Monday, April 13, 2015

Black, White, Red All Over



I wanted to play with my new Misti so I decided to try triple stamping.  So many times I don't get a bright image when I just stamp once so I decided to test it.  My friend, Donna, was hosting a challenge at Stamp TV... Riddle This... based on what is black, white and red all over riddle, and the Mod Squad Challenge was to use a butterfly as the focal image, I got the card done yesterday but got interrupted and did not get a picture taken to enter in the STV  challenge.  I realized later that it did not matter because the sentiment is not Gina K it is IO so it would not have counted for a prize.   I wish someone would tell these companies that insist on only THEIR products for challenge wins does not make most of us buy more of their products.  Instead, we go looking for challenges that allow us to use our creativity as we choose.  To ask for one of their products is reasonable but only theirs???? Then I realized that the butterfly is not the focal image the sentiment is. I was so fascinated with how the Misti let me stamp and restamp and  put images on clear acetate to see exactly where it would be on the card that I did not notice that I had not stamped the sentiment straight.  I am not sure, but I think I am brain dead.  I decided to spend the day practicing coloring.... since it is practice,I am learning I can't screw up as long as I get better..... I'll let you know how that goes.


I will enter this in the following challenges



Friday, April 10, 2015

Lilac Roses



My Mo and Jo have not been playing well together this week so I dug up a sketch that I liked by Tonya Gibbs that I have used before to get me started.  It is such a pretty sketch that it is easy to create a design around it. I used the Cheery Lynn doily and leaves.  I also used Die Namites leafy Flourish and Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms.  The butterflies are from a Martha Stewart punch.


 I will enter this in the following challenges.

Cheery Lynn   Flowers (must be handmade)http://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.com/2015/04/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-179.html

Scrapy Land  http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-april-showers-andor-spring-flowers/

You Did It




The challenge at IO is You Did It.  I got the inspiration for this card from Stephanie Kluck on the MFT blog.  She used embossing paste for her ice cream and I loved the look she got.  I bought some embossing past a few months back.  I used it one time(one of those supplies you just have to get but never use) and forgot about it. It was fun to use on this card.  I sprinkled some glitter on the paste before it dried so it looks like specks of fruit. I did not have any stamps that say YOU DID IT so I used You are an Inspiration.  I think that works. I will enter this at the IO Challenge http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2015/04/new-io-challenge-you-did-it.html

I used the following IO products

CL43 stamp set

Cover a card gingham CC006

Ice Cream Cone Set - DIE070-F

Monday, April 6, 2015

Earl's Birthday



One of the things I've learned in the five years I have been making cards is how much  my male family members and friends appreciate a hand made card.  According to their wives, they display them and show them off to family and friends.  That was a real eye opener.  Anyway my favorite brother-in-law has a Birthday in May.  He is fun to make cards for because he appreciates them and he has so many hobbies, but fishing is his favorite.  I made this card for him using Theresa Momber's Gone Fishing set available at Gina K Designs.  I stamped the fish with versamark on kraft  card stock and embossed with black embossing powder. The front is a Darce embossing folder and a cattail die from Die Namites. Since fishing would not fit for the words on the inside I used a fish and added the ING.  I did some sponging with tea die ink on all the Kraft panels. The Birthday Message is on the back of the front panel.  



I will enter this in Dies R Us One for the Boys 


Simon Says Wednesday Challenge


Saturday, April 4, 2015

Butterfly Dreams



This was more like a night mare than a dream.  I started putting it together and did not like it so I kept doing things praying for happy accident. Alas,there were lots of accidents but none were happy.  I kept thinking it would grow on me but it never did.  I am sure all of you have had this experience at one time or another.  Since I had a couple of challenges I had in mind when I made it, I will enter it in them. The butterfly is the medium Cheery Lynn.  I made some from gold CS and gold glitter for Christmas ornaments.  They turned out really cute. 


Simon Says Monday http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=2568

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Peek a Boo

I am the hostess at the Mod Squad Challenge Blog this week where we are playing a game of  
tic  tack toe. If you want to join in the fun, you can check out the details HERE 

For the challenge, I made an interactive peekaboo card. When you open the card, a panel moves to reveal an inside sentiment or image. It is one of those cards that the recipient will ask " How did she do that?"  The video  explaining the details of this fun card can be seen  HERE . For the tic tack toe, I chose piercing, coloring and pearls. I colored the lily with Spectrum Noir markers and used a Spellbinder die that does the piercing for you and I  used some pearls from my stash. 

I already mailed this to my daughter for her birthday.  

Front 


                                                                           Inside        




Front


Inside

Supplies
Gina K Designs stamp sets     Elegant Florals and My Most Favorite
Spellbinders   Radiant Rectangles 
Heartfelt Creations   Sunny Day Paper Pack
Cherry Lynn   Butterfly
Die-Namites  Leafy Flourish
Martha Stewart      Punch

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Celebrate Your Birthday

Outside





When I think of spring, I think yellow and orange and flowers and butterflies so I tried  to incorporate those in this spring BD card.  I saw a video on this type of card and have been wanting to try making one.  It is not difficult, but it is time consuming  and you need a good paper cutter. If you want to give it a try,you can see the how to video HERE . The flowers from IO are basically flat except the spiral ones, but they are small enough that I will be able to mail this with a sheet of heavy card stock on top to protect it.













Inside






I will enter this in he following challenges.

IO Happy Flowers

http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2015/03/new-io-challenge-happy-flowers.html


Scrappyland Spring/Easter
http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/2015/03/challenge-14.html


Simon Says Wednesday Anything Goes. 
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-anything-goes-14/

I used the following IO dies and stamps
DIE085-X
 DIE042-I
 DIE047-J
DIE139-I
C8589
DIE003-A
DIE055-N
Silhouette 7 - B5557
 D5642
C8589
DIE055-N












Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Spring Green

I just got this zinna die from Spellbinders so, of course, I had to make a flower. I used yellow card tha I sponged with marigold distress ink,  This is going to be a hand carried card or mailed in a box. The butterfly and doily are from Cheery Lynn, the lady bug is from Elizabeth Crafts and the leafy braches are Die-namites. The greeting is from Gina K Designs which is stamped on a Spellbinders Label.

Challenges
Scrapy Land Spring/Easter
http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/

Dies R Us Green
http://diesruschallenge.blogspot.com/2015/03/challenge-22-shades-of-green.html

Anything Goes
http://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.com/2015/03/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-177.html

Simon Says Wednesday Anything Goes
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-anything-goes-14/


Friday, March 20, 2015

Screen Divider Gold


This is the first of the screen divider cards  I have tried.  Mine is not as fancy as some, but it turned out ok for a first effort. I used Gina K gold card for he base and used Labels 4 Spellbinders die to cut the legs. I could not get a good picture of this card to show the shimmer of it.  The Cherry Blossoms is a stamp from Flourishes illustrated by Marcella Hawley. I stamped with Versamark and embossed with gold embossing powder and colored with Spectrum Noir markers then I cut he panel into four sections,layered on black and put it on the base card. The different sentiments came from a variety of stamp sets.

I will enter this in the following challenges

Power Poppy Give it a little shimmer with gold.
http://powerpoppy.blogspot.com/2015/03/march-challenge-give-it-little-shimmer.html

 SSS Pinterest challenge

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-spring-pinterest-inspiration-challenge/

Simon Says Work it Wednesday
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/blog/category/events/work-it-wednesday/


Saturday, March 14, 2015

Easter Eggs


When I was a kid, I remember dying Easter eggs as a family. It was so much fun to use the wax crayon on the egg to make designs before you dipped them into the die.  Of course, that was before I knew the term RESIST. Later they introduced a type of die that speckled the eggs instead of making them  a solid color which I thought that was soo cool.   I tried to recreate that memory with some water color paper which I smooshed and then cut with Spellbinder classic ovals.  I used some scrap pieces of paper that I had around to add to the layout.   One of them was a piece of gingham that I had stamped with IO gingham cover a card stamp. I used it for the cute little bucket. I tore some branches from the Bird on a Branch and used the top of the the hydrangea die to mimic some grass, added a few eggs and a mini butterfly and wallah... I was done.  I had no idea where I was going when I started but ... I like how it turned out. 

I used the following IO products

Insect Die  DIE139-I
And matching stamp
 D5642

Lg. Bird on Branch - DIE161-N

Pail - DIE164-A  

Hydrangea Set - DIE044-Y

I am entering this in the 
Impression Obsession Think Spring Challenge



Happy Birthday Wreath



I decided I wanted to enter PTI  Watercolor Smooshing challenge so earlier this week I experimented with some different colors and used the techniques that BetsyVeldman showed on the video. here
I have used the happy from Phrase Play 5 several times but I had never used the whole die on a card so I chose a piece of the smooshed paper cut it with the phrase play. I stamped the sentiment from the matching Phrase Play stamp set. Then I remembered that I had just gotten this die from Die-Namites and thought they would work together and they did.  I cut the happy part a second time so I could glue them together and have the second cut sit on the top of the wreath. My Swiss dot  embossing folder was still on my desk sooo why not.  I am trying to use some of my dies more often so I dug out this Spellbinder die to finish the bottom of the card.

I will enter this in the following challenges.

http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2015/03/make-it-monday-204-smooshing-with-watercolors.html


http://www.die-namitesblog.com/2015/03/marchs-sketch-and-challenge.html

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-things-that-fly/

 Die-Namites Bird Wreath
http://www.die-namites.com/Bird-Wreath_p_10.html




Friday, March 13, 2015

Sunflower


I used the sketch from Die-namites Sketch and Dare Challenge for this card.  The Dare part was to add a cut out. The focal image is a Sunflower from Melanie Muenchinger's Stately Flowers Five. I colored it with Spectrum Noir markers and fussy cut it.  I used some water color paper to cut out an oval and backed it with the lattice cover plate die by Spellbinders.  The sentiment is from Gina K  I cut the swirly butterfly apart and used it on opposite corners. 


Die-namites Sketch and Dare
http://www.die-namitesblog.com/2015/03/marchs-sketch-and-challenge.html

I used the die=namites swirly butterfly.
http://www.die-namites.com/Swirly-Butterfly_p_39.html

Mod Squad Flower challenge
http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/2015/03/flowers.html

Scrappyland Any Thing Goes
http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/2015/03/challenge-13.html

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Things that Fly
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-things-that-fly/


Stamp TV  Color and Emboss  http://stamptv.ning.com/photo/photo/listTagged?tag=STV15MON10









Thursday, March 12, 2015

Friends are Flowers 2

I cut the parts for this card yesterday when I was making Yesterday's card so that is why they are so similar.  I love this large sentiment with the frilly font and  the Bird With Branches die from IO.  I water colored three of them, tore them apart and made and arrangement around the sentiment.  The flowers are a gift from a friend. Thanks, Judy. Nothing fancy, but I like the results.

I will enter this in the Think Spring challenge at IO
 http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2015/03/new-challenge-think-spring.ht
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge  Things That Fly
 http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-things-that-fly/

IO Products

Lg. Bird on Branch - DIE161-N  


Friends are Flowers - F4157



Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Happy Easter

I used Spellbinders Classic ovals to cut the main pieces.  The butterfly and Happy Easter are Cheery Lynn the leaves are from Die-Namites and the little flowers are from IO.

I will enter this in the following challenges

Cheery Lynn easterhttp://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.com/2015/03/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-175-easter.html

Dies are Us Monochromatic http://diesruschallenge.blogspot.com/2015/03/challenge-21-monochromatic.html

Scrappy Land  Anything Goes http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/2015/03/challenge-13.html

Simon Says Monday Challenge The Letter B I used a butterfly.

 http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=2488

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Carol's Birthday


I love purple and so does a special friend of mine so I made this for her birthday.  The paper is from ODB.  the sentiment is IO and flower dies are Spellbinders bitty blossoms the leafy flourishes are from Die-Namites. Tucked in the corner is part of the hydrandgia die from IO.  I really like how it worked and will use this idea again.  It make a nice filler and it gives me another way to use the die. 

I will enter this in the following challenges Dies R Us Monochromatic




Through My Window 2

I am taking inspiration from my friend, Verna.  I had scraps of paper left over from yesterday's card and was going to put them in my scrap box...but then I thought why not make another card. Glued the pieces on some black card and then  I sponged another scene using a beach set that I bought from Flourishes years ago. Popped it behind the Madison window and wallah a second card in minutes.


I will enter this in

Poppy Stamp  http://poppystamps.typepad.com/poppystamps/2015/03/poppystamps-challenge-6-through-my-window.html  

Scrappy Land  Anything Goes   http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/2015/03/challenge-13.html

Through my Window

My friend,Donna Phelan,is hosting the challenge at Stamp TV this week so I made this card for  What Shell we Create? .  I stamped some kraft card with Melanie Muenchinger's Year of Borders in white, bleached the inside and the water colored the bleached part with blue.  The bottom portion is scored on my Score Pal and the  inked with  distress inks.  The light house scene  is from By the Sea by Theresa Momber and the window is from Poppy Stamps. Lately I have been challenging mysel to create cards that work for more than one challenge so I will enter this in the follow challenges

Friday, March 6, 2015

Spring Flowers

I found the inspiration for this card from Linda Palder at Pinterest . Yellow is so crisp and cheerful and reminds me of spring when the daffodil, forsythia and tulips bloom. I started with a pale yellow card base and a Cheery Lynn doily. I used some buttercup liquid pearls on the doily. The flourish on the side is the IO heart flourish which I topped with some Spellbinders bitty blossoms.  I found the pussy willow chip board cut outs in a box when I was cleaning out a few boxes.  I don't remember when or where I got them.



I will enter this in the following challenges Dies R Us Monochromatic




Friday, February 27, 2015

Thinking of You

I love the sketches that Tonya Gibbs creates for  the die-namites blog challenges.  This is my take on the July sketch. The sentiment is a Cheery Lynn die.   The leaf flourishes Die-Namites, and the feathers and flowers are Spellbinders,





Challenges

Simon Says Monday Challenge  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=2452

Simon Says Wednesday  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-anything-goes-13/

Simon Says Work it Wednesdays  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/blog/work-it-wednesday-february-2015february-2015





Friday, February 20, 2015

Paper Takes Its Tole



Cheery Lynn's challenge this week is a shaped card.  I used a Sue Wilson die set for the shape of the card.  I love it because the outside die can be used to cut the  card shape. I folded a piece of card stock  and  ran it through the Big Shot stopping short so the back and front are connected.  For the outside panel I used lavender card using the outside cutting die and the the decorative die.  I left the lavender card in the die and added a piece water color paper that I created with Tim Holtz distress inks and sprayed with Perfect Pearls pewter mist which gave it some shine. I cut and  embossed both the water colored layer and the lavender card which gives the water color paper more dimension behind the card stock. The picture does not  show the pretty background very well.   The iris is a Heartfelt stamp that I stamped three times colored with Spectrum Noir markers  and layered different parts.    I added some flower soft to the middle and on some of the petals for extra texture.  I topped the card with a hugs die from Cheery Lynn.  The pretty easel is a gift from a special friend. 








Scrappyland  Splat  Use sprays ink or paint   http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/2015/02/challenge-12.html

Cheery Lynn Designs - Hugs Mix & MatchSue Wilson Designs - Austrian Collection - Vienna

Monday, February 16, 2015

Pop-Up Hydrangea

This is a birthday card for my sister-in-law who loves to garden.  I cannot tell a lie. I spent a ton of time on it, but she is worth every minute.   The flower pot is from Buds and Vases by Melanie Muenchinger. I watched a video on how to color a flower pot and then  I stamped and colored it and then fussy cut it.  The hydrangea is an IO die. After I sponged the little flowers to get a variety of colors, I glued all the small flowers onto the base flower.  I cut a hole in the top of the pot so I could put the hydrangia in the flower pot. Then I covered the hole with some grass.  The grass die cut with Easter eggs is from Die-Namites. I used some designer paper from ODB for the background. The actual pop-up is from Sizzix.  I cut it from heavy card and the designer paper and glued them together, I added another piece of pp with a sentiment from Theresa Momber that is embossed with black powder to make it stand out.  For the outside of the dard I used a chicken wire stencil that I made from a MFT die and stenciled it with cantaloupe and angel pink inks.  Then I stamped the hydrangea collage on top and colored it. I cut it with a Spellbinder die.  I layered the card base with some decorator paper that I had in my scraps drawer and added a chicken wire die cut in lavender.  I used some pop dots on the focal image to give it some dimension.  Her birthday is not until April, but I always do them way ahead so I don't have to rush.  I want their special cards to be as special as they are.
I will enter this in the Mod Squad Challenge Blog http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/




Pink gingham

This is a quick and simple card that I made for the IO Challenge, It Must be Love.
 http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2015/02/new-challenge-it-must-be-love.html  I stamped white card with the cover a card gingham stamp then cut it on a diagonal.  I layered the diagonal on pink card and then embossed some leaves and the sentiment in white.  I glued the heart flourish die cut on the diagonal.

I used the following IO products
CL32
Die 126U
Silhouette 7 - B5557
Cover a Card Gingham CC006

I will also enter it in the Dies R Us Challenge20 Flourishes
http://diesruschallenge.blogspot.com/2015/02/challenge-20-flourishes.html

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Tickled Pink

I wanted to try a  feminine version of the Die-Namites Sketch and Dare Challenge. I used some pretty paper by ODB for the heart but it does not show up well in the photo.  The humming bird is a Cheery Lynn Die. I also used Sizzix dies for the hearts and a cover plate from MFT.


http://www.die-namites.com/Leafy-Flourish_p_56.html
http://www.die-namites.com/Daisy-Bunch_p_19.html

I will enter this in the following challenges.

http://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.com/2015/02/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-171.html
http://www.die-namitesblog.com/2015/02/feb-sketch-and-dare-challenge-by-tonya.html
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/

Friday, February 13, 2015

Beach Box

The Mod Squad Challenge this week is to create a pop- up card. http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/  This comes at a good time because I have several birthday cards to make and I love pop-ups because they are so appreciated.  My niece loves the beach so I made this card in a box for her birthday.  I used sunny colors because that is her personality.  She is so full of energy and so fun to be around... but when she leaves you feel like you were in a tornado.... in a good way, of course.  Most of the dies are from IO and I wrote a note for her on the back.  I made the sand castles out of sand paper and used some flower soft in the sand colors to give it more texture.





Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Hummingbird and Hearts

I made this for the Challenges at the Mod Squad Challenge Blog where we were to use water.  I made some water colored paper an then cut some hearts.  I will also enter this in the Simon Says Challenge where we were to use Red or Pink and the challenge at Stamp TV to use a heart but not in a Valentine card.


http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/
http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/