Gratitude

Challenges are so inspiring - I wish I had more time to participate in them! So it's time to play along with the biweekly Challenge #553 at Try Stampin' on Tuesday This challenge runs through Sunday, May 8, 2022. This is a sketch challenge with an option. The optional theme is "Things that Fly". I chose two flying insects - a bee and a moth because they are images found in the paper I used.

Onto a gray card base, I added a panel of teal cardstock followed by a panel of patterned paper. I thought this paper needed a little color so using a marker I touched up the centers of the flowers with yellow ink. I added additional coordinating patterned paper for the horizontal decoration at the bottom of the card front. The two flying insects were fussy cut and adhered with foam tape. The sentiment was stamped and die-cut then backed with an offset oval in coordinating yellow print paper. Foam tape was used to adhere the sentiment to the card and an enamel heart was affixed. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with a yellow heart.

We look forward to seeing your creations at our TSOT Challenge #553. A new biweekly challenge begins every Tuesday morning so there is always an active challenge available to you.

Materials

Stamp: Pinkfresh Studios "Incredibly Grateful"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black & Copic Alcohol Marker (Y15)

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

Paper: Dare 2 B Artsy "Honey Bloomz" Collection

Die: Kat Scrappiness (oval)

Misc.: Illustrated Faith Enamel Hearts & foam tape

Grateful for Your Kindness

 
It's time to play along at Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #493. There are three required colors as seen on the color board below. Black, white and neutral colors are also permitted. You may use any brand of products but the colors should match closely.

I selected pink and orange cardstock and yellow dotted paper. First I cut the papers into strips of varying widths. Using score tape, I adhered the strips onto a small square of acetate, leaving a small space between the edges of each strip. Next, with a die, I cut a circle from the acetate. The butterfly was die-cut from black cardstock and adhered to the circle. I offset the circle, adhering with foam tape. I trimmed off the excess from the circle. To finish I added some black gems.

I hope you'll join us at the Color Dare Challenge Blog. A new biweekly challenge begins every Friday morning so there is always a challenge to try. This challenge runs through Thursday, May 5, 2022.

Materials

Stamp: Pinkfresh Studios "Incredibly Grateful"

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black, Watermelon Wonder, Peach Parfait

Paper: from stash

Dies: Spellbinders (circle) & RCD (butterfly)

Misc.: SU! Acetate, Scrapbook.com score tape, black gems and foam tape from stash

Your Big Heart

Here it is again - the third Monday of the month and time for a Double Trouble Challenge. This is biweekly Challenge #108. As is customary, there are three "Things" to consider when you play along with our challenge.

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker needs to see a basic shaped frame on your project that has been cut from a die.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare knows you'll be happy to have used a die so you can link up with our partner, Dies R Us #191.

Thing 3 (optional): Twisted Sister would like you to celebrate Mother's Day or another special occasion with flowers and/or butterflies. I chose to create a thank you card.

I was in the mood to create a simple card from a sketch today. It's not CAS but it's basic. I selected an old sketch from the past and a few patterned papers from my stash. After embossing the front of my card base to add texture, I added a floral panel with a die-cut border in dotted yellow paper. The sentiment was stamped on white cardstock and die-cut using a scalloped frame, then matted with pink cardstock. The butterfly was punched from dotted yellow paper and adhered to the sentiment frame. This was added to the card with foam tape. A few pearls were added to the butterfly and the sentiment. The inside of the card was lined with white cardstock and decorated with a pink punched butterfly.

We hope you'll join us at the DTC108 Blog and the DRU191 Blog for our challenges. Double Trouble runs through Sunday evening, May 1, 2022, and Dies R Us runs through Thursday, April 28, 2022.

Materials

Stamp: Pinkfresh Studio "Incredibly Grateful"

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Pretty in Pink & Lost Lagoon

Patterned Paper: from stash

Embossing Folder: SU! "Painted Texture"

Punch: SU! "Itty Bitty Butterfly"

Dies: Lawn Fawn (scalloped border) & Waffle Flower ("Lacy Layers 2")

Misc.: Pearls and foam tape from stash

What a Day!

Thank you for visiting my blog! Today begins a new biweekly challenge at Try Stampin' on Tuesday. This is Challenge #551 and runs through Sunday, April 24, 2022. This time we're challenging you to select the following sketch OR to create a project with photographs OR to combine both elements. I used only the sketch but I think this would be a great layout to use for a scrapbook page.

I used a stamp set of Newton (the cat) enjoying his day. There are 16 small stamps showing Newton engaging in various activities. The stamps fit the squares nicely. I selected four - Newton exercising in the morning, then practicing his guitar in the afternoon, and finally reading at bedtime. The stamped images were colored to resemble my cat named Taffy, and then fussy cut. Inside the card, I lined the black card base with white cardstock and added Newton enjoying a burger. Whew! What a day for Newton! I added a little color to the patterned paper by using a Copic marker to color the little fish.

We welcome you to try our challenges. A new biweekly challenge opens every Tuesday so there is always one underway. Visit our TSOT#551 Blog for our sketches and guidelines.

I also added my card to the April challenge at Two Crafty Critter Crazies #61.

Materials

Stamps: Newton's Nook "Newton Makes Plans"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black & Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black, Real Red, Pear Pizzazz, Pool Party, Ballet Blue

Paper: SU! DSP "Playful Pets"

Dies: Rubbernecker (stitched rounded-corner squares) & Sizzix (sentiment)

Misc.: Foam tape

Adventure Awaits

Thank you for visiting my blog. Feel free to browse. I needed some inspiration for my nephew's birthday card. He's a grown man and enjoys several hobbies, one of which is hunting so using the sketch from this week's Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #467, I decided to go for a masculine, "woodsy" vibe. 

I looked through my paper stash and found this old paper collection. The vertically aligned triangles reminded me of fir trees. I layered a panel of cardstock and the panel of fir trees onto a vanilla card base. A piece of coordinating patterned paper was added for the horizontal panel across the center of the card front. For the tilted panel, paper with a woodgrain pattern was selected. Using punches, I created three trees and a moose. I added the moose then sponged the edges of the trees with ink and popped them up with foam tape. The ricrac trim was added to mimic mountains and the sentiment was also added. The inside was decorated with coordinating paper.

I waited until the last minute to play along with AHSC #467, so there isn't much time left for this sketch. Their weekly challenges begin every Monday morning so be sure to visit their blog for future sketches.

Materials

Stamps: Computer generated

Ink: Stampin' Up! Bermuda Bay

Cardstock: SU! Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Bermuda Bay, Cajun Craze

Paper: SU! DSP from stash (name unknown) & In Good Taste (woodgrain)

Die: MFT (ricrac)

Punches: SU! (Moose & Pine Tree)

Misc.: Foam tape

Butterfly Burst

Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #491 is up on the blog. This biweekly challenge runs through Thursday, April 21, 2022. Below is the inspiration photo from which you can select three colors of your choice. Black and white are free colors. You may use additional colors as long as they are present in the photo. I used a variety of colors.

The design was die-cut from white card stock and the ink was added with brushes. I wanted to use silver foil as the background for the butterflies but silver is not a permitted color. Instead, I went with white glittered cardstock and adhered the butterfly panel to it. Next, I adhered the panel to a white card base and added a few gems. The inside was decorated with butterflies punched from glittered cardstock. I decided not to add a sentiment at this time.

We invite you to join us at Color Dare Challenge #491. Our challenges are biweekly. We have a new challenge beginning every Friday morning and running for two weeks so there is always an active challenge to try.

Materials

Inks: DOX Dusty Concord, Salty Ocean, Lucky Clover, Spiced Marmalade & Picked Raspberry

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Glittered (white) 

Die: RCD "Butterfly Burst" (w/stitching)

Punch: SU! "Itty Bitty Butterfly" (inside of card)

Misc.: Gems from stash

Celebrate His Love - Easter

Although the "official" first day of spring was March 20, I always think of Easter as the beginning of spring. Easter falls on April 17 this year and while I was making my family's Easter cards, I came upon a frame die that I thought would work for my simple scene at Double Trouble Challenge #107 - and it had two bunnies!

Double Trouble Challenges are always comprised of three "Things":

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker has asked us to watch a YouTube video. Click HERE to see it. Cute - right? We're hoping you are inspired to create a simple scene using the KISS method. (Keep It Simple, Stamper.) An Easter theme is not required but you are free to use Easter if you wish. All you really need is a simple scene to earn a chance in our random draw.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare is suggesting we partner with Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #541. Isn't their cupcake photo (below) cute? Check out their guidelines and if you link your card to their challenge, you will earn another chance in our random draw.

Thing 3 (optional): Twisted Sister is all excited about hopping down the Bunny Trail, so include at least one rabbit on your project and you will be eligible for another chance in our random draw.

A scrap of pretty paper provided the background. I brushed on a little ink to enhance the colors to resemble an Easter sunrise scene. The frame was die-cut from purple cardstock and adhered to the scene panel. I wanted the bunnies to stand out so using the original die I cut just the rabbits from a tiny scrap of white cardstock, added eyes, touched up the nose and ears with a pink marker then overlaid them onto the purple die-cut panel. To finish, I adhered the completed panel to a white card base and added a sentiment. As is customary, I decorated the inside of the card with additional coordinating paper.

We welcome you to our biweekly DTC107 challenge and hope you will link up with CIC541, too.

Materials

Stamp: Computer generated sentiment

Inks: Stampin' Up! Highland Heather & Crushed Curry

Cardstock: SU! Basic White & Pale Plum

Paper: Lavinia (scraps from stash)

Die: RCD (Forest Scene)

Scrapping with Banners

Dig the scraps out of your stash for this one!  Try Stampin' on Tuesday has a fun sketch with an option for their biweekly Challenge #549. This challenge runs from Tuesday, March 29, through Sunday, April 10, 2022.

I was glad to be able to use paper from a small bundle of scraps that were previously cut into 3/4" strips. I wanted to use silver glitter paper as a background but was concerned that the strips would not stick well to the glitter. Instead, I adhered the strips to a panel of clear acetate using high-tack two-sided tape. A panel of silver glitter paper was cut and added behind the strips, glued to the acetate, facing forward. I elected to add a strip of pearls across the card. The acetate adds a pretty sheen to the card front along with the glitter.

If you have been thinking about trying a sketch challenge, then this is for you. Visit our TSOT549 Blog for our guidelines and to view the inspiring cards from the Design Team. Our challenges begin every Tuesday morning and last two weeks so there is always a challenge ready for you to join.

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & CTMH Bluebell

Paper: SU! & CTMH patterned paper from scraps

Misc.: Judi-kins (window sheets); pearls and high-tack tape from stash

Hey, Gorgeous!

The struggle is real... it's never quite clear to me why it takes me so long to develop a card for a color challenge. Maybe I overthink it. Here is my card for Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #489. The decision to use the inlay technique required even more time than usual but I am pleased with the results. 

Below is the Tictactoe board to guide you through the colors. Select three colors in a row, column, or diagonally to create your card. You may use as many of the colors on the board as you wish as long as you form a Tictactoe. Do not use any colors that are not on the board. Take note that Black and White may be used freely.

I selected a diagonal direction - Desert Rose, Sage, and Foiled Gold. I also used Ballerina, Glacier, and Rosemary. To a panel of black cardstock, I adhered a large gold foiled die-cut. I left some of the pieces intact but others I removed so I could inlay colored cardstock. I did not have anything close to Desert Rose in my cardstock or dye inks so made my own using a blend of Copic alcohol markers. I added the die-cut sentiment, plenty of sparkly gems, and attached a white card base. The inside was decorated with a small flower from the die-cut scraps.

We welcome you to our challenges. You are not required to use CTMH colors as long as your substitutes are very close. A new biweekly challenge begins every Friday morning so there is always an active challenge to join. This challenge ends on Thursday evening, April 7, 2022, and here is our Color Dare Blog #489. We hope to see your project!

Materials

Inks: Copic Alcohol Markers (R22 & E23) - sub for Desert Rose

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Basic White, Foiled Gold, Soft Succulent (sub for Rosemary), Mint Macaron (sub for Sage), Pool Party (sub for Glacier), Pink Pirouette (sub for Ballerina)

Dies: RCD (flower garden), Pink Fresh (sentiment)

Misc.: SU! Champagne Rhinestones

Fabulous - Yes, You Are!

Card 1 of 2

Card 2 of 2

We hope you'll join us at Double Trouble Challenge #106. This biweekly challenge runs through Sunday evening, April 3, 2022. Our theme is "Less Is More" - as in Clean and Simple. The Design Team has made two samples of each card and mine are both posted above. 

As is our custom, we have three "Things" for you:

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker has decided on Clean and Simple (CAS) projects. Visit our Blog for details about creating CAS cards. You will receive one chance in our random draw for submitting a CAS project.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare is challenging you to link your cards to Use Your Stuff Challenge #444. Linking will give you another chance in our random draw.

Thing 3 (optional): Twisted Sister has decided if you wish to earn another chance in the random draw, use one color - no more, no less - on your project. You may, however, use multiple shades of one color.

The Design Team members have each created two sample cards for you to view at the DTC106 Blog. The first card I created for my aunt. My Aunt Millie, who is still sharp as a tack, will be celebrating her 95th birthday by the time this post is published so the card will have already been mailed to her. 

Using a white card base and gray ink, I stamped both a floral image and a sentiment onto the front of the card. I chose pink as my one color and used only one shade of pink. Pink just seemed to be perfect for my sweet aunt. I also stamped a coordinating tiny flower plus a birthday sentiment using gray ink on the inside and added a tiny bit of pink ink to the image. I left sufficient space to write a personal message as well.

The second card is a duplicate of the first except it was stamped in black ink and colored with Copic Alcohol Markers. I added a panel of pink patterned paper to the inside of the front flap because alcohol markers applied on the front panel leave stains when they bleed through the cardstock. This additional step really added a pretty touch to the inside of the card. 

We hope you enjoy our "Less Is More" Challenge. For guidelines be sure to visit the DTC106 Blog and the UYS444 Blog. We look forward to seeing your entries!

Materials

Stamp Set: Altenew "Engraved Flowers"

Card #1 Inks: Stampin' Up! Smoky Slate and Pink Pirouette (retired)

Card #2 Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black and Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: SU! Basic White

Card #2 Patterned Paper inside: SU! DSP from stash (small pink floral print)

Happy Day

Sketch challenges are a personal favorite so here is my card for Try Stampin' on Tuesday #547. This biweekly challenge ends on Sunday, March 27, 2022. The sketch is below and our fun option is to include metallic elements. 

To create the card, I die-cut a floral panel from gold foiled cardstock and added it to a black cardstock panel. Another die was used to create the pink foiled stitched square, which was added with foam tape. The sentiment and dragonflies were also cut from dies. The completed black panel was added to a panel of pink foiled cardstock and then to a white card base. A few additional dragonflies were used to decorate the inside of the card. 

We hope to see your entry at our challenge - only the sketch is required - the metallic is for fun. We have a new biweekly challenge beginning every Tuesday so there is always an active challenge available. Visit our TSOT547 Blog for details.

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black, Foiled (gold); PET Textured Foil (pink)

Dies: Stamp Doctor (sentiment), Frantic Stamper ("Floral Band"), Rubbernecker (stitched squares), RCD (dragonflies)

Misc.: CTMH thin foam tape

Celebrating the Lunar New Year

It's a green-colored challenge at Color My Heart Color Dare #487. St. Patrick's Day (March 17) falls during this challenge but your card only needs to meet the challenge board requirements shown below.

In 2022 I am trying to use products I own that have never been used. When I found some Asian-inspired dies in my stash I decided to feature the Lunar New Year on my card, although the holiday will be over by the time this is published. This festive and colorful holiday is not celebrated by all Asian cultures and countries but remains extremely popular and lasts through the month of February. For the color challenge, I used shades of green adding gold as my required metallic element, then black and white, which are free colors.

To a panel of white cardstock, I stenciled bamboo images using several green inks, also brushing on a very light shade of green ink to the white cardstock. I adhered the panel to black cardstock. The Asian-inspired frame was cut from black cardstock using an A2 frame die. I die-cut two of the frames, then cut them apart and carefully glued them to fit the Slimline card dimensions. 

Next, the die depicting the wagasa-carrying lady was used to cut an image in black and another in gold. The details were poked out of the black image and it was glued to the gold image, which had been left intact. I added the completed image with foam tape, then the entire card front was added to a white card base. The inside was decorated with a few stenciled bamboo branches and an Asian motif in black and gold. I omitted using any sentiment until I know how I will use the card.

We look forward to seeing your entries at our biweekly challenges. This challenge runs through Thursday evening, March 24, 2022. Visit our Color Dare Blog to view the DT's projects and to see our guidelines. We have a new biweekly challenge beginning every Friday morning so there is always an active challenge.

Materials

Inks: Stampin' Up! Soft Seafoam, Granny Apple Green, Pear Pizzazz & Shaded Spruce

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black, Foiled Gold

Stencil: Slimline Bamboo (source unknown)

Dies: Frantic Stamper "Oriental Frame and Motifs"; RCD "Oriental Lady"

Misc.: CTMH thin foam tape

Windy Days of March

Welcome to my blog! Today I am featuring a card for Double Trouble Challenge #105, a biweekly challenge that runs through Sunday evening, March 20, 2022. Our challenge usually has three elements:

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker has decided we need to focus on the color green. This month we have St. Patrick's Day and the first day of spring so using the color green seems like a good idea. If you join our challenge you are eligible for our random draw.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare is hoping you'll also link your project to the Heart 2 Heart Challenge. Be sure to visit their blog to see their guidelines. You will be awarded another chance in our random draw if you play along at H2H.

Thing 3 (optional): Twisted Sister has added a twist to this challenge by asking you to use plaid on your project. Details are available at the DTC105 Blog. Using plaid means you will qualify for another chance in the random draw.

My card is a depiction of a windy day since March is known for being blustery. The card panel was die-cut in a Slimline size from white cardstock. I daubed three shades of green dye ink using a stencil. A Copic marker was used for the brown tree branches. The sentiment was die-cut from gold foiled cardstock and adhered, followed by the gems. I added two tiny hand-cut shapes that resemble birds, topping them off with Wink of Stella. The main panel was added to plaid paper followed by a white card base. The inside was decorated with coordinating paper and a stenciled leafy branch.

We hope you'll visit our DTC105 Blog and that of our partner, H2H, and play in our challenges.

Materials

Inks: Stampin' Up! Soft Seafoam, Soft Succulent, Shaded Spruce

Cardstock: SU! Basic White

Paper: CTMH Foil (gold) & SU! (plaid)

Dies: Pink Fresh (Slimline Stitched Rectangles) & Spellbinders (Birthday Set)

Stencil: Funky Fossil Designs ("Windy Day")

Misc.: SU! Champagne Rhinestones, Wink of Stella (clear)

Canoes for Rent (Masculine)

It's time to create another project for our biweekly challenge! Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #545 runs from Tuesday, March 1, through Sunday evening, March 13, 2022. Below is the required sketch. It's up to you if you wish to include the optional theme: include an animal(s) on your project.

 

I've had this masculine paper in my stash for several years. It seems as if I'm continuously trying to take older items from my stash but the stash never shrinks! There is always a need for a masculine card in my family so this card will not go to waste.

This sketch is ideal for a Clean & Simple (CAS) card but I headed in a different direction. I started by embossing the front panel of the card base. This was followed by a hand-cut triangle from the fish-patterned paper. From coordinating ephemera, I used a circle punch to cut the "Canoes for Rent" sign. The elements were added using foam tape. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with coordinating paper in plaid. I have met the optional challenge with several fish and two dogs.

Be sure to visit the TSOT545 Blog to see guidelines for our challenges. We have a biweekly challenge beginning every Tuesday so there is always an active challenge for you to join.

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Baked Brown Sugar

Paper: Photo Play "Lakeside" Collection

Misc.: Stampin' Up! Embossing Folder & Circle Punch (1.5"), CTMH thin foam tape

Striped Birthday Card

Color My Heart Color Dare Biweekly Challenge #485 is ready for your project. Please visit our Blog to see the Design Team's inspirational projects. The colors for this challenge are shown on the color board below. Select at least three of the colors. Black, white, silver, and gold are free colors that may be added to your creation. You may use all of the colors but use only colors that appear on the board.

I used all of the colors except Rosemary plus the free colors of black and gold. I have been trying to create a few designs that are Clean and Simple but it seems I still cannot resist extra elements. I simply cut scraps of cardstock into varying widths then adhered them to a scrap of white paper. I trimmed it into the shape I wanted then added it to the front flap of the card base. 

The sentiment was stamped direct to paper in black ink. The inside of the card was lined in white cardstock and decorated with scraps from the design on the front. This card is meant to be masculine but could easily be considered gender-neutral.

Our challenge runs through Thursday evening, March 10, 2022. Each Friday we begin a new biweekly challenge so there is always an active challenge to join. Take a look at our guidelines at the Color Dare 485 Blog and we hope you'll play along.

Materials

Stamp: Stampin' Up! "Happy Birthday to You"

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black & Copic Alcohol Marker (Y32) to create the Shortbread color

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Raspberry Ripple (for Sangria), Mint Macaron (for Sage), Sahara Sand (for Mink), Pretty Peacock (for Harbour), Foiled Gold

Thanks for Being You (Double-Z Fun Fold)

It's a while yet before we can "officially" say it's spring in the Northern Hemisphere but there's always Hoodie-Hoo Day, which was celebrated on Sunday, February 20 - so we are a day late beginning our Hoodie-Hoo party. We encourage you to play along with us at Double Trouble Challenge #104. 

To start, all you do is step outside, raise your arms in celebration, and call out, "Hoodie-Hoo," as loudly as you are able. This will chase away the winter blahs and help to bring in spring. If you don't believe me, just give it a try!

As is customary, we have three "Things" for our challenge:

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker would like us to acknowledge Hoodie-Hoo Day by creating a project that promotes springtime.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare would like you to link your project to Creative Creases Challenge #26 or #27. Be sure to check out their guidelines but in general, their challenge theme is "Anything Goes" as long as it's a fun fold. There are additional details about these challenges at our DTC104 Blog.

Thing 3 (optional): Twisted Sister hopes to see you use a fun fold design with your project. It makes no difference whether it's a simple or complex design as long as it's a fun fold.

To begin, two card bases were required so they were cut in two different sizes from cardstock and scored. I used different colors but one color is fine - the choice is up to you. Six various rectangles were cut from two different paper patterns and adhered to the two card bases. The bird and leaves were stamped, colored, and fussy cut then added to a hand-cut tree branch with foam tape for added dimension. A sentiment was stamped and punched from white cardstock and backed with another punched label in black cardstock. To finish, pale green dots were added.

Side View of Double-Z Fun Fold

My card is a variation based on a Double-Z fold and once the pieces were cut and scored, they went together easily. The finished card size is A2, albeit slightly bulky.

View of Inside -  

the card is laid almost flat

This biweekly challenge ends on Sunday evening, March 6, 2022, so it's time to create your spring fun-fold project. Visit the DTC104 and CCC Blogs for additional information.

Materials

Stamps: Stampin' Up! "Free As a Bird"

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black & Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: SU! Basic White, Basic Black, Pale Plum & Perfect Plum (both plum colors are retired)

Paper: SU! "Hand-Penned" DSP

Punches: SU! "Modern Label" & "Word Window"

Misc.: CTMH thin foam tape & SU! "Genial Gems"