Saturday, March 31, 2018

Plastic Blocks Galore

Several years ago, I purchased at a garage sale a child's suitcase filled with big plastic tinker toys.  I also picked up some large legos (duplos) and just recently a big tub of mega blocks from a second hand store.  These are the most played with items in the toy room.  My grandsons are only in the house a few minutes before hauling them out onto the floor.
Because I made a card for one grandson, I knew I needed to make one for each in the family so here is another very simple card going to the next youngest in the family:
 The pre-colored image is by Pink Gem. (I added a mouth)
Sketch:
Stars are cut out with a Verve die.
I wanted to include all the colors of the legos.  By bordering the image with pieces of red and blue, I could pull it off using the yellow and green for background and base. 

Challenges:
Simon Monday - inside the box
Simon Wednesday - anything
House that Stamps Built - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything

Friday, March 30, 2018

A Few Simple Cards

Even though my energy level is still low, at least I am coloring and making a few cards - nothing spectacular,  just simple designs.
My little four year old grandson called me on the phone the other day.  He said he just wanted to talk to grandma.  Be still my heart!  He and his three brothers live on the other side of the state so I decided to make cards for them.  Here is the one I made for the one who called:
I told you the ones this week are simple!
The image, a digital stamp by Paper Makers, was colored with Copics and then fussy cut.  Popped up with dimension tape.  Sentiment is by the same company.
Sketch:
Challenges:
Simon Monday - inside the box
Simon Wednesday - anything
Time Out - photo inspiration
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Joy Clair - anything
MFT - sketch challenge


Thursday, March 29, 2018

Bitten By More Than One Bug

What a lousy 11 days I have just come through - head cold and then the flu.  Even though the symptoms are lessening, I am still not up to par.  Until yesterday, all I could do was sit in the recliner and sleep, listen to an audio book then sleep some more.  Walking to another room and back wore me out.   My head hurt so much I didn't want to read, watch a movie, look at the computer.  My husband knew I was sick because I didn't even want to do any cardmaking or even coloring! 
Yesterday I could tell I turned a corner and even though I still feel punky, I at least have a desire to be in my craft room for a while.  So here is a card I made (I already had the Power Poppy image colored) using the new sketch at MFT.
I cut out the image, which is colored with Copics, with a Spellbinder  Lacey Square die.  The sentiment (GKD) is cut out with another Spellbinder die.  I sponged the edges of both cuts with Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Ink.
Sketch:
Challenges:
MFT sketch 
Work It Wednesday - inking
Deep Ocean - spring
Joy Clair - anything
Simon Wednesday - anything
House that Stamps Built - anything
Power Poppy - inspired by fabric
Stamplorations theme - spring
Word Art Wednesday - anything

Sunday, March 18, 2018

New and Fun

It was so beautiful yesterday so I worked in the flower beds cleaning out old stems, weeds, and generally overdoing it (which didn't take much after winter inactivity.)  But it sure felt good.  When it was past time to quit for the day, the mail was delivered and my new Hero Arts stamp set came.  I could hardly wait to clean up and start stamping.  Oh, I love this set!  So fun to play with.
I made several of these little gals with different colors, different skirt styles.  I think I will be spending a lot of time playing with this set!
Here is a pic of the set:
 The flowers are cut with a Cuttlebug die.  The sentiment is cut with a Spellbinder tag die.
 Sketch - Tuesday Morning 

 Challenges:
Simon Monday - spring
Scrapyland - anything
Cuttlebug Mania - spring
MFT Color Challenge

Words 2 Craft By - I am a Woman
Stamplorations - spring theme
Work It Wednesday - lots of green
Power Poppy - inspired by fabric
Time Out - birthdays - full of sunshine, love, and laughter

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Welcome Baby

I don't make very many baby cards and don't have many stamps for them but I do have this stamp set that I have had for years and never used.  I have never like solid stamps because I never seem to get a nice solid color but now with the Misti, I can re-stamp as many times as I need to get the results I want.
After I stamped and put the card together, I decided I wanted more dimension so I stamped all the clothing items again, fussy cut them and then glued them onto the original images.
The oval is cut with an Elizabeth Crafts Design Stitched Oval.
Sketch - flipped:

Challenges:
MFT sketches 
Work It Wednesday - green
Joy Clair - anything
Pattie's Creations - green
Power Poppy -  inspired by fabric

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Glimpses of Spring

Still waiting for Spring around here.  We get teased with a few beautiful, sunny, warm days then back to gray, rain, cold.  But we know Spring is coming and before long we will be complaining about being to hot in the summer!
Using up some printed and stamped pieces.  I had this little gal by From the Heart printed up from last year.

Using the Tuesday Morning Sketch as my guide, I cut out the words with the Stamploration die cuts.
Distress oxide around the edges (spritzed with water just for the fun of it!)

Challenges:
Simon Monday - spring
Simon Wednesday - spring/Easter photo inspiration
Cuttlebug Mania - spring
MFT - color challenge
Stamploration Theme - spring
Stamploration Anything Goes
Joy Clair - anything goes/spring photo inspiration
Power Poppy - fabric inspiration
sketch:

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Have A Blast

What a cute stamp this is for a boy's birthday.  Perfect for the sketch at MFT this week.   Inside:  It's Your Birthday.  Have a Blast!"

The rubber stamp is by 2 Cute stamps.  I colored the image with Copics.
Background paper is from a DCWV paper stack, All About Boys. 
Silver Stars are cut from silver metallic paper with a Verve Die.
So easy but I sometimes need easy!

Challenges:
MFT sketch:

Word Art Wednesday - anything
Cardz TV - anything

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Just Open The Door

Some of you will appreciate this post, others will ignore it, some will even be offended by it (the latter being the reaction of our times) but I am thoroughly and completely thrilled for being on the launch team for a newly released book, Just Open The Door.

For the past few years I have been getting serious about listening and obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit. (I told you some of you would be offended)  I am almost 70 and I have wasted so many years. I can't go back in time but I can go forward.  One of the things God is impressing upon my heart is to take care of the widows.  The other thing is to open my home, to be hospitable.  I'm very uncomfortable with both.  So I knew the Lord was getting my attention, once again, when I was offered the chance to promote a book, Just Open The Door.   I knew I needed this book.  Oh, boy, did I need this book!  And I must say, I am loving it.  Easy to read.  Practical help. The author is real - shares the good and bad.  A "yes you can" approach.
Would you like to read the first few chapters for free?
Jen Schmidt, the author, has provided a free sampler.  Go HERE now.  It will encourage you; it will inspire you.    You are going to LOVE it.
Come back and share with me your first impressions after reading the first chapter.

Green and Gold

Here is my second St. Patrick's Day Card.

Even after photographing this from several angles, in different light sources, I still could not capture some of the true greens.  The background pattern paper is really more green than the photo shows.  The edges are sponged with Green Pistachio distress ink.  All the cut outs were done with the Silhouette except for the gold circle.  It was cut out with one of the Die-namic Circle Stax dies.
The shamrock is two layers, the top lighter green popped up with dimensionals.  The beautiful gold trimmed sticker in the middles is from a package of puffy stickers I purchased at the dollar store.
Here is the inside of the card:
The colored shamrocks are digital images by Doodle Pantry.  The line drawn shamrocks from Vanilla Arts (coloring practice sheet).

Challenges:
Die Cuttin Divas - green
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Die Cut Divas - monochromatic
Work It Wednesday - green
Joy Clair - anything
Power Poppy - inspired by fabric



Friday, March 9, 2018

Going Green

It's that time of year again when I make two cards for St. Patrick's Day.  We aren't Irish so it is amusing to me that one of my daughters loves this day.  And now her hubby expects a St Patty's Day card too.  (He is my biggest fan of my card making so I make sure he gets plenty of cards! haha)


I love this leprechaun .  He is by Dearie Dolls.  There is an outline and a colored version but I love to color so I used the outline and colored him with Copics.
Those adorable shamrock stickers I found at the Dollar store.  Background paper is textured cardstock from my stash.
Sketch:
I usually put a humorous Irish blessing on the inside of the card.  This time I just went with "going green"
The shamrocks are digital images by Doodle Pantry.

Challenges:
Time Out - bold
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Work It Wednesday - green
Joy Clair - anything
Patties Creations - green
Power Poppy - inspired by fabric

MFT Sketch
MFT color challenge
 
Stamploration Theme - Spring

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Several Fun Techniques

Every once in awhile a card comes together nicely . All the colors work together, the layout is proportioned right, the techniques turned out.  I am happy to report that I am happy with this card.  👧
It actually turned out better than I hoped for !

After embossing the white card stock, I sponged a little bit of Sahara Sand ink on the raised images.  Also sponged some on the edges of the sentiment oval.  The vertical strip is rubbed with Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide ink. The lovely ecru lace is from my mom's stash of lace.  I cut out the butterfly from Stampin'Up! Sahara Sand cardstock with a Birch Press die then rubbed a bit of distress ink in the center of the butterfly.  Card base is same cardstock.
Challenges:

Simon Wednesday - girly
All Sorts Challenge - ladies only
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Dies R Us - pastels
Stamploration Theme - spring
 
Power Poppy - fabric inspiration board

Joy Clair - anything
Deep Oceans - shabby/chic


Monday, March 5, 2018

More Spring Inspiration

For today's card I used the same Stamploration stamp, embossed with white and colored with Copics but with a different sketch.
I used the same M-bossabilities folder but this is the other side. (The Spellbinder M-bossabilites embossing folders have two designs in one folder.)
Sketch is MFT:
Challenges:
MFT sketch
Simon Wednesday - anything
All Sorts Challenge - Ladies only
Cuttlebug Mania - ribbon and bow
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Joy Clair - anything (photo inspiration)

Saturday, March 3, 2018

Ready For Spring

Are you ready?  I am so ready for warmer temps and flowers. While making this card, I wasn't sure what sentiment I was going to use but after coloring these pretty daffodils, it had to be "spring".

The sketch is Tuesday Morning sketch:
The stamp which is Stamploration is stamped with VersaMark and then embossed with winter white EP. Flowers are colored with Copics.   The background is embossed with a Spellbinder M-bossabilities folder which I inked before embossing.
Yellow vine under the sentiment is a MFT vine.

Challenges:
Simon Monday - in my garden
Tuesday Morning Sketch 
Simon Wednesday - anything
House that Stamps Built - anything
Cuttlebug Mania - ribbon and bows
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Dies R Us - pastels
Die Cut Divas - monochromatic
Joy Clair - anything

Friday, March 2, 2018

Lil' Cowboy WannaBe

Now that I have all the birthday and anniversary cards made for March, I can take time to make some cards just for fun, some of those going to children's hospitals and the church.
Because I have been stamping for many years, I have a plethora of stamps that don't get used much.  The stamp I used on this card always makes me smile (I'm sorry I forget what company.  If you know, please put it in the comment section so I can label it and give credit when I use it. Thanks.)


After coloring this lil' cowboy with Copics, I cut the image out with one of the MFT Die-namic Circle Stax dies then backed it with another circle of dark brown.
The sketch:
 Challenges:
Tuesday Morning Sketch
Simon Wednesday - anything goes
The House That Stamps Built - anything goes
Time Out - BOLD (red woodgrain)
Cuttlebug Mania - ribbon and bows (burlap ribbon, raffia bow)
Word Art Wednesday - anything 
Joy Clair - anything goes