Joyful Stars April Blog Hop

As I made this card for the April Joyful Stars Blog Hop, we were having one nasty April shower.  

Our family has a different type of shower in the forecast ... a baby shower.  My niece, Ronin, is doing some hopping of her own because she is so excited to be getting a girl cousin.

The most recent issue of Quick Cards featured an Easel Swing Card.  Since I had never tried my hand at this type of card, I thought I'd give it a go and make a baby card for the shower.  It looked simple enough.  All I had to do was convert it from a square card to an A2 card.  Well, two and a half hours later,  I pronounced it finished...

card front, not folded entirely flat so you can see the center swing piece

inside of card which also is the base for the easel with framed sentiment popped

top half of inside of card

card in easel position

 I used 2 CTMH stamp sets, C1631 Birthday Princess and C1547 from the For Always Cardmaking Workshop.  Papers are from the Kaleidoscope pack and also a sheet of Pink Fundamental paper.  This little princess was colored with markers and pencils, and she has a touch of Prisma glitter on her skirt.  The sentiment frame is from the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge.  Bows are made with CTMH extra thick twine.  CTMH pink enamel gems embellish the base of the card.  

The crocheted pink blanket will accompany the card to the baby shower.  I love making baby blankets!

Now it's time to hop on over to see what Nancy Brown has made for this month's Blog Hop.  The hop is a circle, so it doesn't matter where you start, just continue from blog to blog until you're back where you started to make sure you see all the fabulous projects. 

If you get lost, you can visit Joyce's blog for a complete list. 

I am submitting this card to the following challenges:

Fresh Brewed Designs Challenge - Ribbon or Twine
Crafting with Dragonflies Challenge - baby card 
Fantasy Stampers Challenge #60 - new baby
Crafting with Friends Challenge #18 - Anything Goes
Brown Sugar Challenge #193 - Anything Goes
Sparkle n Sprinkle April Challenge - Anything Goes with glitter, flock or embossing powder

Snow Showers... in April?

What is up with this crazy weather?  

It has been snowing since early this morning! 

What it should be doing is raining.

I printed up this Crafty Sentiments Designs digi image, Hootie - Rain rain go away, to make an April showers card.  (Take note: raindrops not snowflakes!)

The cloud stamp and sentiment are by CTMH.

 It is my entry in the current Lace and/or Pearls Challenge at Crafty Sentiments Designs.  You'll want to pop over to their blog or store to meet Cookie, a new and adorable character CDS just introduced.

Imagine That! card for Mom

Using Girl with Mom Banner, a precolored digi image from Imagine That! digis by Kris, and some new dies from Our Daily Bread Designs, I've made another Mother's Day card to add to the Send a Smile for Kids box I'll be mailing next week.  

This could also be a birthday card, or a card for any number of reasons.

And it was super easy to make!

Challenges I am entering....

Brown Sugar Challenge #193 - Anything Goes 

Through the Purple Haze Challenge #99 - Layers 

Wonderful Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes 

Creative Card Crew Challenge #110 - Die Cut 

Digi Choosday Challenge #14 - Anything Goes 

Until another day.... 

 

Pretty Embossing Folder

This embossing folder came free with a recent issue of  Quick Cards.  Isn't it pretty?

The stamp is by CTMH.

I am submitting this card to:

Stampin' Royalty Challenge #324 - Anything Goes 

Stamping Sensations April Challenge - One for the Girls 

Jade's Sparkling Butterflies Challenge #16 - Anything Goes 

Fresh Brewed Designs Challenge - Ribbon or Twine 

Through the Craft Room Door Challenge Apr 5 - 11 - Always Anything Goes

 

Butterfly card for Mother's Day + CTMH Class 4/5/2016

Using a butterfly die that I received with my Quick Cards magazine subscription, and pairing black and bright yellow, I've added this card to the box for Send a Smile 4 Kids.

Stamps used are from CTMH

Inspired by an article about using dies for edges, I only ran the yellow paper and die part way through the Cuttlebug.  By stopping before the entire die was cut, the design remains as a decorative edge still attached to your cardstock.  

Challenges I am entering....

Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge - Moms or Special Females from the kids

Fresh Brewed Desogns Challenge - Ribbon or Twine 

Crafting from the Heart Challenge #106 - Always Anything Goes 

Craft Your Passion Challenge #306 - Always Anything Goes 

Fashionable Stamping Challenge #109 - Butterflies 

 

******************

Yesterday was our CTMH card class at Joyce's.

We started out making a Magic Card.  This was my first experience making one of these and it wasn't exactly smooth sailing.

card closed

wait for it..

Wait for it....

It's magic!

Our second card was a shaker card. 

Joyce certainly had an interesting assortment of sequins in her jar!

And our third card was mercifully easy.

All 3 cards featured the CTMH April Stamp of the Month. 

Masculine Mojo Card

Although this is intended as a Father's Day card, 

it could just as easily be used for a birthday.

The "Dad" stamp is an expensive G Studio stamp.  The "You're 'wheely' great!" stamp, volkswagon, and volkswagon die are from Taylored Expressions.  Stitched circle die is from La la Land.

Today's Challenges: 

Mojo Monday Sketch Contest # 442 -  

 

Glitter n Sparkle Challenge #182 - Use a punch/die

Morgan's Art World Challenge #7 - For Men 

The Stamping Boutique Challenge - Masculine 

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #419 - Transport 

Double Click Skittles Challenge - Pun or something funny

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #245 - Something for the big or biggest boys 

The Artistic Stamper April Challenge - All Things Distress 

Have a "wheely" wonderful day!

For Mom

This card is one that I made to mail off to Send a Smile 4 Kids.  The digi image is from Bugaboo digi stamps; the stamped sentiment is from Sweet n Sassy.  The image was colored with promarkers, as well as, the blue strip across the middle of the white shimmer tape (CTMH).  I also colored 3 of the white dots on the bg paper blue and added 3 clear skittles over top.  That's one way to get a perfect match.  And I used a corner punch on the brown mat.  Not all moms like frilly, girlie cards.  

Challenges I am entering include:

Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge - Moms or Special Females

Glitter n Sparkle Challenge #182 - Use a punch/die 

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #31 - Anything Goes 

Catch the Bug Challenge - Anything Goes