Christmas in July

Cheery Lynn's challenge is Christmas in July which gave me an opportunity to make my first Christmas card. I had a paper pack that I bought several years ago that had this wonderful scene as part of a scrap book page.  I cut it out and mounted it behind a circular frame and popped that up on another die cut.  The poinsettia is  a Spellbinders die, and the holly leaves and fir branches are Cheery Lynn.  I also used a Cheery Lynn holly corner die but tore it apart to make it fit.  The Sentiment is  also Cheery Lynn.  I cut it from a paper pack and white card and glued them together to get some dimension.I also embossed it to give it some shine.  The white panel is embossed but that does not show well in the picture. I will enter this in the Cheery Lynn Challenge. Here

Here

Stretch on a Sketch

When I do a sketch challenge, I usually try to match it exactly,but this time I decided to take some liberties.   I used three feathers instead of fishtail dies and string instead of leaves and the border is at the top of the card instead of one third of the way down.  This card came together as I was cleaning out a box of scraps. When I first got the PTI feather stamp,I experimented with it and stamped and embossed it in different colors on various colors of card. The top border was scraps left over from a cover plate die. I just glued two of them together.  The white background was left over from a set of note cards I made for a friend(I always die cut a couple of extras in case I make a mistake). I did cut, emboss,and sponge the kraft layer and cut a kraft card base. 

Cardabilities Sketch  Here

Scrapy Land Color Combo (Kraft and White) Here

My Favorite Things  Anything Goes Here

Butterfly in Blue

My friends know how I love butterflies and this die from IO is fabulous. I cut it from glitter paper and black card and layered them to get a 3d effect.   I had the scraps of paper and the tools still out from yesterday's project so used the same papers with a different layout and butterfly for the IO challenge, Celebrate You. This cards celebrates things I love most on a card: butterflies, layers and dimension.  I used a tip from Jennifer Mcquire and each of the layers is popped up with fun foam.  I just cut the foam with the size smaller die and adhered it with score tape.  You can't see the dimension very well,but there are five layers that are popped up. The Scrappyland chllenge is favorite color combination.  I have many colors I love using, but I am a monochromatic gal.  I love seeing bright bold contrasting colors in a design, but when I try it, the results are shaky.

I used the following IO products 

  DIE253-U

The Sentiment is CL43

I will enter the following challenges.

IO Celebrate You Here

Scrappyland Favorite Color  Combinations  Here

Simon Says Anything Goes  Here

Rule of Thirds

The first lesson was a composition lesson on applying the rule of thirds.  I used a vertical and horizontal line and had them intersect and put the focal point there.  The paper is from PTI  the leafy flourish is Die Namics and the the butterfly is Cheery Lynn.  

This is Kimberly Crawford from MFT example. 

This is my attempt. 

I will enter these challenges. 

Cheery Lynn Challenge Here

MFT Here

Happy Father's Day

I wanted to participate in the Mod Squad Happy Father's Day Challenge this week because my talented friend, Judy Woodland. is hosting, and because the prize this week is a $25 gift certificate from Kitchen Sink Stamps. I have a great many of their sets on my wish list so I would be over the moon if my random number is selected.  Either way,I will spend a chunk of this month's craft budget in their store. As for the card, I am sure most of you will look at it and wonder if I lost my design sense,but believe it or not, this card will make perfect sense to my husband and he will love it. 

Go check out the Mod Squad Challenge and the fabulous example Judy created Here.

Time to Celebrate

I used Die-Namites Beautiful Flowers   for the Sketch and Dare Challenge
Here  The dare part was to make it manly.
The Die-Namites Sketch and Dare Challenge Here

Tagging It

My uber talented friend, Barbara Campbell is hosting the challenge at Mod Squad Challenge Blog this week.  She has challenged us to make a tag.  I don't have a tag die(must get one) so I used this Spellbinders die. I used another Spellbinders cover plate and cut the focal panel.  The butterfly is Cheery Lynn.

Cheery Lynn    Keep it Krafty   Here
Mod Squad Challenge  I am Tagging You  Here

Sam's BD

INSIDE

I made this pop-up card for my great-niece's birthday.  Sam turns seven this year and I bought this MFT stamp set with her in mind. I did not get a good picture of the card, but you can still get an idea of the design. I cut PTI paper with the Lucy Label  and mounted it on PTI spring rain card stock. I stamped several super gals and colored them with Spectrum Noirs in different colors and then layered them on and around the Lucy Label .  Sam is in the top center with the shades and S on her costume.   The sentiment says "You're Unstoppable". 

The front of the card uses PTI  paper with MFT Blueprints 11.  

OUTSIDE

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge  Friends or Superheros. Here

Wishing You Happiness

For this card I combined peacock feathers and mowed lawn  distress inks to create the water colored background.  The die cut and sentiment is from Betsy Veldman's Make it Market Mini  Gild  Kit available from PTI and the hummingbird is from Cheery Lynn.  I added a few pearls for embellishment and adhered it onto a Hawaiian  Shores  PTI card base.


Cheery Lynn  Creative Corners  Here

DRU   Love Birds Here


Scrapy Land Anything Goes  Here

On Your Birthday

I have a good friend who is having a birthday so I decided to make her a card using the new sketch from Cardabilities. I used a Spellbinders Enhancing Elements to get the border.  The wreath is from Die Namites.  I added a few flowers from IO Hydrangia die and some side flowers are from Petaloo. the sentiments are from Gina K and PTI.  I have lots of birthdays this month so I may be using this sketch again.

I will enter this in
Cardabilities Sketch Here
Scrapyland Anything Goes  Here
Simon Says For the Love of Plants Here
Mod Squad Birthday Here

Red. White and Blue Birthday

One of the things I have learned from watching Jennifer McQuire is to make two cards at a time especially if you have leftover parts. I made a card for a different challenge last week and I had the left over die cut designer paper so I cut another MFT chevron cover plate in white and then alternated the leftover dp  in the white  die cut and then I then adhered it to a navy card base.  It was on my desk when I saw that Cheery Lynn's challenge this week is red, white, and blue so I had my background done.  I used a PTI  phrase play die for the focal image.  I cut it once from white and once from navy and trimmed the white one and adhered it to the navy one. I added the Cheery Lynn birthday to the navy and added a couple of MFT stars. 

I will enter this in

 Cheery Lynn Red, White, and Blue Challenge Here

Mod Squad Birthday Here

Simon Says Wednesday  Masculine Here

Celebrate Red, White. Blue

My talented friend Barbara Campbell is hosting a challenge at Stamp TV this week and I really wanted to enter. She wants us to use red, white or blue and add a star.  Since it is fun to enter more than one challenge, I went looking for some others before I made this card. I followed the sketch at MTF for one other challenge.  I used Gina K  Botanicals for the focal image.  The cover plate and star is MTF and the celebrate is from Cheery Lynn.  I put some of the white leftovers from cutting the cover plate and adhered them to the tag.  In retrospect, this competes too much with the background and something subtler would have been better. Perhaps embossing with a star embossing folder or stamping a background with stars or just left plain.  All in all, I like the festive colors.


MTF Sketch Here

Simon Says Anything Goes Here

Scrapy Land Here

Mod Squad Masculine Here

Celebrate in Pink

The pink PTI paper is covered with a Spellbinders cover plate that is sponged in pickled raspberry distress ink, A Cheery Lynn doily is also sponged in pickled raspberry and the topped with a Die-Namites wreath.  The floral design consists of a Spellbinders zinna, Die-Namites floral spray and IO hydrangea .  The fishtail tag is MTF topped with Cheery Lynn celebrate.  I will enter this in 

Cheery Lynn Anything Goes Here

Scrappyland Birthdays/ Celebrations Here

Simon Says Wednesday Anything Goes Here

Just Sittin' Here

I created this ocean scene by cutting an oval from card stock and using the negative part to make a  frame for the ocean scene.   I usually sponge this type of scene but I decided to water color it this time. Placed some sea birds around,water colored  the sand and stamped the sentiment,  Put a chair in the scene to knda go with the sentiment. Quick and easy.

Impression Obsession  Ocean Breezes Here
Mod Squad   Positively Negative Here
IO Products Sea Birds - DIE078-F  
CL43
DIE177-K

Let your Dreams Take Flight

So today I am back to my wheel house with a Cardabilities Sketch. I stamped the text from Gina K Designs Botanical set  on some water color paper and then sprayed it with some blue Perfect Pearls mist. The tag is from a paper pack that I have had for ages,  The die cut by Spellbinders is one of the first dies I bought.  It felt good to use it again..  The stamped and embossed frame and sentiment are from Dreams by  Gina K Designs(I have never used the square stamp before) and the bird on a branch is from IO.  The flowers are from a box I found when I was doing some organizing so I have no clue where or when I got them. I did some sponging in  Memento's Summer Sky and London Fog. I used the new sketch from Cardabilities which makes designing so easy. 

I will enter this in the following challenges

Cardabilities Here

Stamp TV

Burlap Flower

I wanted to participate in the challenge at Die Namites this month which is way out of my wheelhouse,but, of course, that is why they call it a challenge. My good friend Donna,queen of layers, could make a masterpiece with this sketch. I decided this project was perfect for paper scraps so I pulled out my scrap bin  pulled colors that went together and cut them to look as much like the sketch as I could. I used a burlap flower(the dare was to use material) and a Die Namites die underneath.  The sentiment is IO. Again my camera skills, or lack there of, does not show the layers very well. Anyway, even though this is not my usual fare I knda like it.

Die Namites Sketch and Dare Challenge Here

Beautiful Flowers Die

Sea Shell Wreath

This is much prettier IRL . I could not get a good picture.  I cut the wreath  using two circle dies and the wrapped it with some mesh ribbon.  I had this  piece or wood paneling left from another project and thought it made a good backdrop for the wreath. I will enter this into IO Summer Fun  Here

I used the following dies from IO.

 DIE077-W
DIE184-L
DIE047-J
DIE176-E

Wishing you Happiness

I used the Cardabilities sketch for this card. The beautiful paper is from ODB, the circle dies and leaves are Spellbinders, the doily and rose buds are Cheery Lynn and the fish tail and flourish are MTF.  The sentiment is from Gina K. I made the roses from a EK success punch. This is the video I used.Here  I prefer to start with white card and sponge my colors rather than using colored card stock.

This shows a bit of the rose process. 

Cherry Lynn Roses Challenge Here

Scrapyland Anything Goes Here

DRU Anniversery  Here

Happy Mother's Day

This is a card that I made for the diversions Mother's Day Challenge.  I used Stampendous stamps and matching dies, Spellbinders cover plate, Spellbinder's leaves, and DieNamites leafy branch.  The flowers were colored with Spectrum Noir Markers and the jar and stems with prisma colored pencils. 

Die Version's  Mother's Day card challenge HERE

Scrapyland  Anything Goes HERE

Dogwood Blossom

The new sketch by Karen Gerber is on the Cardabilities blog.  I have found I really enjoy working with dies and so these sketches are perfect for me.  I sprayed some card with Perfect Pearls mist in the daffodil color that really looks more like gold. You can't see all the shimmer in the photo.  I used a strip from Spellbinders lattice die on top of  the card . and then popped up the  the Spellbinders lotus die, a MFT clock piece and  the lacy circle die.  The leaves are Spellbinders and the dog wood is a die from Susan's Gardens.  The arrow is MTF and the Celebrate is from Cherry Lynn.  I love their sentiment dies.  The cut so nicely and you get each word in two different sizes.

Cardabilites Sketch  challenge   Here

Cheery Lynn Anything Goes  Here
Simon Says Anything Goes Here
DRU Anniversary Here

Spring Breezes

When I think of spring I am reminded of lovely afternoons and evenings spent at Whiskytown Lake in Northern California.  We loved our pontoon boat because we wanted to relax not work and besides we had no sailing experience; however, we enjoyed watching the numerous sailboats on the lake  pitch and yaw. I also loved the sketch at Cardabilites so much I decided to take it out for a third spin!  This time I made a more masculine card using some scraps from other projects. I used the  Marina Sailboat die by Poppy Stamps for this card and some MFT nautical dies. I also used a Spellbinders fir die(I thought it looked like sea weed and the IO hydrangea to look like sea grass.   I will enter this at the Poppy Stamps Challenge Here . and Cardabilities Here


         
                                                                                                         

White Die Cuts on White with a Pop of Color

The challenge at PTI this week is a fun idea. You can see the video an look at the amazing gallery Here.  It really comes together quickly easily and you get a great CAS look.  I used PTI Up Up and Away (one of my favorite songs) stamp set and matching die for this card.  I will enter this in three challenges.

PTI  White Die Cuts on White with a Pop of Color http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2015/04/make-it-monday-209-white-on-white-die-cuts-with-a-pop-of-color-.html
Mod Squad Encouragement  http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/2015/04/encouragement.html
Simon Says CAS http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-clean-and-simple/

Sending Mother's Day Hugs

I made a card Friday using the latest sketch from Cardabilities and intended to enter it into the challenge ($20 Dies R US gift certificate that is randomly drawn) but by the time I got to their blog to enter I had already entered six challenges and when I read the rules it said you could only enter it into three challenges so I decided to take that sketch out for another spin. I loved using my embossing folders to make background papers so I did that again. I used tea die ink and then liberally sprayed it with yellow perfect pearls mist.  It is so pretty and shimmery in person.  I matched two different designs for the main part of the card.  I layered some white card cut with a Martha Stewart punch on the back of the floral print. Then I took a Spellbinder's lotus blossom die cut that I had it in my stash and misted it with the perfect pearls mist. I layered  a Mona Pendleton clock from MTF and cut it with the matching die. I used the Spellbinder poinsettia for the flower and sponged it with tea die ink. To fill in the background I used IO Hydrangea base that I added little circles to, an MTF leafy flourish, and a few of the hydrangeas without the circles.  The sentiment is a Cheery Lynn die layered on a MFT fishtail die. This is a 5x7 card for my Mother.

I will enter this in

Cardabilities Sketch Here

Cheery Lynn Mother's Day  Here

Dies R Us  April Showers Bring May Flowers  Here

Simon Says Make Your Own Background Here


Pictures of the different papers I made and how I made the hydrangea look different.

Shades of Purple

The new sketch from Cardabilities was posted yesterday and it was so pretty I had to give it a try.  I  made some background paper the other day after watching a video on using your embossing folders as ink pads.  You just sponge colors of distress ink on your embossing folder(the result will vary according to witch side you ink) spritz the folder with water and lay your paper on  the embossing folder, remove carefully and you have used your embossing folder in a brand new way.  The popularity of stencils and background stamps seem to have taken over the world of the embossing folder(not in my world) so this is a way to get the same effect.  The first layer was stamped with Milled lavendar on some lavender card with a wood grained stamp by IO.  I then stamped lacy borders from Gina K with Versamark and white embossing powder.  I did not get good coverage the first time but with my new Misti I just stamped and embossed again.  The center piece is the piece I stamped with the embossing folder.  You can't see it well in the photo, but instead of water I used some shimmer spray..  The rose is one of the spellbinder bitty blossoms.  I also used a flourish from MTF and Leafy Branches from Die Namites.
The Amazing is a Cheery Lynn die which is placed on a MTF fishtail.

 I will enter this in the following challenges

Cardabilities Sketch Here


Here
Simon Says Make Background Paper Here
Scrapland Use pearls or lace  Here
Die R Us Make your own flowers Here
Cheery Lynn  Purple Here
Mod Squad Color   I used a monochromatic scheme (hope this works) Here

Spotlight Die Cutting

I watched a Jennifer McQuire video called Spotlight Die Cutting HERE and decided to give it a try.  I really like the CAS look of this card and it was easy to do. The sentiment is IO, the feather is Spellbinders and the bird is PTI. 

I will enter this in the Simon Says Monday challenge.  In the Middle  My feather is in the middle.  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=2600