Sunday, August 30, 2020

Feminine cards x3!

I recently made 30 baby announcements for dear friends who just had a baby this week. They knew they were having a baby (so bring on the PINK) and their theme was elephants, so I used this cute elephant digi from Little Scraps of Heaven (LSOH) on two of the card designs for their announcements… and on this card that I sent to them. LSOH had a wonderful sketch challenge this month, which provided me the opportunity to use up lots of the small scraps left from making the baby announcements! To simplify the process of making 30 cards, I appreciated that the LSOH digi is pre-colored. I just added a bit more contrast with a light grey marker for shading and white gel pen for highlighting.  
I’m entering this card into several challenges including Outlawz Songs and Rhymes Challenge (Based on a kids song named “The Animal Fair” which includes elephants.)
 
Supplies: 
·   Pre-colored Digi- Little Scraps of Heaven (Easter Elephant Egg)-retired
·   Shading added with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and highlighted with a Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Front Sentiment- “BABY” letters cut from patterned paper
·   Inside Sentiment-“Welcome Baby ”Freebie from Papercrafts magazine (no longer available)
·   Circle template and assorted background papers from my stash
Entered into: 
Little Scraps of Heaven- Sketch Challenge (FB)          
Outlawz Sunday Challenge- Songs and Rhymes- The Animal Fair
Outlawz Challenge- Twisted Thursday- Tickled Pink
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                
Outlawz Challenge- Inlinks Challenge
Di’s Digi Stamps- For the Girls                                                         
Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- August                   

I don’t usually make CAS cards as I love layering, adding embellies, and making fancy fold cards. So, this card, which features a freebie from Impression Obsession is really as close to CAS as I usually get! I kept the color scheme pretty simple, and just added one small puffy heart sticker that provides a bright pop of color and compliments the little hearts that are drawn into the sentiment.
I’m entering this card into several challenges including Power Poppy- Creative Confetti- Keeping it Simple  (as noted, this is a pretty simple card for me. I even used a standard desk stapler to attach the layered paper since it was simpler than adding photo corners.)
 
Supplies: 
·   Digi- Impression Obsession Freebie from Lindsay (Advice From a Sunflower)
·   Colored with decorative chalks and a grey Spectrum Noir Classique marker for shading
·   Assorted cardstock from my stash
·   Puffy Heart Stickers- Sticko’s from WalMart (The pack contains 113 assorted puffy hearts for just 99 cents!)
Entered into: 
Power Poppy- Creative Confetti- Keeping it Simple     
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes                                      
The Paper Shelter- #438 Use a Number
The Sisterhood of Crafters- It's The Thought That Counts (Sentiment as the Focal Point)

My final card is a good fit for the current Simon Says Monday Challenge since the little rosebud is botanical and it is beautiful! I’ve been organizing my craft room the last few weeks so have been using a few more wood-mount stamps (I have a ton of them!) I’ve always loved the simple elegance of Denami Stamps designs. Paired with vellum and mulberry paper also helps to take elegance to an even higher level! I selected the sentiment since so many friends are going through tough times right now. Am thinking I’ll put this card to work in the near future.
Supplies: 
·   Image- Wood Mount Stamp Denami Stamps (Rose Bud) -retired
·   Stamped with Soft Pink and Ivy Green ink pads from my stash
·   Shaded with a light grey Spectrum Noir Classique marker
·   Highlighted with Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
Entered into:  
Simon Says Monday Challenge- Beautiful Botanicals                  
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #454-455 Anything Goes                    
Bugaboo Stamps- Recipe: Clean and Simple       

Friday, August 28, 2020

Flowers and Dinosaurs

One thing I’ve enjoyed about blogging is all the great people that my blog has allowed me to meet. One of these great people is the artist/owner of Cute As A Button Challenge. I love Francesca’s wonderful selection of images, and appreciate that she offers a monthly progressive challenge on FB.  I’ve picked up several free digis in this way. This card is made with one of them… and reminds me of one of my favorite cartoons when I was growing up- Pebbles! Colored and adhered atop some fun patterned paper, the birthday card is sure to be loved by a young (or old) dino lover!  
Am entering this card into two Cute As A Button challenges, plus Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge- TicTacToe  (last column- person and pet, dinosaur colors in patterned paper, cake… like for a birthday?! ) and Bugaboo Stella Says Sketch Challenge.
 
Supplies: 
·   Digi- Cute As A Button (Pebbles)
·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Front Sentiment - “Happy Birthday”- Lili of the Valley (Everyday Sentiment Tags)
·   Inside Sentiment- Label is from my scrapbook/journal supplies stash)
·   Assorted cardstock and ribbon scrap from my stash
·   Dino patterned paper- Hobby Lobby
Entered into:  
Outlawz Challenges- Tuesday Color Challenge- TicTacToe 
Cute As A Button- August: CH #59 Anything Goes
Cute As A Button-FB Progressive Challenge #39 Pebbles

I wanted to make another entry for Simon Say's Monday Challenge “Beautiful Botanical with the beautiful wood-mount stamp from PSX named Bucket of Tulips. This time I used a technique that I remember making back in the 1990s, stamping the image onto two colors of paper, tearing them in half, and then switching the torn halves to make a pair of two-toned cards.  I used light shades of decorative chalks, with just a touch of grey marker shading, to give the card a muted look. A strip of sheer black ribbon provides a bit of contrast. And the freebie sentiment on the inside provides an unexpected spark of humor!
 
Supplies: 
·   Bucket of Tulips image- PSX Wood Mount Stamp (company is out of business)
·   Colored with decorative chalks and a grey Spectrum Noir Classique marker for shading
·   Front Sentiment - “Happy Birthday”- Lili of the Valley (Everyday Sentiment Tags)
·   Inside Sentiment- Kellie Winnell Freebie #183  (One Minute-Vacuum)
·   Assorted cardstock, black photo corners and sheer black ribbon from my stash
Entered into:  
Simon Says Monday Challenge- Beautiful Botanicals
Jan’s Digi Stamps- August Anything Goes
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays
Outlawz Challenge- Inlinks Challenge

I created this final card for Power Poppy’s Creative Confetti Challenge named Pop Goes the Flower. The requirement was to stamp/print a floral image, color it, and then color the background in a darker shade that will make the image "pop". I decided to use a free digi from Power Poppy, printing off an extra copy of the central sentiment. I colored the background of that section with a dark green to help it become the focal point. The background of the larger section was colored a medium green, framed in white.  The sentiment square is mounted atop a few scraps of card stock then adhered to the card front with foam tape. Bright photo corners add a pop of color!
Supplies: 
·   Digi- Power Poppy Freebie (Kindness Is the Way)
·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Assorted cardstock and yellow photo corners from my stash
Entered into:  
Power Poppy- Creative Confetti- Pop Goes the Flower 
The Sisterhood of Crafters- It's The Thought That Counts (Sentiment as the Focal Point)
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #454-455 Anything Goes

Winter Stanley

I always plan a special card to enter into the monthly Rudolph Challenge. This month I picked Stanley in his winter garb, from Beccy’s Place.  (I have five of the eleven Stanley sets in my collection… with my eye on a few additional sets in the near future. He is such a fun character!) I used two of the sentiments from the digi set, plus added a computer-generated Merry Christmas with an additional bit of hand-written script.
I’m also entering this card into the We Craft Cards Monday Challenge named Blue Christmas (As required, I used all the colors in the song- blue, white, red and green.)
 
 Supplies: 
·   Digi- Beccy’s Place (Winter Stanley)
·   Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   “Beary” Sentiments- Beccy’s Place (Winter Stanley)
·   Inside Sentiment- “Merry Christmas” (Computer Generated)
·   Assorted background papers from my stash
·   Mini snowflake is a thin plastic shaker-card filler from my stash
Entered into:  
Beccy’s Place Challenge- August      

I wanted to make a card for the current Outlawz Monday Challenge “For Him” and opted to make an unusual card. Used a sweet little VW Van die and a scrap of funky floral-patterned paper to turn it into a vintage Hippie van. A handmade action wobble spring (instructions found on Pinterest) adds a bit of fun as the van also dances (ummm... I mean vibrates!)
 
Supplies: 
·   VW van die- Flora & Fauna (find it Here)
·   Sentiments- Computer Generated
·   Assorted background papers and silver Metallic Sharpie Marker from my stash
·   Instructions for making Action Wobble Spring can be found on the web. I like THIS ONE.
Entered into:  
Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greeting Challenge- For Him
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                
Outlawz Challenge- Inlinks Challenge

This is my final card Day of the Month, National Watermelon Day Challenge. I printed another sweet Bugaboo image to make a 4th of July card. Digging through my stash I found lots of patriotic items to help decorate the card. It is being added into a packet of all occasion cards that I’ll use as a wedding or graduation gift. 

Supplies: 
·   Digi- Bugaboo (Summertime Peekers Watermelon)
·   Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Sentiments- Computer Generated
·   Paper napkins ( Red&white checked and blue star), assorted cardstock and misc. collage items from my stash
Entered into:  
Day of the Month Challenge- National Watermelon Day    
The Paper Shelter- #438 Use a Number
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #454-455 Anything Goes                  
Polkadoodles Challenge-Week 34 Anything Goes

Card Trio

It’s Friday and time for the Colour Crazy Challenge. This challenge is “Anything Goes” but adds one requirement- the creation needs to include coloring in “any colouring medium you like, onto any project you like, and in any colours you like.” I’ve never outgrown my love for coloring… which is why making cards is stress therapy for me!!
This weeks sponsor is Stampers Delights, and my DT card features a sweet image named Chibi Winner Girl. I colored the little cutie and positioned her on an A2 sized card, sitting atop a free sentiment from Create with TLC. A sprinkling of silver stars adds an extra touch of celebration to the card!  
 Supplies: 
·   Digi- Stampers Delights  (Chibi Winner Girl)
·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Sakura Gelly Roll white & silver gel pens, and Sharpie metallic silver pen
·   Front Sentiment- Create with TLC Freebie (You Are Awesome )
·  Inside Sentiment- Create with TLC Freebie (Live In The Moment)
·  Assorted background papers and silver glitter paper from my stash
Entered into:  
Polkadoodles Challenge-Week 35 Anything Goes                         
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                
Outlawz Challenge- Inlinks Challenge
I had fun creating another card for the Day of the Month Challenge, National Watermelon Day. I printed this sweet Bugaboo image onto kraft brown cardstock and used colored pencils, plus grey marker for shading and white gel pen for highlights. When finished, I added vellum wings to the little bear (colored them on the underside with white colored pencil) plus a few cute little bees, with vellum wings, to provide a bit of whimsy and texture.
 
Supplies: 
·   Digi- Bugaboo (Watermelon Butterfly Bear)
·   Colored with Aquarelle Watercolor pencils, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Little Bee digis- Freebies from Birdscards (you can find them HERE)
·   Front Sentiment- Desert Diva Freebie (Sweet Birthday Wishes)
·   Inside Sentiment- “Hope Your Day is the Sweetest Ever” Beccy’s Place Digital Set (Sweet As Candy)
·   Kraft cardstock, vellum, and assorted background papers from my stash
Entered into:  
Day of the Month Challenge- National Watermelon Day    
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends- #140 Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- August                   
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #454-455 Anything Goes                   

My final card for this post is a Beautiful Botanical entry into Simon Say's Monday Challenge. I used a beautiful wood-mount stamp from PSX (which was once my favorite company!), embossed in white and colored with chalks and markers. I'm low on sympathy cards, so decided to use an old stamp set from SU! for the sentiments. My color scheme isn't typical for sympathy cards, but I love the brightly colored tulips. To me, they represent new life!
PS- I think that the sentiments are from an old SU set. I pulled them off the wood years ago so I'm not sure but the inside sentiment is similar to other SU sets. 
 
Supplies: 
·   Bucket of Tulips image- PSX Wood Mount Stamp (the company is out of business)
·   Embossed with white pigment ink and white embossing powder from my stash
·   Colored with decorative chalks and Spectrum Noir alcohol markers to add shading
·   Sentiments- from retired Stampin’ Up sets- Petite Pairs and one name unknown 
·   Assorted background paper, white paper doily and a scrap of ribbon from my stash
Entered into:  
Simon Says Monday Challenge- Beautiful Botanicals                  
Let’s Craft and Create- Ch #162-Anything Goes
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes