabulous technique. Til next time... hugs and happy crafting. 

Addicted to Stamps and More! CAS #5, CAS-ual Fridays #86, and Paper Players #129 (CAS Sketch)

Hello dear blog friends and followers! Thanks so much for coming by to visit me today - I'm sure glad that you did.  My card today is for Addicted to Stamps and More! CAS #5 .  Many of  you had read me say that CAS is super challenging for me - argh!  But... I must say that I LOVE how this card turned out this week - Whoo Hoo!  I think that I am living proof that if you keep practicing something you will get better.  Not perfect - but better :o).  This darling image is from Bugaboo Digi Stamps who is the sponsor this week at ATS&M.  I colored it with my copic markers. I also used my Stamp-a-MaJig to line up the sentiment (from Stampin Up!) that was in block form (another practice pays off technique).  So far I haven't fallen off the New Year's resolution wagon and am continuing to decorate the inside of my cards as I make them. Here's the sentiment on the inside - one I picked up at a garage sale last year (kind of wish I would have put a brown layer on the inside too - oh well... baby steps):

I used the sketch from The Paper Players Clean and Simple Sketch #129 (see below) to help me make this card.  And I made it longer and narrower than usual so I can enter it in the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #86 (CFC86)" Long and Short" - meaning it has to have one long side and one short side (no standard A2 size this week) - this card is 3 3/4" x 6 ".

Whether you are a CAS master, a practicing CAS cardmaker like me, or a newbie to CAS cards, I really encourage you to check out our challenge this week at Addicted to Stamps and More! and hopefully decide to play along. I would love to come visit your blog and see your lovely creations!  The other ladies on the DT at ATS&M have prepared some more inspiration for you too - won't you go visit them and maybe leave them a note?  

Til next time... hugs and happy crafting!  D

Freshly Made Sketches #69, Dynamic Duos #36 (Red & Black w/Valentine), 4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #125 - Pearls

Hello friends and Happy Monday!  For some of you this is a holiday.  I had to work for part of the day so I stayed up late last night to get this done and posted this morning.  Yes, I do have a serious addicition to cardmaking.  But, I'm willing to guess that many of you reading have the same problem :o)  In any event, I'm sure glad you stopped by to visit me today.  I saw this split image idea on one of the challenge blogs I visit and thought it would be fun to give it a try.  It's a fun effect and I think I'm going to have to try it again on something else.  I used the other half of the heart on the inside, have a look:

I made this card to enter in three great challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches #69

Dynamic Duos #36 {Red & White w/Valentine Theme}

4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #125 Pearls, Pearls, Pearls

 

I do hope you like this and thanks again for stopping by to visit.  Til next time...hugs and happy crafting.  

'ABC' Challenges - Happy Birthday & City Crafters Week 142 Winter Blues

Hello friends! I pulled out this stamp set last week to make my card for the 'ABC' Challenges photo inspiration and just kept playing with it. The theme this week at 'ABC' Challenges is "Happy Birthday" - we want to see your beautiful birthday cards.  I have two friends in our card exchange group with birthdays this month so I went with a winter theme for their birthday cards.  I used some dry embossing - one of my favorite techniques for adding interest and depth to my cards.  Just a few scattered snowflakes placed here and there (in Pool Party ink) and then I glued the tree and bird that I had snipped out over that layer.

I am also entering this card in the City Crafters Week 142 Challenge - Winter Blues.

As promised (to myself) I have also finished the card - have a look...

 Hope you like my card and I really hope that I've inspired you to make a card to share with us this week at 'ABC' Challenges.  Pop on over to the 'ABC' Challenges site and check out what the other gals have made too - we have such a lovely and talented DT.

Thanks so much for visiting me today! Til next time... hugs and happy crafting!

Seize the Birthday #2 {Masculine} and Mo's Digital Challenge #169 - "Emboss it w/a Mo Image"

Hello friends! Feeling a little guilty 'cause I've taken a little time to catch up on some of my DT upcoming cards and make a couple new ones as well to enter in a couple of fun challenges,  instead of doing laundry and other housework.  I did say a little guilty, didn't I - hehehe.  Last week I participated in the first Seize the Birthday challenge with a feminine card. This week the challenge is to use the same sketch but make a masculine card with it. Here is the sketch (which you can see I flipped to a horizontal orientation):

Since I used one of my favorite masculine images from Mo Manning I am also entering this card in the Mo's Digital Challenge #169 - "Emboss it w/a Mo Image".  I used dry embossing on the bottom panel of my card. The digital image i used is called "King for the Day".  I tried to make the chair fabric look like suede (or aged leather) - it was a bit challenging for me, but it didn't turn out too bad. This card reminds me of my husband who is the very happiest with a Diet Coke in one hand and the remote in the other.  Since I left the sentiment off the front, here's a quick photo of the inside - kept it very clean and simple as I think a man might like :o).

So that's it for me tonight. Thanks so much for stopping by to visit me - I'm sure glad that you did. Til next time... hugs and happy crafting! 

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - A Recipe Challenge, Merry Monday #45 {Sketch} and CCAYR - January Challenge "Anything Goes Christmas"

Hello dear blog friends - hope this weekend finds you to be happy and healthy! I have made a fun card based on the challenge issued by our wonderful Ruth for 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown . Ruth has chosen a recipe challenge - 1) use patterned paper, 2) use glitter and 3) you must decorate the inside of your card.   So here is what I came up for our darling Ruth's challenge at 52CCT:

the front with the DSP and the glitter paper

and here's the inside:

Whenever I'm faced with a challenge like this I like to have a sketch to help ground all the ideas that start flying around in my head.  So I went and checked out another one of my favorite challenges Merry Monday to see if they had a sketch this week and to my delight they did.  Here is the  Merry Monday #45 sketch challenge that I used for my card:

I have found that I like to make cards using punches (I think I might actually have way too many of them so I need to find new ways to use them every chance I get to make me feel better about how many I own - LOL :o) ).  I am also entering this card in the Christmas Cards All Year Round January Challenge "Anything Goes as Long as its Christmas".  I hope you like this card and thanks for stopping by to visit me today.  

I hope you will decided to accept Ruth's challenge this week.  You only need to link up the front of your card on the challenge site - but remember to show us a picture of the inside on your blog so we can see it when we come to visit you.  I can't wait to see what you come up with! 

Pop in and visit the other lovely ladies who have made some fabulous cards for your inspiration too.  Til next time...Hugs and Happy Crafting!  P.S. Hello to my two new followers - I'm honored that you've joined in :o) 



Addicted to Stamps and More! - Color Challenge #5 - Black and White

Hello dear blog friends - thanks for stopping in to visit me today!  We have a great color challenge for you this week over at Addicted to Stamps and More!  Can  you guess what it is?  Yep... it's Black and White (that wasn't very tough to figure out was it?). I'm using a digi image from Bugaboo Digi Stamps for my card today.  I've decided that I need to make a few more sympathy and get well cards to have on hand - so you may be seeing more of these from me this year in the various posts I do.

The other lovely ladies at ATS&M have made some gorgeous B&W cards for your inspiration as well.  Please pop on over and visit them.  I hope you will decide to join us this week - I can't wait to see what you come up with!  Til next time... Hugs and happy crafting!

Seize the Birthday #1 - Feminine {A Dress 4 U}

Hello dear friends and followers, thanks so much for stopping by to visit me!  Tonight I made a card for a new challenge that started this week called seize the Birthday.  This is a challenge that is solely dedicated to birthday cards and switches from one week to the next between feminine and masculine birthday cards.  I was really intrigued by the first sketch and LOVE the idea of a birthday card each week - but I was worried I might not get to play along right from the start the way my weekend and Monday went.  Nonetheless where there is a will, there is a way and I managed to eek out enough time to make this fun card.  Here is the sketch from STB #1 that my card is based on:

In addition to being able to make a card to enter I also got to use some of my new goodies from the Stampin Up! spring catalog (the dress and stand die and DSP).  I think it kind of looks like a dressing room with wall paper and a fancy door behind the dress on display.  The main shape didn't leave me much room for a sentiment on the front so I very carefully snipped out the tiny piece of paper to make it look like a tag hanging from the dress and hung it with some twine.  Hope it didn't make it look "Minnie Pearl" by adding it. Here's the inside with the sentiment for the Birthday part :o):

I hope you like this card - I am pleased with how it turned out and I had fun making it to share with you.  Til next time... hugs and happy crafting.

'ABC' Challenges - Photo Inspiration and Creative Card Crew #27 - Snow and Ice

Hello dear blog followers and friends.  We have a great challenge for you this week at 'ABC' Challenges!! We would like to see what card(s) this photo inspires you to make to share with us:

As you can tell my by card this week I was quite literally inspired by this photo.  I remembered I had this great stamp set from a while ago that I thought would go just perfect for this challenge.  What do you think? 

Can you see the snowflakes that I embossed in white?  They really only show up when you tip the card slightly and then they are kind of like a watermark effect.  Cool but disappointing that they didn't show up as I had hoped. So then I decided to put the bigger "blops" of snow falling down. 

 Lots of puffy white snow and one poor little cold red bird.  

Here's another look and the inside too:

I can't wait to see how this photo has inspired you!  The other fine gals at 'ABC' Challenges have also got some beautiful cards to share with you - please pop on in and visit them.  

 

I am also entering this card in the following challenge: Creative Card Crew Challenge #27 - Snow and Ice. 

 

Thanks so much for visiting me today. Stay warm! Til next time... hugs and happy crafting! 

Merry Monday #44 (Color Challenge) and Addicted to CAS #4 - Embossing

Hello friends!  It's been awhile since I last played along with a Merry Monday challenge so thought I'd check it out and see what's new for the new year.  Looks like this year Lesley and the team are mixing it up a bit and have added some different type of challenges (last year was all sketch challenges).  This weeks challenge  - Merry Monday #44 - is a fun color combo that I just had to try (see below).  I also wanted to see if I could personally challenge myself a little more and see what the theme is this week over at Addicted to CAS.   To my great delight the ATCAS Challenge #4 is "Embossing" - whoo hoo - I love to add dry embossing to my cards.  I used my handy dandy Score Pal to create a space for my tickets and to help me keep my embossing straight.

Hope you like my card today (I apologize for the poor picture - lighting in my craft room at night is not good). Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! Til next time.... Hugs and Happy Crafting!! 

Supplies (all from Stampin Up!): Cardstock - Whisper White and Pool Party.   Stamp - That's the Ticket (NEW in the Spring Mini Cataolg. Ink - Real Red and Island Indigo. Embossing folder - Delicate Designs. Other - Ticket Punch (NEW in the Spring Mini Catalog).

52CCT January Color Challenge #13 and Christmas Cards All Year Round - January Challenge "Anything Goes Christmas Card"

Hello friends - time for the second challenge of 2013 from 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown.  Ruth is our DT  hostess this month and she has chosen a gorgeous color combo for you.  Here's what I did with it:

Stamps: Snow Swirled and Greetings of the Season (both from Stampin Up!),

Cardstock: Concord Crush and Brushed Silver (both SU)

 Ink: Elegant Eggplant,Whisper White and Versamark (all SU)

Embossing powder: white and silver. Ribbon and pearls from Stampin Up!

 

Ruth always finishes the insides of her cards and usually the envelopes as well. She has inspired me to do a better job of decorating the insides of my cards as I am finishing them (instead of later). I used the same snowflakes inside but this time in the Elegant Eggplant color and chose to leave a second sentiment off to have more writing room.  

Now I'm on my way to having a fabulous stash of cards in plenty of time for Christmas and I can stretch out the fun of making my cards over the next 50 weeks instead of sitting for hours at one time on just Christmas cards.  Will you choose to take the 52CCT challenge and get a jump-start on your Christmas cards? I sure hope so because we love to see what you create and visit your blogs.  Pop on in to 52CCT and see the other gorgeous cards that our DT has made for you using Ruth's fabulous colors this week.  Hope to see your card in there soon!

Don't forget...we are having a Design Team call throughout January! If you would like to apply for a spot on the 52CCT team please make a card for EVERY January challenge and ensure you add DT after your name when you link up your cards for the challenges.

I am also entering this card at:  Christmas Cards All Year Round - January Challenge - Anything Goes as Long as its a Christmas Card. 

Til next time... Hugs and happy crafting!

Addicted to Stamps and More! Theme Challenge #5 - Nature

Hello friends - so glad you've stopped by to visit me today!  After a nice break for the holidays with our families we at ATS&M are back in the crafting mode and have a great year of challenges planned for you.  The first one of 2013 is the ATS&M Theme challenge #5 - Nature.  We want to see you use something from nature in your creation - flowers, trees, birds, bees, clouds, water, etc. My card today uses the Hummingbird digi from Bugaboo Digis that I've colored with my copic markers - isn't it gorgeous?!  The sentiment is  from a new Stampin Up! set called "Oh, Hello" now available in the Spring catalog.  My photo is kind of dark toward the outer edge but hopefully you can see the embossing that I've added to the card base from the SU square lattice folder (one of my favs).  Here's another look:

And the inside (three cards for 2013 both decorated on the inside - doing good on my resolution so far :o) ):

The sentiment on the inside is from Stampin Up! called "Trust God".  I had printed the first digi image smaller than I wanted so I snipped out the corner from the first one and used it on the inside.

We had such great participation last year at Addicted to Stamps and More! and we hope that you will continue to join the fun and enter your beautiful creations each week.  I love to visit your blogs and gain inspiration from each of you.  The other ladies on the DT have prepared some gorgeous cards for your inspiration as well - please go visit them and leave a little love.  Til next time.... hugs and happy crafting!

'ABC' Challenges - CAS

Hello friends and Happy Monday!  The lovely and talented Jeannette is our hostess this week at 'ABC' Challenges and she has chosen a CAS theme challenge.  CAS means that the card should be fairly quick and easy to do (avoid advanced techniques), have lots of open space (doesn't necessarily have to be "white"), minimal layers and embellishments.  For some reason CAS is difficult for me - here's what I came up with this week based on those guidelines.  My card is actually going to be dual purpose - Happy new years on the outside and Thanks on the inside for my baby sister (she's almost 40 but she is still my baby sister - lol).

Hope you decide to make a CAS card this week to share it with us at 'ABC' Challenges!  The other fine and talented ladies have designed some beautiful cards to share with  you as well. Please pop in and visit them too.  Til next time... hugs and happy crafting!

Supplies (all from Stampin Up!): Cardstock - Whisper White and Island Indigo. Ink: Island Indigo and Raspberry Ripple. Stamps: Snow Swirled and Teeny Tiny Wishes. Other: one little basic rhinestone that I put on there to see if I liked it and then it wouldn't come back up -so there it stays :o0 .

Welcome to 2013! 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown Sketch Challenge #13 and ABC Christmas Challenge - Z is for Zoo Animals

 Hello dear blog friends and Happy 2013 to you!  My first post for 2013 is a Christmas card - does that seem weird to you??  Well... because of participating in and then becoming a DT member in the 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown Challenge I wasn't hurrying at the last minute to make a bunch of Christmas cards this past year. And...I didn't have to send out a single store-bought card out to anyone this year :o) because I had plenty to send out and remember all my wonderful friends, family, clients and coworkers. Plus... I had so much fun creating Christmas cards each week - it's like having a little piece of Christmas all year round.  So... if you'd like to find yourself in the same situation by this next holiday season I sure hope you will choose to play along with us this week (and each week thereafter) to get an early and relaxed start on your Christmas cards.  Oh... and here's something else that is quite exciting... we are having a Design Team call throughout January!  If you would like to apply for a spot on the 52CCT team please make a card for EVERY January challenge and ensure you add DT after your name when you link up your cards for the challenges.

So let's get back to the challenge at hand - this week Ruth has prepared an easy and very adaptable sketch for you.  Here it is:

And here is the card I made for 52 CCT for your inspiration  (I flipped the orientation for my card) and to enter also in the ABC Christmas Challenge - Z is for Zoo Animals:

I don't usually make New Year's resolutions but I have made three this year - 1) to get more sleep and exercise (please don't ask me to define "more" - at this point almost anything above what I'm currently doing is "more"), 2) to take better care of my hands (I'm in my late 40s but my hands are in their 60s - not good) and 3) to finish more insides of my card as I'm making them. You can see I'm setting myself up for success instead of failure by not defining "more" too strictly - lol!  So far #1 and #2 aren't off to a gang-buster start but... I have started #3 with this card (see below) - nothing fancy, but finished :o).



I so hope the you will decide to join us this week over at 52CCT!  The other fabulous DT members have created some beauties with Ruth's sketch to inspire you so please pop in to visit them too.  Don't forget about the DT call!  Til next time... hugs and happy new year crafting!