Hunkering Down with Hurricane Ian

Today is the day that Hurricane Ian came knocking at our door.  He stayed away enough so that we didn't have any damage, but it sure is windy and rainy outside!

I spent a good part of the morning cleaning out my craft space and decided to make a card; after all, that neat tidy space needs some activity in it!  When I don't have a specific need for a specific card, I usually check with one or more challenge sites.  Today was no exception.

I really enjoy making my own dsp, so I used Night of Navy, Granny Apple Green, Highland Heather and Blackberry Bliss from Colour INKspiration Challenge #130 on Facebook.  I also used Sketch #489 from CAS Colours & Sketches.  Here is the sketch: 

Colour INKspiration #118

I decided that I needed to participate in a challenge, so off I went to my bookmarked challenge sites.  I found this one, and it really was a great one! 
But first, here's the backstory for this card.  Last week, someone on a FB group posted a card that she had created using just stamps, ink and paper.  I loved the concept, so I had to jump in and try it for myself.  (Be sure to check back tomorrow to see the other cards I made in addition to this one.)
Colour INKspiration is a Facebook group that posts a photo as well as color combinations that need to be used for the challenge. Here's what this challenge looks like: 

Of course, I didn't have any DSP that contained all of these colors, so I improvised.  I've been on a kick of creating my own DSP, so I used stamps from the Hello Beautiful stamp set for the abstract paper as well as the inside greeting. I stamped off for some of the colors so that they weren't so intense.  I also splattered the ink onto the cardstock to give it more character and finished by running it through the Tasteful Textile embossing folder. The Happy Birthday is from the Special Moments set. I couldn't let the little strip of paper that was trimmed away, so I added it to the inside of the card!
You might want to give it a try to make your own DSP ... you know you are always confused about what to do with some of the additional stamps in your sets!

Funky Fold November 10, 2021

Here are two pictures of cards that I made for Dena Rekow's Card Challenge from Monday, November 8, 2021.  I forgot to take the pictures prior to writing in the card, hence the note covering what I wrote.

This was a really fun card to make, and I'm sure that I will use the pattern again.

CardzTV Anything Goes Challenge #151

A friend will be celebrating her birthday in a few days, and I decided this afternoon to create her card.  She told me that she saves every card I send to her.  What a compliment that is!

I had no idea what I was going to do, so I picked the number six, went to one of my stamp boxes with the stamps in alphabetical order.  Set #6 was Gorgeous Posies, so I went with it.  My card was inspired by one created by Jenny Moors.  

I am entering this in CardzTV's Anything Goes Challenge #151

52 CCT - October 2021 Colour Challenge

Here is another challenge card.  This one is for the Red & Brown Colour Challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.

Why don't you click on the graphic above and spend a few moments oohhing and aahhing over all of the very creative submissions there?

#TGIFC337 Sketch Challenge

I am determined to step up my posting, so I bookmarked a bunch of challenge sites.  This card is for the TGIF Challenges!; it's #337. Take a look at the sketch that inspired my card:

I saw a card online that really piqued my interest. The creator used about six bright, happy Stampin' Up! colors to stamp using the Textures and Frames stamp set.  Luckily, I earned that set for free during the recent Sale-a-Bration event. Unfortunately, I don't have the information to point you in the direction of the card that was my inspiration. 

My fingers were so inky from playing with the colors and stamps.  I have at least six panels that I can use on various cards, and when I saw this challenge, I knew that I had to participate!

Be sure to check out the other fantastic cards that are entered in this challenge.  

Funky Fold

Dena Rekow (The Creativity Cave) showed this funky fun-fold card on her YouTube Live channel on September 27, 2021.  This is my take on the card.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do or who would get the card.  I decided to make it more masculine, since those are the most difficult cards to design.  Everything is Stampin' Up! products.

Be sure to tune into The Creativity Cave on YouTube every Monday at 5:00 Central Time for some laughs and some learning!

Fancy Fold for Thanksgiving

Boy, oh boy! I'm having so much fun with this fun fold challenge.  As I said yesterday, Dena Rekow (The Creativity Cave) showed this fun-fold card on her YouTube Live channel on August 30, 2021.  She challenged her viewers to make one of their own so, of course, I had to try it out.  I love this card!

I decided to branch out and make a Thanksgiving card.  Mostly everything is Stampin' Up! products except for the DSP; it's a paper pack that I've had for about ten years, and every fall I try to use it in some sort of creation.  

Be sure to tune into The Creativity Cave on YouTube every Monday at 5:00 Central Time for some laughs and some learning!

Fancy Fold for Christmas

Earlier this week, I watched Dena Rekow's YouTube Live channel (The Creativity Cave).  She showed this really easy fun-fold card and challenged her viewers to make one of their own.  Not being one to shy away from a challenge, I decided to go for it.

I've been having fun coming up with our Christmas cards, and I am determined to be done by Thanksgiving!

Be sure to tune into The Creativity Cave on YouTube every Monday at 5:00 Central Time for some laughs and some learning!

Just a note

I decided that it's time to go back to my creative roots and started with Sketch #3 from CardzTV's Mary.  I used some of my Stampin' Up! stamps along with Magenta Madness ink to create the background as well as the sentiment.  I'm entering it into Cardz TV's Anything Goes Challenge #147.

One can never have too many birthday cards, right?

 

There's a "secret" flap on the front for the sender to include a message.

There's also a panel inside the main portion of the card for more message.

I'm entering this in the Sunday Stamps Weekly Challenge #SSC258 using this sketch:

Thinking of You

I was sick for about four weeks ... nothing earth shattering, but I just felt blah. I wasn't even sick enough to miss work; okay, one day, but that was it.

While I was sick, though, I did spend a lot of time looking at blogs and looking at challenges. This weekend, I finally got into my craft space and did some tidying.  That gave me the push to make a card. This card is inspired by CASE(E) this Sketch #209.

Aren't those little flowers just adorable?  They were in a package of many goodies that Sister sent to me for a Christmas present.  I used some Distress Inks to watercolor the design, and then I added a sentiment.  My MISTI tool is fantastic!  I never had much luck with embossing (the stamping part of it, that is), but the MISTI made it possible to restamp to get a good image. The flowers and some splatters with Gold Perfect Pearls added the finishing touch.

Happy Birthday

Here's a quick little card that is going into my birthday card stash.  Can't have too many of them, right?  It's a square card, so I will probably hand deliver it.  The colors are bright and cheerful, and the card is suitable for either a man or a woman.

I used my Cricut to cut out the birthday greeting ...I will definitely use this again and again!

I am entering this into Verve Stamp's December Diva Inspiration Challenge.


 I used the sketch on Viva La Verve Sketches' Holiday Break.

I've got to say that it's really really really difficult to line everything up ... notice how I cheated by lining up with the edges of background paper?

Pastels, Pearls, Pretty Papers

Earlier this week I cleaned my craft space.  It was a long time coming, and my dust bunnies were all fashionable because they were wearing glitter.  Summer vacation is my time to recharge, clean, and spend time crafting/reading craft blogs.  There are several blogs that I visit on a regular basis (check my blog list on the right), and I've luxuriated in reading and playing in my space.

Yesterday after I had lunch with some friends, I came home and just played.  I pulled papers and dies and paints and Perfect Pearls and all sorts of goodies from my stash.  This is what I came up with:

I'm loving all of the layers I added.  Papers from Teresa Collins' 6x6 Designer Pad He Said She Said, pearls, die cuts, cheesecloth, paper doilies tinted with Distress Inks and Perfect Pearls.

An image from a set of ephemera that I received for my birthday.

Tiny flowers cut from my Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die with pearls added to the centers ... they make me swoon!

A large tag with more swoon-inducing pearls. Add to it a Cheery Lynn Designs B117 Fanciful Flourish Right die that I cut and tucked into various locations on the card.

And a little sentiment tag cut with my Tim Holtz Tag & Tie die as well as a little resin flower gussied up with some Alcohol Inks.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

• Frilly and Funkie's Pastels and Pearls
• Cheery Lynn Designs Sizzlin' Summer Colors (my colors don't sizzle ... they are cool pastels which I wear in the summer)
• Artistic Inspirations Challenge 158 - Anything Goes
• Let's Craft and Create Challenge 114 - Hearts &/Or Flowers (just flowers on mine)
• Crafty Creations Challenge #317 Tic Tac Toe (sentiment/image/tag)