Birthday cards for twins

 The twins, who live across the street from us, happily informed me that they are going to have a birthday party.

We so enjoy watching them playing together without a care in the world!  Who knew the windshield of a truck makes a perfect sliding board?  They love finding sticks and having fencing matches.  Their driveway is often a museum of chalk masterpieces.  Conversing with them is always enlightening.  The other day I watched as one twin filled the other's super soaker water gun.  I asked him where his gun was and he said he lost it.  That was quickly followed by, "That's OK.  I have the hose!" 

 

Here are their birthday cards:

 

If you are making any cards suitable for children, this month's challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids is Anything Goes.

We'd love to see your cards!  

  

Thanks for visiting my blog. 

 

BTW: Today is my grandson's birthday.

This is his card:

 

 

 

Double Trouble Challenge #160

 Here's my card for the Hoodie-Hoo celebration at 

Double Trouble Challenge: 

It's a center step card, made with lots of scraps, and a cute bunny from SU.

If you are wondering what Hoodie-Hoo Day is, hop on over to the Double Trouble Challenge to read about it and maybe join the fun.

Since DTC is partnered with Creative Creases Challenge #76 for their 3rd Anniversary,  I'll also be entering my card there. 

Thanks for visiting!

Tic Tac Toe Cat Card

 

This month I am participating in

The Cat Lovers Christmas Kickstart Challenge 

 

This is my festive cat card #3 for the month long challenge.

The card follows the middle horizontal row of the Tic Tac Toe board  for Day #8's Christmas Kickstart Challenge with Gail.

 

It has a glitter sentiment and bow on the die cut tag which is made from 1/4" scraps of patterned paper. 

The digi kitty is by Gerda Steiner.

 

I am also entering this card in Challenge #12 - Anything CAT Goes at Crazy for Cats Challenges. 

 And, I am also sharing my card at the Gerda Steiner October 2023 Share Your Design Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

 

 

Cat Lovers Christmas Kickstart Challenge

Look! I've added a new gadget to my blog!

I'm surprised I remembered how to do that!

You might want to check out 

The Cat Lovers Christmas Kickstart Challenge 

this month,

but only if you like cats and prizes.

Here's my cat card #1 for the challenge:

Since I make a lot of cards for Send A Smile 4 Kids, cute animal cards are my favorites.   This card has a background I made from CTMH paper scrap strips, then embossed and added a fussy cut precolored digi from Deedee's Digis on a die cut oval.

 

Challenges:

Cat Lovers Christmas Kickstart Challenge #79 - Christmas + cat themed 

Digi Choosday Challenge week 39 - AG

Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #149- AG

Make My Monday Challenge #210 - create your own background

Simon Says Monday Challenge - add some texture

Moving Along with the Times Challenge #159 - AG

Thanks for stopping by.

Change of Plans

Once again, what I envision at 3am (instead of sleeping) often doesn't work when I get to my craft table later in the day.    

Don't get me wrong, I like the final result but needed to make a few changes along the way. 

My goal was to make a card for the current 

Double Trouble Challenge Oh My Gourd Color Challenge. 

First I made a sample card to see if my idea would work.

Using strips of papers in fall colors, I made the background.  Actually, I made 2 so I had one to use as a sample.  Then I die cut a leaf, popped it up with foam tape and put it back in the space.

 

That was pretty much the look I wanted, only with a pumpkin die cut from the center. 

 Then I discover my pumpkin die was too big and too intricate to use like this.

But wait.  

I knew I had another pumpkin die, but where was it?  After quite a bit of searching, I found it tucked in an envelope with another die.  I know not why!

Problem was, this die was too small.

 

 

After a few changes, below is my card for

Double Trouble Challenge Challenge # 147

and the partner challenge

Inspiration Station September Challenge, Prompt #53.

 How could I not make a card with a pumpkin, after seeing this!

 
And this is what happened to the ornate pumpkin die cut.

 I could spend hours making backgrounds with little paper strips.

They are so much fun.

Now that I think about it, I already spend hours doing just that!

 

 Thanks for visiting.

Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge #712

 

Welcome to my blog, where I have
a new card to share with you each week for

Tuesday Morning Sketches 

 

 

Here is the sketch for this week:

 

The other day, when I was looking for something in my paper stash, I came across an envelope containing the leftovers from a wedding box I made several years ago.   I decided to pull out the scraps of paper and use them for my next TMS Design Team card.  I ended up making 10 additional card fronts with the different pieces.

 

 I never did find what I was originally looking for!

 

 

The Design Team invites you to stop by

 and visit their blogs, too.

Debbie 

Donna

Melissa

Patti

Tammy

Tangii

 

      You can be sure that one of us will be visiting you.

 

 

Here are the additional cards I made using that bag of scraps.

 Did you notice how the pieces on each card keep getting smaller and smaller?  I really hate to throw out paper.

Double Trouble Challenge #115

 Christmas in July

 is the theme for the Double Trouble Challenge #115.

When it is this hot and humid, it's a bit hard to get in the holiday spirit.   But, I thought I'd give it a try.

My Christmas Stash has a lot of odds and ends from previous years.  The last few years I have made a concerted effort to use up a lot of old stuff before I buy new.  And I'm doing just that, one strip at a time.

 

Today I've chosen papers that have the colors in the top row of the Crazy  8 Color Dare Challenge #503 (which I am also entering) and used a flower theme.

That should make all the Things happy. 

 

 

Christmas Cardinal and Holly Card

As I tidied up the Christmas things on my craft table, I came across a small piece of holly patterned paper that I saw no reason to throw away.  Picking up a few other scraps, I made a nice little banner.      And that's exactly how most of my cards begin.

First I'll show you the inside of the card (because that is where the banner ended up). 
That's a Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz sentiment stamp.

Keeping in mind the Inspo list from Festive Friday Challenge #0074,

I chose holly, red and green

I designed the front of the card, using a die cut I forgot I had, a cardinal which I cut from one of the cards I received last year, Fundamental papers from CTMH, and some washi tape for accent.

 Thanks for dropping by.

I think I still have time to make a batch or two of cookies before dinner.

 

Leftovers on Sunday

When I checked my stash for dp to make a card for the color challenge at MFT, I pulled out a 12x12 sheet of paper in a nice red plaid.  Then I came across another smaller piece of flowered paper that I used instead.  (See previous post)  Rather than refiling the plaid paper, I decided to use it for some Christmas cards.  I cut 6 pieces measuring 4"x5.25" for card fronts.  Then I was left with 3 pieces measuring 4"x1.5" which I used to make the card below.

I really like the way this turned out.  

Now, let me tell you about the gold frames (Tim Holtz) and letters (MFT).  SU had a Christmas card kit in their holiday catalog.  Normally, I wouldn't purchase a kit, but I loved the sentiment stamp which was included.  The kit had gold precut holiday frames for the cards.  The inside of each frame still needed to be punched out.  Easy enough.  The inside piece of gold measured 4" x 5.75" but was missing a bit where the decorative corners had been.  Just like I couldn't part with the 3 leftover plaid pieces, I knew I could use those gold centers.  That's where the gold frames and letters on my card originated.  Plus I cut all of these, too!

And in the upper left of the photo are the leftovers I still have.

Challenges I am entering today include:

 Fezziwigs Festive Christmas Challenge - Textures;

 

 Mix It Up Challenge #42 - Distressing (Plaid panels and dark green background are ink distressed in black.); The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #81 - AG; Merry Little Christmas Challenge #27 - AG;  Color Dare Challenge #416 - see Tic Tac Toe board below, I used the right column, Red, Ivy, and Gold.; Creative Fingers Challenge #195 - AG; Crafty Catz Challenge #523 - AG

 

 

Blog Hop Leftovers

If you check my previous post for the CTMH Joyful Stars Blog Hop, you may notice that the gift cards are held in place by tiny circles, folded in four, one section removed and then glued together.  Consequently, I had a perfectly good piece of patterned paper with four holes in it. 

 I used a few other scraps and CTMH stamps to make a card for one of the December birthdays in my book.  Even the little cups are tiny scraps of paper paper pieced together.

Challenges:

Craft Rocket Challenge #65 - Happy Birthday 

Papercraft Challenges #50 - Birthday

Make My Monday Challenge #109 - Red, Green and White

613 Avenue Create Challenge #227 - Anything Goes w/ option of Scraps 

Happy Easter with scraps

To all my faithful blog friends, 

I wish you a very Happy Easter.

This card is totally made of scraps, cast offs, and leftovers,

a perfect way to clean off my craft table.

Challenges:

Cards in Envy Challenge - No Patterned Paper

Aud Sentiments Challenge #200 - Easter or Spring

4 Crafty Chicks Crazy Egg Challeneg #396 - Anything Goes

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge #362 - Easter (The egg die was a freebie from Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine.)

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #208 - Bunnies, Chicks or Eggs 

 

Friday Fun

One of the partially made cards littering my craft table has become this birthday card for a dear friend.  

 The background is made up of 1/2" squares of leftover paper, glued together randomly and then embossed.

Does anyone else save the real skinny strips that are leftover when you make a punched border?  That's the origin of the 2 pink strips.  

The bordered stamp is from CTMH. 

Challenges:
Through the Craft Room Door Challenge Week of July 11 - Anything Goes 
In the Pink Challenge #122 - Special Occasion (birthday)
Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge # 167- Anything Goes with Ribbon

That's all I have time for today.  My grandson's baseball game for tonight was just cancelled due to rain.  So I think I can get the last few almost finished cards on my table, finished before dinner.

Foiled Decoupage Card

Yesterday was my mother's birthday.  We took our traditional trip to Shady Maple for lunch and baked goods and then made a stop at Bear Creek Nursery for a few plants.  Since it is another beautiful day for outside work, my purchases are already in the ground.  

I imagine Mom is working on planting hers, too.

Thought I'd show you the card I made for Mom's birthday.  I used 3 layers from an Anita's Foiled Decoupage Sheet by Docrafts. 

The background was made from leftover digi paper from Imagine That! Stamps.  I cut the leftovers into uniform widths, glue them on lightweight paper, run it through the cuttlebug with an embossing folder, cut it to size and always like the outcome.  The sentiment is from a sheet of thin foam circles with various messages in either gold or silver, which I happened to uncover in my stash.

A strip of ribbon, handmade bow, sunbonnet charm, and a few pearls finished off the card front.  I mounted that on silver stock and then the card base.

No stamping on the front of this one.

Challenges:

Crafty Gals Challenge #129 - Anything Goes 

The House That Stamps Built Challenge J2817 - Anything Goes

The Paper Shelter Challenge #300 - Summer Birthday

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes 

Everybody Art Challenge #406 -  Lace or Pearls

Through the Craft Room Door Week of June 27th - Anything Goes 

The Ribbon Girls June Challenge - Any Image 

Moving Along with the Times Challenge #48 - English Country Garden 

Seize the Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes

 

Shoebox Swap at Joyce's

Since Joyce, our class leader and CTMH consultant, is recovering from a bit of surgery, this week's class was a "shoe box" swap.  Although none of us actually used a shoe box, we each came prepared with supplies for everyone to make a card of our design.  Because a few people couldn't come, we each made two cards.

And here they are....

First Judi's card:

She always makes very elegant cards.

next Mickey's masculine scrap card...

 

With various squares and backgrounds to choose from, we each configured our own cards.

 

Sybilla's layered card.....

Two of the six layers are actually behind the teal card base.  When the card is open you still get the effect of the layers.

and my card..........

I used flower, leaf and butterfly cuts from the CTMH Flower Market cartridge.

 We'll be keeping Joyce in our prayers as she continues to recover and returns to her smiling, crafty self.

Challenges: 

Inky Chicks Challenge #82 - Butterflies 

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #80 - Anything Goes

Stinkin Inkers Challenge #1 - Showers of Flowers 

Through the Craft Room Door Challenge week of April 25th - Anything Goes 

Bitten by the Bug Challenge - Springtime Flowers are Blooming 

Allsorts Challenge Week #412 - I Spy something beginning with a "b" : Butterfly 

Aud Sentiments Challenge #178 - Use a stamp for the sentiment (I used a CTMH stamp.) 

 

Today's crop favorites

The Easter cards I've been making for SAS4K these last 2 months are finished.  Every SAS4K label I had with me has been used, plus a sheet or 2 that my friend, Sybilla, gave me.

 

While wintering in Florida, I've been designing cards, cutting pieces, stamping, coloring, and fussy cutting images during the week and assembling them on Saturday mornings at a weekly crop.

 

Yesterday, as I was approaching the last few cards I was planning to make, I decided it was time to use up some of my paper scraps.  

I had quite a few strips of leftovers plus the border strips that come on the edge of the CTMH paper.  One by one I glued them, in no particular design, onto a piece of 8.5 x 11 CS, filling the entire sheet.  When dry I trimmed the edges, cut it into 4 pieces to make 4 cards fronts.  Each of these 4 pieces was then embossed.  If you do this before the glue is totally dry, you get a nice deep impression and the papers hold together nicely.  Using a variety of nesting dies, I did a bit of die cutting to frame the sentiments.  There were still enough scraps to stamp some crazy birds and accessories.   Before I called it a day, I fussy cut the birds and their Easter finery, added some marker here and there, dressed and glued the birds together and added liquid glass to all their eyes for dimension and shine.

Are you ready to see my favorite cards from today's crop?

Challenges: 

Scrappers Delights Challenge #60 - Anything Goes

Hiding in My Craft Room Challenge #290 - Anything Holiday

Brown Sugar Challenge #239 - Anything Goes

Craft for the Craic Challenge - 2 of something (birds)

Crafty Hazelnut's February Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes

Aud Sentiments Challenge #174 - Animal + Sentiment

Cardz 4 Gals Challenge #41 - Cardz 4 Teenz

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Scrapyland Challenge #60 - Add Texture (I've used La La Land Stitched Circle Dies)

Tomorrow I'll be posting a card for the last challenge at A Day For Daisies.

CTMH Card Class + free for all 8/23/16

The first card we made yesterday, under Joyce's tutelage, included  flowers from the new CTMH Flower Market Cricut Cartridge.

 

The sentiment stamp also comes with the cartridge bundle.

The next 2 cards we made using scraps and then one of the new word thinlits with the cuttlebug to die cut it.

We actually used the resulting negative for our cards.

 Most of the other gals added very pretty cricut cut flowers to their cards.  Being the rebel of the group, I thought I'd make more masculine cards.

We still had the die cut "hello"s to make 2 more cards.  It was free-for-all time.  Joyce made lots of scraps and card bases available to us and we were on our own.  

Here's the first card I made.

I had it mostly laid out at Joyce's and then brought it home where I added the embossing and punched border across the bottom.

For my final card, which I just finished up this morning, I used an oval negative found in Joyce's scraps and strips of fundamental papers from my stash. 

The Cardz 4 Guys Challenge requires the addition of a furry friend, so I added the cute CTMH stamped monkey.  I not only fussy cut the little guy, but paper pieced the banana he is holding with his tail.  I am being to think I am certifiable.  

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Cardz 4 Guys Challenge #134 - include a furry friend

Crafty Sentiments Design Challenge - Anything Goes 

Through the Craft Room Door Challenge - Always Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart Challenge #124 - Anything Goes 

Craft Your Passion Challenge #326 - Anything Goes 

The East Wind Challenge #51 - Paper Piecing 

One Stitch at a Time Challenge #269 - Anything Goes for Men 

Robyn's Fetish Challenge #330 - Cards For Men 

Aud Sentiments Challenge # 162 - For the Men + sentiment