Sweet Almond (CD #611)

Color Dare Challenge #611 is underway. This biweekly challenge runs through Thursday, August 8, 2024. The color board is below. You must select at least three colors from the board to create your project. You may use four or even all five colors from the board but no new colors may be added. However, the challenge permits using Black, White, Neutrals, and Metallics.

I used a recently acquired stamp set and selected Papaya, Peach, and Pine with gold gems. My image is that of a Sweet Almond branch with flowers. The flowers are typically white or very pale pink but in my "card world" they can be any color. 

The image was stamped, colored with alcohol markers, and fussy cut. To the card base, a rectangular die-cut panel was adhered with 1 mm foam tape. Next, again using 1 mm foam tape, another rectangular die-cut panel with dry embossing was added. To finish, the fussy cut image was added.

A few gems were added to the card front. The inside of the card was lined with a panel of white cardstock and decorated with a stamped image of a colored flower and leaves. I elected to omit a sentiment.

The Design Team at Color Dare looks forward to seeing your ideas for using these colors, so visit their CD611 Blog and share your creations.

Thank you for stopping by.

Melanie

Materials

Stamp: Stampin' Up! "Lovely and Sweet"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black & Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Peach Parfait, & Pale Papaya

Die: Kokorosa (stitched rectangles)

Embossing Folder: Spellbinders "Loops"

Misc.: Honey Bee (gem stickers) & SBC (1 mm foam tape)

Celebrating with a Friend (DTC #171)

It's another biweekly challenge at Double Trouble #171 and the challenge dates have been altered so we can more easily partner with the Jingle Belles Challenge. As is customary, there are three "Things" to our challenge:

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker is having fun visiting her favorite drive-thru windows so our projects need to include some sort of window or aperture. My project has three windows.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare suggests you create your project so that you are eligible to play along with our partner, Jingle Belles.

Thing 3 (optional): Twisted Sister wants to "Dash Through the Snow" until the end of July by using a theme inspired by our partner, Jingle Belles.

For specific guidelines and details, visit the Double Trouble Challenge #171 Blog.

I created a winter scene with a Polar Bear, including fir trees, ice, and snow. The clouds are window elements but the bear, while dashing through the snow, has decided to explore the round window, where he sees his Christmas present - a delicious fish! I handdrew the fish and colored it with markers. The inside of the card is decorated with a little holographic paper and a fir tree.

After completing the card I did a little research. I found that Polar Bears are more interested in consuming mammals than fish so the Polar Bear and the fish decided to celebrate Christmas in July together.

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Melanie

Materials

Inks: Stampin' Up! Azure Afternoon & Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Real Red, Coastal Cabana, Garden Green, Mossy Meadow, & Old Olive; CTMH Blue Skies

Paper: SBC Holographic (silver); Stampin' Up! Brushed Metallic (silver)

Dies: SBC "Winter Wishes" (polar bear), Hero Arts Infinity (circles), DzIxY "Sun & Clouds", Kokorosa (bow)

Punch: Stampin' Up! "Pine Tree"

Misc.: SBC foam tape (2 mm.)

Pedaling By... (TSOT #651)

The biweekly challenge at Try a Sketch on Tuesday is now live and open for your projects.  This is Challenge #651 and runs through Wednesday, July 31, 2024. 

For guidelines visit the TSOT Blog #651. Here is the sketch:

In making my card, I changed the circle to an oblong shape. Lately, I have been looking at tutorials on creating cards with windows and apertures so I decided to experiment with a window on this card. I have a new stamp and die set that I used. I changed the sentiment from, "We're going to party," to, "We're going to a party." All it took was a black-inked pen.

I did experience difficulty aligning the stamps that work together even though I used the MISTI. I also discovered that the dies did not match the stamped combined images as closely as I thought they should, but I persisted. The resulting image is in the window. The card front was popped up with foam tape to create dimension. This could have been a shaker card but it was not the look I was going for.

In keeping with the sketch, I added balloons in place of the floral image and then placed a celebratory sentiment as shown in the sketch. The TSOT Design Team has cards on display at the Challenge Blog for inspiration. Thank you for stopping by!

Melanie

Materials

Stamps: Catherine Pooler Designs "Pedaling By" & "Best Birthday Yet"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up! Blueberry Bushel, Crushed Curry, Smoky Slate, Fresh Freesia, Coastal Cabana, & Melon Mambo

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black, Soft Sky, & Crushed Curry

Paper: Catherine Pooler Designs "Color Pop" Collection
Dies: Catherine Pooler Designs "Pedaling By"; DzIxY "Sun & Clouds"; Hero Arts Infinity (circles); Honey Bee (oblongs)
Misc.: SBC foam tape (1 mm & 2 mm), CTMH enamel stickers (hearts)

Life Is Better with Friends - Masculine Card (CD #609)

A biweekly color challenge is up on the Color Dare Blog! This is Challenge #609 and runs through Thursday, July 25, 2024. According to the color board below, using black and beige plus one additional color is required. Metallics are free.

Thinking about a masculine card, I selected a beige color from my stash to use with black and soft green. I used no metallic paper but added silver embossing powder. I used another neutral, vanilla, but only inside the card.

A black-inked frame was added to the focal panel by masking the edges, and then a stencil was applied to add the green background design. A lizard was stamped directly to the panel with black ink and then colored with beige and green alcohol markers. 

The sentiment was stamped with black ink onto a scrap of stenciled cardstock then matted with black cardstock and adhered using foam tape (1 mm). The focal panel was backed with foam tape (2 mm) and adhered to the card base. The inside was lined with a panel of vanilla cardstock, partially stenciled in green. I took the sentiment seriously by stamping part of another lizard on the inside, so now the focus lizard has a friend and his life is better!

Please join the Color Dare Challenge #609. Our challenges begin every Friday and are two weeks in duration. Thank you for looking!

Melanie

Materials

Stamps: Technique Junkies "Lovely Lizards" & Altenew Leaf Canopy (sentiment)

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up! Soft Seafoam, & Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla, Basic Black, & Sahara Sand

Stencil: A Colorful Life "Flowing Drops"

Misc.: SBC foam tape (1 mm and 2 mm)

Rock Your Weird (TSOT 650)

This is Try a Sketch on Tuesday Challenge #650, beginning on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, and ending on Sunday, July 14, 2024. 

While looking through my sentiment stamps, I realized I had plenty of the more common greetings, but not much along the lines of humor. So the next time I was browsing products I took an interest in more unusual sentiments and found the stamp set used on this card. I used four stamps from the set on the card front.

To create a fun vibe, several colors of cardstock and inks were selected. The call-out shapes were also stamped and then fussy-cut. The shapes were arranged in keeping with the sketch and popped up with foam tape. The greeting that I thought was the craziest was heat embossed in silver. I have a nerdy relative who will get a kick when he receives the card. I hope you enjoy the silly sayings, too.

The inside of the black card base was decorated with a panel of red cardstock, then white cardstock, and decorated with festive scraps and a sentiment.

Thanks for looking,

Melanie

Materials

Stamps: Photoplay "Good Vibes"

Inks: Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up! Real Red & Garden Green

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black, Wisteria Wonder, Garden Green, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, and blue scrap from my stash.

Embossing powder: Wow (silver)

Misc.: 3M foam tape (2 mm); Love from Lizi Pinstripes 

Beat the Heat - Cool! (DTC #170)

Double Trouble Challenge #170 is open through Sunday evening, July 14, 2024. As is customary, there are three elements to this biweekly challenge. The details and guidelines can be found in the DTC170 Blog.

For Trouble Maker's Thing 1 requirement I used wind and water as my elements to stay cool, using heat embossing as my technique.

Then I took Double Dare's Thing 2 option and linked up with My Happy Place - Park Hopping HERE.

I could not ignore Twisted Sister's Thing 3 option and spent some time thinking it through. I went for a walk down memory lane as I pondered how to create this card to involve a theme park. Having lived in Florida for a long time (1950-1957 and 1967-1999), I have visited many beaches, keys, parks, swamps, and attractions related to the fun, beauty, plants, and wildlife associated with water and staying cool. 

Returning to Florida has always made me happy. What comes to mind is running through a sprinkler in the backyard to beat the heat when I was a child. This was before the days of theme parks. On Sunday afternoons my family enjoyed fishing or sailing in our sloop-rigged daysailor, the "Puffin", which was moored in Tampa Bay. Those were my halcyon days.

My family members have worked at several Florida theme parks over the years, and I have visited all of those parks. My finished card depicts a sailboat on Bay Lake at Disney World - Orlando. The wind and water spray keep boaters cool as they enjoy the sunshine.

Thank you for joining our challenges at Double Trouble and My Happy Place. I hope you also have good memories of your happy times and places.

Melanie

Materials

Inks: Versamark

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black, Real Red, Just Jade & Soft Sky

Paper: SBC "Travel Airplane Collection"

Dies: Stamps of Life words "So Cool" & Kokorosa "Sailboat in a  Frame"

Embossing Powder: Wow Silver Metallic extra fine

Misc.: SBC thin foam tape (1 mm.)

Thinking of You (CD 607)

Color Dare Challenge #607 has opened and will run through Thursday evening, July 11, 2024. This is a tic-tac-toe event. Using the color board below, select three colors in a row. column, or diagonal, and use them for your project. Once you have decided on the three colors, you may add additional colors as long as they are from the color board. You are also free to use neutrals, black, white, and metallics. I selected column 2 - Flamingo, Lagoon, and Journey but added all the other colors as I designed my card. 

A neutral color was used for the card base. The front of the card was embossed to add texture. Using a scrap of white cardstock, nine alcohol markers that closely matched the colors on the board were selected. Using these colors, horizontal stripes were hand-drawn. The white scrap with stripes was cut into a banner shape and matted with black cardstock. The sentiment was stamped on white cardstock and also matted with black cardstock. These elements were added to the card base.

To dress up the card design, a leafy die was cut from gold holographic cardstock and added to the banner. The sentiment strip was backed with a bit of cardstock scrap so it was level on the textured card front. A few gold gem stickers were also added. The inside of the card was lined with white cardstock and another smaller gold die-cut leaf was added while leaving sufficient space for a message.

I must mention how quickly this card went together once I added the stripes to the white scrap. I may make a few more cards using this technique. It doesn't get much easier.

You are invited to join this color challenge. Visit the Color Dare #607 Blog for guidelines and have fun with color. Thank you for visiting my blog.

Melanie

Materials

Stamp: Altenew "Leaf Canopy" (sentiment)

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black & Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black, Tip Top Taupe; SBC Holographic (gold)

Embossing Folder: Stampin' Up!

Dies: SBC Shaped Dies "Spring"

Misc: Honey Bee gem stickers (gold)

Happy Spring (TSOT 649)

Try a Sketch on Tuesday Challenge #649 is open through Sunday, June 30, 2024. At first, I found this sketch to be uninspiring. I thought about different images and shapes, finally settling on a spring card with flowers and a bird.

The sketch for this challenge is below. I enjoy veering 'out of the box' with sketch challenges but decided to stick more closely with this sketch design. Please note that the sentiment is a required element.

Using a very old stamp set from my stash, I stamped and die-cut flowers - four for the card front and a few extra to decorate the inside. Although there was a punch for the bird, I chose to fussy-cut so there was barely a white rim. The wood grain is several strips of Washi tape on white cardstock. I assembled the various elements using foam tape. I was especially pleased with the combination of colors on the card - all from scrap patterned paper. The card base is white cardstock and the inside is decorated with a flower and a sprig.

 

Please check out the TSOT649 Blog to play along with the sketch challenge. 

Melanie

Materials

Stamps: SBC "Mini-Circle Sentiments" & Stampin' Up! "Polka Dot Pieces"

Ink: Stampin' Up! Crisp Cantaloupe

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White

Paper: CTMH "Sweet Memories" & mix-ins

Dies: SBC "Sprig Shape Dies" & Hero Arts Infinity (circles)

Misc.: Washi tape (wood grain), Honey Bee gem sticker (bird's eye), SBC foam tape (1 mm & 2 mm)

Summer Slimline Birthday Card (DTC #169)

Here it is - time for another biweekly challenge at Double Trouble! This is Challenge #169 ending on Sunday evening, June 30, 2024. The general theme is "Long and Skinny" to remind us that the longest day in the northern hemisphere falls on Thursday, June 20. As is customary, we have three "Things" to our challenge. Specific information and guidelines are available on the DTC Blog.

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker is looking for Slimline or mini-Slimline cards because the longest day - the Summer Solstice - is June 20. Hmmm... sounds easy enough.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare dares us to join Ellibelle's Corner 'Something Bloomin' Lovely Challenge'.

Thing 3 (optional): Twisted Sister has challenged us to include flowers in our designs.

My slimline card was created using a floral paper collection from which flowers were fussy-cut. A panel of pink cardstock was adhered to a white card base. A panel of patterned paper was adhered to the pink surface, followed by the fussy-cut flowers, using foam tape. A sentiment was stamped, die-cut, and adhered to its die-cut pink shadow, then adhered with foam tape. A few gems were added. The inside was decorated with coordinating paper scraps and another stamped sentiment.

I also submitted my card to Beautiful Blossoms Challenge #18. This challenge runs through Friday, July 12.

A close-up view of my card:

Thank you for stopping by my blog.

Melanie

Materials

Stamp & coordinating die: SBC "Happy Birthday" Collection

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Blushing Bride

Paper: Altenew "Enjoy the Ride" Collection

Misc.: Honey Bee gem stickers, CTMH thin foam tape

You Are Of'fish'ally Awesome - Masculine Card (DTC #168)

 

Double Trouble Challenge #168 is up on the blog and ready to receive your masculine cards. Father's Day in the USA is two weeks away so this is the perfect time to follow our theme. We also have an optional theme - it's a color challenge - so visit the Double Trouble 168 Blog for guidelines and details. Our partner for this challenge is Colorful Options.

I went with the Colorful Options board to use their color of the month - shades of aqua - because that family of colors is my favorite. 

I always welcome making masculine cards because I have three brothers and six nephews. The stamp and die set has been in my stash for a while. Intending to create a masculine card for the many fishermen I thought this would be a good time to make one.

The two fish and sea turtle images were die-cut. There are coordinating stamps but I chose to use alcohol markers to color them, omitting the stamping. The large circles were inspired by the bubbles. The background was not supposed to look like outer space but rather the sea. The circles with the images and the sentiment were popped up on 2 mm. foam tape. 

The seagrass was fussy-cut from floral paper as was the paper with images. The largest circle was cut from silver textured holographic paper so the color varies according to the camera's angle. The card front was adhered to a white card base. The inside was decorated with grass, small fish images, and bubbles.

In addition, I submitted this card to Gem of a Challenge - Week #11, Anything Goes. Check out their Blog to see fabulous cards.

 

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I appreciate your comments. Be sure to visit the DTC168 Challenge Blog.

Thank you,

Melanie

Materials

Stamps: The Stamps of Life "Fish Tank More #2 & #4" & "Fish #2", 

Inks: Stampin' Up! Crisp Cantaloupe & Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Pretty Peacock

Paper: Altenew "Enjoy the Ride", SBC "Holographic Mirror"

Dies: The Stamps of Life "Fish #2", Hero Arts Infinity (circles)

Misc.: Honey Bee gem stickers, SBC foam tape (2 mm.)

Thanks - Clean and Simple/Masculine (CD 603)

Here we go with another bi-weekly challenge! This is Color My Heart Color Dare #603, consisting of three required colors. I did not have any of these precise colors so I used scraps from my stash that I hoped were close enough in color. The light is playing tricks with the camera, distorting my photo's colors.

I decided to go CAS (clean and simple) with the design, which led me to create a masculine card. Using a technique that's an oldie but goodie I cut scraps into strips of varying widths, adhered them to a piece of copy paper, then cut the word using a die. I especially like the "loose" font. The spatter was added and the inside of the card was decorated with a coordinating piece of scrap.

Be sure to join us over at Color Dare #603. This challenge runs through Thursday, June 13, 2024.

Melanie

Materials

Stamps: Wintertime Crafts "Spatter and Brush"

Ink: Stampin' Up! Soft Succulent

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White

Paper: Scraps from my stash

Die: Altenew "Mega Thanks"

Welcome Home - Masculine Card (TSOT 647)

A new semi-monthly sketch is ready for your review at Try a Sketch on Tuesday. This is Challenge #647 and runs through Sunday, June 2, 2024.

Growing up in a military family taught me that there are events that bring sadness and others that are accompanied by great joy. Most homecomings were a reason to celebrate. 

Today's sketch triggered thoughts of my military-influenced childhood, waiting at a fence with a large noisy crowd of people eager to embrace loved ones, due to arrive at any moment.

In my stash, I found paper that reminded me of the Army green color along with a sheet of utility vehicles, resembling Army vehicles. Also included was a sheet of circles with various greetings so I selected Welcome Home.

Patterned pieces suitable for the sketch were cut and adhered to a black card base. The sentiment was die-cut from the paper as well and backed with a die-cut circle of black then popped up with foam tape. The inside was lined with a panel of white cardstock and decorated with coordinating paper.

Our semimonthly challenges begin on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. We encourage paper crafters of all skill levels to join us. Visit our TSOT Blog for guidelines and details.

Melanie

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Basic Black

Paper: Carta Bella "Home Again"

Misc.: CTMH thin foam tape

Cheers - Sixth Anniversary Challenge (DTC #167 & AHSC #578)

When this challenge was born, I worried if we could keep it going. After six years, we're here to stay - at least for a few more years! We appreciate the support we have received from our partners and participants so we are hosting a special challenge "Raffle" to celebrate our Sixth Anniversary. For details, visit the Double Trouble Blog. 

I selected a blue raffle ticket to create a masculine card. I always enjoy making them. For the card base, Kraft cardstock was selected, then brown plaid paper, plus a "tweed" print. I needed something bright because I thought the brown-toned paper was dull. I found some printed floral paper in my stash so I fussy-cut a pale yellow flower and colored it with bright-toned alcohol markers. I don't usually add flowers to a masculine card but I like the addition of this flower to complete the card.

The dark-green-almost-black leaves that coordinated with the flower were also fussy-cut and the elements were assembled onto a panel of white cardstock, and then onto the Kraft card base. The sentiment was ephemera from the birthday paper. Both the flower and the sentiment were added with foam tape. The inside of the card was lined with a panel of white cardstock and decorated with coordinating paper.

I am partnering with Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenges, using Sketch #578, which runs from Monday, May 20, 2024, through Sunday, May 26, 2024. 

Be sure to check out the Double Trouble Sixth Anniversary Challenge. You could win one of several prizes being given away!

Melanie

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Baked Brown Sugar (sub for Kraft)

Paper: Altenew "Enjoy the Ride" (flower) & Photoplay "Birthday Bash"

Inks: Copic Alcohol Markers

Misc.: CTMH thin foam tape

Dude! (Sketch Saturday #751)

 

This is a sketch challenge I came across recently from Sketch Saturday Challenge. I have never participated before but now that I know of its existence, I will try to play along more often. This appears to be a monthly challenge, beginning the second Saturday of each month and running for two weeks. Therefore, this challenge opened on Saturday, May 11, 2024, and will end on Friday, May 24, 2024.

I decided to go with a masculine theme. I enjoy creating masculine cards and my stash needs to be replenished. Using a paper pack of masculine paper and ephemera, I followed the sketch by using birthday candles as a focal point and a balloon and party hat added to the sides. 

I was unsure if this sketch required a sentiment because the strips that run horizontally across the lower edge of the sketch appear to be decorative. The Design Team cards are not definitive as to whether these are for a sentiment. Because of this, I added a little interest to the left side of the card by adhering a banner that simply says, "Dude!" The inside of the card was decorated with stars and another banner saying, "Cheers to You."

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Melanie

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White

Paper & Ephemera: Photoplay "Birthday Bash"