Deedee's Digis April Guest Designer Card #3

Today, as my Guest Designer card, I am sharing an inside step card using Deedee's Digi Set, Friends & Flowers. 

 

I think these little guys are really cute.  Well, all of Deedee's digis are really cute.  

Challenges for this card:

Crafty Creations Challenge #287 - Seeing Spots

Top Tip Tuesday Challenge - 3 of something  (3 steps, 3 digi images)

Pile it On Challenge #64 - Fancy Frames and/or Beautiful Borders  (I love this flowered border punch)

Jo's Scrap Shack Fun Friday Challenge #83 - Florals & Butterflies

Sister Act Card Challenge #101 - Anything Goes

DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge # 154 - Orange

FYI:  The flower is handmade using some old CTMH sassy strands and following the tutorial for twine flowers which you will find right here.  

Sorry I didn't get a chance to post my cards from Joyce's CTMH workshop yesterday.  Maybe tomorrow...

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #240

The Stamping Boutique is sponsoring this week's Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #240 - Use something clear.  I've used an adorable digi image, Twirling Fairy, from their store to be the focal point of this center step card. 

For my "something clear" I cut overlays of clear acrylic for the butterflies and added a clear epoxy sentiment.

We'd love to have you join us at Tuesday Throwdown Challenge Blog for this week's challenge and a chance to win some Stamping Boutique images. My teammates have made some awesome cards using more of The Stamping Boutique's fabulous digis.  Please stop over at the Tuesday Throwdown Challenge Blog, take a peek and give them some love.  

And be sure to stop by The Stamping Boutique.  

This card is going to flutter over to the following challenges: 

Glitter n Sparkle Challenge #132 - include a butterfly

Scribble n Scrap Challenge #42 - Always Anything Goes

A Gem of a Challenge #142 - Spring is in the Air 

The Stamping Boutique Challenge - Spring

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #136 - Wings 
Simon Says Monday Challenge - In the Middle

It's Monday....

Aren't I up early?  

Just couldn't wait to get to my Mojo Monday and Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge cards.

After I make my DH some breakfast, I'll be back to add details and the rest of today's challenges.

For the Mojo Monday Mother's Day card, I broke out a new paper pack called Chocolate Covered Cherries from Little Darlings, that I won quite a while ago.  All the pieces are distressed around the edges in brown ink.  The rose and sentiment are from a Sparkle n Sprinkle stamp set called My Rose Garden.  I stamped the rose multiple times, did some fussy cutting and layering, then added a touch of glitter to the edges.  I stamped and embossed the sentiment.  Finally, I added a few brown pearls and a butterfly charm.
I am entering the Mother's Day Card into these additional challenges:
Addicted to Stamps Challenge #102 - Girly but no pink 
Blessings Ink Amusing Challenge - Butterflies
Glitter n Sparkle Challenge #132 - include a Butterfly
Brown Sugar Challenge #141 - Distress
Jo's Scrap Shack Fun Friday Challenge #82 - Florals and Butterflies
Sparkle n Sprinkle April Challenge - Anything Goes with glitter, embossing powder or flocking.

For the Atlantic Hearts Birthday Card, I used some CTMH hopscotch and fundamental papers.  Stamps are CTMH Happy Birthday Australia and Holiday Tags sets.  I paper pieced the balloons, added some glitter gel to the cake frosting, and some liquid glass to the flames and kangaroo's nose.
Now that I think of it, I should have put the kangaroo piece on a spring.  That would have been fun.  Next time.
I am entering the Birthday Card into these additional challenges:
Come and Get It Challenge - Card for a child 
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #7 - Anything Goes
Sweet Stampin Challenge - Children's Cards
Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe #221 - Texture
Left of Center Challenge #73 - Spots and/or Stripes
Auds Sentiments Challenge #129 - Birthday Sentiment
Creative Knockouts Challenge #84 - Birthday Wishes

Have a wonderful day!

Increasing the Odds

Since this week at Mojo Monday is a Contest week, I thought I'd whip up a second card to increase my chances of winning a set of Verve stamps.  Besides, I like the sketch and wanted to use the new CTMH Flowers for Mom stamp set.

I am also entering these additional challenges:

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' April Challenge #75 - Anything Goes with Spring Flowers 

Brown Sugar Challenge # 141 - Distress

Crafty Catz Challenge #274 - 2 or more patterned papers

Docerela Challenge #82 - Mother's Day 

Red Rubber Inspirationals #215 - Spring Flowers

Inky Chicks Challenge #49 - Stitching Real or Faux (I pierced the edges and then used a white pen to connect the dots and look like thread.)

Sweet Stamps Challenge #216 - Flowers

 

Yesterday was a great mail day!

Most of the time I don't get too terribly excited about the mail.  But yesterday was an exception.  First I opened an envelope containing the summer collection of skittles that I had ordered.  The colors are just fabulous!  Thanks, Corri!   Next, there was a card from a very dear friend in her 90's whom I hadn't heard from at Christmas, which never happens.  So, I was happy to hear she just had a bad patch and is doing much better.  And on the bottom of the mail pile was a familiar gray plastic envelope.... my April issue of Quick Cards magazine with a sweet pack of Lily of the Valley designer paper.

I wasted no time and headed straight for the dining/craft table to make this card:

 I used a Spellbinders die to cut the picture from the front of the notecard I had just received from my friend.  Next I cut the same aperture from a piece of the Lily of the Valley paper and inserted the picture.  The sentiment is an unidentified rubber stamp from my stash.  Using a sheet of white CS 10.0 x 6.25, I scored it at 4.25 and 8.5 inches.  That left a 2 inch flap on the inside of the card into which I can safely tuck a few photos.  Just to dress it up a bit, I used a scalloped border punch on the edge and added a strip of the dp to match the front.  The little rose was salvaged from the back of my friend's card, too.  A similar scalloped edge and dp strip was added to the top of the inside with a simple sentiment - Enjoy!  The card front was attached and a bow, charm, and skittles added to finish the card.

(inside of card with photo pocket at the bottom)

Finding time to write long notes in Christmas cards each year seems to get harder and harder, perhaps, because I procrastinate more and more.  Maybe 10 years ago I simply wrote in my friend's Christmas card that I'd send a letter and photos after the holidays and have continued doing just that for years.  I'll be sending this recycled card and several photos back to her.  I think she'll be tickled to see how I reused her note card and to see how big all the grandkids are getting to be. 

The challenges I am entering today include:

Polkadoodles Challenge Week 15 - Pretty and Pink

Simply Create Too Challenge #83 - No digis or stamped images (This image was recycled from a store bought card I received in the mail.)

Sister Act Card Challenge #101 - Anything Goes

4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #241 - Die Cuts

Fresh Brewed Designs Challenge Apr 8-14 - Coffee or Tea Theme

Scrapy Land Challenge #15 - Anything Goes (I used Spellbinders dies)

Clear It Out Challenge - Anything Goes + Stash Item -AG (skittles, ribbon, charm all from my stash)

Pile It On Challenge #63 - Die Cuts/Punches (I've used a die cut, circle punch, scalloped circle punch, scalloped border punch and corner punch.)

Scrapbook Blessings Club April Challenge - Anything Goes with Pink, White and Green

Kraftin Kimmie Stamps Challenge #274 - Decorate the Inside

Pink Pachyderm + CTMH Card Class 4/7/15

Here's another sheet of designer paper that I couldn't resist! 

I'm telling you it's an addiction!

I dug out a retired CTMH stamp set for the elephant and sentiment, paper pieced the ears, added a few skittles, a charm, bow, and white toe nails.  Pretty simple card.  I think this would make a really cute Mother's Day card from a kid, which is the current theme at the Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge.

I am also entering this card in the following challenges:

Double Click Skittles Challenge #18 - funny or punny sentiment
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge #222 - Anything Goes
Clear it Out Challenge - Anything Goes + Stash item: anything goes (it's all from my stash!)
Loves Rubber Stamps Challenge #246 - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes
Partytime Tuesdays Challenge #197 - Anything Goes
Crafting from the Heart Challenge #54 - Always Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion Challenge #255 - Always Anything Goes
Through the Purple Haze Challenge #84 - Anything Goes

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

This week at Joyce's card workshop we learned a new technique for making backgrounds.  It is called Bokeh.  First we wet the paper, added drops of ink with a water brush and swirled it around for a marbled effect, dried the paper, then stenciled white circles over top.  If you'd like to give this technique a try, there are several videos on You Tube explaining how to do it.

Here are the 2 Bokeh cards I made:

(If you squint, you can see the white stenciled circles.)

I really didn't like how the background on this first card turned out and wasn't even going to finish it.  In fact, I used the back of it as scrap paper while making my next 2 cards.  I guess it grew on me.  After running it through the cuttlebug, I liked it a bit more.  Unfortunately it really toned down the white stenciled circles. With the contrast paper and ribbon, it's okay, but certainly not a favorite.
 

This one turned out a little better.  No squinting required.

For this next card we used sponge daubers to rub ink onto dry paper before stenciling.  This I like much better because the colors are more vivid.

Of course, I must have laid it next to something and got a blue mark at the bottom. 
I'll work on disguising that later.

And finally, we made this cute kitty card using a new CTMH Friendly Pets stamp set and one of the new paper packs, Jackson (very masculine paper; I like it)
 

I must have been having a very OFF card day on Tuesday.  This poor kitty looks like it got sprayed by a skunk and then got a bath in tomato juice.  It doesn't do much for the stink, but leaves the cat a funny color.

Hope you are having a great craft day!
Thanks for stopping by!

Deedee's Digis April Guest Designer Card #2

Once again I'd like to thank Deedee for asking me to be the April Guest Designer.

This week I've made a lever card using one of the precolored images from Deedee's Digis Hello Spring Set. It was hard to decide between the adorable groundhog, bluebird, bunny and this cuddly bear.  

 

I started out with a plain, pale blue card base.  Then I decided it needed something more.  With a tiny flower stamp and some additional sponging, I quickly had a whole different look.

Have you gotten the set, Bloomin' Blessings, for Deedee's April Progressive Challenge, yet?  It's wonderful for Mother's Day.  And if you enter the challenge using any of the digis from the set, you'll get next month's digi set for free.  

Have a wonderful day!

This card has been entered in the following:

Crafting for all Seasons Challenge #99 - Animal Magic 

Inky Impressions Challenge #204 - Spring is in the Air 

Little Red Wagon Challenge #284 - Spring is in the Air
Creative Corner Challenge - Animal Fun 
Through the Purple Haze Challenge - Anything Goes
Digi Sketch Challenge - Furry Friends