A Couple of Challenges

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Hi Friends!!! Hope you are all having a great weekend. Just popping in with a few cards for some challenges. I have been trying to get in my craft room more this year and I have been doing a good job at keeping it up. I should be cleaning it up but instead I have been playing. 

The first card I created for this weeks Freshly Made Sketches #619.  

I took a few liberties on this sketch, I do like how this card came out. Instead of a square shape, I used a curved arch die.

One of my other goals this year is to use the supplies that I have instead of buying stuff that I don't need. For this card, I used the December 2023 Small Die of the Month Club from Spellbinders called Sneaking a Kiss. 

The heart border was cut on my Silhouette Machine and was in my scraps. The navy heart paper was a from a Honey Bee Stamps free paper pack that I got with an order.

I loved that I was able to use a ton of scraps for all these die cuts!!!

My second card was inspired by the Inspired By Challenge-Blue. 

 

I LOVED the blue shutters and the mosaic tile. I also used the sketch loosely on my card.

When I saw this challenge, I knew I had to use my Granny Square Dies from Altenew and some of their old cube inks-Lapus Lazuli. 

I know, I know, these Granny Squares are supposed to be knit but they screamed mosaic to me! My favorite color is blue and I had so much fun making this card.

The sentiments were from my stash and I have no clue who created them. The embossing folder is my NEW FAVORITE from Honey Bee Stamps-Burlap. 

My last card I am entering into this round of The Christmas Kickstart Challenge #82-The Midas Touch.

I apologize for the photos from this card. I had such a hard time photographing it. 

Most of the die cuts on this card are from The Greetery. The embossed background is from Spellbinders-Holly and Foliage Embossing Folder.

I used Tim Holtz Tarnished Brass Mica Spray on the background because it matched the antique gold paper I used on the bow and strip at the bottom.

Well that is all from me today. I have to get ready to go with my friend to a psychic show. I don't know if I really believe in it but I keep an open mind!! Have a FABULOUS night!!

Nora

A Simple Handmade Birthday Card

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Hello friends!! 

Just popping in with a card that I created for this week's Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #581. I was on vacation this week and I missed my craft room. I need to figure out how to take some of my stuff with me to do SOMETHING when I have down time at night!!!

I used stuff I had already had in my "extra" stash for this card. The only thing I did was splatter some Tart Cranberry Distress Mica Stain on the embossed background and WHAT A MESS I made all over my hands!! I hadn't used it before and for some reason when I shook it, the spray seeped out at the top. 

I think this came out really cute!! I used Spellbinder's Balloon Party Animal Die for my focal image. I paper pieced it from a piece of ombre scrap paper!!! The sentiment is the Sentiment Label Blocks from The Ink Blot Shop. 

The embossing folder is the Classic Hession from Crafter's Companion. It is a newer purchase for me and I will be using this again soon.

Well that is all from me today!! I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a fabulous night!

Nora

Popping in With Some Cards for Challenges

Hi Friends!! Happy Sunday!!

I am just popping in with some cards that I created for some challenges this week. 

My first card I was inspired by a few challenges. 

I created this with some new supplies I received last week from The Greetery. When I saw the Hearts at Home Toaster Die, I knew I had to have it. My daughter and I have a personal joke. We have had it since she is tiny. We always write and say at the end of a text or conversation-"I love you more than toast!"  

I printed my sentiments because, well, who has a silly sentiment like "I love you more than toast?" I figured that I might as well print out Happy Valentin'e Day! too so that it would match!

The paper I had in my stash forever is by Crate Paper (Sweethearts from the Heart Day collection) and the sequins I received in the Hero Arts January Monthly Hero Kit.

The challenge that inspired me for this card is Freshly Made Sketches #570. However, I flipped the sketch.

original

flipped

I was also inspired by the Time Out Challenge #230-Inspired Words.

This is how I feel about my daughter. She is the BEST thing that has ever come into my life!!

The third challenge that I am entering this card in is the Tic Tac Toe Challenge #194. I used the first column-a die cut, a heart and pattern paper.

For my second card, I was inspired by the Global Design Project sketch #378 and the Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge #408 inspirations badge. I am also entering it into this weeks Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Anything Goes and A Blog Named Hero January Challenge-A Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

 

Of course I was too late to upload the card for the Global Design Project because I was too busy cleaning so my sister could come over and craft with me!! The card I created is below.

Once again, I used the Crate Paper "Sweethearts" for my background. To match the border on the sketch, I combined 49 & Market Salsa Ticket Essentials and a heart border I die cut with my Silhouette. I LOVE using fun things like ephemera on my cards when I can. I always forget about it because it is packed away but this was sitting out at my desk and was a must have!!

The Couture Creations "One Kiss" die is left over from my cards I created last week. I have to admit that I am kind of obsessed with this die now and I am glad that I pulled it out of my stash to use!! I used two sentiments from Hero Arts. The XOXO is from the January Monthly Hero Kit and the the "I love you more" is from the Loving Sentiment Strips stamp set. 

I LOVE how this card came out and everything was on my desk as a "leftover" to use. 

Well, that is all from me today. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by!! Have a FABULOUS night!!

Nora

Using My Stash to Create Cards

Hey Friends!! Happy Hump Day!

Today I am popping in with a couple of cards I created. The first card I am posting is one I made for a couple of challenges.

The challenges that inspired this card are Freshly Made Sketches #569 for my card design and The Color Hue Challenge #56 for the color scheme of pink and red.

The Gerda Steiner Designs panda bear was stamped and colored in with Copic Markers. This has been in my little drawer of "extras" for a long time. 

The present is from Hero Arts (from JoAnn's-not in stock). This was in my stash too. I did create my blended and embossed background to match the colors in the present. It is a tiny bit lighter than the photo but I couldn't fix it in Photoshop.

The sentiment is new to me and made by Altenew. 

I love how this came out. I also had fun going through my "extras" to find these images.

My second card is just because. I had extras from some cards I created for Kat Scrappiness so I decided to use one to make a card. 

I added some glitter glue for my "whip cream" which is created by a doughnut die!!! 

The only thing that isn't Kat Scrappiness is the embossed background.

I love how this came out and I can add it to my Christmas card stash for next year!!

One more thing before I go. One thing I like to do to relax is to bake. Monday I had the day off from work and so I tried out a recipe to make Lemon Scones.

I had never created this recipe and was not sure how it would bake up because the dough was VERY sticky. The only thing I did wrong with this recipe is that I should have baked them for a minute or two longer. However, I thought they were quite delicious!!!

Well, that is all from me today. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS night!!

Nora

A Happy Birthday Card for a Challenge

 Hello everyone!!

It is a rainy day here in the Northeast. I was home sick today as a result from side effects from my first Shingles vaccine on Friday. I would rather have these side effects than Shingles, though. I know a number of people who have had it and it is very painful and can last a long time. I would rather be exhausted and have some swollen glands than that!!

I was able to make some card yesterday for a challenge. I am posting them really quick to make some deadlines. First, I created a card for Freshly Made Sketches #505.

Here is the sketch:

I used a TON of scraps on this and only really had to die cut the orange botanical for this card. 

The sentiment and the stamping in the background were done with an old PaperTrey Ink set called Hands of Time. I have been trying to dig in to my stash to use things that I still love but haven't used in a long time.  

I used Pinkfresh Studio's Small Butterflies *stamp and *die set for my butterfly and *Curvy Leaves for my leaf element. The butterflies set has been my new favorite to use as of late!!

That is all from me today!! Have a FABULOUS day!!

Freshly Made Sketches #503 and a Card for some Color Challenges

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Happy Saturday!! It is a FABULOUS day here in Connecticut. So needed as this week has felt like it went on forever!! 

I have been busy trying to create some Halloween projects that I will be sending out to some college students to decorate their rooms and it is a bit of a process. I am painting wood, which takes time. Do you send out fun things to your college students? I remember my mother sending a Valentine package to me at college stuffed with things for me and for my floor. We only lived 20 minutes away so it was such a fun surprise!!!

Today I am popping in with some cards I created for some challenges. I have found it so hard to have time, or any motivation to create anything as of late. I have ideas in my head but am just too tired to execute. I was happy this week that I had a day to play, along with some actual energy!!

My first card was inspired by this weeks Freshly Made Sketches #503.

It is nothing earth shattering but I was able to use some fun things that I had on my desk. I chose to go with this blue color as my main theme as blue is my favorite color and makes me happy. Below is the FMS505 sketch I used for my card.

The background was die cut from *Neenah Solar White cardstock with an Altenew *Dainty Cover Blooms die. I die cut the squares from paper scraps with an Embossed Edge Square Die from Kat Scrappiness. 

I first stamped the Pinkfresh Studio *Sweet Friend Floral Stamp with a light ink and used the coordinating stencil to color it in. The flower was then stamped again with *Versamark Embossing Ink and heat embossed with Wow! Superfine Metallic Rich Gold embossing powder. I then used the *Sweet Friend Floral matching dies to die cut this out. 

The sentiment was pulled from my stash and adhered using foam adhesive. Such a simple card but am so happy at how it came out!!

My second card I created for a color challenge and a theme challenge. I used The Card Concept #159 "Colorful Fall" badge to influence the colors I used on my card. The theme I used was from the Double D Challenge Mood Board which was filled with leaves. 

I started off my card by attempting to use my gel plate and a stencil to create a background. I chose to use some oxide inks in *Fired Brick, *Wild Honey and *Dusty Concord as the printing inks. I didn't use enough and it was an epic fail so I had a plan b. I used the Altenew *Striped Leaf cover die to die cut Neenah White cardstock to layer over my print disastor.

I then colored in some of the positive pieces with Copic markers and inlaid them back into the leaves.

Other die cut areas I chose to layer *Glossy Accents over the inked portions of the leaf. I cannot seem to create a card without Glossy Accents these days and need to order some more!!

I finished off my card with the Simon Says Stamp Sending Smiles die and random colors of sequins that matched my leaves.

All in all, I saved my background from being thrown out. Seems to be a pattern these days for me!!!

Well I am off to bake some Apple Crisp for my step-mother's birthday celebration. I didn't pick apples yet but bought them from the farm stand today. I will be picking apples later this week as I love them fresh off the tree!!! My favorite type are Macoun. What are yours?

I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by today. Have a FABULOUS rest of the day!!!