Challenge...ing

Today's card was a challenge in more ways than one.  First, I'm rushing again to make the deadline for the Freshly Made challenge.  Second, it's a card for a widowed friend whose daughter, a service veteran, committed suicide.  Third, everything that could go wrong in the making of this card did.  But I toughed through it and it's ready to be shown and mailed.

The Freshly Made sketch:

My card:

The printed paper is from K and Company, the cardstock from PTI. I inked everything with either Peeled Paint or Vintage Photo Distressed Ink.  The "bling" are rhinestones that I colored with permanent markers.  (I'm glad this technique works so well.  It saves me from buying tons of bling in different colors.)

There's not much you can say in a situation like this but Dave is a huggy man and that is why I typed this sentiment.  Inside it says "to bring you comfort everyday." 

On the Go

There are two blogs this week with "On the Go" or "Things that Go" as the challenge.  I didn't want to do the normal bike/car/boat thing.  So I chose a submarine from Life is a Beach.

I used the photo card feature but cut off the submarine in the corner.  I wanted to try something new so I took a piece of packaging plastic and embossed it with the Bubble folder.  I  cut the sub from metallic paper and sandwiched it between the plastic and paper called Pool Water from Paper Pizazz.  (Something I picked up a while ago from who knows where.)  I stamped and embossed the sentiment and did some faux stitching. 

I am entering this in the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #108 and My Craft Spot #53

PP Challenge

A sketch challenge from Paper Players is my card for today.

 With such a big space I decided to use some bigger patterned paper from a DPS from K and Company.

The scallops are cut from MS Elegant Cake Art and the branch from Cindy Lou.  It kind of looks like the branch at the top of the paper.  I added some pearls that I colored with markers to bling it up, although they don't show up well in the picture.  There are gray scallopy looking images in the paper too, but the ones I cut look much darker in the picture.  I'm using this as a "thinking of you" card so no sentiment on the front.

It's a Secret

This is my second post for the day so I can enter the challenge at CAS-ual Fridays.  I love the simple style of cards and just didn't want to miss making one for this challenge.  Here's the sketch.

There's not much to it and sometimes that's more difficult.  It did take me a while to come up with something but I think my card is rather cute. 

I have these Peachy Keen faces and used the winking one because "I know a secret".  I layered the white card with bright pink and white that's been embossed with the Spots and Dots folder.  Do you want to know what the secret is?

Now I'll be ready for anyone who is celebrating a "big" birthday and those who see it don't have to know how old they are.  lol

Birthday Wishes

It seems like I've been paper crafting up a storm lately and I still don't have everything done I want for all the challenges.  Today's card is for four different challenges so that will help a little.  I may have to do a second post one of these days just to get them all in. 

The card is based on this sketch by Card Patterns.

I turned it into a birthday card for Paper Playtime, and used a charm for Less is More's "How Charming". With the ribbon, it even fit Celebrate the Occasion's Happy Birthday - must use ribbon.

The printed paper is from K and Comapny, the green from Core-dinations.  I found matching ribbon in my stash and a star charm from an old bracelet.  (I bought the bracelet from a yard sale just to use the stars on it, and now I finally have.)  The sentiment was punched with an EK Success tag punch and then inked with Shabby Shutters Distress Ink so it was more the color of the papers.  I colored the pearls with a Mark-it pen.  I love being able to change colors of the bling with permanent markers.  This card went together so quick and easy that I made two of them at the same time. 

Sunset Tree

I'm trying a new challenge blog today.  I can't remember whose blog I found them on but I hopped over to Paper Lovin' Gals and saw their photo inpiration.

I knew immediately what I wanted to do.  I made a card once using a cut from Stretch Your Imagination.  I liked it and wanted to use something similar.  The image direct from the cartridge has a wide border and small tree.  I knew if I wanted the sunset to show, I would have to stretch my imagination (lol) and put together other images, weld and cut them to make what I was looking for.  Here is the result.

The card base is cut from kraft cardstock with the dark tree overlay in bitter chocolate.  I watercolored the background on regular cardstock, glued it down behind the opening and added some brown stitching around the edge.  I'm not sure what occasion I will use this for, but it's good for almost anything.

Monogram Note Card

It's always nice to have a little note card that you can send a personal message on.  I thought that by combining the sketch from Freshly Made and the monogram challenge from My Sheri Crafts, I could have a really nice note card.  Here's the sketch.

And here's my card.

All the paper is from the MME Lost and Found collection.  I LOVE that stack!!  The monogram is cut from the Sophisticated cartridge and everything is inked with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.

April Showers

April showers not only bring May flowers but can produce beautiful rainbows.  That was my focus for two challenges titled "April Showers" this week - CardzTv and Fantabulous Cricut.

This card is 3 1/2" by 7".  The background is Core-dinations textured canvas in doveflower with the sentiment printed on by computer in blue.  The images are cut from Simply Charmed.  I hid the contours to leave off the faces.  The edges of the white clouds are rubbed with Faded Jeans Distress Ink.  The rainbow is sprayed with Dazzliing Diamonds Glimmer Mist and the raindrops have been covered with Glossy Accents. Everything is popped up on dimensionals.   I think all those little details make a big difference.

Birthday Symbols

Sometimes I get an idea in my head but the execution doesn't turn out the same.  I had an idea for the Mojo Monday sketch challenge this week.

I wanted to put little birthday symbols in place of the circles.   Maybe they should have been bigger because I don't think they look quite right.

The card is 5 1/8 by 7".  I layered it with red and then a confetti/streamer paper.  I cut the images from Simply Charmed at 1 1/2".  I was amazed at how well they cut in that small size.  Even the tiny layer pieces.  I used the Spots and Dots Cuttlebug folder to emboss the strip the images are on and layered it on red.  The sentiment was stamped with red and the ends cut with my square punch.  All in all, it's a cute card, just not what was in my mind.  I may try this again using bigger images or smaller card.

Life and Dimension

It helps to have a paper stack that has lots of graduated colors in it when you want to do a monochromatic card.  I used a 6 x 6 pad of Core-dinations ColorCore cardstock for this Congratuations card for Celebrate the Occasion.

I picked these three blues and embossed each section to give them some "life".  The top section is embossed with the Tim Holtz Cracked folder and the next two with the Tim Holtz Bricked.  I lightly sanded to give it some dimension.  CAS all the way.

Water Doodling

Sounds like something you would have fun doing at the lake this summer, doesn't it?  But no, it's a combination of two challenges.  Less is More is asking for a one layer card with doodling on it.
The Paper Players wants a watercolor card.  I'm not a stamper so the only thing I knew to do was doodle my own picture and watercolor it.

I actually rather liked this.  Sometimes I think my doodles look pretty good on a small scale but  never look as good in a bigger picture.  I just used my fine point Identi-pen to draw the flowers, the bee and the flight line.  Then I filled in parts of the picture with regular art watercolor paint.  I ended up inking around the edges with Tattered Rose Distress Ink.  I must say it was quick and easy.  I will definitely try this again.

What a Pair!

A pair of challenges and a pair of cards.  And a couple of pears on the cards.  Yay!

The challenges are:
CAS-ual Fridays - Opposites Attract - use colors opposite on the color wheel
My Craft Spot  - Make it Pop!  - use dimensionals.

Card 1:

This is a yellow and purple combination.  The pears were cut from the Preserves cartridge and inked with Mustard Seed Distress Ink.  The sentiment was computer generated and also inked.  The background was embossed with the Floral Screen Cuttlebug folder.  Both pears are popped up, with the right one using thicker dimensionals to set it above the other.

Card 2:

This card is green and fushia, using the same cuts and inked with Shabby Shutters Distress Ink.  The background paper is from K and Company - The Best of Brenda Walton. 

I'm the kind of creative person that doesn't like to do the same thing twice, or at least the same way twice.  This way I got to do the same card but with different colors.  I think I may do most of my cards like this in the future.  That way I'll have a bigger stash. ^_^

Wocka Wocka

When I saw the Muppet Challenge over at The Friday Mashup, I thought "what fun!"  My favorite has always been Fozzie Bear, although Elmo comes in a close second.

I have a tendency to take challenges like this a little too literally.  The actual challenge was to use the colors of your favorite Muppet character.  I couldn't think of anything to do with these colors so I just made Fozzie himself.  I must say after seeing what some of the other bloggers entered, I hesitated to even enter this but I spent some time on it so here goes.

I cut him from Create a Critter.  The cut was for a full bear (with a tiny body) so I cut the body off.  The hat came from the same cart, and was originally a top hat on the caterpillar page.  I scruffed up the edges of the head to make him look a little furry.  I cut the hat down, wadded it up and then inked with Black Soot Distress Ink.  The eyes were a punch that I covered with Glossy Accents.  The mouth and tongue are hand cut and inked with Frayed Burlap.  I added a pom pom nose and  twine bowtie.   The  sentiment was printed on the bottom of the card and then  I added the streamer paper behind Fozzie, who is popped up.   

I've seen some rather wonderful things made from images that aren't what they started out as and was hoping that I could do the same thing.  Sometimes the head and hands don't always see eye to eye.  lol

Heber's Birthday

My how time gets away from you.  I have had this card done for the Freshly Made challenge but had others with earlier deadlines.  Lucky for me FM is Pacific Time because when I looked at my clock a minute ago, it was 12:15 here in Michigan.  Here's what I made for a friend's birthday following this Freshly Made sketch.

I had this masculine stripe that was two-sided so I put the back side rust  for the strip and cut the coggy looking parts from my new Elegant Edges cart. I used dark brown and grey, embossing the grey with my new Clockworks Cuttlebug folder.  It's a 5 x 7 folder and I put the big clock in the center of my cut.  The sentiment was printed on the computer but I didn't like the white paper so I inked it with Black Soot Distress Ink, put it on a piece of the grey and popped it up.

Now I"ve made both deadlines, the Freshly Made challenge and Heber's birthday.  Whew!



Think Pink

The minute I saw four challenges I could combine  I knew what paper I wanted to use.  I love the Lost and Found collection from My Mind's Eye and haven't used it in a while.  I don't do a lot of "pretty" cards but these just screamed at me "Do it!" 

Here is the Mojo Monday sketch.

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge  is "Buttons and Bows", must use at least one of each.
Celebrate the Occasion  is"Just Because", must use pink
Cooking with Cricket is "Thinking of You"

Here's my card.

I knew I had a button in my large, large, stash that had a rose on it.  And I found it!  How perfect with the paper.  It's great when you can enter four challenges with one card, as long as the rules say you can.  Maybe I should have checked them all first.

Flowers for You

What could bring a smile to someone's face more than a vase of flowers just for them?   This card could be used for Get Well, Thinking of You, Mother's Day or any occasion you'd like.

This A2 card is white cardstock, with a blue back layer and then a white layer embossed with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots.  The "table" is tan embossed with Sizzix Woodgrain folder.  The vase of flowers is cut from Kate's ABC's.  The vase is a crackle finish paper and all the flowers are from Core-dinations.  I inked the edges with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink and popped up  the vase.  I think it's a really sweet looking card.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:
Die Cuttin Divas #60 - Use pastels
Exploring Cricut - April Showers Bring Us Flowers - use a flower

Lessons Learned

I saw a tutorial on She's a Sassy Lady last Saturday with a cut card.  (Click on the link to see the post).  She challenged people to  make this card and, liking a challenge (and the card) I accepted.  It proved to be more of a challenge than I thought and I learned a lot of lessons along the way.

Just so you don't get bored with my long post, I'll show you the finished card up front.  It is 5 1/2 by 5 1/2 and a little difficult to see in this picture because of the shadows but I couldn't help that.  It's the way the card is made.

When I learn something new, I like to follow directions initially.  I'm big on reading manuals, too.  (insert smirk).  I couldn't follow all the directions in the tutorial and hence the challenge.  First - it was a Gypsy tutorial and I don't have a Gypsy.  But I do have Design Studio and there's always Cricut Craft Room.  I started out in CCR but it drove me crazy and since I'm more familiar with DS, I ended up using it.

Second - I don't have Birthday Bash, which is what Sheila used.  Okay, there's plenty of other card cuts, right?  I needed something with a big window and couldn't find a full card cut like that.  I tried to make my own.  Lesson - you can't weld a square in a square with lettering on top and have it cut out part of the window and the lettering.  It showed the cut all around the square.   I ended up using a frame from  Stretch Your Imagination , page 33, and welding it to a square from George.

Third - I didn't have a "Get Well Soon" sentiment on any of my carts.  I didn't want to spend hours trying to make my own so I went with "With Sympathy" from Wild Card.  Lesson - don't make a cut out with an "I" in it.  There's no place to put the dot. : (    I hope this still qualifies for Sassy Lady's challenge. 

I used double sided paper so the inside would be pretty.  Lesson - be sure your paper is placed in the right way if there is a directional image on the reverse side.  Fortunately for me, the reverse was stripes and I like them going horizontally but if I didn't. . . .

Now that I've either taught you or bored you, here are pictures of the card from other angles.

I printed the sentiment on the computer on a cream color cardstock and cut it 5 1/4  by 10 3/4.  I taped down only the back edge.  I did this so the sentiment would not show through the cut on the front.   I wrapped a piece of ribboon around the middle and tied it in front.

You can see how it is loose.

I didn't have any glitter paper that matched so I heat embossed the sentiment with sparkle embossing powder. 

Now that I have learned all my lessons, I think I will try a similar card again.  I'm also entering this in My Craft Spot's Inside Out challenge #51 (a sentiment on the inside and outside)

Paisley Umbrella

Have you noticed a trend in my last few posts.  It seems once I use a cartridge, I get intrigued with other images on it and use them for subsequent cards.  Yesterday was the dragonfly, today it's the umbrella.  I made it for the Paper Playtime challenge #71 - April Showers.

I started off with a white A2 card with the fold at the top.  I added blue cardstock cut 5 1/4 by 4, embossed with the Swiss Dots embossing folder.  The umbrella is cut from the Paisley cartridge in four layers: brown for the handle, white for the ruffle, orange for the main umbrella and a print for the center section.  Just to make it interesting, I mounted it on dimensionals off the edge of the card.  I wanted to use "Sorry you're under the weather" for the sentiment and couldn't decide how to put it on until I came up with the tag idea.  I printed it on the computer and punched it with an EK Success tag punch.  It's tied on with some twine from My Craft Spot.

Flitting by

I'm really a clean and simple kind of card designer so the Less is More challenge is usually an easy one for me.  This week's challenge was to use three shades of green.  My Paisley Cricut handbook was on my work table and I started thumbing through.  I stopped when I got to the dragonfly.  What a perfect green thing. Well, some of them are anyway. 

I used white cardstock for the A2 base with the fold at the top.  I cut dark green for the border and a lighter green for the dragonfly, both from Core-dinations.  I cut the top wings from some green vellum that I got in a stack a while back and used 1/8" Miracle tape to hold them on.  I popped him up on dimensionals but didn't attach the wing ends so he looks like he is flitting.  

I printed the sentiment on my computer and then embossed above and below it using the Divine Swirls folder.  I decided he needed a little face (I hid the contours of the face on the cartridge) so I stamped it with a Peachy Keen stamp.  I doesn't show up much, just enough to know it's there, and I rather like it that way on this particular bug.

Birthday Sketch

I know a lot of bloggers say they have trouble with masculine birthday cards but I love them.  Forgetting I had already made one for my brother,  I was going to make him one from the Freshly Made sketch.  I'll just have to save it for some other lucky male, or another brother (I have 4).

The printed paper is some I got a few weeks ago at a scrapbook shop in Ohio.  It's from Authentique and called "Loyal".  It may be part of a Boy Scout collection since there is a quote from Robert Baden Powell on the edge.  The dark brown card base and the green and blue are from Core-dinations.  I embossed the green with my argyle cuttlebug folder to go along with the print.  All pieces were inked with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.

Squares Challenge

Happy Easter everyone!  Just a quick card post to enter the Die Cuttin Diva's sketch challenge.

The last time I did this same challenge for another blog, I wasn't sure I liked how the edges came together, so this time I left them with "sashing" as we say in the quilting world.

The printed paper is from from a couple of sheets from We R Memory Keepers called "Good Day Sunshine".  One sheet had four squares of different prints and the pages were double sided so I got 7 different squares out of the two sheets.  The other two squares are from Core-dinations, as is the background paper and the flower.   One square is embossed with the Large Flower folder and sanded.  The other is just the backdrop for the flower cut from Accent Essentials.  I added a yellow rhinestone for the center. 

This card could be used for any occasion.  I have a small "Thanks" embossing folder that would fit the square and almost used it for the upper right square but decided not to so I could use it for a birthday or get well card.

Purple Mojo

I just HAD to make a card for the Mojo Monday challenge.  I think I'm becoming obsessed with some of the card challenges and can't bear to let certain ones pass me by.  Most of those are the ones I've been with since I started blogging just to be able to post my cards to their challenge.  I realized the deadline was nearing, so I sat down and not-so-quickly made a card to follow this sketch:

Some sketch cards come easily to me and some not.  This one was a not.  Parts were okay once I decided on the paper but then I didn't like this and this didn't work and....... well you know what I mean.  My biggest obstacle was what to use in place of the flower.  Here's what I did.

The print paper is from an 8 x 8 stack from Papertrey Ink called Hodge Podge.  I found a coordinating purple from Core-dinations for the background and a piece of pink for the scallop trim from my scraps.  I cut the white scallop from the Wild Card cartridge but punched the circle.  I hand cut the flag and stamped it with Tattered Rose Distress Ink.  I also inked the edges of the white papers with it.  I looked through a few of my Cricut handbooks and saw this half butterfly in the Storybook cart and decided that was what I wanted to use.  I cut it from some old, old, paper I had, heat embossed it with sparkle powder and added a pearl for it's head and the top of the antenna.  You can't tell very well from the picture but the wings of the butterfly fan out and makes it look like it's in flight. 

It was a struggle but now that it's done I rather like it.  I hope the recipient does, too.

Have a Happy Easter everyone. 

Teddy Bear Birthday

I've been making a few cards with the Doodlecharms cartridge and today is no exception.  I wanted to enter a couple of children's birthday card challenges and that's such a good cart to use.  I always admired the shaped cards that some of my blogger friends do and after making an Easter egg the other day, (I'll post it someday) I decided to try my hand at another one.

Using Cricut Craft Room, I sized the bear to fit in an A2 envelope.  I copied, flipped, welded and hid all the contours to make the card base which I cut in a tan color.   I cut a single bear in dark brown core-dinations, also with hidden contours, so I could stamp the face and place the ears and tummy without the score lines.  His ears and tummy are also core-dinations.  I inked all the parts with frayed burlap distress ink and used a distressing tool to rough up the edges.  Teddy bears are furry after all.  

Before I adhered him to the base, I tied on a piece of red and white vintage twine from My Craft Spot.  I printed the sentiment on the computer, cut the "happy" paper with an EK Success tag punch, and then trimmed the sentiment to fit on it.  The edge of the sentiment is inked with fired brick distress ink to go with the twine.  To keep the tag in place, I popped it up on a dimensional.

I stamped the face with the only Peachy Keen stamp I had that was big enough, a 1 3/8" paper doll stamp.  I never really thought I would be into stamping faces so I never got any others but I've definitely changed my mind.  And now that I've finally ordered Create a Critter, I need animal faces even more. 

I'm entering this card in:  My Sheri Crafts #82 - birthday card for a child under 5 and Celebrate the Occasion #57 - a child's birthday card.

Egg-ceptional Easter

It's getting too close to Easter to make individual cards for all my grandchildren so I'm making them by family.  Yesterday I posted a card for three of them, and today is for another two.  I have two older ones but they may not get cards this year.  Even if I get them made, the mail may not make it there.  I'll have to decide that later.  Right now it's time for the Egg/Easter challenges card.

I used Doodlecharms to cut the basket border from some woven looking paper.  The actual border was 3 baskets, but by using Design Studio I could enlarge the border so that I could cut off one basket and have the two fit on an A2 card.  I used the eggs on the border key to cut three different papers and glued them to the back of the basket.  The lavendar background paper was cut at 5 1/4 x 4.  I printed the sentiment on my computer and then aligned the Paisley Cuttlebug folder below the printing to emboss the lower portion of the card.  Adding a couple of sheer bows made the card complete.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
Fantabulous Cricut #105 - Egg-ceptional Easter  and
Cooking With Cricut #80 - Easter

Three Bunnies

Sometimes you can find inpiration just looking through your Cricut handbooks.  I knew there were some Easter images on the Doodlecharms cartridge and as I thumbed through, I saw the three bunny border.  What could be more appropriate for my triplet grandchildren?  Plus this way I only need to make one card since I'm running out of time. 

Isn't this just the cutest?  The kids may be a little old for cute but I think they'll get a kick out of it.  The card is 3 1/2 by 7".  I used a scrap of what looked like egg paper to me for the background.  The bunnies are cut from white cardstock, stamped with Peachy Keen faces and inked with Antique Linen Distress Ink.  I added Tattered Rose DI inside the ears.  Their little bows are twine from My Craft Spot.   During their winter blog hop, I won a gift certificate from Kate at Small Bits of Paper. and used it to purchase the twine.

I am entering this in the My Craft Spot challenge #50 this week - Easter.

David's Birthday Card

Some challenges are easier for me that others.  I need a birthday card for my brother and the Freshly Made challenge was just the inspiration I was looking for. 

Instead of the usual A2 card, I made this one a 5 x 7 in order to use my new punch for the three elements down the side.

The printed paper is from a Studio G pack and the cake is cut from A Child's Year.  Black brads hold the sentiments on. 

It's difficult to see the outline of the card in this picture since the right half is white.  I made a photo box as directed in this post by Diane at Capadia Designs.  It works well for most photos so I don't know why it isn't good for this one.  I tried putting a different colored paper in the back but that didn't look good either.  But the card looks good. ^_^

The Three R's

We all remember the three R's from school days but in the cardmaking world, the three R's are ribbons, rhinestones and rosettes.  To use all three is the challenge at Die Cutting Divas. 

This card started as a leftover.  I had the pink cardstock printed on the front for another card I didn't use.  I added the coordinating print to cover it up and then was stuck.  This challenge was just what I needed to finish it.

I'm not much of a rosette person but I thought it fit in well with this card.  I made it from the same pink cardstock then added the heart cut from George and Basic Shapes.  I ran a ribbon down one of the stripes and put rhinestones on all the aqua colored dots.  Sometimes things just come together.