A Couple of Challenges

Happy Monday!!

I am just popping in with some more Christmas cards I created for some challenges.

My first card I created for the present Paper Craft Crew Sketch Challenge. (PCC358)

I actually flipped the sketch because the images I wanted to use looked better horizontally

 

                                     (original sketch)                              (flipped sketch)

I was excited to use some pattern paper that has been in my stash forever on this card and once again used the stamp set that I have now idea where it came from.

I inked it up to make it look old fashioned. Not sure I like the look but it went with the papers I was using. The snowflake is one from my stash and the sentiment is from Mama Elephant.

This sketch was  a lot of fun because I was able to layer papers, something I rarely do.

My second card I created with the Happy Little Stamper's Christmas Challenge-Anything Goes.

I could have done an optional snarky comment but I don't have any of those type of sentiment stamps...yet. I ordered some by Hero Arts and cannot wait until I get them!! The holly die cut is from Memory Box. I colored it in with Copic Markers. Not sure I love it but it was fun to do.

The deer is from Mama Elephant and the sentiment is from Hello Bluebird. I kind of put this card together from hodgepodge on my desk.

One more Christmas card on the books!! Again, I am entering this into Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge-Anything Goes.

That is all from me today. I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!

A Second Post for Today

This is my second post for today. I didn't realize this sketch challenge was closing and I created this specifically for it so I decided to pop in with another post.

This first card was inspired by a sketch from the Global Design Project. I LOVE this sketch and think I will be using it again for some other cards.

I used a Mama Elephant penguin and some trees from Hello Bluebird as my images.

The stamp die is the same one I used yesterday but have no idea what company it is from. I cut off the name, something I NEVER do. The snowflakes are from a bunch I cut out last week while my husband was away.

I have kind of been on a Christmas card kick as I think I have to create all my cards for this year and I am WAY BEHIND!! I usually do a photo card of my daughter but since Thanksgiving is so late, I doubt I will be able to do it in time for Christmas. I have been spoiled for so long that it is killing me to have to make all of them again!!

Okay, that is all from me once again. Have a great day!!

A couple cards for CASE This Sketch #252, Time Out Challenges and Merry Monday #269

Hello everyone!! Today I am just posting quick.

I created two Christmas cards for some challenges.

First, the layout of the card was inspired by the sketch below from CASE this Sketch:

(sketch #215)

Instead of the circle, I used the poinsettia as the focal point on both cards, along with some pine boughs and mistletoe.

The colors that I was inspired by came from two sources. One is the image from TIME OUT Challenge #98and the second is three colors from the Merry Monday image #269. I think you can see what inspired me from both.

 

Here is a close up of both. I used the same poinsettia that I used on yesterdays card. I die cut a few to get rid of some scraps.

I also used two different sentiments on each card but both were heat embossed with gold embossing powder.

That is all from me today!! I thank you for stopping by. Have a FABULOUS day!!

Supplies: 

(Affiliate links are used when possible at no extra cost to you.)

Paper-PaperTrey Ink-Rustic White, Parakeet, Pure Poppy, and Linen card stock, Paper Studios Kraft, Crate Paper "Bundled Up" patterned paper, Bazzill Sugar Cookie
Dies-Sizzix Thinlits Die (Pillow Box and Poinsettia), Stampin Up! Pretty Pine Dies
Ink-Vintage Photo Ink and Versamark
Stamps-Mama Elephant Merry Greetings and Uniko Most Wonderful
Other-Darice Sequins, Gold Stickles, Pink Fresh December Days Stickers, Foam Adhesive, Ranger Multi Matte Adhesive, Scotch Dot Adhesive, Sizzix Big Shot, Wagner Heat Gun, Ranger Gold Embossing Powder

Wish List Wednesday

Happy Hump Day everyone!! It seems like a Tuesday to me since we had Monday off but I am glad it isn't. One day closer to the weekend!!

Since I do not want my blog to be so quiet, I thought I would post a few things that I have been drooling over lately. I am holding off buying right this moment but know that it will only be a matter of time!!

First, from Mama Elephant I have "Little Dog Agenda" and "Sticky Notes." Aren't they adorable?

You know I made some cards using the cats from my Mama Elephant's "Little Cat Agenda," and I would LOVE to pair them with both of these fun stamp sets!!

I also want the new stencils from Simon Says Stamp! I have seen some really cool techniques that I want to try with them!! (click on the images below to go directly to the SSS store)

I adore the "Twisted Stitch Borders" from Simon Says Stamp! but they are on backorder right now. Good thing as my pocket book is empty!!

I also want the new Clearly Besotted "Raise a Glass II" stamps. As you know, I am kind of obsessed with the Simon Says Stamps "Time for Wine" set (as seen by my projects on these blog posts) and think that the "Raise a Glass II" would fit right in!!

Last but not least, I am dying to get my hands on these fun "Rainbow Sparkle Jewels" by Lucy's Cards. Do I need one more embellishment? No but these would be so much FUN!!

Is there anything you are dying to play with? Would love to hear from you!! I always enjoy knowing what other people wish for-whether is is scrap supplies or not!!

I thank you for stopping by and have a FABULOUS Wednesday!!

Hello to Everyone and a Couple of Cards

It could echo here on my blog. May has been a very busy month and though I have been crafting a lot, my blog is the thing that has been suffering. Missed all of you!!

Though I have NOT been posting, I have been buying. Isn't that how it always is? I have had a couple of personal days over the last two weeks and I have had a chance to pamper myself. Friday I had a facial and colored my hair.

I was only just going to color my grays but my hair dresser had other plans. She tipped my hair in a blonder color, blew it dry straight and curled the ends. Made me feel like a million bucks!! If only I could do this myself but alas, I am hair challenged.

Today I am sharing two cards that I created using Mama Elephant's "Little Cat Agenda." I created these cards a couple weeks ago but never had a chance to photograph them.

My first card I combined Lawn Fawn's "Love Letters" envelope with a little cat from "Little Cat Agenda."

I colored my images in with Copic Markers, then combined them with a scrap of patterned paper and a Doodlebug Design "Paper Frills." (Anyone remember these? I have almost every color and decided to pull one out to use!!)

The little hearts were die cut using a CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Fun Fetti Fri-Dies" and covered in glossy accents. (I apologize for the dark photographs. It has been cloudy for days and I cannot get the lighting right!!)

My next card I combined the little cats with some Simon Says Stamps "Talk Bubbles" dies, PaperTrey Ink Sentiments and a Pretty Pink Posh "Stitched Film Strip" die to create my card.

I started off the card by die cutting and then doing a bit of ink blending on the Pretty Pink Posh "Stitched Film Strip" die cut. I layered this over a piece of Lawn Fawn "Dew Drop Line" patterned paper that was adhered to an A2, top folding card.

I nested the cats into the film strip and added some Stickles and Glossy Accents over some of the details on the stamped images.

I finished off the card by adding the Simon Says Stamps "Talk Bubbles" with the PaperTrey Ink sentiments.

I thank you for stopping by today. Have a fabulous night!!

Supplies:

FTC Filing, Police Stations and Just Add Ink Challenge

Hello!! It is Monday night here and we are expecting a blizzard tomorrow so school has already been called off. In some ways I am bummed because we will have to make it up in June but in other ways I am relieved.

I thought I was in the clear filing my taxes but we were informed last night that someone did file in my name. I spent the afternoon after work filing all sorts of forms and going to the police station to file a claim against identity theft. This is such a nightmare and I hope none of you will ever have to go through this. I still have lots of letter writing to do tomorrow with all this that I am not looking forward to.

I was able to do a couple of cards, though, for the "Just Add Ink" Challenge #350. It was a sketch challenge this week and I made two cards. I chose images from a pile on my desk.

I call this "creative chaos" and it takes up half the area where I put together my cards. I don't usually have this much in this pile but yesterday I spent some time fussy cutting as well as die cutting images out that I had stamped and colored in.

If I put it away, I will never use it so often when I do a sketch, I go through the pile and pick things out to layer with each other. Anyone else do this or am I the only messy one?

Here is the sketch I played with:

My design is very similar for both cards. For my first card, I not only used images from the pile but used all paper scraps that were in my file drawer.

I combined envelopes from CAS-ual Fridays "Special Delivery" Stamp set with a panda from Mama Elephant's "Incoming Mail" and a sentiment from the "Happy Mail" set.

The images were colored with Copic markers and I used my MISTI to stamp the sentiment.

Kind of dark but I have someone in mind that could us this card.

My second card is a bit brighter and I combined pieces of patterned paper from Bo Bunny's "Head Over Heels" 6" by 6" paper pad with some scraps.

Again I used a Mama Elephant Panda that I had on my desk to enhance the sentiment.

I actually think I like this card better then the first but I was not trying to use up scraps and chose the patterned paper to match better.

I used foam adhesive to pop up the sentiment strip and the little border of letters.

Well that is all from me tonight. I thank you for taking the time to stop by my blog. Comments are always welcome!! Have a fabulous night!!

Nora

Supplies:
Stamps-CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Special Delivery," Mama Elephant "Happy Mail," and "Incoming Mail"
Paper-Bazzil Black Card Stock, PaperTrey Ink "Raspberry Fizz," Echo Park (checked and pink sentiment), Bo Bunny "Head Over Heels" Collection
Dies-Mama Elephant "Incoming Mail" and My Favorite Things "Die-namics Inside Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangle Stax"
Ink-Memento “Tuxedo Black”

Other-Copic Markers, Glossy Accents, 3L Scrapbook 3D Adhesive Foam Squares, Sizzix Big Shot, MISTI

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CAS(E) this Sketch #178, MFT Sketch Challenge and a Park Day

Happy Tuesday everyone!! We have been a little busy at our household. I am feeling so much better after surgery. It was not as bad as I thought it would be, thank goodness!!

Charlotte and I had a FABULOUS day together today. She had an MD appointment today so I got her up early and we went to breakfast. After the doctors, we took the dog to the park, walked around and took some photos. It was so much FUN!!! Please note that that this post is picture heavy!!

Zack gave us a hard time when we were trying to take photos of him. We bribed him with cut up carrots but he still wanted to pee on everything rather then get treats!!

Now that she is a teen, Charlotte RARELY lets me take her photo so I had to get in what I could!! If you have a teen age daughter or were one, I am sure you can relate. I know I still hate to have my photo taken.

Now for the real reason I wanted to post!! First, I am sharing a card I created for CAS(E) this Sketch #178. I have been "trying" to clean off my desk by using images that I have colored and die cut and are just sitting there. Does anyone else do this? I am so bad!! So here is the card I created:

Isn't this Mama Elephant bunny cute? I love this set!! Here is the sketch that I used as inspiration for this card:

I decided to use a technique that Dawn Woleslagle, owner of WPlus9 showcased here. Definitely click on the link because it was a FUN technique and was very addicting!!

To start off the card, I blended the green from the "Melon Medley" Kaleidacolor ink pad and "Salty Ocean" Distress Ink on a white card base. I then "stamped" both ink pads separately on an acrylic block, misted water on top and flicked the watered down ink on the card base with a paint brush. I also misted water over the top of the colors too. When the panel dried, I adhered it to a top folding A2 card base.

I then adhered the stump image from Mama Elephant's "Pix's Favorite" set that I had colored in with Copic markers and die cut with the coordinating die. I adhered the rabbit from the same set over the stump with foam adhesive. I added the flower, which was a scrap on my desk and is from Sunny Studios "Backyard Bugs" set. The stamped sentiment was the last addition to the card. 

I LOVE how this came out and you will be seeing some other cards that I created using this fun technique at a future date. 

For the second card today, I used an MFT Card Sketch. I meant to post this yesterday but just was not feeling up to it so I missed the deadline. I am a day late and a dollar short on so much these days!!

Here is the card that I created using the sketch:

I started off the card by masking off a section on white card stock and blending Hero Arts "Soft Pink" dye ink and "Picked Raspberry" Distress Ink. I then misted water, Prima Color Bloom "Chrome" Spray, and "Picked Raspberry" Distress Spray over the front. When everything dried, I adhered the panel over a "Raspberry Fizz" A2 card base.

Next, I stamped the sentiment from My Favorite Thing's "Sweet Succulents" stamp set with PaperTrey Ink's "Smokey Shadow" dye ink. A pinked circle and a pierced circle in white were then adhered to the card. The pierced circle was adhered with foam adhesive to give it a bit of dimension  

Images from My Favorite Thing's "Sweet Succulents" set that I had colored in using Copic Markers and die cut using the coordinating dies were then adhered over the circles. A scrap of patterned paper from Basic Grey was adhered below the pink section. My last touches were to adhere sequins in colors that matched the card, as well as using a bit of Diamond Stickles on the cactus flower. 

Like my bunny card, this was a lot of fun to create. I used up images and scraps that were on my desk, as well as got messy!!

That is all for tonight. Please excuse the length of this post. Thank you for stopping by!!