Fun Cards, Sad Endings

Quick post to get some blogging done this week!!

This first card was created a couple of weeks ago for my DBIL's BD.   Charlene to make a card/project around a quote you find from this website and incorporate some representation of time in your design.  So, I found the perfect sentiment for the inside of the card from there that says "Just Remember, Once You're Over The Hill, You Begin to Pick Up Speed".  Cute, huh?  There's tons of quotes to choose from on that site -- thanks so much Charlene!!

And, the sad part....this card is also is the last card I'm doing for my beloved DoubleDog Dare Challenge Group.  We took a pulse of the group and determined that we all were ready to move on.  So alas, it is bittersweet, but such good friendships were formed during that time!!  How lucky and honored I always felt to be in your presence: Bev, Julia, Charlene, Joan, JoAnne, Fran, Anne and (for a time) Michelle. Love ya ladies!!  Big hugs Always!!

This card is one I made recently playing around with chipboard letters:

I am currently obsessed with chipboard sticker shapes and alphas.  So lots coming soon using them -- (thanks to FRAN from Frantic Stamper!!)  The ones on this card by KI Memories are soooo cute!!   And -- I snagged them through the daily "Crafty Steals" web special!! If you aren't familiar, get on board quick - each day a different "steal" is made available, and some of them are insane!!  Be sure to check it out!!  This came as part of a package of matching DP pack, epoxy brads and the gummie stickers from the BD above.

TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

Good Luck Friend

Supplies: Prima and Basic Grey flowers, Recollection Gemstone Brad, Thickers Flocked Alpha Chipboard, Cosmo Cricket Earth Love DP, PTI Aqua Mist CS, SU Chocolate Chip and Kraft CS. SU Scalloped Border punch.

This is a DDC card that my friend Joanne (aka Sleepy in Seattle) dared us to do. She wanted to see a St. Patricks Day or Good Luck Card with some green. I've never sent out a St. P's day card, so I chose to go with a Good Luck theme. I used these neat tab clips that I got as a sample from a vendor that stopped by my office at work last year. They got thrown in my drawer and for some reason surfaced last week. I, of course, immediately thought of card-making with them and brought them home!! They are so cool, and they come in this fun little acrylic storage box -- kind of over-the-top storage for just some disposable tabs, dontcha think?? Anyways, I love 'em!! I layered some Prima and Basic Grey Flowers with a Recollections green (ta dah!) brad along with some fun Flocked Alpha Thickers from CHA. (Still using new CHA stuff I got!) There's 3 Robins Nest Dew Drops there on the DP too, hard to see. Anyhow, you are invited to join in and play in the DDC Challenges!! Post to your blog or SCS using keyword DDC. Let me know if you do so the DDC gals can come see your work! TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

Teeny Chick

Supplies Used: Nestibility Large Scallop Squares. Cosmo Cricket Earth Love DP, Very Vanilla and Brushed Gold CS, Copics, Clear Magic Stamps "Janes Script", Denami Designs imaage, Memento Tuxedo Black In.

All day I was thinking about what "teeny tiny" card design to make so I could participate in this week's Saturday Spotlight Challenge. Meanwhile, I checked in on the CAS challenge over on SCS for today and it is an inspiration challenge. The website is Candy Crates Retro Candy Store. I headed to the Holiday Candies Section looking at the Easter candies and found this Happy Hen Pooper! Egads!! Couldn't pass that up, right?? My "teeny tiny" design was born! I used one of the "teeny tiny" chicks by Denami Design - their stamps are practically synonymous with "teeny tiny"!! Colored the little chick with Copics to match my Cosmo Cricket Earth Love DP. Used Basic Grey LillyKate mini velvet rick rac and Basic Grey mini brads for embellishments. All this went onto a small 3x3 card base! And finally, Joan Irvin (aka Stamping with a Passion), our Doubledog Host for this week wanted us to make a Get Well Card, and viola! This became a "Get Well Soon" card! Can't remember the last time I got a DDC done on the same day it was posted!! TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

Doubledog Dare Rose

Supplies: SU Scallop Punch, SU Print Pattens Pack, SU 5/8" satin ribbon, SU Gold Glory EP, SU Kraft CS, EK Success Large Scallop Border punch, SEI Lovebirds DP, Our Daily Bread Fishers of Men, misc. mini heart charm

Our Doubledog Dare Host this week is Julia (aka Create With Me) and she dared us to make a card using the rose tutorial found on Mercy's (aka Lord Have Mercy) blog. Wow!! I love this rose!! Couldn't be simpler to make and it comes out beautifully. I'm so glad Julia pointed us to that tutorial and grateful that Mercy shared it with all of us!! You should give it a try!! I added a tiny heart charm to the layout so I could participate in the brand new weekly challenge over on the Our Daily Bread Designs Blog to use hearts on your card. Please feel free to join in on the Doubledog Dare Challenges found here on SCS every Tuesday!! Upload to your blog or any of the on-line galleries using DDC as your keyword, and leave me a comment so the DDC gals can stop in and see your work!! There's no time limit and we'd love to have you join us! TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

Treehouse Store, Doubledog Dares & Lots of My New CHA Stuff!!

Supplies: Whiff of Joy Elizabeth Belle, Momento Tuxedo Black ink, PTI Aqua Mist paper, ink and button; Prima flowers, CarlaCraft punch, ribbon from HL, Copics, brads, SU Rose Red and White CS, Crate Paper DP

Hi All, Catching up on some blogging tonight!! Here's some cards I've made to meet my DT comittments!! First up is this image by Whiff of Joy that can be found at Treehouse Stamps Store . It's "Willow Kneeling Up", cute, eh?? She is colored with copics and embellished with primas and punches and ribbon! I designed it to also meet several blog challenges this week: Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge, The Pink Elephant to use Polka Dots, a Bow and Pink, and Die Cuts R Us to use ribbon! The stamp came to me unmounted, without any cling foam attached to the back so it was the perfect time to use my new Rock A Blocks that I picked up at CHA last weekend! I was curious about these things, and wanted to try them out before making the purchase. I got to do that at CHA and they ended up being my first purchase when I was there! If you have unmounted stamps without cling mount foam already on them (just plain rubber sheets), you wouldn't need to bother attaching the cling mount and cutting them out! These Rock A Blocks allow you to attach the plain rubber right to the block and start stamping! (I was thrilled because I really hate cutting out that stuff!!) The images stamp beautifully. Anyhow, if it matters at all, I highly recommend this awesome set of blocks!! Next is this card using THS Birthday Cupcake image and some digital paper soon to be released by Asley Bowen, owner and designer of Treehouse Stamps. I stamped the cupcake onto the Treehouse digital DP and some coordinating Rose Red paper. Mounted it onto an Olive Green panel that was punched using Fiskars Lace and Lattice Border & Corner Punch (also a purchase from CHA last weekend.) The sentiment that I stamped around the border is by Woodware USA, Clear Magic Stamps (also from CHA). The set is called Jane's Script. This choice of colors was inspired by today's Inspiration Challenge over on SCS. The wonderful website chosen for our inspiration today was "Espe". I went with the Stella Mini Pink Bag although I loved so many of the items on that site!! The punch I used by Fiskars creates a continuous borders around a corner so easily! As long as you start with CS that is "whole" inches (i.e., 5x3, or 4x2 or 6x4, etc.), you can punch a perfect border around the perimeter. The one-inch increments that you need to move your paper are notched on the punch base so it makes it easy to align the border as you punch, your papers set into the notches to hold the CS edge in place for perfect punching. Its such a smart tool design! These were going for $12.00 at CHA! I wish I had picked up more styles!! Next is my card for the Treehouse Blog Challenge #34! The Treehouse has a challenge every Thursday! Join in the challenge and grab the new "Treehouse Stamps Thursday Challenge" badge for your own Blog! Post your creation using Mr. Linky on the THS Blog! This week's THS Challenge on the Treehouse Blog is to create a card using flowers and a butterfly. Be sure to use keyword THS034 when uploading to on-line galleries! The images I used this week are from the Simple Wishes set. I stamped the large daisy using the rock and roll technique and wrapped the garden with some brown paper ribbon. The butterflies are Martha Steward punch and matching stamp. Also, this week over on the Treehouse Blog, Kelly Hampton is the Spotlight Team Member for this week. Please stop by to meet her and see what's up over in the Treehouse!! OK, just a couple more ... hang in there with me friends!! My Doubledog Dare cards: Over on SCS in the Challenges Forum you can find all the Doubledog Dare Challenges! This card is for the challenge from Post #59, hosted by Bev (aka Beestamper) ! The challenge is to make a NON-Challenge card, a card that isn't for any challenge whatsoever!! EEEK!!! And the twist is that you have to actually mail it to someone... someone who isn't expecting a card, and you must send it as anonymous. I thought I would send a card that could be used as a Valentine, so I used this cute American Art Stamp called "Heart Balloons" that I've coveted for so long! I found it at CHA (yes, my bags were overflowing!!). My sister Judy gave me the cute felt hearts (that are adhesive-backed, how cool!) and I just added some bling to make them pop. The card base is a plain notecard from a set I found at a garage sale. I just attached my Nesti shapes to the front of it and stamped on the circle. So my card is finally done, it's addressed and on it's way to "Someone" tomorrow!! How fun!! (Thanks Bev!!) The last card this evening is the DDC for this week that was issued by Anne Harmon (aka Stamping in Red) . The details about this challenge are found on Post #62 of the Doubledog Dare Challenges. Anne wanted a card with a frame. So here ya go...the frame I used on this card is Sizzix die called "Windows, Sunshine". I don't think I've ever used it on a card and I've had it for years!! The window is lined with S.E.I "Lovebirds" DP that I picked up at CHA! The whole 12x12 pack was half price!! Yep!! What a deal!! It's a gorgeous pack of paper that comes with coordinating stickers! The sentiment is by Woodware USA, Clear Magic Stamps. The set is called Jane's Script. I also used the Fiskars border punch, an EK Success branch punch, a SU Jumbo Eyelette and a SU Sizzix Embossing Folder. Whew...that was one long blog!! Thanks so much for making it to the end with me!!

A Month of Doubledog Dare Challenges!

Catch up time!! These are cards I made to bring me up to date on the Doubledog Dare Challenges (found here)! Join in any of the challenges and upload to SCS using DDC as your keyword or post to your blog and lemme know!! There's no time limit (thank goodness for me! LOL!!). The DDC gals would love to stop by and check out your creation!! These three cards all were made using Inkadinkado's set called Boxed Wishes as the focal image. Dec. 8 - Hosted by Julia (aka Create With Me): A Thank You card using "warm" colors. Me & My Big Ideas Fashion District DP, Copics, Cuttlebug folder. AND Dec. 14 - Hosted by Joan (aka Stamping with a Passion): Use Polka Dots Dec. 1 - Hosted by Anne Harmon (aka Inking in Red): A Winter BD Card. Used SU Snowfall Printed Window Sheet, AC Specialty Foil Paper and copics. Dec. 22 - Hosted by Joanne (aka Sleepy in Seattle) - A New Years Greeting. Gold EP, Me & My Big Ideas Fashion District DP, SU Trio Flowers punch, mini brads, SU Small Flowers eyelettes. Dec. 29 - Francie (aka Francie's Fancy): Depict what you want to be doing right now. AND Jan. 5 - Charlene (aka Where M&Ms Gather): Use the Grid Technique. The sentiment is by Whipper Snapper cut up and sprinkled across the page. All the images are 3/4" square punched from stamping I did for some other projects that never ended up on a card -- until now!! OK, I'm ready for the next one girls!!! TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

2 Patchwork Cards and Doubledog Card!

Supplies: SU All Holidays (sentiment) Bravo Burgandy Ink, Bravo Burgandy and white CS, Basic Grey Figgy Pudding DP, 1" and 1-1/4' sq. punch, SU exclusive ornaments Sizzlet, SU Trio Punch
 

I made a card for the Featured Stamper challenge this weekend (CarolAnne aka MrsBoz) who is super duper talented BTW! I loved the sketch from this card from her gallery, and so I ended up making

 

two -- both with the same DP and color scheme, but as you might notice, the 2nd time around, I was a little more selective in my choice and placement of "patches".


















And this card is for my Doubledog Dare challenge from last week

-- I KNOW! I had it done by Wednesday last week and for some reason left it sitting here to post! So I'm making sure I get it up here tonight! (Especial since the next DDC for this week is already posted!! LOL!) Our host this week was Joanne (aka Sleepy in Seattle) who challenged was to make a wreath without a wreath stamp, and bonus if we use flowers to get the job done!! So I used a large fern punch by Punch Bunch and some red cupped FLOWER sequence (note to Joanne!!) I chose the snowflake patterned acetate CS by SU because I had it out from an earlier card that I made! The red button bow is unidentifiable -- it's from my stash of unclaimed holiday hodge podge that continues to accumulate and multiply as the years go by!! Please join in any of the DDC with the talented group of ladies that participate each week (see my sidebar)! We'd love for you you to join in! Just choose any of the challenges found here and upload to SCS using DDC as your keyword, or leave me a comment if you post it on your Blog and I'll spread the word! The DDC gals would LOVE to see your work!! TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

Plaid and Buttons!

This is my card for the Doubledog Dare challenge this week: Plaid and Buttons! I was a little curious how the combo would work but I think all is well with this one!

I created the plaid background using SU Flannel Plaid BG stamp in Artichoke and Chocolate chip to go along with the Color Challenge this week over on SCS -- Chocolate Chip and Always Artichoke.

The button is really two buttons -- a large brown one from GinaK and an Always Artichoke one from SU, stacked on top of each other. I punched some leafy branches with an EK Success punch to tuck under the buttons so they weren't sitting there unadorned and random looking!

I can't believe there's nothing Martha Stewart on this card?? Must be late. (LOL!)

Hey!! I Doubledog Dare You to play along in the DDC challenge this week!! Create a card using plaid and buttons! Just use DDC as your keyword when you upload your card!! Post it to your blog or fav on-line gallery and leave me a comment to let me know!! The Doubledog Dare Gals (see my sidebar) would LOVE to see your work!!

TFL, happy stamping my friends!

Teddybear Teapot

Supplies: SU Favorite Teddy Bear; AC Gold Christmas Foil Specialty paper, Whte Cardstock; Versamark, Gold EP; MS Cardinal and Modern Snowflake punches; Krylon Gold Leafing pen; Cuttlebug EF; Ribbon, Bow Easy; WonderWaterColor Crayons.

Our Doubledog Dare Challenge host this week is Charlene (aka Where M&Ms Gather). She also simultaneously hosted the Teapot Tuesday challenge (what a woman, eh??!! ) so as a result, our challenge this week was to do the Teapot Tuesday Challenge (MMTPT67)! Makes perfect sense!! So this is the cute teapot of which we were to draw inspiration from. I went with the color scheme and teddy bear image for my card. I "had" to add this little cardinal because I just LOVE this new punch from Martha Stewart!! It's actually two pieces when you punch it out, the body and the wing. I colored in his mask and edged the pieces in black for dimension . The bear is embossed with Gold EP, and colored with Watercolor Crayons. (BTW, did you know that Copics dissolve embossed images?!! Ask me how I know! LOL!). The "banner" panel and first white layer were embossed with a snowflake Cuttlebug EF and then edged with a Krylon Gold Leafing pen. I punched gold snowflakes using Martha's Modern Snowflake punch. The banner and bear are popped up on dimensionals. Finished it all off with a gold ribbon (from my scraps box) made with the Bow Easy. Anyone can try out any of these challenges too - there's no time limit!! Check out the Doubledog Dare Thread for all the challenges and upload to the gallery using keyword DDC any time you want to play along!! TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!