End of February

I always like making a Christmas card to enter into the monthly Rudolph Days Challenge. This one features a wonderful rubber-stamped image with a warm vintage feeling. A herringbone pattern created with paper scraps provides a beautiful backdrop. The inside sentiment is from my laptop. (I am not sure of its source. I have thousands of digis in my collection and can’t locate it right now. I’ll post that info when I do find it! Sorry.)  
I’m entering this card into several challenges, including We Craft Cards “Live The Life You Love” (instructions are “What speaks to your heart? What makes you ‘you’? Give us a little insight into your soul.” The things that speak to my soul are the blessings of my faith and my family, especially my beloved hubby who makes every day feel like Christmas!), and Outlawz “Trees” (inspired by the poem written by Joyce Kilmer “I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.”) plus Pixie's Snippets (I loved creating a background with paper scraps to resemble a rich tapestry!)

Supplies: 
·   Rubber Stamp- Merry Christmas (Uptown Rubber Stamps) Company out of business
·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Herringbone background made with Paper Scraps- instructions HERE
·   Inside Sentiment- Source Unknown
·   Silver photo corners available from several web sources (WXJ13 13 Sheets 13 Colors Photo Mounting Corners)
·   Snow created with microfine glitter and Flower Soft Polar White you can find HERE
·   All other items from my stash.
Entered into:  
Rudolph Days Challenge- February     
We Craft Cards Monday Challenge- Live The Life You Love
Outlawz Sunday Challenge- Trees 
Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greeting Challenge- Vintage Paper
Pixie's Snippets-Week #397
Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- #531 Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #479-480 Anything Goes                             

The layout for this card is guided by a STAMPlorations “Love Vibe Challenge” which requires CASEing a DT card. The one I chose features a fun layout with washi tape and a color scheme that I love.  My card isn’t a loose reflection of the CASEd card, but it features a sticker sentiment, a wonderful coffee cup layering die, two types of washi tape, and some pink!

CASEd Card

Supplies: 
·   Die Image- Stamplorations (Zen Coffee Cup Layering Dies)
·   Front Sentiment- Computer Generated
·   Inside Sentiment- Stamplorations (Coffee Heaven Clear Stickers)
·   Assorted background papers from my stash
Entered into:  
STAMPlorations Sticker Monday Challenge-Love Vibe Challenge
STAMPlorations- Never ending Anything Goes Challenge      
TIME OUT Challenge- #182 7th  Birthday Celebration   
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes
Polkadoodles Challenge-Week #9 Anything Goes                        

My final card is one that I made a few weeks ago… but am finally getting posted. It features a retired SU sentiment die and assorted items from my stash. (The font on the inside sentiment, is a bit hard to read, so I'll share it here "Happy Valentine's Day! Or as I like to call it, Chocolate-At-Half-Price-Eve!") 

 Supplies: 
·   Sentiment Die- Stampin’ Up! (retired set)
·   Swirly heart- Upcycled greeting card
·   Inside Sentiment- Computer Generated
·   Black and clear gems, red rhinestone hearts, vellum, and assorted papers from my stash.
Entered into:  
Cupcake Inspirations- Challenge #513  Color   
Bugaboo Stamps- Photo Inspiration      
Cute Card Thursday- Challenge #675 Feminine
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday  
Outlawz Challenge- Inlinks Challenge

Homes

It’s Friday and time for the Colour Crazy Challenge. This challenge is an “Anything Goes” but it adds a 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 week's sponsor is Angie Blom and I selected a sweet digi named, appropriately, Homes. I created a gatefold card base, then attached the digi,  lightly colored with chalks, a grey marker, and a white gel pen. The sentiment is a Chalkboard Art Freebie. A skeleton key trimmed from a piece of scrapbook paper and black photo corners help embellish the card. 

I’m entering this card into several challenges including Path Of Positivity Challenge “Celebrate Those You Love” (even though the last year has been difficult, I’ve enjoyed spending time “safe at home” with my sweet hubby of 43 years. In spite of the stress of COVID, I think that we’ve laughed more than ever before. Growing old together is wonderful when you are with the right person!) 

Supplies: 
·   Digi- Angie Blom (Homes)
·   Colored with grey Spectrum Noir Classique marker, decorative chalks and a Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Front Sentiment “Home is Where the Heart is”- Chalkboard Art Freebie from HERE

·   Inside Sentiment- Beccy's Place Digi Set (Seasonal Windows) 
·   Pioneer Black Photo corners- available from several sources
·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday- Challenge #675 Feminine
Polkadoodles Challenge-Week #9 Anything Goes                        
Createful Heart Designs- Challenge #29 (Feb)
Pattie's Creations Challenge- #179 Love, Love, Love

Path Of Positivity Challenge- Challenge #88 (Optional Twist- Celebrate Those You Love)

I created this card for the STAMPlorations “Love Vibe Challenge” which requires CASEing a DT card. The one I chose features a sentiment on vellum with muted background and a bit of coloring. I especially like the pale plum stripe on the card. My card isn’t a perfect reflection of the CASEd card as I used a Stamplorations digi printed on kraft cardstock as my base, but I did also print it off on white and fussy cut the floral section that I adhered to the card front. Like the inspiration card, I do have a bold sentiment, vellum, and a strip of sheer purple ribbon. Two hearts cut from purple vellum provide a bit more color. (An added note-this beautiful Stamplorations digi is from a set of three that is available free of charge until February 28, 2021 HERE)

CASE card

 

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Stamplorations (Love A2 Card Fronts-set of 3)

·   Front Sentiment is rub-on from my scrapbook stash (company unknown)
·   All other items from my stash.
Entered into:  
STAMPlorations Sticker Monday Challenge-Love Vibe Challenge
STAMPlorations- Never-ending Anything Goes Challenge   

CCC Digi Creations- #122 Valentines Day/Love
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #479-480 Anything Goes                   
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday  
Outlawz Challenge- Saturday Paper Ala Mode- Sentiments     
Lemon Shortbread Challenge- Anything Goes #140

My final card for this post took a little time to make, but I love the results. I was inspired by the sweet paper pieced bears created by  Tricia Veinot Moore, owner/artist of Little Scraps of Heaven. (There are hundreds of digis in her shop, including a few dozen bears, plus Tricia offers and a weekly freebie. Stop HERE to nab the current one.)
I sketched the head, ears, muzzle and paws onto brown, cream, and pink mulberry paper (I have lots in my stash. It’s a few decades old, but still works perfectly!) Instead of cutting the paper, I drew a wet paintbrush across the sketching and set them aside so that the water can soak in a bit. While that was happening, I cut a rectangle from the front of a folded A2 card front to create a “frame” and then cut a rectangle a few inches larger from pretty pink scrapbook paper. I finished the bear by gently tearing the mulberry paper along the sketched and lightly damp outlines. I then taped the bear's head and ears together on the backside (don’t worry, the tape will be covered.) The eyes and nose are made with black cardstock and details were added with a white gel pen. After attaching them with a small dab of clear glue, I drew eyelashes with a black fine line permanent marker. I attached the bear to the inside of the frame with tape, then taped the pink patterned paper on top of that. The little paws, sentiment, and puffy heart stickers were then attached to the front of the card. When finished, I covered the inside of the card front with a rectangle of pink striped paper just slightly smaller than the A2 card, then added the inside sentiment, which is computer-generated (and makes me chuckle!)

 

Supplies: 

·   Paper pieced bear made with mulberry paper, black cardstock and a white gel pen
·   Sentiments- Computer Generated
·   Puffy Heart Stickers- Sticko’s from WalMart (113 assorted puffy hearts for just 99 cents!)
·   All other items from my stash.
Entered into:  

Incy Wincy Designs- Animals and/or Add Buttons
The Sisterhood of Crafters- Anything Goes
Outlawz Challenge- Twisted Thursday Anything Goes (Optional Twist- Circle in a Square)

TIME OUT Challenge- #182 7th  Birthday Celebration   
Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- February 
Besties Challenge- February Anything Goes

 

Progressive Challenges and Coffee

This month's progressive challenge at Outlawz features a digi from All Dressed Up named Piggy Back. (Even the name is cute!) And I think that the sentiment from Eureka Stamps is a perfect fit for the digi. So fun!

Supplies: 
·   Digi- All Dressed Up (Piggy Back)
·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Sentiment-Eureka Digital Stamp (Warm Today) Also available in unmounted or cling-mounted
·   All other items from my stash.
Entered into:  
Outlawz Challenges- Progressive Freebie- All Dressed Up Piggy Back
Outlawz Challenge- Saturday Paper Ala Mode- Sentiments    
Digi Doodle Studios- Include a Sentiment 
Lemon Shortbread Challenge- Anything Goes #140
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #479-480 Anything Goes                   
All Dressed Up- #114 Anything Goes (Feb)     

I remember watching the movie, “The Little Shop of Horrors” on late night TV in the 1960’s so this digi image from Cute As A Button’s current Progessive Challenge makes me smile.  I had an idea in mind for an unusual background, but while searching the web for free sheet music I found this fun program for a musical version of the movie. (I did have to crop the digi and flip it so that she is facing the shadow of the monster plant on the poster... which is one of my favorite parts of the background!)

Supplies: 
·    Digi- Cute As A Button (Kiss Me-Little Shop of Horrors) 

·   Little Shop of Horrors Free Sheet Music (poster) available HERE

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Sentiments- Computer Generated
·   All other items from my stash.
Entered into:  

Cute As A Button-Facebook Progressive Freebie Challenge #45 Little Shop of Horrors

Cute As A Button- Feb: CH #65 Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes
The Sisterhood of Crafters- Anything Goes
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday  
Outlawz Challenge- Inlinks Challenge
 
This card features a sweet digi and sentiment from Imagine That Digistamps current Progressive Challenge. The little bunny was fun to color… and the strawberries turned out looking so yummy! The cards layout was inspired by the current Stellas Sketch Challenge at Bugaboo, but I used a horizontal vs. vertical orientation (and added a sentiment to cover an oops I made when I accidentally dropped my marker on the lower-left corner of the card!)

Supplies: 
·   Digi and inside sentiment- Imagine That Digistamp set (Birthday Bunny)
·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Front Sentiment- Computer Generated
·   All other items from my stash.
Entered into:  
Imagine That Blog Progressive Challenge- February (Birthday Bunny)
TIME OUT Challenge- #182 7th Birthday Celebration  
Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- February               
Cupcake Inspirations- Challenge #513  Color   
Incy Wincy Designs- Animals and/or Add Buttons

Bugaboo Stamp- Stella Says Sketch Challenge #904                 

The layout for my last card is guided by a STAMPlorations “Love Vibe Challenge” which requires CASEing a DT card. The one I chose features a clear sentiment sticker and coffee cup layering dies, all from Stamplorations. My card isn’t a perfect reflection of the CASEd card, but I do have a sticker sentiment, a bit of ribbon wrapped around the bottom, an accent heart and some pink! I really like the way it all came together.  

CASE card

Supplies: 

·   Die Image- Stamplorations (Zen Coffee Cup Layering Dies)
·   Front Sentiment- Stamplorations (Coffee Heaven Clear Stickers)
·   Assorted background papers and ribbon from my  stash
Entered into:  
STAMPlorations Sticker Monday Challenge-Love Vibe Challenge
STAMPlorations- Never-ending Anything Goes Challenge   

Double D’s Challenge- Anything with a Heart    
Cute Card Thursday- Challenge #675 Feminine

February Twofer Challenge

One of my favorite monthly challenges is called the "Twofer Card Challenge" which requires the use the exact same stamp or die to make two cards with distinctly different designs for two different occasions. The January Challenge is named "Balloons.” I dug through my stash and found a heart stamp I’d made many years ago with a square of red rubber I’d bought at a stamp shop. With a little ingenuity, I was able to create two very different heart balloons!

Supplies: 
·   Handmade Rubber Stamp- Large Heart
Entered into: 
Twofer Card Challenge- #35 Balloons

My first card layout is guided by a card I CASEd from the STAMPlorations blogs current challenge. It features a large pink heart, which I turned into a large pink balloon by inking the stamp with a bright pink ink pad onto and pressing it firmly onto vellum, sponging darker pink ink along the edge to add depth before pressing the stamp to the paper. I also sponged ink onto a scrap of paper to create the tied portion of the balloon. I fussy cut the balloon and the tied portion and taped them together. The balloon string is added with a fine line black marker. Strips of patterned paper and music score printed vellum mimic the collage look of the inspiration card. The lyrics are from a favorite Josh Groban song.
I’m entering this card into several other challenges including Simon Says Wednesday’s “Favorite Technique” (I love using vellum, and I like how it gives this balloon its translucent quality.)  
 

Supplies: 

·   Handmade Rubber Stamp- Large Heart
·   Two smaller heart-shaped rubber stamps-companies unknown
·   Colored with light and dark pink in pads and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Sentiments- Computer Generated
·   All other items from my stash.
Entered into:  
STAMPlorations Sticker Monday Challenge-Love Vibe Challenge
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Favorite Technique
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #479-480 Anything Goes                   
CCC Digi Creations- #122 Valentines Day/Love

Double D’s Challenge- Anything with a Heart    

My second card celebrates the 4th of July. I sketched a flag design on the stamp with a fine line permanent marker to create a template for the placement of coloring the rubber with thick Marvy Markers.  After coloring the stamp, I lightly misted it with water to keep the ink moist, which helps to create a brighter image. When dry, I fussy cut the balloon, then used scraps to create the tied portion and taped them together. The cloudy background was created with a stencil, makeup sponge, and chalks. I adhered a computer-generated sentiment to a banner and attached it to the card front with foam tape. Foam tape also holds the balloon to the card. A strip of red cord was tied around the balloon, lightly pulled down and wrapped around the end of the sentiment, and tied in place. A few more banners and a spattering of punched stars help to finish up the front and inside of the card.

Supplies: 

·   Handmade Rubber Stamp- Large Heart
·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Sentiments- Computer Generated
·   All Night Media Cloud stencil (no longer available)
·   Decorative Chalks, makeup sponge, sentiment circle and papers from my stash.
·   Red cord, mini star paper punch and all other items from my stash.
Entered into:  
Lemon Shortbread Challenge- Anything Goes #139  
The Paper Shelter- #457 Shades of Blue
Jan’s Digi Stamps- February 2021 Anything Goes    
Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- February               
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday  
Outlawz Challenge- Inlinks Challenge

I’m adding one more card to this posting because the ladybug challenge for which I created it ends tonight! The card features an adorable fairy from artist Mo Manning.  (This fairy has frilly bloomers and such a cute toddler tummy!) The sentiment is from my scrapbook stash and the ladybugs are from the clear stamp set.
I’m entering this card into several other challenges including The Sisterhood of Crafters’ “Smile Like the Sun” (my card features the word SMILE.)

Supplies: 

·   Clear stamps (fairy and ladybugs)- Penny Black/Mo Manning (Fairy Sweet)
·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Sentiment is a scrapbook sticker- Company unknown

·   Crystal Stickles on fairy wings
·   All other items from my stash.
Entered into:  
Digi Doodle Studios- Include a Sentiment 
The Sisterhood of Crafters- Smile Like the Sun
Polkadoodles Challenge-Week #8 Anything Goes                        
Outlawz Challenge- Saturday Paper Ala Mode- Sentiments    
Outlawz Sunday Challenge- Oh Lovely Ladybug