Hello and Belated Birthday

I have been seeing the Light Up for Autism blog hop all over the internet and have finally found a moment to make a card so I could participate right in the nick of time.  My daughter was a big buddy this fall to a little boy with Autism in a special soccer league for Challenged Athletes.  The joy on his face when he saw her and played his own version of soccer was just priceless, and I know that all the parents were so grateful that their kids had a chance to participate in soccer, just like practically every other kit in Southern California.

I used copic markers to create a blue ombre pattern that would show in the negative space of my die cut hello.  I used the Burlap Impression Plate to add a bit of texture.  Simple and done.

I used the sketch at Happy Little Stampers and am also linking up at Paper Players #239 where the challenge is to use a die cut.

I have another card for today, and it is inspired by this beautiful card by Kimberly at Time Out #28.

I was inspired by the black background, the silver embossing and vivid coloring of the flowers.  I used SU Corner Garden, and embossed with Silver Pearl embossing powder.  I used Prisma Colored pencils to color in my flowers and leaves.

I am also entering this card at Seize the Birthday Anything Goes and Simon Says Wednesday Happy Birthday.

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Just Three Cards

Happy Sunday everyone.  My girls have been on winter break and my parents came down for a visit, so not too much crafting time this week.  I do have a couple of things to share, however.  This first card uses a stencil made out of a cover plate as taught in this week's Make it Monday #201.  I used the Triangle Cover Plate, and colored my embossing paste with a few drops of Harvest Gold reinker. I was going for a partial look, so was purposefully messy around the edges and did not use the entire cover plate.  

I am also linking up at ColourMe #59 and Simon Says Wednesday, where the challenge is to add a little texture.

Don't groan, but I used more paint chips (showing different wood stains) on this next card.  I was inspired by this heart, and thought about making something similar using all different types of wood grain.  I used a 1 inch square punch and then cut the squares along the diagonal to create 2 right triangles from each square.  My sentiment is a die cut word from SSS, layered up 3 times and then covered with Glossy Accents.

I made this last card with my mom--she wanted a card for a friend turning 80, so I used the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch #111.

My mom is very short and my oldest daughter is very tall--I love this picture I took of the two of them right before my parents left my house.

That's it for me today.

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Dynamic Duos and CAS(E) This Sketch

I've got a quick post with two cards.  The first card is for this week's Dynamic Duos DD #42, and I used PTI Ripe Avocado and Harvest Gold.  I was eager to try my new Daydreamer dies, which were part of the giant prize package I won at PTI.

And, I am just squeezing in under the wire at CAS(E) this Sketch this week.  I didn't realize the challenge closed tonight, so I hurried to make my card.  I'm not sure about this one--it looked different in my head, but I'm posting anyway.

As there is still one day left on the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge, I'll be posting both of these cards there as well.


Supplies Used:

Thinking of You
Stamps:  Daydreamer, Scattered Showers
Paper:  White
Ink:  Ripe Avocado, Harvest Gold
Other:  Lil Inkers Stitched Rectangles, Daydreamer Dies

Hello
Stamps:  Happy Trails, Embroidered Blooms, Crackle
Paper:  White, Winter Wisteria
Ink:  Winter Wisteria, Versamark, Versafine Onyx Black
Other:  Lil Inkers Stitched Rectangle, Happy Trails Die, Sizzix Embossing Folder

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PTI January, 2013 Blog Hop

I thought this month's Blog Hop theme was a very fun one.  Black Backgrounds.  I'm guessing that is very trendy now. 

After a bit of trial and error, I ended up with a card I like quite a bit.  I learned that a black background is even less forgiving than a white background.  EVERY LITTLE THING shows up!  The colored flower centers are made using a regular hole puncher and then several layers of Glossy Accents--Marybeth has gotten me hooked on this stuff.

A side note:  I tried to use this week's MIM technique, and emboss the white sentiment over the clear embossed polka dots.  NOT!!  I ended up with a melty mess, so my sentiment is white embossed on black, and not the double embossing technique.


Here is a peek at the inside, which I had to line, or I wouldn't have been able to write anything inside the card.

Supplies Used (PTI):
Stamps:  Beautiful Blooms, Think Big, Background Basics Polka Dots
Paper:  True Black, Berry Sorbet, Limeade Ice, Summer Sunrise, White
Ink:  Versamark, Berry Sorbet
Other:  Clear and White Embossing Powders, Glossy Accents, bling

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Four More Cards

I'll jump in and get right to it.  This first card is another card for this week's A Blog Named Hero Challenge #18:  Golden Oldie and Moxie Fab #49:  Make Your Own Background Paper.  I used one of the images from Dictionary Greetings, masked it off a bunch of times and stamped all over the page, to make my background paper.  I got this idea from a HA stamp that looks like this.  I don't have the stamp, but tried to replicate the look.

I used that paper, an image from Just Saying Hi and a sentiment from Everyday Greetings for my card.  All three of those Hero Arts sets are definitely golden oldies in my collection.

Next up:  it's a card--it's a bookmark--it's a bookmark card...The challenge for this week's CAS-ual Fridays CFC86:  Long and Short is to make a card that has one long side and one short side.  I made a card that is 2.5 " by 7".  

Yes, it is very long and skinny.  The stamps are from PTI Tweet Talk, and the colors are Versacolor Opera Pink, PTI Limeade Ice and Orange Zest.  Here is the back, where I stamped a sentiment from Think Big Favorites:

I combined this CAS-ual Fridays challenge with this week's Make it Monday #100 about packaging over sized cards.  This card fits into a plastic bookmark sleeve I had in my stash, and is secured with a belly band of Raspberry Fizz polka dotted paper.

One more card for this week's Make it Monday #100. Sweet Life Roses stamped in Aqua Mist and Ocean Tides on Vintage Cream card stock.  The bottom is Background Basics:  Farm and Barn stamped in Memento London Fog.

I would have used a glassine bag if I had one, but instead made a little pouch out of waxed paper and scor tape, using pinking shears on the edges.

Last up for today is a card for this week's RetroSketches rs#47. I used a color scheme I saw on Debbie's blog here of Spring Moss, Blueberry Sky and Canyon Clay to make a get well card that could work for a guy. 

That's it for me today.  It's a three day weekend for us, and I am looking forward to one more day of sleeping in, minimal driving around, and some more time in my craft room, too.

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CAS-ual Fridays and Dynamic Duos

This week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge is to use a heart on our project.  I have so many heart stamps, I didn't know where to start.  This idea came to me in spin class, and I decided to go with it.  It doesn't show up in the picture, but the hog die cuts are stamped with PTI Crackle stamp, which gives them a bit more interest.  The hearts are from the center of the butterfly die from PTI Love Lives Here.

It's been a while since I have had a chance to play with the Dynamic Duos challenge.  I really loved Michelle's card that was last week's winner, and it inspired me to make my card this week.  I used this retro telephone with VersaMagic Aquatic Splash ink embossed with clear embossing powder, and kraft ink.

And, because I really, really loved Michelle's card, and I know so many people who bike, I made a pretty direct copy to have on hand for the next spinning friend who has a birthday.

Supplies Used:
Hogs and Kisses
Stamps:  PTI On the Farm, Crackle
Paper:  White, Smokey Shadow, Pure Poppy
Ink:  Smokey Shadow
Other:  On the Farm and Love Lives Here dies

Just Saying Hi
Stamps:  Hero Arts Just Saying Hi
Paper:  PTI White
Ink:  VersaMagic Aquatic Splash, PTI Kraft
Other:  Clear embossing Powder

Best Day Ever
Stamps:  Hero Arts Joy Ride and Birthday Messages
Paper:  PTI White
Ink:  Pure Poppy, Kraft

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More 10 Minute Craft Dash Cards

I loved this 10 Minute craft dash challenge #1, and decided to play again.  This time, I used a sketch from a new crafting magazine I just got called "Card Design Handbook"  Funny to use the magazine for inspiration, rather than just read it.  Here is a picture of the sketch.  Pretty simple, right?

Here is my card.  I just used three strips of Washi tape and a sentiment from PTI Sweet Spring. 

I was able to make another card just like it, using some Washi tape I got from Target.  This card is also for this week's One Layer Wednesday #101:  Feeling Blue.  I haven't played in this challenge for a while.  It is hosted by different people every week, and sometimes I can't find it.  This week I found it on Heather Telford's blog.

My total time to make both of these cards was 5 minutes 49 seconds.  This is a super design for speed, and the washi tape is much quicker than die cutting.  Hmmm....perhaps I need some more Washi tape?

What can you do in 10 minutes?  I think everyone should give this challenge a try.  You might surprise yourself.

You still have time to enter the giveaway contest celebrating my blogaversary here.   And, if you are feeling lucky, my friend Kim is having a giveaway here, and Monica's giveaway is here.

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