Happy Birthday - The Paper Players PP169

Yes, I'm back with the second post for today!  I got my inspiration for this card from Anne Marie's great sketch over at The Paper Players - PP #169.  It's been MUCH to long since I played along with them. :)

Uh oh.  Just as I uploaded this graphic, I realized that I didn't add a shape or image where that circle is.  Yikes!  I'm sorry. :(
It's too late to change it now, so I'll post my card anyway.

Circle or no circle, I'm pleased with this masculine birthday card.  That wheat stamp is one of my all-time SU favorites.  It's from the Autumn Days stamp set. It seems to work so well with that new burlap ribbon, doesn't it?  When I looked around for something to use for the 3 small banners in the sketch, my eye went right to my chevron punch.  It's one of my new favorite SU punches.  I know...I have lots of favorites, don't I?
Well, I've rambled on long enough, I think.  Thanks for taking a look today.  I hope your weekend was good!

Supply list ~
card stock: kraft (PTI), very vanilla, chocolate chip (SU)
ink: cajun craze, early espresso (SU)
stamps: autumn days (SU), boutique borders:birthday (PTI)
other: 1-1/4" burlap ribbon, regals candy dots, chevron punch (SU)

Celebrating You - CTS #51 and CASology

Hello!  This is the first of 2 posts today.  My mojo is moving very slowly this weekend.  Which means...not much creating.  I'm pleased with both cards.  But. They took  f o r e v e r  to make.

Yeah.  Tell me to quit whining.  Ok then.

I'm playing along in 2 challenges with this birthday card.

CAS(E) this sketch! CTS #51  I love this sketch, but it wasn't working for me at first, so I turned it upside down!

CASology - Cue Card: Country

Here is my take on the sketch and a country theme.

I used 4 sets of dies for this card, but just 1 stamp set.  Once I decided to turn the sketch upside down, this card came together quickly.  I sponged a little crumb cake ink onto the fence before assembling it, to give it a more rustic, country feel.

Thanks so much for taking a few minutes to stop by.  I'll be back very soon with another post!

Supply list ~
card stock: crumb cake, early espresso, always artichoke, real red, more mustard (SU)
ink: crumb cake (SU), onyx black versafine
stamps: signature greetings II (PTI)
dies: picket fence, meadow, woodgrain impression plate (PTI), resting birds, grove branch (Memory Box)

Dynamic Duos Challenge #76 - And the end of a term

This is my final post as a member of the Dynamic Duos design team.  This team's 6 month term has come to it's end.
I've enjoyed working with and getting to know my awesome team mates.  They are an extremely talented group of women and I've learned so much from them.  A big thank you to Lesley for giving me this opportunity!
It's tough to say goodbye, but I'm so excited to see the new team.  I've seen so much talent in the crafters that play along in our weekly challenges.  Will some of you be members of the new team???

Hey, let's move on to this week's challenge, shall we?

Oh...purples.  One of my favorites!   I chose to use this color combo to create a Christmas card.  Not your traditional holiday colors, but I'm really liking it.

This turned out to be one of the quickest cards I've ever made.  I used sticky notes to mask the area over my sentiment, then stamped my snowflakes in Perfect Plum, Wisteria Wonder and Crumb Cake.  After removing the masks, I drew a few lines with a black marker.  The final touch was adding a bit of sparkle, here and there, with a Stardust Clear Glitter pen.  This would be a very easy card to mass produce AND an easy one to mail.

Thanks so much for stopping in.  I know I'll be popping to in play along with some of the DD challenges, so I'll see you there!   If you haven't done so already, become one of my blog followers so that I can visit you too!

Supply list ~
card stock: white (PTI)
stamps: snowflake medley, love lives here:holiday (PTI)
ink: perfect plum, wisteria wonder, crumb cake, basic black (SU), onyx black versafine
other: stardust clear glitter pen (Sakura)

Frightening Feline! - Freshly Made Sketches and Paper Issues

Hey, I finally found a bit of time this afternoon to create a card.  This morning was spent making some meals ahead.  Roasted vegetables, a baked squash and then baked oatmeal with fresh cranberries & apples.  The house smelled wonderful!  This was followed by laundry, then getting outdoors and doing some flowerbed cleanup, since the weather was good!

Oh, sorry.  I got distracted.  Onto to the challenges!

Freshly Made Sketches - FMS108

Paper Issues - Halloween Hootenanny!

Yes, one more Halloween card.  This is the last one.  I promise!  I couldn't let Halloween card making go by without using this cute stamp from Stampin' Up!.  I bought it last fall, after Halloween so it hadn't seen ink before today.  This "wordy" cat is so cute, isn't he?  He is embossed with Tangerine Tango EP.

That's it from me for now.  I'll list my supplies below.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supply list ~
card stock: basic black (SU)
ink: versamark
stamps: frightening feline
patterned paper: haunted 6 x 6 pad (MME)
dies: stitched mats: rectangles & stitched sentiments flag (Lil' Inkers Designs)
other: tangerine tango embossing powder, raven lace trim (SU)

Dynamic Duos #75 - Spiders!

Eeek!  We've got such a fun challenge for you this week at Dynamic Duos #75.  Basic Black & Tangerine Tango...with the a Dessert Option: Halloween Theme.  Dessert is so difficult to resist, isn't it???

Believe it or not, I did NO stamping on this card.  That does not happen often.

That textured card front was created with a sunshine impression plate.  Somehow, those concentric circles remind me of raindrops hitting puddles on pavement.  You know.  Halloween...dark...rain...puddles.  Sounds kinda strange, huh?
So.  I used a couple of dies to create this envelope and the window on the  front.  I adhered acetate behind the window, then placed the spider patterned paper behind that.  That "poison" label is from the same paper pad.  Well...then I had to use my spider dies again.  Oh yes, and a dab of black enamel accents on their little bodies...again.
Ok, click on over to the Dynamic Duos blog now.  You know my team mates have created some fun projects for you.  They always do!

Supply list ~
card stock: basic black, tangerine tango (SU), clear (Heartfelt Creations)
patterned paper: haunted 6 x 6 pad (My Minds Eye)
dies: sunshine impression plate, seed packet die, seed packet frame die (PTI), scary spiders (Memory Box)
other: black enamel accents (Ranger)

Dynamic Duos #74 - Grateful For You

Are you ready for some warm fall colors?  This week's colors for Dynamic Duos Challenge #74 certainly said autumn to me.  Take a look.

I thought of leaves changing color and the crunch of leaves under your feet as you walk on the paths and sidewalks.  And, since I hadn't yet used my Leaf Prints stamps and dies...what better time?

I used my dies as embossing or impression plates, to get the impression of the leaves without cutting through the card stock.  Then I cut around the left edge of the leaves and placed a piece of saffron card stock behind them.  The leaves are stamped in the 2 challenge colors and crumb cake (a neutral color).  I love these colors together!
Now it's time to click on over to the Dynamic Duos blog and see what my oh-so-talented team mates have created.

Thanks for taking a look!

Supply list ~
card stock: white (PTI)
ink: calypso coral, so saffron, crumb cake, early espresso (SU)
stamps: leaf prints, signature greetings (PTI)
dies: leaf prints (PTI)

Ghostly Greetings 2? C4C#206 - CTS#48 - Curtain Call: Spooky Scene

Yes. Yes.  I've switched gears...back to Halloween mode.  I think this is my last one.  Maybe.

So, I'm playing along in 2 (*make that 3) challenges with this card. 

CAS(E) this sketch! - CTS #48

Crazy 4 Challenges - C4C #206

ETA: My friend Tracey reminded me that I can enter this card in another challenge.  Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge October 1: Spooky Scene.  I don't know why I didn't think of it, since I entered a card just a couple of days ago!  Here is the graphic:

Great inspiration from both challenges, right?   I got kind of cutesy with my card.  But I sure had fun with it!

Yes, more ghostly greetings!  I cut 3 little photo frames from patterned paper, then filled them with fun Halloween creatures.  I gave my bat some yellow gem eyes...the vellum ghost was lucky enough to get the wiggle eyes...and the spider has a bit of stardust clear glitter pen on his tiny eyes.
Are you making Halloween cards this year?  If so, do you make them every year?  This is my first year making more than 1 or 2.  It's a lot of fun!
Thanks for stopping in!

supplies ~
card stock: pumpkin pie, whisper white (SU)
ink: pumpkin pie (SU), onyx black (Versafine), tuxedo black (Momento)
stamps: been boo'd (PTI)
patterned paper: haunted 6 x 6 pad (MME)
other: framed out die #12 (PTI), stardust clear glitter pen (Sakura), wiggle eyes (Creatology), yellow gems (The Paper Studio)

A Vintage Style Christmas - Seize The Sketch #5

Hey, I'm back with my 2nd post for today.  I found a little time to play along with Seize The Sketch #5 yesterday.  I've switched from Halloween mode, back to Christmas.  For now.
Anyway, take a look at the great sketch for this week.

I was in the mood for a vintage-y card.

I sewed a piece of vellum over a piece of patterned paper, then matted it with red card stock.  I added a few more pops of red with the sentiment, the brad and that little banner beneath the brad.  Quite an easy card to make.  Well.  Once I figured out the problem with my sewing machine.  Turns out it was operator error...not the machine.
Thanks for taking a look!  I'll be back with another post this afternoon.

Supplies ~
card stock: kraft (PTI), real red, very vanilla (SU), vellum (The Paper Studio)
stamps: christmas stamp set (Precious Remembrance Shop)
ink: versamark
patterned paper: santa's list 6 x 6 pad (Teresa Collins)
other: christmas mint brad (s.e.i.), thread, sewing machine

Guy Stuff! - Retro Sketches #84

Yes, I needed to make one of those difficult masculine cards. But, when I saw Katie's sketch for Retro Sketches #84 it gave me a great starting point.

Here's what I created.

I have to admit that most of my patterned paper is feminine.  Some prints are neutral.  But, I have this 6 x 6 pad from Echo Park that is all masculine prints.  It's my go-to for those "guy" cards.  As it turns out, many of the prints are horizontal...so it was easy to work into this RS sketch.  I heat embossed my sentiment onto one of the strips.  Then, for the heart in the sketch, I used a wooden veneer star.  The cut out in the strip of green card stock was made using a very small star punch.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

Supplies ~
card stock: early espresso, old olive (SU)
ink: versamark
stamps: communique curves (PTI)
patterned paper: this & that 6 x 6 pad (Echo Park)
other: early espresso embossing powder, merry Christmas punch pack (SU), wood veneer star (Studio Calico)

DD #73 - Spooktacular!

Hi!  For Dynamic Duos Challenge #73, I've used our colors for another Halloween card.  These dramatic colors could be used for so many occasions or styles of card making.  See what I mean.

I combined the challenge colors with black and created a dark, spooky (well, not too spooky) card.  As I said last week, it's fun to create cards for an occasion that I usually don't get into much.

I created the sky by sponging cajun craze and island indigo inks onto some whisper white cardstock.  The tree die cut was placed over that, then the rolling hill.  I drew 3 little bats onto the sky - not sure how bat-like they look!
The sentiment and the bat beside it were stamped last.  If you look closely (click on the 1st photo) you'll see that I added 2 dabs of black enamel accents for his eyes.  Spooky, right?

Thanks so much for taking a look, now click on over to Dynamic Duos and see what my super-talented team mates have created.

supply list ~
cardstock: cajun craze, island indigo, basic black, whisper white (SU)
ink: island indigo, cajun craze (SU), onyx black Versafine
stamps: been boo'd (PTI)
dies: row of trees (Memory Box), in the meadow (PTI)
other: black enamel accents (Ranger), black pen

Ghostly Greetings! - Curtain Call Challenge

I'm sharing another Halloween card today.  Yes.  I know.  You're SO surprised.  Ha!
Once I started creating cards for this occasion, the ideas just kept rolling.  So, I rolled with it. :)

Anyway, lets get to the challenge.  I'm playing along with the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge - Spooky Scene.  The inspiration graphic is so fun.  See?

I created a window card for my spooky scene.

If you look closely - or click on one of the closeup photos - you'll see that my "wall paper" patterned paper includes skulls.  Nice detail, huh?  My ghosts were stamped with versamark onto vellum, then embossed in white.  I couldn't resist adding those googly eyes.  I added a bat using some black EP.

My house siding was created by using a woodgrain impression plate, then I scored every 1/2" to resemble boards.  Two Spellbinder dies were used to create the window.

Well, as my card says...Ghostly Greetings.

Supply list ~
card stock: white (PTI)
stamps: been boo'd (PTI)
ink: onyx black versafine
patterned paper: haunted 6 x 6 pad (My Minds Eye)
dies: classic squares large (Spellbinders), woodgrain impression plate (PTI)
other: wiggle eyes (Creatology)