Believe to Achieve

I have to start this post by lamenting the need to make this card for one of my babies -- it is a "graduation" card as my eldest moves on from elementary school and becomes <gulp> a middle schooler! As hard as that is to accept, I really did have fun pulling this card together.

I started with the Adorable Elephants set by MFT, and colored my elephant & her balloon with Berol prismacolors and the flowers and butterfly with Staedtler markers. After that, it was just pulling it together: I exacto'd a slot for the balloon, cut the white and black panels from ODBD double stitched rectangles & the specialty paper panel from Authentique paper with the MFT blueprints 13 stitched rectangle.  The sentiment was from the SNS inspirational word art 2 collection I bought with this very daughter in mind, as she struggles with self esteem at times (& it has many other beautiful sentiments I thought would uplift her and others).

While I don't want to admit how old she is (or I!), I am certainly so proud of her academic accomplishments (brag alert: she's 2-3 grade levels ahead in every subject thanks to her amazing school and her hard work & God-given brain!), so i just had to ... make a card, of course!

Amazing Horizons

So, I was at a friend's house crafting the other night, and we combined our dies to make this fun card. I borrowed her Sizzix Basic Step-Ups die to make the base.  From my stash, we used the Memory Box Diving Dolphins die, Poppystamps seaside lighthouse die, Impression Obsession (IO) Shore Birds dies and stamped the sentiment & sailboat from Essentials by Ellen Stay Salty, then fussy cut the latter. The birds and boat were colored with pencils and sparkle pen. The clouds, beach, and oceans were made with sponged distress inks (and highlighted with sparkly blue and white gel pens). We added some sea grass via IO Tall Grasses and called it a SLOW card! It was interesting to see how differently our two cards turned out, as she favors warm colors and I cool ones...  She also challenged me to start posting to my blog again, so here I am!

Fishy Faith

My second entry in the chevron competition at CAS (CASology Week 205: chevron) feautured the other Rubber King fish I mentioned in my last blog. He too is from the Rubber King Pond Friends stamp and die sets, colored with their special markers. See how differently he turned out? Even a crafty but non-artistic person like me, with clearly defined favorite color combos, can look like a pro and make unique designs! This ocean was even more whimsical, using a My Favorite Things Polka Dot coverup die to create a bubbly haven for my little fishy.

The outer sentiment was die cut from a Paper smooches die in the religious words set. I then embossed it extra thick and mounted it on some delicate chevron paper from my Garden Party paper pad. I cut it out using Our Daily Bread Designs double stitched rectangles. Inside the card, I went with an ODBD Deep Waters stamp to complete my fishy's message. Enjoy!

Oceanic Joy

Chevron is my favorite go to pattern, so when I saw a competition based around it (CASology Week 205: chevron), I couldn't resist. I decided to use its "wave"-like properties by sponging a Memory Box stencil in Broken China. The panel was cut with MFT Blueprints-13 stitched die. I was also dying to break out my new Rubber King Pond Friends stamp and die sets, colored with their special markers, to make the cool little fish. It was a system I had coveted over a year ago at an expo, but didn't want to invest in starting from scratch, but this year, I gave in! What fun it is to blend colors like a pro, and make many different fish in just a few minutes -- truly CAS. (You'll see another one in my next installment. Now I just wish I had bought that seahorse too! ;-)) Finally, the sentiment is one of the Joy! Crafts seashore stamps.

Dimensional Thanks

Do y'all have one of those mother-in-laws? I do. The best kind ever. She loves her son. She loves me. But most of all she loves her grandkids. Her favorite gifts to give are time and love. How lucky are we?! So to thank the grandparents for coming for TWO WEEKS so we could go on the trip of a lifetime, I knew I needed to make something special. Those of you who know me know I usually stop at about 2 layers, rarely use pink, and recoil from frilly florals. Here I did all of the above and maxed out at 7 layers! Like I said...special. ;-) All the same, it is still and CAS card, true to myself.

Some tools used:
       ODBD stitched rectangles
       ODBD sending set
       ODBD fancy squares
       Mft blueprints 13

Over and above the layering, I popped up the diamond orientation portion with foam tape and added more height & pop with Dew Drops (poinsettia set and watery set).

I'm competing in: ODBDSLC275 Pop It Up or Add Dimension.

Seeing in the Dark

It's been a LONG while, I know. I was kind of overtaken by life with 3 little ones, but I am back in the creative mood again after a fun night of designing with a good friend recently. Time for Mommy's is where you MAKE it!

For this CAS design, I reversed the white and dark spaces to go with the beautiful sentiment by ODBD. The background is a simple mix of sponged Tim Holtz distress inks, cut out with the stitched MFT Blueprints-13 rectangle. The owl is a cute little graduation set (re-purposed here) from Impression Obsession. Add a branch and you have a punny but meaningful card to encourage a friend.

Challenge I'm playing in: CASology #200: CAS + Blog Candy!

Thanks (But)Tons

I started with Your Next Stamp winter greetings set, for both the image and sentiment, stamped in Versafine Majestic blue. It seemed appropriate as we have 30" and counting of snow today, in a SOUTHERN state! I cut the image out with an Our Daily Bread Design double stitched rectangle, and made a larger frame from another. I cut the sentiment out with DieNamics Fishtail Flags. I edged all the die cuts with Jim Holtz faded jeans, and sponged the frame with a combo of Holtz distress inks (salty ocean, faded jeans, dusty Concord). The photo doesn't show it, but the banner is popped up over the frame on my grey panel. Finally, I added button "snowflakes" for bling.

Competing in the CCNS #120 -- Buttons this week.
Epilogue: I got a top 3 mention for this one!

Blessed Creation

I was having fun with my Ken Oliver Colorburst lemon yellow, Alizarin Crimson and orange, testing the puffing method. I started with watercolor paper, wet it, then puffed, I like how it made both swirls and spots - kind of like a blustery fall day. I respritzed a couple of places to get more blending, but it was a pretty quick card, other than drying time.

The tree itself is that fun "naked" stamp from Judith, that you can dress any way you like. Looking at it again today, I am feeling a Charlie Brown Christmas version in its future! I stamped it in Tim Holtz vintage ink, allowing a bit of brown into my fall mix.  The sentiment from Hero Arts Animal Blessings stamp set was put onto a piece of "kraft" paper from a recycled shopping bag
 -- enviro-crafty Mom at work! I love it when things can serve multiple purposes and not get wasted, and can keep the earth cleaner too.

I'm participating in the Classy Cards 'n Such Challenge #111 "Thankful"

Richly Blessed

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and while it's not my favorite holiday -- it allows for some of my favorite cards. I love the idea of being grateful. I personally keep a gratefulness journal to cheer me in sad times, and to even prevent them by forcing me to focus on the positive. Do you? Trust me, it's a great exercise.

At any rate, this card actually started at a MOPs crafting event where I found and cut to size this gorgeous orange paper. It isn't a color I use often - more a beach kind of girl - but I thought it was so pretty. Now I have found its use! I layered it behind a geometric die from Ellentina to create a simple yet elegant background. I stamped my Reverse Confetti Pumpkin Patch with Stampin' Up chocolate chip ink & used the matching dies to cut out the parts. I popped this up on a panel to bring in my last fall color, and tied it all together with green Queen& Co. dotties. 


This is part of the Classy Cards 'n Such Challenge #111 "Thankful"

A Swimmingly Good Birthday

I love oceans and the beach -- that's "my" place. And especially this time of year... so I'm bringing it back with a birthday card for a friend...

The card base was in a nice ocean color, which I embossed with Lifestyle Crafts swirly embossing folder to suggest waves. I then added a Memory Box Oceana corner die.  The turtle and sentiments were stamped in Versafine deep lagoon ink from a Sweet N' Sassy set "happy ocean friends" then colored with Sakura gelly roll pens. I cut them out using Die-namics fishtail flags. I used my pens to add details to the shells on my corner die, and used Stickles to add eyes with dimension. A few water drop embellishments and I was done...



This week I am playing in the SNSS 8th Birthday Party contest.

Turkey in the Straw

The inspiration for the whole card was actually the “straw” – a textured paper I picked up at a scrapbooking expo back in the summer with Thanksgiving in mind. I love the natural look it gives the card. It also is a bit shimmery, which shows not at all in a photo. The card was quite simple actually. I die cut the little IO pumpkins from paper I sponged with a mix of Tim Holtz distress inks. Some were popped up with Joy! Foam pads for depth, while others where glued tight to help hold on my straw. The sentiment was a die from Paper Smooches, and the turkey is just a kids’ sticker made of felt. Again, I liked how it added to the natural fiber texture of the card. The red panel is a much deeper more interesting hue than it looks with the flash photo, and the folder is a nice fallish chocolate.

I’m playing in the CCNS Challenge #109 Gobble Gobble this week.

Spirit of Peace

This card was all about experimenting with texture and shine for me. I started with a snowflake embossing folder, which I highlighted with several snowflakes punched and then colored. On one, i used my new snow marker, and heated it for the puffy effect. On another I used a clear Sakura sparkle gel pen, and on another: wink of Stella clear.  I also added a little more bling with Stickles star dust & ice blue. Finally, I white embossed my Odbd "Snowflake Sentiments" stamp. This is part of the ODBD Inspiration Challenge ODBDSLC259.

Shocker!

Y'All will never believe this, but I finally made a good one. Sweet Beverly at CCNS said so! So here you have it:

Was awarded to my Harvest Blessings card.

Harvest Blessings

This is my third card this week for the  CCNS Challenge - #106 Colors of Fall -I used some of my "French" dies -- love that wheat -- to signify fall, harvest, and thanksgiving.

I started with a wheat stamp from Hero Arts, which I stamped repeatedly between inkings (Versafine brown) to get different shades. After giving it a bit of time to truly set, I spritzed my page with water and added a little Color burst lemon yellow to evoke the golden hues of harvest time. While that was drying, I cut my panel from MFT Blueprints 12, which is stitched at the top. I love that little detail. I added my sentiment from the Stampin Up Trust God set using Versamark and white embossing powder. I adhered the layers with Scor-Tape, as the watercolor layer in the middle was warped.

Next, I cut out my IO wheat die from paper I had colored with Holtz distress inks, and adhered it with a combo of glue (stems) and Joy! extra small foam pads (wheat fronds). Last, I added some bling with copper Stickles. Hope y'all like it!

Fall Birthday Wishes

This week for the  CCNS Challenge - #106 Colors of Fall - I went with a second card as well. My college roommate and one of my best friends is an October kind of girl, so I am always on the lookout for the perfect card for her. If only I had an owl and an idea how to work it in -- this would have been final in my eyes. All the same, I like how it came out. 

The stamps are from Stampin' Up, which I stamped (lightly in the case of the wreath) with chocolate ink before coloring with my markers. The papers (some from the Authentique paper pack) I trimmed and tore to make strips. I embossed one of those strips, plus a punched circle, in a burlap-feeling pattern. After adding the little bow paperclip to my wreath, I popped the whole thing up with Joy! foam pads.

Floral Fall Gratitude

This week for the  CCNS Challenge - #106 Colors of Fall - I went with another clean and simple design -- my personal preference. Of course it ended up a thank you -- as the mom of a young family, I find myself with a lot to be thankful for, and a whole team of people I need to thank early and often from Team Mom!

I started with a chocolate card base, then used Tim Holtz distress inks to make a fall oranges and golds panel. I ran that through with a Spellbinders floral background die. Next, I popped up (with Joy! foam pads) an embossed panel with flourishes that seemed to tie my floral backer and swirly sentiment together, plus add depth and visual interest. Finally, I added some orange bling (texture, pattern, color, shine isn't just "What to Wear!)... and I was done.

The inside seemed a little plain, so I die cut a flower out of it and added a tiny bit more bling...

Blooming Poinsettias

This week I'm playing in CCNS Challenge #105 Holly Days. I've been making all kinds of different Christmas cards already, so I was excited for a new idea. Last year I made the same card over and over for everyone-- and that lost ALL the fun of crafting, so this year I'm doing it differently. I just hope I don't run out of ideas in only one year!

For this CAS card, I started with some fun red and green patterned papers, used the Blooming Poinsettia die by Poppy Stamps, plus some leaves from the "Layered Poinsettia." I used Joy! foam squares to pop them up, then added my sentiment inside. Quick and simple.

Comfort from Friends

Awhile back I bought this poppy die from Memory box, and I have had far too many opportunities to use it already. (And please pray for my friends Rick and Bill, who are fighting hard themselves.)  That said, I pulled this card together pretty quickly I thought. The poppies were cut from paper I had sponged in a mix of brown and red Tim Holtz distress inks. To create visual interest and tie my colors together, I adhered these to a strip of pretty striped paper, which in turn was glued to an embossed chocolate layer over my white folder. The sentiment and chocolate ink were both from Stampin' Up!, which I die cut from  our daily bread designs ODBD lacy squares. Then I distressed the edges with tea dye and popped it up using small Joy! foam pads. Last, I added a few clear dewdrops.

This week I'm competing in:
ODBDSLC253 Color Challenge
Simon Says Wednesday Stamptember Challenge
Simon Says Monday Stamp and Punch/Die Cut Challenge
 

Merci Dogwood

This week, I'm competing in the CCNS Challenge #98, a color challenge. For my last attempt, I used all 5 colors, which was harder than I thought it would be, looking at the inspiration photo, which went so easily together. Turns out, it is very hard to get patterned papers to go together when they are not part of a set. I'm beginning to see more of the logic of those "expensive" sets! I pulled out my MFT blueprints-13 set to cut the stitched rectangle panel and the top layer of the tag. (The two backers for the tag were just fussy cut.) On the tag, I had stamped my Hero Arts dogwood in Stampin' Up Strawberry Slush ink then sponged around it with Jim Holtz mowed lawn and bundled sage. The French thanks is a Memory box sentiment I die cut. On the panel itself, I started with washi tape in all five colors. The remainder of the white panel was background stamped with flowers by Judith in the same strawberry ink. I adhered it all to a green folder, and there you have it.

Dandelion Joy

All three of my kids love dandelions, racing each other to find the best bouquet for mommy, and presenting their spoils to me as if they are the best thing in the world. I tried to capture that joy with my camera and my baby cakes. If you look closely, you can see she's surrounded by dandelions and has a full bucket.

When I saw this Quietfire Design stamped sentiment in a friend's collection, I could not resist turning the photo into a card. I stamped it with Jim Holtz mustard seed ink and distressed it with squeezed lemonade. I popped it up on a fishtail banner with Joy! foam pads.

I thought it would make a cute scene as if viewed from inside, so I used a Poppy stamps Grand Madison window over a chain link fence embossed panel in green. I then used punches from my stash to make the flowers and branches from some patterned yellow and green papers. The flowers were finished with either small pearls or orange "rock candy" embellishments.

This week, I'm competing in the CCNS Challenge #98, a color challenge, and the Citrus with a Twist challenge at Simon Says Monday (lemon and lime ahoy!).