A Couple of Challenges

Hello friends!

Today I am popping in with two cards for some challenges. I have not been able to be crafty with cards but yesterday I was able to sit down and bang out some creations. It was so fun!!

My first card is for this weeks Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #544. I used the Beautiful Blooms stamps, dies and stencils, mixed with some paper by 49 and Market-Spectrum Sherbet Tidal Wave and Sherbet Strawberry Lemonade. I ADORE pattern paper and it was so fun to use on a card.  

The background die is from Birch Press Design. Below is the sketch that I used:

The flower image was a  bit big for the card so I cut it down to fit where I needed it to go.

The inks are a combination of Simon Says Stamp and Pinkfresh Studio.

For my second card I used a color combination from the Color Hues Challenge.

I used my new Monthly Altenew Paint-A-Flower: Wood Anemone stamp that I received this week!!!

I did add a bit of yellow Nuvo Drops in the center. This is NOT an actual color of a Wood Anemone but I loved how this came out. I used ink from MFT and Tim Holtz Distress Ink to ink blend the colors.

I splattered some Pumice Stone and coral ink across the card front.

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

Nora

Using Printed Die Cuts on a Card with Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #544

Hello everyone!! Just popping in with a card I created for Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #544. It is the second week of the challenge and it is a THEME challenge. 

What is the theme you might ask? STRIPES!!! 

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #544

Source

I love stripes and I could have created 20 cards with this theme. However, I only had time for one. I decided to use some new supplies that I bought last week. I absolutely LOVE Pinkfresh Studio's Life Right Now paper and floral ephemera. 

I added a Paper Smooches die cut frame and a butterfly from Spellbinders Butterfly Burst Dies.

I used Stickles on the flowers to jazz them up and the sentiments are from my stash. Easy Peasy!!! 

I hope that you will hop on over to the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge Blog to play with us this week!! I cannot wait to see what you create!!!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. 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!!!

A Few Cards for the Online Card Class on Crushing Cardstock

 Hey Friends!! 

Just popping in really quickly today to post three cards that I created for last weeks Online Card Class--Crushing Cardstock. I was not able to complete all the homework for the class this weekend as was planned. Cleaning my house got in the way!!! However, I did create a few cards to post.

My first card was inspired by Cathy Zielske's Day 1 class. I created a simple card by using the Altenew embossing folder *Ranunculus Bouquet 3D and some blue cardstock. 

I then went above and beyond by using some Hero Arts *Unicorn White pigment ink over the top of the embossed image. 

I added a white die cut sentiment that was cut using the Papertrey Ink Big Hugs Die. 

My last step was to adhere some pearls around the image in random places. This was a fun card to make and I love the simplicity of it.

I am going to enter this into this weeks Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Anything Goes. 

My second card was from a Day 1 lesson by Caly Person. 

It was to weave cardstock strips together. I used strip dies from The Stamp Market to die cut various colors of purple cardstock, in a few sizes. I then wove them together to make this background. This was kind of time consuming to do but fun. I have a bunch of extra strips to make other creations at a later time.

I added my woven panel to a white card base and added a Pinkfresh Studio *Curvy Leaves die cut to the card. I covered the die cut with a *Clear Brush Marker for some sparkle and shine. 

I added a Prima Ephemera Flower from the *Watercolor Floral Collection over the leaves. The color matched the cardstock I used PERFECTLY!! I used Nuvo English Mustard Crystal Gloss Drops to punch up the flower center a bit and my clear brush marker over the flower.

The sentiment is from my stash. I believe it is by Taylored Expressions but not sure. 

This was a fun technique and I think I would like to try it with either some smooshed colored cardstock or ink blending. I would have to have a bit of time, though, because weaving is a slow task. I am not a patient person so this was a stretch for me.

My last card that I am posting is from Day 2. Yana Smakula made some cards with some rays. I happen to have these *Color Block Slices by Spellbinders (presently on sale) and I pulled them out for the first time. 

I literally went through my scrap drawer and pulled out various scraps in the same color family to use on this card. I then die cut my rays.

On some of the rays, I used various embossing folders that I had. (The stripe is from JoAnn's, the Dotted Flower Rings are by Sizzix and the lace is a Tim Holtz Alterations *Lace Texture Fade Embossing Folder)

Over my rays I adhered a Flower Cluster Wafer Die by Simon Says Stamps over the rays. The sentiment was die cut using The Ton's Bold General Greeting dies with *Peacock Feathers Distress Ink and Clear Brush Marker covering the top of each letter. 

I adhered pearls from Mint Leaves Pearl Mix from Kat Scrappiness over the card front as a last touch. They are a mix of teal and green and I think punched this up just a bit. I had never seen pearls like this before and was glad that I had bought them. 

I am going to enter this card into the Paper Players Challenge #556, which is a tic-tac-toe challenge. I used the left column-feminine, birthday, floral-as the inspiration. I am also going to enter this into this weeks Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #413-Birthdays.

 

This class was  a lot of fun and I encourage anyone from beginners to sophisticated card makers to take it. There are a few more techniques I am going to try but just need the time to actually attempt them. I wish I didn't need to work!!

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

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Happy Sunday with a Couple of Cards

 Hello everyone!! Just popping in with a couple of cards that I created this weekend. 

I had to get all my creative fun in as we are taking my daughter to DC this week to set up her new apartment. She will be a SENIOR!!! The time went by so fast!!!

Since our dogs are crazy, we are having a house sitter come for the week. Thank goodness for family!!

My first card I created with inspiration from some challenges.

I used some new Pinkfresh Studio products for this. I bought the Happy Blooms Stamps, Dies and matching stencils. They were so FUN to use!!!

The two challenges that inspired me to create this card are Freshly Made Sketches #498, the Color Hues Challenge #23-use Pink and Yellow and The Flower Challenge #59-use dies. Of course I was late with Color Hues!!

I used a stencil and Twisted Citron Distress Ink to create the foliage in the frame. The frame I die cut using Pinkfresh Studios Braided Oval. 

My sentiment is from my sentiment strip stash. I added some gold pearls randomly around the card.

The colors I used for the stencil are Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Kitsch Flamingo and Worn Lipstick Distress Ink.

For my next card I used Simple Stories Simple Vintage Lemon Twist Paper and ephemera.

I started by using Antique Linen and Walnut Stain Distress Ink to ink the edges of my white A2 Neenah White cardstock. 

I took pieces of ephemera to embellish the card.

I added a sentiment I created on my computer. I just LOVE this paper set and had so much fun making my card!!

Well that is all for today. I thank you for taking the time to stop by today!!

Happy Birthday using Die Cuts

 Happy Thursday!! Just came home from the dentist. I have a Bite Splint that I have to wear at night for my teeth clenching and I broke the plastic on it biting down on it too hard. What are the chances of that? To make it worse, insurance won't cover it because it is the second one in two years I have had to get.  Ugg! All from STRESS!! Anyway, enough about my teeth!

Today I am popping in with a card I created using mostly pre-made die cuts. I am going to admit something. I have an addiction to buying ephemera...and then rarely using it. When I saw this weeks Global Design Project's Challenge #GDP284, I knew exactly what I was going to use. 

The actual challenge was to CASE the Designer, Krista Fratt's card below:

The first thing that I was inspired by was the blue background color. I pulled out some Carta Bella Paper-Garden Melody-with a blue stripe and die cut it with a double stitched rectangle from Gina Marie Designs. I added the paper to a white, Neenah, top folding card base. 

I then added a rick rack border die cut using an MFT die. I added a paper strip of plaid paper underneath the rick rack.

I then basically started playing with my collection Pinkfresh Studio ephemera from the Joyful Day and Indigo Hills collections. The placement of the two circles together over a label were inspired by Krista's card. The label had some writing on it so I added a flower under my birthday strip.

I then needed to balance the layout of the card so I used foam adhesive under the heart and added a flower with a "leaf," which is really a banner. My last step was to add some  red berry Nuvo Crystal Drops to accent the flowers. 

I totally LOVE how this came out and it was so fun to make!! I think I am going to use a different sketch and use more ephemera for a card this weekend.

I am also going to enter this card into this weeks Watercooler Wednesday Challenge. This week it is Helen's All About Occasions Challenge.

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