Masculine Thank you

9/29/2021 Update: This card was a Top Three Winner in AHSC Challenge #439!

               

Interruptions can be annoying. I created this card on Monday, the first day of the challenge. After adding the information to my blog, I was interrupted and published it later in the day but never added it to the challenge! Then I noticed I had not yet added the photos to my blog. So finally, here is my card, properly updated with photos and posted to the challenge.

The weekly challenge at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. Challenge #439 will end on Sunday evening, September 26, 2021. Here's their sketch:

I enjoy making masculine cards so looked through my stash of plaid and wood grain papers for inspiration. I cut the papers to match the sketch, adding a few extra layers here and there with black and blue-green cardstock. I tried gray cardstock but black gave the card more interest. The real issue for me was what to use for the center. I finally went with two die-cut stitched circles, stamped with a simple sentiment and decorated with three die-cut gears. I finished it off with a few black gems.

The inside was lined with a panel of white cardstock and additional die-cut gears.

This challenge is one of my favorites for great sketches, so visit the AHSC439 Blog and play along.

Materials

Stamp: Carta Bella "Gather Together"

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black, Lost Lagoon, Foiled Cardstock (silver)

Paper: Stampin' Up! DSP (plaid scrap) & Kaiser Craft "Boardwalk" (wood grain)

Dies: RCD (gears) & Whimsy (stitched circles)

Misc.: Foam tape and black gems

Thankful for You Autumn Card

It's time for another biweekly challenge at Color My Heart Color Dare #463. This challenge runs through Thursday, October 7, 2021. Inspiration has been provided by the photo below and requires that we use at least three colors from the photo. I was overwhelmingly inspired to create a fall card by using colors of green, gold and red. 

Using some old paper from my stash, I layered two panels of coordinating patterned paper onto a third panel with foam tape for dimension. I selected a green card base and adhered the stack of panels to it. Finally, I added the top panel, which was from the ephemera in the paper packet. All I had to do was stamp the sentiment and the leaf. The inside of the card was lined with white cardstock and decorated with patterned paper. A few enamel dots were added to finish the card.

The Design Team welcomes you to view our challenge by visiting our Challenge Blog. Our challenges are biweekly with a new challenge beginning each Friday so there is always an active challenge.

Materials

Stamps: Carta Bella "Gather Together"

Inks: Stampin' Up! Old Olive & Cajun Craze

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Old Olive

Patterned Paper: CTMH "Grateful Heart" Paper Packet

Misc.: Enamel dots and foam tape

Hope Anchors the Soul

Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #525 is open and it's time for a mix-up challenge! This biweekly challenge runs through Sunday, October 3, 2021. Usually, we require the sketch to be used and the additional theme is optional. For our mix-up challenge you have three choices:

1. Use only the sketch

2. Use only the theme

3. Use both the sketch and the theme.

I elected to use both the sketch and the theme as shown below:

I started with a blue card base and added a panel of white cardstock. Using the plastic wrap technique, I added colors to a panel of white cardstock and stamped it with the scripture. The anchor was stamped onto white cardstock and fussy cut then added to the panel. The sketch shows a cutout in the upper left corner but I chose to let the curve of the anchor create the shape. Using foam tape this panel was added to the card. The inside was lined with a panel of white cardstock then stamped to resemble darker blue waves and a light blue ichthus (fish).

We hope you'll join our challenge. Guidelines are available at our TSOT525 Blog. We have a new biweekly challenge beginning each Tuesday so there is always an active challenge underway.

Materials

Stamp Set: Maymay Made It "Anchored"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up! Pacific Point, Balmy Blue, Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie & So Saffron

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Pacific Point

Season of Harvest

Autumn has always been my favorite season. It seems as if we were just creating summer cards yet here we are assembling our materials for the fall. Beginning on Monday, September 20, Double Trouble Challenge #93 will run for two weeks, ending on Sunday evening, October 3, 2021. There are always three "Things" to consider when taking on our challenges:

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker has established that the challenge theme is Anything Goes. We all love that!

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare hopes you'll take a few minutes to link up with any active challenge where we have previously partnered. Check out the DTC challenge blog for a list. I shared my card at The Paper Funday Challenge #33.

Thing 3 (optional): Twisted Sister would like you to include a Harvest item in your card design. This can be anything from an apple pie to a scarecrow. I included a patterned paper with fruits and vegetables that are abundant in the fall.

Keeping the layout simple but including extra layers to add dimension, a panel of gingham, cut on the diagonal and matted with vanilla cardstock, was adhered to a green card base. Next, the panel of fall foods was matted with green cardstock and adhered to the card using foam tape. Finally, the sentiment was added, also with foam tape, and a few gold metallic studs. The inside was lined with a panel of vanilla cardstock and decorated with coordinating paper plus a fussy cut eggplant.

For a chance at the random prize, be sure to join our challenge. Additional chances are available if you also participate in the options offered by Things 2 and 3. Visit the DTC93 Blog for guidelines and PFC33 Blog to link your entry.

Materials

Stamp: Carta Bella "Gather Together"

Ink: Stampin' Up! Mossy Meadow

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla, Mossy Meadow, Tangerine Tango

Paper: Stampin' Up! DSP Farmer's Market Collection (retired)

Misc.: Metallic studs and foam tape

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

It's not yet Christmas but I am making holiday cards here and there as I can. This card is for Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #438, which runs through Sunday evening, September 19, 2021. 

Onto a blue card base, I added a panel of pink cardstock and then another panel of patterned Christmas paper. The paper has plenty of sparkle because it's foiled with silver. In keeping with the sketch, I added a horizontal strip in a diagonal metallic stripe, followed by the pink sentiment banner. The banner was stamped and heat-embossed with the sentiment before adding the foam tape to adhere to the card front. A bow was added. The inside was lined with a panel of Basic White cardstock and decorated with matching patterned paper.

The art of photography continues to elude me. This foiled paper is alive with shine and my embossed sentiment appears perfect to the human eye (and quite possibly my cat's eye) but I continue to miss the reflective features when using a camera.

If you're seeking a sketch challenge, then the AHSC438 Blog is the place to go.

Materials

Stamps: Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Christmas (sentiment)

Ink: Versamark

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Misty Moonlight, Strawberry Slush

Paper: Stampin' Up "Whimsy and Wonder" DSP

Ribbon: Stampin' Up! (striped organdy)

EP: SSS Ultra Fine Silver

Punch: Stampin' Up! Scalloped Tag Topper

Misc.: Rhinestones, foam tape

School Memories

It seems as if it's time again for "Back to School" so that's the theme at If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #160 for September.  It's back to school at Use Your Stuff #431, too, with both challenges ending on September 30, 2021. 

I originally created this card for a sketch challenge but missed the deadline. I tossed it in my stash until today when I realized these were "Back to School" challenges so I decided to add it to my blog and publish it.

I found the elements for my card after a search through my stash. Onto a card base of brown cardstock, I added a panel of green cardstock, embossed with the alphabet. With brown cardstock, I matted the yellow-pencil paper and placed it onto the card with thin foam tape. 

Next, I stamped the book stack with the apple and colored the image with markers. I purposely colored the apple green to match the cardstock but in retrospect, I got thinking, "Nobody ever gives the teacher a green apple!" I guess I should have colored it a bright red. The sentiment was stamped in brown ink and adhered with thin foam tape. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with coordinating paper.

If you're looking for a fun challenge, be sure to check out these blogs: IYGCC160 and UYS431.

Materials

Stamps: Echo Park "Star Student"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up! Chocolate Chip, Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Chocolate Chip, Hello Honey, Pear Pizzazz

Paper: Echo Park "Pencil Pushers"

Die: Whimsy (stitched circle)

Punch: Stampin' Up! (scalloped circle)

Misc.: Sizzix Embossing Folder (alphabet) & thin foam tape

Block Party (Mini-Slimline)

Another biweekly challenge is up at Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge. This is #461 and runs through Thursday, September 23, 2021. After staring at the challenge board for days, I finally decided to go with the double complementary colors on the sample for my own card because these were the colors I preferred. As you can see, the colors are Violet, Blue, Orange, and Yellow. I used the closest match from my cardstock stash.

Using a set of square-shaped dies, I cut the cardstock into squares then into additional shapes and styles - frames, triangles, bars, and other bits, etc. I created five "patchwork" squares (1 1/8") and adhered the squares with foam tape onto a white cardstock card base cut to mini-slimline size. 

I decided not to add a sentiment until I am ready to use the card. The inside was decorated with a few bar-shaped bits. I decided on gray as my neutral color so used some gray metallic studs to finish off the card front. At present, the card can be used in either portrait or landscape orientation.

The Design Team welcomes you to play along with our challenge by visiting our Blog #461. A new biweekly challenge begins every Friday morning so there is always an active challenge underway.

Size: Mini-slimline (3" x 6")

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Elegant Eggplant for violet, Bashful Blue for blue, Tangerine Tango for orange, Pale Papaya for yellow

Dies: Spellbinders

Misc.: EK Success Mini-Studs & foam tape from stash

Advice from a Cactus

A new weekly challenge is up on the blog at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. This is #437 and will end on Sunday evening, September 12, 2021. The sketch is versatile and a card could be created for any occasion.

Someone recently jogged my memory about the old Plastic Wrap technique so that was my jumping-off point for my desert scene. I have a few stamp sets with a desert vibe so created my card with desert elements. A panel of soft pink was added to a white card base. Using plastic wrap I inked another panel of white cardstock as my background and added it to the pink panel. I stamped, colored, and fussy-cut the image of a Prickly Pear cactus, adding the image with foam tape. (I have several Prickly Pear Cacti in my yard here in Arizona.) Next, the sentiment was stamped, matted, and adhered with foam tape. The little cactus heart was also added. The inside of the card was decorated with a smaller cactus, also stamped and colored.

Join the challenge fun at the AHSC437 Blog!

Materials

Stamp sets: Stamps of Love (local store) "Cactus Coffee" & "Advice from a Cactus"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up! Balmy Blue, Soft Suede & So Saffron; Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White; CTMH Smoothie

Die: MFT (stitched rectangle)

Misc.: Foam tape

Falling Leaves

It's your option to welcome Autumn at Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #523. This biweekly challenge begins on Tuesday, September 7, and runs through Sunday, September 19, 2021. Our required sketch is below and the optional theme is Falling Leaves. I elected to tilt the sketch as shown.

                       original sketch                       tilted sketch

  

Onto the card base, I added a strip of fall-colored cardstock then a panel of gold patterned paper imprinted with falling leaves and acorns. Any dies I have that depict leaves are large so I decided to "make it work". Dies created the two-layered leaves as well as a few extra bits for the inlay technique. The leaves were added to the card using foam tape for dimension. I elected to omit the squares and let the large leaves stand on their own. A few metallic gold gems were added. The inside was lined with a panel of vanilla cardstock and another die-cut leaf image.

Join us at TSOT 523 for our sketch challenges. A new biweekly challenge begins every Tuesday so there is always an active challenge.

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla, Peach Parfait, Rich Razzleberry & Hello Honey

DSP: Stampin' Up! "Gilded Autumn" Collection

Dies: RCD (leaves)

Misc,: Metallic gold gems and foam tape from stash

Say Thanks with a Slimline

The Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #436 is still open through Sunday evening, September 5, 2021. This weekly challenge begins every Monday morning with a fresh sketch and runs for one week. This week's challenge sketch suggests a Slimline card.

First, I cut a panel of green cardstock and adhered it to a white card base. Using some striped paper in my stash, I cut a panel on the diagonal and adhered it to the green panel. I die cut some images, adding some of them with foam tape. Then the sentiment was stamped with green ink, die-cut, and also adhered with foam tape. The inside was decorated with a few die-cut images.

I used summery colors because I wanted my card to look fresh. I live in Arizona where it's still like summer. We have at least several more weeks before we notice even a subtle change in season.

Visit the AHSC436 Blog for new sketch challenges.

Materials

Stamp: Sizzix Circle Sentiments #662347

Ink: Stampin' Up! Old Olive

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Old Olive

Paper: Kaiser Craft

Dies: RCD (flowers & leaves) & Sizzix Circles #662347

Misc.: Pink pearls & foam tape from stash

So Tweet Fun Fold

Fun fold cards are... well... fun! I enjoy sending and receiving them so I made a Fold-back Pop-up card. I found tutorials of several examples on YouTube. The planning, cutting, and stamping took a little time but the assembly went quickly.

This card marks the first day of Double Trouble Challenge #92, which runs through Sunday evening, October 3, 2021. As usual, there are three "Things" to consider when playing along with this challenge:

Thing 1 is a required element. Trouble Maker says your project must include a fun fold. This is the only requirement to enter your project. The degree of difficulty for the fun fold is up to you. I like the KISS method - Keep It Simple, Stamper!

Thing 2 is optional. Double Dare will grant you an extra chance at the random draw prize if you link your card to the Creative Creases Challenge #14 so be sure to check out their guidelines.

Thing 3 is also optional. Twisted Sister had a sudden desire to use Play-Doh (maybe it's the scent) so she would like you to use at least one of six Play-Doh colors found in our clip art. At first, I chose orange, then included green but while I was coloring my stamped images, I added yellow and purple and then I ran amok by adding teal and pink. If you give in to Twisted Sister's whim this will earn you an extra chance at our random draw prize. I also added a panel of white cardstock to the back of the green card base for signatures or a personal message. The final touch was adding Glossy Accents to the balloon and the "googly" eyes to the birds. 

Creative Creases Challenge #14 is our partner. Be sure to join Debbie Mageed's challenge by submitting your fun fold project to her blog when you post your project to DTC92.

Materials

Stamps: CTMH "So Tweet"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black and Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Just Jade

Paper: CTMH "Mix-In" (floral pattern) & Stampin' Up! scrap (dotted pattern)

Misc.: Ranger Glossy Accents (on the balloon), foam tape, googly eyes from stash