It's a Good Day

  Finally . . . I am beginning to feel like making cards again. I've been able to think, design, create and keep my mind on my card project from start to finish today.  Now the return of my cardmaking mojo might have something to do with:

   1) receiving top honors on several cards recently (check out the Challenge Wins & Recognition tab for details)

   2) being 1 of 2 lucky winners (out of 231 that entered)--sponsored by Papercrafts Magazine-Moxie Fab World/Cath.  My prize? A wonderful papercrafting package. . .the Lakeside Collection from Pebbles.  I can't wait to show you what I create with it, so stay tuned.

   Or, maybe it was the fact that I received a really cute digistamp just so I could enter a challenge. Wow, how cool is that--getting a free digistamp before entering the challenge.  The stamp is "Harriet - At the Beach" and you can get it through this Friday at Crafty Sentiments Design. . .click here to check out all the details about the free digistamp and challenge--the theme is "We're Going on a Summer Holiday."

 

  Lately, I'm really having trouble with the colors showing true--hmm, time for a new camera. . . or maybe just a better photo-taking-area and lighting . . .or new photo editing software. . .or maybe they're just off on my computer.

 

   Anyway, the hot pink and bright green solid cardstock are from Bewitched by DCWV.  The DPs are from Simply Fabulous-Brooke by Making Memories. Ribbon and hot pink rhinestones are from my stash.

 

   

 

   This was my first opportunity to try out the new brown Copics I recently bought. I'm still learning, but I'm happy with the way the image looks--at least in person {smile}.

   The sentiment is computer-generated (created by me) using a free font by Creating Keepsakes.  So many words came to mind, but I needed a thank you card, so I thought this would work.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
  > Crafty Sentiments Design: "We're Going on a Summer Holiday"
  > Twist of Faith Card Challenges: #48-Children (and include an uplifting sentiment)--my sentiment, "what a lifesaver" is on the inside and I feel it's definitely encouraging and uplifting.
  > Addicted to Stamps Challenge #56: Anything Goes
  > By Lori Designs Challenge #52: Designer Paper
  > Pollycraft Challenge #4: Fun in the Sun
  > Nutcrafters #48: Summer Sunshine Fun
  > Paper Pretties Challenge #269: You Shouldn't Have-Thanks So Much
  > Scrappers Delight Challenge: #4-Inspired by a Song (my song was Pontoon by Little Big Town; I had this song in my head the whole time I was working on this card LOL)
  > Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge . . . Anything Goes

Keep Crafting,

Crafty Creations Challenge Day

   It's Wednesday and that means that Crafty Creations has another challenge for you this week. The theme is: Use an Arrow and it's sponsored by Jaime (Close to My Heart). 

 

   The color is actually bright yellow and grey (not orange and black). For some reason I couldn't adjust the colors of my photos. In the next two pics it's a little closer to the true color.

The sentiment and bumblebee are from Close to My Heart.

    Since I'm privy to the challenges way ahead of time, I made my inspirational card weeks ago. And for that reason, I'm not sure where I got the grey plaid paper. I believe it's from DCWV's Dots, Stripes and Plaids Cardstack. The yellow DP is a digipaper from Doodle Pantry and the ribbon is from Stampin' Up!

 

   On the inside, since the DP is bright yellow, it's light enough to write a personal note on, so I didn't add any white cardstock.  I used Copics to color the bee, added some glitter to the wings and sponged the sentiment with Memento Dandelion Ink.
   Hop on over to the Crafty Creations Blog (click on the name) to check out what the other Design Team Members have created for you. We'd love to have you join us this week . . . so get creative and show us your craft project using an Arrow.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
  >  Sentimental Sundays: #165-Anything with wings (bumblebee)
  > Digi Sketch Challenge:  Anything goes
  > Creative Creations Challenges: #15-Anything goes
  > Our Daily Bread Designs:  #164-Fluttering or Flying (bumblebee)
  > Scrap-Creations: Anything goes
  > Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge . . . Anything goes

Keep Crafting,

Christmas Card Challenge # 35

   It's been a really rough week. And, unfortunately it's affecting my "creative mind" also. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to finish a card.
   Thank goodness I had finished a card for our Christmas Card Challenge this week before my "funk" set in.  The Challenge this week is: Background Stamps.  However, remember that the only real requirement to play along with us is to create a Christmas Card.

   Now, since I don't really have any Christmas "background" stamps, I had to improvise. I found a really cute Christmas Tree stamp (from the dollar bin at Joann's) and used it to create a background.

   I kept the overall design rather simple; opting only for a tag, silk and organza ribbon and a pretty button for accent. The cardstock is actually burgundy, although in my pictures it looks more red for some reason.

   I stamped the tree image on the inside as well. And, added a second sentiment using Memento Bamboo Leaves Ink.  I sponged the edges with the same ink. The trees are are stamped with Memento Rhubarb Stalk Ink.

   Head on over to the Christmas Card Challenge Blog (click here) to see what the other Design Team members have created for you this week.

   Hopefully I can get back into my "crafting" mood again, and real soon. I have so many cards started, maybe one of them will make their way to my blog this week.

I'm entering this card in the following challenge:
  > Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra

Keep Crafting,

Just Because

   I only had to work a half day today and that meant there was extra "me" time. And I used that time wisely . . . I made a card {smile}.

   Note: After I made this card, I thought it looked a bit too "Halloween-y" because of the colors. I was going for more of a "bright, cheerful" look, so hopefully the recipient will think it looks more cheerful and less like Halloween.

 

   The card design is from Friday Sketch Challenge #48, although I turned the sketch into a gate fold card (I thought it was perfect for this style of card).

 

 

   And it worked out great because Twist of Faith's challenge #46  this week is to create a Gate Fold Card.

 

   Melonheadz Friends challenge this week is to use lots of circles--so I did. Two of the DPs have circles in them. I die-cut and punched circles. I even embossed the sentiment mattes with the Swiss Dot embossing folder. I added a portion of a white circle to the inside so I could write a note. And I added a button and two pearls (more on them later).

 

 

The sentiment and Ink (Wild Wasabi) are from Stampin' Up! 

 

     The DP are digi-papers from Doodle Pantry: Black Eyed Susan (inside) and Happy Birdie (front and small strip on the inside).

 

 

    So, about the pearls. I didn't have any green or orange pearls or rhinestones that were bright enough for this card. So I grabbed an orange Sharpie marker and colored two white pearls. Yup, they are "Sharpie-pearls."  I was very pleased with the way they turned out. I found a green button, so decided to use the button with an orange and green twine knot at the top of the pearls.

 

 

   All in all, I'm happy with this card - - and, yes, I'm leaning more toward "bright and cheerful". 

 

 

I'm also entering this card in the following challenge: 

   > Brown Sugar Challenge #51: Anything Goes

 

Keep Crafting,

Christmas Card Challenge #34: Snowflakes

   It’s rather hard to think of “snow” when temps have been in the 90’s this past week, but the Christmas Card Challenge this week is “Snowflakes.”  Be sure to stop by and see what the other Design Team Members have created for your inspiration.

   I decided to go with blues and whites for my card. Besides, I had ribbon, ink and cardstock in blue. . . and it all matched perfectly, which isn’t always the case.

 

    The snowflake image is an old one that I had from Holly Berry House. I used a dollar stamp from Joann’s to stamp the snowflake background with VersaMark Watermark Ink. Then heat embossed using clear powder. I wanted the background snowflakes to be subtle so the main image would “pop.” You can see the glimmer of the embossed snowflakes better in the next photo.

    I also added a bit of dimension by popping up the top layer and adding liquid pearls to the blue snowflake.

    And, once again, I finished the inside of the card. I printed another snowflake and trimmed the page to cut off just a bit of it. I added liquid pearls to this image also. The sentiment is from Hero Arts-Wonderful Holiday and I used Stampology Turquoise Ink.  And it’s all matted in the same blue cardstock.

 

   I hope you’ve started making your Christmas cards. If not, why not join us on this challenge and make a card that features “snowflakes.”  Even if you don’t enter it in the challenge, at least you’ll have a Christmas card completed.

I'm entering the above card in the following challenge:
  > Christmas Stampin' All Year Long #25: Techniques (I used heat embossing)

Keep Crafting,

It's a Two Card Day

  It was a great day today. Last week I bought a new card-stack (cute, soft pastel-y colors). And I couldn't wait to make cards using these new papers. This week, there were two sketch challenges that I wanted to enter (along with a few others) and they worked perfect for my new card-stack papers.
  So, I have TWO cards to share with you today. . . {smile} I told you it was a great day.
  The first card is my attempt at "humor" for a thank you card. The image is Lil Kitty Tree from Bugaboo Digi Stamps.

 

  Now for the inside of the card. I added another kitty hanging over the sentiment, which is computer generated.

I'm entering the above card in the following challenges:
  > Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge with a Twist: Use an Animal Image

  > Craft Your Passion Challenges #171: Thank You
  > Created with Love Challenge: Anything Goes

   I still needed a "Welcome Baby" card for a girl (I haven't made one yet), and since this new card-stack had a few cute baby papers, I made card NUMBER TWO.

 

   The image is Baby Fairy and it was a freebie by Bugaboo Stamps. I didn't have any peachy colored ribbon, so I used a Copic Pen to color a piece of white grosgrain ribbon and added a pearl brad. I also added glitter to the "wings."

 

 

   The 'rattle-duck-pin-pacifier' DP was too short to fit the inside, so I got creative. I cut the image DP about a 1/4 of the way down. Then I cut a piece of the dotted DP. Matted the latter in brown and placed it where the gap in the image DP was.  You wouldn't know if I didn't admit my 'paper shortcomings.' {smile}  I added another piece of Copic-dyed ribbon. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up! and the safety pin is a free digistamp from Stamp Fairy. I thought it tied in well with the image DP.

 

 

I'm entering the above card in the following challenges:

  > Freshly Made Sketches #95

  > Tuesday Throwdown Challenges #156: Anything Goes

  > My Mum's Craft Shop Challenge 7: Just For The Girls

 

   Yes, it was a good day. Two cards made . . . now I just need one more baby card for a girl.

  

 

 

 Items used on the above two cards: Twine from The Twinery;Copics; Memento Inks-Toffee Crunch, Peanut Brittle and Canteloupe; white grosgrain ribbon from Dollar Tree; white, clear and silver Gelly Roll pens from Sakura; Glitter Glue from Studio G; Bubble Jewel Brads by the Paper Studio and DP-Sweet Pea by the Paper Studio.

 

Keep Crafting,

Crafty Creations Challenge #231

  I just realized that it is another Wednesday and I forgot to post my card for this week's challenge over at Crafty Creations (click on the name to go to the challenge blog). So, here is a real quick post.

  The challenge this week is a real fun one . . . create an item that includes sparkle, glitter, shine. So easy.  It's sponsored by Stitchy Bears Digi Outlet and I used one of their digi's called "Mushroom Town."

 

   Here's a close-up of the mushrooms. I added glitter to the circles on the mushrooms and to the door knob.

 

 

   I also added a sparkly rhinestone brad to the bow.  I embossed dots to the green cardstock to mimic the circles on the mushrooms.

 

 

   That's it. Probably the quickest, shortest post I've ever done, but I wanted to share this card with everyone.

 

 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

  > Craft-Dee BowZ: Anything Goes and include a Bow

  > Created With Love Challenges #50: Anything Goes 

  > Digi Sketch Challenge: Layer It Up

  > Kaboodle Doodles: Any Embossed work

  > Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 156: Anything Goes

 

Keep Crafting,

 

What Inspiration We Receive from Others!!

   A week ago, Laurie Wilson, from Doodle Pantry, wrote about the Blackberry Jelly she had recently made. She also showed the cute labels she designed for the jars (you can check out the entire article here and I've included one of her pics below).  In case you don't know, Laurie is the talent behind all those wonderful digi images and papers at Doodle Pantry.

 

   I asked Laurie if she would share her recipe (because it sounded SO delish). She wrote me with all the instructions and included some extra special tips. And I was blown away.  Her jelly certainly was a labor of love. :-)

 

   I wanted to try it, but I was a little intimidated by all the steps. However, I had recently bought the digi paper package that she had used for her labels, so I thought . . . "I have to make some jelly just so I can make some super cool labels like hers" -- or similar to hers.

 

  * * Ta da * *  I did it.  Saturday I made Strawberry (they were cheaper than blackberries and we really like strawberries) Jelly AND Jam.  I only did both because I had bought too many strawberries.  And, it actually turned out great -- if I do say so myself.  We noshed on crackers and strawberry jam/jelly Saturday night. I think I could have eaten the entire jar by myself.

 

 

  On Sunday I designed and made my labels. I decided to use the red digi-paper for the jam and the green digi-paper for the jelly.  Both are in the Country Flavors Digi Paper Pack from Doodle Pantry. Click on the name to check it out.

 

  

 

  Thank you, Laurie, for sharing your wonderful recipe with me (I'm sorry I didn't make Blackberry, but living in Florida . . . well, Strawberries are very abundant down here).  On a side note:  the Jam was SO much easier to make that I think I'll stick with jam from now on . . . at least when I'm using Strawberries.  Maybe one day I will make Blackberry Jelly, because it really does sound good.

 

 

     Today's post may not be a "card" idea . . . but hopefully it will inspire you to use your papercrafting supplies in other ways also. What will you create with your cardstock, stamps (digi or rubber) and glue?

 

Keep Crafting,