Line Art Card

Hello there!  Popping in to play along with a few challenges today.  Just Us Girls are asking us to use the line art image technique where you stamp your image and don't colour it in.  I chose this sun from Market Street Stamps because I think there's enough detail in the stamp that it can stand alone without being coloured.  I used the sketch from RetroSketches for the layout and kept the colours simple.  I recently got the Die-namics Chevron Stripes dies and thought they were perfect for this as they mimicked the pointy rays of the sun.  Because the chevrons are still considered trendy I'm also going to enter this card in the Young Crafters Unite Hot Trends challenge and the Simon Says Stamp We're So Trendy challenge.  Off to work now.  Have a lovely day!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Kraft) PTI, (Crushed Curry, Night of Navy) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Sun from Life Is Beautiful) Market Street Stamps, (Sentiment from CL342) Hero Arts
Ink: (Night of Navy) Stampin' Up

Dies:  (Die-Namics Chevron Stripes) MFT
Punch:  (Corner Rounder) Marvy Uchida
Gems:  (Bumblebee & Blue Jean assortments) Doodlebug
Copic - Y08

You Make Me Smile

After only working part time for the last year and a half I'd forgotten how exhausting it is to be at the vet's full time.  My shortest day at work this week was 11 hours and by Friday night all I wanted to do was dive into bed as soon as I got home!  LOL!  Next week won't be quite as bad but still more hours than usual.  I'm looking forward to the end of the month when we have a four day weekend and I can really catch up on some crafting and some blog hopping.  Whoop whoop!  


I wanted to get a card in for ColourQ this week and I also wanted to break out my Critters Down Under stamps from Lawn Fawn.  That croc is so cute and seems content just to hang out with his kookaburra buddy (and not to swallow him whole!).  Since there are four layers here (thanks to the matting and fiddly paper piecing) I'm also going to enter this over at the Young Crafters Unite Many Layers challenge.  Hope you're all having a lovely Sunday!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Daffodil Delight, More Mustard, Pear Pizzazz, Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Crocodile & kookaburra from Critters Down Under, Border from Belinda's Borders, Sentiment from Hellos Friend) Lawn Fawn

Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (More Mustard, Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up

Die:  (X-Cut Speech Bubbles) DoCrafts

Punch:  (Corner punch) Marvy Uchida

Teresa Collins Papers

I am in awe of those crafters who are able to put patterned papers together with such ease because it's always a struggle for me even when using coordinating sets.  I recently won two new Teresa Collins collections though and I didn't want to condemn them to the dusty  shelf where my patterned papers go to die!  I figured this sketch from The Paper Players was a good place to start trying to use them.  It has a pretty straightforward layout and I managed to use 3 different PPs, a flower die cut and a brad!  Whoop whoop!  It also has about 5 layers so I'm also going to enter it at the Young Crafters Unite challenge to use many layers.  


Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Early Espresso) Stampin' Up
Patterned Papers:  (Fabrications: Canvas collection)  Teresa Collins
Stamp:  (Sentiment from Simple Salutation) Market Street Stamps
Ink: (Early Espresso) Stampin' Up
Diecut & Brad:  (Fabrications: Canvas collection)  Teresa Collins

Graphic Flowers

Howdy all!  It's a gorgeous day here with sunshine and a lovely breeze.  My arms are rather pink after sitting on the patio for lunch and then taking the hounds for a swim!  I spent some time in the Craft Cave as I wanted to get a card done for this week's ColourQ challenge. I love the bright colours and those super cute towels.  I played around with a few ideas involving polka dots but was finally drawn to the hexagons from Paper Smooches' Vogue Abode set.  Initially I was going to lay them out in a striped pattern but it wasn't quite working for me and I finally came up with these graphic looking flowers.  Kind of fun huh? Young Crafters Unite is currently running a flower challenge so I'm going to enter this over there as well.  


Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Hexagons from Vogue Abode) Paper Smooches, (Sentiment from Mixed Greetings) Woodware Craft Collection
Inks: (VersaFine Tuxedo Black) Tsukineko
Gems:  (Ladybug, Limeade & Pool Party collections) Doodlebug

Warm Thoughts

This should read "Warm and humid thoughts" today!  It's like a wet blanket out there.  Blerg!  Everything is sticky and my hair is doing crazy things but we're determined to hold out a bit longer before we crank up the AC.  


Got a few cards done this morning - several special orders and one card for ColourQ.  I like the flower on the t-shirt and stuck with that theme using the hibiscus from Paper Smooches' Get Outta Town set.  I dry embossed a frame and masked and stamped the flower with VersaMark inside the frame.  I'm also going to enter this at the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge.

ETA:  I also wanted to enter this in the Young Crafters Unite Flower Challenge.


Okay, must dash.  We're off to cook dinner for our friends who recently had a baby.  I think they've been living on take-out so we're going to their house to make them a big home cooked meal.  Have a lovely evening!


Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Rich Razzleberry, Night of Navy, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Flower from Get Outta Town, Sentiment from Sentiment Sampler) Paper Smooches
Inks:  (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Night of Navy) Stampin' Up
Die:  (Double Ended Banners) PTI
Gem:  Craft Supplies for Less
Other:  (Black Enamel Accents) Ranger

Jukebox Party

Kim of Paper Smooches has challenged us to make a cardstock only card or project - no patterned paper allowed.  This challenge is right up my street as I use cardstock far more often than patterned paper especially when paper piecing.  I also wanted to make a birthday celebration card so I could play along with CAS-ual Fridays.  It's their first birthday and the new design team are making their debut so there's a lot of fun stuff going on over there!  My original idea did not cooperate with me so I regrouped, played around a bit and came up with this.  I love that cute jukebox and it totally makes me think PARTY so I pulled out some colourful Bazzill, Paperbilities and Stampin' Up cardstocks and paper pieced my little heart out!  

ETA:  Doh!  Blond moment!!  Totally meant to link this up at Young Crafters Unite's No Colouring Allowed challenge!!  Hope it's okay to join in now...

Cardstock:  (White, light grey) Bazzill, (Yellow) Paperbilities, (Rose Red, Basic Grey) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Sentiment from Pretty Phrases, Jukebox & music notes from Perpetual Bliss, Other music notes from My Peeps and Santa Paws) Paper Smooches
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Vroom Vroom!

I'm playing along with three challenges for this card.  I started by using the sketch from The Paper Players.  I flipped it 180 degrees and simplified it a bit - no element across the top of mine (so it might be out of the running but so be it).  I stamped and  paper pieced the scooter instead of colouring it (because I prefer paper piecing) and so this is eligible for Young Crafters Unite's challenge - No Colouring Allowed..  How perfect for me!  And finally, of course, this is going in for the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Challenge.  
That scooter reminds me of my first bike.  Here in Bermuda you can get a bike license when you turn 16 (no car license until you're 18).  You can also only have one car per household so most families have a car and a few bikes on hand.  I made a Father's Day card because more often than not the moms around here commandeer the cars so dads go off to work on their scooters in their Bermuda shorts with their ties flapping in the wind.  :)

Cardstock:  (Cream) Pacon, (Tangerine Tango, So Saffron, Marina Mist, Soft Suede) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Scooter & smoke from Spiffy Scooters, Sentiments from Birthday Buddies, My Guy, & Alphadots) Paper Smooches
Ink: (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

You Hold The Key

Popping in with one more challenge card today.  This month's challenge at Young Crafters Unite is a sketch challenge and I broke out some new PTI stamps to play along.  It took a lot of fussing and rearranging and colour changes before I came up with something I liked but I'm glad I didn't quit because it means I've conquered yet another sketch challenge!  They'll probably never be my favourite challenges but I'm definitely feeling more comfortable with them. 




Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Melon Mambo, Basic Grey) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Banner from Bannerific) Lawn Fawn, Sentiment from Lock & Key) PTI

Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Melon Mambo) Stampin' Up

Dies:  (Heart Prints, Lock & Key) PTI 

Old School

The desk cleaning project that I began yesterday got a little out of hand and I spent most of today trying to get it under control - hence why this post is so last minute!  Today's card is super clean and simple and made for 3 challenges - CASual Fridays' Chip Off the Old Block challenge, Young Crafters Unite's clean and simple challenge and the chipboard challenge at Lily Pad Cards.  I used to love to play Atari!  As impressive as some of today's games are sometimes I wouldn't mind a simple round of Asteroids or Centipede!  :)
Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Kraft) PTI, (Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive) Stampin' Up
Stamp:  (Sentiment from My Type ) Hero Arts
Inks:  (Early Espresso) Stampin' Up
Chipboard:  (From The Boyfriend collection) Cosmo Cricket

Colourful Vines

***This is my second post of the day.  Please click here for my Paper Smooches Sparks / Young Crafters Unite card.***

I sat and stared at this Just Add Ink inspiration photo for ages and actually nearly gave up on it.  I didn't want to go the purse route as I made a purse card just last week and I don't have much silver stuff kicking around at the moment.  That left me with the colour palette which I found a bit scary!  However, after going through just about every stamp set I own I settled on PTI's Background Basics: Vines set and the coordinating die. Despite my initial colour fear I ended up having fun with the card and with breaking in the stamps and die.  And speaking of dies, Young Crafter Unite, here I come with one more entry!  :)      

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Melon Mambo, Poppy Parade, Pool Party) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Vine border from Background Basics: Vines) PTI, (Sentiment) Hero Arts
Inks:  (Lucky Limeade) Stampin' Up
Dies:  (Leafy Vine Border) PTI

Punch:  (Corner Punch) Marvy Uchida

Thanks Ever So Much

I've got 2 posts for you today and I am determined not to forget them like I did my Play Date Cafe post yesterday. Doh!!  Major blond moment but I have an excuse as I got an early Christmas present - an iPad!  I was very excited and more than a little distracted so I totally spaced on my post.  It's not going to happen today though (even if those Angry Birds are calling my name...)  Okay, onto the card.  This is only the second time I've managed to play along with the Paper Smooches Sparks challenge.  I love the inspiration photos Kim provides and I must play along more often (add that to the New Year's Resolution List!).  I'm also going to enter this little number over at Young Crafters Unite's die cutting challenge.  


I was thrilled today to have my twig and ribbon card featured on  Freehand Scraps' Ten Fabulous Christmas Ideas post.  Pop over if you have a chance because they have some super cute ideas.  :)
Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Bashful Blue, Pacific Point) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Flower from Friendly Flowers, Sentiment from Pretty Phrases) Paper Smooches
Inks:  (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Fresh Snow) PTI

Embossing Powder:  (Butterscotch) Adirondack
Die:  (Nestabilities Labels Seventeen) Spellbinders

Impression Plate:  (Linen & Canvas) PTI

Gems:  Doodlebug

Growing Up Without Getting Old

***This is my 2nd post of the day.  Please click here for my Inkspirations/Create post!***

Back again as promised and this time with a card for CAS-ual Fridays and Young Crafters Unite.  CAS-ual Fridays is back with their super fun Tic Tac Toe board and YCU wants us to use die cutting on our cards.  I went for a diagonal choice on the board and came up with scallops, kraft and aqua.  I diecut a scalloped rectangle frame from aqua paper and used it to highlight this great Frank Lloyd Wright quote.  I used Hero Arts' Flourish background behind the sentiment and cut the legs off the star brad and popped it on with a Glue Dot for a little shine.
Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Kraft) PTI, (Tempting Turquoise) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Flourish Background) Hero Arts, (Sentiment) Cloud 9
Inks:  (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up
Die:  (Nesties Classic Scalloped Rectangle Large) Spellbinders
Impression Plate:  (Linen) PTI
Brad:  Craft Supply   

Cheers!

One of the girl's at work wanted a card for her friend's 40th birthday - although he apparently only ever turns 33.  ;)  So I pulled out a Stampin' Up image, Lawn Fawn alphabets stamps and some felt letters I've had kicking around for a while and came up with this.  As it's for a guy I'm going to enter it over at Young Crafters Unite's challenge to create a masculine card.


I spent today puppy sitting Franklin, my friend's new chocolate lab.  He is the cutest, chubbiest little guy and also the sleepiest puppy I've ever met!  He'll scamper around for about 45 minutes and then pass out for the next 2 hours!  He'll even pass out mid-play like in the bottom picture - asleep with his toy still in his mouth!  

  








Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Kraft) PTI, (White)  Bazzill Basics
Stamps:  (Beer from Cheers to You)  Stampin Up, (Letters from Smitty's ABCs) Lawn Fawn
Inks:  (Memento Tuxedo Black)  Tsukineko, (Night of Navy) Stampin' Up
Colouring Medium:  Copics
Letter Stickers:  Craft supply
Other:  Glossy Accents

Triple Threat

***This is my 2nd post for the day.  Please click here for my ColourQ entry!*** 

This card is a triple threat challenge card!  I'm entering it in All Things Unity's Be Inspired challenge, the Young Crafters Unite Envelope to Match challenge and the Holiday Madness Challenge at Wee Memories.  The inspiration for the ATU challenge came from this picture of a pillow I found in Real Simple magazine.  I liked the turquoise and white design and, although I initially planned that the images would be more like the pillow, I ended up using the Christmas tree because it has a folky feel to it.      

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill Basics, (Tempting Turquoise) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Image and sentiment from Sept 2011 KOM - All Seasons) Unity Stamp Co
Ink:  (Tempting Turquoise) Stampin' Up
Dies:  (Nestabilities Labels 14)  Spellbinders
Gems:  Doodlebug