August Roses Challenge

Just saw Sue's post for the Roses' August Challenge. We are supposed to post our projects on the last Sunday of the month but it gets to be Sunday quicker in Australia than it does here in the USA! Since Sue left links to our blogs, I'd better get mine posted!
Sue sent us the neatest package of goodies and asked us to decorate a gift bag. She sent a plain white bag and the first thing I added was a dark layer of purple. Then I adhered a medium purple strip at the top and the bottom of the bag and added the paper of stars that Sue sent in her package. The main image of the card was cut from a purple glittered cardstock and the green felt from Sue with a Sizzix Bigz die cut. The little center star was done with a tiny punch. Then I added purple rhinestones in the corners with the dew drops from Sue alongside them. Sue's green ribbon was used to make a bow and close the handles of the bag. I added some more green felt stars on the ends of the ribbon and put the glittered purple cardstock on the back of them; that way, if they get turned around, they'll still look pretty!
It was a great challenge, Sue! Thanks for all the sweet Aussie goodies!!
Betty

Sketchy Lace

The card I have to share with you today was made for Flourishes challenge to use Lace (but I didn't get it posted in time) and for the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge. My color scheme is Going Gray, Real Red, Black and White. Here is the sketch from Midnight Madness -- you can either bling it up, keep it simple, or do something "in between".
Maybe you can join us over at Mightnight Madness -- there's still time!
Betty

A Pastel Christmas

I have a very non-traditional Christmas card this evening. The sketch is from Annabelle Stamps and I have turned it horizontally The colors come from the C.R.A.F.T challenge. Here's the inspiration photo -- you'll see why I wanted to use the glitter!
Guess this will be short and sweet tonight -- have an early morning tomrrow!
Later,
Betty

Colorful Happy Birthday

Today's card is a very colorful one and here's the reason why -- Carla Suto has been hosting the color challenge at stampTV for the past three months. This is her last challenge and she has made it a doozy -- she took all the colors that she has used in her past challenges and asked us to make a card with at least 4 but hopefully more of the followoing colors -- red, orange, yellow, pink, green, blue, purple, brown, and black. Thanks to some Stampin' Up designer paper I was able to get five of the colors; Using Papertrey Ink's Everyday Button Bits, I was able to get three more and the sliver of black matting made all 9 colors!!
The layout that I used came from Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps sketch challenge 31. I'm hoping that some sweet little girl will love getting this birthday card from her mom or dad who is serving overseas and not able to be with her on her special day.
Hope your day is full of color,
Betty

Leaves

The card I made today is for the color challenge at MelJens Designs to use brown, teal and orange and also for the challenge at Speedy the Cat's Friends to make a Harvest theme card. To me a harvest theme means autumn, and autumn means falling leaves. Stamps are from Inkadinkado (large leaf), Studio G (I think -- got it in Michael's $1 bin), and Stamping Up (sentiment).
Hope you're all having a enjoyable weekend!
Betty

Hey there, Chickadee

My card today was made for the following challenges:
1. Annabelle Stamps -- say it with "a bow"
2. EmbellishMagazine -- color challenge Seafoam, Peach, Cream, Kraft; and using a quirky, cutesy, clean style
3. Clean and Simple Sketch Challenge 104
I used stamps from Stampin' Up (Happiness) and Papertrey Ink (Everyday Button Bits).
Hope you enjoy my card as well as the soldier who will use it to send home to a family member or loved one. Guess that tells you that it will be going to Operation Write Home.

Bye for now,
Betty

All That Glitters

Hello friends! The postman was very good to me yesterday -- he brought me an envelope with goodies from Flourishes.Wish you could see how the glitter on the ornament and the edges of the die cut make this card sparkle! I used a stamp from the set All That Glitters that you can find here. Take a look at all the beautiful Christmas ornaments in this set! I'm an ornament-a-holic; I have to make myself NOT look at ornaments in stores because I have too many as it is -- so, playing with them on cards is a pretty good substitute!! I will be entering this card in the Just For Fun Color Challenge 24 (olive, cranberry, yellow). The die cut is Nestabilities Label Twelve which was also in that envelope that arrived yesterday!! Can anyone point me to a challenge where you have to use something new???????
Hope to see you again soon!
Betty

Metallic Beauty

This is the beautiful trigger for Moxie Fab's Tuesday Trigger
and here's my card.
I love that beautiful little chest! It just struck a chord in my heart (could it have been my mojo returning??) and I knew what I wanted to do with my card. The gold and copper pieces were embossed with Cuttlebug folders and then I layered a regular piece of cardstock with 4 or 5 layers of silver embossing power and then did an impression of the "love" stamp. The small rhinestones and silver charms finish off the silver layer (it looks bluish, but is actually a piece of textured silver paper). Made a double loop bow with my BowEasy and some sparkly ribbon. Hope you enjoy the card -- I sure did enjoy making it!!

Betty

CASE a Card; Stimulate Mojo?

Here's the card that I made today. I cased Natasha's card that is posted below. It is for the Clean and Simple Stamping Sketch Challenge 103. Thought if I started off case-ing a card that I liked I might simulate my mojo that has been absent for the past few days!! Hope it works!!

Organize, Organize, Organize!

Hello friends!! Well, I think I worked my mojo too hard and it decided to fly off with those birds in the last two cards I created!! Just haven't felt like doing another (actually, I did make one more but was not happy with it at all; that may be why I'm feeling this way)! Anyhoo, I have taken to organization!! Decided to put my cling mount stamps on 8 1/2 x 11 mounting pages and in larger binders. Check out the picture below -- I have the large Gina K. StampTV kit,Spring Mix and the GKD Winter Foliage set on one page.I plan to add index labels to the pages so that I can find the particular set that I want more quickly.


The majority of my stamps are now living in three large binders. I have other miscellaneous rubber stamps that will require a smaller binder and another one for my "holiday" stamps -- Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Valentine's Day, etc.

I took all my stamps off the wooden blocks some time ago and have been storing them on the smaller mounting pages but the number of binders has become unmanageable. That led to the decision to use the larger mounting pages. I think I may keep some of my favorite cards in the smaller binders and I can store them in a closet since they don't have to be "right at hand" in my U-shaped craft space. I plan to do a bit more straightening and cleaning and then will probably be ready to get back in card-marking mode!!

Betty

Birds and Pastels

Two more cards to share with you today with a common theme, pastel colors and birds!

This first card is for three different challenges:
1. StampTV Color Challenge with Carla Suto (pink, blue and green)
2. Flourishes Kid's Play Challenge (be inspired by a kid's game)
3. MyGrafico (use Pastel Colors)
My colors are pastel pink, blue and green; I love this patterned paper -- my dauther used this paper to make an altered frame as a gift for a friend's new baby and it turned out so cute -- maybe you'd like to see it...
The sentiment is from Gina K. Designs' set Eclectic Summer Sayings and I received the flowers in some happy mail from a stampTv friend, Connie Legath. The digital image is from MyGrafico and I added pink pearls at opposite corners.
On to the Flourishes challenge -- can you guess which children's game inspired the card???? In checking out some of the other entries, I had a hard time and would not have known except for their explanation -- mine is probably much the same. We played a lot of badmitton in our back yard as kids; my inspiration was the "birdie"!

This card is for Our Creative Corner's challenge to use embossing. I cut out withoval nestabilites and embossed the inner oval; the bird and sentiment were heat embossed with Pearluster Amethyst embossing powder. Bird stamp is StudioG, available in Michael's $1 bin, the sentiment comes from My Sentiments Exactly!, Little Birdie. Hey, just noticed the name of that set goes along with the Badmitton challenge!! lol
Have a great day, my crafty friends!
Betty

Christmas Cards

I am totally thrilled with the number of Christmas cards I have made so far, thanks to some wonderful challenges. These two are made for the ABC Christmas Challenge -- Q is for Quick and Easy. We were given a sketch to use for our cards and I knew what I wanted to do immediately! I recently purchased this four square Christmas tree stamp from Stubby Stampers. Isn't the sketch just perfect for it??
The Red, Kraft and White card was made for the color challenge at Just For Fun Friday, using the same sketch. The Peace stamp is one I used for my Christmas cards a couple of years ago. Thanks to these challenges, I may be able to have a different card for each person on my list rather than just using one design. Hope so, anyway!

Betty

Photo-Synthesis Challenge 1

Today, for the first time in a long time, I've not made a card. I do have one to share with you that I made a few days and hasn't been posted yet. It is for a new bi-weekly challenge called Photo-Synthesis. Here is one of the pictures that we are to take our inspiration from (there are several other photos taken from different angles posted on their blog). I took my inspiration not only from the colors (yellow, black, and white) but also from the black flourish on the tablecloth which shows up in the dragonfly and the embossed black background on my card.
Hope you enjoy my card and that you'll check out this new challenge and join in!
Betty

CASE Vicki

Vicki Dutcher is the featured stamper over at Spliccoast Stampers. I found this card of hers that I was very impressed with; it caught my eye immediately. AFter I picked a card, any card (Vicki's joke!), I was to make a card of my own based on her card and here it is! I used Sizzix embossing folders, a Gina K. Designs stamp, glossy cream card stock and two strips of Real Red card stock. The medallions are popped up with pop-dots.

Betty

Happy Birthday (2nd post today)

My card this evening is for four different challenges:
1. Card Patterns Sketch 76
2. Speedy's Friends 15 (make your own embellishments)
3. Cook Up a Card (3 flowers, 2 stamps, 1 happy birthday)
4. Tiffany Doodles August Challenge (use a flower)

My image is from MelJens Designs who is the sponsor at Card Patterns this week and is offering 4 free images of your choice to the winning entrant. I'd love to be able to add four more of these adorables images to my digi collection!
I took my cue from Geri Utterbeck and made my flower embellishment by punching four of the flowers and gluing them together. I stamped "your special day", punched it out with a small circle and glued to the center of the flower. Then coated with Crystal EFfects.
Hope your coming week will be a happy one!
Betty

Annabelle Stamps Challenges

My card today is for two challenges at Annabelle Stamps. The first is a sketch challenge and the second is a color challenge to "Say it in ...... Cream"!
I used a piece of glossy cream cardstock and embossed it with a Sizzix embossing folder (Swirls with Waves). It was so darn gorgeous after the embossing process that I was tempted to stop there (it would definitely have been clean and simple)!! But on to complete the sketch challenge. I stamped part of Flourishes' musical score from "Christmas Music" in versamark and embossed with black embossing powder; then rounded the corners. Next I stamped a sentiment from Stampin Up's "Star-Studded Season" and heat embossed that too. Cut with a Nestabilities Ribbon Tag Trio 2 and added a piece of cream grograin ribbon to attach. Hope you enjoy my card -- I think it is simply elegant!!

Betty

Forever

Good Evening! I have a "cute and girly" card tonight. That was the challenge at Creative Card Crew. The image is from MelJens Designs who is the sponor there this week. Her images are all adorable and if you wouild like a chance to win four free images, check out the Creative Card Crew.
Joan Fricker at Joan's Gardens has challenged us to make a card this week that is pink and white and uses corner punches, preferably Martha Stewart's punches. The prize for the winner of this challenge will be a Martha Stewart punch so get your pink and white going and join in the challenge!

Bye for now!
Betty

Flower times 3

Only one card this time, but for two challenges.
1. StampTV Blast From the Past with Linda Payne (make a flower embellishment)
2. Paper Play Challenges #31 (recipe challenge: 3 flowers, 1 ribbon, 1 charm)
First of all, I'll tell you about the flowers I created. I used three different techniques, hence the three differing looks. The techniques are "smooshing", "scrunching" and "squishing"!!!! Seriously, though, I used a tutorial by my friend Geri Utterbeck that you can find here. I have tried these flowers in the past and was not terribly pleased with the result. However, Geri's tutorial contains what I consider the key ingredient -- misting the layers before beginning either of the above listed three techniques. It softens the papers and lends to much easier smooshing, scrunching or squishing! The flowers do look different and this was because of the different dies that I used for each.
Thanks for stopping by,
Betty

7 Kids Christmas Presents

I have two more cards for you today. The first is for 7 Kids College Fund very first challenge. The criteria are to use pink and dots and stamps that can be found in their shop. I used two different patterned papers with dots and then embossed dots (Tiny Bubbles Cuttlebug ef) on a piece of Regal Rose. My stamp is from Inkadinkado, Flourishes Inchies, which can be found here. Hop on over to the 7 Kids site and support their first challenge!

My next card features an image from Mo's Digital Pencil. I finished up my card about two hours too late to enter Mo's Christmas challenge but since this little sweetheart is carrying an armload of presents, she qualifies for ABC Christmas Challenge -- P is for Presents.

On another note, I have a box of 60 cards ready to seal up and send off to Operation Write Home. It will go with prayers for the safety of those who will use the cards (deployed troops) and comfort for those who will receive them (families of our troops).

Till later,
Betty

Midnight Madness and MyGrafico

I hope you stick with me for two cards this evening. I have a card using the sketch challenge from Midnight Madness and another with a vintage theme which was the challenge at MyGrafico. (drumroll, please!) And, heeeerrrreeee they are .........


The green card is the sketch challenge at Midnight Madness. If you haven't been taking on this challenge, you've got to check it out! There are always two sketches to choose from -- the same basic sketch, but one fancy and the other CAS. Come join the fun!


My second card is for the challenge at MyGrafico. We were asked to use some sort of vintage element on our cards. The patterned paper I chose was saying "Grandma's wallpaper" to me and I thought the ornate label for the sentiment and the pearls also gave a vintage feel. Distressed ink on the paper and the bow also added to the vintage appeal.

Thanks for coming by,
Betty

Here 'Ya Go, Patti!

My friend Patti wants us to play with her this week at Artful Inkables. The challenge is to make a non-traditional fold card and use the color purple. Since Patti is such a sweetheart, it wasn't hard to make the decision to go over and play!! I made this tri-fold shutter card for my friend Molly who lives in Florida. I chose an encouraging scripture from Jeremiah 17:7-8 and printed it for the center of the card. I punched a butterfly in light purple with a Martha Stewart punch and found a silver butterfly in my stash of "what-nots" that was the same size so I layered it over the purple one. Added silver and purple brads; even folded the brad "legs" so that they became the butterfly's antennae. Here's a little closeup -- is it not just too stinkin' cute???? Also used Martha Stewart's Bird on a Wire punch and a tissue paper flower that I had made a while back with a MS Branch punch. Some stick-ons and pearls finish it off!

Hope you can come play too!!
Betty

Kind Thanks in Blue

Operation Write Home's Stars and Stamps blog has the sketch that I used for this card. Stampin' Up designer papers were used along with a sentiment stamp from the Thank You Kindly set. The butterfly and dragonfly stamps are a set from Michael's $1 bin. I will also enter this card in the challenge at Mark's Finest Papers. Speedy the Cat's Friends wants us to make a Thank You card.

Card Set

A great big THANK YOU to all of you who encouraged me with my post of the red polka dotted birthday card yesterday! I decided to make a set of cards with differing colors and sentiments using the same sketch (my own, by the way)! I'm usually much more comfortable choosing someone else's sketch that I like and making my card from there. Hope you enjoy these pretty colors and that you'll come back later to see another card that I will be posting; it's for the Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps Sketch Challenge.

Betty

Birthday Wishes

Vicki Dutcher, with the Stampin' B's Design team, wants to see us making a birthday card this week. I got some new Cuttlebug embossing folders this week and used one of the Fancy Corners to make this card. I used Labels Trio to cut out the sentiment which is from Papertrey Ink's Everyday Button Bits. The dp is Basic Grey's June Bug paper pad and I used some red and yellow ribbons for the ribbon treatment. This worked up very quickly and I like the look.

Betty