A mistake....but guess what??!!

Don't you just love it when a boo-boo works out?  This morning at 3:30am (yep - insomnia again) I went through some blogs and then decided to make a set of cards for a swap.  On one of the blogs I found that the Use It Tuesday challenge for this week is to use an uninked stamp.  This fits right in with my goal for the year of using uninked stamps.  A little extra challenge was to use gold somewhere.  The stamp set I chose was a Stampin' Up set that a dear friend had given me.  It's a two-step stamp set and, while I did try to use another stamp out of the set once, I cannot figure out the two-step thing at all!  LOL!!  So I decided to just use the stamp and not the accent (flower color).  I wanted a soft effect and so I dug through my old stuff that I just don't use anymore and found chalks.  Instead of grabbing a new cotton swab to use the chalks, I grabbed one that was laying on my craft table that I used before.  I didn't realize until I stuck it in the chalk that I had used it before alright - with baby oil & my Prismacolor pencils!  So there I was - my idea of chalks was done because I had just ruined the color I wanted to use - and I didn't want to take the time to scrape off the oil-infected part (yes, since I've been sick lately I just had to use the word "infected" - LOL!).  So why not go ahead and see what it looked like - what did I have to lose.  So I started dabbing my image and guess what?  I liked it!!!!!  It turned out looking very soft and it doesn't rub off!  The other things I used for the card are oval Nesties to cut the image and the gold background and then a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder to frame it.  Have to admit that I rarely use this embossing folder but now I'll have to use it more often.  Now even though the card looks blue in the picture - it's really purple.  I'm in a Rainbow Swap on SCS and one of the groups I signed up for is purple...so this is the card for it as well.  Thanks for stopping by!!!

So sweet!

Seems like I'm back on track now - it's Monday and I made a card!  YIPPEE!  (What can I say - it doesn't take much to get me excited). 

I've been making an effort to use stamps that I've never inked so this card falls into that category.  I have a horrible memory so I don't remember who sent it to me, but I thought it was so cute.  I know some are tired of the "cupcake craze" that has been around for the last couple years, but I thought this was so cute!!  It's just a little Studio G set - but I can tell that I'll be using this one quite a bit.  Even though it's not very clear in the picture, I embossed the black with a new embossing folder I bought last time I went to Pat Catan's (since they were on sale - those sales are so hard to pass up) - it's by Darice.  The papers are some that I've had in my stash and I colored the image with some water-based markers I've had (that are drying out from not being used anymore).  I'm submitted the card for two challenges:  {PIN}spirational Challenges and 'ABC' Challenges.  'ABC' Challenges was the sketch and {PIN}spirational Challenges provided the color. Here is the {PIN}spirational image:

And here's my card using that color:

 

 

Have a blessed day!!!

Oh where, oh where have I been....LOL!!

I can't believe it's been a week since I've been in my craft room to play.  Not sure why - maybe just busy with work and whatnot.  But I have missed it.  So today I decided to make a couple cards instead of taking a Sunday afternoon nap.  :)

The first card is actually an late challenge from Sunday Stamps.  The challenge last week was a sketch but there were some issues with linking so they extended the challenge a few days.  I thought since I decided to participate in this week's challenge, I might as well do last week too.  The image is from my stash of images that people have sent me in the past and the colors came from the little raised stickers.  I love the verse stamp.  It's one of my favorite verses.  It doesn't show clearly in the picture, but the turquoise color is embossed with Swiss Dots embossing folder.  It seems like I never get tired of that folder - it's one of my "go-to" items. 

 

 

The current challenge at Sunday Stamps is a color challenge - black, white, and a pale yellow.  I combined this challenge with the Crazy 4 Challenges texture challenge this week.  The yellow paper I embossed with a diamond embossing folder.  Then I had some white paper that was already textured - almost like the inside of cardboard.  For added texture I added a satin ribbon and then the flowers in the corner.  The stamp again is from my stash of extras.

 

 

 

Hopefully this gets me back on track of making cards.  I've missed it the last week.  Enjoy!



Marathon Card-Making

I can't believe it - I made 30 cards in a matter of an hour and a half!  Can you believe it??  Now keep in mind they were all the same and all very simple.  The only stamping involved was the word "Thank You" at the bottom.  The card is actually CASE'd from a swap card that I received.  But I was able to use a lot of pieces parts ribbons that I had and also paper/cardstock.  I made them for the Pregnancy Center.  They have open hours on the last Saturday of the month so I want to be able to take a stack of cards to them this coming Saturday.  The first set are the Thank You cards.  I hope to also make 30 Praying For You cards and also some Sympathy.   They will be a very simple design as well.  But at least I got a good start with the Thank You cards.  The sad thing is that because I spent the time doing those, I didn't make any challenge cards.  And since I was sick all week there was no card making during the week as well.  Hopefully this week will be better.  Enjoy!

A Day Late...oh well...

This cold has thrown me for a loop...and crashed my mojo for cards.  But when I saw the color challenge at Inkspirational Challenges I wanted to play along.  But alas, when I made my card tonight and went to the site to link up...I was too late.  Oh well.  But I did like the color scheme so I might as well post my card...even though honestly I'm not all that happy with the card either.  Maybe I should put my card making on hold until all those little creepy crud germs leave me alone.  So the color scheme was:

And this is the card I made....very quickly I might add.  It's all from pieces parts that I had - pieces of designer papers, an image that was sent to me, left over ribbon, and a couple spare buttons:

 

 

So hopefully my mojo returns quickly and I get rid of these germs.  Cause I'm really tired of coughing.  Enjoy!

Another sleepless night....

My wonderful husband brought home a cold on Wednesday.  By Friday morning I woke up with it too.  So here it is - 1:45 am and I'm awake because I can't stop coughing even after taking a double dose of Musinex.  Of course since I couldn't sleep I spent some time in my craft room. 

This week it seems like most of the challenges focused on Love or Valentine's Day since Valentine's Day is next week.  I made a few cards along that theme.  The first card I kept the theme of Love and wanted something black & white instead of red or pink.  I had a piece of paper/fabric (not really paper but not really fabric either) that is rather "blingy" (is that even a word) - so I'm hoping it will work for Shopping Our Stash since the challenge is to use your oldest bling.  I can't even remember where this paper came from...LOL!!  The theme and layout are inspired by the {PIN}spirtational Challenge photo this week.  Lastly, since Inky Impressions Challenge theme this week is Love, I'm submitting this card there as well.  Crazy 4 Challenges is a card that is not red or pink (guess black & white works - LOL!).

 



Valentine's Day is the theme over at Celebrate The Occasion (including a ribbon) and Created With Love.  Anything Goes is the theme at Loves Rubber Stamps, so this card is being submitted there as well.  Lastly, "ABC" Challenges inspiration this week is those Conversation Hearts that we all love this time of year.  Since they are always a Valentine's Day tradition for me, I'm submitted a Valentine's Day card for that challenge as well (even though it doesn't have a heart on it - LOL!!).

 

 The last card for challenges tonight (or this morning) is for Twisted Tuesday Challenges.  The theme this week is for Couples  Black Tie event and the twist is using black ribbon.  Again, back to the stash of ribbon I went and found a piece that was perfect.  To be honest, I picked the ribbon first and then sort of built the card around it. 

 

The last card I made this evening wasn't for a challenge but for a swap.  Honestly, I'm not happy with it and the picture makes it look worse than it really is.  But I figured I might as well post it too.

 

 

 It's now 2:15am and I'm tired...so off to bed I go.  Sweet Dreams!

 

CRAFTY GAL's - CASE-ing Jeanette

It's February 5th - time for the CRAFTY GAL's blog posting and this month the challenge was to CASE a card from Jeanette's blog Cre8tive Play: It's Cheaper than Therapy.  Now isn't that just a great name for a blog?  CASE-ing Jeanette isn't an easy thing to do because she is an AMAZING card maker and each one is so special and beautiful.  I started off thinking I was just CASE-ing one card but when I was done I realized that it didn't look anything like the one she did - my image was much smaller and the layout was different.  So then I moved things around again and decided I would just say this:  Instead of CASE-ing one card, I decided to do themes instead.  (Gee, doesn't that sound like I'm trying to pull off a snow job?  LOL!!  I confess, in a way I am because I don't have time to make another card...LOL!!).  One thing that Jeanette does that I have never really done is to mix shapes.  That's really where this all started.  I found a card on her blog where 2 different shapes were used and it so went out of my comfort zone so that's where I started.  For those of you on SCS, you will find Jeanette is known as "Forest Ranger".  She hosts a series of swaps regarding the "Forest" theme and once she did one about critters in the Forest....so my card is a critter.....(Gee, I'm really reaching here aren't I?  LOL!!).  Before it gets to be about 5 feet of snow here, I better stop my little snow job and just post my card.  Have a great day!  And Jeanette - I hope I did you justice.  :)

A Productive Sunday

Well this has been quite a productive afternoon!  Right now it's about a 3:45pm.  This morning we went to church - awesome service as usual - and then came home and had lunch.  After lunch, instead of my usual Sunday afternoon activity (napping), I decided to make a few cards for several challenges.  In two hours time I was able to make 5 cards!  That might not seem like much for some, and for others it might seem like a ton.  But for me it's pretty good since that included scoping out what the challenges were for today.  So on to the cards:

The Paper Players had the theme of "Sympathy" for today.  This week a very close friend had to put her kitty to sleep.  It was very hard for her since this was her first kitty (the one who has been with her the longest) out of her gang.  To say that she has a heart for animals would be a gross understatement!  She has even taken in squirrels and nursed them back to health.  Now I love animals, but I'm not sure I could do that.  Friday she had to put her kitty to sleep and it was a horrible experience for her.  I know when people think sympathy cards, they don't usually think of a sympathy card for a cat...but these furry things have a way of wrapping their tails around our hearts just like family and I thought she needed a card.  So this is what I came up with:

 

 

Sunday Stamps this week was a sketch.  Keeping with my kitty theme, I found an image in my basket of images and it just screamed to be colored red.  I dug through my scraps of paper and found a couple pieces of red and then a couple flowers and thus:

 

 

 

While I was looking through my basket of images, another critter caught my eye and since I had another sketch to use from Sunday Sketch and Stamp, I knew I had to use this little guy.  Again, I found the papers in my scraps.  I know exactly who this card is going to - I have a friend whose favorite color is yellow.  She has a "yellow" personality - I always think of yellow as being a happy and bright color and those two words fit her to a "T". 

 

 

 

Sketches seemed to be the name of the game today, because the challenge over at Come And Get It Challenges was a sketch as well.  So guess where I found the little stamp?  Yep, you guessed it - in my stash of images!  One of these days I'll get those all used up.  LOL!!  I love the pastel colors combined with brown so I decided to use a soft blue with brown.  The ribbon was perfect for this card...and honestly, the idea for the colors started with the ribbon.  The flowers were some that I have had for a couple years and so it was good to use them.  It's hard to see, but I embossed the blue card base and then kept with the circular idea with the flowers and the stamped image. 

 

 

 

The last card for the day was for Stamptacular Sunday Challenge.  Honestly this one stumped me at first.  The challenge is Gents & Gems.  Now who would ever combine that?  LOL!!  But it works!  The image was from - you guessed it - my stash.  The gems are Darice gems I had.  The papers were scraps.

So all in all it's been a pretty productive day for card making.  Now it's almost time to get ready and go to evening services and then back to work in the morning.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!





 





Groundhog Day! And he said an EARLY SPRING!

Today is Groundhog Day....and the little guy didn't see his shadow so that means we're supposed to have an early spring.  So can anyone explain to me why it's snowing right now? 

Since it has been snowing today, I've spent some time in my craft room and have a few to share.  But before I was able to spend time in the craft room, we headed out this morning to a craft store to get some Valentine's Day gifts for Secret Sisters and Granddaughters.  I also found embossing folders for $1.00.  Can you believe it!!??  I bought 4.  Yeah, I know - only 4.  But I can't honestly say that I "needed" anymore.  I did pick up one that I will use for St. Patrick's Day cards. 

Ok, so on to the cards I made today....

The first card I'm submitting for Inspirational Challenges.  This week is "Anything Goes" as you can see by this:

 

This one also is submitted for Hiding in My Craft Room and 

 



 

 

This next card is also being submitted for multiple challenges: Craft Us Crazy, Crazy 4 Challenges,  and  One Stop Craft Challenge.

 

 

Crafty Ribbons Challenge is for anything with a ribbon so this one has to be submitted for that challenge:



 

Wordplay Saturday was "anything" so I dug through my stash of images and found this one....I liked the color combo on this one:

Over at All Sorts Challenge it was anything with a cute image...well I thought this guy was really cute: