2014 March »

really gradient love

Mar 302014

Just a quick post here to share a card I’ve made for the AEIHeartU challenge. They want to see gradient/ombre colors, so I’ve chosen some shades of blue to carry that out. I could have used pink and red to go along with the love theme, but that seemed too obvious, so I went with something different. I think this stamp set is a fun one with its little words with the carets to add some adjectives and adverbs!

Challenge 3

Thanks for visiting my blog today! Comments are always read and appreciated.

Supplies:
Stamps: Handwritten Notes (Avery Elle)
Cardstock: Pure Luxury Ivory (Gina K. Designs); Soft Sky, Baja Breeze, Blue Bayou, Not Quite Navy (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Not Quite Navy (SU)
Other: heart from Icon Fill in the Blank Die set (AE)

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - March Pick a Previous challenge

12 Responses »

Mar 292014

Hello! It’s the fifth Saturday of the month, which means that at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown, it’s Pick a Previous week! Since I’m hosting the challenges this month, I had the opportunity to choose exactly what type of “previous” to use for inspiration, and I’ve chosen Previous Colors. Go to the 52{C}CT site, click on the “Colour Combos Archive” tab, and select one of the 25+ color combinations to use in creating your Christmas or wintry card.

I’ve chosen the July 2012 combo for my card: black and white with a splash of blue. This gave me the chance to use this cute penguin stamp again. I colored his scarf blue and stamped some blue snowflakes on the background panel. The layout for this card is from the current Freshly Made Sketches challenge, and I’ve squished it into a rectangle.

Which color combination will you choose? Link your creation at the 52{C}CT site by 1:00 p.m. Eastern time/6:00 p.m. GMT Friday, April 4. We’d really appreciate it if you join us! Thanks for stopping by here today.

Supplies:
Stamps: Warm Penguin (Lizzie Anne Designs for Gourmet Rubber Stamps); Kissmas & Mistletoe (Unity Stamp Company)
Cardstock: Basic Black, Ballet Blue, Whisper White (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento); Ballet Blue (SU)
Other: markers (Copic); standard circle and petite scalloped circle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders)

CAS - Colours and Sketches #67 (a/k/a dynamic sketchy butterflies)

3 Responses »

Mar 272014

Today’s card combines the sketch for this week’s CAS – Colours and Sketches challenge with the colors from the Dynamic Duos challenge that’s about to end. I’ve taken the liberty of turning the sketch on its side. The butterflies were stamped, fussy cut, and then attached to the card panel, with the bodies glued directly onto the panel and the wings popped up with dimensional adhesive.

Thanks for stopping by today! Be sure to check out what the rest of the CAS – Colours and Sketches Design Team has made. Then show us your own take on the sketch! Link your card at the challenge site by 1:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, April 2. We’d love to have you join us!

Supplies:
Stamps: Priceless (Stampin’ Up); Tag Lines (Gina K. Designs)
Cardstock: Soft Sky, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pale Plum (SU)
Other: dimensionals (SU)

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - March stash challenge

8 Responses »

Mar 222014

Hello! It’s Stash Challenge week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown, where we invite you to use products you probably already own in creating your Christmas or wintry card. This week we want to see what you can create with dimensional paper flowers. The flowers on your card can be store bought, or you can create them with your cardstock and punches or dies. You could even stamp a flower and then cut it out to give it some dimension. Simply using a floral patterned paper isn’t going to count for this challenge.

I’ve had these paper poinsettias for a good seven years or so, never really knowing exactly when or how to use them. When I came up with this challenge idea, I told myself that I was finally going to use them. I kept my card clean and simple to keep the focus on the poinsettias and the sentiment. The card base is textured cardstock, to give the card a little more interest, but I’m not sure how well that shows in the photo. The tiny pearls started out white, but I colored them with a pale yellow Copic marker to make them look a little more realistic.

Be sure to visit the rest of the 52{C}CT Design Team members’ blogs and give them a little blog love! They’ve done a super job with this challenge! Then show us what you can do by linking your own card to the challenge post. You have until 1:00 p.m. Eastern time Friday, March 28 to share your card with us. We’d love to have you join in our fun and creativity!

Supplies:
Stamp: Christmas Messages (Stampin’ Up)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Kraft, Whisper White textured (SU)
Ink: Crumb Cake (SU)
Other: poinsettias (Making Memories); half pearls (KaiserCraft); marker (Copic); petite oval Nestabilities die and Labels Six Nestabilities die (Spellbinders)

CAS - Colours and Sketches #66

3 Responses »

Mar 202014

Hello! It’s the third Thursday of the month, which means it’s color challenge time again at CAS – Colours and Sketches. I’ve created a birthday card that can be sent to pretty much any person of any age – making it a good choice for Operation Write Home. This card also works for the current Lawnscaping challenge.

Now it’s your turn to create a clean and simple styled card using these colors, and share it with us at the CAS – Colours and Sketches site! You have until 1:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, March 26 to link your card. We hope you’ll join us!

Supplies:
Stamps: So Much to Say (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Whisper White (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic)

dynamic floral vine

1 Response »

Mar 192014

Today’s card is a quick, clean and simple one using the colors for the current Dynamic Duos challenge. For the block behind the vine, I inked up the stamp with More Mustard, stamped it off on a piece of scrap paper, then “rock and rolled” the ink pad along the edges of the stamp to get the color variation. The tiny Prima flowers were a last minute decision, and I’m glad I went with it because they really do perk up the card. This card is going into my stash for Operation Write Home.

Thanks for stopping by today! Comments are always read and appreciated! 🙂

Supplies:
Stamps: The Art of Life (Stampin’ Up); Year Round Sentiments (Hero Arts)
Cardstock: More Mustard, Basic Black, Whisper White (SU)
Ink: More Mustard (SU); Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: flowers (Prima Marketing); mini brads (Recollections)

Cards in Envy - Anything Goes

2 Responses »

Mar 172014

You read that right – it’s Anything Goes challenge time at Cards in Envy! Any theme, any colors, any layout, it’s all good! So long as you create an A2 sized card with no lumpy, bumpy embellishments, anything goes! What a fantastic time for you to show us your creativity!

My card is a love-themed card suitable for Operation Write Home. It uses one of my favorite sketches from the OWH Stars & Stamps sketch archives and a lot of retired products. The color scheme came from the strip of designer paper. Even though there are several layers, not matting each layer keeps the card relatively flat.

If you need additional inspiration, please go check out the Cards in Envy site and see what the rest of the design team has made. Then create a card following our challenge guidelines and share it with us on the Cards in Envy site. We’d love to have you play along with us!

Supplies:
Stamps: Love is Like a Tree (Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps)
Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla, Berry Bliss designer series paper (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink, Purely Pomegranate (SU)

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - March theme challenge

9 Responses »

Mar 152014

This week is theme week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown. We’d like to see your Christmas or wintry cards showcasing stars!

My card was heavily inspired by the card my fellow design team member Gill made for the March sketch challenge. I loved the clean and simple style with the glittery stars. However, those of you who know me well know about my personal aversion to glitter, as well as Operation Write Home’s restrictions against using it on cards donated to them. Instead of glitter, I reached for my metallic cardstock. I didn’t want to copy Gill’s card exactly, so I’ve arranged the stars a bit differently and used a different sentiment. The tiny stars are brads.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the design team has made! Then show us what your stars look like! Link your starry card to the 52{C}CT site by 1:00 p.m. Eastern time/6:00 p.m. GMT Friday, March 21. We’d love to have you join in the fun and creativity with us!

Supplies:
Stamps: Christmas Messages (Stampin’ Up)
Cardstock: Pure Luxury White (Gina K. Designs); Brushed Gold, Brushed Copper (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Champagne (Encore)
Other: Stars dies (Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps); mini star brads (The Paper Studio)

sending love... and flowers

4 Responses »

Mar 142014

I haven’t had the chance lately to play along regularly in the Freshly Made Sketches challenges, but I really like the simplicity of the current sketch so I made sure to make time for it. I’ve combined it with the current AEIHeartU challenge to use embellishments. Putting some of my Prima flowers to use felt good! The brads also count as embellies. I used an embossing folder on the bright pink panel to keep the card from looking too plain. And there’s another card for my Operation Write Home stash.

Challenge 2

Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies:
Stamps: Fill in the Blank (Avery Elle)
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Pink Passion, Whisper White (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Pink Passion (SU)
Other: flowers (Prima Marketing); mini brads (Making Memories); Dot Matrix embossing folder (Sizzix)

CAS - Colours and Sketches #65 (a/k/a dynamic sketchy flower)

4 Responses »

Mar 132014

Hello! This week Louise has drawn up a simple clean and layered sketch for our challenge at CAS – Colours and Sketches. I’ve decided to combine it with the Dynamic Duos color challenge that ends today. The combination of sketch and color challenge provided me with a nice way to use this older designer paper. A flower from a retired stamp set seemed to coordinate well with it. The orientation of the flower made me feel that I should use the mirror image of the sketch, and put the vertical designer paper panel toward the right of the card. I decided to add a rhinestone to the center of the flower to give the card a wee bit of pizazz. The sentiment is one that is always in demand at Operation Write Home.

Be sure to visit the CAS – Colours and Sketches blog to see what the rest of the design team has done with this sketch. Then create your own card using the sketch as inspiration. Share it via the linky tool on the C&CS site by 1:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, March 19. We’d love to see what you make! 🙂

All supplies for today’s card are from Stampin’ Up.
Stamps: A Greeting for All Reasons, Three Little Words
Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Delicate Dots designer paper
Ink: Sahara Sand, Blushing Bride
Other: rhinestone

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - March color challenge

10 Responses »

Mar 082014

Hello! It’s color challenge week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown, and we have some yummy colors for you to use on a Christmas or wintry card. You need to choose at least three of the colors from the challenge graphic below. You’re welcome to add white, cream, black, gold, or silver as neutrals, but the challenge colors should be very obvious on your card.

I’ve chosen four of the six colors. The ones I picked translated into the Stampin’ Up colors Baked Brown Sugar, Cherry Cobbler, Forest Foliage (a long-retired oldie but goodie), and Pool Party. I included ivory for the base of my image, which I colored with the Copic markers that most closely matched the challenge colors. The layout for this card follows OWH Stars & Stamps sketch #211, with an extra layer added for the card base. The Pool Party layer is dry embossed with a snowflake design.

And now it’s your turn to show us what you can create! We’d love it if you joined our challenge this week. You have until 1:00 pm Eastern time Friday, March 14 to link your card at the 52{C}CT site. Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies:
Stamps: Cozy Friends (Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps)
Cardstock: Baked Brown Sugar, Pool Party, Forest Foliage (Stampin’ Up); Pure Luxury Ivory (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic); Snowflake Background embossing folder (Darice)

CAS - Colours and Sketches #64

5 Responses »

Mar 062014

Happy Thursday to you! I hope you’ve been having a good week.

Louise is the CAS – Colours and Sketches hostess for the month of March, and she’s starting us off with a bright and cheery color challenge. I decided to make a bright and cheery sunshine with the colors. Although the sentiment appears almost black, it’s really a deep purple. The sunshine die is one of the very first dies I acquired, waaaaay back when the original red Sizzix machine with the lever handle that raised and lowered the pressure plates was still quite new. That’s probably close to 15 years ago, yes? The hello die is one of my newest dies, which just arrived in my home last week. I do have to confess that there really isn’t much stamping on this card – only the “sunshine” part of the sentiment. But I’m pleased with how the card turned out, and I think it will brighten someone’s day when I donate it to Operation Write Home.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you’ll check out what the rest of the design team members have made, and then share your own creation with us at the CAS – Colours and Sketches site! You have until 1:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, March 12 to link your card.

Supplies:
Stamps: Simply Said Hello (Avery Elle)
Cardstock: Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Elegant Eggplant (SU)
Other: Hello Elle-ments die (Avery Elle); Large Sun die (Sizzix)

dynamic sketchy birdie

4 Responses »

Mar 052014

This is just a quick post to share a card I made for Dynamic Duos challenge #92 and Freshly Made Sketches challenge #126. In retrospect I probably should have made the tilted panels a bit larger, but oh well – I think you can still tell it’s the same sketch, just turned on its side.

And there’s another one for my Operation Write Home stash!

Thanks for stopping by today. I read and appreciate every comment – and I apologize for the spam catcher’s tendency to flag comments from blogs outside the United States.

All supplies are from Stampin’ Up unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: For the Birds, So Happy for You
Cardstock: Kraft, Very Vanilla, Midnight Muse, Rose Red Prints designer paper
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: dimensionals, Crumb Cake seam binding; Labels One Nestabilities die (Spellbinders); markers (Copic)

Cards in Envy - Think Green

3 Responses »

Mar 032014

Good morning! It’s the first Monday of March, so that means it’s time for a new challenge at Cards in Envy. This fortnight we’re encouraging our challenge participants to get in a springtime mood and Think Green! Cards for this challenge should be A2 sized, be less than 1/4″ thick, and use green as the dominant color.

I started out making a monochromatic card, using several different green patterned papers… and wasn’t very happy with it. So I tried again, using the patterned papers differently… and hated that card even more than the first one. And I didn’t want to make a Christmas card – that’s what the 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown challenges are for! 😉 So I pulled out some patterned paper that’s mostly green but has a few other colors. This scrap of apple print paper was just the right size to fit into the layout for the current CAS(E) this Sketch! challenge. The red apple at the bottom of the card was stamped on a scrap of white cardstock, colored with Copics, and fussy cut. I also stamped the apple on the green front panel for the card. That way when I cut it from the white, I could omit the leaf and stem because trying to cut around them would have been too fussy for me! The red colored apple was simply adhered over the one stamped on the green panel.

That’s it for today! I know it isn’t easy to think spring and green when you’re still having snowy, icy weather in your area, but maybe if we all pull together in our thinking, Spring will finally arrive. Link your Think Green cards to the Cards in Envy site by 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, March 16. We hope you’ll join in the fun and creativity!

Supplies:
Stamps: My Silly Valentine (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss (Stampin’ Up); Solar White (Neenah); Autumn Mix digital paper (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU)
Other: markers (Copic)

happy balloons birthday

6 Responses »

Mar 012014

Tonight’s card combines a couple of challenges right before they close. The layout is from Seize the Sketch, but I’ve turned it on its side. The theme is from a brand new challenge blog, AEIHeartU. It’s really a rather straightforward card so I’ll just cut the chitchat and get right to it:

Thanks for stopping by! I read and appreciate every comment – and I apologize for the spam catcher’s tendency to flag comments from blogs outside the United States.

Supplies:
Stamps: Fill in the Blank (Avery Elle)
Cardstock: River Rock, Basic Black (Stampin’ Up); designer papers from Out of Print 6″ x 6″ paper pad (Basic Grey)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: Icon Fill in the Blank Die (Avery Elle); standard circle Nestabilities die (Spellbinders); dimensionals (SU); twine (Really Reasonable Ribbon)

Older Entries

really gradient love

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - March Pick a Previous challenge

CAS - Colours and Sketches #67 (a/k/a dynamic sketchy butterflies)

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - March stash challenge

CAS - Colours and Sketches #66

dynamic floral vine

Cards in Envy - Anything Goes

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - March theme challenge

sending love... and flowers

CAS - Colours and Sketches #65 (a/k/a dynamic sketchy flower)

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - March color challenge

CAS - Colours and Sketches #64

dynamic sketchy birdie

Cards in Envy - Think Green

happy balloons birthday

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Really great links

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