Your Love and Support

I made one a Father's Day card for my Father-in-law.  I love this image from My Time Made Easy's Vintage Day for Dad.  This set has 21 images and also comes in 7 different colors.  Now that's an amazing value!

I used the digi paper Vintage Flourishes Bold  for the oval in the lower right side.  I used Cart-Us Trendy Diamonds embossing folder for the background.  The "Happy Father's Day" sentiment is on the inside of the card and is also from Vintage Day for Dad.

This is the back side of the front of the card meaning this is how the de-bossed side of Cart-Us Trendy Diamonds embossing folder  looks.  Pretty cool, if I do say so myself.  :)

Thank you for stopping by!  I truly appreciate each and every visit and comment!  It brings a smile to my face!  Stay tuned for my CropStop post coming up a little later on this morning!  In the meantime, hop on over to MTME's Pretty Patterns blog to see what fabulous cards the rest of the design team has made for you today.

Faith is the Strength

This week at My Time Made Easy's Pretty Patterns challenge we are having a sketch review where you can choose your favorite sketch from sketch numbers 34 - 40.  To see the sketches click HERE.  

The paper I used is one of my favorites - Parade of Patterns.   The sentiment from the digi stamp set Seas the Day Sentiments.

I did a little sponging around the sentiment.  I also used a butterfly die by Cheery Lynn and added a few little pearls for a delicate effect.

Gotta love those layers pictured below.

Thank you for stopping by!  I appreciate each and every visit and comment.  Please go to the MTME Blog and check out the sketches.  I sure hope you will play along!   (By the way, the sketch I used is #34.)  

Sail Away With Me

I'm so excited to share my card with you today.  I have a lot of different textures and layers on my card.  I used the sail boat from the digi stamp set Seas the Day.  I digitally colored the stripes on the sails blue and I colored the rest of the boat with copics.    

The dolphin is from the digi stamp set Underwater Wonderment or she can be purchased separately here: Daphne Dolphin.  

I love how the sunshine turned out behind the sail boat.  I only wish I had made the oval larger so you could see it better - or I could have made the sail boat smaller - the awesomeness that is digital stamps!  I like that you can re-size them!

I ran the clouds through the swiss dots embossing folder and then sponged around the edges with light blue ink.

I colored the dolphin with copics taking care to so some shading to define her a little.  

The blue piece of paper behind the main image was also embossed with Cuttlebug's D'vine Swirl embossing folder.  I love all the depth and layers on my card.  You can see them a little better in the picture below.

Thank you for coming by!  I appreciate each and every visit and comment!  Please stop by the MTME Pretty Pattern's Blog and play along with our challenge this week.  Have a great day! 

Becky Fleck sketch challenge at CropStop for April

UPDATED TO ADD DETAILS ABOUT MY PROJECT - SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THEM BELOW!

We are having a terrific sketch challenge at CropStop to win Becky Fleck's new Spellbinder's die set: Pot Pourri.  Here is my sample of the sketch.

I wanted to get this posted so you can have as much time as possible to play along but since I've been dealing with headaches for the past few days I'm going to get some rest and then come back to share more photos and more information on what I used and how it came together.  I also found an awesome frame that I'm going to use with this "card" - which isn't really a card since it's 8"x10".  This challenge will run through the month of April and will end on April 30th 11:59am.  (I'll check on that and see if it was supposed to be PM instead).  You are welcome to enter up to 3 times!  So head on over to the CropStop blog and get started!


UPDATE:
Yay!  I finally have time to add the fun details about my project.  I really wanted to rock the sketch by Becky Fleck.  In case you don't know who Becky Fleck is, she is AMAZING!!!!   Becky is the owner of Page Maps and is now designing dies for Spellbinders.  For the next few months Becky is offering a monthly sketch to CropStop and the prize to one person (chosen at random) will receive one of Becky Fleck's die sets.  The set up for grabs is shown on CropStop's blog.


So back to the deets on my project... which is more than just a card because it's 8x10.


Here is Tilda ready for Easter with her bonnet, basket of flowers and even a bunny!  I paper pieced her dress and colored her with copics.  I added shading to the paper pieced dress using my copics as well.  I used my Matha Stewart score board and a Stampin' Up border punch to make the large rosette and then used

I made these sparkly butterflies using Martha Stewart punches and added Diamond Stickles to them.  I added some clear rhinestones to the center of the large butterfly.  I made the flowers using Memory Box Pinwheel Posies both the regular size and small.  I used a quilling tool to roll the dies after they were cut.  After I rolled up a flower, I took out the quilling tool and glued it together on the bottom.  I then added Diamond Stickles to some of the edges of each flower to add the shiny element, placed pink pearls in the centers and when they were dry, I adhered each of the flowers to the card.  

I found some awesome stamps called Recycled Rubber Art Stamps by ECOGREEN CRAFTS at Michaels.  The set I bought is Butterfly Post.  I LOVE this set!  I stamped the rectangular stamp found in the setwith Stampin' Up's Pink Pirouette ink.  I then used Spellbinders Becky Fleck Office Supplies to cut out the stamp and I adhered another little shiny butterfly to it. It's popped up on pop dots.  

Below is a close-up of the large butterfly.  I thought it would be fun to create a swirl out of Diamond Stickles to simulate a flight pattern for the butterfly.  I must not have made big enough dots because you can't see it very well.  So there's proof below that it's there.  lol

I made these cute flags using pins with heart shaped tops on them.  I first put a bead onto the pin then folded the flag around the pin using strong glue to hold it there. I then added another bead and then a "crimping bead" which I then crimped into place with a crimping tool.  The tool basically crushes the crimping bead against the pin so it holds everything above it in place. 

Here's photo to show you all the great dimensions used in this project.  You can click on this photo to see a larger size.  

Don't forget our CAS (Clean and Simple) for CropStop's weekly challenge.  You can see my card here.   


Other challenges:
CityCrafter - Hats off!  (Tilda is wearing a beautiful Spring hat)
Simon Says Stamp - use your favorite tool (I have so many favorites!) - I chose my Martha Stewart score board & SU's border punch to make the rosette.
AllSorts Challenge:

I used pink, yellow and blue (the dp behind Tilda is yellow with touches of pink and blue).  ALSO, I used pearls as the flower centers, the striped paper across the page and pink. Lots of pink!


CutiePie Challenge: your favorite cutie - Tilda is such a cutie!

7Kidschallenge: Shades of Spring
Just Magnolia - Anything goes!
Flutter By Wednesday's - use a butterfly - I used 4!  :)
Sweet Stampin' challenge: Dies & Doodles - I used quite a few dies on my projects and the doodles part would be the shiny swirl underneath the large butterfly.
Magnolia-licious challenge: inspirations photo:

I wasn't able to get eggs onto the project but it has a lot of the colors and Easter theme to it.  :)


(whew!  I finally had a chance to link up all the challenges I made this card for.)

Thank you for stopping by.  I appreciate each and every visit.  Don't forget to leave a comment - they make my day!  And besides, everyone loves comments, right?


Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Easter Blessings

Happy Belated Easter Blessings.  I apologize for not posting this before Easter... instead of posting the Easter card that I made for my in-laws, I went with my husband and sons to their house and spent some quality time with them.  I took a long weekend off from blogging and blog-hopping in order to spend time with family, go to church and express my gratitude to the Lord for his sacrifices for me.  I'm so very thankful for the opportunity I will have of seeing my daughter and living with her again someday.  We went to the cemetery to honor her.  We sure miss her sweet smiles and laughter.

For my card I used Joan's recipe challenge #15:

• Color challenge : White and Gold
• Use some Embossing
• Keep it simple with out any or very few embellishments
• Easter Card

And here is what I came up with:

I used the Textile cuttlebug embossing folder for the bottom part of the card.  I scored two lines on the back of the card just above the folder embossing and just below the top of the card.  I hope you can see it in the close-up.  I used "super fine detail" gold embossing powder for both the sentiment and the frame.  Around the edge of the oval I used a Gold Leafing pen... I tried to get it as even as I could but it has been a long time since I used it and the tip had dried paint in it... I'm not sure if I could safely rinse it out?  I don't have much experience using it.  I was surprised to find that the tip is more like a brush than a marker like I was expecting. 

 

See how shiny the gold is in the light?  ooohhh, shiny!  (That sure doesn't help those of us with ADOS syndrome = Attention Deficit OOOOHHHH, SHINY!!!)  And trust me - I have it BAD!

 

I made the bow out of white seam binding... it was a little wrinkled but not like the antique stuff I've been using.  I felt that this card needed a more crisp look.  The plastic flower center is a button!  I love buttons!  I will usually stock up on them when I see them on sale so I'll have them on hand when I'm crafting in the middle of the night.  

 I also used WaltzingMouse Stamps' Sketch Challenge:

 

The Waltzing Mouse Stamp sets I used are:

Holiday Labels #14

Spring Baskets

Other great challenges:

 Paper Play Challenges:  Easter/Spring

Craft Your Days Away:  Easter

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope you had a Blessed Easter!

I'm on My Time Made Easy's Pretty Patterns Design Team!

I'm happy to announce that I just accepted my first position on a sketch design team called "Pretty Patterns" by "My Time Made Easy".  I'll be designing cards using their weekly sketches .  I made the following card for this past week's sketch but since I was barely informed that I made the team this afternoon they recommended that I hold on to my card for the announcement of their new team members today.  So without further adieu, here's my most recent card:

 (as always, click to enlarge)

 

Here's the sketch I used: 

I turned the pattern on it's side and used it that way.  

  Some close ups:

 Hand-dyed seam binding (which I bought on Etsy) for the bow with Webster's Pages sparklers in the center.  Here is a tutorial on how to hand dye seam binding with copics on Sharon's blog: Paperfections.  I haven't tried it yet but I hope to soon... But first I need to get the various ink refills in colors I want.

 

The "bling" is Michael's brand called Recollections.  They had a 40% off sale and I stocked up on my favorites!  The flowers are by prima and are hydrangias.  The center is a brad I had in my stash.

 

More close-ups.  The paper is Melissa Francis.

Thank you for stopping by!  I truly appreciate your visit!  Feel free to leave a message - I know you want to!  LOL!  Well, at least I want you to! 

This card also qualifies for the following challenges:

The Shabby Tea Room - inspirational picture, 

Magnolialicous challenge - Spring

Prairie Fairy - Spring
CropStop Challenge Blog - lace

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - ribbon

Make it Monday - anything goes
Creative Stamp Friends - Spring
Papertake Weekly - girlie

Sew Many Challenges - Spring Fling

Some Bunny Loves you for the Prairie Fairy

I created this cute card for a chance at being a design team for The Praire Fairy Designs.  They provided the digital image for us to use and we were to make whatever we wanted with it.  I'm afraid I made a mistake and thought it was due by Saturday night and I spent last night (Friday night) watching my son perform with the Thespian Club at his local high school instead of finishing my card.  He played a part in "Drop Dead Juliet" and ended up having to wear a dress and a wig... he also gets stabbed in this play but he kept UN-dying.  It was quite a comedy!  Last night is the only time they will perform this little play here where I can see it... so I HAD to go.  When I came home and started to put the finishing touches on my card I went to the Praire Fairy site and they had closed the submissions.  I was a little down but you know what?  Making the card was so much fun I'm not even going to let it get me down.  I'm going to email them and just let them know that I did make a card.  I don't expect them to set aside their rules just for me (and there's no guarantee that I would win a design team spot anyway)... I just thought they would like to see the card I made with their image.  So without further adieu, here's my card.

 

This cute little guy is sending his heart in the mail to his bunny love.  I used copics to color him, added a little shimmer to the heart when I painted the "love" with red shimmerz.  I used SU Real Red ink to sponge the edges of the die using the Spellbinders as a mask.  I ran the brown paper through my Big Shot with Tim Holts "Postcard" embossing folder.  I then used vintage cream ink to highlight the embossed area. I used Tea Dye Distress Ink around the card base which is SU's Kraft. 

I tied a bow with some red shiny ribbon that I had in my stash.  Then I added a Maya Road Transparency Doily behind the bunny.  

You can probably see the doily a little better at a different angle in this photo. 

I then added some flowers...

and fancied up the ribbon.. (yes, it is secured that way)

and put it all together and here's what you have:

I'm also submitting this card for two challenges:

Friday Sketchers - sketch

CR84FN color challenge - red, kraft & brown

Thank you for stopping by!  Hope you enjoyed your visit.  I truly appreciate every comment left here.

Gift-giving Tildas

It seems that blogger has "improved" it's program yet it seems to be making it harder for me to post my photos where I want and the way I want them.  hhhmmmm....  more time tryiing to post and less time crafting.  NOT what I really wanted to be doing.  But I do want to share this really cute card so I'm going to muddle through.

Here we have two Tildas - they must be twins - and one is giving the other a very special gift.

 

 I used the sketch for this card from the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.  Below is this week's sketch. 

I was going to do this card something like the image below except for having Tilda in the center of the doily but then I got the idea to add another Tilda to the inside!

I really like the seeing the cute Tilda on the inside opening her gift.  If I had thought of this before coloring the girls, I would have made sure that the gifts were the same - but oh well!  Live and learn, right?

Here is the inside of the card.  I thought it would be really fun to adhere the circle that I cut out of the purple dotted paper to make the window behind the Tilda opening her gift.

 

I'm also submitting this card for the Magnolia-licious Highlights challenge which is:

*4 Flowers

*3 types of patterned paper 

*2 Magnolia images 

(any image by Magnolia qualifies/ ie. accessory, background, tilda/edwin, animal, sentiment, etc.)

*1 Ribbon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another challenge I'm submitting this card for is Just Magnolias.

Their challenge is to use a Magnolia stamp and all your favorite things.  Well, I did!  I love Magnolia stamps, ribbon, flowers (the ones I used here are gems), die cuts, copics, sewing machine, a button... I don't know what more I could have added to this card!  

Thank you so much for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed your stay.

What's Cooking?

Here is a card that I made for 2 challenges. Unfortunately though I didn't get it finished in time for one of the challenges which was to do a kitchen theme. The second challenge I made this card for was StampTV's Tuesday Sketch Challenge.
(as always, click on any image to enlarge)



Here's my take on it:


I LOVE this fun paper by Cosmo Cricket called Garden Variety. The lady is colored with copics and is from Sew Pretty by Asela Hopkins. I paper pieced the apron from one of the Garden Variety papers too. They are so fun! The flower was cut out of felt with Papertry Ink's Beautiful Blooms II dies.

On the inside of the card I used Papertry Ink's Background basics: tin types and Fillable Frames #5 for the frame. The sentiment and hot pot holders are from the Sew Pretty stamp set.

I've been trying to figure out how best to take photos of my cards. I am usually crafting late at night since my daughter (who is chronically ill) keeps me pretty busy the rest of the day. Below is a photo of a shelving unit that my husband made for me which is above my desk. I have a small (cheap) light that I shine over the card. As you can see, the light it shines is quite yellow. I always have all the lights on in the room when I take a photo to get as much light as I can. When possible, I try to take the photo during the day and then I also open the blinds to let in all the natural light. I usually take several pictures and upload them to my Creative Memories: Memory Manager where I can edit the photo by cropping, adjusting lighting and colors and even changing the size and other fun stuff. I bought it when I was a CM consultant and I really like it. If you have any other ideas on how to take good photos of the cards, I'm open to your suggestions! I'd also like to see how YOU take photos of your cards!



Thank you so much for visiting my blog. I hope you have a great day!

Lazy Days of Summer

I love the new Lockhart Stamp Company's new Wicker Chair stamp. It makes me think of the lazy days of summer - no school - which means I don't have to worry about making my boys do their homework, school activities and all the other craziness that comes throughout the school year. I love spending time just relaxing on our back patio - that is when it's not too hot! LOL Last night after I got Jessica to bed I took Mary (Jessica's bunny) outside to her cage for the night. I sat on our bench swing and just enjoyed the night air. It was about 2am and it was very quiet. The night breeze was cool which is rare in July in Southern AZ so it was really nice.

I used chalks for the sky and grass; and colored pencils and OMS to color the chair and flowers. I just had to try out my new Spellbinders Pendant- Fleur de Lis . I used the sketch from Mojo Monday to construct my card. The paper is Stampin UP!: "Walk in the Park", Baja Breeze and Cameo Coral. Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black; SU Taken with Teal

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. As always, click on the photo to enlarge it.



Here's a picture of the inside.


I was actually able to take the pictures on my front porch. Most of the time I finish my cards during the night and have to worry about my light source but this time I was up ALL NIGHT and took the pictures this morning. Don't worry, I'm headed to bed in a few minutes and Jessica had a home health aide who will be here this afternoon so I can have a nap.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch Challenge for JustRite Stamp Company

I made this card for a JustRite sketch challenge found here. It was a fun sketch to work with and the prize is fabulous! Here is what is posted on their blog: "One lucky participant in the sketch will win today's release- Witch Way to the Treats, 1 3/16" Stamper, Autumn Blessings,2 1/4" x 3 1/16" Stamper plus the Harmony Rectangular stamper- set of 2 and your choice of two JustRite Fonts- Over $100.00 in prizes. "
There's already 129 contestants so it's not likely that I'll win... but it's always fun to play!




I used Basic Grey Wisteria paper pack and then distressed it a bit... maybe a bit too much in my opinion but I'm still trying to figure out how to use Tim Holtz's ink and distressing tools. I used my new JustRite "Tiny words" set for the sentiment and the swirls behind it. What a cute set! I stamped the flourishes onto the background using a stamp from Stampin Ups!'s "Yummy". It was a set I received free several months ago.



The cut-out is Spellbinder's new Lattice Borderabilities. What a fun set! Of course all the other shapes were done using Spellbinders dies. I hope you enjoy the card! I worked on it through the night inbetween putting my daughter back to bed multiple times. Darn tummy aches.... but now she is sleeping so I'm going to go catch some zzzzZZZZzzzzzZZzzzz's too!

Have a great day!

Ladybug Party

I made this fun card for two challenges. The first challenge was for Gina K's Release Party challenge #3 - a sketch. I really enjoyed making this fun card since the other challenge was to make a funny card - Paper Garden Projects Birthday Blog Bash week 1). I used SU's "Very Punny" set. I found a matstack that I had purchased several years ago and it had a few sheets of this CUTE bug paper. Of course I had to use the ladybug from the SU set! I masked off the sentiment which is directly below the bug, inked it in black, took off the tape and stamped it. I also stamped it again, colored it and then cut it out. I popped it up with a pop-dot after I had cut the main image out with the spellbinder, embossed it, masked off the ladybug and sponged around it with Bashful Blue. *deep breath!* lol The rest was easy. Cut, adhere and show it off!



In real life the ladybug really pops off the card and is the highlight of the party! I have it showcased directly in front of my laptop on my craft room wall. FUN! (I also have other cards on my wall too. I'm trying to clean up a bit so I can take some photos of my work space and craft room.)

You can probably see in the picture below that the ladybug is floating in front of the card. lol


Here's the inside of the card. This time the ladybug is flat... but still so cute!


More to come in a few minutes!