Waiting for Him Card

This week over at The Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge, our "twist" is Anything Goes, so you can play along with us using whatever projects you're creating this week!

For my A2 card, I embossed a brick wall using a Paper Studio embossing folder and distressed it a bit with brown ink before trimming it and adhering it to my white card blank. 

For the digi, I sized it and printed out this sweet digi called "Waiting for Him" by our sponsor Ppinkydolls using my Silhouette Design Studio software. You can find this digi and many other adorable and whimsical digis at https://www.etsy.com/shop/ppinkydollsart?section_id=13880735&ref=shopsection_leftnav_1

I colored the digi with Copic and MEXPY markers and used a craft knife to cut out the window panes so I could add clear cardstock to the backs of the windows to imitate glass panes after I fussy cut the entire digi. I also printed and colored a second digi the same size so I could fussy cut the bow in the girl's hair and the heart-shaped flowers on the ledge to give a little dimension to the digi. I adhered the digi to the brick background with foam tape so it pops out a bit. 

Then I die cut some vines with a PoppyStamps die and added flowers from 2 Gina Marie Designs sets. I added blue gems to the centers for a little sparkle.

Bridal Silhouette Card

This weekend the kindergarten/first grade teacher at my church's elementary school is getting married. She is a lovely young woman with whom I've had the privilege of working this week as I'm assisting a special needs child in her group at our church's Upwards! Sports camp. I'm amazed at her willingness to coach a group of kids every night for 3 hours the week before her wedding! 

For her card, I used the new Sue Wilson Spanish Collection dies I ordered from Joanna Sheen when they were on special at the start of this month. These dies are usually too much for my budget, but with the special prices and free shipping on my order, I was able to get several sets in the Spanish collection as well as 2 sets in the California collection. Yippee!

I made a side-hinge base for the card using the largest die in the Granada set and then die cut some variegated pink paper using a die from the Valencia set for the front. I added a sparkly pink felt die cut with a die from the San Francisco set and a bridal silhouette from an svg file I cut on my Silhouette machine. Then I added the sentiment using another Sue Wilson Granada die and a Justrite clear stamp. I adhered some pearls to the corners and the hem of the bride's dress.

For the inside, I chose a beautiful verse from a Gina Marie Designs scripture stamp set and die cut it with a Spellbinders oval die. 

 I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Happy Birthday Fishes

This week at The Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge, our "twist" is to show some water in your project. I decided to do an underwater scene with this adorable digi called "Hippocampus" from this month's sponsor Ppinkydolls. You can find it here along with lots of other darling and whimsical digis: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ppinkydollsart?section_id=13880735&ref=shopsection_leftnav_1

For the background, I heavily spritzed some watercolor paper with water and then put a dusting of Pearl Ex powders on the paper (turquoise and duo green-purple) before spritzing with water again and moving the paper around to get the color to spread. I really like how it turned out!I cut the top of the watercolor paper with 2 wave dies from Pink and Main. For my digi, I used my Silhouette Design Studio software to size him up and then do an offset file so I could make a print and cut of him. Then I colored him with Copic and MEXPY markers. I die cut and embossed an underwater plant with a Cuttlebug die and embossing folder and colored it with the same color I used in the little merman's tail. I added some shells from a trip to South Carolina last summer along with some fun 3D clear stickers to finish off the card.

For the inside, I stamped my sentiment and die cut it and the watercolored mat behind it using Gina Marie Designs stitched drop pennant dies. I added a fish die cut and embossed it with the same Cuttlebug set as the underwater plant on the front of the card.

The Paper Shelter Sweet Birthday Card

This week over at The Paper Shelter challenge, the theme is to make a birthday card for a woman. For my feminine birthday card, I used the digi "Patisserie" by The Paper Shelter and stamped the "Hope your birthday's as sweet as you" sentiment on the inside with a CTMH stamp. 

I made the hinged card base using Sue Wilson's dies from her Spanish collection and white cardstock. Then I die cut the same dies with some pretty pink paper and adhered that to the front. I wanted to create the look of an awning over my pastry shop, so I used dies from Spellbinders A2 Scalloped Borders 1 to create that effect. I added some die cuts from Memory Box's "Pennington Roses" set below the digi for a little more feminine touch and adhered a die cut "Happy Birthday" from Spellbinders to the top. 

Here's a look at the inside:

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
The Paper Shelter: Birthday Girl http://thepapershelter.blogspot.com/
Retarte 2W, E3 - #79 - Anything Goes (Week 2) 
Through The Craft Room Door W, 2E - Always Anything Goes
Crafting from the Heart - W, E3, F - Always Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion - W, E3 - Always Anything Goes
Love to Scrap - 2W, 3E, F, digi or real stamping - (Week 1) Anything Goes

World's Best Dad Card

Here's one last Father's Day card that coordinates with the Coffee Loving Cardmakers Summer Blog Hop and uses the sketch over on the FTHS blog.

I made a 5 1/2 X 7 1/2 inch card base with tan paper that I had printed with coffee beans from FTHS "Birdbrain Needs Coffee" set (I isolated the coffee beans by Birdbrain's feet and then made a pattern out of them). Then I sized up and printed three of the digis from FTHS World's Best Coffee set along with the "World's Best Dad" sentiment included in that set. I die cut the coffee cups with Gina Marie Designs Stitched Circle dies and matted them with a larger size die from the same set. I used Gina Marie Designs Drop Pennant dies for the sentiment and mat behind it. I also printed some white paper with the coffee bean design and cut a 1 1/2 inch strip to line the middle of the card. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Sasayaki Glitter Challenge Blog M, 1st Thursday, F, E3  - June- Male Project
Inky Chicks 3W, 3E, cards & altered items - #8 - Father's Day or Male (week 3)
Crafty Cardmakers - 2W, C15 - (Week 2) For a Special Man
Crafting from the Heart - W, E3, F - Always Anything Goes
Get Creative Challenges - 2W, 3E - (Week 2) BINGO* (stamp, black/brown, sentiment)

I {heart} Sketches Challenge - W (2W in summer), SIR - Sketch* and/or Twist: Sparkle

Coffee Loving Cardmaker's Summer Blog Hop

http://coffeelovingcardmakers.com/2016/06/summer-coffee-lovers-blog-hop-2/

Beccy's Place "Gran's Chair Summer" Card

This month over at the Outlawz Progressive Monthly Freebie challenge, we were given this lovely digi by Beccy's Place called "Gran's Chair Summer." It comes in both outline and pre-colored versions. Here I opted to use the pre-colored version for my card. I did a print and cut of the digi using my Silhouette Design Studio software. I printed the sentiment from Verve's free digi set "Three Cheers" being given out for the Coffee Loving Cardmakers Summer Blog Hop (thanks, Julee!) and made a mat for it by using the paintbrush feature to match the color from the chair in the digi.

The little coffee to-go cup is a free printable from uprintables.blogspot.com. The lacey die cut is from Sue Wilson's San Francisco die set, and the card base and card front are made from the largest die in her Córdoba set. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges: 

Coffee Loving Cardmaker's Summer Blog Hop

http://coffeelovingcardmakers.com/2016/06/summer-coffee-lovers-blog-hop-2/

The Outlawz Progressive Monthly Freebie Challenge

Share Joy Challenge: CAS
http://sharejoychallenge.blogspot.com/

Crafty Creations - 2W - #317 Tic Tac Toe * (Week 2 of 2) (flowers, image, summer theme)

As You Like It Challenge 2W,E3 Favourite Die (& why) (W1 of 2) I love my new Sue Wilson Cordoba die set because it has such pretty etchings along the edges and a lovely shape to make an elegant card.
DL ART Thursday Challenge 2W,2nd & 4th Thurs,3E #182 Red White & Blue (or Thank You (W2 of 2) Monthly Challenge: Always Anything Goes

Retarte 2W, E3 - #79 - Anything Goes (Week 2) 

Crafting from the Heart - W, E3, F - Always Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion - W, E3 - Always Anything Goes

Crafty Boots - 2W, SIO - (Week 1) Summer
Love to Scrap - 2W, 3E, F, digi or real stamping - (Week 1) Anything Goes

Stamplorations "Latte for Two" Card

And the coffee-themed cards continue! This one uses a free digi from Stamplorations called "Latte for Two" and a free printable from TCMTSCC. 

For my card base, I embossed a white A2 card with a Tim Holtz embossing folder. Then I did a print and cut of the digis and cut out a black mat for the sentiment. I colored the Stamplorations digi with Copics to match the colors in the printable with the sentiment. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges: 

Coffee Loving Cardmaker's Summer Blog Hop

http://coffeelovingcardmakers.com/2016/06/summer-coffee-lovers-blog-hop-2/

Share Joy Challenge: CAS
http://sharejoychallenge.blogspot.com/
DL ART Thursday Challenge 2W,2nd & 4th Thurs,3E Monthly Challenge: Always Anything Goes
Love to Scrap - 2W, 3E, F, digi or real stamping - (Week 1) Anything Goes

Craftin' Desert Divas Freebie for the CLCM Summer Blog Hop

http://sharejoychallenge.blogspot.com/The CLCM Summer Blog Hop is going strong, and I have a few more cards to post today! It's so fun to see all the great ideas with coffee-themed projects this week!

For this card, I used a free digi from Craftin' Desert Divas (thanks, Divas!) and a sentiment from Bugaboo Stamps for the inside. I just love this sweet digi, and it comes in both outline and pre-colored formats. I chose the pre-colored version for my card and used my paintbrush feature in my Silhouette Design Studio software to match the colors in the digi for my offset mat and for the pink panel behind the digi as well as the blue panel behind the sentiment. 

Most of the work in this card was digital, so I added a doily behind the digi to give a little more interest to the card. I thought about adding some flower die cuts but decided to keep a more CAS look to the card in the end.

Here's the sentiment inside.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges: 

Coffee Loving Cardmaker's Summer Blog Hop

http://coffeelovingcardmakers.com/2016/06/summer-coffee-lovers-blog-hop-2/

Share Joy Challenge: CAS
http://sharejoychallenge.blogspot.com/
Retarte 2W, E3 - #79 - Anything Goes (Week 2) 
Show us Your Pussies-Cat Only Challenge M, (1st Tuesday) June - Furrything Goes

Gerda Steiner June Picnic Penguin Card

This month for Gerda Steiner's Progressive Monthly Freebie challenge, Gerda designed this adorable digi called "Picnic Penguin" for us to use. I paired him with his buddy "Mouse with Coffee" for a picnic step card. 

I used my Silhouette Design Studio software to print and cut these digis and then colored them with Copic and MEXPY markers. I made a step card for them and added some grass, and a fence to the bottom "step" and then used some plaid cardstock for the picnic blanket behind our friends and then some cloud paper for the background behind the trees and the sun. The sun is a WPlus9 die from the "Sunshine Layers" set. The other die cuts (grass, fence and trees) were cut with my Silhouette. What do you think? 2 friends with some coffee and snacks on a picnic sounds pretty fun to me! 

 I'm entering this card in the following challenges: 

Gerda Steiner Monthly Progressive Freebie Challenge

http://gsd-stamps.com/blogs/news/118184772-junes-challenge-picnic-penguin

Coffee Loving Cardmaker's Summer Blog Hop

http://coffeelovingcardmakers.com/2016/06/summer-coffee-lovers-blog-hop-2/

Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge M,1E, SIO - June - Add Dimension or Pop It Up
Craft Your Passion - W, E3 - Always Anything Goes
Critters and Creatures - M, must include critter - (June) Always Anything Goes with a Critter/Creature

1st Card for Coffee Loving Cardmaker's Summer Blog Hop

The Coffee Loving Cardmakers Summer Blog Hop is here! Yippee! I love these blog hops and am blown away by the generosity of so many sponsors who are giving away free digis in honor of the hop! These coffee cups and the sentiment are freebies from Verve Stamps. Thanks, Julee!

For my card, I used a white A2 card base and stamped fireworks, stars and rockets with a set from Papertrey Ink called "Red, White and Blue." I stamped a couple more rockets on vellum and fussy cut them to add a little more dimension and fun to the card. For the coffee cups and sentiment, I used my Silhouette Design Studio software to do a print and cut and then colored the cups with Copic markers. I cut a mat for the sentiment using a Gina Matie Stitched Rounded Rectangle die and sparkly red felt. I adhered the cups with foam squares to pop them up a bit.

 I'm entering this card in the Coffee Loving Cardmaker's Summer Blog Hop

http://coffeelovingcardmakers.com/2016/06/summer-coffee-lovers-blog-hop-2/
DL ART Thursday Challenge 2W,2nd & 4th Thurs,3E #182 Red White & Blue (or Thank You (W2 of 2) Monthly Challenge: Always Anything Goes

Send A Smile 4 Kids Guest DT Post

Today I have the privilege of being a Guest Designer at Send A Smile 4 Kids Challenge where the theme for this time is to use "Punches and/or Dies." Our sponsor is Dollar Graphics Depot, and I was given this adorable set "Spots the Puppy" to work with for my card. Here's a look at the whole set:

My card is an A2 card that started with a black card base. I layered a cream-colored panel with the paw prints and "Bow Wow" text I had arranged to make digital background paper for my this card. I die cut that panel using a Gina Marie Designs "Wonky Rectangles" die. Then I die cut the panel with the puppy using a smaller die from the same set. I popped it up with foam squares to add some dimension. I also fussy cut a second ear and nose so I could pop those up with some foam adhesive, also. The sentiment was stamped with a Close To My Heart clear stamp and die cut with a PoppyStamps die. It was adhered to a black background panel cut with a die from the same PoppyStamps set. In hindsight, I wish I would have done a black background panel for the die cut with the puppy on it, so I'll keep that in mind for next time. I think it would have given a more polished look to the card. In any case, my son wasn't as picky as I am, and when I gave it to him for his birthday this week, he loved it! I guess that's what really matters in the end!

I hope you can join the fun over at  Send A Smile 4 Kids!
I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Show us Your Pussies-Cat Only Challenge M, (1st Tuesday) June - Furrything Goes

Oceans of Joy Card

This week over at the Outlawz Twisted Thursday, our "twist" is to add buttons. I thought it would be a cute idea to use clear buttons as underwater bubbles with this whimsical image "My Fish" from this month's sponsor Ppinkydolls. You can find it and many other adorable digis here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ppinkydollsart?section_id=13880735&ref=shopsection_leftnav_1

The card base is a cream A2 card. To make the water, I heavily spritzed some watercolor paper with water and then added some Pearl Ex "Duo Green Purple" and "Turquoise" powders by sprinkling them on. I spritzed the paper again, moved things around to spread the water a bit more and let it dry. I then added a few sprays of the turquoise powder I had mixed with water in a spray bottle to add just a little more texture to the layers of color. 

For the digi, I sized her up and added an offset file around her to do a print and cut of her using my Silhouette Design Studio software. I colored her with Copic and MEXPY markers.

I used a sponge to add some color to the sky behind the ocean. Then I die cut and embossed a shell and sand dollar from a Cuttlebug set. I added the clear buttons using micro glue dots. 

For the inside, I stamped a sentiment onto cream cardstock and die cut it using a Gina Marie Designs stitched rounded rectangle die. Then I die cut some more of the watercolor paper with a larger size of the same die. I added a shell from the Cuttlebug set I used for the sand dollar and shell on the front of the card. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Whimsie Doodles: Life's a Beach http://whimsiedoodles.blogspot.com/
Seize The Birthday 2W Birthday + Optional Topping: Anything Goes (W1 of 2) 
Cutie Pie Challenge - M, 2nd Monday, must be "cute" - (June) Cute + Water

FTHS Sweet Anniversary Card

This Friday will be my parents' 49th wedding anniversary, and they are driving up from Indiana to our house in Michigan to watch my youngest daughter perform in a play that evening. We're planning to take them out for a nice dinner to celebrate with them, and I had a family picture made into a 16 X 20 inch canvas to give to them. 

For their anniversary card, I used this month's freebie for the From the Heart Stamps Monthly Progressive Challenge. This dish of ice cream is one of 3 ice cream treats featured in the set. There are also some great sentiments that go perfectly with the ice cream theme, but I opted to make my own message to personalize it for my parents' 49th anniversary. 

I made the ice cream dish into a card shape by making a cut file around the edges of the ice cream dish and then using the "mirror above" feature and arranging the top ice cream to overlap the bottom one and welding the two together. Then I did a print and cut of just the ice cream dish for the front of the card. I colored it with Copic and MEXPY markers and adhered it to the card base.

For the sentiment, I wrote the message in my Silhouette program, colored it digitally and added an oval cut file around it. I printed it out and cut it with my Silhouette machine. 

 I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

From the Heart Stamps Progressive Monthly Freebie Challenge

http://fromtheheartstamps.com/community/2016/06/03/free-stamp-of-the-month-june-2016-ice-cream-lineup/

Super Birdbrain Father's Day Card

With Father's Day coming up this Sunday already, I thought I would make some Father's Day cards for my dad, my father-in-law and my husband. I decided to use the sketch over on the FTHS blog since I try to play most weeks and have been wanting to use the "Super Birdbrain" digi for awhile now. I'd also like to use him to make some fun birthday cards, but first things first. I need 3 Father's Day cards by Sunday!

For this card, I used a 5X7 inch card base and covered the front with Tim Holtz' "Broken China" distress paint.  Using the dauber, I applied it in circular motions trying to imitate the look of the sky. I sized the sentiment to fit in a circle so it would fit the sketch and then die cut it with a Gina Marie Designs Stitched Circle die. For the image, I sized up the Birdbrain and did a trace file so I could use the offset feature and create a cut file around him for a print and cut. After printing him out and using my Silhouette to cut him out, I colored him with Copics and popped him up using foam squares. 

For the cityscape, I used a Tim Holtz Sizzix die and cut it at various points to get the lengths I wanted to match the sketch. I used black adhesive-backed foam for the buildings to give some dimension to the card. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

http://fromtheheartstamps.com/community/2016/06/13/i-heart-sketches-with-a-twist-156/

Paper Shelter Challenge - W,3E, SIO - #252 Sentimental

FTHS Birdbrain Graduation Card

I still have a few more graduation cards to make, so I once again turned to this darling Birdbrain by From The Heart Stamps and used this week's sketch over in the FTHS blog for this card.

I started with a white blank A2 card base and trimmed it down a bit on the sides. Then I used my Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper to round the edges. I made a mat out of green paper and used that behind my die cuts. I die cut some school-themed design papers with a Gina Marie Designs Stitched Rounded Rectangle die and a Gina Marie Designs Stitched Square die to follow the sketch. Then I used the print and cut feature of my Silhouette machine to print out the digi and cut a circle around it. I colored it in with Copics. 

There wasn't much room left on the card front for a sentiment, so I made a panel using green cardstock for the sentiment and stamped it with a stamp by CTMH from the "You Did It" clear stamp set and adhered it to the inside. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

• I {heart} Sketches Challenge - W (2W in summer), SIR - Sketch* and/or Twist: Circle Card

Papertrey Ink Make It Monday Copic Shading Card

This week at PTI, the Make it Monday challenge was to use Copics to add some shading to a die cut word. I needed to make some 4th of July cards, so I used PTI's "Red, White and Blue" stamp set and their "Celebrate" die from the "Birthday Cheer" collection. I stamped the fireworks and some random stars onto my A2 card base and then stamped rockets onto vellum and fussy cut them out. I die cut the sentiment from red cardstock and then did a very amateur job of using a Copic marker to add some shading around the word.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

PTI Make it Monday challenge

Posted with Blogsy

Butterfly Girl Card

This week over at The Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge, our "twist" is "TRANSPORTATION." You can interpret this many different ways. I chose to use this sweet digi "Butterfly Girl" by our sponsor Ppinkydolls for my card. You can find it and many other adorable digis at https://www.etsy.com/shop/ppinkydollsart?section_id=13880735&ref=shopsection_leftnav_1

I used Spellbinders Grand Labels 1 dies to make the top-fold card base. Then I de cut some cloud design paper to cover the card front. I used a large pink felt flower as a background for the digi which I colored with Copic and MEXPY markers and die cut with a Gina Marie Designs Stitched Square die. I added clouds, a sun and the word "sunshine" from WPlus9 Designs "Sunshine Layers" die set. Wouldn't it be fun to travel by butterfly?!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Paper Shelter Challenge - W,3E, SIO - #252 Sentimental
WordArt Wednesdays - W,5E , scriptural word art freebie offered each week- #234/235 - Family Friendly/Anything Goes 

Birdbrain Graduate

This week was graduation at our local high school, and I'm still catching up on graduation cards to take to the upcoming open houses I've been invited to. I decided to use this darling Birdbrain Graduate digi stamp by From the Heart Stamps and play along with the I {heart} sketches with a tWist challenge.

Using a blank white A2 card base, I layered some red paper and then some school-themed paper for the background. I sized up and printed out the digi using my Silhouette Design Studio software and then colored it with Copics.

I added a Gina Marie Designs stitched circle die cut behind the digi and die cut some Gina Marie Designs stitched banners to match the sketch. I matted them with some red paper I trimmed to size.

I stamped the sentiment using a clear stamp from CTMH's "You Did It" stamp set and Ranger jet black ink. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges: 

I {heart} Sketches Challenge - W (2W in summer), SIR - Sketch* and/or Twist: Show off your Coloring skills