You Are Purrr-fect

Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #393 is ready for you! Follow the sketch and play along. The optional theme is "Tiny Things".

My favorite tiny things are pets - cats and dogs especially. I had this cute patterned paper in my stash so decided to use it by fussy cutting the heads of the cats, adhering them to circles and ovals and then adhering to the decorated card base. To decorate the card base, the panel of red cardstock and two strips of blue cardstock were adhered to the white card. The inside was decorated with a strip of cardstock and a seventh cat. The sentiment was computer generated.

If you've never joined in a challenge at Try Stampin' on Tuesday, I urge you to visit the blog and give it a try. Challenge #393 is open through Sunday, February 10, 2019.

Materials
Stamp: Computer-generated sentiment
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black
Paper: Photo Play "Here Kitty Kitty"
Dies: Gina K nesting/stacking dies in circles and ovals
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape)

My Heartful Cat Valentine

After completing this card, my cat, Sluggo, was later found pawing the foil along the edge, causing it to be torn a bit. I decided to leave it without attempting any repair. People who know me also know I love cats and dogs. At present I have only Sluggo but I have had many, many pets. My stepdaughter also shares my love of cats and has three. When I made this Valentine card I knew it would be mailed to my stepdaughter to enjoy.

The colors were selected by using Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #327. This is a Tic-Tac-toe challenge so I selected the bottom row (Willow, Raspberry, Carolina) then added Lemon-, Pewter- and Ballerina-like colors by using the floral print. I hope you'll visit the challenge and check out how you can use anywhere from three to nine colors from the Tic-Tac-Doe grid and still be following the rules. This challenge lasts from Friday, January 25 through February 10, 2019.

The cat image was die cut from patterned paper and adhered to Pewter cardstock. The heart and swirly cut-outs were inlaid with Raspberry foil cardstock along with some other embellishing. Onto a black card base, a panel of white cardstock was adhered. The Pewter panel was trimmed along one edge with the Raspberry foil cardstock and adhered to the card base. The inside was decorated with a scrap of the designer paper used for the cat. The inside will also be stamped with a Valentine greeting.

The Design Team at Color My Heart Color Dare would enjoy seeing your project and how you used the colors, so be sure to visit the blog and consider joining the challenge.

Techniques: Die cutting, Inlay
Size: A2

Materials
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Whisper White; CTMH Pewter; WRMK Foil in Amaranth
Paper: Doodlebug "Cream & Sugar" Collection
Die: Tutti "Hearted Cat"

National Hugging Day 2019

Time for another new challenge at Double Trouble Challenge Blog! For our 20th challenge, we're celebrating National Hugging Day on January 21st.  Make someone feel special and give them a hug today! Encourage love, peace and kindness.

 

For Challenge #20, Trouble Maker has asked for some love by using the theme, Love Is in the Air. Double Dare has asked that projects be linked to a challenge partner, The Paper Girls Challenge #168. Twisted Sister is looking for some sparkle and shine.

 

I went with a quick and easy card this time. After adhering three patterned papers to a card base of white, I fussy cut the butterflies from patterned paper and popped them up with foam tape. I used a punch to get a variety of hearts from three colors of glitter paper, which I randomly adhered. The strip of hearts was die cut from pink glitter paper. The inside was trimmed with pink glitter paper and decorated with some of the tiny hearts. A sentiment could easily be added at any time.

Please visit the Double Trouble Challenge #20 and The Paper Girls Challenge #168 to play along. You could be eligible for a prize!

Materials
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White
Paper: Doodlebug "Spring Things" & Photo Play "Encourage"; WRMK glitter paper
Die: Verve "Scalloped Trim Trio"
Punch: Stampin' Up! "Confetti Heart"
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape)

Honey Bloomz

1/21/2019 Update: Top Three winner at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #299.

When I first saw this Dare 2 Be Artzy "Honey Bloomz" paper collection I was smitten. I purchased a fair amount of it and keep going back to use it because there are so many pattern variations and versatile colors. And I recently added the coordinating stamps. On this card I used background paper that was more soothing than usual and am pleased with the "quiet" vibe of the card.

What luck to find two challenges with similar sketches occurring at the same time! This card was made for Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #391 and Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #299. Here is the original TSOT mix-up sketch:

 

I selected the sketch only and turned it on its side:

 

And here is the similar sketch from AHSC:

A panel of patterned paper was adhered to a cardstock panel of the same size for stability. Onto this, a strip of patterned paper matted with gray cardstock was adhered diagonally across the card. A scalloped circle was die cut from yellow cardstock and scraps of coordinating patterned paper were adhered to a white die cut circle. The bee was fussy cut from paper and adhered using foam tape. A panel of yellow cardstock was adhered to a gray card base. The entire focal piece was adhered to the yellow panel with foam tape. The inside of the card was lined with white cardstock and a strip of coordinating paper. No sentiment is required by AHSC and is an option at TSOT so I decided not to use a sentiment although one could be added easily.

Be sure to visit the challenge blogs and consider playing along at Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #391 and Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #299. TSOT went live on Tuesday, January 15 and will run two weeks. AHSC is a weekly challenge and began on Monday, January 14.

Materials
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Barely Banana (retired)
Paper: Dare 2 Be Artzy "Honey Bloomz" Collection
Dies: Gina K stacking/nesting classic circle and scalloped circle
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape)


You Are Fabulous!

A friend of mine is celebrating her 76th birthday next week so I made this card for her using colors from the Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #325. I selected Peacock, Eggplant and Sugarplum plus white.

A panel of cardstock was dry embossed, trimmed with patterned paper on the horizontal edges, backed with foam tape and adhered to a white card base. The flourishes were die cut from patterned paper and adhered. The word "fabulous" was also die cut twice from two papers to create a shadow effect, covered with Glossy Accents for a bright shine and adhered directly to the card front. The words "you are" were computer generated then adhered using foam tape. Flower shaped sequins were adhered to finish the front. The inside was decorated with matching patterned paper and another flourish and stamped with a birthday sentiment.

The Color Dare Challenge #325  begins today and lasts two weeks, ending on Sunday, January 20. Be sure to visit the challenge blog and play along.

Materials
Stamp: computer generated partial sentiment; Stampin' Up! "Curly Cute" (inside)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Sweet Sugarplum
Paper: Stampin' Up! "Bohemian" Collection (retired)
Dies: The Frantic Stamper "Fabulous" and "Swirly Things"
TIEF: Stampin' Up! "Swirls and Curls"
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals; Glossy Accents; sequins from stash

Yellow Flowers

1/16/2019 Update: Top Three at Atlantic Hearts #298.

1/13/2019 Update: Favorite of the week ending January 13 at Splitcoast Stampers.

Sketches are such a great inspiration for creating cards. I especially like to start with a sketch and then go with my own interpretation. This sketch came from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #298. The challenge is currently underway through Sunday, January 13.

In pencil, I lightly drew the flowers and leaves onto cardstock for alcohol ink, colored the drawings with Copic markers, outlined them with a black pen and fussy cut them. I die cut three rings - one white, one black and one Mink. A strip of dotted paper was cut. The items were placed onto a panel of Mink cardstock, adhering directly or using foam tape. I drew the stems with a black pen. The entire panel was then adhered to a black card base. A few clear droplets were added. The inside was lined with a Mink panel and decorated with a flower and leaf. A sentiment can be added anytime. I selected the colors based on an old Tic-Tac-Toe color challenge.

For great sketch challenges visit the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Blog. You'll be glad you did!

Techniques: Hand drawing, coloring, die cutting, fussy cutting
Size: A2

Materials
Inks: Copic Alcohol Markers, black journaling pen
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic Black; CTMH Mink; Spectrum Noir for alcohol ink
Paper: Stampin' Up! "Modern Medley" Collection (retired)
Dies: Gina K nesting and stacking circle dies
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape); droplets from stash

Kittens and Mittens and Pies, Oh, My!

Double Trouble Challenge #19 ("Warm and Cozy") has partnered with Creative with Stamps Challenge #34 ("Mittens")  beginning today through January 20. The requirements include using something to keep warm, like mittens, along with a patterned or embossed background. Be sure to review the guidelines of both before submitting a project.

Using a Dutch Door Fun Fold technique, I created this card by creating the folded base with blue cardstock. I layered the upper door with yellow cardstock and patterned paper with cats. The two lower doors were layered with a footprint design. The pies and mittens were digital freebies, downloaded, resized and printed. After fussy cutting the images, I used colored pencils on the mittens to add shading and enrich the colors. The mittens and pies were adhered using foam tape. The inside of the card is lined with cardstock and a sentiment can be added at any time. Click HERE for a tutorial on making a Dutch Door fold card.

Be sure to stop by the challenge blogs to play along with Double Trouble Challenge #19 ("Warm and Cozy") and  Creative with Stamps Challenge #34  ("Mittens").
There are prizes being offered at both challenges.

Materials
Stamps: Freebie digital mittens and pies (resized)
Inks: Prismacolor Colored Pencils
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Barely Banana, Marina Mist
Paper: Doodlebug "Kitten Smitten"
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape)

The Love Message

This card was made for two challenges. The first is the Brown Sugar Monthly Challenge #286 for January 2019 with a 3-2-1 Recipe that calls for the inclusion of at least one living thing that flies, at least two patterned papers and at least three embellishments. The sponsor for BSC #286 is Ching-Chou Kuik. I urge you to visit the Ching-Chou Etsy store full of digital images featuring fantasy and fairies. The second challenge is Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #297.

The digital image was downloaded, resized, printed, colored and fussy cut. A panel of navy stripe paper was adhered to a white card base. This scrap of paper was too small to place on a true diagonal and I did not want to use the stripes precisely vertical, so I tilted the scrap as much as possible to achieve a smaller diagonal angle.

A strip of patterned paper with birds was adhered to another scrap of paper that is striped with navy and lavender. This was adhered to the card using foam tape. The colored image was adhered to a die cut oval of coordinating patterned paper and adhered with foam tape. The three small flowers were colored with Copic markers and adhered. The inside was decorated with patterned paper scraps.

Be sure to check out these challenges! You could be eligible for a prize at Brown Sugar #286 or AHSC #297.

Materials
Stamp: Ching-Chou Kuik "Love Message" digital stamp
Inks: Copic Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White
Paper: American Crafts "Tweets"; Echo Park "Stripes and Dots"
Die: MFT "Stitched Ovals"
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape); flowers from stash

You're Pearfect

For Try Stampin' on Tuesday Sketch Challenge #389, I decided to use a stamp and die bundle I recently purchased. The sketch lends itself to a CAS design so I went with it. Take a look at TSOT #389 for great sketches!

On a vanilla card base, a panel of green cardstock and a smaller panel of patterned paper were adhered. The pears and leaf were stamped in layers using three shades of green ink to achieve shading. After die cutting, the pears were adhered using foam tape. The sentiment was stamped onto vanilla cardstock. A strip of vanilla cardstock was added directly to the card front. Two die cut labels, including the sentiment, were adhered with foam tape. A green heart was added. On the inside, the card featured a few green hearts.

Be sure to drop by and visit TSOT #389 for detailed information on this and other challenges. This challenge runs until January 13, 2019.

Materials
Stamp set: Sunny Studio "Fruit Cocktail"
Ink: Stampin' Up! Certainly Celery, Lucky Limeade, Pear Pizzazz
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla, Pear Pizzazz
Paper: Sunny Studio "Amazing Argyle" (reverse side)
Dies: Sunny Studios "Fruit Cocktail" (pears); Peachy Cheap stitched labels
Other: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape); heart sticker from stash