One Sketch - Two Cards - Two Different Looks: 52CCT February Sketch Challenge

Hello friends - happy weekend and happy February! A brand new month and some new challenges from 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown.  We also have some new DT members this month. So excited to have them!  Please go say "hello" to each of these lovely ladies.

The first week of the month for 52CCT is a sketch challenge and we have a fun one for you this week that has lots of possibilities for your creativity.  You can flip the sketch and use any shape for the oval. Just make sure we can still see the basic sketch in your creation.
As soon as I saw this sketch my brain went right to washi tape for the strips in the sketch.  I also had a couple extra die cut ornaments in silver foil that I thought might be a good substitute for the oval shape.

The only washi tape I had to go with this silver was a bit unconventional for the so I really had to think about how to make this work.  I decided to use the traditional A2 card size (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") instead of square.

Here's what I came up with (a very non-traditional color combo):

I was happy with how it turned out, but then... I was shopping at Staples this afternoon and came across a wall display of all kinds of new washi tape - ooohhh heaven.  I had a terrible time deciding which two to narrow it down to but finally snatched up a silver and gold.  Here's the second, more traditional with lots of bling, using the silver washi tape and another silver foil die cut ornament: - take a look:

This card uses 3 different textures with the silver, there's the super shiny (ornament), the glittery (brads and snowflake) and the mat-finish (the washi tape and sentiment).  Kind of hard to photograph - but it's really lovely IRL.  This is my favorite of the two cards :o).  

I'm entering the first card (black/silver/green) in the 4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #179 Anything Goes and Crazy Egg (4CCC#179)

I'm entering the second card (blue/silver) in the following challenges:

Merry Monday #93 - Ornaments

Twisted Tuesday Challenges #68 - Gimme a "T-A-P-E" - Use washi tape and something that begins with a T, A, P or E.  My E is embossing. 

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Silver & Blue Christmas

and 

Festive Friday #24 (FFC24) - Photo Inspiration - Ornaments and glitter is what inspired me in the photo.

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit me today.  I sure hope that you will consider joining us this week at 52CCT. Please go visit my lovely DT teamies and see what they've made to share with and inspire you too.  

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

Cool and Cozy Valentine Love

Hello friends, hope that each of you is doing well.  I didn't sleep well last night - tossed and turned and couldn't shut off my over active brain.  As a result, today my eyes are stingy and very tired. So a very quick post from me tonight to share a card for a couple of challenges.  I've had these image colored up for a few days now but didn't have a chance to finish my card until tonight.  Take a look please:

 These darling mugs were a freebie that I grabbed from the TAWS blog.  Quickly colored them up using colors from the BIC Challenge photo inspiration (see below) and fussy cut them. I used my new die cuts from Stampin Up! (now available) for the word bubbles.  Happy with how it turned out and lovin' the colors. A non-traditional valentine, but a fun one just the same :o)

I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Be Inspired Challenge #46 (BIC46) 

Sentimental Sundays Challenge #191 - Lovey Dovey

My Time to Craft Challenge #232 -" Use Two Images"

and 

Inspired by... #104 - Cool and Cozy (cool blues and cozy mug of cocoa)

Hope you enjoyed my card and thanks so much for stopping by today. Til next time...hugs and happy crafting! D

Sending My Love - ATSM Challenge #80 {Photo Inspiration}

OOPS - a little late with getting my blog post done today for my DT card at Addicted to Stamps and More! Somehow the last couple of days have snuck up behind me and swept my feet right out from under me - good gracious.

Anyway...enough complaining about my tardiness, time to share another card with your for the current challenge at ATS&M.  ATSM#80 is a Photo Inspiration - take a look:

You can take any aspect you want from this photo - the colors, the hearts, the theme (Valentine's day), the candy, the stripes - totally up to you.  I immediately gravitated toward the purple, orange and pink colors and decided to make a Valentine's day card using a new digi from our fabulous challenge sponsor Deedee's Digis.

Our sponsor generously provided us with some digital images to use this month. But as I was out crusing the store site I came across the January Digi of the Month and just had to purchase it.  Here's my card using the January Digi of the Month -  "Sending My Love":

The finished card size is 5 1/2" square.  I used one of the sentiments from the set for the tag that is tucked behind the main image.  Here's a couple views of the tag:

Of course I still left a panel inside to write a longer message. I sprinkled a few more of those tiny pink hearts on the inside panel too :o).  I've decided though that I now need a tag die or punch to make fancier tags as I really like this idea (thinking Christmas too). 

I'm entering my card in the following three challenges:

The Paper Players #180 (PPA180) where I got the great sketch (as you can see, I flipped it)

 

City Crafter Challenge Week #196 - Lovey Dovey (Valentine)

and 

Deedee's Digi of the Month Challenge - January

I hope that you will decide to join us this week at ATS&M for Challenge #80 - Photo Inspiration. Please go visit the rest of my lovely DT members and see what they have made for you as well.  This is Karen's last week as Guest Designer.  We have really enjoyed having her with us! Thanks Karen xxoo

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

Sami Stamps Challenge #009 - Warm Winter Wishes

Hello friends! A lovely day here in Montana.  The snow we got from the other day is mostly gone and is just now crisp and cold - but at least the sun is out.  Gonna go do some running around soon while it's nice out, but before I go I'd like to share a card with you that I made a while back to send to my DT buddy Nonni for Christmas. 

Through Nonni I was introduced to the lovely digital images from Sami Stamps (she made some amazing cards with these images), so I thought it would be perfect to use one for her card.  Cutting it to the wire, but I'd like to enter this card in the Sami Stamps Challenge #009.  Take a look please:

 

It looks as if she is perched on the edge of a snowy slope to me :o) Quite a lovely winter sprite she is.  I used a faux patina panel behind the image for a bit of extra interest.  Sami has some lovely winter images that I couldn't resist.  Hope you like it!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit.  Off to do my shopping and errands in the lovely cold winter day.  When I get back I'm going to do a little internet shopping for the new Reading digis that Sami Stamps just put out - be still my heart.  Gotta run for now.  Til next time friends...hugs and happy crafting! D



52CCT - January Stash Challenge {Double Embossing}, MOJO Monday 329 {sketch}, Merry Monday #92 {Colors w/Ribbon}, The Card Concept 2, Festive Fridays {Photo Inspiration} & Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Goes

Hello friends - happy weekend!! Time for another challenge at 52CCT. This week our challenge is to use two types of embossing - heat and dry.  I'm a huge fan of texture on cards and use dry embossing quite a lot.  I don't as often do the heat embossing though as I'm usually crafting at night when everyone else is in bed.  They don't much like to be woken up to the sound of my heat gun :o)  What a silly family I have!

So I made my DT card earlier in the evening to oblige them - lol.  Take a look:

All supplies from Stampin' Up!

Ink and paper colors: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla (sounds like a dessert doesn't it?)

First I embossed the star with Early Espresso and heat set it.  Then I stamped the JOY over that with Cherry Cobbler ink and embossing powder and heat set again. Heat embossing gives things such a nice subtle sheen.  I sponged some crumb cake ink around the edges of everything to add a bit of distressing.  My dry embossing is from a retired snowflake embossing folder (one of my favorites).

For additional inspiration, I used the sketch from MOJO Monday 329

the Colors w/Ribbon challenge at Merry Monday #92.

The Card Concept Challenge #2 Use Texture (my first time here thanks to Sue for the link).

Style = Vintage

Festive Friday FFC23 (also my first time thanks to Sue) with this photo inspiration

and

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - January "Anything Goes"

 I'm really happy with how this turned out.  Lately I've been making a lot of "cute" cards so it was a nice change of pace to make a vintage card.   

I hope that you will decide to play along with us this week at 52CCT.  The rest of the DT have made some gorgeous cards to inspire you as well.  Please go visit them and leave a little love.  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit me today. Til next time...hugs and happy crafting! D

  

Bugaboo 4th Birthday Bash - Day #7 Friday Freebie w/ Four, CFC126: Color Blocks and cQc #225

Hello friends.  I have reached the end of the week long Bugaboo 4th Birthday Bash at the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog.   Thanks so much to many of you for coming by my blog each day and leaving me such very nice comments on my cards!  It really made my day to read them all.  Surprisingly I managed to make a card for each day of the challenge and now I have a few more fund cards for my stash.

So for this last challenge in the Bugaboo's Birthday Bash  series, Day #7 is Freebie/Theme.  They wanted to see us use something in fours in addition to the Friday Freebie digi.   As soon as I got home from work I quickly downloaded this fun free image and got busy coloring so that I could make the challenge before it closed.  My element of 4 is the four color blocks.    Here's what I came up with - please take a look:

Details: Cardstock from Stampin' Up - 

Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, Calypso Coral, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White.

Digital image - freebie (1/24/14) from Bugaboo colored with copic markers 

Extras - texture folder and candy dots (SU) for the cherries on the cupcakes

I kept this one quite CAS using a color blocking technique.  The finished card size is 5 1/2 inches square.  

My daughter walked in the room as I was taking the photo and said "oh Mom that's really a cute card".  I love hearing that from her.  Usually she is my biggest cheerleader, but sometimes she can also be my most honest critic :o) 

I'm also entering my card in the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge where they want to see color blocking

and colourQ #225 where I got these fun colors to use

That concludes my short and sweet blog for tonight. Thanks for letting me share my crafty creations with you today and all week.  Til next time...hugs and happy crafting! D

Playing Cupid - PP179 (One Layer Valentine), ATCAS "New" and My Time to Craft Challenge #231

Hello.  Valentine's day is generally not my favorite holiday (but I do love the colors and heart shapes). I tend to go more with funny rather than serious or mushy valentine's cards.

The Paper Players Challenge #179 is to make a one-layer valentine.

I had recently purchased this funny digital image (Bugaboo) so what perfect timing for me.  One-layer cards are generally not my fort'e but I thought I'd give it a go just the same. Take a look:

I'm actually quite happy with how this turned out.  I LOVE that bright pink (it's one of my favorite colors) and check out that bright blue eye shadow on Stella - very classy (and actually very trendy again).  I thought about giving this card to my husband (something for him to look forward to in future years - LOL) but then decided that it will be a good card to send my Grandma.  This totally fits her sense of humor and I'm sure she'll get a good chuckle out of it. Kind of reminds me of her in her heyday - especially the hair ;o) 

I am also entering my card in these other challenges:

Addicted to CAS - "New".  

My "new" is the digital image and the tiny pink hearts from a new SU set.

My Time to Craft Challenge #231 -  All about the LOVE

So that's it for me tonight.  I need to get to bed earlier (stayed up way, way too late last night crafting). Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting me today.  Til next time...hugs and happy crafting! D