Happy Anniversary

There is a celebration going on at Double Trouble Challenge #86 and Trouble Maker says that you must decide what occasion to celebrate. (I decided to celebrate an anniversary.) Double Dare is hoping you'll take our option to link your card to our partner If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #157. Twisted Sister would like to see you use the inspiration photo below provided by our partner.

I had this vintage-style illustration of two children and thought it was perfect to use for a married couple who have been together for many years. I added some stitching to the card base then using foam tape added it to a stitched panel and then onto the card base. I purposely offset the focal piece to allow for decoration. I added the butterfly with a gem and then a flourish cut from silver foil. The inside was lined with vanilla cardstock and decorated with more silver flourishes.

We hope you'll play along with us at DTC86 and If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #157!

Materials

Stamp: Computer generated

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pretty Peacock, Silver Foil

Paper: Authentique "Endless"

Dies: MFT Large Flourish, MFT Stitched Rectangles Stax Set, Mama Elephant (border stitch), The Stamp Doctor (dragonflies on the inside)

Punch: Stampin' Up! Bitty Butterfly

Misc.: Gem and foam tape from stash

Happy Birthday USA!

Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #447 is up on the blog with a biweekly challenge and it's Tic-tac-toe! Beginning on Friday, June 4, this challenge will end on Thursday evening, June 17, 2021. The guidelines for a Tic-tac-toe challenge indicate that we select three colors. These must be from a column, a row, or a diagonal direction. Additional colors may be added but they must appear on this color board. I chose the left-to-right diagonal using Carolina, Toffee, and Scarlet then added Bluebird and Sapphire. I added Gold as my free color. (The board indicates Blue Belle but it should have been Bluebird so either one is acceptable.)

To begin, I cut 1" strips from patterned paper. Next, I cut a panel of white cardstock adhering to wide double-sided tape. I removed the release paper from the tape and began sticking the 1" strips onto the taped cardstock. Once finished, I trimmed the panel to size and began brushing gold leaf over the open grid lines ensuring it adhered to the exposed tape. Once completed, the card panel was added to a blue card base and decorated with a red rosette. I topped off the rosette with a scalloped circle of gold foiled cardstock. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with a matching paper strip.

Color My Heart has a new biweekly challenge beginning each Friday so there is always an ongoing challenge. We hope you'll visit our Color Dare Blog and join us for some paper crafting fun!

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Not Quite Navy (sub for Sapphire), Cherry Cobbler (sub for Scarlet), & Gold Foiled cardstock

Paper: CTMH "Stars and Sparklers" Collection

Punch: Stampin Up' Scalloped Circle

Misc.: Prima Metallic Flakes (Oro/Gold) and Be Creative Tape Sheets (Sookwang)

You Are Awesome

6/12/2021 Update: Top Three winner at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenges.

As the saying goes, "It seems as if I am a day late or a dollar short," when it comes to finishing a card for Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenges. Challenge #423 began on Monday morning, May 31, and will end on Sunday evening, June 6, 2021. There is always a great sketch for their weekly challenge.

I was recently reminded of an old technique using gold metallic flakes and decided to use it. I cut a scrap of patterned paper into four 1" strips. There are more ways to do this but I chose to stick the paper strips onto a panel of two-sided tape that had been adhered to a panel of cardstock. The tape is made in various sizes (mine was actually in sheet form) and both sides are protected with release paper. Once the paper strips were affixed, I brushed gold metallic flakes on the remaining exposed sticky tape until I had good coverage and nothing sticky remained. I then added the panel to the card base. The remaining two patterned paper designs were added, followed by the die-cut Hummingbird in gold using foam tape. The sentiment and a few light embellishments were also added. The inside of the card was decorated with patterned paper.

I enjoyed using this technique and made another card to be published on Friday, June 4. Click HERE on or after June 4 to see that card. For great inspirational sketches, visit the AHSC Blog.

Materials

Stamps: Maymay Made It "Wanted You to Know"

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White & Gold Foiled Card

Paper: Sara Davies "Letters from the Heart"

Die: RCD "Hummingbird in Flight"

Misc.: Be Creative Tape Sheets (Sookwang); Prima Metallic Flakes (Oro/Gold); pearls and foam tape from stash

Yoyo Trick - The Flying Saucer

It's the fifth Monday of the month, which means there is an Anything Goes Challenge at Double Trouble #85. Our challenges are usually biweekly but this one lasts only one week - from Monday, May 31, through Sunday evening, June 6, 2021. We always have three "Things" to our challenges so here they are for this one:

1. Trouble Maker's Thing 1 (required) is the theme: "Anything Goes".

2. Double Dare's Thing 2 (optional) is to link your card to any of our previous sponsors. There is a list at the DTC Blog. I linked my card to Crafting Happiness Challenges #98. 

3. Twisted Sister's Thing 3 (optional) is to celebrate the ups and downs of "Yoyo Day". Select a yoyo trick for inspiration and make a birthday card.

Reminder: Participation in each "Thing" adds one more chance in our Random Draw.

The yoyo trick I selected can be seen HERE at the 14:15 time mark. Called the Flying Saucer or UFO trick it's impressive and was the inspiration for my Flying Saucer card. I stamped two planet surfaces and a couple of space monsters then colored them with Copic markers and fussy cut them. I applied the patterned paper (constellation map) to the gray card base. Next, the stamped images were added to the card with foam tape. The sentiment was stamped and added. The inside was lined with a panel of white cardstock and decorated with a scrap of the planet's surface and a space monster.

Join our challenge fun by selecting your favorite yoyo trick and designing a card! Check out our guidelines at the DTC85 Blog. and I know you'll enjoy Crafting Happiness #98, too.

Materials

Stamps: Whimsy Stamps "Moon Background" & "A Boy's Dream"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black & Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White & Smoky Slate

Paper: CTMH "Aurora"

Misc.: Foam tape

Find Joy in the Ordinary

My card was made for the weekly sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenges. These sketches are always a great source of inspiration. A week or two ago, I made a card for a color challenge and liked what I created on the inside of the card so when I saw this sketch, I decided to use the same products and colors to create this card. (Click HERE if you are interested in viewing the other card.)

The Atlantic Hearts Challenge began on Monday, May 24, and will end on Sunday evening, May 30, 2021. Here is their sketch:

Onto a card base, I added a white die-cut rectangle with scallops that was stamped with some tiny butterflies in yellow and pink. Using dies, I cut the flowers and leaves, which were arranged onto the card front, some with foam tape and some without. The stamped sentiment was added with foam tape. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with additional flowers and leaves.

You can join the challenge by visiting the AHSC422 Blog.

Materials

Stamps: Technique Tuesday "Inspired Dragonfly" (sentiment) & Sunny Studio "Spring Showers" (butterfly)

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black & DOx Scattered Straw and Victorian Velvet

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Cajun Craze, Barely Banana, Blushing Bride, Mossy Meadow, Pistachio Pudding

Dies: Sizzix Thinlits #665078 (flowers, leaves), The Frantic Stamper (additional leaves) & RCD (scalloped rectangles)

Misc.: Foam tape

Life Is Better in Flip Flops

Update on 05/26/2021: Top Three Winner at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #421. 

I grew up at the beach. From the time I could walk I have loved the sea. I have been fortunate to have lived near the sea much of my life. It's no wonder I have been wanting to create a beachy card for a while so using the weekly sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #421 provided the opportunity.

I assembled the card using patterned paper on a Kraft card base without regard to directional patterns because I wanted the card to look casual and weathered. I stamped the flip flops, starfish, and shell, colored them with markers and fussy cut them. I hand drew the sand dollar because I don't have a stamp or die of one, sponging on a little ink for color. I matted the sand dollar image with fussy-cut Kraft cardstock and added it to the card with thin foam tape.

Next, I added the flip-flops using thin foam tape onto the sand dollar and then the starfish directly to the paper. The sentiment was stamped and die-cut then added with regular size foam tape. The tiny shell was added and a few clear droplets were adhered, in keeping with the sketch. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with stamped flip flops and coordinating paper.

The challenge at AHSC421 will end on Sunday evening, May 23, 2021, so there is still sufficient time to add your project.

Materials
Stamps: Stampendous "Ocean Frames"
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Alcohol Markers, DOx Picked Raspberry, Tea Dye & Pumice Stone
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White & Baked Brown Sugar
Paper: CTMH "Seaside" Collection
Dies: Whimsy "Wavy Frames" 
Misc.: Clear droplets & foam tape (thin & regular) from stash

Sending Flowers Your Way

Who doesn't love pretty papers? This sweet paper collection fits the color challenge at Color My Heart Color Dare #445 perfectly. This biweekly challenge is called "Crazy 8", which means there are eight blocks - seven with color and one for embellishments. You pick any four blocks and create your project around those elements. You may add additional elements as long as they appear on the chart. If it's not on the chart then don't add it! This challenge runs through Thursday, June 3, 2021.  

I started with Paprika, Canary, Mink, and Blue Belle but added Flamingo and New England Ivy as I went along. I used white as my neutral. (Black and white are free to use.) I also had a set of dies that I wanted to use so that dictated the floral theme. All of the flowers and leaves were die-cut and the butterfly was from a punch.

 

I made the blue envelope then began adding the flowers and leaves somewhat randomly. Some of the flowers were popped up with foam tape while others were added directly to the card base. Once everything was stacked and glued, I added the tiny blue gems. The inside of the card was lined with a die-cut scalloped rectangle from white cardstock then decorated with additional flowers and leaves. The sentiment will be added when I am ready to use the card.

Check out our biweekly challenges at the Color My Heart Color Dare Blog. A new biweekly challenge begins each Friday morning so there is always an active challenge.

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Cajun Craze (Paprika), Barely Banana (Canary), Blushing Bride (Flamingo) & Mossy Meadow (New England Ivy)

Paper: CTMH "Hillside Cottage" (Mink & Blue Belle)

Dies: Sizzix Thinlits #665078 (flowers, leaves), The Frantic Stamper (additional leaves) & RCD (scalloped rectangle)

Punch: Stampin' Up! "Bitty Butterfly"

Misc.: Blue gems and foam tape from stash

Rock & Roll

Join us at the Double Trouble Blog for "It's a You Day". Challenge #84 begins on Monday, May 17, running through Sunday evening, May 30, 2021. As usual, there are three "Things":

1. Trouble Maker's Thing 1 (required) is to create a project using patterned paper to create an any-occasion girly-girl project. Each time you add a "Thing" to your project, you earn another chance at our random draw.

2. Double Dare's Thing 2 (optional) is to link your card to the Stinkin' Inkers Challenge with a theme of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," which is currently underway through May 30, 2021.

3. Twisted Sister's Thing 3 (optional) is to include some bling, i.e., glitter, gems, sequins, ribbons, flowers, etc.

The Stinkin Inkers Challenge mentions making a card for a special lady or girl so this card is for my sister, who lives abroad. When my sister returns to the US this summer for a visit, I think this will be the scene with family and friends.

Onto a black card base, I adhered patterned glitter paper, followed by die-cut layers of black cardstock and pink and turquoise glitter paper. The image was stamped, colored with Copic markers, and fussy cut then added to the card. Finally, the die-cut sentiment was added. The inside of the card was lined with white cardstock and decorated with scraps of glitter paper.

We hope you'll join us for this "girly-girl" challenge. Be sure to visit the challenge blogs at DTC84 and Stinkin' Inkers to ensure your creation fits all the requirements. 

Materials

Stamp: Art Impressions "Girlfriends"

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black & Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin Up! Whisper White & Basic Black

Glitter Paper: WRMK

Dies: Whimsy (wavy stitched squares) & Frantic Stamper (words)

Rainbow Birthday

There is a fun sketch just waiting for card makers at the Try Stampin' on Tuesday Blog. Challenge #506 is a biweekly challenge going live on Tuesday, May 11, and ending on Sunday, May 23, 2021. We have a new biweekly challenge every Tuesday so there is always an active sketch to use.

This sketch combined with the theme offers inspiration for any number of interpretations. The rainbow colors were my inspiration and I needed a birthday card for a colorful friend. I adhered a die-cut rectangle of patterned paper to a white card base. This paper depicts a misty blue sky. I created the remaining elements with a stamp, Copic markers, and two circle dies placing my color wheel with thin foam tape followed by the stamped zigzag circle, also added with thin foam tape. The sentiment was stamped, decorated, then placed as indicated by the sketch. Additional enamel hearts were added, which I know my recipient will enjoy. The inside was decorated with additional rainbow colors created with markers.

Show us your interpretation of this sketch by visiting our TSOT506 Blog!

Materials

Stamp: Stampin' Up! "Blossoms in Bloom" (sentiment) & Avery Elle "Time to Party" (candles)

Inks: Distress Oxide Blueprint Sketch & Scattered Straw; Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White

Paper: Ella & Viv Paper Co. "Watercolor Paradise #1"

Dies: Whimsy (stitched circles), Lawn Fawn (zigzag rectangles & zigzag circles)

Misc.: Enamel hearts and thin foam tape from stash

The Ball Game

This week's challenge sketch at Atlantic Hearts is a reminder of a card I made a few weeks ago referencing a tutorial for a Banner Fun Fold card. (Click HERE for information on that card.) In order to follow the sketch, I created today's card using a similar technique plus I also tilted the sketch. This challenge began on Monday, May 3, and will end on Sunday evening, May 9, 2021.

                          Original Sketch                Tilted Sketch

Using a masculine paper collection I have had for ages, I created a birthday card for my stepson. He will be 53 in June! He has always loved baseball and this is not the first time I have used this paper for his birthday (but I doubt he'll notice). First I created the Z-fold base, then cut three banners from patterned paper to resemble the banners shown in the sketch. I matted the banners with cardstock. The largest banner was added directly to the card base and the two smaller banners were added with thin foam tape for dimension. Because I turned the sketch, I had to allow for variance in the placement of the sentiment, which was also cut from the patterned paper. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with additional coordinating paper.

If you enjoy using sketches be sure to stop by the AHSC Blog.

I also decided to play along with a fairly new challenge dedicated to fun folds: Creative Creases Challenge #6

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler & Pretty Peacock

Paper: Echo Paper "Grand Slam" Collection

Misc.: Foam tape (thin)

Floral Vellum

Color challenges are always a bit of a test for my creativity and Color My Heart Color Dare #443 was no different. Once I gave it some thought, I went looking for inspiration and found it on YouTube. The color challenge graphic is below and the challenge is to create a project using three colors that are side by side on the color wheel. I selected Blue-Violet, Blue, and Blue-Green. I have always been partial to these colors so enjoyed using them. I would have enjoyed adding silver but it was not permitted so I stayed with black and white. This biweekly challenge begins on Friday, May 7, and ends on Thursday evening, May 20, 2021.

I always enjoy using vellum and when I saw the technique demonstrated HERE, I was hooked. The technique requires the use of alcohol ink so I used my Copic markers. Any alcohol markers (or ink) will work. In addition, I used 40-lb. vellum because the heavier weight is sturdier than the lesser weights. I followed the tutorial but elected not to wet the vellum as heavily as demonstrated. It dried quickly but I wanted more color, so I added a little more color and repeated the process. Once I was satisfied with the result I let it dry thoroughly with only a "gentle blast" from my heat tool. (I have been known to scorch vellum.) After a bit of die-cutting, I proceeded to assemble the card onto a white card base.

Our color challenges at Color My Heart Color Dare frequently include a little twist so check in with us and play along. A new color challenge begins every Friday and lasts for two weeks so there is always an active challenge underway. 

Materials

Inks: Copic Alcohol Markers (B05, BG13, BV13)

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Basic Black & Wisteria Wonder

Paper: Stampin' Up! Vellum

Dies: Lawn Fawn (stitched scalloped rectangles) & RCD (flowers)

Misc.: 91% Rubbing Alcohol, Bee Creative tape sheet, foam tape & gems from stash

Sweet Baby

The biweekly challenge is up on the blog at Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #505. This challenge runs from Tuesday, May 4, through Sunday, May 16, 2021. This is a sketch challenge with the option to use pastel colors. 

I decided to use one dark color (constellation map) along with the pastel colors I chose but essentially my card has pastels in pink, blue, lavender, and yellow. The images were die-cut in white cardstock and I added color with Copic markers. The baby's blanket was done with paper piecing. The strip for the blue banner was embossed for texture. The sentiment was also die-cut from white cardstock along with a second cut from the constellation map paper. The inside was lined with a panel of white cardstock and decorated with additional die-cut elements. I kept the card low profile for ease in mailing.

Please visit our blog at Try Stampin' on Tuesday and join the challenge.

Materials

Inks: Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Barely Banana (retired), & Bashful Blue (retired)

Paper: Stampin' Up! DSP (pink scrap) & CTMH "Aurora" (constellation map)

Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss Pattern

Dies: RCD "Sweet Baby" & Frantic Stamper (word)

Misc.: Thin foam tape

Congrats! - You're Toadally Awesome

Welcome! The Design Team at Double Trouble is hoping you'll play along with Biweekly Challenge #83. The challenge begins on Monday, May 3, and ends on Sunday evening, May 16, 2021. As usual, there are three elements to the challenge, and your chances to win the random draw prize are increased as you add each element to your project. 

Thing 1, which is required, is to use a fun fold for your project. (I chose to make a Peekaboo Slider card.)

Thing 2, which is optional, is to link your project with our partner's Challenge #95 at Crafting Happiness. Check out their guidelines so your creation will fit their challenge, too.

Thing 3, also optional, is challenging you to "Jump for Joy" by adding at least one toad or frog to your project.  

To create my Peekaboo Slider card, I used a YouTube tutorial by Dawn at Dawn's Stamping Thoughts. I made the window oval rather than round so my stamped images would fit. I also kept the card front clean of embellishments because the patterned paper is busy and I wanted to keep the focus on the window. Some of my items are stamped, colored, and fussy cut while others are stamped directly to paper. The image with three frogs (inside of card) was found on the Internet and is from an illustration by artist, Jennifer Nilsson.

I hope you'll give our challenges a try by visiting the challenge blogs for DTC83 and CH95.

I recently learned about a somewhat new challenge whose focus is on Fun Fold cards so I have added my creation to Creative Creases Challenge #6. This challenge began on Monday, May 3, and will end at noon (EDT) on Thursday, May 13, 2021. Let's support this new card challenge!

Materials

Stamp set: Lawn Fawn "Toadally Awesome"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black & Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise & Pale Plum (retired)

DSP: Stampin' Up! "Lily Impressions"

Dies: Hero Arts Infinity Ovals