Joy to the World

 Happy Friday!!!  It's time for a new challenge from the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.  This week, the challenge is: Add a Sentiment

Here is my card for your inspiration:

Any time I don't have a need for a card for a specific occasion, I try to make Christmas cards.  I'm always running short, so it's good to build up the stash ahead of time.  So, that's what I did.  I found a fun sketch that allowed me to use up some scraps, and it was a win-win all around!  I also got to use a new snowflake die which I think I love!  To finish everything off I sprinkled around a few silver rhinestones.  They are so unique because they are actually silver and not clear.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you will hop over to the Cut It Up blog for the full details of the challenge and to see what the rest of the Design Team has created. 

Supplies:

Stamps: PaperTrey Ink "Just Sentiments: Be Merry"

Dies: PaperTrey Ink "Layered Snowflakes: Drift"; Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"

Challenges:

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round--10 Lords a Leaping (I used 10 of the silver rhinestones)

ABC Christmas--U is for Use it Up; V is for Vertical (I went with Use It Up--using up some scraps)

If You Give a Crafter A Cookie #185--black

NBUS #55--never before used schtuff (first time out of the package for the snowflake die)

Creative Knockouts #506--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #216--anything goes

MFT #668--sketch (I turned it on its side)

MFT Christmas--anything Christmas goes

Fall Birthday Wishes

 Quite often I find a sketch challenge with a sketch that just really catches my eye and I HAVE to play along this sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge was one of those sketches!

My sister-in-law's birthday is later this week, so I needed to make a card for her.  I went looking for a pack of Autumn print papers and instead came across this one that I have had for a really long time.  I have used most of the full sheets, but do have a lot of scraps which is perfect for this sketch!  (I still never found that other pack--I think it is buried under the mountain of stuff on my desk!)  I picked 4 patterns that I liked, trimmed them all to the same width and somewhat the same length.  Then I tore off the top and bottom of each strip (remember when paper tearing was the big trend??  I sure do; but now I never think to do it!)  Before adhering the strips to a cream card base, I splatted on some copper metallic paste after watering it down with quite a bit of water.  It's very shimmery in real life.  I die cut my sentiment banner and heat embossed the sentiment in gold embossing ink.  I layered it over another die cut piece cut out of kraft cardstock, offsetting the ends just a bit.  Then I used some twine to tie on a mother-of-pearl button that probably came off an old piece of clothing.  I actually used the back side as it fit my color combo better.  And done!  You can see the shimmer and shine better in the photo below.

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve "Better Together" sentiment

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 12" banner die

Challenges:

Sweet Stampin'--autumn

Snippets Playground #464--anything goes with snippets

Unicorn Challenge #92--autumn AND/OR Halloween

Crafty Calendar--autumn colors/Halloween

Sheepski Designs #79--autumn or Halloween colors

Creative Inspiration--autumn or Halloween

Lil' Red Wagon #725--fall colors

613 Avenue Create--anything goes with the optional twist: autumn colors

Make My Monday #211--autumn colors

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #546--sketch

Christmas Joy

 Hello, everyone!  It's time for a new challenge from the Creative Moments Challenge blog.  The theme is: "It's Alive".  I am using an image from one of our fabulous sponsors: Polkadoodles.

 Here is my card:

Normally, I would not think about cutting in image into pieces, but I found a fun sketch that I really wanted to try.  And I think it actually turned out really cute!  I mean, the image is adorable, so it couldn't help but turn out cute, could it?  I just love that little polar bear!!  I added some gold nuvo sparkle pen to the holly berries and the bell on the bear's hat, and the snowflake was die cut from a holographic glitter paper.  You can see the sparkle better in the photo below.

I finished everything off some tiny clear rhinestones and a fun stitched sentiment banner.

You have all month to play along.  So, get inky and link up your creation; I can't wait to see what you create!

Supplies:

Stamps: Polkadoodles "Polar Bear Gnome Festive Fun" digi; Verve "Beyond Measure" sentiment

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 12" stitched banner; Papertrey Ink snowflake die

Challenges:

Shopping Our Stash #506--color me beautiful

Word Art Wednesday #516--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Penny's Challenges #556--anything goes

Art Impressions #361--Christmas came early

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #215--anything goes

Use Your Stuff #494--small type (the font on "Christmas" is really tiny!)

Fab n Funky #581--show us some coloring

Pattie's Creations #211--anything goes

Christmas with the Cuties #74--something shiny (I used a gold mat under my image panel and the rhinestones are shiny)

Christmas Craft Creations--metallics

The Fairy and The Unicorn--anything goes as long as it is fantasy (I think gnomes count as fantasy figures)

Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers--sketch

Butterfly birthday wishes

Today is my mother-in-law's birthday.  She loves purple and butterflies, so I created this (what should have been) quick and easy card.

 I say "should have been" quick and easy, because I had a really difficult time getting this die to cut cleanly.  It is gorgeous and so detailed and delicate that I had to run it through several times, then tried to cut out some of the pieces that were still hanging on.  Ended up putting it back into my machine with a shim and ran it through another time.  Then it was mostly cut through, but I still had to poke out each of those tiny little cut outs!

But I do think the end result was worth it!  I adhered it over a light purple patterned paper, stamped and cut out the sentiment and added tiny rhinestones to all the butterfly bodies.

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve "Surely Goodness" sentiment

Dies: PaperTrey Ink "Coverplate: Flutter"

Challenges:

Word Art Wednesday #616--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Penny's Challenge #556--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #215--anything goes

Use Your Stuff #494--small type

Cards Galore #116--anything goes

Moving Along with The Times #159--anything goes

NBUS #55--never before used schtuff (first time out of the packaging for this beautiful die!)

Creative Knockouts #505--die cuts/punches/stencils

Creative Fingers #263--anything goes

Alphabet Challenge--N is for Nature

Let it snow

Happy Friday!!!  It's time for a new challenge from the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.  This week, the challenge is: Your Favorite Color(s)

Here is my card for your inspiration:

Blue is (and has always been) my favorite color.  My favorite shade of it has changed from a dark, navyish shade to this light blue/turquoise/aqua color which I used for the snowman's accessories and the background.  I also used a much darker blue card stock as layering pieces behind the silver frame and you can see it peeking out in the photo below.  It wasn't meant to be seen, but it does give a sense of depth and shadow, so I rather like it.

                                    

Die cutting and layering the frame was a bit tedious, but I helped myself out by using some double sided adhesive sheets that I adhered to my dark blue cardstock before die cutting the frame (I die cut it 4 different times--once with silver and 3 times with dark blue).  Then it wasn't too difficult to peel off the backing and adhere it to the other frame layers, but as you can see, I didn't get everything lined up perfectly each time.  In the photo below, you can see the background I created using a snowflake embossing folder.  I ended up embossing the front panel of the card base and then I tried to highlight the embossing by rubbing white ink on it.  I think it would have worked better with a darker cardstock, and as I wasn't ready to give up on the idea, I then rubbed on some green/darker aqua ink, but that was too dark!!  So, back to the white ink and I think it does finally help highlight it a bit.  Of course it is mostly covered up by the glitter "snow" and this adorable snowman, but I know it's there.

So, I LOVE this snowflake frame die; it is just gorgeous, specially in silver (which is my favorite metal color of choice)!!  With the dimension, it almost looks like an actual metal piece.  LOVE it!!  I've had it for quite a while now (probably more than a year, or maybe even, gasp, two years!) and hadn't used it.  But I will be using it a lot from now on!!  The snowman die set is one I just received for my birthday last month and it is THE cutest thing!!  I think everyone will be getting Christmas cards with die cut snowmen on them this year!  I added a little shading to different pieces to add depth and highlighted a few other pieces with a white gel pen.  I'm in love!  For the shaker "snow", I used some chunky glitter that I have had for ages!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you will hop over to the Cut It Up blog for the full details of the challenge and to see what the rest of the Design Team has created. 

Supplies:

Stamps: NONE (this may be a first for me)

Dies: Lawn Fawn "Snow Flurries Backdrop" and "Build a Snowman"

Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

Challenges: 

Make My Monday #210--create your own background

Penny's Challenges #556--anything goes

Art Impressions #361--Christmas came early

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #215--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday--add some texture

Double Trouble #149--Scrapper's Trick & Treat (Thing #1: create your own background)

Cards Galore Challenge #116--anything goes

Die Cut Divas--Layer die cuts (I'm not sure my card uses the exact technique in mind, but I did layer 4 die cuts together to create the frame, and layered a whole bunch of pieces together to create the snowman)

Christmas with the Cuties #74--something shiny

Moving Along with the Times #159--anything goes

Christmas Craft Creations--metallics

Peace On Earth--anything goes with mood board (I was inspired by the snowman)

NBUS #55--never before used schtuff (my frame die and snowman die set)

Peace on Earth

Happy October1st!!  It's time for a new challenge on the Critter Crazy Challenge blog!  As always, it is a month long challenge: Anything Goes as long as you feature a creature.  Here is my card for your inspiration:

I pulled out this cute little llama a week or so ago for another card, and just felt the need to use him again for this card.  He's just so cute!  I used a couple scraps that were already cut to width, I just had to trim them to the correct length.  I wanted a fun background, so I pulled out an embossing folder that I had won a few years ago and had yet to use.  It has a bunch of ornaments and I decided to stamp the sentiment inside one of the embossed ornaments.  I stamped the sentiment and then lined it up within the ornament in question and was so excited about how well it lined up, that I didn't realize the embossing folder was upside down and I ended up DEbossing the image instead.  Oh, well, it still gives a fun background.  You can see the texture better in the photo below:

See how well the sentiment fits in the ornament?!  Anyway, then I die cut some branches and added nuvo drops in red to all the "berries".  I added a few more scattered around to finish everything off.

Thanks for stopping by!  Hop on over to the Critter Crazy blog and check out the details and the rest of the projects from the Design Team.

Supplies:

Stamps: Neat & Tangled "Fa, la, llama"; Verve "Peace on Earth" sentiment

Dies: Memory Box "Snowberry branches"

Unknown embossing folder (I won it as part of a prize)

Challenges:

Creative Knockouts #504--use 2 or more patterned papers

Creative Fingers #262--anything goes

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #544--sketch

Simon Says Stamp Monday--Christmas

Make My Monday #210--create your own background (embossed background)

Shopping Our Stash #506--color me beautiful (I used Spectrum Noir markers to color my llama)

Retro Rubber #506--tic tac toe (I used the diagonal: animal, your choice, die cut/punch)(I have had this Neat & Tangled stamp set for at least 3 years, but it is probably more like 5--so hard to keep track of time!  Also, the Verve sentiment set I've had for at least three years, as well.)

Word Art Wednesday #615--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Lil' Red Wagon #724--layer upon layer

Art Impressions #361--Christmas came early

Party Penguins

 Hello, everyone!  Here is a mid-challenge reminder for our sketch challenge over on the Creative Moments Challenge blog.  You still have almost 2 weeks to play along with us.  We have two sponsors and the image I used today came from Hetty Clare.  Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:  (I turned the sketch on its side)

I used these super cute little penguins.  They are kind of dressed for winter with their scarves and Santa hats, but I thought the balloons looked like birthday, so I colored everything up with bright, happy colors and changed those hats into party hats!  I used a fishtail banner die and a little out of the box cutting to get a fun effect with the balloons floating out of the top of the banner.  I trimmed the sides of the die cut to create a tag shape and added an eyelet, ribbon and twine to finish it off.  To add to the party feel I die cut some balloons and stars and sprinkled them around the card.  And, of course, the stripes in the background add to the celebration.  The penguins look like they are up to some mischief, so the rest of the sentiment inside the card says "let the shenanigans begin"

Remember, you still have almost 2 weeks to play.  So, get inky and link up your creation; I can't wait to see what you create!

Supplies:

Stamps: Hetty Clare "Penguinsparty" digi (I could not find it in her shop, it may be retired, but she has other fun penguin images in there); CAS-ual Fridays "Shenanigans"

Dies: MFT balloons and "Blueprints 13" fishtail banner; stars are from a Stamps of Life star flip set

Challenges:

Pattie's Creations #210--anything goes

Cutie Pie Challenge #185--birthdays AND/OR bears 

Aud Sentiments #305--Tag It! AND/OR thank you

Penny's Challenge #555--anything goes

Di's Digi Designs--3 of anything (I have 3 penguins and 3 die cut balloons)

Sweet Stampin'--tags

A Gem of a Challenge--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #214--anything goes

Double D--birthday balloons

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog #262--anything goes