Trifecta!

Hello all. I had fun naming this post because it really does feel like a triple winner being a DT that gets to craft with images like these!

The first card, for this weeks QKR Stampede Challenge, features an adorable digi from Eureka Stamps named "Baby Animals." It's only $2 and you can find it HERE. I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers and white gel pen. The inside sentiment is from QKR Stamps. You can find it HERE. And the silver Celebrate sentiment is from my scrapbook sticker stash.

 

 

Entered into: Eureka Baby Animals

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                      (Outlawzchallenges.ning.com)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- March      (craftyhazelnutspatternedpaper.blogspot.com)

This week's Colour Crazy Challenge sponsor is Little Blue Button Stamps.  This yummy set, named Coffee Love, is available HERE. One reason I love working with digis is that you can change their size. For this card, I placed part of the enlarged image onto a background that I created by repeating one of the sentiments. Used my Spectrum Noir markers to color the coffee diva with luscious shades of brown, plus gray and a shout of aqua.  The inside sentiment is from the Coffee Love digi set. Oh… and just had to add some coffee colored enamel dots. 

 

Entered into: 

ScribblesDesignsChallenges- #75-YumYum                       (scribblesdesignschallenge.blogspot.com)

Word Art Wed Challenge- #380-#381 Anything Goes     (wordartwednesday.blogspot.com) 

One thing I love about being a DT is getting to pick out an image to use. But sometimes that can be really hard to do. This week at the Colour Crazy Challenge is a fine example. So how do I cope? I pick TWO great images!  This Little Blue Button Stamps image is named Sweet Geisha Charlie. Isn't she beautiful? You can find her HERE. I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers and paper pieced her lovely sheath dress with Japanese Yuzen Chiyogami Paper. The background paper with the gold filigree isfrom a pack of scrapbook papers I found at a local thrift store. The sentiment is from a Tiddly Inks set named "Beary Sweet."

 

 

Entered into: 

Di’s Digi Stamps- Make It Girly                                        (disdigidesignschallenge.blogspot.co.uk)

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes     (simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge)

Sad Eyes

It's Wednesday! So time for another challenge at Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge Blog. Penny's challenges are always Anything Goes and prizes are awarded from one or more sponsors.  Stop by the blog to check it out! (pennyschallenges.blogspot.com) This week, our sponsor is "Oddball Art," and I used a wistful image named "Cat catches Rabbit." Aren't her eyes just mesmerizing? You can find it HERE.  I colored the sad little sweetheart with Spectrum Noir markers plus a white gel pen and extra-fine tipped brown marker.  The sentiments on the front is an old Rubber Stampede stamp. I stamped it on vellum, and it didn't leave a very dark impression. But I decided that I kind of liked the look of the washed out sentiment with this sad image. The inside sentiment is from QKR Stampede. It's called "You're Purrfect" and you can find it HERE. The final touch to the card front and inside was to add a touch of bling with a pink heart-shaped little gem sticker that I picked up at JoAnnes. Am entering this card into several challenges including Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge [I used pink and blue pastels on my card, orangey tan on the rabbit, plus lots of grey],  Mod Squad Challenge that requires the use of pastels and no vivid coloring [again, my coloring is mainly pastels and neutrals]

Entered into: 

Outlawz - Tuesday Color Challenge-Photo Inspiration                         (Outlawzchallenges.ning.com)

Mod Squad Challenge- Pastel Fun                                                       (modsquadchallenge.com)
Polkadoodles Challenge- Week 12-Anything Goes                         (polkadoodle.blogspot.com)

This month's challenge at Little Scraps of Heaven [LSOH] is "Think Spring." I wasn't sure what I was going to create until I saw a pile of Easter candy wrappers left from a recent pot luck at the office. It reminded me of a fun sentiment that I'd seen on a raccoon poster… and then I remembered that I had an LSOH raccoon image. The result of all of that "remembering" is this fun card. The sentiments are computer generated, and the sweet image is on sale right now for just $1 from HERE!  I colored the raccoon with Spectrum Noir markers and white gel pen. So fun. Maybe an odd card for Spring but… well… Easter baskets filled with lots of treats are a favorite spring memory from my childhood. Yours, too?

Am entering this card into several challenges including Bugaboo March Color Challenge [my card includes blue, red, and shades of grey], Outlawz Monday Challenge Songs and Rhymes. [This weeks song is one I've never heard named "Anything Goes."  Its lyrics feature behaviors that would be classified as "naughty" such as using profanity, driving fast and wearing sexy clothing. I don't usually do any of those things… but I have been known to "borrow" chocolate! ]

 Entered into: 

Little Scraps of Heaven- March [Think Spring­­]                     (lshdesigns.blogspot.com)

Outlawz Challenges- Songs and Rhymes- Anything Goes   (Outlawzchallenges.ning.com)

ScribblesDesignsChallenges- #75-YumYum                           (scribblesdesignschallenge.blogspot.com)

The Paper Shelter- #376 It's a Spring Thing                           (thepapershelter.blogspot.com.ar)

The Sisterhood of Crafters- Celebrate Spring                         (thesisterhoodofcrafters.blogspot.com)
Bugaboo Stamps- March Color Challenge                               (catchthebugblog.blogspot.com)

I am always looking for new coloring sheets that I can print off for participants in my prevention classes and trainings and hit a treasure trove at this spot… Crayola.com… Go figure! You can find this wonderful scene HERE. I reduced the image size to fit on a card, then printed it onto kraft paper. Colored the curtains with white and grey colored pencils and the cat with grey Spectrum Noir markers. Added dimension and color to the greenery with Nuvo Crystal Drops [Rubarb Crumble and  Bottle Green from the  Seasonal Set]. Used a kraft knife to cut the panes from the window, attached a scrap of acrylic for the glass, the cut scraps of white paper into snow piled up on the outside of the window. Mounted the finished card top with foam tape onto a scrap of snowflake paper, and attached a sentiment from a Beccy's Place digi set named "Seasonal Windows." The sentiment and greenery on the inside tag were both stamped with wood mounts from now-closed companies, Embossing Arts and PSX.

 

Entered into: 

Rudolph Days Challenge- March  (scrapsoflifebyscrappymo.blogspot.com/2019/03/march-rudolph-days-challenge.html)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- #427 Anything Goes   (craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk)

Word Art Wed Challenge- #380-#381 Anything Goes                  (wordartwednesday.blogspot.com)

The current Double D's challenge requires gingham in any color. This is my third entry in the challenge. The first was a masculine card and the second a Christmas card, so decided the third should be for a child. One of my favorite childhood toys was a sock monkey that my mom made for me. So when I saw a sock monkey card on Pinterest, I did some sketching and came up with this cutie. I made him with a textured grey cardstock that actually resembles the sock that I mom had used [she preferred making grey sock monkeys instead of the more common tan ones so she would have loved this creation.] Since the button eyes and yarn tassel on the hat adds quite a bit of bulk, I made a bookmark instead of a card. Am thinking that one of my nieces that loves to read will like this fun item. The sentiment is from a retired Printworks wood mount stamp and the navy gingham paper is from my stash.

Entered into: 

Double D’s Challenge- Gingham                                           (daranddiane.blogspot.com)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- March      (craftyhazelnutspatternedpaper.blogspot.com)

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes          (simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge)

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                     (Outlawzchallenges.ning.com)

Cute and Sweet

A short time ago I was thrilled to have my card at the Art Impressions challenge be picked as an Honorable Mention. And… it was especially nice to learn that I got to pick a prize. There were so many of their stamps that I wanted… but I finally settled on a sweet set named "Mini Cat Spinner" mainly because I wanted to make a card in memory of my mom with this cute kitten. And the current challenge named "Cutting Edge" provided me with inspiration.

My five siblings and I loved critters of all kinds… and our mom was kind-hearted and let us bring almost anything home to be a "pet." We had parakeets, turtles, fish, salamanders, Guinea pigs, and farms, dogs and especially cats. Mom love cats… and she loved sheer curtains… which, consequently often had runs in them. Because… well, my card depicts the reason. Mom would have loved that I made this card with a scrap from the sewing stash of treasures that she left for me to enjoy. She also would've loved that the cat was trying to get nose to nose with a butterfly.

I used a basic Flip-fold card, making the flip section tall enough to hold the window. [You can find a pattern with instructions HERE ] I die-cut two window frames, one in white and one and tan. Laid one of them onto the flap, traced the outer edge of the window panes and cut out that middle section. I then used double stick tape to add a scrap of laminate, which was then sandwiched between the two window frames. Took some time to hand stitch the tiny curtains so that I could slide them onto the "curtain rod" [a wooden skewer that I cut down to size.] And, after taping the cat to the inside of the window, onto the curtain, I took a needle and added a line of snags.

Am entering this into a few other challenges including Simon Says Monday  [the little fur face is certainly a Miniature/Tiny Thing], Mod Squad Challenge [the window is from "Diemond Dies"] and Cute Card Thursday [the kitten looks like it has a bit of Spring Fever trying to catch the flutterby.]

 

 

Entered into: 

Art Impressions- #252 Cutting Edge                           (artimpressionsstamps.blogspot.com/search/label/Challenge)

Simon Says Monday Challenge- Miniature/Tiny Things        (simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge)
Mod Squad Challenge- One or More Metal Die                        (modsquadchallenge.com)

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Cute                                    (simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge)

Cute Card Thursday- #574-Spring Fever                                    (cutecardthursday.blogspot.com) 

This card was made for two challenges, Double D's Gingham [Gingham makes me think of Christmas], and WeCraftCards [we had to use one of the cards from a 10 card wonder assortment as our inspirations- I chose the one with Peekaboo Frame fold, sometimes called an Origami Shadow Box. You can find a great tutorial for making this super simple fold HERE] The little Gingerbread House is a sticker, the mini-gingerbread man is from a retired SU set [from the 90's] stamped into paper clay, lightly colored with chalks and mounted atop a scrap of red mulberry paper before being adhered to a mini-tag. [Am realizing that this card could've also qualified for the Simon Says Monday Challenge.] The sentiment is a freebie from TLC Creations (createwithtlc.blogspot.com)

 

Entered into: 

Double D’s Challenge- Gingham                                                             (daranddiane.blogspot.com)

We Craft Cards Monday Challenge- Choose and Follow Project      (wecraftcards.com/forum)

Outlawz Challenge- Crash Your Stash- Mulberry Paper                    (Outlawzchallenges.ning.com)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- #427 Anything Goes   (craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk)

Wanted to give one of my staff one of her favorite treats because she's been working on a few difficult tasks, so decided to make a treat bag to match a few challenges. I punched the honeycomb with one of my Fiskars punches, and fussy-cut the little bees from scrapbook paper. The little sentiment is computer generated. Made s simple bag topper with cardstock and adhered all the pieces. The final touch was to use a micro-fine black pen to add stitching onto the honeycomb and bee trails. Yummy.

Entered into: 

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie- #113 Bugs                             (giveacrafteracookie.blogspot.com)

ScribblesDesignsChallenges- #75-YumYum                         (scribblesdesignschallenge.blogspot.com)

Word Art Wed Challenge- #378-#379 Anything Goes        (wordartwednesday.blogspot.com)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- March        (craftyhazelnutspatternedpaper.blogspot.com)

My final card for this post is for this week's Power Poppy's Creative Confetti challenge named "Thank You- Next!" The requirements for the challenge are, "create a card that has elements that are easy to reproduce." I knew that I had a box of plain thank you cards in my stash. So I pulled them out and stamped a few of the cards and envelopes with a rose leaf wood mount stamp from Rubber Stampede and sage green ink.  Stamped the rose bloom with a Rubber Stampede stamp in deep pink ink. To add some depth, I stamped more blooms and leaves on scraps, fussy-cut them and mounted to the front of the card with foam tape. It took less than 10 minutes to make the card and envelops. Quick and so pretty.

Entered into: 

Power Poppy-  Thank You- Next!       (powerpoppy.blogspot.com/2019/03/creative-confetti-thank-you-next.html)

Kitty Bee Designs- #139- In The Garden      (alohafridaychallenges.blogspot.com)

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays               (Outlawzchallenges.ning.com)

Cute Kitten

For this week's challenge at QKR Stampede I made a card using a wonderful Eureka digi image named "Black Cat Smiling Eyes Closed." You can find it HERE. I printed the cute little furball [or should I say Purrball?] on a light parchment colored cardstock, then added shading with a light grey Spectrum Noir marker. The inside lines on the cat then stook out too boldly so I colored over them with the grey pen. The final touch was to color his nose with light pink and add a touch of white gel pen. I used some vintage lace background paper for the background and added a scrap of sheer copper ribbon and grey photo corners as accents. The sentiment if a freebie from DesertDiva. You can find it HERE.  

PS To see more fun cards, stop on by the QKR Stampede where the weekly challenges are always Anything Goes and prizes are awarded.  

Entered into: 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Cute                              (simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge)

Polkadoodles Challenge- Week 12-Anything Goes              (polkadoodle.blogspot.com)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- March        (craftyhazelnutspatternedpaper.blogspot.com)

I bought this sweet Penny Black stamp set that features images by the talented Mo Manning mainly because I love her adorable fairy images.  The sentiment on the front is an old wood mount stamp from Embossing Arts and the inside sentiment is from a free Tiddly Inks set named "Willow the Greeting Fairy." You can find it HERE.  I'm entering this into several challenges including Simon Says Monday Challenge "Miniature/Tiny Things" [Fairies are beautiful tiny things], Outlawz Challenges- Tuesday Color Challenge-Photo Inspiration [the sweet fairy loves pink and although you can't see it in the photo, and her wings sparkle with glitter. Not quite a bright as the shoes... but still with a bit of bling] and Kitty Bee's "In the Garden" [we all know that Fairies LOVE gardens.]

Entered into: 

Simon Says Monday Challenge- Miniature/Tiny Things    (simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge)

Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greetings- Fantasy               (Outlawzchallenges.ning.com)

The Paper Shelter- #375 Girl Power                                       (thepapershelter.blogspot.com.ar)

Outlawz Challenges- Tuesday Color Challenge                    (Outlawzchallenges.ning.com)

Kitty Bee Designs- #139- In The Garden                               (alohafridaychallenges.blogspot.com)

The current Double D's challenge is a fun one. It requires that our card includes a gingham print. I have a ton of patterned gingham papers in many different colors. I paired a scrap of deep rust gingham with a coffee grinder I upcycled from an old greeting card and scrap of green striped wallpaper [yup… I am a packrat.] I added a layer of vellum over these items to create a nice cohesive look to the card and tied them all together with a scrap of sheer ribbon in a rusty tone that enhanced the gingham. The sentiment on the front and inside are both computer generated.

 

Entered into: 

Double D’s Challenge- Gingham                                            (daranddiane.blogspot.com)

Word Art Wed Challenge- #378-#379 Anything Goes      (wordartwednesday.blogspot.com)

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                      (Outlawzchallenges.ning.com)

Warrior Princess

It's Wednesday! So time for another challenge at Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge Blog.  Penny's challenges are always Anything Goes and prizes are awarded from one or more sponsors.  Stop by the blog to check it out! (pennyschallenges.blogspot.com) This week, our sponsor is "Little Blue Button," and I used a wonderful image named "Warrior Princess." You can find it HERE.  I colored the little beauty with Spectrum Noir markers plus gold and silver Sharpies and a white gel pen. The sentiments on the front it a mini die-cut and the inside sentiment is computer generated. I wanted to add a regal and captivating feeling to the card, so I used deep and rich colors of paper that have a metallic sheen, plus paper pieced the hair with a richly colored patterned paper that resembles a tapestry. The final touch was to add "gems" to her crown, sword, and even her tiny ear. So precious.

I created this card for a dear friend from my church. She is going through a difficult challenge right now, and I wanted to remind her how very special she is… to me and to our God.  Am entering this into a few challenged including Di's Digis TicTacToe [diagonal from top left- sentiment made with a die, digi image and gems.]

 

Entered into: 

The Sisterhood of Crafters- One for the Ladies/Girls      (thesisterhoodofcrafters.blogspot.com)
Di’s Digi Stamps- TicTacToe                                                 (disdigidesignschallenge.blogspot.co.uk)

Polkadoodles Challenge- Week 11-Anything Goes            (polkadoodle.blogspot.com)

This months Butterfly Challenge is named "Letter C for Centre Step" and was so fun to make. I used the instructions provided on the site to make the Centre Step card, using a cute digi from Gerda Steiner named, appropriately, Easter Bunnies. If is available for right now HERE. I lightly colored it with Spectrum Noir and white gel pens. I wanted the two puffy butterfly stickers to match two of the colors for the butterfly challenge- Cerise, a rich shade of red and Cadet blue and was happy that I could color the stickers with the alcohol markers. Because I wanted to make the butterflies look like they were suspended in the sky, I adhered a strip of acetate behind the bunnies. It stabilized them, plus provided a base onto which I stuck the bright pair of sky jewelry. The fun sentiment is a digi from Eureka Stamps named "Bunny Hugs." You can find it HERE.  The sparkly flower stickers are from my stash, I think I found them at Hobby Lobby.

 

Entered into: 

Gerda Steiner Designs- Share Your Designs Challenge-March   (gsd-stamps.com/blogs/share-your-designs)

Butterfly Challenge- #119 Letter C for Centre Step                        (butterflyspotchallenge.blogspot.co.uk)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- March                   (craftyhazelnutspatternedpaper.blogspot.com)

My final card for this post is another entry at the Twofer Card Challenge. It is replacing my entry of two Halloween cards that I made last week because although I had used the jack-o-lantern balloon in two very different cards… they were both Halloween Cards. Since the goal of this fun challenge is to use the exact same stamp or die to make two cards with distinctly different designs for two different occasions, I got to work making two more balloon cards. This time I think that I nailed the requirements. My first card is for a birthday. It is packed full of a bevy of bold and bright balloons and a toss of sparkle. I used a sentiment stamp from Hero Arts and the balloon stamp is an old one from Stampendous. [Sadly, it feel off of the block when I was using it this time and actually is starting to disintegrate from age and wear. I shall have to try to find another one.] The second card is a sweet baby card that features one of my favorite wood mount stamps from PSX named "Fuzzy Bear." The Baby stamp is from Printworks. I've always liked the playful look of their dotted alphabet sentiments. One reason that I wanted to make a Birthday card is because I wanted to enter it into this weeks challenge at Outlawz, where we are celebrating their 8^th birthday. I was introduced to their site at their 7^th year birthday and have enjoyed all the fun challenges that they offer every week, plus the hosts are wonderful. Am entering this card into several challenges including If You Give a Crafter a Cookie [the card has a rainbow of colors, black and white contrasts… and sequin "Sprinkles"] and Outlawz Challenge Thursday challenge with a twist of rainbows [a bunch of rainbow-hued balloons seemed a perfect fit. ]

 

Entered into: 

Twofer Card Challenge- #14 Balloons                                                             (twofercardchallenge.blogspot.com)
Outlawz Challenges- 8^th Birthday- Celebrate!                                               (Outlawzchallenges.ning.com)

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie- #11 Festive Sprinkles  (Photo)                  (giveacrafteracookie.blogspot.com)

Outlawz Challenges- Twisted Thursday- Anything Goes [Rainbows]      (Outlawzchallenges.ning.com)

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                                 (Outlawzchallenges.ning.com)

Cute Card Thursday- #573-Celebrate                                                              (cutecardthursday.blogspot.com)