Friday, January 31, 2014

Too cold for butterflies

What to do with a 1" x 12" strip of double sided DP? 

This is how I got that leftover strip of paper off my craft table:
Some craft paper, a CTMH sentiment, and this cute die cut butterfly were all I needed to turn that scrap into a CAS card.
Challenges into which I am entering this card include:
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #179 - Anything Goes
Stampotique Designers Challenge #132 - Winged Things
Pause, Dream, Enjoy - Linky Party #2 - Friendship Cards
Creative Creations Challenges - Less is More
That Craft Place Challenge - Color Palette
Totally Papercrafts Challenge #204 - Clean and Simple



Thursday, January 30, 2014

Window Card #1 + CTMH Workshop 1/28/14

Today I'm inviting you to be a 'Peeping Tom' and look through the window of my card at the fun hearts digi I recently won from The Octopode Factory.   I made the window with a Cuttlebug combination die cut and embossing folder.  I still have the small embossed squares to make another card.  The sentiments are CTMH stamps. The CS is a deep pink/coral color which is so bright and cheery. 

 







I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Paper Crafting Journey Challenge - Emboss That

Cards in Envy - Through the Window Challenge
Aud Sentiments Challenge #99 -Sharing the Love
Milk Coffee Challenge - Valentine's/Love
Paper Shelter Challenge #142 - Digi Image + Sentiment

Stamp N Doodle Challenge #4 - Anything Goes

Tuesday I was at Joyce's for her morning club and afternoon card workshop.  At club we decorated this cute little coffee cup:
This cup only stands about 3.5 inches high.  That's CTMH Laughing Lola Paper and stamped sentiment.

At class Joyce showed us how to make boxes using the front of a Christmas card.  A 4" sq. card front will make a 1" box.  We also tried using a picture from one of the many calenders you receive in the mail.  Here are the ones I made:
And then we made these 3 cards:




Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Window Card #2




This is the second window card I've made for the Through the Window challenge at Cards in Envy.  It's a good thing, too.  Because when I went to check on the challenge deadline, I realized that I never posted or entered the first card.  Duh!  This freezing weather has affected my brain.  Good thing Window Cards are easy to make!  All you need is a hole (aka window) on the front of your card so you can see part of the inside through it.  I used a Spellbinder's Die Cut to make this one.  And I still have the great red glitter die cut to use on another card.

I think this glittery creation will delight my great niece.  She is only 3 and loves kitties, as does a certain cardmaking friend of mine who sent me that little heart charm I tied to the bow (Thanks KT).   I got some great Christmas clearance bargains last week at Michael's, a pack of glitter paper for 30 cents and some cute red self adhesive ribbons which I used on this card.  I thought the red washi tape (AC Moore) would be great for my Red Hat Ladies card workshop in Feb. but couldn't wait to use it.  "I Love You" is a CTMH stamp.  Inside sentiment I did on the computer.  And the adorable digi image is Valentine Baskets Kitty from Bugaboo Digital Stamps.

I am entering this Valentine's Card in the following:
Cards in Envy Challenge - Through the Window
Die Cut Divas January Challenge - Make It Glitter
Robyns Fetish Challenge #196 - Lots of Glitter
Pile It On Challenge #4 - Animals
Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge - Anything Goes
Animal Friends January Challenge - Punches and Dies
Totally Gorjuss Challenge #220 - Furtastic
Glitter n Sparkle Challenge #69 - Bling It Up
Crafty Girls Challenge #10 - Anything Goes
Creative Fingers Challenge #21 - Anything Goes
Moving Along With The Times Challenge - Cats
MY Craft Creations Challenge #181 - Anything Goes
Sister Act Card Challenge #141 - Anything Goes
Stempelsonne Challenge #107 - Animals

I'll try to get Window Card #1 posted tomorrow along with the projects from our CTMH workshop today.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Making New Friends on Mojo Monday


To My New Friends:

Wouldn't it be nice if we
Could meet over a cup of tea?
I'd make an AP cake or two
and get acquainted with all of you!!!

It's the last week of the month and the Mojo Monday's sketch today 
 
calls for a tall, skinny card, 3.5 x 5.5 in. when folded. 
I cut my CS 10.5 x 5.5 in. and folded at 3.5 in. intervals to make a z-fold (more room to write).
Stamps are CTMH and papers were an old freebie from a magazine.

Needless to say, I am entering this card in the Mojo Monday Sketch 330 Challenge
and also....
Amusing Challenge - Anything Goes
Freshly Brewed Designs - January Choose Your Challenge
 
Di's Digi Design Challenge - Spots and Dots
Open Minded Crafting Challenge #2 - Warmth (Food or Clothing)

Sunday, January 26, 2014

CTMH Challenge

I was first introduced to stamping and card making by my friend, Joyce, who I often mention here on my blog.   She is a Close to My Heart consultant, has workshops almost weekly which I attend, and takes me along to help her when she and Betty, another consultant, set up at various stamping shows.  Consequently, I  have a lot of Close to My Heart products and enjoy playing in the Heart 2 Heart Challenge and the Color My Heart Challenge.  Both challenges encourage you to use your CTMH stash.
This week's color dare  #78 at Color My Heart is Hollyhock and Indian Corn Blue.  I knew I had Hollyhock but wasn't sure about the Indian Corn Blue.  After a little digging, I found one inch square stamp pads of both colors.  I used both pads to make the BG paper on the left side, which I dry embossed, and a CTMH background stamp on the right side.  Then I stamped and fussy cut the 3 stars and heat embossed with clear EP.  The ribbon is CTMH color ready ribbon which I colored with the same stamp pads and let dry while I went out and shoveled another 3" of snow off the driveway.    After making the blue bow I tied a piece of red, white and blue bakers twine around it and threaded it through the little star button.  So here is my finished card for Color Dare #78 at Color My Heart and a few additional challenges listed below.  This card will also be going in the box to send to Operation Write Home.



Dream Valley Challenge #74 - No Designer Paper
Stamping Sensations January Challenge - Ribbons, Buttons and Bows
Brown Sugar Challenge #78 - Embossing (I used both dry and heat embossing.)
Creative Inspirations Challenge #249 - Ribbons
Stampotique Designers January Challenge SDC#131 - Stars Take Two


Check out this picture of the scrap paper I placed the 3 stars on to stamp them with versa mark and then heat emboss them.  I'm saving this for maybe a guy card or grunge card. It certainly isn't going in the trash!

 

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Blossom Heart

Black and white with a pop of red is always a great combination, especially with Valentine's day approaching.  
 
This wonderful Blossom Heart is a digi from Anonymous Stamps where all the digis are free.  And the card is headed straight for the Anonymous Stamps January Challenge - Anything Goes
The card base is a shiny red paper which shows through the heart punched border at the bottom. I colored some of the flower petals on the digi with black marker and added red centers here and there.  The gingham ribbon is self adhering which made it super easy to apply.    The sentiment is a CTMH stamp.  And a little red bling finished it off.   Well, not quite.  It's back to the craft table for this card.  My mother asked me today for a special anniversary card for my Aunt and Uncle who will soon be celebrating their 40th anniversary.  So I'll be adding shiny red numbers popped in the center of the heart and an anniversary sentiment on the inside. 


I'll also be entering these challenges:
Hiding in My Craft Room Challenge #134 - For a Loved One
Just Us Girls Challenge #225 - Photo Inspiration
Delicious Doodles Challenge #72 - Must Use a Ribbon
Simply Create Too Challenge #53 - Valentine's Day/ Use Hearts
Digi Galore Challenge - Monochrome

Friday, January 24, 2014

It started out as a Tag but ....

morphed into a gift card.  I just thought this gorgeous die cut snowflake, which I won right before Christmas, needed a bit more support.  So I mounted it on CS making a gift card.  The owl stamp from Inkadinkadoo was a Christmas gift that I wanted to use before I tucked my Christmas stamps away.  It still works for a winter birthday.

The inside showing off some washi tape that just arrived in the mail yesterday.

I cut the snowflake out of some glitter paper and now have this glittery negative to use elsewhere.     
This card is being entered in these challenges:
Red Rubber Inspirationals #104:  Let Your Stamping Sparkle
Crafty Girls Challenge - Anything Goes
Whimsy Stamps Inspiration Challenge #67 - Something New (The snowflake die from Whimsy Stamps )
Animal Friends January Challenge #10 - Punches/Dies

Gotta run.  Grandson has a basketball game tonight.


Using Friday's Freebie from Bugaboo




This is my final challenge for the Bugaboo 4th Birthday Celebration.  It's been a fun week using Bugaboo images and stocking up on birthday cards.  I have my eye on a few more of their digis, so I hope I win something. 
Today's Catch the Bug Challenge is to use something in multiples of 4 on your card with an option to use today's Bugaboo image Freebie.  (There's a new Freebie every Friday at Bugaboo.)

As you can see, I've used the Cupcake Tower (today's Freebie) 4 times and there are 4 'Happy' s on the card. I used a precut scalloped card base, two strips of washi tape, some more of the Kraft text paper I bought by mistake thinking it was CS to print the digis on, markers, chalk marker + glitter for frosting,  some liquid glass to make the cherries shine, and liquid pearls for the flames. 
I am entering this card in:
Friday's Catch the Bug Birthday Celebration Challenge - multiples of 4
Red Rubber Inspirationals #104:  Let Your Stamping Sparkle
Crafty Girls Challenge - Anything Goes
Chalk N Stock January Challenge - Anything Goes  (Chalk was used on the cupcakes for white icing.)
Designers Choice Challenge #115 - Sweet Treats

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Thursday Challenge for the Bugaboo Birthday Celebration

Today's theme for the Bugaboo 4th Birthday Celebration Challenge is Just Playing Around, Make a Birthday Project for Kids 

 I used Bugaboo's Birthday Monster Present image to create a fun spinner card to enter in the challenge.

Here are the 2 sides of the spinner


And below is the inside of the card.


The balloon, hat and sentiment stamps are from CTMH.

I am entering this card in Thursday's Bugaboo Birthday Celebration Challenge and

4 Crafty Girlz Challenge - Anything Goes
Creative Knockouts Challenge #21 - Birthday Time
Sieze the Birthday Challenge - Who Likes to Color?
Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge #294 - Anything Goes
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge # 207- Use Blue

 

Oh No!! Say it ain't so!!

Today I am posting 2 more cards for the challenges at Catch the Bug and I just realized I made a major mistake on this card.  Don't you just hate when that happens!!!  At least I haven't mailed it.  I'm hand delivering it on Sunday so I have time to fix it.  Can you tell what I did wrong?


 


 


The first card I made is a very special card because it is for my grandson's 9th birthday tomorrow.   Right now he plays winter basketball (although his passion is baseball) so I used the Bugaboo image  Lil Dude Basketball, printing it twice, coloring, fussy cutting the basketball and arm + a little extra for a tab, so I could make a small cut at the elbow, insert the other arm and basketball, then glue a spring between the two balls for a 3D look and so the ball would bounce.  The "Birthday Boy"  was cut on the cricut with the CTMH Scrapbooking Cartridge.
Then on the inside I used a computer generated sentiment, a Stampin Up Basketball hoop stamp, and cricut cut letters (CTMH Art Philosophy Cartridge).  This was a collaborative effort.  I was just going to include the word fun in the sentiment and 2nd generation stamp the net over it.  My DH suggested the letters of the word going into the net like a basketball.   (For those of you who are not up on basketball lingo....  "nothing but net" is when the ball goes through the net without hitting the backboard or rim.  So I was trying to make a play on this phrase when I wrote the sentiment.)

I am entering this card in the current Catch the Bug Stella Says Sketch Challenge

 
I am also entering this card in these other challenges:
The Paper Shelter Challenge # 142 - Digi Image + Sentiment
Crafting with Dragonflies Challenge #18 - Cards only Anything Goes

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Humor Me Wednesday at Bugaboo's Birthday Bash


Wednesday's card reminds me of my DH.  No resemblance, but he's still a kid at heart.  Sunday evening we went to dinner with my Mother, two brothers and their wives.  A family with children came into the restaurant and were seated near us.  My hubby leaned over to me and said he wanted to go sit at their table because they had kids. A table full of over 50's, without alcohol, is much less fun.  Although, my one SIL did entertain herself by making some sort of creature (a spider perhaps?) on her plate, using her uneaten mashed potatoes as the body, shrimp tails for legs, lemon wedge smile, parsley nose, and ketchup eyes.  And not one of us had a camera.  It was rather creative.

This card is being entered in these challenges:
Bugaboo 4th Birthday Celebration Challenge - Humor Me Wednesday: Create a Funny Birthday Project
Ooh-la-la Creations Challenge #148 - A Man Card
Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - Tic-tac-toe  (digi, sentiment, embossing)
Dream Valley Challenge # 73 - Boys/Men
A Gem of a Challenge #111 - For Boys
Aud Sentiment Challenge #98 - Use Any Sentiment
Charisma Cards Challenge #2 - It's a Boy Thing

Now I'm caught up with the Birthday Celebration Challenges at Bugaboo.  But there are still 2 days of challenges to enter.  See you tomorrow.

Bling It Up for Bugaboo

This week I am helping Bugaboo Stamps Celebrate their 4th Birthday by entering their daily challenges.  Tuesday's Bugaboo 4th Birthday Celebration Challenge  is Bling It Up.  The image is Bugaboo, the sentiments I just made on the computer.  Hope you can see the butterfly bling on the red flower.

            (I cut around the 2 flowers on the DP with an exacto knife and slid the corner underneath with Dazzles on the other 3 corners.)

(I cut the DP the same way for inside.)




Here are the additional challenges into which I am entering this card:
Created with Love Challenge #73 - Things with Wings (the angel and the butterfly bling)
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - "A" is for.......  (I used an angel on my card and adhesive, naturally.)

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Birthday Celebration Sketch at Bugaboo

Bugaboo Digi Image - Bobblehead Greetings, Beary Birthday

Sunday's Challenge for Bugaboo's 4th Birthday Celebration was this fun sketch: 
which I followed when making the card above.

I am also entering this card in the following:
Glitter N Sparkle Challenge # 68- Stitching (Real or Faux)
Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge - Anything Goes 4 Kids
My Sheri Crafts Challenge #125 - Delightful Digis
Brown Sugar Challenge #77 - Anything Goes


Happy Birthday Bugaboo!

Bugaboo began celebrating its 4th Birthday on Saturday with daily challenges.  I got a late start with my cards.  Today I'll be posting my cards for the Saturday and Sunday Challenges.  Then tomorrow I can post Tuesday and Wednesday cards and I'll be all caught up.  It's a plan anyway.

Saturday's Bugaboo Birthday Celebration Challenge is a Tic-Tac-Toe/Bingo Challenge.  I'm using a Bugaboo Digital Image, Free Space, and Ribbon on this card:


First I printed the image twice, colored it, fussy cut the !, H, and B with cupcake, then popped them onto the second image.  The cherry on top got a dot of CTMH liquid glass to make it shine.  I cut the green overlay on the cricut using the CTMH Scrapbooking Cartridge and adhered it to a sheet of aqua blue holographic paper before addind the image.  The 4 loop bow (actually ribbon yarn) and the little charm (Thanks, KT) were added before mounting the aqua blue onto the card base. 

I am entering this card in the Bugaboo Saturday Challenge

 

and these other fun challenges:
Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - Tic-Tac-Toe (Charm, Ribbon, Digi)

Tic Tac Toe Board for Jan. 20th Challenge




Monday, January 20, 2014

Lots going on in blogland!

Bugaboo Stamps is having a week long celebration for their 4th birthday.
  
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUGABOO!!!
 
Playing along was a given for me because I so love their digital images!  So be prepared. 

Today I used the Mojo Monday Sketch and a Bugaboo digital image to make my entry for the Bugaboo Monday Challenge:

 
 

I will also enter this card in the following:
Come and Get It Challenge - Food, Glorious Food
Scribble and Scrap Challenge #10 - Always Anything Goes

That's all for now.  I have some catching up to do since the challenges started Saturday.
They are also having a blog hop with some great prizes, which I don't want to miss.
and
Sparkle and Sprinkle is starting Bingo this week.

It's busy in blogland!!

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Caught Your Heart Kitty

Today was a pretty normal Saturday.  First one grandson had a basketball game at one school and then the other one had a basketball game an hour later at a different school.  We were afraid we'd miss most of their games because of my hubby's hip surgery.  As it turns out, we only missed one game for each.  Today Jim and I both sat on the gym floor, and my son said Jim actually had less trouble getting up than I did.  I'm working on a basketball card for my grandson's birthday this week and hoping he thinks it is awesome.

Thought I'd quickly post a card while my apple cake is baking and the dinner dishes are soaking.



A From The Heart Digi Image
This card is for the following challenges:
From the Heart Stamps January Stamp of the Month Challenge
Brown Sugar Challenge #77 - Anything Goes
Digitally Sweet Challenge #71 - Anything Goes
Jo's Scrap Shack Fun Friday Challenge #33 - It's a Love Thing
Savvy Handmade Cards Challenge - Furry Friends
Simply Create Too Challenge #53 - Valentine's Day or Use Hearts
Sister Act Challenge #40 - Anything Goes
Wags & Whiskers Challenge #120 - Anything Goes
In the Pink Challenge #35 - Anything Goes
Card and Scrap Challenge #68 - Use Bling
The Stamping Boutique Challenge #2 - Valentines
Crafting for all Seasons Challenge #68 - All Things Bright and Beautiful
Inky Impressions Challenge - Pink and Girly
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Emboss It



Gee, that apple cake should be almost done.  It sure is smelling good!!!

Friday, January 17, 2014

1 Technique + 1 Sketch + Inspiration = Today's Card

As I scanned the list of Thursday's challenges, there were 3 that caught my eye:
and
 and
Here's the card I made combining the three:

The challenge sketch is below.
 
 The color combination and hearts were inspired by this photo:

And this shows the decoupage layers on the tiny bird for the C.R.A.F.T. Challenge.

Here are just two more challenges for this simple card:
Aud Sentiments Challenge #98 - Use any sentiment 
DL.ART Thankful Thursday Challenge #124 - Theme: Heart, Hearts, Valentine's Day, Love, etc.


By the way, the little bird with sentiment  is a Close to My Heart stamp.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Frosty Fun + CTMH Card Workshop 1-14-14

Don't ask me why, but I decided to make a card to enter the Challenge #193 at Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog.  The theme is Winter Fun and a cricut cut is required.  I found this frosty fun cut out on the Close To My Heart Artbooking Cartridge.  I cut it out of plain white CS and then covered it with glitter gel.  The penguin stamp is also CTMH. 

I am also entering this card in a these challenges:
Heart 2 Heart Challenge - Give me a C-T-M-H  (I used the Cricut, Tombo adhesive, kraft paper Mat,
  glittered Hills.)
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #206 - Winter Wonderland
Mod Squad Challenge - Snow
Stamp n Doodle Challenge #2 - Use an animal (I'm hoping a penguin qualifies as an animal, although is it technically a bird?  But is a bird considered an animal?  I don't know.  Perhaps I'll google it when I'm finished.  I better google it now.  BRB  OK I'm good.  This is what I found:  "A penguin is a bird and an animal. It belongs to the class Aves (birds), which is within the kingdom Animalia (animals)." That means I'm good and I learned something today.


Before I go, here are the cards we made at Joyce's CTMH card workshop yesterday using the January Stamp of the Month and lots of CTMH washi tape.


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