Love You (TSOT #663)

 

Here we are again... it's the beginning of another TSOT Challenge.  This is Challenge #663, which runs through Sunday afternoon, February 16, 2025. Following is the sketch for this challenge. Be sure to visit Double Trouble Challenge #184 for information about using this sketch for their challenge as well.

Because St. Valentine's Day is almost here, I used that as the theme for my card. I made two identical cards - one for my sister-in-law and one for my aunt. They are both elderly and enjoy receiving cards. They live on opposite ends of the country so identical cards are not an issue.

I decided to switch things around with the sketch by using black and white striped paper instead of colorful strips and adding a bright patterned paper where the sketch is plain. The paper has black dots, but I added seven black gems to add more of the black color. I also added a sentiment, although it is not required.

Stop by the TSOT #663 Blog and join in the fun of interpreting the sketch and creating a project using your style. Thank you for stopping by. 

Melanie

Materials

Stamp: CTMH "Every Little Thing" (sentiment)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black, Pool Party, and Melon Mambo

Patterned Paper: CP Designs (Catherine Pooler) "Color Pop"

Dies: Newton's Nook "Heart Frames", Jaded Blossoms "Scalloped Border"

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

Love Is in the Air (DTC #184)

Here's a summary of Double Trouble #184, "Love Is in the Air," a biweekly challenge running through Sunday, February 16, 2025.

Thing 1: Trouble Maker

says, "Valentine's Day is almost here... and love is in the air. Try our 3-2-1 Recipe below."

Love Is in the Air

Servings - Unlimited Portions of Fun

Ingredients

3 Patterned Papers or 3 Washi Tapes 

(includes four Washi tape designs)

2 Shapes (sentiment labels & butterflies)

1 Image or Sentiment (one sentiment)

Thing 3: Twisted Sister
says, "I'm not waiting until Valentine's Day... I'm off to the store to get my favorite Sweethearts Candy. (There is one tiny plain heart placed next to the sentiment.)

Thing 2: Double Dare
says, "My optional dare for you is to use the sketch below at our current Sister Challenge, Try a Sketch On Tuesday #663, beginning Tuesday, February 4, 2025. (I used the sketch.)

I hope you will take this opportunity to enter the challenge. Be sure to visit the DTC184 Blog to see our team's examples. Thank you for dropping in. 

Melanie

Materials

Stamp: CTMH "Every Little Thing"  (sentiment)

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up! Pretty in Pink & Melon Mambo

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black, Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, & Foiled Gold

Washi Tape: Altenew "Enjoy the Ride" Collection

Dies: Unb Sentiment Labels

Embossing Folder: Spellbinders "Columns"

Punches: Stampin' Up! "Elegant Butterfly" & "Bitty Butterfly"

Misc.: Stampin' Up! Champagne Rhinestones & SBC Foam Tape (2 mm.)

All the Best (CD #637)

 

Welcome to Color Dare Challenge #637! It's all about the color purple. There are six colors on the color board below so I went with three from my cardstock stash. Neutrals and metallics are also permitted, so I added silver foiled cardstock.

This challenge runs to Thursday evening, February 13, 2025. We have one challenge per week, each two weeks in duration so we always have one active challenge going. 

I knew I had some paper with a violet garden theme, so selected a patterned scrap with two purple hues. This printed paper also has a tiny touch of sage green in it. I have an art book that explains how neutrals are used, and it indicates that sage green is a perfect neutral for purple, so I used the print. I also added silver foiled cardstock.

The card front and leaves were die-cut from the silver foil and then adhered to an eggplant card base. The patterned paper was trimmed to size and matted with the same eggplant color. The sentiment came from a set of purchased sentiments. These elements were all adhered to the card base, with the leaves, sentiment, and matted paper being added with foam tape. Sparkly rhinestones were also added.

The inside of the card was lined with white cardstock and decorated with a die-cut silver leaf and patterned paper.

I hope you enjoyed my card. Let me remind you to visit the CD637 Blog to view the Design Team's cards. Thank you for viewing my blog.

Melanie

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Elegant Eggplant, Wisteria Wonder, Perfect Plum, & Silver Foil

Patterned Paper: Paper Rose Studio "Violet Garden" & Sentiment

Dies: LDRS Scalloped Rectangles, Leaves - maybe SBC (?)

Misc.: Honey Bee gem stickers (rhinestones); SBC thin foam tape

Happy Birthday (AHSC #614)

It's been a while since I last submitted a project to the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge, but I had a little spare time, so decided to create a card. AHSC always has nicely done sketches. This is Challenge #614, a weekly challenge ending on Sunday evening, February 2, 2025. The sketch is below.

One of my goals has been to try to reduce the volume of my paper stash, so I selected a scrap-filled paper pad with a variety of pretty pieces remaining. Once I decided on the colors and patterned paper, this card went together quickly.

The shapes for the sentiment and the foliage were die-cut, and the card front was assembled by layering a pinstriped panel onto a white card base, a panel of blue cardstock, and a floral panel. The remaining elements were added along with the sentiment, which was added using foam tape.

Be sure to visit AHSC Challenge #614 to add your project for the sketch. I appreciate your comments. Thanks for stopping by.

Melanie

Materials

Ink: Stampin' Up! Pretty in Pink & Granny Apple Green

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Pistachio Pudding, & Garden Green

Patterned Paper: Echo Park "Life Is Beautiful" Collection & Honey Bee "Pinstripes and Polka Dots"

Dies: Elizabeth Craft #1205 "Flower Pot" (leaves & flower); sentiment label from a yard sale

Misc.: SBC foam tape & Honey Bee gem stickers

Sending a Happy Hello (TSOT #662)

 

Greetings! I hope you're having a great day. Here's my interpretation of today's Try a Sketch on Tuesday Challenge. This Challenge #662 is biweekly, ending on Sunday, February 2, 2025.

Following is the required sketch for TSOT #662:

Using patterned paper from my stash, I followed the sketch and created a card conveying a "Happy Hello" to the recipient. I have used this 6 x 6 pad for other cards and am always drawn to it. The circles are die-cut from cardstock or paper and the butterflies were created with a punch. The inside of the card was decorated with small scrap circles, leaving sufficient space for a personal message. The striped mat is a gray on gray color but photographed as blue-ish.

I also used this simple sketch for another challenge but could not include it for this challenge because I would have had to backlink.

Be sure to visit the TSOT Blog for the Design Team's inspiring cards. Thank you for stopping by to view my card - I appreciate your comments.

Melanie

Materials

Stamp: Spellbinders "Happy Hello Floral"

Inks: Stampin' Up! Crisp Cantaloupe

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Crisp Cantaloupe, and Vellum

Patterned Paper: Honey Bee "Modern Spring" and "Pinstripes and Polka Dots" Collections

Die: Hero Arts Infinity (circles)

Punch: Stampin' Up! "Butterfly Gala"

Misc.: SBC foam tape, Honey Bee gem stickers 

Say Cheese & Smile (DTC 183)

Here's a summary of Double Trouble #183, "Say Cheese and Smile," a biweekly challenge running through Sunday, February 2, 2025.

Thing 1: Trouble Maker 

says, "Try our 3-2-1 Recipe below and create a fun project."

Say Cheese and Smile

Servings - Unlimited Portions of Fun!

Ingredients

     3  Images of your choice (Newton, party hat, and cat-shaped taco)

    2  Patterned papers (gingham in green and yellow/orange)

     1  Sentiment that makes you smile ("Taco 'bout awesome!")

Thing 3:  Twisted Sister 

says, "I love cheese more than a mouse does! My option is to include either a mouse or a favorite food that tastes good with cheese."  (I chose tacos as a favorite food with cheese.)

Thing 2: Double Dare

says, "My optional dare for you is to use the current sketch below at our Sister Challenge, Try a Sketch On Tuesday #662, beginning Tuesday, January 21, 2025. (I used the sketch.)

Alternate Challenge: I elected to play along at Ellie's Critter Crazy Challenge #94, "Anything Goes with a Featured Critter" for January.

How peculiar that I don't have a stamp or die of a mouse! So I decided to go with the option to include a food item that goes with cheese, using my feline friend, Newton, who is enjoying a taco. This stamp set has a coordinating die set, but I don't own the dies and chose to fussy-cut the images.

The three images were stamped, colored, and fussy-cut. Newton was adhered to the largest circle using foam tape. The party hat image was placed on Newton's head, and the cat-shaped taco image was adhered to the top circle. The sentiment was placed across the bottom circle.

By the way, did you ever notice that T-A-C-O C-A-T spelled backward is still T-A-C-O C-A-T?  Crazy, right?

The card was completed by decorating the inside with another image of a party hat placed in a black circle and a bit of the same patterned paper, leaving sufficient space for a personal message.

Stop by the DTC #183 Blog to view the Design Team's cards and to play along with the challenge. Thank you for stopping by.

Melanie

Materials

Stamps: Newton's Nook "Newton Loves Tacos" & Frantic Stamper "Taco Sentiments"

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black & Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Basic Black

Patterned Paper: Sunny Studio "Pastel Gingham"

Dies: Honey Bee Deckle Edge Circles

Misc.: SBC foam tape & Honey Bee gem stickers

Is It Spring Yet? (CD #635)

It's the third Color Dare Challenge of 2025, which ends on Thursday, January 30, 2025. The color board for #635 below indicates the colors must be pink and red. The only exception is that you may use black, white, other neutrals, and metallics such as gold or silver. Any other colors could disqualify your card. 

As you can see from the photo of my card, I used the color red and two shades of pink. The neutrals are pure white and tones of gray. The gray can be found in the leaves, card base, patterned background paper, and sponged ink. I used alcohol markers to add depth to the center of the flowers.

My images were all fussy-cut from patterned paper, and adhered to the gray patterned paper and then onto the card base. Thin foam tape was used to add a bit of shadow to the images. The inside was decorated with a scrap of coordinating paper and a small fussy-cut flower. I elected to omit the sentiment but one could easily be added in the future.

To see an array of cards by our Design Team, go to the Color Dare #635 Blog and take part in our challenge. You will be glad you did! Thanks for stopping by.

Melanie

Materials

Ink: Copic Alcohol Markers & Stampin' Up! Smoky Slate

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Smoky Slate, & Basic Gray

Patterned Paper: Altenew "Enjoy the Ride" Collection, Sunny Studio "Subtle Gray" Collection

Misc.: SBC thin foam tape

The Voice of the Garden (TSOT #661)

 

Happy New Year! This is the first TSOT Challenge of 2025, and we have changed a few things, so be sure to take a look at our TSOT Blog. The sketch for Challenge #661 is below. 

I am looking forward to spring, although it will be a while yet. One of the signs of spring that is essential to the vegetables and flowers in the garden is the BEE. They are the biggest reason for the success of any garden. So my card pays homage to these industrious flying insects, who have been around for about 124 million years. 

My card was created using a 6x6 pad that was a gift. It's full of pretty patterned papers. The flowers were die-cut from the paper using hexagon dies. The background paper depicts a honeycomb. The gems were added for a bit of sparkle and the inside was decorated with scrap paper and a few small fussy-cut bees. I elected to omit a sentiment for the time being.

And, I am aware that the directional patterned paper is upside down!

Be sure to visit the TSOT #661 Blog for some challenging fun! The next time you enjoy fruits and vegetables, thank the BEE, and thank you for stopping by my blog. 

“The hum of bees is the voice of the garden."  --  Elizabeth Lawrence

Melanie

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White

Patterned Paper: Panalisa "Honey Flowers"

Dies: Spellbinders (hexagons)

Misc.: Honey Bee Designs "Gem Stickers"

Warm and Cozy Wishes (DTC #182)

Welcome to the first challenge in 2025 at Double Trouble! We have made some changes to our process so I hope you will take the time to read about them at the Double Trouble Blog.

To begin, I selected my image - a warm and cuddly critter. I love most animals but I selected one of my favorites - a cat - and he's making friends with a Bluebird. He doesn't resemble any cats of mine from the past or present but I enjoyed coloring the image with my Copics. I also stamped and colored the Bluebird.

I then went to the paper to create at least a two-layered card with a wintry scene. And finally, as I colored the images, I made sure I used at least three colors.

As for the optional sketch, I had just completed making a card for TSOT from this sketch so the sketch wasn't in my head when creating this DTC card. I will, however, be submitting my card to Ellie's Critter Crazy Challenge #94, "Anything Goes with a Featured Critter" for January. Check the rules for their challenge to make sure you have met their requirements and eligibility dates and be awarded yet another chance in our random drawing.

Funny thing - when I first read the theme at Critter Crazy I thought it said, "Anything Goes with a Feathered Critter." I spent a while deciding how to create a warm and cuddly bird!

If you are looking for additional inspiration to use with our 3-2-1 Recipe, check out the current sketch at our Sister Challenge, Try a Sketch On Tuesday #661. If you use their sketch and link your card to their challenge you will be awarded TWO chances in our random drawing.

After coloring the images, I fussy-cut them, gathered all of the patterned paper, cardstock, dies, etc., and completed the card with an aperture for the cat and bird to view the cold scene. I finished off the card with clear droplets for icy sparkles and decorated the inside with scrap paper and a second bluebird.

Be sure to visit the DTC182 Blog to see the Design Team's cards and to join the biweekly challenge. I am so glad you stopped by my blog, and I hope you left a comment. Many thanks. 

Melanie

Materials

Stamps: Stampendous "Cat Friends" & Waffle Flower "Winter Wishes" (sentiment)

Inks: Copic Alcohol Markers; Stampin' Up! Boho Blue; Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Boho Blue

Patterned Paper: Honey Bee "Winter Wonder", Echo Park "Life Is Beautiful"

Dies: Hero Arts Infinity (Nesting Arches)

Misc.: SBC thin foam tape (1 mm.) and Honey Bee clear droplet stickers

Size: A7 (5" x 7")

Thank You Very Mush (CD #633)

It's time to play along with Color Dare! This is Challenge #633 and runs through Thursday, January 16, 2025. The color board is below. Simply pick one color from each "Group" for your creation. You may pick more than one from each but you should not include colors unless they are on the board. You are free to use white, black, neutrals, and metallics to enhance your creation. 

To get started, the colors were numbered from left to right, #1 through #9 for my own use, to more easily identify the colors. I used colors #1, #3, #4, #5, #6, and #9. The card design was taken from an old sketch. The four mushrooms were stamped in dark brown ink, fussy cut, and colored with markers. Before placing the mushrooms down with foam tape, I stamped a bit of background. Then I promptly covered most of that stamped background with three of the fussy-cut images. 

To finish, the sentiment was added and the inside of the card was lined with a panel of white and decorated with the fourth fussy-cut mushroom. Be sure to stop by the Color Dare Challenge Blog and check out the cards made by the Design Team.

Thank you for visiting and I appreciate your comments. 

Melanie

Materials

Stamps: Maymay Made It "Fungi" (A244)

Inks: Stampin' Up! Early Espresso & Coastal Cabana; Memento Tuxedo Black; Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Coastal Cabana

Patterned Paper: Spellbinders "Handmade Holiday"; Craftsmith "Fall Plaids"

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