Earl's Retirement Card

My brother-in -law is so easy  to make a card for because he has sooo many hobbies,  I did a fishing card for him that I entered in a challenge a while back.  He loved it, and told my sister he was waiting for a retirement card.  I have never tried a box card so I decided he was the perfect candidate.   The front panels are fishing related, the two sides are golfing and hunting related and the back panel is camping.  I will enter this in two challenges.  My friend, Judy Woodland, is hosting a challenge at Mod Squad .  The challenge is to make your favorite type of card.  This fits in two ways because I tried something new and I made a special card for a special person  .http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/ I will also enter it in Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Get Crafty Use Kraft"
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/

This card was his birthday card that I entered in a Stamp TV challenge in March.

Shades of Fall

I started with some polished stone paper that I had made awhile back and embossed the sentiment from IO on it. Then I cut an oval out of black card and a larger oval out of tomato soup card.  I stamped the tomato soup layer with IO wood plank cover a card stamp.  I attached the layers with pop dots and then inserted the branches which I colored with Copics under the black ovals.  I added the chickadees to the branches. The IO products used are

My Little Chickadees - C8589

Birds Die - DIE003-A

Leafy Branch - DIE055-

Wood Plank CC177
CL143
I will enter this in The Shades of Fall challenge at IO
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/10/new-impression-obsession-challenge-shades-of-fall.html
and the Monday Anything Goes Challenge at Simon Says http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/
                           

In the Pink

I made this card for a special friend.  I tried to duplicate a technique that Sue Wilson uses on her cards where  she uses Cosmic Shimmer glue dots as a border.  Here is a link to how she does her technique. http://particraft.blogspot.com/p/hi-guys-i-love-this-stamp-and-i-think-i.html  I tried  this technique using liquid pearls, but my hands were not steady enough so I used flat-baked pearls in different sizes. I used white glitter paper behind the Spellbinder die.  The other dies are also Spellbinders.  I am not satisfied with the the embellishments so I will probably change that out some before I need to send the card. It needs something taller along the side.  A feather or a stickpin might work. The pink is a prettier color in person and there is tons of dimension that does not show on the picture. . The sentiment is from Gina K Designs.  I will enter this in Lee's n the Pink at Mod Squad.http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

Happy Thoughts Background

I haven't had time to make many cards or participate in many challenges lately, but I did get a card made this weekend.  I made it for two challenges. The IO challenge and the Simon Says Wednesday challenge.  They both asked you to make your own backgrounds for your card.  I made a simple background by stamping a sentiment several times,  I used Gina K Honey mustard ink to stamp the sentiment.  The IO products used in this card
are clear stamp set CL43 and Bird on a Branch die  DIE161-N.

This is the inside of the card.



















The IO challenge is here
 http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/09/impression-obsession-challenge-beautiful-stamped-backgrounds.html

The Simon Says Challenge is here
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/

Laurie's Birthday

My girl friend loves flowers and pearls and all thing girly so I made  this card for her birthday.  The hydrangea is an IO die and the other dies are Spellbinders.  These dies add a  paper piercing detail which adds texture without all the work. I will enter this in Celebrate Birthday's challenge at The House that Stamps Built..
  http://www.thehousethatstampsbuilt.com/designers-choice-challenge/dcc827-celebrate-birthdays/

Winter Scene Shaker Card

The challenge at Mod Squad is to create a Holiday  Theme card that uses both acetate and vellum so I pulled out my Madison Window and created a shaker card.  I used the acetate behind the window die and the vellum for the poinsettia topper. I colored the vellum with some Copics on the back side.  I really love how the embossing pops with this technique. There are a few things I wish I would have done differently, but it is prettier in real life than it is in the picture. You can see the challenge here .

Donna's Birthday Card

I liked the birthday card that I did for my husband's barber and I needed a birthday card for a good friend who is not the pearls and lace or fancy die cut type, but I still wanted a  feminine card. I decided to use the same layout but I changed the colors, added some embossing with an embossing folder  and used butterflies instead of the deer. I think she will like it. 












I will enter it in the IO  challenge "The Gift of Friendship"
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/08/impression-obsession-challenge-.html 
I used the following IO products.
DIE171-K Circle cut out border
DIE084-V wheat 
CL342 stamp set
 D5642 insect set 
DIE139-I insect die

You Melt my Heart

I wanted to use this large snow flake die as an aperture for a shaker card so I cut it out of white card and then embossed it with a snowflake embossing folder. I adhered the clear plastic to the back of the aperture.   I created the background by using myVersa Mark pen to make small dots that I embossed with white ep  to look like snow.  I stamped the cute penguin from Gina K Designs on white then colored him a bit.  I used liquid applique for the hat and snowball then I fussy cut him and put him on the background.  I filled the background piece with sequins and white flower soft.   I used mounting foam around the top piece and then adhered them together. I used a few sequins and some ribbon for embellishments. I will enter this in the Stamp TV Release Party Challenge  http://stamptv.ning.com/forum/topics/august-release-challenge-texture-texture-texture and the Simon Says   Any thing goes challenge here .

The Gift of Friendship

This card is a birthday card I made for my husband's barber.  I love the wheat die from IO and could not resist using it again. I will enter it in the IO challenge "The Gift of Friendship"  http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/08/impression-obsession-challenge-.html  and Lee's Fruitful Harvest at Mod Squad  http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/ .
and the Monday Witch Kraft  challenge at Simon Says  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/

I used the following dies and stamps from IO for this project

I used the following dies and stamps from IO
Deer Trio - DIE080-N Deer Trio
DIE171-K Circle cut out border
DIE084-V wheat 
CL342 stamp set

CAS Pine Branch

I started on my Christmas cards yesterday.  This is another simple design using IO dies products that I will enter in the CAS http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/08/impression-obsession-challenge-clean-simple.htmlchallenge at IO.    

I used the following IO supplies:
Small snow flake DIE100-F
Pine Banch   DIE021-N
 Not Only at Christmas stamp C3503

CAS Snowflake

Just got this large snowflake die from IO and had to try it out. I also needed to get started on Christmas cards for this year.  These are not Christmas colors, but I still like the combination. I will enter it in the CAS challenge at IO.    http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/08/impression-obsession-challenge-clean-simple.html


IO die DIE093-X

Embossing Paste 3

This is my third attempt at using embossing paste.  I used a Die Namics die to make the stencil and  PTI  phrase play for the sentiment. The dogwood is a die from Susan's Garden. For this card, I tried something different.   I saw someone on You Tube use patching compound  instead of embossing paste so while I was making a mess I thought I would give it a try.  It is a bit thicker and not as smooth as the embossing paste but it took the color about the same.  The biggest difference was the drying time.  Even after drying all night it still had some moisture so I ended up using my heat gun.  I am not sure how it will hold up in comparison with the embossing paste but so far I have not seen any evidence of cracking.  It sure is a lot cheaper.  4oz of embossing paste cost me $9 while 16 oz of the DAP ElastoPatch was under $4.  You can see the video and challenge entries here http://stampwithk.blogspot.com/2014/08/embossing-paste-flower.html

Embossing paste flower

Second attempt at using embossing paste.  Again I had some paste seep under my stencil. The flower is a Memory Box die and the ENJOY is one of PTI Phrase Play dies. You can see the video and the challenge here.  http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/make-it-monday/

Embossing Paste Lotus Die

I ordered some embossing paste last week and it arrived on Friday just in time for the challenge at PTI to use embossing paste.   Then I had to decide what dies I would use to make a stencil.  Here I used the Spellbinders Lotus die. I needed to tape it more securely because I had some paste get get under my stencil. I used the happy from phrase play die and the birthday is from the matching stamp set. You can see the video and challenge at  http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/make-it-monday/
 I will also enter it in the Masculine Birthday at the Mod Squad. Usually I use brown shades or blacks and greys for masculine cards, but I decided men like color too.
http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

CAS Birthday

This is a card for the IO  Clean and Simple challenge http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/08/impression-obsession-challenge-clean-simple.html   and the Mod Squad Masculine Birthday challenge. http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/  

The wheat( DIE085-X)and sentiment(CL342) are both IO products.  The designer paper is Gina K Designs.

Stephanie's Birthday

I needed a birthday card for my niece so I decided to make one that fit the Sparkle, Glitter or Bling Challenge at The House that Stamps Built. The Butterfly is a Cherry Lynn design and the branches are from IO.  I typed the sentiment and cut it out with a Spellbinders die.
http://www.thehousethatstampsbuilt.com/designers-choice-challenge/dcc730-sparkle-glitter-or-bling/

I will also enter it in the Wednesday challenge at Simon Says "Make it Sparkle."
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/

Paper Pieced Pears

There are four different dp patterns used in this card.  Each of the pears is a different paper and the leaves are the fourth.  I colored the flowers and the branch with markers,and the background is sponged with spun sugar and tea die distress inks. I will enter this in the Pretty Pieces Challenge at Mod Squad.
http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

The Sky is the Limit

I made this card for a my niece who is turning six this year. I got the idea from the Make-it Monday  video at PTI and will enter it in the challenge there.
 http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2014/08/make-it-monday-175-creative-card-borders-using-non-border-dies.html
The super girl is a stamp with matching die from MFT and the balloons, rainbow and sentiments are PTI.  I dabbed the white card stock with different color markers to make the background.

Hello Friend

This card is for the sketch challenge at MFT.    http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/stamp-and-win-with-this-weeks-card-sketch-187/    The greeting is from Hot off the Press and the flowers are Die- Namics sunflowers. I used some self stick fabric pieces at the top and bottom of the fish tail  that I got in a prize package that Barbara Campbell was offering at her web cite http://inmycreativeroom.blogspot.com/  .  Thanks, Barbara.

Seashells

This is a card for an IO Nautical challenge.  I made a stencil by cutting out the shells on heavy CS.  I sponged over the stencil onto kraft CS with distress inks. I used versa mark to make splotches and then embossed with UTE. I stamped the sentiment and cut it out with a nestabilities die and sponged it with Memento desert sand.  I added a strip of seashell paper and a seashell cut from some dp.
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/07/new-impression-obsession-challenge-nauticalbeach.html

I used these IO products
CL43
 DIE077-W

Watercolor Butterfly

I made this card for Stamp TV's Monday challenge and Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes.
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-anything-goes-6/

I've Got the Blues

I made this card for the Mod Squad challenge I've Got the Blues and for the Work It Wednesday challenge at Simon Says.  Both challenges required blue but Mod Squad also asks for brown.  I personally like blue and brown together.

 http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/blog/work-it-wednesday-july-2014/

Super Cameron

When I saw this MFT stamp set and matching die, I knew I had to have it.  I have two great nieces that have a stubborn streak and have been known to stand with their hands on their hips and an attitude that screams "I dare you".  Cameron's birthday is next month so I decided to get busy and make a card.  I will enter it in two challenges at MFT, the color palette and the sketch challenge. I did not have exact matches for the color palette so I matched them as best as I could.  The snow cone is a really pale blue so I used the lightest blue CS that I had and a turquoise CS for the other blue.  The chevron pattern is a MFT die.  You can find the challenges at these web cites.
http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/stamp-and-win-with-this-months-color-palette-challenge-7/
http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/category/wednesday-stamp-club/

Summer Dreams

I will be entering this card in two challenges. Summer's Fun at The Housethat Stamps Built http://www.thehousethatstampsbuilt.com/designers-choice-challenge/dcc716-summer-fun/  and A Missummer's Challenge at Simon Says  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=1767

 The hot air balloons and the sentiment are from Papertrey Ink. the pine tree is a Hero Arts stamp.

Strawberry Basket

I will be entering this card in two challenges, the sketch challenge at MFT and the Mod Squad challenge, A Fruitful Summer" which asked us to use fruit and the colors black, white and kraft. http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/    I started with a  Die-Namics chevron die.  I cut it twice from kraft and white.  I used the kraft for base and filled in with the negatives from the white one. I mounted that on a black base.  The strawberry basket and strawberries are digital freebies from Becca's Place.  I colored them with Spectrum Noir Markers.  I fussy cut them and then layered them with pop dots for some dimension. I stamped the sentiment with Versa Mark and used white embossing powder to make the sentiment pop.

http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/category/wednesday-stamp-club/