Be The Most

Isn't this a cute card to give to a child (one of my grands) to encourage them to be a bright spot in someone's life?  I felt like coloring yesterday and also knew I wanted to use an image and sentiment about color.  This is an image and sentiment by a company no longer in business.

The splashes and splotches of color are stamps from a Joy Clair stamp set done with Distress Oxide inks.  The cup and contents are colored with Copics and Prisma pencils, cut with Elizabeth Crafts Stitched Oval die.
The tag is cut with a Spellbinder die.
MFT Sketch:

Challenges:

MFT Color Challenge 

 MFT Sketch
Simon Wednesday - layers
House that Stamps Built - anything
Scrapyland - anything
Time Out - each day is a gift. open, celebrate, enjoy
Word Art Wednesday - anything
7 Kids - anything
Daily Marker - 30 days color challenge
CardzTV - anything

Coloring For Fun

Most of the cards I have made lately have had little if no coloring.  I took some time yesterday to sit and color with Copics and Prisma Pencils and using a new stamp set from Joy Clair.

I love the colors at the MFT color challenge so I used those for this whimsy bouquet.  After coloring the flowers and jar, I cut out a jar from a window sheet to put on top the stamped jar.
I used a Spellbinder die for cutting the rounded rectangle.  The banner is MFT die.
 The sketch :

Challenges:
MFT sketch
MFT color challenge

Simon Wednesday - layers
Daily Marker - 30 day coloring challenge
Cardz TV - anything
7 Kids - anything 

Hug In A Mug

Another Valentines.  Love this rosy patterned paper for the background.  I found another piece of paper (dots) in my stash that blended well too.

I used (but tweaked) one of the sketches/ card maps at Power Poppy, putting the sentiment on a ribbon below the square. 

The sentiment is a Stamploration die which I used to cut out some metallic gold paper.  The same paper is used behind the heart on the cup and behind the white square.  The cup, steam, and heart on front of the cup are cut with the Silhouette.  The dotted heart behind the cup is a die by an unknown company.
The cup is popped up with dimensional tape.  The ribbon, which has a sheen to it IRL, is recycled from a Christmas present.
I really love how this turned out; the photo does not do it justice as is so often the case.

Challenges:
Crop Stop - anything
CardzTV - anything
Power Poppy - use page maps
Simon Wednesday - layers
Cutploration - colors in photo

Stamploration Never Ending challenge

The House That Stamps Built - anything

Casing From Pinterest

I pinned a card quite some time ago so as I was looking through my collection, I saw this and knew it was a good Valentine to make this year.  Using Kraft for the envelopes, it could go to a boy or girl but I wanted it for a "non-frilly" granddaughter.   I used a Darice Hearts embossing folder to add a little feminine touch.

Each little card fits into each envelope so the flaps will be shut when received.
The red letters, and double heart are all Cuttlebug dies.
Making these cute little envelopes was another "new" for me.  I am on a roll so far this year with trying new things.  Having fun venturing out into the unknown!

Challenges:
Tuesday Thowdown - anything
Time Out - Each day is a gift. Open, celebrate, enjoy.
Crop Stop - anything 
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Dies R Us - cards for kids
CardzTV - anything
Simon Wednesday - layers

Pop Out Valentine

Here is one of my "try a new technique" cards.

I used one of the card maps at Power Poppy.

I like the outside with the washi tape, funky paper, and die cut hearts but the inside is the really fun part I had never tried before:

Eight panels of the heart attached in the middle of two full hearts. 
The sentiment on the front is cut out with a SU punch.

Challenges:
Power Poppy - pagemaps
Tuesday Throwdown - anythimg
Simon Wednesday - add a sentiment
CardzTV - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Joy Clair - pop out card

If You Mustache

Valentines for the men in my life - difficult.  S this year I am giving 5 sons (and SIL's) the same card.  Well, not the SAME card - haha .  I made 5 of the same type of card.  I had already made a card for one SIL or else he would get the same type too.  Making the same card five times definitely simplified things.  And besides, I like this card so much I decided, "Why not give them all the same?"

I started with heart shapes on the computer and then added the mustache digital stamp (Doodle Pantry).  I originally wanted to cut the hearts out and have the mustache over the negative space but I wasn't willing to fussy cut all those mustaches (15 in all).  Second choice was to us a Copic and draw a line of color within the heart shape.  (If you can outline something, can you inline it?)
The sentiment is my own also done on the computer and then cut out with a Spellbinder die.
The background paper is Doodle Pantry.  Black fiber ribbon is from the Kraft Outlet.
Distress ink is Tim Holtz Tea Dye.
The hardest part of this card was lining up the hearts and spacing them and the mustaches equally.
Because I could make only 4 cards with one sheet of BG paper (8 x 10),  I printed a darker version for my second sheet.  Here is that card:

I like both of them.  Here is the inside which I also printed on the computer and then just added astamped  SU heart.

And the sketch I used for the front of the card is at Sketch Saturday.

Challenges:
Sketch Saturday
Cuttlebug - valentines
Scrapyland - spellbinder
Tuesday Throwdown - distress
Stamploration - stamps and curves
Stamploration CAS

7 kids - anything
Daily Marker - 30 day challenge
Simon Wednesday - add a sentiment

Multi-tasking Glitch

Sometimes when I talk to a certain person on the phone, I do other things while I listen because actually I don't do much talking, just listening.  The tendency for this person is to go on and on and also to repeat a lot.  So while I was listening yesterday, I was also browsing through other blogs.  I saw this cute idea, thinking I would come back to it.  That is where the glitch came in - I couldn't remember what blog I saw the idea on.  So take note that this is not my original idea and I know the card I saw yesterday was cuter than mine.  This one is okay but I liked the other one better.
Win some, lose some.  I think my three year old grandson will like it though.

Stitched heart dies are an unknown company.  The circle for the head is one of the Circle Stax dies by MFT Die-namics.  Glasses are Impression Obsession. Clouds are Memory Box and MFT. Grass is really an Icicle die by MFT which I love using for grass.

Challenges:
Dies R Us - cards for kids
Cuttlebug Mania - Valentines
Simon Wednesday - add a sentiment
Stamploration - curves and stamps
Scrapyland - anything

From My Heart

Finished with the Valentines for the grands, now onto the adults.  I'll try to post some of the cards for the kids soon - maybe it will give you some ideas.  But for now, here is a card using two new Reverse Confetti sets that I was fortunate enough to win.

 The roses were stamped with Tim Holtz Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide ink then colored with Copics.  The top rose and several of the leaves and fern twigs are cut with the corresponding dies.
Leaves and sentiment are stamped with SU Artichoke.  The edges of the white panel are lightly distressed with Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Ink and Artichoke.
Sketch:

Challenges:
MFT - sketch
Simon Wednesday - add a sentiment
Tuesday Throwdown - distressing
Daily Marker - 30 day challenge
Cuttlebug - Valentines Day
Work It Wednesday - new stamp set and dies
Stamploration - theme: stamp and curves
7 Kids - anything

Twist Pop Up Card

With my goal of challenging myself to stretch and try new ideas for paper crafting, I have found some wonderful ideas and as many wonderful tutorials.  Thank goodness for the videos ; they are   the most helpful for me.   Here is one card idea that I tried and it was so fun to make.   If you want to make one, just look up Twist Pop Up cards.  There are several great videos.

How fun is this?

Front of the card:
Stampin' Up stamp, Die-namic Circle Stax dies, Cuttlebug heart dies, copics, miscellaneous patterned paper Stampin' Up Vanilla cardstock, Power Poppy January Page Map

Inside: Stampin' Up stamps, other company stamps, Copics, Distress Oxide ink, Prisma pencils
Score Tape

Daily Marker - 30 day challenge
Simon Wednesday - use patterned paper
CardzTV - anything
Power Poppy - January Page Maps
Deep Oceans - something new
7 Kids - anything

Some Cards for the Guys

Still working on Valentines.  It is a real challenge to come up with guy cards for eight grandsons.
This first card was inspired by several blog challenges.

The penguin and sentiment are digital stamps by Doodle Pantry.  The sketch is one of the January sketches at Power Poppy. 
I used  Copics and Prisma pencils to color in the penguin.
Dies are Spellbinder.
Paper - Echo Park

Challenges:
Simon Monday - winter blues
Die Cuttin Divas - penquins
CardzTV - anything
Dies R Us - anything goes
Power Poppy - page map

The next card is super CAS
Patterned paper, ribbon, and die cut by Stamplorations. 

Challenges:
Simon Wednesday - use patterned paper
Stamploration - CAS

Stamploration - never ending challenge

Trying Something New

While going through a few blog hops recently, one of the questions asked was what are your goals for 2018.  I never give that much thought at the beginning of each year but these blogs made me ponder that question.  So one of the crafting goals for this year is to try some new techniques and make some items that are not cards.  So....
I loved making these.  Easier than I thought they would be and what a cute gift.
This is the first one which I am keeping in my kitchen. It seems I can never find a piece of paper and pen when I want one in there. 

The blue cardstock is old 12 x 12 that is just sitting around because I don't do any scrapbooking any more.  The pretty patterned paper is heavy designer paper that someone gave me as they were downsizing their craft stash.  The sentiment is a digital stamp that I colored with copics to match the colors on the paper and I backed it with a MFT stitched rectangle.  The flower embellishment is a Silhouette flower in my left over stash.  I adhered a black pearl to three flowers.
Here is the inside:

And here is the second one I made that I will give away to a DIL just for the fun of it.

The flowers on this one are Verve stamps which I stamped and embossed with white EP and then cut with the corresponding dies by Verve.
Fun project.  I know I will make more.
Challenges:
Simon Wednesday - use patterned paper
Cardz TV - anything
Cut It Up - something new
Cuttlebug Mania - flowers
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Deep Oceans - something new
Dies R Us - anything goes
Words 2 Craft By - And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.
 Crop Stop - anything
7 Kids - anything

Valentine in Browns

Each year I challenge myself to make 26 different, individual valentines.  The ones for the guys are the hardest. 

I wanted to use colors that would lend themselves to the more masculine look.  I love the polka dot paper but it is impossible to match color-wise to any cardstock I have so I went with maroon accents.
The stamp in the center of the card is Unity.  After I stamped it in brown, I hand stitched the edges with a Prisma pencil and then used Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Distress Oxide ink, masking the letter rectangles.  "You" die is Simon Says. 
Sketch is MFT:

Challenges:
MFT sketch
Simon Wednesday - use patterned paper
Cardz TV - anything
Dies R Us - anything
7 Kids - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything 

A Sweet Valentine

I am having some fun making Valentines and trying some colors other than just pink and red.

The sketch is MFT:

Gummy bears and gum drops - SU All Wrapped Up
Conversation hearts - ? at Michaels
You are so sweet - Doodle Pantry digital stamp
Embossing folder - Darice
Tag die - Spellbinder
Heart die - Whitelotous
Ink - Tim Holtz Distress Oxide 

Challenges:
MFT sketch
7 Kids - anything
Cardz TV - anything
Scrapy Land - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Dies R Us - anything
Crop Stop - anything

Pretty in Pink

Lot's of R and R yesterday.  It felt good (especially with electricity for heat, cooking, and internet). 
This card took a few hours to make but I like how it turned out and now I have 2 Valentine cards made.  24 to go.

I used the sketch at MFT again.

The hearts are cut out with a no name stitched hearts die set. Each heart is popped up with dimensional tape. The stitching around the card was drawn with a white gen pen.  The sentiment is from the Cardz TV stamp set "Love Ya".  I used to say this to my daughter when she was young.  So this card will be for her.

Happy New Year to each of you.

Challenges:
MFT - sketch
Simon Says Wednesday  - anything
Cardz TV - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything