Embossing Bonus!!

 Two of my favorite challenge blogs, Just Us Girls and Make the Cards, have the same challenge this week - embossing folders!!  

I used the SU Painted Texture folder on the white layer to highlight the snarky Unity image and sentiment.  

Texture and Layers Galore!

Happy 600th challenge to Just Us Girls!  What an accomplishment!  In honor of 600, they are challenging participants to include 6 of something on their entry.  

There are 6 layers on this card, 4 textured embossing panels (isn't the cream pearl pretty with the embossing?!?), the sentiment and it's burgundy layer.  I made 3 of these with the various pieces, 1 sadly botched.  This is a fun layout to make multiples.  The JUGs word week:

Hero

No posts for a month?!!  I have been very lucky to be able to work from home for the past 6 weeks.  I have been busy sewing masks and making cards.  I'm sending more cards lately, trying to keep in touch and lift spirits.  I am seeing everyday heroes who are stepping up.  And some have always stood watch.

JUGS (Just Us Girls) have a word challenge this week - HERO.  

I used 4 different embossing folders to create the background, and layered the large sentiment in navy to make it pop.  These will go into my next box for Cards for Soldiers to be distributed to our deployed military.  How are you managing quarantine?

Santa Baby (Revisited!)

A few days ago, I posted a Santa card for the Cards in Envy Santa Baby challenge.  I wasn't completely satisfied with the original, so I made another.

Much better.  The layout and patterned paper set off Santa much better, and I like the texture of the grosgrain ribbon.  Santa cut from the Doodlecharms Cricut cartridge, beard embossed with Divine Swirls folder, black crystals for his eyes.

Fire or Rain

Cards in Envy has a Fire or Rain challenge.

Core'dinations paper embossed with Tall Trees folder.  Fire cut with a Cricut cartridge, sentiment trimmed from Technique Tuesday. 

Memorial Day Appreciation

The Color Throwdown challenge this week was the perfect prompt for me to make encouragement cards for the military:

Thank you to all who serve, and especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.  And thank you to the families who serve along with their loved ones.   

The navy metallic paper is embossed using various folder, and the sentiment was stamped in distress ink.  This layout works well for assembly line card making while still producing a high quality card.  Cards like these are always welcome at VA homes, nursing homes, hospitals, etc.  

Sympathy Cards - the hardest of all

I HATE making sympathy cards.  Regardless of circumstance, losing a loved one (furry or human) is hard.  My card stash is in dire need of these, as they are needed more and more often.  Must be a life stage...

Tuesday Morning Sketches has a perfect layout:

Here are my versions:

I used beautiful matte silver paper for the focal points embossed with Darice and Gina Marie folders, and layered them on some yummy slick card stock embossed with more Darice folders.  The sentiment is from Unity.  Can you tell I got a new (old) Sizzix?  Found a new in clam shell packaging Big Kick on eBay for $65 with shipping.  I will keep my repaired one as a back up. 

I will be in and out of the blogosphere for a while longer.  My college kid had major knee surgery this week, and we are expecting a rough few days ahead.  Best news - he is expected to regain 90%+ function.  For an athlete, that is a great outcome.  He is hoping that he will be ready to compete this season, starting in December.  We are hoping that he can walk without pain for many years.  Oh, the perspective age provides!

Happy Birthday!

I am back form my latest trip.  I loved spending down time with my family, especially since these times are fewer and further between as my son becomes an adult.  So, back to crafting!!

Provo Craft embossing folder, Core'dinations paper sanded, Hero Arts stamps and dies, stash ribbon. 

Sharing this with: 

Try Stamping on Tuesday (Sketch Challenge with Green and Embossing)

Come play along with us at Words to Craft By for our Phenomenal Women challenge!

Masculine Vellum

The Male Room Challenge #74 is to create a card using vellum. 

I embossed the vellum with Darice Deer in Forest, and colored with metallic sharpies.  I tried to color with Inka Gold, but it didn't work out so well, and the sharpies worked out better than anticipated.  Yeay!

There's plenty of time left to play with us at Words 2 Craft By for our Abundance challenge!

JUGS - Bring on the Shine

I'm playing along with a different challenge today, JUGS - Just Us Girls.  Their challenge:

 

 Here is my project:

The black layer was dry embossed with a Pine Branch folder, then highlighted with Inka Gold green and gold.  The Recollections sentiment was heat embossed with copper powder.  Both were matted on bright gold card stock. 

Come play along with us at Words 2 Craft By for our Vacation challenge!!!

Jingle Belle Sketch - O - Licious & Merry Monday Red, Green, & White

This time, Jingle Belles has a sketch challenge:

And Merry Monday has a Green, Red, and White challenge.  I followed both challenges literally:

Die cut circles embossed with a chevron folder and topped with a satin ribbon.  There's still time to play along with us at Words 2 Craft By for our Proverbs and Blessings challenge!!

House of Cards August Challenge - Metallics

The challenge over at House of Cards is to use metallics on a project.  Near and dear to my heart!!!

I LOVE to work with this mirror card stock - it is gorgeous!! Two embossed layers topped off with a heat embossed sentiment and satin ribbon.  Unfortunately, I needed another sympathy card...

Come play along with the Book Lovers challenge over at Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com! 

The Male Room - Birds

I don't generally think of birds as being very manly, but CREEPY birds?  Oh yes!

Love this for a Halloween card!  Spellbinder Birds on a Wire die cut (without the wire), gold metallic paper embossed with Darice Tree Branch.  This one answers two challenges - The Male Room and Addicted to CAS both have bird challenges going on!  Don't forget to play along with this month's Words2ScrapBy challenge - Say Cheese - in honor of National Photography month. 

Texture Me!

Shopping Our Stash's theme is Texture Me,  use your oldest embossing supply.

The white background pattern was done with an ancient Fiskars texture plate, balloons cut with Sizzix die and textured with chevron embossing folder, We R Memory Keepers twine. 

Cards in Envy: Anything with a Bow

The challenge is Anything Goes BUT it must have a BOW!  I love CAS cards, and this one is a favorite.  Embossed iridescent paper in pearl white, eggplant ink, grosgrain ribbon, and bow.  

Be sure to play along with us at Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com this month.  Cards in Envy design team member is our guest hostess!

SOS #178: Thankful

This week's theme is Thankful. With the US Thanksgiving right around the corner, we are challenged to make a Thank You or grateful project, or make something based on the Thanksgiving theme.

Another embossed paper and Inka Gold card.  A few people have asked me to post more information about the technique.  Check out the Poly Clay Play blog HERE.  A tiny bit goes a long way.  If you choose to buy, the smallest sizes will be plenty for paper projects, and the towers are the least expensive way to go.  Not affiliated in any way, just enabling!!  The sentiment is heat embossed in copper.  Ribbon and paper are from SU!

OWH ODBD November Challenge - Hearts

Since the Valentine's Day card deadline come right after Christmas, it is good to get a head start on all of the needed "Love" cards.  Our Daily Bread Designs has challenged us to made a card with at least one heart.  If you visit my blog regularly, you know I believe that how a card feels can be as important as how it looks.   Here is my effort:

Swiss Dots and Scrolls embossing folders, Sizzix die cut heart popped up, white Neena paper, stash satin ribbon and jewels on a dark red card base. 

Be sure to join the Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com November Gratitude challenge: 

You cannot do a kindness too soon because

you never know how soon it will be too late.

Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge - Snowflakes

This month, the OWH Our Daily Bread Designs challenge is to make Non-Christmas cards with Snowflakes on them.

I always need thank you cards after the holidays, and I think our heroes will, too.   I decided to take it one step further, and use non-traditional winter colors, too!

DCWV paper embossed with snowflake folder, Fiskars sentiment heat embossed with white embossing powder, stash dimensional snowflake attached with super thin Zots.  

clean and simple: 305!

Today's sketch over at clean & simple stamping features a big star as the focal point. 

I am not sure that my card would be considered simple....

 The stars were cut using Spellbinders dies, letters and star cut from DCWV glitter paper, coordinations pearls paper embossed with Cuttlebug snowflakes folder, organdy ribbon.  Embossed paper and star popped up with dimensional tape. 

OWH Sketch Challenge #236

I have been pretty absent from my blog lately, mostly for wonderful reasons!!!

Sandy introduced me to Marti, a wonderful lady in my area.  Marti found that she wasn't papercrafting like she used to (she fell in love with yarn), and wanted to pass on her supplies to another OWHer.  OMG.  I had no idea what I was in for.  3 small truckloads later, my house is full of boxes of incredible goodies.  It has been overwhelming at times, in a good way.  Every box is another Christmas morning.  Luckily, I have other OWH friends who have been helping me sort and divide Marti's stash amongst us.  One of them is a fairly new cardmaker!!  Boy, did she go home with some boxes of Marti love!!!!  I cannot tell you how grateful I am to her for her generosity.  My blog followers will find that I will be giving away candy more often, thanks to her!!

I have been challenging myself to make cards using ONLY Marti's supplies.  It only been hard because there are so many wonderful choices. 

If you are missing the OWH weekly challenges, check out the monthly challenge at Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com.   This month's challenge is "From darkness to light". 

Here is this weeks' sketch and my version:

 Only the Spellbinder dies and the embossing folders were mine.  Thank you Marti! 

Sandy asked the question this week in one of the OWH TV segments:  What do you do if a challenge is outside your comfort zone, or you just don't like it.  Me?  I do it anyway.  How will I know what I can do, or what I like, if I don't try?  Case in point, my last OWH sketch challenge (click to look at my awful card).  I HATED that card.  I made it at least 3 times using different color combinations, different embellishments, etc.  I never liked the outcome, and I posted it anyway.  I got some great suggestions from readers.  Maybe someone saw what they shouldn't do.  Maybe someone was encouraged to see that other people have epic fails too.  BTW, I removed the flowers and tossed the rest.  It is OK to put cards in the recycling bin!!!