Celebrations

My work schedule has settled down a bit the last few weeks so I was able to make extra DT cards for the QKR Stampede Challenge. Stop by the challenge, which is always “Anything Goes” and several prizes are awarded. Maybe you’ll be inspired to enter a card or two yourself?

The first card features a Eureka stamp (ES-1802 Lg Smiling Black Cat eyes open Stamp) and a Eureka digi sentiment (ES-digi2706 Believe.) I’ve always liked the smile on this cute cat’s face. But only recently did I realize that he looks like he just saw something magical… like maybe Santa? I stamped the image with a black ink pad, then shaded the image with a grey Spectrum Noir marker. I drew irises on his eyes with a green Spectrum Noir marker, then used a black Sharpie extra-fine marker and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen to add additional details to his eyes. I added the “Believe” sentiment, upon which I perched a little Santa hat (upcycled from an old Christmas card.) The “Merry Christmas” sentiment on the inside is computer-generated. The HoHoHo sentiment is a sticker from my scrapbook stash.

Entered into:

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- August                             

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- #452 Anything Goes                 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Anything Goes                                

My second DT card for the QKR Stampede Challenge is a graduation card. The front features a Eureka digi (ES-digi18802-girl graduate.) I colored the graduate with Spectrum Noir markers and added details with a white Sakura Gelly Roll gel pen. The “Hat’s Off” is computer-generated, the little graduate cap is from an old Stampin’ Up set, and the background paper is from my scrapbook stash. The inside sentiment is from Eureka Stamps (ES-digi5507 Congratulations Digital Stamp)  I added a bit of bling to the front and inside of the card with die-cut sparkly stars. 

 

Entered into: 

Simon Says Monday Challenge- “S” is for… 

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                       

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #402-403 Anything Goes                   

This castle  and frog stamp is  from a Stampin’ Up set named “Dreams and Dragons” that was one of the first SU sets that I purchased a few decades ago. I love pairing it with sentiments that I printed from my computer.  Actually, this card includes most of my favorite things- patterned paper, vellum, photo corners, ribbon (sheer and satin), a humorous sentiment and, of course, some bling! (The “rubies” on the frog princes’ crown, plus a few flanking the inside sentiment, allows me to enter this card into another favorite of mine, Double D’s Challenge.)

 

Entered into: 

Double D’s Challenge- Pearls, Gems or Rhinestones [photo]                  

Di’s Digi Stamps Ribbon and/or Bows                                                  

Lemon Shortbread Challenge- Anything Goes #101

A Mixed Trio

I was invited to be a guest DT for the Thursday with a Twist Challenges at Outlawz during August. Fred She Said is the sponsor, and this is the final image that I’ll be sharing this month for the challenge. (Actually, the sponsor accidentally posted this card last week, but it was intended for this weeks challenge since the twist is "Stitching.") 

For this card, I paper-pieced a digi named “Scribbled Floral” that you can find HERE. I printed the image onto white cardstock, plus two patterned papers, then used sharp scissors to fussy-cut cut the colored blooms, leaves, and grass before adhering them atop the white copy. I added shading with a few grey Spectrum Noir markers and used a fine-line black Sharpie marker to add stitching (the week's twist) along the edges of the white background. Added a bit of texture with some dark green twine and a freebie “Hello” sentiment that you can find HERE. The final touch was to add a bit of fun by adding a cute little ladybug sticker from my stash. I think he is going to enjoy sliding down that leaf!  

Entered into: 

The Sisterhood of Crafters- Paper Piecing

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Anything Goes                                

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #402-403 Anything Goes                   

I won a few Flora & Fauna dies a few months ago and was fun to create a Christmas card with them. I used the VW Van die, and the deer antlers from a second set of dies.  The Rudolph nose in the set was a little too small, so I used a circle punch to make a replacement from a scrap of red cardstock. The background scene was created with chalk, a home-made cloud template, a makeup sponge and a wood-mount Embossing Arts tree stamp. The die-cut reindeer VW Van went together quickly with a few touches of a silver marker and silver gel pen, and a scrap of white paper taped beneath each “headlight.” A few more scraps of paper, twine, and ribbon helped to create gifts. Oh… and you can’t see it on the pic, but I also added a strip of acetate for the windshield. When the van was fully decorated I attached it card front with foam tape to give it a bit of depth. The ”Oh Deer” sentiment on the front of the card is a freebie from SVGLove that you can find HERE. The inside of the card includes more Flora & Fauna dies, a VW Bug and Santa hat, plus another free sentiment. This one is from TLC Creations. (However, it doesn’t appear to be available on the site anymore. That said, there are dozens and dozens of other free sentiments and digis that you might like. Check it out HERE.) I'm entering this card into several challenges including Simon Says Monday ("S" is for "Snowy Scene"), Bugaboo Photo Challenge (my card has a cloudy sky, plus the colors of watermelon) and Di's Digi Stamps (ribbon and bow on the gifts.)                

Entered into:

Simon Says Monday Challenge- “S” is for… 

Bugaboo Stamps- Photo Challenge          
Christmas Crafts All Year Round- Add a Tree        

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- #452 Anything Goes                 

Di’s Digi Stamps Ribbon and/or Bows                                                  

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                       

My final card this posting went together pretty quickly. It is for a challenge at Power Poppy that requires metal in the creation. I purchased a handful of these wonderful metal dragonfly charms about 12  years ago from Oriental Trading Company (Yes, you read that correctly. That place that sells all the cheap little toys that are given out at fairs and bazaars!) I purchased the fun “Wish” dome sticker from the same place at the same time. It’s yellowed a little since then, but I kinda like it that way. I cut several circles with paper scraps and nested dies, added a bit of sheer ribbon, a few sparkly mini-star stickers and a computer-generated sentiment and the card was done. Easy-peasy!

Entered into: 

Power Poppy- Creative Confetti- Make It With Metal
Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- August                             

Lemon Shortbread Challenge- Anything Goes #101

Sherry West and CAS

It's Wednesday! So time for another challenge at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog where challenges are always Anything Goes and prizes are awarded from one or more sponsors.  Stop by the blog to check it out! The sponsor this week is a talented artist that is brand new to Pennys, Her name is Sherry West and she has a wonderful shop HERE. I had a hard time picking an image for my card… so I selected two.

This first digi, named “Katt Maus Dog” features three adorable critters. I printed one image of the digi on white cardstock and another on kraft. Colored the dog and maus on the white copy and katt and maus on the kraft copy with Spectrum Noir markers and a Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen. I then fussy-cut the katt and attached him with foam tape. Layered a rectangle of kraft and one pawprint scrapbook paper atop a cream-colored A2 card and adhered the trio of furry friends. Added a little bling by punching two sizes of circles with silver cardstock, gluing them onto the katt and dogs collar tags and along the edges of the pawprint paper. Decorated the inside of the card with a scrap of the pawprint paper, a few of the silver punches and the little maus fussy-cut from the kraft cardstock. Squeaky cute!

Am entering this card into several challenges including Outlawz Sunday Challenge Songs and Rhymes (Walking the Dog. I’ll be that cute little dog would love a walk, and a treat, and a scratch behind the ears!) An added note- I had just refilled one of my dark gray markers and it spit up a little when I was shading the dogs outline. Actually, it spit up quite a lot... so the pups outline is much bolder than in the digi itself. I kinda liked the effect so kept the finished image. But wanted to let you know that the digi is actually nice and fluffy! 

Entered into: 

Outlawz Challenges- Songs and Rhymes- Walking the Dog

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                       

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- August                             

Polkadoodles Challenge Week 34-Anything Goes                                  

The second card features a beautiful Sherry West digi named “Angelic.” Once again, I printed the image both on white and on kraft cardstock. On the kraft copy, I just colored the wings with a white colored pencil, adding a few highlights with a Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen. I then colored the other copy  with  Spectrum Noir markers and a Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen. She came to life as I added layers of colors, finishing by highlighting her necklace and rings with the white gel pen. The halo is created with layers of white and yellow vellum cut into ovals and attached to the background before adding the image with foam tape to provide a bit of depth. So pretty. Instead of stamping or printing a sentiment I used a mini die from Casual Fridays and a scrap of black paper. The final touch was to added gold photo corners. Am entering this card into several challenges including Simon Says Monday Challenge “S” is for…. (Sweet and Serene Sherry West image!), and Outlaws Saturday Challenge “Kindness” (could there be a face this side of heaven that looks any kinder?)

 

Entered into: 
Simon Says Monday Challenge- “S” is for… 

Lemon Shortbread Challenge- Anything Goes #101

Outlawz Challenge- Saturday Paper Ala Mode- Kindness                      

My final card for this posting is my final entry for Simon Says Wednesday Challenge named “Clean & Simple.” I also wanted to use embossing on my card to enter a few additional challenges (Outlaws and Cute Card Thursday.) The image is one of the first stamps I ever bought from Azadi Earles. I always loved the way it looked when embossed in gold. I used a scrapbook template to create a large oval on a deep blue scrap of cardstock. After embossing the sentiment in gold, I sponged the edges of the oval with black ink. A strip of lovely patterned papers serves as a background for the embossed image. A bit of gold thread and a lavender rhinestone flower serves as an embellishment. (And the pretty rhinestone flower allows me to enter it into Double D’s current challenge of BLING.)

Entered into: 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Clean & Simple                               

Cute Card Thursday- Challenge #599- Embossing

Double D’s Challenge- Pearls, Gems or Rhinestones                    

Outlawz Challenge- Crash Your Stash- Embossing Powders                 

Cute, Pretty & Funny

A few days ago I used The Paper Shelters digi named “Santa’s Family Selfie” in a card, and printed off an extra copy of the key figures in the digi so that I could make this fun card. I cropped the characters to fit within a filmstrip die from Marianne Designs. I colored the digis with Spectrum Noir markers and a Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen. The camera is from my scrapbook stash and the hello sentiment I positioned in the lens if a freebie from HERE.

Since the filmstrip had just three “windows”, I fussy-cut the cute little reindeer to place inside of the card. He is perched behind a sentiment from an unknown company. (I picked it up in a packet of misc. unmounted stamps at a thift store a few years ago.) Am entering the card into several challenges including Simon Says Monday “S” is for… (Santa and Friends!)

Entered into: 

The Paper Shelter- #394 Face It 

Simon Says Monday Challenge- “S” is for… 

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- #452 Anything Goes                 

I won this sweet image, named “Lil Bookworm Fairy” from Ching-Chou Kuik a few months ago. It is the perfect image for Ching-Chou Kuik’s current challenge named “Four legged Friends.” I colored the digi with Spectrum Noir markers and a Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen. The sentiment on the front of the card is computer-generated, and the little pawprint stamp is a Stampendous wood mount from the late 90’s (it was one of the first stamps I ever bought.) The inside sentiment, “Happy Purr-thday” is from an Imagine That digi set named “Kitty Lapping Milk.”

 

Entered into: 

Ching-Chou Kuik's Digital Stamps Inspiration & Challenge- Four-Legged Friends  

Ching-Chou Kuik's FB Challenge- Four-legged Friends

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- August                             

When I saw that the current Clean & Simple  challenge at Simon Says Wednesday, I wasn’t sure I’d have any entries as I seldom make CAT cards. I prefer layers, textures and embellies… often on creative folds cards! However, I remembered one of my favorite Art Impressions stamps that has enough personality to fill a card front no problem. Her name is Maude… and I love her spunk, pink foam curlers, fuzzy robe and bunny slippers. I colored Maude with Spectrum Noir markers and a Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen. The sentiments are computer-generated.

Entered into: 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Clean & Simple                               

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays        

Christmas and Graduation

I won these fun dies from Flora & Fauna in an Outlawz challenge a few months ago. Was fun to create an ATC (Artist Trading Card) for a current Simon Says challenge with them. The dies are of great quality and made nice clean cuts. I created the background scene with chalk, a home-made cloud template, a makeup sponge and a wood-mount Embossing Arts tree stamp. The die-cut reindeer VW Bug went together really quickly with a few touches of silver marker and silver gel pen, and a scrap of white paper taped beneath each “headlight.” A few more scraps of paper, twine and ribbon helped to create gifts. Oh… and you can’t see it on the pic, but I also added a strip of acetate for the windshield. When the VW was fully decorated I attached it to the ATC with foam tape to give it a bit of depth. (I often make ATCs when I have time in the card or on planes. They are a great way to use small stamped images, stickers, die cuts and other embellishments. Then when I need a quick card or tag, I first check my ATC stash to see if I have any that will work. And… if I’m ever invited to do any real trading, I’ll be prepared with an assortment!)   

Entered into: 

Simon Says Monday Challenge- Artist trading cards 

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                       

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- #452 Anything Goes                 

Christmas Crafts All Year Round- Add a Tree   

This weeks challenge at the wecraftscard Forum was to create a double tag card. This was a new fold for me and I was amazed how easy it was to make. (You can find the tutorial HERE.) I wanted to make an A2 sized card, so started with a slightly smaller 9-inch circle. This is larger than any of my dies or template, so I visited my pantry and found that one of my mixing bowls is the perfect size. Used it to trace the 9-inch circle onto a piece of double-sided 12x12 scrapbook paper. The sentiment tag was made with a freebie from TLC Creations that you can find HERE. Used a fun image from The Paper Shelter named “Santa’s Family Selfie” to create the first tag (and added a magnet to the back of this fun tag so that it can be hung on a fridge or office file cabinet to add a festive bit of fun to a room!) The camera is from my scrapbooking stash. I cut the lense out and positioned it onto the card front so that Mrs. C peeks out through it! Am entering this card into several challenged including Power Poppy “One Challenge, 3 Ways” (the card includes two tags!) and Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge (includes beige, dark reds, brown and white) and Bugaboo Photo Challenge (although my card is for Christmas, not summer like the photo, it does have all the colors of watermelon- red, two colors of green and black!)

 

 

 

Entered into: 

We Craft Cards Monday Challenge- What’s In Your Pocket?

The Paper Shelter- #394 Face It 

Di’s Digi Stamps Ribbon and/or Bows                                                  

Rudolph Days Challenge- August

Power Poppy- Creative Confetti- One Challenge, 3 Ways

Outlawz Challenges- Tuesday Color Challenge – 3 colors and a Twist

Bugaboo Stamps- Photo Challenge          

  

My final card for this posting includes a free digi from Gerda Steiner named “Graduation Owl” that you can find HERE. I colored the little hoot with Spectrum Noir markers and a Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen. The Subway Art with the wonderful Dr. Seuss saying is a freebie from TLC Creations that you can find HERE. (I have built up a nice collection of freebies through their newsletter. The sign up for this wonderful resource can be found a little way down in the left column of the website.) I layered the sentiment atop a square of bold striped paper. When I positioned the owl on the card, he was a bit overwhelmed by the bold stripes so I adhered him atop a circle of vellum. (I do so love my vellum stash!) The inside sentiment is from Eureka Stamps.  You can find it HERE.  I added a bit of bling with a  die-cut sparkly star on the inside, and a sprinkling of punched silver stars inside and out. 

 

Entered into: 

Gerda Steiner Designs- Share Your Designs Challenge-August             

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #400-401 Anything Goes                   

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- August           
Lemon Shortbread Challenge- Anything Goes #100

Friday Fun

The amazing butterfly on this card was pretty easy to make. It's from a book named "Easy Butterfly Origami" that is available for purchase HERE. I'd signed up for a weekly newsletter a while ago from Dover Publications and have appreciated that it regularly emails links to a half dozen coloring books and activity books, each offering 4-5 pages that are available for a short time as free downloads. This Monarch butterfly is one of those pages available this week.  Here is the LINK. [If it 's not available to you as a download, sign up for the sampler newsletter to start getting your own treasures.]

The pretty background is made with a free A2 sized digi from Stamplorations named Bloomdala Bliss. I colored it with Aquarelle watercolor pencils then used a die to cut a circle into the front. I used a slightly smaller die to cut a circle in the front of an A2 card and taped a scrap of yellow vellum over it. I then taped the colored digi atop the card front.  Lastly, I adhered the butterfly onto the vellum, which allows the bottom of the butterfly to be visible. The “Hello” sentiment is a freebie that you can find HERE. (I'd printed it on white cardstock and it clashed with the creams and tans, so I added a layer of yellow vellum so that it didn't overwhelm the card front.) The inside of the card is decorated with the circle cut from the colored digi and a “Let Your Faith” sentiment from a Beccy’s Place digi set named Seasonal Windows. Am entering this card into several challenges including the Butterfly Challenge: Colors (Key lime and Kobe, ie dark burgundy both in the floral pattern) and theme (Kraft brown paper and butterfly.) 

 

Entered into: 

Stamplorations-  Coloring linky party Challenge

Di’s Digi Stamps Circles                                                                        

Butterfly Challenge- #127 Letter K for Kenetic                

A short time ago one of my cards was chosen as a Top Three in a Polkadoodles challenge, providing me with one free digi. I loved this sweet image named “Fairy Grace” and she now lives at my house! I colored Grace with Spectrum Noir markers and a Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen, matching the colors to the lovely pastels on the glossy background paper. I wanted to enter the card into an Outlawz challenge named “Kindness” so was excited to find a free sentiment from TLC Creations that is a perfect fit. You can find it HERE. I also added assorted rhinestones that will allow me to enter the card into a few other challenges that require bling. Isn’t this little angel adorable?

  

 

Entered into: 

Polkadoodles Challenge Week 34-Anything Goes                                  

Pink Gem Challenge- Week 16 Anything Goes

Outlawz Challenge- Saturday Paper Ala Mode- Kindness                      

Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greeting Challenge
Lemon Shortbread Challenge- Anything Goes #100

Double D’s Challenge- Pearls, Gems or Rhinestones                

The Outlawz Song and Rhymes Challenge is inspired by the song “Piano Man.”  I CASED a card that I found on Pinterest, cutting strips from a sheet of music notes background paper.  I centered a computer-generated “Just a Note” sentiment, then adhered the music strips, tearing and crinkling one strip to allow the sentiment to show through. Bits of tan grosgrain and burgundy satin ribbon add color and texture to the card. Am entering this into several challenges including Simon Says Monday: Clean and Simple (for me… this really is a CAS card as it has no coloring or fussy cutting!)

Entered into: 

Outlawz Challenges- Songs and Rhymes- Piano Man

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Clean & Simple                               

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #400-401 Anything Goes                   

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                       

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- August