P is for Presents

P is for Presents over at the ABC Christmas Challenge site and there is an option of adding lace to your card if you would like. Glad it's an option, cause I forgot about it till just now!! lol
I used my Lacy (hey, maybe this will count for the lace!!) Tree Cuttlebug embossing folder for the tree (does it remind you at all of the retro silver trees with blue ornaments????). I had misplaced this folder last December and have been wondering where in the world it could be -- well, I went to stamp with a friend this past Thursday and found it in my Big Shot carrying bag! I knew it was going to turn up somewhere!!!
The presents were stamped in Versamark and heat embossed with sparkly clear powder and then cut out to put "under the tree". Ribbon to decorate the top of the tree and my card is complete!

Thanks for stopping by,
Betty

Falling Leaves

Found this Inkadinkado stamp on sale at Michael's the other day and am so glad that I decided to pick it up because it's perfect for this card I made for the challenge at Joan's Gardens this week. We were to use a fall scene with leaves or pumpkins and we were also to use glitter or embossing. Paper supplies are from Stampin' Up and I used the Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirls embossing folder -- doesn't it go perfectly with the "swirling" leaves and the quote I found on the internet??
"Listen! the wind is rising and the air is wild with leaves, We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!" - Humbert Wolfe

Weekend's headed this way; hope yours is wonderful!
Betty

Elegant Reindeer

I am so excited to show this card to you guys today! I love diagonals so when I saw the sketches for the Midnight Madness challenge I was like a kid in a candy store!



The colors (ivory, black and one accent color) came from Carla's color challenge at stampTV and they really add the elegant effect.
I used Cuttlebug's candy cane stripes embossing folder on the panels to add even more diagonal dimension. The stamp is from Layers of Love, Reindeer Waltz -- this set has the most beautiful reindeer images -- see them here. I heat embossed the reindeer in black on this glossy ivory cardstock and he is so very shiny! Added a little poinsettia embellie and it's done!

Enjoy your day,
Betty

Smile!

I certainly do like this color combo. (Peach Parfait, Bermuda Bay, Early Espresso, Old Olive and White) I found it at the

ColourQ Challenge

I didn't have these particular colors but found similar ones from a Sizzix Little Sizzles Cardstock Brights pad. "Smile" is from Stampin' Up, branch punch from Martha Stewart, and miscellaneous embellies.
The sketch that I used is from Melissa over at stampTV.
I was drawn to the sketch immediately, just like the color combo, and am very happy with the final result. Hope this card gives you a "smile"!

Betty

Gotta Cool Down!

Patti Nelson has issued the challenge at There's Magic in the Air to make a card using a Paper Cupcakes image and be inspired by the phrase "Dog Days of Summer".
Growing up in Mississippi (we didn't have ac until I was a teenager), during the "dog days of summer" all I could think of was cooling down! Boy, it was hot and humid there. What could be better than going ice skating? My image is called "Skating By" and I've got another Christmas card made!!
Of course, I never went ice skating in Mississippi (or never have, for that matter) but this little guy sure does seem to be having fun!

Hope your week has a bit of fun too,
Betty

Birthday Wishes at Joan's

There is a challenge at Joan's Gardens this week to make a bright and happy birthday card, with a flower. I think pastels can be bright and happy -- hope you do too! The flower stem stamp I've used is from Papertrey Ink's Everyday Button Bits, the grass is from Stubby Stampers, and the sentiment is from Stampin' Up's Fun and Fast Notes. Nestabilities circles and Ribbon Tag Trios were used to cut out the shapes.

Dependable

Hello all! We’re having rain today but I’ve got a cute card to brighten up my day, and hopefully, yours too! This digi image is from PollyCraft Designs. Is this not the sweetest little turtle riding on its mom’s (or pop’s) back? My computer generated sentiment says “I Can Depend on You!” I colored the image with my Stampin’ Up markers then cut it out and popped it up on textured card stock from K&Company that I cut out with Nestabilities Labels Eleven. Pastel pearl stickers are from Recollections.

Happy stamping,
Betty

Flowers in the Sky

I'm going to share this card even though it's not my favorite. I think it's the color combo that I'm not truly happy with; got it from my SU Color Wheel, but maybe should have used smaller pieces of each color????

The Stampin B's had a challenge to use a background stamp. I used one from Anna Griffin to decorate the lavender panel.

(Edited) My friend Patti pointed out that I could enter this card in the ArtfulInkables challenge too. They also have a challenge for creating background paper. Thanks, Patti!

I do like this new butterfly image -- got it in Michael's $1 bin; the button & gem I added cover up a space on the stamp that looks just like a button as the center of the flower. Also found a bird stamp that is similar. The image and sentiment are both popped up and the ribbon is a Big Lots find.

Wishing a wonderful week for everyone!
Betty

Buttons, Brads and a Bird

Well, all the other Roses have their cards posted, so I'd better get mine online too! I sent everyone a stamp and some dp to use for our challenge but there's always going to be one rebel in a group -- that was our Olga-Rose -- she didn't use the dp!! What can I say, I love her anyway!!
I used the sketch from Card Patterns. Fell in love with it the minute I laid eyes on it.

The stamp is from Martha Stewart. The cactus wren is the state bird of Arizona. Discovered that when I googled "desert, bird, cactus"!

Hope everyone has a blessed Sunday,
Betty

Annabelle Embossing

Got inspired by my friend Sue Walsh's blog yesterday to do a Christmas embossing challenge at Annabelle Stamps. I'm using their sketch challenge from last week since Sue assures us that it is fine to combine the two. The cardstock base is Gina K. Pure Luxury 120 lb. DP is from Stampin Up "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' kit. Foil strips are from AC specialty papers, Christmas Foil. I stamped my SU tree on textured brown cardstock from the SU kit and embossed with Martha Stewart green ep, MS glitter for the star, and MS red gemtone stickers in the upper right corner. I do like how this one turned out and hope you do too!

Bye for now,
Betty

A Cat Needs ....... a slave!

I was so glad to find a stamp set from Mark's Finest Papers in my mailbox today! Had to grab one of those sweet kitties and get him inked up and onto some paper! My card is made for the current challenge at Speedy the Cat's Friends. We are to use the colors red, yellow and orange because the weather here in Texas (and elsewhere) has been sooooo hot! How about grabbing your hottest papers and stamps and join in with this challenge!!

Betty

ABC...

Patti J. turned me on to a "new to me" challenge -- the ABC Christmas Challenge. This week the letter of the alphabet is "O" and we are to make a card with ornaments; but we also have to have gloss and shine. I stamped my imnage and then covered the ornaments with Crystal Effects and sprinkled with a bit a glitter. I also have some shiny gold card stock, along with a gold embossed sentiment. Thanks Patti -- I enjoyed making this glossy and shiny card. Hoping they have a record of all their challenges; I may have to start with "A" and work forward!

Color, Sketch, and Image Challenges

I think this might be one of my favorite CAS cards. The sketch is from Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge #82. Colors are from the Curtain Call Challenge 39 -- kraft, white, certainly celery and wild wasabi. Don't you just love this inspiration picture -- so clean and pure!

My image is from MyGrafico. I made this card for their Challenge #57 but when I went back and read the fine print (on my laptop) I realized that it should have had piecing, not piercing! I think maybe it's time to go out and get some reading glasses! Maybe next time I see you, I'll be a little more "focused"!!

Betty

Bear-ing Flowers

I have another post tonight -- well, I guess it's actually tomorrow already, but wanted to get this posted before heading off to bed. The little cutie bear is a freebie that I had snagged from Pollycraft Designs and am using it in a challenge to "flash your freebies!". Hope that intrigues you and gets you to go over and check out their site.
The sketch is from Midnight Madness. I posted a card with the CAS version of this challenge earlier. I enjoy the challenges there because you can choose a clean and simple sketch or a fancy sketch, or even "somewhere in between"! I have chosen to use the "somewhere in between" this time. I really like the eight panels under the focal imagbe -- makes for an interesting design. This will be another card for Operation Write Home!

I'm off to bed now!
Betty

I Love Sparkles!

I have a Christmas card to show to you today. Giovana Smith challenged us to make a Christmas card with embossing and the color pink over at stampTV. There's lots of pink in the dp and I used pink glitter (Martha Stewart) on the ornament. The embossing (which I forgot about until the card was finished) was added at the last minute in the lower right corner -- I heat embossed three little snowflakes! The stamp is one I recently received from Stubby Stampers. They are based in Mississippi and I grew up in Mississippi so I had to buy some, right???? I'm sure I hear "right!" resounding out there in cyber-world!!
The sketch challenge I used comes from Annabelle Stamps. My friend, Sue Walsh, from Sydney, Australia is on their deisgn team. I flipped the stairsteps of the sketch so that they are no longer stairsteps, just graduated lengths! This was a fun challenge -- hope you'll all play along too!

Betty

Midnight Madness CAS

Have you checked out the sketch challenges at Midnight Madness? You get your choice of two sketches -- one is clean and simple and the other takes the same sketch to the next level by using lots of embellies. The colors that I have used for this card were a challenge by Carla Suto at stampTV. Card base is SU Old Olive, DP is Basic Grey Origins. I have used a Cuttlebug embossing folder for the larger vanilla layer and sponged the smaller one with So Saffron after stamping with $1 stamp from Michael's. The center of the flower is punched from the dp and a pretty little bow added.

See ya later, alligators,
Betty

Flourishes Musical Challenge

This card uses Flourishes stamp set #65, Christmas Music. The challenge is to use a Flourishes stamp and make a card inspired by a Christmas song title or lyrics. The stamped music sheet is Angels We Have Heard On High and the shades of blue wording captures the title of another Christmas favorite, Silent Night. The blue portion is a recycled piece of a Christmas card that we received last year. I distressed the edges and layered it on a piece of card stock and then tore the edges and sponged with blue. The sentiment from the Flourishes set says "Let the song of Christmas Fill your heart."
Because I've been doing Christmas cards lately (in JULY!) it makes me think of a counted cross-stitch piece I did many years ago. The sentiment is "Let us store a little warmth and gentleness away, Let us save a bit of Christmas for another day."

Wishing you all a little bit of Christmas this very day,
Betty

Gingerbread Man for Christmas

Okay, I feel like I've got some "splainin'" to do (just like Lucy had to do all the time!) The sketch from Card Patterns 72 was right down my alley -- I love using inchies! However, the color challenge from Annabelle Stamps was totally out of my comfort zone -- chocolate and orange with a Christmas theme! I used copper metallic card stock for the background layer and copper embossing powder for the gingerbread man and sentiment; hope that comes close enough to orange! Then I went to digging through my patterned papers and found this paper from Stampin' Up with chocolate and various shades of orange. The chocolate cording is from Gina K. Designs. Stamps are Stampin' Up (sentiment and ornaments) and the Gingerbread Man is from Michael's $1 bin.

Betty

Oh, SO Good!

Well, I have to admit --- this made me want to go to the kitchen and bake a cake! But I’m afraid mine won’t look as good and I certainly don’t want to attract mice!! LOL!
First of all, the sketch is from The Sweet Shop Sketch Challenge Blog. The cake is a requirement for the C.R.A.F.T 58 challenge – to use Cakes/Cupcakes or Ice Cream. The cute image is from Phindy’s Place and I have taken their current challenge to use embossing on my card. I used a Cuttlebug embossing border folder on my scalloped edge and I’m entering Speedy the Cat’s Friends challenge again since I used a punch on my scalloped edge. Last, but certainly not least, I have used cork which is an element Our Creative Corner wants us to use. I got real cork paper from McMahon Five Designs.

Teddy Love

I love, love, love this image and this card! I mentioned MelJens Designs in my post yesterday and wanted to show you one of her images today and here it is!! So very cute! I will be sending this off to Operation Write Home but first will enter it in the following challenges:
Our Daily Bread Sketch Challenge
Teddy-Stampers #15 to use an image showing a teddy being loved on
Speedy the Cat's Friends to use punches
Hoping you're ready to head over to MelJens and see all the super cuteness!
Betty

When You're Smiling .......

This card will be going into three challenges:
The Color Throwdown 100
Annabelle Stamps Sketch Challenge 25
MelJens 15 -- Circles Galore
The Color Throwdown is celebrating their 100th challenge with a blog hop featuring lucious prizes; if you haven't joined in yet, you have unti July 12. The colors are Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Real Red and Baja Breeze (I used Gina K. Designs Ocean Mist).
The sketch from Annabelle Stamps is shown here. You have until July 14 to enter this challenge and can even combine it with their color challenge (if you choose to accept it) to use chocolate and orange to make a Christmas themed card! That is quite a stretch for me but still may have to give it a go!
Be sure to check out MelJen's Designs. She has the most adorable images -- you'll surely fall in love with them!

Bye for now,
Betty

Are You Ready for Some Pop-Art?

This wall hanging is Moxie Fab's Tuesday Trigger. And here is my card --


I guess I took it pretty literally but when I saw the trigger I immediately thought of several Stampin' Up stamps in my collection.
This is also a perfect card for Stampin B's challenge to use dots!
The stamps I have used come from the following SU sets:
1 Bloomin' Wonderful
2 Beho Backgrounds
3 Bursting With Joy
4 Punched Tin
5 In the Spotlight
6 Bold Flowers by Gina K. Designs
I don't think I have ever used that many stamp sets to make one card before! I also used a QuicKutz die, "Ornament". Although you can't see it in the photo, there are three different layers for the shapes and it makes it quite interesting!

Come back again,
Betty

2 Cards to Share

The first card I have to show you today is from stampTV's Blast From The Past challenge. Linda Payne challenged us to make a card (or two) with the Split Negative Technique. Now, this technique was not very nice to me when I first started creating, but I finally ended up with a card I am pleased with and it is posted below. The stamps I used are both from Gina K. Designs, the irises are from Elegant Flowers and the sentiment from Say It With Flowers. Sentiment was cut with Nestabilities Ribbon Tag Trio 2 and the ribbons are also from Gina K. Designs.


I will also be using this card for the Midnight Madness Challenge. Again, I'm going for the clean and simple version of the challenge and I changed the oval to a circle. Their challenge sketches are shown here:



This second card is for The Color Dare Challenge #72. Colors are Sahara Sand, Barely Banana, Blush Blossom, Certainly Celery, and Whisper White. I used a Sizzix embossing folder (Phrase, Thank You) and sponged ink on the raised areas. I call this my card of subtle colors!

Thanks for stopping by......
Betty

CPS174

Hello Again! My second post today -- got inspired to make a card with the Card Positioning Systems Sketch 174. DP is from K&Company, Lemon Drop. I sponged a little yellow ink on a white flower and added a red brad to match with the paper. Stamped sentiment is from Gina K. Designs stampTV kit, Spring Mix. Mostly, I just let the paper do the work!!

Betty

Bookmark

Isabella's Sketchbook Challenge is an open challenge this week. Make any project, any theme, any colors, with any Isabella's image! I've been wanting to make a corner bookmark which was a tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers last week. I printed out "Grape Cluster" and colored it with chalks, then sprayed with Krylon matte finish. I must admit that I messed up more than once making the bookmark -- all right, even more than twice! (I'll watch the video tutorial before making another one -- I've always learned better by having someone show me how!) If you're wondering about the book, it's an older one in my collection. What really makes it interesting to me is that the story takes place in my hometown of Natchez, Mississippi. I love reading the descriptions of the places where the "action" takes place, because I actually know the location of the streets, restaurants, churches, etc. Anyhoo, grab yourself an image from Isabella's Sketchbook and play along with us!

Betty

Card Drive for Michelle

I am sending a get well card to Michelle who had an accident and lost her right eye. You can read about her accident at her blog here. There is a card drive being held for her, with free images by MelJen Designs and Rainbow Echo Designs. You can get the images here and read more about the card drive here. I would love for you all to join me as we wish Michelle well!

Betty

God is Love

This card qualifies for the following challenges:
Isabella's Sketchbook Challenge -- Anything Goes (using her image)
Crazy 4 Challenges -- 2 or more ribbons
Speedy the Cat's Friends -- die cut
I was so lucky to be a winner in Isabella's Sketchbook first circular blog hop. I chose this lovely image (Flower Ring 1) because I was inspired by Patti Painter's card (entry #2) in this challenge. I also thought it was an appropriate image to celebrate winning a "circular blog hop"!
I printed the image after adding the sentiment and colored it with pencils and baby oil; then cut with a circle Nestability; the mat layer was cut with a scalloped circle Nestie. Added small nailheads for the flower centers. Punched the upper corners of the white layer with Martha Stewart's Daisy Corner Punch after embossing with a Sizzix Texturz Backgrounds1, created for Stampin' Up. Name of the plate is Flourish. Added nailheads to the daisy centers and two ribbons to complete the card (Stampin' Up Certainly Celery and Gina K. Designs red with white). Card base is Ruby Red by Stampin' Up and I went with a 5x5 inch card rather than my usual A2 size!!

The sentiment says "God is Love" and not only is that true, but He Loves You!! Isn't that good news!
Betty

Flowers for Just Us Girls

Here is my card for the Just Us Girl Sketch Challenge 40. I won a free Isabella’s Skektchbook digi image the other day and had colored it up and put a scalloped border around it but it turned out to be too big for this sketch (the two scalloped borders were fighting!) Here is the sketch I needed to follow.


Anyway, to resume my story, I went to My Mind’s Eye Simply Delightful paper pack and cut out this large flower and leaves and then punched out the circle shaped flowers. My colors are Ruby Red, Certainly Celery and Whisper White. The sentiment along the bottom edge is Stampun’ Up Serene Spring. Stay tuned to see my Isabella’s card!
Betty

Encouragement

I love the sentiment on this card. It comes from Gina K. Designs' Insiration Mosaic, illustrated by Melanie Muenchinger. Can't think of anything much better than having hope when I wake up and peace when I go to bed! The colors are blue, green and chocolate -- the color challenge issued by Carla Suto at stampTV. The sketch is from Midnight Madness. Here are the sketches; you can take your pick -- fancy or not. I tend to use less embellies, so I usually go with the clean and simple!


Sunday, July 4 is the deadline to enter a card for the color challenge and Monday, July 5 is the last day for the sketch challenge.

Betty

Operation Write Home Independence Blog Tour

I have two cards to show you that are "kinda-sorta" the same card. I failed to read all the directions and did not make a birthday card as the challenge required. So, I went back and "doctored up" the orginal, to add the sentiment "Happy 234th USA!", which was computer generated. The precious heart shaped "flag" was a freebie from Designed2Delight that was posted on the Crafters Digital Art Center. I will be sending this card in my next batch to Operation Write Home (sending cards to deployed military personnel so that they can keep in touch with their loved ones back home) so I am going to take off the birthday sentiment and move the red embellies back to the bottom edge as you can see in this second picture!

Please head over to the Stars and Stamps blog to and check out InLinkz so you can see some other wonderful cards!

Betty

Hello!

Linda Payne has challenged us to heat emboss with color at stampTV for the Blast From the Past Challenge. I have used two different colors of embossing powder, Pearluster Amethyst and Lavender. Card stock colors are Pretty in Pink (base), Whisper White (Swiss Dots dry embossed), Lavender Lace, and Elegant Eggplant. Sentiment stamped in Elegant Eggplant with See D's stamp set Say It Again and Again (however, I only said it once -- hello, that is!). The embossed images are from Stampabilities Botanicals & Birds. Four tiny purple rhinestones in the corner add a little more sparkle. Speaking of sparkle, the heat embossing is very shiny and the following picture shows a bit of the shine on both of the images.
Gina K. Designs is having their new stamps release tonight at stampTV; check them out -- there's a Christmas in July set that I'm interested in!

Betty