Never Play Leapfrog with a Unicorn!

The challenge this week at Creative Moments #143 is to create a humorous card, which I elected not to do. I titled the card with humor in mind! I used a digital image provided by one of our sponsors, Polka Doodles Unique Stamps & Papercrafting. The stamp includes two cute unicorn type creatures.

Panels of cardstock were adhered to a card base. The top later was dry embossed for texture. The panel along the top was hand cut to display whimsical clouds and the banners were tucked beneath. The image was downloaded, resized, colored and fussy cut, then adhered using foam tape.

Please join us at our blog and play along by creating a card. Creative Moments Challenge #143 begins on Wednesday, May 16 and runs for two weeks.

Materials
Stamp: Lil Miss Sugarpops at Polka Doodles Unique Stamps & Papercrafting
Inks: Copic Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Bermuda Bay & Coastal Cabana; SN for alcohol markers
Paper: Pink Paislee "Summer Lights" & Doodlebug "Spring Things"
Misc.: Stampin' Up! TIEF (Argyle), Dimensionals (foam tape)

Spotted Bluebird

Time for another color challenge at Color My Heart Color Dare! Challenge #293 is to use Sapphire, Canary and silver. If you don't have these exact colors, check your stash and use what you do have.

My CAS card is cut entirely from one die. I cut the whole image from the silver cardstock. Next I cut the bird portion from some Sapphire patterned paper and the flowers from Canary patterned paper. For the bird and flowers I trimmed away the excess paper and adhered them directly to the silver cardstock. Using a soft brush, I added yellow dye ink to the front of the card base using the ink dusting technique. The image was then adhered directly to the card base. The inside of the card was decorated with a scrap image of the bird, left from die cutting the flowers. No sentiment has yet been adhered.

 

 

I invite you to join in the challenge fun at Color Dare #293. Our challenge begins on Friday, May 18, 2018 and runs for two weeks. There is also time remaining to join in #292, so check our blog!

 

Techniques: Die cutting, ink dusting, CAS

Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

 

Materials

Ink: Stampin' Up! Daffodil Delight

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White; Bazzill Metallic Silver

Paper: CTMH "Beautiful Friendship" Paper Packet

Die: Sizzix Thinlit #661749 "Songbird"





Special Day

My granddaughter has a birthday in a few weeks and I will be sending her this cheerful card. This is also my Design Team card for Try Stampin' on Tuesday Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #3. I hope you'll visit our blog and play along in one of our challenges. We have sketch, technique, color and tic-tac-toe challenges, along with an occasional blog hop. This challenge begins on May 15 and runs for two weeks.

Using the tic-tac-toe grid, I selected the bottom horizontal row: green, outdoors, oval. There is green in the floral paper, the scene is set outdoors and the balloon is oval.

Onto a white card base, two different pink textured cardstock panels were adhered. Onto that is a panel embossed with clouds. The butterfly, scallop trim, the fence and the hillside were die cut. The image was stamped, colored and fussy cut. The sentiment was stamped. All of the elements were assembled, many with foam tape for dimension. The inside has not yet been decorated or stamped.

Join the challenge fun and play along at Try Stampin' on Tuesday!

Techniques: Stamping, die cutting, fussy cutting, coloring, embossing
Size: A2

Materials
Stamps: Whimsy Stamps "Bunny Balloons"
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black & Copic Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White; pinks and yellow from stash
Paper: stash
Dies: Lawn Fawn
TIEF: Stampin' Up!
Misc.: 3M foam tape

Yummy!

It's time for Challenge #196 at The Crafter's Café Blog. Our theme is "Creatures". I accepted this cute digital image of "Cupcake Kitty" from one of our sponsors, Knitty Kitty Digis.

The sponsor asked that we add a watermark across the photos.

 

The challenge begins on May 15, 2018 and lasts two weeks.

KNITTY KITTY DIGIS

The image was downloaded, resized, colored and fussy cut. I also added an extra flower. Onto a card base, a panel of cardstock was adhered. Next an embossed square of cardstock was adhered. The ribbon was added. A large banner was cut from fish patterned paper. It was adhered with foam tape. The image was also adhered with foam tape and the extra flower was tucked behind and adhered. The word "yummy" was die cut and adhered. The inside of the card was decorated with a strip of the same fish patterned paper.

Join in the challenge fun at The Crafter's Café Challenge #196!

Materials
Stamp: "Cupcake Kitty" digital image by Knitty Kitty Digis
Ink: Copic Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla, Smoky Slate, Basic Gray; SN for alcohol markers
Paper: Graphic 45 "Sun Kissed" Collection
Die: Frantic Stamper "Yummy, Sweet, Delish"
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Stripe TIEF, Striped Cotton Ribbon (Tangelo Twist) & Dimensionals (foam tape)

Forever Heart

Who doesn't love to receive a card with hearts? I've had this three-piece die set in my stash for a while and I thought it would work well with Color Dare Challenge #291. I think there are additional possibilities such as adding the word "friend" or maybe "and always" to go along with the forever. I do wish the maker of the dies had a video on ways to use the them but there are some great samples in their store.

I encourage you to visit Challenge #291 at Color My Heart Color Dare. Read how you can become eligible for a prize! If you don't have these exact colors just match up what you have in your stash and play along. Black and white are also permitted.

The paper and cardstock were die cut and then assembled onto a white card base, which is peeking through the unusual shaped holes. The word die is from the same set. A strip of vellum was added behind the word so the word would stand out against the busy background. Three metallic gold gems were added for a little bling.

Drop by the Color Dare blog - there may be time remaining for Challenge #290!

Materials
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White & vellum; CTMH Smoothie & Heather
Paper: CTMH "Beautiful Friendship" Paper Packet
Dies: Lil' Inker Designs "Forever Heart Layer I" (w/word) & "Forever Heart Layer II"
Misc.: Gems from stash

Butterfly Background

I'm still feeling as if it's spring here in the Arizona desert although it reached 93 degrees today. The low humidity kept us comfortable and we never heard the air conditioner turn on.

My card is for a sketch challenge - they're always my favorite type and the optional twist is to include butterflies in the design. This is Sketch Challenge #364, which begins on Tuesday, April 24, 2018.

We hope you'll check out our challenges at Try Stampin' on Tuesday. Each Tuesday we offer a sketch or color challenge that is open for almost two weeks. Once a month we add a technique challenge and over Memorial Day, we're having a blog hop featuring masculine cards!

The front of the card base was texturized with a butterfly embossing folder. A dusting technique was used to lightly brush on gray ink to highlight the butterflies and give dimension to the background. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with the same patterned paper as on the card front. A panel of cardstock and a panel of patterned paper were adhered to the card front. Three squares were tilted and adhered with foam tape. The die cut "hello" was adhered along with some small pearls.

We'd love to have you play along at our challenges! Check out our blog: Try Stampin' on Tuesday.

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Ink: Smoky Slate
Cardstock: Whisper White, Soft Sky, Perfect Plum, Wisteria Wonder
Paper: Painted Blooms Collection (retired)
Die: Greetings (hello)
TIEF: "Fluttering"
Misc.: Dimensionals (foam tape); pearls from stash; dusting brush by Judikins

Scootin' By!

This cute image from Mari Digis Stamp Store was such fun to use on a card! Being a "white hair" myself I wanted to color her hair the same. Come on by the Creative Moments Blog and play along with Challenge #141. The theme is "two flowers". On my card I added a flower to her hair and one for decoration.

The image was downloaded, resized, printed and colored. I had a little trouble with one of my Copic markers dispensing too much ink and some spatter but I persisted. The panels were adhered to the card base with the focal panel being adhered with foam tape for dimension. The flowers were created using a punch. The sentiment was computer generated. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with patterned paper and a few scattered flowers.

We hope you'll stop by Creative Moments Challenge Blog and share your project with us. Just put two flowers on it and post it!

Materials
Stamp: Bzzt by Mari Digis Stamp Store
Inks: Copic Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Basic Gray, Smoky Slate; SN for alcohol markers
Paper: CTMH "Penelope" (retired)
Punch: Stampin' Up! Boho Blossoms
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape); gems from stash

Happy Spring! Step Card

Although my card includes Easter eggs and Easter was a few weeks ago, the eggs symbolize new life, which, in my hemisphere, is what spring is all about! The cactus flowers are breaking out with buds, the Palo Verde and Bottle Brush trees are already bright with color and we have plenty of honey bees.

April 15th is also World Art Day. The date was chosen in honor of the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci, a symbol of world peace, freedom of expression, tolerance, brotherhood and multiculturalism.

We hope you'll join our semi-monthly challenge #194 at The Crafter's Café by submitting your project. The challenge begins on April 15, 2018. There is a prize! My image of the jar filled with eggs came from our sponsor, Scribbles Designs. Take a look at their blog filled with digital images for your projects.

My card is a fancy fold called a horizontal center step card. There are plenty of tutorials on You Tube providing instructions to make this vertically or horizontally. After measuring, cutting and scoring the step card base, it was decorated with patterned paper. The jar and egg images were downloaded, resized, colored and fussy cut. The flowers were created with a punch. All of these elements were adhered to the card, some with foam tape for dimension and some directly onto the card base. The sentiment was computer generated and adhered with foam tape. Gems were added for some sparkle. The inside of the card was lined with white cardstock and decorated with a few flowers.

Visit The Crafter's Café Challenge #194 for inspiration from our Design Team and play along with us!

Materials
Stamps: Digital Image "Easter Eggs in Mason Jar" by Scribbles Designs; sentiment computer generated
Inks: Copics Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Basic Gray, Elegant Eggplant, Hello Honey, Lucky Limeade, Pink Pirouette, Bermuda Bay, Perfect Plum; SN for alcohol ink
Paper: Dare 2B Artzy "Honey Bloomz" Collection
Punch: Stampin' Up! Boho Blossoms
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape); gems from stash

All Occasions

Having used this stamp, Artistically Awesome, several times over the past, it has become a favorite to use for any number of occasions. This card is in response to Try Stampin' on Tuesday's Color Challenge #2 - Plum, Sage and Mauve. We hope you'll play along!

The stamped image was colored with Copics, ink dusted, matted with green cardstock and backed with foam tape. A panel of patterned paper was adhered to the eggplant card base along with a coordinating ribbon. The focal panel was attached. The inside of the card was lined with a panel of white cardstock that had been dusted with ink. The panel was decorated with ribbon and a fussy cut portion of an identical colored stamped image.  A sentiment will be added when the card is used. One of the Copic markers spattered lightly onto the focal image. I liked the effect so left it exactly as is.

Please share your creations with us at TSOT Color Challenge #2. We'd love to see them!

Techniques: Stamping, coloring, ink dusting, fussy cutting
Size: A2

Materials
Stamp Set: Stampin' Up! "Artistically Awesome"
Inks: Stampin' Up! Perfect Plum; Memento Tuxedo Black; Copic Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Lucky Limeade (retired); SN for alcohol markers
Paper: Stampin' Up! Painted Blooms Collection (retired)
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape) & ribbon (Elegant Eggplant); dusting brush by Judikins

A Poppy for You

The Brown Sugar Challenge #277 for April is up and running beginning on April 6, 2018 through Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 9:00 am Mountain Standard Time (USA). The theme is to create a project for Mother's Day or something using pearls (or both)! We'd love to have you play along.

 

Because poppies vary from gold to orange to red, I colored them using a variety of different markers. I used an image from Crafty Sentiments Designs. The image was downloaded, resized, printed, colored and fussy cut. I also isolated the poppy and printed five of them, which were done the same way as the girl image. Onto a card base, a die cut scalloped strip was adhered along with a plaid panel. A strip of cardstock was die cut along two edges, decorated with a white ribbon and adhered. The sentiment was computer generated and adhered along with two other banners. The images were adhered using foam tape for dimension. Pearls were added. The inside was decorated with a strip of plaid paper and the last remaining poppy.

I encourage you to try to win a prize by joining in the challenge fun at Brown Sugar!

Materials
Stamp: Digital Image "Emmi Lou - A Poppy for You" from Crafty Sentiments Designs; computer generated sentiment (font: Gigi)
Inks: Copic Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Peach Parfait (retired); SN for alcohol ink
Paper: Lawn Fawn plaid
Die: Lawn Fawn stitched scallop border die
Misc.: Stampin' Up' Dimensionals (foam tape), pearls & ribbon

Friendship Fancy Fold Step Card

For Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #287, I made a vertical center step card. This is probably the simplest of the various styles of step cards. There are plenty of tutorials available on You Tube for making step cards. I kept this one at an A2 size for easy mailing but because I later added the large pearls, it probably would be better to give this card in person and not send it through the mail. I did not use a die to create the card base. It really is very simple to create the base if you have a trimmer/cutter device.

To the white card base I added the striped paper. I also added a decorated layer of cardstock to the center section that I die cut on three edges with a stitched scallop border die. The rectangular design with the light pink sentiment was cut from patterned paper. The flowers were created using a punch and the word "friend" is from a die. Most of the flowers were adhered using foam tape to add more dimension to the card.

The challenge colors are:

If you don't have the exact colors, that's ok. Feel free to look through your stash and select colors that are closest to these and play along at Color Dare #287. You may be eligible for a prize! Just don't add any colors or neutrals other than what is explained in the guidelines.

Techniques: Fancy fold, die cutting, punch cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White heavyweight, CTMH Blossom & Bashful, DCWV Silver Foil
Paper: Echo Park "Imagine That" Collection - #ITG146010 Journaling Cards & #ITG146007 Bubble Trouble
Dies: "Friend" - source unknown; Lawn Fawn stitched scalloped border
Punch: Stampin' Up! "Boho Blossoms"
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape), Martha Stewart pearls

Where's the Coffee?

The Creative Moments Challenge #140 is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, April 4, 2018. The optional theme is "relaxation". My cute little "Teacup Chihuahua" from Wink Wink Ink is excited waiting for his morning coffee but I think he'll calm down. Our challenge lasts for two weeks so I hope you'll visit our blog.

The image was downloaded, sized, colored and fussy cut. Onto the card base, a large panel of cardstock was adhered with a strip of brown cardstock on the right edge. Two die cut labels, the larger of which was dry embossed, were also adhered after the edges were sponged with ink. The image was adhered using foam tape for dimension. The sentiment was computer generated, adhered to a cardstock banner and backed with foam tape. The brown candy dots were added. The inside of the card was decorated with a strip of patterned paper matching the paper die cut label.

I urge you to join in the challenge fun and play along at Creative Moments!

Techniques: Coloring, die cutting, fussy cutting, dry embossing, sponging
Size: A2

Materials
Stamps: "Teacup Chihuahua" from Wink Wink Ink & computer generated sentiment
Inks: Copic alcohol markers & Stampin' Up! Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise, Peach Parfait (retired); SN for alcohol ink
Paper: From my Stampin' Up! stash (retired)
Dies: Spellbinders Labels
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Candy Dots (Chocolate Chip) & Dimensionals (foam tape); Cuttlebug EF (Dotted Zigzag)

Fun in the Sun

Fun in the Sun for the Frog family using the partial die cutting technique.

There's a new challenge for the month of April at Try Stampin' on Tuesday. The sketch challenges occur every week but the technique challenges are monthly. April's technique is partial die cutting. This is my first attempt at this technique so is displayed simply but I am eager to try some with more complex cutting.

The frog who is bravely attempting a dive into the pond was done using the technique. Only a portion of the die was cut on the edge of the paper, then the entire image was stamped and colored. The inside of the card was colored using the old tried and true technique called "Direct to Paper". This means that the turquoise ink pad was dragged along the inside of the card to create the watery look.The remaining images were stamped, colored, die cut and adhered to the card base mostly using foam tape. The white surface on the upper portion of the front of the card was ink dusted. The clear droplets were added. I purposely omitted the sentiment until I am ready to use the card.

Please join in the fun and play along with our technique challenge at Try Stampin' on Tuesday!

Techniques: Stamping, partial die cutting, die cutting, direct-to-paper, coloring, ink dusting

Materials
Stamps: Lawn Fawn "Toadally Awesome"
Inks: Stampin' Up! Tempting Turquoise; Distress Oxide Broken China, Memento Tuxedo Black & Copic alcohol markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White & Barely Banana; SN for alcohol ink
Dies: Lawn Fawn "Toadally Awesome" & Reverse Confetti "Sun and Clouds"
Misc.: Pretty Pink Posh clear droplets; Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape); Judikins stippling brush