Monday, August 29, 2011

Jay Gee's Nook and CAS-ual Friday Challenge time

Hi all!

I sure hope everyone had a wonderful weekend...Our family was blessed to enjoy a weekend of sunshine with our church family on the Columbia River yesterday. Nothing like a waverunner ride while viewing God's nature to put a smile on my face! :)

I had a bit of extra time this morning so I thought I'd combine 2 challenges going on right now. One is from the Jay Gee's Nook website. You can find them and this week's challenge here. Here's the color inspiration photo they wanted us to work off of.

Truth be told, I am not a big fan of yellow AT ALL. But, that's why the challenge appealed to me. When I paired it w/the challenge over at CAS-ual Fridays, where they asked us to use stickers on our card, it was a double challenge because I'm not a big fan of using stickers, either. If you want to check out their website and this week's challenge, you can find them here.







Alas, here's my card:

I started out w/kraft colored cardstock and then raided my sticker stash. I haven't looked in that stash for MONTHS! But, I did have the sketch in mind. I knew I needed 3 similar elements and a smaller one for the sketch so I quickly jumped through different packs of stickers. Then, I found these sunflowers that already had the embellishments on them and I had 3 of them! This card was super easy to make! I even had the bumblebee in the same set of stickers. (Don't know where the stickers came from, though, because they were a gift from my mom.) After adhering them, I added faux white stitching and the sentiment. DONE! I don't think it took more than maybe 15 minutes to make. However, I was proud of myself because, like I said, I'm not a fan of yellow. And I'm not a fan of using stickers on my cards. Maybe these challenges have helped me see the error in my ways and try incorporating both elements into my cards more...

Thanks for stopping by and for all the sweet comments, too!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Horizontal Sketch Challenge in the Moxie Fab World

Hi all!

First off, thank you so much for all the sweet comments being left on my posts. I so appreciate the kindness. :) Second, this week has been a lot of fun on the Moxie Fab World site. If you haven't checked them out, and you want to play along w/the sketch I based my card off of, click here.

It's no secret I love a good sketch...and this one made me very excited! Actually, it's the fastest card I think I've ever done! The idea hit pretty quickly and I think the card was done in less than 20 minutes! Here's the sketch:














And here's my take:
I started out w/a Fiskars inchie stamp from the bird/flight set. I knew I wanted a dark base and a pop of color. Finally decided on silver pigment ink on black. I stamped the image on scraps 3 times so I had a rough idea of where I wanted the image placed. Then, I took the flower--from JoAnn Essentials--and took a script stamp and stamped that on the flower, too. You just can't see it very well. Then I added the pearl. The sentiment is from Hero Arts. Final step was to round the corners and the card was done!

This was a great sketch! Although I did the dark base and metallic ink, I've already thought of different color combos and even different image ideas for it.

Hope you can play along!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Square Sketch Challenge in the Moxie Fab World

Hi all!

I have to admit, I follow tons of blogs...but this week, I've absolutely LOVED Moxie Fab's challenges. If you aren't familiar w/the website, click here. This is one of the featured sketches this week.

I hadn't really done a card like this--much less a square--so I thought it'd be fun to join in the fun. And with homeschooling back in full effect next week, why not milk the small bit of extra time I do have?! :)






Here's my take:

I started out w/white cardstock and I stamped the butterfly in black soot distress ink. The butterfly is one of my favorite stamps and it's from Hero Arts, I think. Then I stamped the butterfly again on a separate piece of paper and heat embossed the image. I took my Broken China and Chipped Sapphire distress inks and colored in the butterfly. Then, I cut it out and adhered it w/dimensional adhesive. I then squirted a bit of water onto my mat and used a paintbrush to blend the colors just a bit more. Once it was dry, I added the pearls and stamped the sentiment (which is from the dollar bin at the Craft Warehouse). Done! :)

Hope you can play along...and thanks for the comments--they brighten up my day! :)

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Lily Pad's The Greeting Farm Challenge

Hi all!

So, here's my final card for the day...maybe the week depending on how busy I get! I decided to play along w/the sketch found over on the Lily Pad website. You can find them here. Since I'm a big fan of sketches, I thought this one would be right up my alley.

Here's the sketch:

















Here's my take on it:

I started out using my cuttlebug to emboss the front of the card w/the swiss dots folder. Then, I used some dark purple cardstock and, again using my cuttlebug, cut out the center panel. I stamped the image w/white pigment ink. It's from Delta and it's called Solidaga Sprig. I bought it a long time ago when it was on clearance at Michaels. To get several images, I simply repeated the stamping w/out reinking. Not sure I LOVE the look, but it's ok. Then, I took some orange ribbon and adhered it to the front of the card. Using dimensional adhesive, I placed the center panel. Then, using an EK Success punch (I think?), I cut out some photo corners in the purple. Done! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

CPS 232 and CFC 16

Hi all!

Well, I posted late last night but was lucky enough to complete 3 cards last night! So, this is the 2nd of the 3. I was so excited to play in my room that I was surprised at how quickly the ideas came last night! :)

For this card, I joined in the fun w/the sketch challenge over on the Card Positioning Systems site. You can find them and play along here. I LOVE sketches and this one was a GREAT one! I'm sure I'll use it plenty of times and different variations! Here's the sketch we had to work off of:


Also, the CAS-ual Fridays site had a challenge that had us work on embossing skills. Out of all the techniques, embossing is one of my absolute favorites! So, I combined that challenge on this card, too. If you want to play along w/them, you can find them here.



So, here's my card.

To start, I grabbed a scrap of red pattern paper from the Recollections Bright and Basic Paper Stack. I love using scraps like this! Then, I took some white cardstock and using black pigment ink, I stamped the snowman. He's from Stampin' Up. Then, I used my glaze pens to add some coloring to his scarf and hat and face. Then, I cut 3 strips of white cardstock. I grabbed some snowflake dollar stamps and stamped them randomly using white pigment ink. Then, I embossed the snowflakes w/clear embossing powder. I then took broken china and chipped sapphire distress inks and distressed the snowflake panels. LOVE distress inks! Once I adhered the panels, I mounted the snowman w/dimensional adhesive. I then added some faux white stitching along the border of the card. For the sentiment, I couldn't find a "Merry Christmas" stamp that I liked so I free-handed the sentiment w/my black glaze pen. My final step was adding a sticker of a blinged-out snowflake. Not sure where I got that but I liked the final touch. This was a FUN sketch! LOVED it!!!

Thanks for stopping by...and for the sweet comments, too...

Thursday, August 18, 2011

CPS 231

Hi again!

I guess when everyone goes to bed early except me, I get to enjoy some cardmaking time! :) This time, I knew I needed to make a card for a very special friend. I decided I'd go w/the sketch from Card Positioning Systems. Here's the sketch:






















This is my take on it:


I, again, used the paper from KI Memories called Funky Paper Pad II. Then, I added some brown cardstock and used my white gel pen to add some faux stitching. Then, I used my cuttlebug to make the center panel. I knew I wanted the image of the houses so I grabbed my fiskars stamp (not sure the name of the set) and stamped that on cardstock. I added in some red coloring w/a slick writer pen. Actually, I had used a glaze pen but didn't like the color and that's why I grabbed the Slick Writer pen. I cut a couple of the houses out to add some dimension to the "neighborhood". Then, I thought I needed some more details so I added the cloud. For the sentiment, I matted it on brown cardstock and punched the edge of it w/an EK Success Punch. The actual sentiment is from the $1 bin. Can't beat that! :)

Since my friend is leaving home for the first time, I thought this card would be the perfect way to remind her we're here thinking of her.

Thanks for stopping by!


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

MOJO 204

Hi all!

Well, I finally sat down and tried my hand at the MOJO sketch for the week. Unfortunately, the card is for a dear friend who has lost a loved one. So, I guess the motivation was high to get the card done and in the mail for her. Can't wait for heaven! No more tears or sorrow!

This was the sketch for the week:

Here's my take on the sketch:

Once I picked out the pattern paper, everything else fell into place for me. The pattern paper is from KI Memories and it's called the Funky Paper Pad II. I then cut a square of textured brown cardstock and mounted that one a white mat. Then, I cut a rectangular piece of the teal colored cardstock and embossed it w/my cuttlebug using the swirls (?) folder. Then I, again, used my cuttlebug to cut out the center panel. LOVE my cuttlebug! Once the paper was all in place, I punched a butterfly out of the teal colored cardstock using a Martha Stewart punch. LOVE this punch! I added some pearls to the butterfly and to the upper left edge of the card. Then took my brown marker and faked some antennae for the butterfly. The sentiment is stamped in pigment ink and is from Hero Arts (C1476).

Thanks for stopping by. If you want to play along, click here.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Lawnscaping Challenge #16

Hi all!

Well, I got to enjoy a bit of down time since we're down to one car for a few days. Not sure if I'm hoping my hubby's car will get fixed soon or not! :)

The latest challenge over on the lawnscaping website is to create a one-layer card. When I started stamping, the very generous Jennifer McGuire found out I was new to the hobby and was kind enough to send me some stamps. I hadn't used this one yet and figured it was time! :)




First, I used some Broken China Distress ink to ink the sky. Then, I took Pine Needles distress ink and used that for the grass. I took the Hero Arts Butterfly Garden stamp and stamped it along the bottom of the card twice in black ink. I colored in the flowers and butterflies using Glaze Pens. Then I added the sentiment on some cardstock that I notched to look like a banner and then used my Tim Holtz piercing ruler to add the faux stitching along the edges of the card. Only details that isn't "one layer" are the clouds. They just didn't show up well when I stamped them on the cardstock so I did stamp those on a separate paper and cut them out and adhered them. Final step was just to adhere the card to the craft-colored base and the card was finished! Definitely a simple card--thought maybe more for young girls since it's kindda cutesy but I enjoyed the challenged! :)

If you want to play along, you can participate here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Love is in the air!

Hi all!

I've been MIA for a bit b/c I was vacationing with family. We headed south to California for my cousin's wedding. We decided it would also be the perfect excuse to take the boys to Lego Land since it was my youngest son's 7th b-day yesterday. Talk about an exhausting 2 days of walking at Lego Land! Yet, as my hubby and I walked slowly back to the car as Lego Land was closing, our youngest RAN all the way and was so thrilled! Made the expensive entrance fee totally worth it! :)

But back to the wedding...I've always been a bit intimidated by wedding cards. I always think they have to be super fancy. But, I really wanted to give my cousin and his bride a handmade card. So, I got my nerve up and this is what I came up with.


The patterned paper was from the Luxury Stack (one of my favorites!). I then used my cuttlebug to cut the center label and emboss it around the edges. Love that look! Then, using some dollar stamps from my local craft store (The Craft Warehouse), I stamped "Love, honor, and cherish" on the label in a soft pink color. Using the wedding cake from the same $1 set, I stamped it in pink, cut it out, added some rhinestones, and put some glossy accents on the hearts. Now that I've had more time to look at the cake, I could've added some nice embossing to the cake, too. Oh well--time wasn't on my side on this one! Then I made the banner w/the sentiment (also from the $1 set) and the card was done. I learned how to score the paper to make the banner from either Jill Foster or Jennifer McGuire--my 2 favorite crafters! :)

Hope everyone is enjoying a fun Sunday! I still have unpacking, laundry, and cooking to do...sigh... :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, August 1, 2011

MOJO 202 and Lawnscaping Challenge!

OK,

I know I've posted quite a bit these last 2 days but we're off to vacation for awhile and not sure when I'll get a chance to post again...SO, might as well play a bit before we leave! :)

Every Monday is the new MOJO sketch and this week's was a fun one! You can find the sketch here:

But I also loved the challenge on Lawnscaping so I thought I'd use the same card for that challenge, too. It's all about distressing on that challenge and you can find the details here:

So, here's my card:


I started out w/some bright orange cardstock that was a bit too bright for the patterned paper. So, I took some vintage photo distress ink and inked it up to tone it down some. Then, using a scrap from DCWV's Stack 6, I laid the main panel down. Then I took my white pen and added faux stitching all around the card. Then, I took my small Fiskars (I think?) butterfly punch and punched out 3 tiny butterflies in a nice maroon color. Decided to add a bit of bling to them w/some light green jewels and then added a few more jewels on the to border of the main panel. Then, I used one of my labels from Sizzix to rest the main butterfly on. I cut it out w/my cuttlebug and used a light blue gelato to watercolor the label. I wanted it a bit darker, though, so I used some Chipped Saphire Distress Ink and inked up the edges of the label. Then, I grabbed my favorite Martha Stewart butterfly punch and adhered that butterfly to the label. I added some antennae to the butterfly w/a black glaze pen and then some pearls to make it stand out even more. The "Happy Birthday" sentiment was from the dollar bin at the Craft Warehouse store. And it was done...I was surprised at how quickly I dreamed it up! :)

Now off to get ready for the vacation...packing...ugh!

Hope everyone's having a great day and thanks for stopping by!

CPS 229

Good morning!

As some may realize now, I love sketches! And, when I can, I try to play along w/different challenges that provide a sketch. My card for today is using the sketch from the Card Positioning Systems website.

Here's the sketch:

And here is my take:

I started out using some paper from the Bright and Basic Paper Pack from Recollections. The card is for a very sweet friend of mine so I knew I wanted some cheery colors. After adhering the background paper, I added some faux stitching w/a brown marker. Then, I stamped the 2 images onto white cardstock. The stamps are from an old Stampin' Up collection. I added just a tad of red to the bear using a glaze pen. Finally, I used an EK Success corner punch for the corners of the stamped images.

If you'd like to play along, you can find the challenge here.

Thanks for stopping by...