Spring, String and a Pretty Cow

The theme for this month’s Sheepski Design Challenge on FB is month is Anything Goes-Twist: Floral.  Stop by the challenge HERE  to learn more. Maybe you’ll be inspired to enter a card or two yourself and have a chance to win some Sheepski Designs digis!

For my DT card, I used a sweet Sheepski Designs Digi named “Spring Lamb.” I colored the image, printed and colored a few extra bunches of daffodils and printed off an extra copy of the little lamb.  I used these extra items to provide a bit of texture and depth by embossing the lamb's body with a Swirl folder and adhering fussy-cut daffodils with foam tape. I tucked another bunch of daffodils into a little basket made from paper scraps. (I made a tutorial for the basket… partly because it will help me to remember the steps the next time I want to make one! It’s really a pretty simple 10-step process, and the basket is actually a pouch, that you can fill with eggs, hearts, a teabag, gift card or possibly chocolate.)

I’m entering this card into several challenges including Cute Card Thursday’s #630 Wings (I added several little butterflies) and Stamplorations- April Theme & Photo Prompt Challenge: Citrus Fruits/Stamps & Flight (my card includes lots of citrusy colors plus those sweet butterflies!)

 

  

Supplies: 

·    Lamb digi- Sheepski Design (Spring Lamb)

·    Front and inside sentiments- Printworks (retired)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Assorted papers and yellow vellum from my stash

·    Embossing folder- Cuttlebug D'vine Swirl

·    Instructions for the small basket can be found on my blog HERE.

Entered into:  

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #434-435 Anything Goes                   

Cute Card Thursday- Challenge #630 Wings

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                       

Polkadoodles Challenge-Week #16 Anything Goes                                

Stamplorations- April Theme & Photo Prompt Challenge: Citrus Fruits/Stamps & Flight 

This month's Progressive Challenge at Outlawz provided a free digi from Star Stampz. After I’d colored the sweet image and finished my card, I discovered that its name is “Red String.” Oops… I’d colored the string blue to bring out some of the blue in the background. I also decided to embellish the inside of the card a few of my favorite puffy heart stickers, to reflect the hearts on the front of the card.

Supplies: 

·    Digi- Star Stampz (Red String)

·    Front Sentiment- Desert Diva Freebie (You Make Me Happy)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Inside  sentiment- Lili of the Valley “Sending Warm Hugs” (Christmas Wishes digi set)

·    Assorted background papers from my stash

·    Puffy Heart Stickers- Sticko’s from WalMart (The pack contains 113 assorted puffy hearts for just 99 cents!)

Entered into:  

Outlawz Challenges- Progressive Freebie- April

Outlawz Challenge- Twisted Thursday- Anything Goes

Crafty Catz Challenge- Anything Goes #502

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends- #130 Anything Goes

Crafty Catz Challenge- Anything Goes #502

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- April                                

For my final card this posting, I’m using a layout from the current Stella’s Sketch at Bugaboo and the current Bugaboo BINGO Challenge (Right column- Flower, Sparkle, Sentiment.) This card went together really quickly, mainly because the card is built upon birthday card from a box of assorted cards that I found last year at our local Goodwill.  

 

 

Supplies: 

·    Card base (with inside sentiment) is from a box of Birthday cards

·    Cow digi- Bugaboo (Pretty Cow)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Front Sentiment- Desert Diva Freebie (Hello!)  

·    Sparkly Flower Stickers- Hobby Lobby

·    Scalloped tag, vellum, and a scrap of sheer ribbon from my stash

Entered into:  

Bugaboo Stamp- Stella Says Sketch Challenge #808

Bugaboo Stamps- April BINGO       

The Paper Shelter- #423 A Birthday Card

Pattie's Creations Challenge- #169 Birthdays

Let’s Craft and Create- #158 Anything Goes

Outlawz Challenge- Crash Your Stash- Ribbon                                      

I love upcycling!

It’s Friday, so time for another challenge at QKR Stampede!  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? This week, this hilarious digi named “What eggs?” inspired me to make a card with a “week after Easter” theme. Even though we were isolated at home… my sweet hubby did pick up some treats on his last grocery run for “essentials”!  So, I do have to admit that several of them were sacrificed for the making of this card. (PS- they were YUMMY!)

I’m entering this card into several challenges including Simon Says Monday Challenge- “E is for…” (Easter Bunny) and Incy Wincy Designs- Footwear (I love that this bunny is wearing old fashioned tennis shoes like the ones that I wore most of my childhood. Actually, I did a bit of google research and tennis shoes were actually created in the 1830s when  “...vulcanized rubber soles [were] introduced by Charles Goodyear…”  So tennis shoes are nearly 200 years old? How knew?

 

Supplies: 

·    Digi Image- QKR Stampede (What Eggs)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Sentiments- Computer Generated

·    Assorted background papers from my stash

·    Hersheys Kisses wrappers- from my pantry (I love upcycling… especially when there is chocolate in the deal!)

Entered into:  

Simon Says Monday Challenge- “E is for…”                                          

Incy Wincy Designs- Footwear                                                              

Scribbles Designs Challenge- #88 B is for Birds or Bunnies  

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- April                                

My final card is special to me because it features petite flowers from the first flower garden I ever planted. Back in 1998 my hubby and I purchased a little home in South Dakota and I had such fun planting a garden. The vegetable harvest was not great (mainly because I discovered that I really didn’t like weeding it!) But my wildflower garden was glorious. I love that it was packed full of prairie wildflowers, which great no matter what I did… or didn’t do.. to them! My mom and I picked bunches of them and carefully pressed them in a half dozen old phonebooks. A few months later we had fun creating cards with them. We discovered that very carefully layering them between squares of acetate and packing tape preserved them beautifully. We created dozens of these clear pressed flower packets that fall. Over 20 years later, the blooms and greenery have retained much of their lovely color. For this card, I made a lovely oval frame with delicate patterned paper.  An upcycled sentiment and ornate die-cut finish of the card front. I love this card… mainly because it reminds me of my sweet mom! I inherited my love of all things crafting from her.  
I'm entering this card into several challenges including Path Of Positivity's Challenge #79- Style (I often use unusual items on my cards... like these pressed flowers. In this case, the items also have special meaning to me. I actually made several cards made with pressed flowers that I'll be sending to my sisters and sister-in-law that will appreciate that Mom helped in their creation) and The Butterfly Challenge (Color- Wisteria and Theme- Butterflies.)

  

Supplies: 

·    Pressed Flowers- From my flower garden in South Dakota

·    Front Sentiment and ornate swirled die-cut are upcycled from an old card

·    Inside Sentiment- Computer Generated

·    Oval template from my Scrapbook stash

·    Assorted background papers from my stash

Entered into:  

Double D’s Challenge- Showers & Flowers               

Outlawz Challenge- Saturday Paper Ala Mode- Romantic Garden     

Path Of Positivity Challenge- Challenge #79 (Optional Twist- Style)

Butterfly Challenge- #140 W for Waterfall Card  

These days, with all that is going on in the world, having anything that helps things to feel “normal” is so important. Morning coffee is one of my favorite “normal” happenings. I’m blessed to be married to a sweet hubby who always wakes before me and starts the coffee. Ahh… the aroma of coffee brewing is truly heavenly in the early morning! A friend who knows that I love all things coffee gave me a packet of these wonderful B&W beverage napkins a few years ago. I made this card by separating the layers of one of the napkins, which leaves the coffee cup slightly translucent.  I gently tore around the edges of the coffee cup image and slipped a scrap of patterned paper behind the cup. I love how the subtle color and patterns show through.  I added a computer-generated sentiment, plus accents of vellum, puffy heart stickers and B&W washi tape to finish off the card. (I am sending it to the friend that gave me the napkins. I can’t wait until we can share a cup of coffee- in person- after this season of isolation is over!)

Supplies: 

·    Beverage napkin, vellum scraps, washi tape and assorted papers from my stash.

·    Sentiment- Computer Generated

·    Puffy Heart Stickers- Sticko’s from Walmart (The pack contains 113 assorted puffy hearts for just 99 cents!)

Entered into:  

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #434-435 Anything Goes                   

Crafty Catz Challenge- Anything Goes #502 (Optional twist- Paper Piecing)  

Polkadoodles Challenge-Week #16 Anything Goes                                

April Twofer Challenge

One of my favorite monthly challenges is called "Twofer Card Challenge" which requires the use of the exact same stamp or die to make two cards with distinctly different designs for two different occasions. The March Challenge is named "Rain/Umbrella. " I didn’t think I’d be able to participate because I didn't think I hand any stamps or die cuts in my collection that would work. So I was thrilled when I started digging and found this sweet SANTORO Gorjuss Mini Stamp named Puddles of Love. Then the fun began as I started thinking about card designs and themes and decided on a thank you card and a friendship card. Below are the results of my playtime!

Entered into:  April Twofer-

Twofer Card Challenge- #26 Rain/Umbrella

For the thank you card, I created a bright and colorful background for the little umbrella girl with a scrap of umbrella stationery and a strip of April Showers scrapbook paper.  I colored the image with and layered it atop a scrap of blue plastic document folder. (These wonderful items come in a pack of assorted colors and can be found in the office supply section of most stores. I really like using them on my cards because they're cheaper than colored vellum and are more translucent.  The plastic is easy to fussy-cut with a nice, sharp pair of scissors.) A fun thank-you sentiment and puffy heart stickers complete the card. I’m entering this card into several challenges including Let’s Craft and Create’s Anything Goes with an option “Through a Window.” I have seen lots of people walking in the rain the last few weeks, a few had umbrellas!)

 

Supplies: 

·    Stamped Image- SANTORO Gorjuss Mini Stamp- Puddles of Love  

·    Inside sentiment- Emily Spring Showers of Love digital set by Lacy Sunshine (no longer available)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Assorted background papers and a sheet of umbrella stationery from my stash

·    Puffy Heart Stickers- Sticko’s from Walmart (The pack contains 113 assorted puffy hearts for just 99 cents!)

·    Scraps of a blue plastic document folder and background papers from my stash

Entered into:  

Outlawz Sunday Challenge- Songs and Rhymes- Raindrops 

Double D’s Challenge- Showers & Flowers                

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- April                                

Let’s Craft and Create- #158 Anything Goes (April option- Through A Window )

The friendship card, with its monochromatic color scheme and touching sentiment about friendship, has a totally different feel to it. The beautiful sentiment that serves as the background for the card front is from a Beccy’s Place digital set and the inside sentiment is a freebie from Birdscards. Again I added a few small sticker embellishments, but this time they were pretty little rhinestone hearts.

I’m entering this card into several challenges including Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge: Burgundy Block (in her umbrella) plus lavender and pink.)  

 

Supplies: 

·    Stamped Image- SANTORO Gorjuss Mini Stamp- Puddles of Love  

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Front Sentiment- Beccy’s Place digital stamp (Nasturtium Set)

·    Inside sentiment Birdscards Freebie (Rain or Shine)

·    Rhinestone Heart Stickers- Hobby Lobby

·    Assorted background papers from my stash

Entered into: 

Beccy’s Place Challenge- April      

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #434-435 Anything Goes                   

Outlawz Challenges- Tuesday Color Challenge- Burgundy+2 colors of choice)  

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                       

Di’s Digi Stamps- Pretty In Pink                                                            

Cute As A Button- #55 Anything Goes + (Option) Baby Blue or Pretty Pink

This last card was created for the current “Pen Challenge” on the wecraftcards Forum. There were a few requirements including- Use a black pen on a white card. Draw a shape at least 3 inches or larger. Add a single word into the shape. Draw a border around the outside of the card base. And lastly, Zentangle or doodle around the shape/word but inside the border. I’m not very good at Zentangle but decided to give it a try. Googled Zentangle shapes for inspiration… and liked a few that were boot-shaped.  I grabbed a sharp HB pencil and started sketching with the word "WOW." Then I got busy drawing! It was actually fun to make this card as I got caught up in the process of filling in the spaces. I did decide to leave a few of them empty, because I like some white spaces for the eyes to “rest” when viewing art!)  I’m entering this card into several challenges including Simon Says Monday Challenge- “E is for…” (my answer is “Engrossing”)    
Also, I decided to add a bit of shading and coloring to this card to give it a bit more pizazz! What do you think? B&W? Or Pizazz version?    

Supplies:  

·    Boot sketch and Zentangle designs- Hand drawn

·    Fineline Black Pen- Sakura Micron 03

Entered into:  

We Craft Cards Monday Challenge- Pen Challenge  

Simon Says Monday Challenge- “E is for…”                                          

Incy Wincy Designs- Footwear

Spring is HERE!

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 Stamper’s Delights and I used a Mime digi from a set named Paris Café.  I don’t usually make CAS cards (this girl that likes to color and layer and layer and layer) but to keep with the Mime theme, I kept this card simple with a minimum of color. I couldn’t find a sentiment I liked to go with it… so I made one up! So fun! I am entering this card into several challenges including Positivity Challenge #79 (CAS is not my style… but adding humor to my cards is something I love to do. And, when I cannot find a sentiment that works… I create one!)

 

Supplies: 

·    Digi- Stampers Delights- (Mime from the Paris Cafe Digi Bundle)

·    Sentiments- Computer Generated

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

Entered into:  

The Paper Shelter- #423 A Birthday Card

Crafty Catz Challenge- Anything Goes #501

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                       

Path Of Positivity Challenge- Challenge #79 (Optional Twist- Style)

One of my favorite challenges is the  Butterfly Challenge, partly because I love butterflies, the sponsor of this challenge is a sweetheart, plus for each challenge, she provides very easy to follow instructions for making a creative fold card. The current creative fold is a Waterfall Card. In the past, I’ve found this fold tedious and a bit confusing. But Mrs. A’s instructions made it easier! I absolutely love the We Are 3 sentiment on the front of the card. It has two meanings  "Believe there is good in the world" and "Be the Good." What a great message for today's world! Plus I thought it worked well on this colorful card. I didn’t use any of the listed colors for this card (although the grey background does have a has a slight tone of lavender/wisteria) but I did use one of the themes (added a butterfly) and used the featured fold. I am entering this card into several challenges including Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge (I framed each of the butterfly blocks in burgundy and used burgundy brads. My other two color choices were sage green and orange.)

 

 

Supplies: 

·    Waterfall Card Instructions can be found HERE

·    Front Sentiment- We Are 3 Digital Sentiments “Believe” (Just a Thought set)

·    Butterfly Punch- Martha Stewart

·    Inside sentiment Birdscards Freebie (Spread Your Wings)

·    Assorted papers, vellum, and brads from my stash

·    Green butterfly cut from a scrap of scrapbook embellies (unknown company)

Entered into:  

Butterfly Challenge- #140 W for Waterfall Card                                  

Outlawz Challenges- Tuesday Color Challenge- Burgundy Block +2    

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #434-435 Anything Goes                   

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- April                                

Jan’s Digi Stamps- Anything Goes-#11

My final card is perfect for this drippy month. Actually, I love April showers… and the silhouettes in this Beccy’s Place digi set look gorgeous when printed on rainbow stationery. (I discovered when I made this card that I only have one more sheet of this lovely paper. I will need to find more!) Tried to add the look of splashing in a puddle with vellum… but am not sure if it really works? Oh well… maybe it gives the feeling of splashing?! I am entering this card into several challenges including Simon Says Monday Challenge- “E is for…” (I choose… Encouragement!) and Bugaboo Stamps- April Spring Fling (walking in the rain is one of my favorite things to do in the Spring. This year I’ve already done it a few times. It was so nice to get out of the house!)  

 

  

Supplies: 

·    Front Image and Sentiment- Beccy's Place Digital Set (Splish Splash)

·    Inside sentiment Birdscards Freebie (Rain or Shine) 
·   Rainbow stationery and assorted background papers from my stash

·   Vellum scraps to make puddle and splashes at her feet

Entered into:  

Beccy’s Place Challenge- April      

Outlawz Sunday Challenge- Songs and Rhymes- Raindrops 
Bugaboo Stamps- April Spring Fling       

Simon Says Monday Challenge- “E is for…”                                          

Double D’s Challenge- Showers & Flowers