This one is bugging me!

OK here's the card:

My problem is - a friend asked me to make some guy birthday cards for her grandsons (19 & 28).  The ones I've made so far haven't suited her for one reason or another.  Yet I'm not getting any personal details about the young men to go with a theme, i.e. golfing, fishing, sports, etc. 

I found this stamped image and the paper strips in the clutter on my table.  But I'm thinking it's too juvenile.  Guess I'll enter it in the challenges below and then go back to the crafting table.

Whoopsie Daisy Challenge - Spots and Stripes

Paper Playtime #9 - Emboss (dry or wet)

Digi Darla Challenge #60 - Celebrate 

 

1st time ever!!!

This is the very first time I haven't posted my Mojo Monday card until Tuesday!  Have no concerns, life just got in the way.  I'd much rather be blogging than playing in the dirt, but I am expecting 15+ for Mother's Day Lunch in 2 weeks and I have a lot to get ready.  This is the 19th year I have hostessed this very special female only family event.  

I did get a few cards made including my 

Mojo Monday Challenge #291 entry, 

based on this week's sketch: 

Guy Card # 3

Gee, I forgot to post this!  It's been sitting in my drafts folder.
 

The bull dog is from an Inkadinkadoo stamp set I found on a clearance pile the other day and couldn't resist.
This card is for the following challenges:
The Paper Shelter - Challenge # 109 - For the Boys
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge # 124 - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes
Stamp n Doodle Challenge April 24th - No Embellishments
Shopping Our Stash # 98 - Dollar or Bargain Bin Find
The Squirrel and the Fox Challenge - # 42 - Furry Friends

Guy Card #2

 

I used some stamp stickers (50 cents for the sheet from a local thrift store) for the image on the second card and layered some coordinating DP.


This card is for the following challenges:
The Paper Shelter - Challenge # 109 - For the Boys
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge # 124 - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes
Stamp n Doodle Challenge April 24th - No Embellishments
Shopping Our Stash # 98 - Dollar or Bargain Bin Find
Aud Sentiments Challenge - Happy Birthday to Us Challenge #79
Love to Scrap Challenge #4 - Die Cuts and Punches

Guys cards

Found a bit of time to quickly make some guy cards.
The first card uses a digital treasure map from Digi Ditto and a computer generated sentiment.

This card is for the following challenges:
Crafting by Designs - Anything Goes Challenge with Meljen's Designs
The Paper Shelter - Challenge # 109 - For the Boys
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge # 124 - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes
Stamp n Doodle Challenge April 24th - No Embellishments
Digital Tuesday Challenge #207 - Birthdays
One Stitch at a Time Challenge #160 - Use a digital image

I'll post the other 2 cards later today.  My garden is calling.... LOUDLY!

CTMH Card Class 4-23-13

Didn't have time to get the cards from Tuesday's class posted until now.  Here are 3 of the cards we made.  

The 4th didn't even make it all the way home and is already on its way to California.

Mojo Monday

Here's my Mojo Monday #290 card. 

  

It is based on this week's sketch:

In honor of Earth day - the DP for this card came out of Joyce's scraps; the string came off of the tag on the last pair of jeans I bought; the cardboard was a backing piece from a pkg of paper; and the golf stamps were from a friend who just had too much stuff (a hazard of the hobby I'm afraid).

I'll also enter this in the following challenges:

Joanna Sheen Challenge Blog - Recycle 

Three Scrappy Gals - April is Earthy 

Crafty Boots Challenges - Recycle 

Cards for Men - Anything Goes 

ABC Challenge #25 - Recycle

CTMH Spring Fling 4-20-2013

Saturday's Spring Fling was great!  It was a whole day to make cards, learn techniques, eat, talk, make more cards, try new products, talk, laugh, buy stuff, win stuff, get rid of stuff, and eat more.

The group of crafters attending moved from table to table, making a total of 8 different cards taught by 8 Close to My Heart Consultants.

Joyce's card

Crystal's card

 Regina's card

 Micki's card

 Liz's card

Betty's card

Lori's card

and

always a show stopper- Nancy's card

Versatile Card

This cute butterfly digi image by 2 Cute Ink with the stamped sentiment, combine to make a card suitable for a birthday, Mother's Day, anniversary, even graduation.     

 It's also my entry for the following challenges:
Flutterby Wednesday Challenge # 236 
Catch the Bug Challenge Blog - A Bug's Life.
Patti's Creations Design Challenge - # 65 - Make it SPARKLE 
Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge -PWC254 - Happy Birthday
Whimsical Designs - Smell the Flowers
Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge

Bird Houses

I love bird houses.  One of my first spring chores is making sure they are cleaned out and hung before the birds are ready to nest.
We have a small wooded area (minus one huge tree that fell down last week) behind our house where I have several.  There's a cat with it's mouth open for the bird to nest inside,  (I've never had a nest in that one.  Can't imagine why.) one very colorful house my granddaughter made from a coffee can, a gourd, two I painted myself, one that has a separate roof section where you can plant flowers, one that has slid down the tree branch and needs to be rescued..... I usually have tenants, mostly wrens who are quite noisy when I'm working in the surrounding rock garden.

This darling digi bird house image is by Beccy Muir and can be found here.  She also has a great list of different card folds and tutorials on her blog. 

This card is my challenge entry for:
Beccy's Place April Challenge - April Showers Bring May Flowers
Sparkle N Sprinkle's April Challenge - Use a Digital Image
If you aren't fond of digital images, they have several sets of Becci's images available in rubber.
Digi Darla's Challenge # 58 - How does your garden grow?
Digital Tuesday Challenge #206 - Springtime
Polka Doodle Challenge Week # 16  - New Home

Free Doodle Pantry Images

I can't believe there aren't more entries in the Doodle Pantry challenge!  They have a lot of Freebie images available AND you get a free digital set
 
just for entering.  

This cute digital image from Doodle Pantry, gives new meaning to the phrase "Catch Lunch".  I wish my cat would go catch some lunch.  I have little shrew tunnels all over my flower beds.


I'll be entering this card in:
Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge # 33 - Use a Doodle Pantry Image
Penny's Challenge #123 - use a sentiment 
Craft Your Passion Challenge Blog - Adorable Animals


Check out Doodle Pantry's blog and digital store!
It's a win-win!!!  Tell them Debi sent you!!

It's that time.

This is my card for the current

It's Springtime at House-Mouse, Challenge #HMFMC142

at the 

 House Mouse and Friends Challenge Blog,

Challenge 158 Adorable Animals 

at Craft Your Passion Challenge Blog

and 

April Showers

at the Outlawz Monday Greeting Card Challenge

Wednesday Post

I think it is safe to post this card now.  I mailed it out Saturday, Sybilla & Bill should have gotten it Monday.  (If not,  it is now an e-card - Happy Anniversary, you two!)

I found the vintage photo last year.  Then I came across the paper, which I've been saving for this particular card, for quite a while now.  (Actually, I'm surprised I found it. )  I typed and printed the sentiment on the computer. 

I'll be entering this card in the following challenges:
Moving Along With The Times Challenge - Inspired by a Song or Movie  (Daisy Bell is the actual title of the song, but the lyrics include  "but you'll look sweet, upon the seat, of a bicycle built for two.)
Simply Create Too Challenge # 135 - Use Your Stash - The gray lacy ribbon is actually seam binding that has been in my sewing box for probably 30 years.  
It's All About the Vintage Challenge # 41 - Travel 
 

Wacky Wednesday

No, that is not the name of a challenge.  It is a concise description of my day today.  I have lots of places to go, things to do, etc.  Hopefully I can quickly post this card before the deadline at Dynamic Duos. 

I picked up the stamp on Saturday at the Allentown.  (They were buy 3 get 1 free.  So I have one more to show you and the 4th is a Christmas gift.)   The sentiment is computer generated.  The color combination is from Dynamic Duos Challenge # 48. 

The sketch is my second entry in the Paper Sweeties Sketch Inspiration Challenge # 6.

 

 I still have 20 minutes before the DD#48 deadline to also enter this card in the following challenges:

Cards in Envy Challenge - Things With Wings

Ladybug Crafts Inc TLT Challenge Blog - A Card for a Child or Teen

Pile It On # 15 - Embossing

I'll be back later to post a very special card.

A Tag for Today + a CAS Card

I started working on several projects yesterday and colored a bunch of digi images while I watched TV last night. I have two that I finished this morning to share with you.

I made this tag for the Sentimental Sunday - Tag You're It - Challenge #150

I'll be making a lot more tags in the next 2 weeks.    Milkhouse Shop At Old Home Farm, will be one of the featured locations on the Chester County (PA) Best Kept Secrets Tour May 3rd thru May 18th.  My cousin has the shop on her parents' farm. Her brother, Kurt, makes soap (http://scentualgardens.com/) in the barn where we used to play hide and seek as children.  Nancy sells the soap, little handmade items, fresh eggs, flowers and vegetables in the room that once was the milkhouse.  I try to keep a supply of cards, tags and gift bags there for sale.  

I'm entering this tag in these challenges:

Charisma Card Challenge #14 - Tags 

Crafts and Me Challenge #128 - Lace and pearls

Eclectic Ellapu - Put a Tag on It 

and 

Sentimental Sunday # 150 - Tag You're IT 

 

 My second project was a very CAS card using 3/4 of a new Artful Stamper stamp I bought Saturday at the Allentown Stamping Show from my friends Sam and Deb from Stamp On It.  The stamp actually has 4 hats, but I only wanted 3 for on this card.  You'll understand why shortly.

I will be entering this card in the Muse Challenge #13, from which
I got my inspiration.

 

I'll also enter it in:

2 Sisters Challenge #139 - Hats

Old Back Porch - 52 Card Pickup 

and

Muse Challenge #13

Mojo for Mom

Here's the Mojo Monday Sketch for this week:

I flipped the sketch sideways to make my card today.  It's basically an all-occasion card for Mom.  Right now I'm thinking Mother's Day, but almost any sentiment could be added inside.

 

I'll be entering this in the following challenges:

Mojo Monday # 289

Glitter n Sparkle Challenge #28 - Stitching 

Great Impressions April Challenge - Pastel Colors/Polka Dots

One Stop Craft Challenge # 224 - Pastels

Sweet Stampin' - Pastels

DRS Designs Challenge Blog - # 65 One Stitch at a Time

 

Sunday post as promised

I got some pretty cool stuff at the Allentown Stamping Show yesterday.  And I donated this Artist Trading Card to their ATC collection.  The theme for the ATC contest was 
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."  

The little star, in this case, is my adorable granddaughter when she was only 3 (she's 19 now!).  I put 2 layers of clear embossing with just a touch of glitter in it on the card to give it that shine, before adding the brad and dazzles.  

I'm entering this in the following:  
Outlawz Saturday Paper a la Mode - Anything Goes
Partytime Tuesdays #115 - Anything but a card 
Challenges 4 Everybody - # 18 - Anything Goes


As I was tidying up my craft table, I gathered some odds and ends lying about and made up this card for Outlawz Creative Freebie Challenge.  The image is by Sandi Huggett.  I fussy cut just a portion of the image so it could extend beyond the die cut frame. The little piece of fabric behind the Happy Birthday was in a $1 bag of scraps I picked up at yesterday's show.  

I'll also enter this card in the following:

Shelly's Images TTT Challenge - Use Scallops
Crafting by Designs - Spring Flowers
Fab N Funky Challenges # 166 - Spring Colours

 
 

Brief Layover

I had just a brief layover this afternoon between getting home from the stamping show in Allentown and heading to my son's to play with my grandsons while he and his wife went out with some friends.  I quickly made up this card because I knew if I sat down I'd fall asleep.

I think I have just enough time to get it entered in a couple of challenges:
Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge - Buttons
The Ribbon Reel Challenge Blog - Mix and Match - 1 solid paper, 2 patterned papers, ribbon and twine

Inspiration photo for Ribbon Reel Challenge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FYI - Stale Nutter Butters are kind of Nasty

Yesterday I made a cup of tea and grabbed a pack of cookies from the snack drawer before sitting down at the computer to check out Thursday's challenges.  Unfortunately, instead of being tasty the cookies were pretty nasty.  Before throwing out the rest of the cookies and the box,  I couldn't help but think, "that might look good on a card" for the Thursday Outlawz Challenge.  So I cut out a piece of the box and started working on another Mother's Day card.  In case you didn't read my previous post, 
Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge - " Happy Mother's Day (from the kids) " is hoping to collect enough Mother's Day cards so that all the kids in the children's hospitals they serve will be able to choose a card to give to their moms.  

I will be sending this card to them, as well as, entering it in their challenge and the following:

Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge - Anything Goes with or without the "twist" - Card with Food 
The Perfect Sentiment Challenge # 74 - Sweet Treats 
Paper Playtime Challenge # 7 - Use a Pun
and
Catered Crop Recipes for papercrafting -

I probably won't be posting Saturday.  

I'm headed to a  scrapbooking show in Allentown tomorrow and playing with my grandsons tomorrow night. 

See you Sunday with a photo of the ATC I'm submitting to the contest at the show.

It's cold, it's rainy, it's gloomy,

it's perfect weather for guilt-free card making.  I can't garden, which is the biggest item on my chore list right now.  And I'm not going to even think about the endless list of indoor chores I might be doing until after I'm done this post.


Today I finished up a card which follows the Outlawz Wednesday Sketch Challenge. 
 

Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge has requested Mother's Day cards for children in the hospital to give to their moms.  So I'll also be entering this card in their challenge- Happy Mother's Day (from the kids) -  and then sending it on to them.

I am also entering this card in Totally Papercrafts Friday Challenge # 162 - Get Krafty

Hero Card

 

I made this simple card yesterday for the Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge.  

The "twist" was to make the card masculine.  Most times when a challenge says 'make it masculine', I make a HERO card for Operation Write Home.  

I'll also be entering this in these challenges:

Gingerloft Challenge - GL for the Guys

Card Makin' Mamas - It's Challenge Time - No Patterned Papers

The House That Stamps Built - DCC410 - CAS 

Use it Tuesday - Sticky Situation (I found a couple packs of great stickers at the Big Lots store that I save to use exclusively on OPW Hero cards.  I thought this 3D eagle sticker was perfect for this card.)

Through the Craft Room Door Challenge - Anything Goes

Let's go fly a kite!

There really isn't any wind to speak of today, 

so I doubt we'd get a kite off the ground.  

It is, however, 84 degrees outside.  

What's up with that? 

Last week's Twisted Thursday Outlaws Challenge was Anything Goes but with a Twist - Singing/Music.

I scanned a piece of old sheet music, actually one of my favorites from Mary Poppins,  to use on this card.

The stamp is a Holly Pond Hill.  
I used some new gingham fabric tape.  And added some tiny wood birds that I just got from CTMH.

Besides the Outlawz Challenge, I'll also be entering this card in the following challenges:

Delightful Challenges - All About Music 

The Squirrel and the Fox - Challenge # 41 - Inspired by a Movie or Song

Pile It On  #14 - Wooden

Critter Sketch Challenge # 159 -  Washi Tape/Fabric Tape/Paper Tape 

Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge - Fly 

Creative Moments Challenge Blog - Challenge 14 - Things with Wings

Flutterby Wednesday #235 -Open Challenge-anything goes as long as it has a butterfly or fairy on it!

Stamp n Doodle Challenge - Bows and Butterflies - Anything Goes 

 

CTMH Card Class 4/9/2013

Before I show you the cards we made in class yesterday, I have a simple card I made following the sketch at the Paper Sweeties Sketch Inspiration Challenge # 6.  

This is the current sketch for April, so you still have lots of time to play along.  

The cute little feline is a clear Paper Smooches Stamp I picked up at the last stamping show.  DP is from a paper pack freebie from Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine that I embossed with my favorite folder.  The edges of the hexagon are sponged, first with pink and then lightly with black.  I just gave her eyes a touch of yellow and then a coat of CTMH liquid glass which dries clear and shiny.  I will also be entering this card in the following challenges:

Twisted Tuesday Challenges - 2TC47 - Animals and Flowers

Cupcake Cutie Craft Challenge - #237 - Raining Cats and Dogs 

Ink it Pink Challenge - Thinking of You 

Simply Create Too Challenge #34 - Animals 

No, I did not forget....

Here are the cards we made at Joyce's Close to my Heart Card Class Yesterday.   The stamps we used are from the Stamp of the Month for April, which will only be available until the end of the month.  Check out Joyce's web site right here to also see the great April Special!!!!

Fun cards.  Too bad Judie, Jan, Barbara and Micki were MIA.  Gail- hope you're feeling better.  Happy to hear you'll be at the Spring Fling Card Making Day next week.

Card making, craft flea market, and taco soup (recipe on Joyce's blog) - I can't wait!