2 Challenges--Best Wishes

Hello again! Today is miserably rainy here in the Northeast, with the threat of flooding once again. Luckily we will not be directly affected, but my heart goes out to all those people standing by helplessly, waiting for the water to subside. It certainly puts into perspective all of those things we take for granted and should be thankful for every day.

On a lighter note, I have one card for you today which combines two challenges. I used the Sweet Sunday Sketch over at The Sweetest Thing and the Curtain Call Color Challenge at Stacey's Stamping Stage. Here's the inspiration:




I must say, this was a tough one for me. I typically don't like to place large elements off-kilter, and it really bugs me when I try! But I stuck it out (it is called a challenge for a reason!) and I'm actually pretty pleased with the result.

Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper: Making Memories; Stamps: Hero Arts, Hampton Art; Ink: Clearsnap, Tim Holtz, Jo-Ann stores; Embossing powder: Hampton Art; Punches: Martha Stewart Crafts, Fiskars; Embossing folder: Cuttlebug; Die-cut/embossing machine: Sizzix; Lace: Wright's; Other: buttons, twine, thread

I won't deny it, I would definitely prefer to see the sentiment lined up horizontally, but that's just how my brain works! I did really enjoy this challenge because it literally forced me to look at things from a different perspective.

The color scheme, on the other hand, I absolutely loved as soon as I saw it! It seemed like it was just calling out for scallops and lace! I was a bit perplexed as to how I would stamp the image and stay within the color scheme, but then I decided to use my Tim Holtz "old paper" distress ink to stamp the branches, and the result looks very similar in color to the kraft.

I think this would make a lovely card for a wedding shower, or even a birthday.

Thanks for joining me today!

Taylored Expressions sketch #106--Butterflies and bling

Hey there! I got some much-needed crafty therapy yesterday and have a new card for you, this one for the challenge sketch at Taylored Expressions. Here is the sketch:

And my card:

Cardstock: Bazzill; Stamps: Inkadinkadoo, TPC Studio, Hero Arts, unknown; Ink: Fiskars, Tim Holtz, Versamark; Punches: Martha Stewart Crafts, Marvy Uchida; Rhinestones: Me & My Big Ideas

I had been wanting to do some pop-up butterflies for a while, and I really like the look. I don't often use rhinestones, but I think they add a cute touch, don't you? I also found a background text stamp from Hero Arts that has a dictionary entry for "thank", "thankful", etc. I can see myself using this one a lot!

Thanks to Taylored Expressions for a fun sketch! And thanks to you for stopping by!

Embellish Magazine color challenge--Thank You

Happy Friday! Well, the card I have for you today was intended for the color challenge over at Embellish Magazine, but unfortunately I missed last night's deadline. I was just plugging my camera into my computer to upload the images when I heard my 2 year old awake, very unhappy. So needless to say I did not get the project posted in time! Still, I thought I'd share it with you today.

Here is the color inspiration:
And here is my card:

Cardstock: Bazzill; Stamps: TPC Studio, unknown; Ink: Versamark, Clearsnap; Marker: Copic R24; Scallop punch: Fiskars; Corner Rounder: EK Success; Other: button, paper cording

I made the flower from some white fabric that I colored with a Copic marker to get the right shade of red. I was pretty happy with the way it turned out (fabric flowers seem to be popping up everywhere lately), but I have to say I'm not crazy about this color combination. This was definitely a challenge for me!

That's all for now. Have a fabulous weekend, and thanks for visiting!

Spring is in the air...

Hello! We are getting some sunshine today, which is a nice change of pace! It seems like the perfect day for this simple but cheerful little card. This one is for the challenge at Jacksonbelle Embellishments to create a spring or Easter themed card.

Cardstock: Bazzill; Stamps: Hampton Art; Ink: Jo-Ann stores; Ribbon: Michael's stores; Scallop punch: Fiskars

I just love how this card turned out! The soft springy colors make me smile, and I am a sucker for anything with butterflies. The bonus: it took less than an hour to make, even while supervising my 2 year old as he painted!

Hopefully you are starting to see the signs of spring where you are. And if not, just pull out some colors that make you happy and create something that says "spring" to you.

Thanks for stopping by! And thank you so much for your comments, they really make my day!

Easter greetings, Take 2

Good morning! I haven't been able to get to my craft room for a couple of days, but I'm anxiously waiting for some new goodies to arrive in the mail. Hopefully I will have a chance to play with some new stamps and papers this weekend!

In the meantime, I have another Easter card to share, in the same color scheme as the one I posted a few days ago. I like to make several cards with the same papers to get the most out of them!


Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned paper: Me & My Big Ideas; Stamps: Hampton Art, Martha Stewart Crafts; Ink: Jo-Ann stores, Clearsnap; Ribbon: Michael's stores; Circle punch: EK Success; Die cut: Spellbinders; Die cut machine: Sizzix

Sorry the pics are a little fuzzy-I'm still learning to take photos of objects that actually hold still (unlike my 2 preschoolers!).

I hope you get a chance to be creative today! Thanks for stopping by!

My First Challenge

Hi there! One of the reasons why I started this blog was to take advantage of all the great sketches and challenges on various sites. Today I'm sharing a card I made using Card Patterns Sketch 56. This card is for my Grandma, whose favorite flower is the dogwood.

Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper: Colorbok; Stamps: Oriental Trading Company, The Paper Studio; Ink: Clearsnap; Chalk: EK Success; Gems: Michael's

I just love how these pretty little flowers turned out! I cut them out by hand from white cardstock, then used some brown chalk and ink to add the detail on the tips of the petals. Next I wanted to give it some texture, so I added "veins" to the petals using an empty ball point pen. I found that it helped to put a piece of foam underneath, as this helped make a smoother, deeper impression. Why didn't I just use a stylus? The one I had was too wide to give this level of detail, and I had a dried up pen on hand, so it seemed like a good idea!


I'd love to hear your comments! Are you participating in the Card Patterns sketch this week?

Have a great day!

Birthday Blast-off

Good morning! How's your weekend going? It looks like our beautiful weather is about to end, at least temporarily. But now that it's officially spring, hopefully the worst is behind us!

Today I have a cute and colorful birthday card for a little boy. This was my first attempt at using Copic markers, and I'm pretty happy with the results! (Full disclosure: it took 3 tries to get it right!) I've been reluctant to use markers because they seemed like they would be a lot of work. But I can see how, with practice, they could become very addicting. I was definitely impressed by the ease with which colors can be layered and blended.


Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper: Hot Off the Press, Cosmo Cricket, Fancy Pants Designs; Stamps: Sandylion, Martha Stewart Crafts; Ink: Clearsnap; Markers: Copic R24, R29, R59; Number sticker: American Crafts

That's all for today! Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome!

Hello! This is an exciting day for me, as I've finally worked up the courage (and found the time) to start a humble little blog. If you enjoy card making, scrapbooking, and other crafty goodness, I hope you will join me here to share ideas and inspiration. I thought I'd kick things off with a sweet little card for Easter.


Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper: Colorbok, Me & My Big Ideas; Stamps: Hampton Art, TPC Studio, Martha Stewart Crafts; Ink: Hampton Art, JoAnn, Versamark

What do you think? I'm a big fan of stitching on cards and layouts, though I don't always have the energy to drag out the sewing machine! I also love white inked edges. I'd love to hear your feedback!

I'm so glad you stopped by, and I hope you'll check in often! Have a great night!