Hip Hip Hooray - Happy Birthday - PPA192 and Deedee's February Digi of the Month Challenge

Hello friends and followers - so happy that you are here to visit me today!  It's the weekend and I have lots of errands to run...groceries, oil change, drop off stuff to Good Sam.  Maybe I'll even get a visit in to my Grandma.  I haven't seen her for nearly 3 weeks due to having a really bad head cold/sinus thing for the past 2 weeks (which I think is finally gone!).  But...before I start all of that. I have a fun card to share that I made for my sister-in-law (add mailing this to the "to do" list for today) using a couple challenges as inspiration.

Take a look please:

The challenges I am entering with this card are as follows:

Deedee's Digis February of the Month Challenge 

(where I got this great image for free by participating in the January digi of the month challenge)

and 

Pals Paper Arts #192 - Sketch by Margaret Moody

So... off I go to do my weekend errands. Til next time friends...hugs and happy crafting! D

Some LOVE for ATCAS#29, CFC125, PPA187 and Unscripted Sketches #239

Hello friends thanks for stopping by to visit today.  I was going to spend a good chunk of my day at work trying to make a dent in the mountain of work I'm behind on, but I went to get in my husband's car and the low tire light came on.  I got out and looked at all the tires - they looked okay to me, but I'm not a genius when it comes to cars.  Since they looked okay, I thought I'd just go ahead and leave.  But then I only got backed out the driveway and the "TIRE SENSOR ERROR" message popped up at me.  What the heck does that mean really?? Not wanting to risk a tire blow-out, I decided to just go back to the house.  Called DH but no answer on his cell phone (he has my car today washing it and getting groceries).  So...decided to embrace this as a sign that I really needed more "play" time in my life and went right on up to my craft room to make two cards to enter in some challenges that I haven't had time to play along with in a while. This is the first one (I'll share the second one in another post):

My card today is based on the themes at ATCAS Challenge #29 - Die Cuts 

and CAS-ual Fridays (CFC125) - in a word

 

the colors from Pals Paper Arts #187

and the sketch from Unscripted Sketches #239

  

Don't you just love it when several challenges all come together so nicely?  What a great way to use up some paper scraps and this is one of my favorite color combos.  This is my first Valentine's day card of the season. I don't typically make a ton - only about 5 or 6 total. So I'm off to a good start.  Hope you enjoyed it and thanks again for stopping by.  

By the way, my DH did finally call me back after about an hour and told me that this light has been on for a while but it's fine to drive the car.  Too late - I'm already in play mode - lol!!  Guess I'll have to catch up on Monday. 

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

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - FELT, PPA153 and ABC Christmas Challenge - D is for Designer Paper

Hello and happy weekend! How have you FELT this week?  I have FELT like it was a long week and am glad for the weekend myself. This is the last week that I get to be the hostess for the month of February at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown. I've had so much fun this month and have really been impressed with what many of the participants at 52CCT have come up with each week.  My challenges have been a bit "unusual" I guess you could say - maybe even a bit difficult.  I think a couple of my challenges have really pushed some of you out of your comfort zone - but wow did you rise to the challenge! 

This week's challenge might also be a bit tough for some of you. For me it was easy because I discovered a stash of Christmas felt embellishments in  my craft drawer a while back and decided a good way to use them up would be to use them for a challenge.  I realize that felt isn't something many of you might have just stashed in a drawer but you can use a piece of felt (a square, a circle, a strip, etc.), a felt embellishment, a felt bow, a felt covered button, felt letters... you get the idea.  Just use felt somewhere or somehow on your Christmas card this week.  I sure hope this doesn't stop many of you from joining in on the fun at 52CCT this week.  It wasn't my intent to pick a hard challenge - really it wasn't.   Maybe you will be glad that this is my last week??

Before I show you my card I'd like to give a warm HELLO to my newest follower Sue.  Sure glad to  have you :o)

So here's my card to share with you this week:

and here's the inside:

I'd like to pat myself on the back for just a small moment and tell you that I have only fallen off my New Year's resolution once regarding decorating the inside of my cards.  They are not always spectacular (maybe just a sentiment) so I don't always photograph them to share - but I've been really good about keeping up with it (thank you Ruth :o) ).
 
My card is based off the sketch challenge at Pals Paper Arts.  I really should say its "loosely" based on the sketch as I was trying to do it from memory and it doesn't exactly follow the sketch - but its pretty close.  Think I'm gonna try another one this weekend because I do really like that sketch (see below).  I'm also entering this card in the ABC Christmas Challenge - D is for Designer Paper (I used the Snow Festival DSP from the Stampin Up Christmas mini catalog):

Thank you so much for stopping in to visit me today!  I'd love for you to pop into the 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown Challenge and see what the other talented and lovely ladies have come up with.  I was especially tickled with Louise's creativity - I don't want to spoil the surprise for you, you must go check it out though (I dare you not to giggle with joy).  Til next time... Hugs and Happy Crafting! D

Dynamic Duos #15 - Subtle Color Combo and Pals Paper Arts (PPA 141) Sketch

Hello friends - Happy Thursday to each of you!  I'm not totally in love with the way this card turned out today - but since I spent quite a bit of time making it, I decided I will share it with you anyway.  Maybe you will get some piece of inspiration out of it...hope so anyway :o)

The colors are from the Dynamic Duos Challenge #15 - Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery.  This card also uses an allowed neutral of basic grey. 

I used the sketch from Margaret Moody for the Pals Paper Arts #141 Challenge.  I interpretted it slightly by turning my rows horizontally instead of vertically (just didn't like how they looked with this frame). 

I added a punched ruffled edge along the bottom of the card - so the top piece isn't as long as the bottom piece and it won't stand up - but is pretty when the recipient opens it.  I had to photograph it flat so you could see both layers of the border - so I think it makes the card look a little different than IRL.  The frame and flowers are from the Papaya Collage stamp set.  I cut out an extra flower and glue-dotted it on.  I also stamped one more flower over the top of the sentiment.  It was the third stamp off so it is a very subtle effect.  I used some strips from my Designer Series Paper Stack (subtles) for the celery strips in the background.  I've gotten a lot of use out of those paper stacks. 

Looking at this card again, I think what I don't like about it is that the grey seems kind of stark against those soft colors, or maybe its the white - wishing I had used a softer grey or even a soft suede instead with a very vanilla cardstock.  Oh well - I do like the rest of the card.  And, I really like this sketch, so I might have to try different card with it.  Stay tuned and see if I redeem myself  - lol :o)

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit today - I'm sure glad that you did. Til next time - Hugs!



MOJO252, PPA140, Lollipop Crafts & Paper Play {Happy Birthday}

Hello friends and Happy Friday!! Today is my niece's 19th birthday and I'm wondering how in the world she got so old so fast (or maybe it's me that is getting old so fast - hmmm)!  It is also my Dad's 70th birthday - how cool is that?!  (Note: the inside is shown below).

I used the following challenges to help me put together her birthday card and I think she is going to really love it:

MOJO Monday 252 - Round or Square

Pals Paper Arts #140

Lollipop Crafts - Celebration Theme

Paper Play Challenges - Week 31 - Layer It Up!

Of course I knew I was going to choose the MOJO252 Round option right away.  I love round cards and I just thought it would make it that much more special for a birthday card because its unusual to get a round card (I think).  The colors... well...at first I wasn't sure how I was going to combine the colors from PPA140 - color challenges are definitely a personal "challenge" for me sometimes.  But I had this great DSP called Patio Party with the Summer Starfruit color and decided to make that my main color and work the other two into it with the layers.  I added some texture to the cupcake liners with my score pal - it's kind of hard to see in the photo (those little pieces were hard to keep straight - next time I'll score a piece first and then use my punch- duh!).  I used lots of punches on this card for my layers: the Cupcake builder punch, the Owl builder punch (small heart), the scalloped edge border punch, the 1 3/8" circle and the 1 1/4" circle punches.  The Scalloped card is made using my Sizzix Scallop Circle die and the two larger circles are from Spellbinders.  The sentiment is from my "go to" set called Petite Pairs.  Here is how I finished the inside:

Well better go for now so I can get the gifts wrapped and put on my party hat :o)  Don't want to be late for cake - LOL!  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit my blog today - I'm sure glad that you did!  Hope you saw something that inspired you today!  Hugs! 

PPA139, Paper Play Challenges and Simply Stampin Challenge

Happy Saturday friends!  Thanks so much for stopping in to visit me - I'm sure glad that you did!  Hope that you are having a fine weekend! 

This card is based on the great sketch this week from Pals Paper Arts #139.  I just loved all the different strips to use my patterned paper with and the fun circles at the corners (I immediately thought buttons for some reason).  Here's the sketch:

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges for the first time:  Paper Play Challenges Week 29 - Christmas in July, and Simply Stampin Challenge #69 - Vintage.  I love to make Christmas cards and Vintage and Shabby Chic is a style that I want to practice more as I really admire it.  I really like how this one turned out - it does seem that the more you practice something the more comfortable you become with it (of course a great sketch and stamp help a lot too - lol).  Here's a couple more views of this card:

I'm delighted to share with you that this card is that second one I've made with a stamp set that I had previously never used. You might remember that I had made a card a few days ago with one of the other stamps from this set that I've had for ages but had not been able to envision how to use it. Seems that once I got over that "block" I can now see other uses for this set :o).

I found these new challenges by following the blogs of a couple talented ladies. I saw their cards for these challenges and was so inspired that I had to give it a go too. This is all part of the fun of sharing our creations on our blogs and entering challenges. It would just tickle me pink if I inspired some of you sometime to try a new challenge or technique or product :o).  So let's get on to the details in case you are wondering what I used for this card.  Til next time - Hugs to all of you!

Supplies (all from Stampin Up!): Cardstock - Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla and Early Espresso.  Stamp - Bells and Boughs, colored with my SU markers in Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler and Summer Sun.  DSP - Deck the Halls (retired).  Buttons from a retired stash and natural hemp twine. 

Pals Paper Arts #138 (PPA138) Color Challenge

Hello friends, tonight I'm entering this card in the Pals Paper Arts Challenge #138 which calls for the terrific color combo as shown below.
I absolutely love this color combo together and knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted to make a card with a sunflower on it.  This is the first time I've inked up this lovely flower stamp and I really liked the results.  I think the next time I do it, I'll stamp the image first with soft suede ink on the daffodil delight paper and then color and stamp just the middle of the flower again using Early Espresso - I think it will give the leaves more definition - I'll let you know how it turns out when I try it :o)  I usually like to have some element of texture on my cards so in this case I let the ribbon and the pearls provide that for me.  I used three strands of the daffodil stitched grosgrain ribbon and cut the ends of each strip to mimic the edges of the flowers.  I like how it turned out even without any patterned paper or texturizing :o) Hope you like it too!  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit - I'm sure glad that you did.  Hugs!

Details and Supplies (all from Stampin Up!): Finished card size is 5 1/4" square.  The sunflower stamp is approximately 4 1/2" x 4 3/4" so I decided to go with a larger square card.  Cardstock - Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso and Whisper White.  Stamps - Sunflower and Nature Silhouettes (sentiment - retired).  Inks - Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso and Cherry Cobbler.  Ribbon - 14" stitched grosgrain ribbon in Daffodil Delight.  Three basic pearls. 

Paper Players 100th , DP2 Masculine and PPA137

Hi again!  I think I was having serious withdrawals while I was away from my cardmaking because I'm feeling like I just want to lock myself in my craft room ALLLLLL day and play!  But the sunshine is calling so I finished up one more card to submit in three great challenges today and then I'm out the door.  I'm really excited to share with you that this is my first attempt at paper piecing (used on the chair)! I have been wanting to try this for quite some time and finally found the perfect image to use as a newbie (not too much fussy cutting to mess up).  I really am tickled with how it turned out :o)

The Paper Players 100th Challenge is to use any past challenge to make a card.  I didn't start playing with the Paper Players until the challenges were in the 80s (and I started following this challenge when it was in the 50s) so I wanted to do an earlier one and what better place to start than the very 1st (see below)!

I also love to particpate in the weekly Mo Manning DP2 Challenges so I can practice with my copic markers with super cute and fun digital images.  The DP2Challenge #140 is "Masculine"  how perfect is that?  I grabbed this great Mo digital image as soon as I saw it because it fits my husband to a "T" - this would be one of the ways he would be happiest - in his comfy chair with remote and Diet Coke in hand.  Doesn't this fella look like he is having his best day too? You can find this digital image at Mo's Digital Pencil Store and its called "King for a Day".  I was traveling for Father's day this year so this is a late gift to my husband.

And last but not certainly not least I am also entering the Pals Paper Arts #137 Sketch challenge by Margaret Moody.  After all it's hard to make a great card without a great sketch to inspire you and this sketch certainly inspired me.    

Thanks for stopping by to visit - I'm sure glad you did!  Hugs!

Suppies:  Cardstock - Midnight Muse (NEW In-color for 2012-2014) and Very Vanilla.  DSP - Comfort Cafe (NEW!).  Image from Mo Mannings Digital Pencil Shop "King for A Day" and colored with various Copic markers.  Sentiment is from a retired Stampin Up! set called "Its Your Day" stamped with Early Espresso ink.  Self adhesive brads that look like rivelets are from Close to My Heart (don't they kind of look like the fabric nails you would find on a piece of furniture?)