Anything Goes...

Somehow this card seemed very appropriate this weekend.

Winter storms everywhere it seems.

We in Western New York are not having much from this storm but we know how bad it can be.

Penny Black Anything Goes Challenge 

I looked at my florals to make some of those watercolor images but this one just seemed right.

The image was stamped with StazOn black ink and colored with Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils.

 A little black card stock underneath to make the image POP. Foam tape brought the image forward and then the text underneath.

Wishing everyone safety, warmth and nourishment until this storm subsides!

Winter Wonderland...

Clean and simple...

AAA Cards Game #56 

Challenge is for a Winter Wonderland theme and to keep it clean and simple.

This great paper is from another 12"x12" pad. 

The back is white which makes a great palette for writing a thank you note.

Just cut your card to fit an A2 envelope, 4-1/4"x11" and fold in half.

Using the Martha Stewart "Thanks" punch and a piece of off white card stock, punch the "thanks" then trim to both ends of the card stock.

 Glue to the bottom of the base card and ta-da!

A super quick and easy thank you!

 

Woodgrain neutral...

As noted in previous posts I quilt.

One of my favorite stores is located near to me in 

Western New York.

Country Treasures

 The owner Marie knows I stamp and she has the most wonderful bags with turn of the century advertisements on them.

 I'm sure she doesn't get them just for me but I love 'em!

Once my stash of bags gets overwhelming I start making cards for friends using my Stampin' Up set "Puns from the Past".

For the Fusion Card challenge 

I was able to do both the colors and the card sketch using said bags.

Can you stand it?

The bag actually had a grater on it to go with the

 text "grateful for you"! 

Using the circle dies and my Cuttlebug made this card a snap.

Hope you are all enjoying your Winter! 

I know I'm enjoying mine!

 

Silhouette (Less is More)

 This challenge was a lot of fun. 

I have used many solid floral stamps in my card making but rarely use the silhouettes I have of humans.

 This card has the silhouette stamped with StazOn black ink. I then used my circle die to cut a circle on a post it. Using Distress pads of Mustard seed and Wild honey I sponged in the sun.

This is my submission for:

Less is More Challenge 260

However I couldn't stop there...

Though this is not for the challenge I wanted to share. 

I cut another post and placed it on black card stock (who says clean and simple has to be white?). I sponged ColorBox white ink to make the moon. I did two layers of sponging letting it dry in between. Cutting another mask of paper to create the snow I sponged very lightly. Once all the white dried I stamped my image using black StazOn ink. The text is stamped using the ColorBox white ink.

Never limit yourself.

Think outside the box!

Something Old Something New (ODBDSLC269)...

Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge

Something old and something new was the theme for this challenge. I didn't have any new stamps for this year from Our Daily Bread Designs but I re-read the criteria and it stated that new could be a set that you had never used before. 

PERFECT...

pulled out my "Sewn with Love" set. Being a quilter too I knew I had to have this set but had never had the chance to use it.

Found my Die-namics Quilt Die by My Favorite Things, the something old part of my card.

There are three sayings in the stamp set and I chose the largest...

"A good friend is like a warm quilt wrapped around the heart"

I finished the card but the "heart" kept calling to me.

Using my small Marvy heart punch and my 1/16"circle punch I made a button for the center of the quilt!

To take the picture I placed the card on one of my antique sewing machines. This particular one is a Spartan made in Great Britain about 1950. My eldest son bought it for me. He's a fantastic deal finder, I think he paid $20.00. 

When I received it I pulled the machine off the base, typical cleaning style, and found a mouse nest!

 Luckily the mousies were gone. 

Still trying to challenge myself to keep up with the card challenges but when I made this one and took the picture on the machine it drew me into wanting to sew again.

I will try and resist to get more challenges done but...

Cards for Card Ministry (CAS(E) this Sketch #156

One of the perks of doing the challenges are the cards that I have designed can be donated to the card ministry at my friends' church.

Once a month a bunch of us stampers meet at our friends' church. We don't always work on cards just for the ministry, however if you want to participate our friend asks us to donate 10 cards per month.

The cards are sold in her church to pay for the postage for the shut-in cards to be sent out. Some of our "extra" cards are used for the shut-ins. Some of us just make extra simple cards for the shut-ins above our ten.

This challenge has no prizes associated with it. 

CAS(E) this Sketch! 

Sometimes the prize is being able to use the sketch to get your creative juices flowing.

Sometimes, as in my case, it's a great way to make extra cards for the ministry.

My friend had said that we were running out of sympathy and get well. 

Here are 2 of my donations for February!

 The first is a sympathy card. I used a piece of patterned paper from Echo Park Paper Company. These lovely birch trees gave me the idea to pull out my Tim Holtz birch tree die.

The ink is Hickory Smoke Distress. A soft look for my submission.

 

 After finishing the sympathy card I turned the birch paper over and found these cute cardinals. Using the sketch I decided to make the get well card using my text from Taylored Expressions and the die cut from Paper Smooches.

 Just love these companies!

Using the paper as a guide I found cards stocks to match and to make the snow dots I used my embossing folder from Cricut Cuttlebug.

I love thinking that cards I have made find their way to someone, somewhere who can enjoy them.

You might try to find a card ministry in your area, or find some shut-ins or elderly that would love getting a handcrafted card once in a while!

 

Love is in the Air...

This challenge called for making a Valentine Day card.

Mod Squad Challenge 

 Because this challenge requires using only vendor products I checked out Gina K Designs and found they sold Tim Holtz!

The card will be for my hubby and Tim Holtz has wonderful images for males.

Using my Vintage Photo distress pad and Tim Holtz "Measured" stencil, I stenciled on the front of a 5-1/4" x 8" folded in half base card.

The image of the heart is from Tim Holtz "Heartfelt" set and the text is from his "Saying Stuff" set. I used a Candied Apple Distress pad for both. Candied Apple is my favorite of all the Distress reds!

The back is a piece of 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" red cardstock attached to the back of the base card.

Please note the "OIL JOINTS" text in the stencil. 

Sadly these words are very appropriate for hubby and I!!!

Create with Critters...

This was a fun challenge to do. After digging through my stash of 12"x12" papers and finding a "Pets Stack" by DCMV my creative juices started to flow.

These cards are fairly simple but after making the cat card, which is my submission to the:

Simon Say Create With Critters Wednesday Challenge 

I found there was a better way to do it, thus the dog card!

 

 Start with the 12"x12" piece trimmed to 

5-1/2" x 8-1/2".

Next cut a coordinating piece of lighter cardstock to

 5-1/4" x 4". 

Then back to the 12"x whatever you have left??? cut a piece

5-1/8" x 3-7/8",

Make sure you cut the pieces carefully if they are directional. Such as the one I used with the pet names.

Now for the hint!

Fold your first piece of cardstock in half. 

This makes your base card.

On the cat card I made sure the names read properly on the front of the base card. 

However that left the names on the back upside down???

It had already been finished by layering and attaching the kitty so I left it that way.

But when it came to the dog,I just layered the pieces as shown below that made sure the back was readable!

 Front

Back

Most of us don't use our 12"x12" for our base cards but why not? They usually have white or cream for easy writing inside or stamping a sentiment.

Make sure to look through your 12"x12"s

they are a treasure trove! 

The animal stamps were from two sets by Inkadinadoo.

The sentiments were from a set by My Favorite Things.

Hearts and Flowers...

I had this printed paper pulled out for another card. It didn't seem right for that card SO while checking out challenges  this one seemed perfect:

Mojo Monday 431 

I grabbed the paper and tossed a few ideas around in my brain. The above is the card is the product of the idea!

Sometimes you don't have to take a sketch literally.

As you can see  replacing one of the circles with three hearts served as the smaller circle in the sketch.

 The smaller hearts as the flower.

Off to find more challenges before our 

grandaughter comes!

Best Friends...

Number two in my binge challenge week of postings.

Simon Says Monday Challenge 

This one is a card I just had to create. I had some prepackaged tea that I wanted to use for my friends and shut ins that I send to monthly.

My Winnie the Pooh stamps were just the thing. I found the perfect stamp...

 Pooh and Piglet are besties!

 I cut a 12" piece of patterned paper 5-1/2" x 12". You could use one with color on both sides but I liked this one.

I then scored it at the 4-1/4" and 8" marks in my scoring tool along the 12" side.

Before I folded I took the 3-1/2" end and found the middle. Using the Stampin Up word punch I punched in the center. I then moved the punch slightly to the right and punched again. I did the same maneuver to the left of the center punch. This gives enough room to slide the tea bag packet in.

 Before you put the bag in glue the bottom up leaving the pinched area open to receive the tea bag!

Now color your image and layer it onto the front of your card.

You can now send your best friend a cup of tea in the mail!

Zodiac Sign Connection House Mouse Challenge (HMFMC #211)

I have a hard time believing that I haven't posted to my blog since March of 2015, but that's what it says!!!

I must find the time to post more often. I DO binge post when I finally post. This session will be no exception.

I thought I lost my MOJO yesterday when no ideas were coming to me AT ALL!

So I made the commitment to check the challenges to see if they could jump start me.

The first is:

Zodiac Sign Connection House Mouse Challenge

 

 Obviously my choice was Leo for July. This was because my husband is a Leo.

I used to love creating scenes on my cards but have made mostly art type images for my fronts lately.

This card goes back to my basics. 

I stamped the mouse (House Mouse Designs) and masked him, then I stamped the Lion (Stamps by Judith) and masked him. Finally I stamped the postage stamp frame (Third Stone Stamps formerly known as Third Coast Rubber Stamps) and made a mask for the opening.

I laid all the masks down and used my Distress inks to sponge the background of the "stamp".

I used colored pencils for the rest.

The saying is from a set by Taylored Expressions.

This truly in a perfect day for stamping and blogging here in Western New York. The snow is blowing and the wind chill is 0!

I hope to get more challenges done over the next few days. If you have lost your MOJO or just what to try something new...

Try a challenge!