New Challenge at Paper Sweeties

It is my pleasure to be a guest designer this month at Paper Sweeties.  Here is the photo for this month's photo inspiration challenge.

And here is my take:

 

I have had these fabric vines forever.  After stamping a GKD stamp with brown ink onto the middle of the Vanilla cardstock  (yes, I know it looks white in the photo), I tediously glued the vines, one leaf at a time, in a circle around the stamped image.  The beautiful ribbon is hand dyed seam binding (oatmeal), one of the many you can find at the Paper Sweeties store.  

A big Thank You to Debbie for having me as the guest designer.  It will be fun to see what each of you do with this month's photo. 

Challenges: 

Simon Wednesday - anything 

Penny's Paper Crafting - anything 

Cre8tive Hands - anything 

Word Art Wednesday - anything 

 

 

Do You Dig It?

Here is another card with the sketch from From the Heart.  So glad we did not have a dog that digs things up.  Our dog, whom we said goodbye to a few months ago, used to bury her doggie bones in the flower beds but never ruined a single plant. She was our pal for 15 years and was such a good dog.  I am afraid to get another one; not sure another dog could measure up.  But I sure miss her and especially now while working outside on the property.  But enough sad stuff.  On to the card.

Every once in awhile I make a one layer card (two if you count the base), so using Copics, I followed the sketch.  Image is From the Heart monthly digi.

 This card will go to Send A Smile 4 Kids.

Challenges:
From the Heart Sketch
From the Heart Digi of the month
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Simon Wednesday - anything
Cre8tive Hands - anything

Birthday Cutie

Focusing on birthday cards right now.  Most of them will go to SAS4Kids.   Here is one with one of those cute little girls by Pure Innocence (MFT).

After embossing the white panel with a Darice EF, I added several colors using Copics.  The sketch at Stamplorations was my layout inspiration.

the blackboard idea from the Paper Sweeties photo:

and the colors and HB2U from a Spotlight Project by Shirley at Stamplorations

Challenges:
Stamplorations -theme and sketch

Stamplorations Spotlight

Crop Stop - anything
Paper Sweeties - photo inspiration
Simon Wednesday - anything 
Word Art Wednesday - anything 

Rain, Rain, Go Away

It is supposed to be beautiful, sunshine weather this week.  Thank goodness. We have had enough rain for awhile.

This sketch is the weekly sketch at From the Heart.  I love the teams' cards and one in particular with this image by FTH.  I printed it onto digital paper by Doodle Pantry then colored her with the colors in the MFT challenge, adding yellow because she just had to have a yellow slicker!
Here is the sketch:

and here are the colors:

Challenges:
Simon Wednesday - rain or shine
From the Heart sketch
MFT colors
Crop Stop

Another Guy Card

Another birthday card and again for one of the guys in our family.

The image and sentiment are digital stamps by From the Heart.  Birdbrain is colored with Copics.  The flame is topped with Stickles.  The sketch (which I flipped) can also be found at From the Heart sketch.

The circles are cut with Di-namic Circle Stax and the tag is Spellbinder.

Challenges:
From the Heart sketch with masculine twist
Cre8tive Hands - anything
Send A Smile 4 Kids -  for boys
All Sorts - wings
Stamping Boutique -masculine

Potted Plant

One of the things in my stash that I have never used is the Spellbinders Flower Pots.  Oh, what fun.  Now that I have opened the package and used one, I know I will use them several times more this Spring. There are 5 sizes so I need to try each size.

I wanted lots of layers and lots of dimension so all the flowers and leaves (Fred She Said) are cut out with my Silhouette then glued on to the striped paper before adding the pot.
This card is really busy with all the patterned paper, colors, and layers but I like it!
Here is the sketch I used:

Challenges:
Die Cut Divas - Spring
Crop Stop - anything
Words 2 Craft By - rebirth
Craftin Deserts - colors
Tuesday Throwdown - colors
Time Out - CASE

Coffee Card

Every time the Coffee Lovers have their blog hop, I hop along and enter a few cards.  I wasn't going to enter this time because I have quite a bit going on right now and behind on birthday cards that I need to make.  But I need a thank you card for one of my sons who roasted some coffee for us this past weekend.  Love his fresh roasted beans!

 I used the pre-colored digital stamp (by Doodle Pantry) of the coffee mill, changing the color of the wood pieces and the silver pieces with Copics.  I used the pre-colored because I needed the colored beans - I don't have the right Copics for that.  The words and steam are GKD stamps.  Even after adding the distressing, it seemed to plain so I did some paper piercing in the corners adding a black pearl at the tip.
Here is the sketch that I used:

Challenges:
Coffee Lovers Blog Hop
Stamplorations Sketch
Paper Sweeties - photo inspiration
Simon Monday - food or drink

Spring Colors

Loving all the colors popping out - trees, hyacinths, daffodils, heather, primroses.  It is still really wet so I can't do much in the flower beds and nothing in the garden area, but I can enjoy all the colors.
I hardly ever use the purple family but I am challenging myself this year and one of those areas is to use colors I normally don't use.
Here is a card I made with all rubber stamps.  I know - shock!  - no digital stamps.  And I must admit, it was fun to create this.  It is hard to remember back to pre-digital days!

The stamps are all Stampin' Up.  This beautiful ribbon and paper flower are from a winners package from Little Scrap Pieces.  Love this seam binding ribbon!  I added liquid pearls to the center of the pink flowers and purple Stickles to the purple and teal flowers.
My inspiration for this card was found at Time Out.

Challenges:
Time Out - CASE
Stamping Boutique -countdown to spring
Crop Stop - anything
Craftin Deserts - colors
Tuesday Throwdown - colors
Stamplorations - theme (Stamp and Texture)

Fun Coloring Day

We have had company all weekend.  Love my kids and their kids but wow, are those three grandsons active!  So after they left today, I headed to my craft room.  I know I should have swept and vacuumed, and cleaned, but it felt so good to sit down and color. There is always tomorrow to clean, right?

I am loving the daffodils and narcissus in the yards and fields so that is what I chose to color plus I love the colors for the MFT color challenge this week.

This is a digital stamp by Doodle Pantry.  It comes in both colored and outline.  Because I wanted (needed) to color, I chose the outline and colored with Copics.  The background designer paper comes with the set, Daffodil Sweet Pea.
The image is cut with MFT Circle Stax. 

The sketch is MFT

Challenges:
Cre8tive Hands - anything
Creative Moments - anything
MFT Color challenge 
Die Cut Divas - spring
Simon Says Work It Wednesday - floral
Crop Stop - anything
Stamplorations CAS 

MFT sketch challenge
Doodle Pantry - AIMP challenge 

Son's Birthday

Love this Bugaboo image.  Very fun for my son in his 40's.

Colored with Copics.  BG paper is Diane's Daydream Design digital paper.  The gears are all cut with First Edition Craft dies.   Liquid glaze is added to the glasses.
Here is the inside (also Bugaboo):

Birthday sentiment is stamped.
The sketch is Sketch Saturday: (Edit:  Well, I did it again! I forgot to post this so I couldn't enter it in the Sketch Saturday challenge but I like the sketch anyway!)

Challenges:


Creative Moments- anything
Creative Hands - anything
Send A Smile 4 Kids - boys
Stamplorations theme - texture

St. Patty's Day

Each year I make ONE St. Patrick's Day card.  For some reason my daughter loves that day (even though we are not Irish). So I make her a card and usually use some funny Irish "blessing".  When I saw the inspiration photo at Paper Sweeties, I knew that was the "blessing" for this year.

So here is the card I came up with:

using the sketch at MFT:

This card went together quickly because the strips are perforated strips from a kit.  I just left them  attached to each other and glued on the whole piece. The shamrocks and far right strip are sparkly (like glitter) have a rough texture to them.  Originally I was thinking of a different coffee cup image but love this Bugaboo and thought it went with the quote better.  It is colored with Copics.  The extra shamrock is fussy cut and the foil heart was in my stash.
Here is how I printed up the quote on the inside:

The heart is stamped.




Challenges:
MFT Sketch
MFT colors
Pile It On - green + two colors (yellow and brown)
V's Sweet Ideas - lady luck
Paper Sweeties - photo inspiration
Simon Wednesday - bit of green

Spring For Ewe

While I was looking for a stamp in my Bugaboo file, I saw this one so I just had to take a detour to make this card first before the birthday card I was planning on making.

Isn't this just a kick?! Because I just loved this scene, I made it card size and just added the sentiment with a Spellbinder tag die cut and brads.

Challenges:
MFT colors

Pile It On - green + 2 colors
Cuttlebug Mania - Welcome Spring
Stamplorations CAS optional yellow

Crop Stop - anything
Send A Smile 4 Kids - spring colors
Simon Wednesday - bit of green
Time Out Thursday - spring

Time to Plant

Well, almost.  It is warm enough but not dry enough yet.
This is the first time I have used this darling Pure Innocence stamp from MFT.  So cute.

I used the sketch at Stamplorations

The stamp used behind the little girl image is a Unity stamp.  Flowers and girl are colored with Copics.
The image was cut with a Die-namics Stax Rectangle and then the image cut a bit smaller.

Challenges:
Send A Smile 4 Kids - spring colors
Cuttlebug Mania - welcome spring
MFT - colors
Paper Creators - spring colors
Simon Work It Wednesday - floral
Crop Stop - anything
Stamploration - CAS optional-yellow

Stamploration - sketch
Simon Wednesday - bit of green
Time Out Thursday - spring

Mom's Birthday

My mom will be 93 next week.  Still lives alone in her big ole house.  She has had medical problems ever since I can recall - polio, extreme whiplash which resulted in a body case, broken knee cap, broken toes, broken arm, broken hip, several surgeries, macular degeneration casing blindness in one eye.  And yet she keeps on truckin.  Her biggest complaint is "I just don't have any energy!  Do you think it is because I am getting older?"
She likes fancy and since that is not my style, I struggle with cards for her.  Even though this card isn't over the top fancy and glitzy, I think she will like it.

I cased this beautiful card that I saw on Pinterest.  Love the browns and touch of pink but wanted a brighter card and went with yellows and greens.

The embossing is a Cuttlebug Folder.  I didn't have enough pearls so I used some drops that I had made by melting Perler Beads and then used some liquid pearl of the same color.
The vine is Cherry Lynn.  I added touches of Copic to the Prima flower.  Sentiment is GKD.

Scrapyland - anything
Cuttlebug Mania - Spring
Die Cut Divas - Spring
Paper Creators - Spring
Simon Work It Wednesday - floral
Simon Wednesday - texture
Crop Stop - anything
Craftin Deserts - lots of layers
Stamploration - theme: stamps and texture

Anniversary Cards

Last year I started making duplicate cards.  Up to that point, I tried to make each card different for valentines and anniversaries going to my children.  But now with all six children married, I decided it was time that they all get the same design for their anniversary cards.  So here is the card for this year:

I haven't made very many easel cards but I enjoy making them when I take the time to do them.  The layers are dark brown, rose pink, and dark tan with the inside being ivory.
The tan is embossed with a wood grain Darice EF.  The circles are cut with Die-namic Circle Stax dies and the hearts are Cuttlebut dies.

On the inside I stamped Happy Anniversary on a piece of ivory and then attached it to the rose cardstock that I had punched with a Recollections border punch.

The tree is a digital image by Eureka which I printed in brown and then added brown and pink Copics.
So many of the trees in this area are in bloom with beautiful pink blossoms - my inspiration for this card.  Some of the heart blossoms have a touch of clear star ink.  After I decided to use the tree, I found the quote which I printed on ivory and put on the inside of the card.
It is not a super fancy card but I like it and the men might like it better than a frilly, girly card.

Challenges:
Cre8tive Hands Friends - use a digital image
Scrapyland - anything
Dies R Us - shaped card
Cuttlebug Mania - welcome Spring
Paper Creators - Spring colors
Die Cut Divas - Spring
Craftin Deserts - lots of layers
Tuesday Throwdown - frame it
Simon Wednesday - texture
Stamplorations - theme