MFT Sketch Challenge

So about 5 weeks ago I started thinking about Christmas cards. I found a few on Pinterest which used the Poinsettia Die from My Favorite Things…HAD to have it. So I placed the order threw them for that particular die and a few others I had been looking at. Once I placed my order, as always, I wait a few days then start stalking my mail lady. (She crafts too so she totally understands!) A week and a half goes by, no package. Two weeks…three weeks go by no package. This is not typical for MFT. I some how erased my tracking number so I emailed Brianna at MFT and she sends me the number. Turns out my much wanted package is at the wrong post office, one about 30 miles away. I call them, they said they sent it to my post office a few days ago. So I waited….and waited…no updates on the tracking for what felt like forever. Finally, I see it arrived….in Virginia!!!! Uh…..now its about 200 miles away!! Finally, yesterday it arrived at MY HOUSE!!! Oh happy day! Here is what I made last night….

The pattern paper is by Simple Stories and Studio Calico. The die is MFT (), which is inked with Distress Inks and white pigment ink, and the border punch is Fiskars. The sentiment stamp, inside and out, is by Simon Says Stamp and the gold, sparkling, enamel dots are from my stash.

I folowed the sketch from the MFT Sketch Blog -LOOK HERE!

Here is the sketch!

October’s Colors!

 

I so love fall! Love the crisp air, the cooler temp and alllll the amazing colors Autumn brings! Here is my entry for The Card Concept this week. The table setting in the inspiration makes me want to go set my table!!!! Really…it does!

              

The stamps on this card are from My Favorite Things and are colored with Copics. I used 2 texture plates from Lifestyle crafts for the dot background and the plaid background. ‘Little Pumpkins’ is stamped using a Lawn Fawn Alphabet and the ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. Button is from my stash. The inside Sentiment, ‘Big Hugs’ is from My Favorite Things.

 

2. Clean and Layered

Definition:

• clean lines
• lots of layers
• designer papers/embossing
• embellishments/accents
• clean and fresh looking
• some coloured images at times
• white space

The Card Concept

Stretching ‘Witch Way is the Candy’

When I first saw this set, I had to have it! Love that little witch and her friends the cat and frog. To me that little frog looks someone just yelled ‘BOO!’. When I saw this challenge and was thinking about what to make for it, I thought of this little frog. Not only does he look startled but he also seems to have the same expression my kids have when I ask them to do their chores when they ‘forgot’ to do them!

Once I had the card just about together I thought of the pun…kind of funny, don’t ya think???

The frog, background dies’ alphabet dies and circle dies are from My Favorite Things. The pinking circle and circle textured plate is by Lifestyle Crafts. The cupcake stamp and pattern paper is from Lawn Fawn and the letter stamps are from Paper Smooches. Ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. The background stamp is by Hero Arts and is embossed using their white embossing powder.

Here are the challenge details from A Blog Named Hero

Stretch Your Stamps verb

:use a stamp or stamp set in a way other than the designer intended

 

Color Challenge

I made this sweet little card for the latest challenge over at Creative Colors Challenge Blog.

Here are the details for the challenge -

Pick any three colors and use polka dots

I used dark blue, light blue and black.

The little girl stamp is from Penny Black and is colored with Copics. For the polka dots I stamped a polka dot stamp over light blue paper and embossed with white embossing powder. The pattern paper is from My Minds Eye. The background was made by using a Tim Holts Stencil and versamark ink. Its embossed with a darker blue embossing powder. I also embossed the sentiment with black powder. For the balls on her hat I used Liquid Applique, which is so cool!! Just apply it where you want it and heat it. It creates this puffy texture which works so well with this winter image!

 

Thanks for looking!

More Christmas and a Chill Out Card for a Moody Teenager

My daughter is only 13 and has already mastered teenage angst…really, really mastered it. This morning was a perfect display of her talents so I figured she could use this card along with the Hershey’s bar I plan to attach!

I am also linking this to My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge Blog. Link!!

Pattern papers are by Authentique. Dies and stamps are by MFT. The Dip Me is Chocolate stamp has been paper pieced. Letter stamps are by Lawn Fawn. Ribbon and flower are from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

The Sketch -

 

I also made another Christmas Card Yesterday. This one was fun because it broke me out of my comfort zone a little. No Copic coloring on this puppy!!

I just got the Tim Holts Holiday Knit stencil and used it to make this background with Versamark and Zing’s Brown Sugar Embossing powder. The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp and I also stamped it with Versamark and used gold powder and stamped it once then stamped it again and used Rouge. I cut out the words from the Rouge and simply mounted them above the gold. The twine is doodlebug and the snowflake charm is from my stash.

This card is being linked to Merry Monday Christmas Challenge Blog.

 

Thanks for looking!

Mojo Monday–Happy Holidays

Mondays sometimes feel like my Fridays. We are so busy with the kids and their friends and soccer and football, it just never seem I have time for my much loved hobby. I always enjoy the peace and quite of Monday and the time it allows me to play!!

I have been working on Christmas cards here and there and am making some progress. I even have a list of addresses so they can actually be mailed this year! I found a great sketch challenge and thought I would give it a try.

                 

I used an image I bought off of Etsy and colored it with copics. I used Distress ink in Chipped Sapphire to color the card base and the ‘happy’ which is a Simon Says Stamp die. I embossed the die cut with WOW embossing glitter. For the polka dot I stamped a background stamp from Inkadinkado with Versamark and dusted it with Forever Blue Perfect Pearls which gives it a slight shimmer. I embossed the die cut circle from My Favorite Things with silver embossing powder. The snowflake stamp and the ‘holidays’ stamp is from Technique Tuesday.Some of the ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and from my stash as is the silver snowflake charm. I also outlined the card with a white Uniball jell pen.

 

                                                          

 

Here is the sketch :

                                               

                            Mojo Monday

Color! Color! Color!

I LOVE contrast. Rather it be in color or shape, I always seem to like the look of things that ….well, contrast. I like the looks of colors that are on the opposite end of the color wheel from each other. For example, for this time of the year, orange with purple and/or green. I also like to contrast shapes. Bold edges with curvy ones. Difference appeals to me. This first card is a prime example. The chevron pattern with the circle background and the orange with the apple green…I just love contrast. I made the next 2 cards for the challenge over at Creative Colors.

I just discovered this blog and really like the idea of adding a color challenge to my list of regular sketch challenge I take on weekly.

They are looking for cards using the colors orange, yellow and white AND use twine.This first card I made for the challenge has a lot of orange and white and I added twine but I was not sure if I added enough yellow when I colored my little guy. He was a challenge himself because I wanted to use my copics to blend these two colors. I was actually pretty pleased with how he turned out! I added the green for the contrast! Had to have it!!!

                                   

I used Liquid Pearls on the hearts and Glossy Accents on the ‘love’, which is a Simon Says Stamp die, and eyes of the little monster, which I downloaded from an Etsy site. The circle he is on is a stitched circle from My Favorite Things. Pattern paper is Echo Park and the embossing plate I used it by Life Style Crafts. The ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and the twine is from my stash. The ‘EYE’ and ‘YOU” are also stamps from Simon Says Stamps.

 

                                            

For this second card I found these sunflowers in my stash. I thought they worked perfectly with this theme. The pattern paper is old Chatterbox and the circle is cut with a MFT die and stamped with a ‘Knit’ stamp by Impression Obsession using Distress Inks. The bakers twine from Doodlebug and the regular twine is from my stash. The ribbon is from RRR. The ‘Happy’ stamp is form SSS and the ‘Thanksgiving’ is Technique Tuesday.

 

                                                        

                                             Creative Color Challenge #18

Thanks for looking!!

MFT Wednesday Stamp Club and an Extra!

As you may know, I am in looooooove with My Favorite Things. I hardly do a project where I do not use their products in one form or another. In today’s card, I think may be one of my most favorite cards I have made in a while!

For this card I used My Favorite Things Which Way Is The Candy stamps, circle STAX die cut and Dimensional Banners. The circle is ‘the moon’ and it is colored using Distress inks in Squeezed Lemonade and Spiced Marmalade. I used Copics to color the little witch and bat. The thin frame die cut is from Simon Says Stamp and the Ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. The ribbon color did not show up too well in the photo. It has a slight shine to it. IRL it is about the same as the green Copic coloring on the witch’s shirt and leggings. The small clouds are cut from vellum. I hid the adhesive under the bat and the witch.

 

I am linking this to the MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge site!

MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge Blog

 

I also had some time to finish another card today….

I wanted to do something different for my daughter’s Christmas card so I went with green, even to I always seem to gravitate to red.

The stamp is from an Etsy Store and is colored with Copics. The ribbon is from Really Reasonable ribbon and the sequence is doodlebug filled with Liquid Pearls. For the background I smeared on Pumice Stone Distress Ink and brushed on wet Perfect Pearls. Its really hard to tell from the picture but it is a beautiful shine. I mounted it on gray Bazzil cardstock. I also added Martha Stewart glitter to her belt and polka dots with my Signo gel pen.

 

Thanks for looking!

More Back to School

I have five kidos so I have been busy making lots of back to school cards! There school colors are Red and white so this challenge from The Card Concept is perfect for me!

Here is my card for this challenge….

Here is the challenge -

 

I would say my style is Clean and Layered -

Definition:

• clean lines
• lots of layers
• designer papers/embossing
• embellishments/accents
• clean and fresh looking
• some coloured images at times
• white space

Thanks for looking!

Challenges!

Now that school is back in session I have had a lot of time in my craft closet. Yes. I craft in a closet… a very cool closet. Its filled with reclaimed items put to good use as storage for all my supplies. I can honestly say I have not spent more then $15 on any one storage item. I hit thrift stores, auctions and even the occasional dumpster to find good, creative, inexpensive item to help corral my beloved craft supplies. Maybe I will post my closet….let me know if anyone is interested!

All that time in my closet has helped me complete two challenges this weekend. The first one is from the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog.

                                                     

Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog

Here and the colors for the challenge -

                                                             

 

This first one was so much fun to make! The original digital stamp had a background. I first colored this sweet little bunny and then totally messed up on the background. So. since I spent so much time coloring him, I cut him out and made a new background. I love the background Sandy Allnock made in this video but I did not have all the copics to make it the way she did….but I DID have Distress Inks which I thought would work. I simply wiped the cardstock with the inkpads –Bundled Sage for the ocean and Tumbled Glass for the sky and drew waves with my multi liner. To get the look on sunlight streaming threw the water I out white pigment ink on a sponge and wiped it down the – ink. The bunny is colored with my copics. The the die cut sun, seaweed and the little fish are stamps by Simon Says Stamps. The sentiment is from My Favorite Things and the twine is from Doodlebug. I used Glossy Accents on the diving mask. BTW- I made this card for my oldest daughter who wants to me a marine biologist. She got diving equipment for her birthday and has been using it all summer in the river by our house.

I also finished a card for the CAS(E) sketch! Here is the sketch – Link

 

                    CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge

 

And here is my card -

                                                   

The stamp is by Outlines and the stripe pattern paper is by Lawn Fawn. The this border is cut using a die cut by Simon Says Stamp and the pearls are from my stash. The twine is from Doodlebug. Sentiment is from The Stamps of Life

 

That’s it for now! Shoot me a comment if anyone is interested is seeing a post about my eclectic craft closet!

Happy to be a Bit Early!

Here you have it….My second Christmas card so far! And its only the beginning of September! Feeling pretty proud of myself!

                            

My tendency would have been to color her little hat coat and stockings red but I opted for blue. This image is by My Favorite Things and is colored with copic markers. The yellow  pattern paper is by Fancy Pants and the wood is by Glitz, The snowflakes are made using a EK Success punch and adding Liquid Pears for the centers. The twine is by Doodlebug and the circle die cut (cut in half) is by My Favorite Things. The blue ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. I drew stitched lines with a Distress Marker across the Yellow paper to add interest.

 

I am linking this card to The My Favorite Things Sketch blog. Find it HERE!

 

And here is the sketch -

 

                          

Digi Stamps Are Cool!!!

I am loving the fact that I new ‘stamps’ are just a click away at a fraction of the price! Here are a few cards I have made with my resent online purchases and a few tips I have discovered.

Tips :

1. Always print at least 2 of the image. Why? I do this because I like to practice a bit before actually go to color an image for a card/project. It is not hard to print out images but if you start one and mess up it is a pain to have to go back and print another. Messes with the creative mojo flow!

2. If possible, cut images into the size of your finished card. This gives you options. Do you want to use it as a card front? Or do you want to fussy cut it? This was you have options.

3. Keep printed images in a photo box or another easy-to-look-threw type of storage.

4. Save digi images in one file on your computer labeled by maker.

5. Keep images the size they are intended by the maker. It seems to me that if they are enlarged, the quality is not as crisp.

 

Ok, ALLL that being said, I am new to this type of stamps and welcome any other advice a more seasoned digi stamper has to offer. These are just things I have found to be helpful.

 

This first card was made with a digital image from an Etsy store called All Dressed Up Stamps. The design of this card is a bit different for me but it still has Copic colored Images, which I love! It is based on a sketch from CASE this sketch. I will be linking it up!     

                                                                 

                                                             

The Sketch

 

                                                                              

                                                                

I printed the image on Express It cardstock for Copics. The sentiment is by Avery Elle and the sequence is by Doodlebug. I covered the holes in the sequence with Liquid Pearls. The small pearls are from my old stash. For the lines on the lower left, I first drew lines in pencil to be sure I was going to like this detail. I then traced the lines with my Copic Mulitliner two or three times skipping part of the lines randomly. I also covered the heart on her dress with Glossy Accents.

 

                                                                 

 

This is a Tiddly Inks image colored with Copics. The sentimet is stamped with Lawn Fawn Milo’s Alphabet. I used a Sizzix Texture Plate and dies from Simon Says Stamp. The ribbon and the pearls are from my old stash!

Be sure to give Digi stamps a try! If I can figure it out, anyone can!

My Favorite Things ‘Get Sketchy’!

ETA - I must have missed the link up by just a few minutes!! What a bummer.....



For some odd reason I am actually ahead on making seasonal cards. I have given all five of my kidos their back to school cards. I even have a few Halloween cards made – in part, I believe, because of the awesome new My Favorite Things release of so many adorable Halloween stamps and dies.
And today, I can hardly believe it, I made a Christmas card! Really, I did! Hopefully, Ill even get a head start on my Christmas shopping! …probably not!

                                                    
The pattern paper is by Studio Calico. I die cut the stars from the MFT Die-Namics Star STAX and I uses one of the circle die STAX to cut our the circle. I uses ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon under the banner which is also cut from a MFT die. The sentiment is from the Delicious Birthday stamp set by MFT. The ribbon I used to ‘attach’ the stars is from Doodlebug and the rhinestones are a Dollar Store find!

I did not have cardstock to match the ribbon so to make the base of the card I simply colored a line around the edge with a Copic Marker and mounted the white dry embossed paper ( with an embossing folder by Sizzix) on top. For the banner I sponged ‘Peacock Frathers’ Distress Ink onto cardstock and then stamped the sentiment with Versamark and covered it with white Hero Arts Embossing powder, then heated it.

To make the stars I first die cut them from cardstock then I pushed them into my Versamark Ink pad making sure they were totally covered. I then sprinkled silver embossing powder over them and heat them with my heat gun. When they were still hot I again sprinkled more silver embossing powder over them. This creates a thick, solid looking surface and great shine!
                                                                           
I made this card based off of the sketch over at the Wednesday Stamp Blog for MFT.
                                                            

Tiddly Inks and A Card for a Teacher

My newest discovery in my crafting life is digital images. I always thought I was not computer savvy enough to handle the process of downloading, extracting and printing images form the internet so I never even tried.

This weekend I was checking out the adorable images on the Tiddly Inks website and thought I might try to download a few of the free images. With no issue at all, I was able to get them on my computer and even printed them out! It was so much easer then I thought! So, I bought a few images to make back to school cards for some of my kid’s favorite teachers. These images were so fun to color!

 

                                                  

For this card I used the ‘envelope’ background stamp by Hero Arts and Simon Says Stamp Frames Craft Dies to frame the image. Speaking of the image, it’s the ‘Teacher’ stamp by Tiddly Inks and is colored with Copics. I created the title by using three different stamp sets – ‘have a’ is by Technique Tuesday, ‘Happy’ is by SSS and ‘School Year!’ was made using Lawn Fawn Mylo’s Alphabet Set. I added the ribbon to the card and cut small slits by the books so I could thread the ribbon threw them and the books could still be visible.

 

I am linking this card to the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog and  Shopping Our Stash ABC Challenge A-Apple B-Books C-Copics

 

                                                   

 

The adorable little dragon on this card is another image by Tiddly Inks colored with Copic Markers. The pumpkin stamp and the different die cut matts are by My Favorite things and the sequence is from Doodlebug. I covered the holes in the sequence with Liquid Pearls… I think they look more finished with something covering the holes. And adds a little more dimension. The ribbon is actually scraps I had in my stash. The pattern paper is (again! lol) very old and I am not sure who it is by.

I ma linking this card to The Deconstructed Sketch.

 

                                                              

Halloween Cards!!!

I was so thrilled to get my big ol’ order in the mail from My Favorite Things last week! I went a bit nuts purchasing most of the release. I couldn’t help it! Everything is so cute! Immediately, when I saw the items, I connected the adorable, little images to my babies! Each stamp is so fun to color and so…well…just FUN!

 

Here are a few cards I have for my kidos -

                          

 

This one I made for my oldest daughter. This little witch stamp is precious! I wanted to use colors different then the typical Halloween colors. I just love the red! All stamps and die cuts are from MFT. Colored with Copics.The polka-dot paper is about 7+ years old. I think it is from KI Memories!

 

                                             

 

This card really was not made with ant particular kid in mind. I searched Pinterest for Halloween images and I really liked the dark sky with a white, silver moon. I used distress inks in Stormy Sky and Chipped Sapphire to make the sky and then sponged on white pigment ink around the moon. Love the way it turned out! All die cute and the sentiment stamp are by My Favorite Things.The pattern paper is by Graphic 45. I added scraps of ribbon bakers twine from my stash and sequence from Pretty Pink Posh to the left corner for a little added interest. I added liquid pearls to the bat and cats eyes.

 

                                       

 

This one I made for my youngest daughter. She is alllllll girl and I know she will love the purple ribbon. Again, stamps are from MFT and colored with Copics. The die cut ‘you’ is from Simon Says Stamp. Pattern paper is by Echo Park and the ribbon is by Really Reasonable Ribbon …YOU MUST check out this site! They have the best prices on ribbon and twine and have a huge selection. I just joined their Ribbon of the Month Club and now have another reason to stalk my poor mail lady!

 

I made the card based on a sketch from Deconstructing Jen. I am adding it to their link party!!!

 

                                                 

 

Here is the sketch -

                                               

Back to School!! My Favorite Things!!

                                                                         
Up until about 3 weeks ago I was loving summer! Kids were getting along, having fun, enjoying the weather. Then, at what seemed like the flip of a switch, kids started fighting, weather went down hill and fun was not being had by anyone…especially me! Playing referee for five kids is not an easy job and I am over it! School starts Monday and its not a day too soon. I love my babies but this momma is ready for some peace!

I have been making them all back to school cards. You can check out a few others I have done so far HERE. Three down two to go!

                                       

This one is for my oldest daughter. She is looking forward to getting out of her cutoffs and into her new pretty school clothes so I thought this stamp by My Favorite Things was perfect for her. Colored with Copics. I also used the Pierced Rectangle and Office Supplies Die-Namics by My Favorite Things. The small hearts are from My Favorite Things Blue Prints 11. Pattern paper is By Glitz Designs. I used Smooches Pearls on each heart.

I am linking this to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!
                                                            

15 Already????

Yep…my baby is going to turn 15 this weekend. Certain ways I look at him, he still looks just like the baby they laid on my belly all those years ago. For instance, his feet! The kid was born almost able to fit in to the same size Air Jordon’s and DC shoes he wears now. All the cute little powder blue, soft soled booties I bought while I was pregnant, well, they had to be returned.

Last year Hubby, the kids and I wanted to add chickens and ducks to our little, rural family home. My sweet, crazy, loud and sometimes obnoxious teenaged boy’s gentile side came out. He loved them as babies and still loves them now. So, just for fun, I thought the chickens should ‘make’ him a card for his birthday! Here is what I , oops,I mean, ‘they’ made…….

 

                                          

The red frame die cut is from this Simon Says Stamp set and the adorable chickens are from the Birthday Farm Animals stamp set and are colored with Copics. The twine is from Pretty Pink Posh and the pattern paper is from PB&J by Basic Grey. The banner die cut is from My Favorite things and I used an EK Success punch for the speech bubble and added a dotted line with a Copic Mulitliner. The package is covered with Smooch pearlized top coat. The ‘Party at the nest’ sentiment is from an old set in my stash and I am not sure who makes it.

 

Hope he likes it!! Now, I have to figure out a way for the chickens to sign it!!  Any guesses to what type of chickens we have???

Simon Says Stamp TOOT!!!

Does anyone ‘toot’ anymore?? For those of you who have been lucky enough to have scrapbook pages published in the past know what I mean by ‘toot’. Usually, it was used on message boards to let others know you have a page/piece of work chosen in a magazines or book. Sadly, it seems most of the magazines are no longer in publications. But we now have BLOGS to fill the void!!!!
I was thrilled when I got a message from Stephanie at Simon Says Stamp asking if she could one of my cards in the ‘Spotted’ post for July! WOOHOOO!!!! I LOVE SSS! Great customer service and such cool and cute exclusive products! I have been ordering from them for quite a while now and am honored they would want to feature my card! Be sure to check it out!!

                                                    July Spotted at Simon Says Stamp
                                                                 
The past few days I have been working on back to school cards. This summer has been great with my kids. I have 5 and they have been perfect all summer long….except for the last week. They have been little hooligans. Seriously…the have been. So, I have quickly began to wish school back in session. Here are the two cards I have so far. The first one is for my oldest son, 15, and the second is for my middle daughter, 10.

                                                
Both the note book and the brick background stamps are from Impression Obsession. The ‘Happy Day’ die cut is from Simon Says Stamp. Its actually the ‘Oh Happy Day’. I just left off the ‘Oh’. I die cut is several times from card stock and glued them together and then covered them with Glossy Accents. The ‘Have a’ is from and ooooooold Hero arts set and the smile is from lawn Fawn.

                                         

This one features a My Favorite Things stamp image colored with Copics. The black and white dot was paper I got in the SSS kit from a few months ago. The ribbon and the sequence are from Pretty Pink Posh. The red pattern paper was just scraps I had in my stash.
 
Thanks for checking this out!!!