Look what I found.....

some cute little birthday embellishments.  

My niece, who celebrates a birthday next week, has always been a fan of the color purple.... so this one's for her.

I've followed the fun sketch by Jen T. at Freshly Made Sketches #147 in making this card.

The strips are washi tape and the sentiment is a CTMH stamp.  

Other challenges into which I am entering this birthday card include:

4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #205: Anything Goes 

Creative Knockouts Challenge #48 - Happy Birthday

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #162 - Triple Threat (3 of one type of embellishment)

Cards in Envy Challenge - Happy Birthday

Inky Chicks Challenge #34 - Happy Birthday

Glitter and Sparkle Challenge #95 - Add some purple

We Do Doobadoo Challenge #11 - Celebrations

Seeing dots!

I never tire of using this Close to My Heart Dotty Paper.  It was a special limited edition pack that they offered a few years ago.  I wish they would make it available in the catalog.  But it's out with the old and in with the new.  And you should see all the new papers and products available August 1st in the new catalog.

This stamp set, also CTMH, is also one of my favorites for kids of all ages.

For this card I  followed a sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #66. 

 

I noticed the DT used a lot of CTMH products on their fab inspiration cards, so I feel right at home on their blog.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:
As You Like It Challenge - Favorite Papers (I love polka dot paper because of its versatility.)
Fab n Funky Challenge #224 - Walk on the Wild Side (use animal stamps)
Hanna and Friends Challenge #202 - Animals
Inky Impressions Challenge #170 - Anything Goes
Penny's Challenge #188 - Anything Goes
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Kraftin Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
City Crafter Challenge Week #222 - Animal Magic

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When I posted the cards from Joyce's card workshop on Tuesday, I missed one.  

Here it is:

Hero Card with no stamping

For this card, I brushed my denim blue ink pad across one corner of the raised side of a star embossing folder.  Then I brushed a cranberry ink pad across the opposite corner, leaving the middle section clean.

After running it through the cuttlebug, this is the effect achieved on the debossed side.  I used a CTMH cricut cartridge to cut the "Hero" from navy CS and also added a layer on navy between the inked paper and the white card base.  This card will be going to Operation Write Home.  

I'm entering this card in these current challenges:
Fan-tastic Tuesday Challenge #46 - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door July 29-Aug 4 - Anything Goes
Pile It On Challenge #30 - Embossing
Crafting From The Heart Challenge #29 - Anything Goes
Crafting When We Can Challenge #74 - Make Your Own Background

Never too early!

I was roaming around on Daring Cardmaker 
Kathy Black's blog - Kathy's Waffle.

She uses a lot of gorgeous handmade flowers on her cards.

Check out the fantastic origami flower she made here.  I'm going to try that fold for sure!   And that's what inspired me to add a dahlia fold flower to this card 
which also features a digi from Spyder's Corner, 
where Wednesday is a free digi day.

I'll be entering this card in the following challenges:
Daring Cardmakers Challenge - Creating Kathy Style
Creative Card Crew Challenge - Christmas 
Fan-tastic Tuesday Challenge #46 - Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesday Challenge #183 - Christmas in July
Through the Craft Room Door July 29-Aug 4 - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion Challenge #224 - Flower Power
Through the Purple Haze Challenge - Anything Goes + Option:Handmade Flowers
Christmas Card Challenges #35 - Anything Goes
The Corrosive Challenge #204 - Christmas in July
My Time to Craft Challenge #254 - Use Kraft

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Yesterday Baby Benjamin (accompanied by his parents, of course) came to meet us.  What a precious little boy, exhibiting excellent behavior too!  My great-granddaughter, Laila, was very fascinated by her new cousin.

If you only knew how long it took to get this picture!

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Now would you like to see the cards we made at Joyce's CTMH Card Workshop this afternoon?  We got to use some of the new products.

 

The chipmunk is sitting on his tree stump, chipping for his dinner.  Time to take him a handful of sunflower seeds and then make something for my DH as well.

Racing the clock this morning

so I'm quickly posting my Mojo Monday #356 Tall & Skinny card and will return in a bit to add more info.

I have returned, as promised, to complete this post.  If you follow my blog, you know how I feel about Tall & Skinny cards.  But it's the last Monday of the month, so a Tall & Skinny card it is.  We are heading to the shore next week and I know we'll be consuming our share of ice cream cones.  And I love the ice cream with the tiny peanut butter cups inside.  Yum!  Ice cream and candy together.  What could be better?

For this card I've used scrap pieces from the Dear Lizzie Neopolitan Paper Pad by American Crafts, a puffy sticker from Hershey's Chocolate World, and a CTMH 'Hello' stamp on a 3.5 x 6 inch top fold card. 

Besides entering it in the Mojo Monday Challenge, I am entering it in:
2 Cute Ink Challenge #111 - Anything Goesmy mother's
Crafting from the Heart Challenge #29 - Anything Goes

Well, I must be gone from here.  Today is 'Meet Baby Benjamin' day.  My nephew and his wife are driving up from Maryland to introduce 4 week old Benjamin to the Pennsylvania relatives.  They will be making a stop at my mother's this afternoon.  I've promised to pick up my granddaughter and great-granddaughter and take them along to meet baby Benjamin, too.  That means tomorrow I should have a new picture of little Laila to share with you.  The watermelon teether worked well.  She has cut 2 teeth.

Cascade Card

Once again, the tutorial posted yesterday at Beccy's Place sent me straight for some paper, this time to make a cascade card.  You really have to check out her card because the papers she used are gorgeous and the card stunning.  I rifled through the pile of digis I had printed to use this month and pulled out a digi and sentiment from Doodle Pantry called Bird Bath Joy to make my own cascade card for Doodle Pantry's July Challenge.  Too bad I missed the challenge deadline.   But I'll show it to you anyway.

 

I will be entering this card in the following challenges which are not already closed:

613 Avenue Create Challenge #82 - Anything Goes + optional sentiment

That Craft Place Challenge - Anything Goes

A Gem of a Challenge #124 - Spots and Stripes

Crazy 4 Challenges #246 - More than one fold

Di's Digi Design Challenge - Dies and/or Punches (I've used both)

Inkspirational Challenge #61 - Splash

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Challenge #70 - Polka Dots

Cut It Up Challenge #50 - Shaped Cards with an animal 

Digitally Sweet Challenge #98 - Embellish it up!

Pattie's Creations Challenge #96 - For the Birds

Wags n Whiskers Challenge #134 - Polka Dots

Crafty Ribbons Challenge #99 - Anything Goes with Ribbons

Did you know Hershey's also makes Twizzlers?

My grandson, a never ending fountain of trivia, asked me this last Friday when I took him early birthday shopping. (He'll already be living at the Milton Hershey School in August when his birthday arrives.)
His question reminded me of a sheet of puffy stickers I had somewhere in my stash.  I only had to look in 3 drawers, the first one twice, before I found the stickers. I mailed this card before he left Monday, so that he'd get it the first week he was there. 

I was especially happy, when I tucked the card in the envelope, that the sentiment (CTMH stamp) will be the first thing he sees.  I didn't plan it that way.  And I've decided the embossing folder I used on this card is my new favorite.  It's so fun!

Do you see the marks on the back of the envelope?  That's from writing the address on the front.  So always remember to address the envelope before inserting your card or these impressions will be on the card too.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Brown Sugar Challenge #104 - For the Boys
Crafts for Eternity Recipe Challenge #186 - Bunting and Banners
Crafty Catz Challenge #241 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Emboss It
Word Art Wednesday Challenge #142 - Anything Goes
My Time to Craft Challenge #254 - Use Kraft (The card base and layers beneath the red CS are kraft.)
Suzy Bee's Bloomin Challenge #39 - Anything Goes
Treasured Times Stamps Challenge #21 - Anything Goes