Make It Monday on Tuesday

This is my second post today. It's good to be back having fun creating -- I was in a bit of a funk for a few days last week!

Papertrey Ink's Make It Monday video was delayed until today but it was worth waiting for! Nicole shows us how to make a dimensional sentiment banner. Please check out her video because she can explain it much better than I could. I let the patterned paper do the work for my background but Nicole stamped a beautiful background and then added the banner. After adding my banner and the flowers I felt like my card still needed something. I added a pleated ribbon and even though I completely love the effect I don't know that I will do it again. It almost had me ready to scream it was so tedious. Anyone know an easy way to do this?????

My sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Everyday Button Bits and don't you just love those light plum colored pearls -- I think they came from Michaels.

I'm going to save this for my mother-in-law's birthday. She can't see very well up close but this has lots of texture that she will be able to feel.

Betty

A Pearly Happy Birthday!

Did you know that Card Positioning Systems is having a 5th Anniversary? If not, you need to check out their site (see link below) and take part in all the festivities! Come have fun as designers pick out their favorite past sketch. There are several sponsors and each sponsor will host two challenges.

Card Positioning Systems 5th Anniversary Day 2 with Linda Beeson and Gina K. Designs

Stamp TV's Mix It Up Monday with Joy Hadden -- use pearls (because she loves them and wears them all the time -- even to exercise class!)

I picked up this color combo from Vicki Dutcher's blog and really like it! My card base is Stampin' Up Taken With Teal, the lighter blue is Gina K. Designs Ocean Mist. I cut out a circle from the lighter blue panel so that the teal would show through then embossed with Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder. The scalloped piece on which I stamped my image from GKD's Spring Mix stampTV kit, is popped up on dimensionals. Sentiment is from GKD's Fanciful Tags. The corner accents are a ProvoCraft die and I've used pearls as accents in the corners, flower centers and sides.

Later,
Betty

Season's Greetings

Wow! Can you believe that it is January 30 already? And do you know what that means?????? Only ten months left to get those Christmas cards done!! lol

Here is this week's sketch from Merry Monday.....

I like the fact that Lesley makes these sketches clean and simple -- so that cards can be easily produced and mailed. Of course, if you like lots of layers and fancy stuff, use double or triple mats and embellish to your heart's content. (Is that okay, Lesley? -- geez, I hope so!)

This card was made with my red, black, creme and white paper pack, Magic of the Season. The stamp is from Layers of Color, Reindeer Waltz, and the ribbon is from Hobby Lobby.

I stamped the reindeer and then cut out a portion so that his head and legs were outside the Fancy Tags die cut from Spellbinders. I don't always have the best of luck with that technique but it worked pretty well this time.

We're getting a little rain here today in Chapala -- the first one since the rainy season ended in September. I've also been bird watching -- the hummers are swarming all around our yard and we're still having those gorgeous orioles visiting the sugar water feeders.

I think the first photo is a black-vented oriole and the second is a hooded oriole. We've seen several types with slightly different coloring, but all beautiful!!

Bye for now,

Betty

Rejoice

Challenges Entered:

 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown -- Use at least three sparkly rhinestones
Crazy 4 Challenges -- Layer it On! use lots of layers and embellies
Sugar Creek Hollow -- Color combo of Cream, Blue and Brown
Do You Stack Up -- Use ribbons
Speedy Fox and Friends -- Use at least four layers
Repeat Impressions WHAT IF Wed. Sketch Challenge


I'm digging down into my stash of papers and trying to use different ones. These papers come from an old Stampin' Up designer paper pack that I inherited from a cousin years ago. I got so much paper at that time that it's hard to use even a little bit from each pattern! I really have NO NEED whatsoever to buy patterned paper but somehow it just calls my name and pulls me in!!

The stamp is from Layers of Color, Christmas Verses.
 
For embellishments I've used light blue rhinestones, flowers, ribbon, lace and a Martha Stewart branch punch.

This is my second post today. If you'd like to see my card for the Roses' January 2012 Challenge, please see previous post.

Thanks for your visit,
Betty

A Roses Winter Wonderland

Kym challenged us to created a Winter card in shades of blue for our January challenge. I created a shaker card by punching out a bunch of little circles -- didn't think I would ever get finished punching out all those little guys!! Sorry......I'm pulling your leg; I have a border punch that gives you a bunch of those circles, only they normally go in the trash!

I used Royal Snowflake Glitter Rub Ons; did one on a piece of glittery card stock that I cut out and used in the corner; rubbed on a couple of smaller one on the acetate that encloses those little "shakers", and one more in the upper right corner -- rubbed it directly onto the card base.

The stamp is from Stampin' Up -- Star Studded Season. It also was stamped directly onto the card base so that the shaker part of the card would be the main focal point.

Be sure to check out the other Roses in the bouquet -- they are quite a group of talented, sweet and fun ladies and you can find links to their blogs on my sidebar!

There were a couple of other challenges that fit the theme of this card.
Jellypark Challenges -- to create a Winter Wonderland
Crafty Contagion -- to make a Winter or Snowy card
Papertrey Ink Make it Monday -- shaker card

Betty

Birthday Card NOT for a Guy!

These are the challenges I'm entering with this card --

Eat, Sleep, Stamp Sketch Challenge

stampTV's Friday Free For All -- use at least one stamped flower and two shapes

Paper Play Challenges -- use lovely lace
Lily Pad Card Challenges -- use patterned paper
Speedy Fox and Friends -- use at least four layers

My patterned paper is from an old Stampin' Up designer paper pack.

Stamps that I used are Gina K. Designs, You Are Not Alone and Fanciful Tags

  also, Papertrey Ink's Background Basics: Gingham

Spellbinders Dies to cut the circles and sentiment

Pearls from Michaels and Lace from Melisa Waldorf (thanks, gf!)

Hope you come back again,

Betty

Kisses for Ladies

Just had to show you something cute that I've been working on! The digital image, Clara Caterpiller, is from Digital Delights by Looby Lou. I made this as a Valentine's Day gift for the little girl whose parents operate the assisted living home where my MIL lives. I generated the sentiment on the computer and used some homemade bakers twine that matches the image.

I couldn't stop there -- decided to make one for each of the ladies who live at the home.

I have filled the boxes with Hershey's Kisses, which fit perfectly. I knew they would be perfect because Santa left a box filled with Kisses in my stocking at Christmas! I took the (empty) box and tore it apart to make a template which I traced onto the card stock to make these boxes. Here's my template....

You might have to click on the picture of the template to see it better -- you will notice that it says Ho-Ho-Ho Feliz Navidad! (I guess Ho-Ho-Ho is the same in any language!!)

I will enter my boxes in the challenge at Delightful Sketches, for Valentines -- Anything but a Card!

Betty

A Reindeer Christmas

The layout of my card is inspired by the sketch challenge at  Merry Monday Challenge #4 

Paper and Such in combination with The Ribbon Carousel are having a challenge to make a holiday card with non-traditional colors. I consider red and green to be traditional Christmas colors so my colors of Stampin' Up Not Quite Navy and Silver and Aqua will be my non-traditional colors.  ooops! FYI, if you enter at The Ribbon Carousel, be sure to include ribbon, twine, lace, thread -- basically, anything that comes on a spool!

I embossed a silver metallic paper with Cuttlebug's DVine Swirl folder and using my finger, applied some meatallic rub on paste to the swirls (don't know if you can see this in the photo). I cut and embossed the base for my image, rubbing on the same metallic paste while the paper was still in the die.  Traced around the outer edge of this die and cut it out in order to get a darker colored mat. I stamped one of the reindeer from Layers of Color's Reindeer Waltz and fussy cut it, adhering to the matted base so it looks like he's flying away....... The sentiment is stamped with Versamark ink and then heat embossed with silver tinsel powder. Next I cut it out with a scalloped rectangle die and inked the edges with a silver pen. To assemble the card, I layered a panel of aqua paper onto the base of Not Quite Navy (hoping the lighter colored spots on this paper would resemble snowflakes -- use your imagination for this one, folks!) and adhered each layer till my card was all done.

I've really enjoyed the CAS sketches here at Merry Monday and at Freshly Made Sketches. Even thought I'm trying to get out of my box and try different styles, these clean layered cards are probably my favorite!

Come back anytime!!
Betty

Chinese New Year Pocket Card

Today's card is for Monday's challenge at stampTV  by Kary Lim to make a Pocket/Envelope card that includes the color red, which is the color associated with Chinese New Year.

I have used Gina K. Designs stamps; flowers from the Spring Mix stampTV kit and the sentiment is from Fanciful Tags. The butterfly and the Spellbinders banner die cut are popped up on dimensionals.

I've been having trouble putting a card together the past couple of days even though I have a number of challenges written down that should be very interesting ones. Thanks to Colleen for pointing me to the stampTV challenge. Hopefully, it has given me a jump start and my "card-making motor" will keep on humming!!

Betty

Christmas Snowman

Saw a  card at Jennie Harper's blog using the sketch from CPS Sketch 252. Here's the sketch and my card.

Would you believe that I was going to enter this card into two other challenges but when I reviewed them just now, I realized that I had gotten the details wrong on both of them! Our preacher said something yesterday about our memories not working really great all the time -- guess I just proved him right!

I used a Christmas paper pack with red, black, white and cream colors to cut out panels for the background. It's called Magic of the Season. The stamp is from Inkadinkado, Holiday Silhouettes. Used Nestabilities to cut out and mat the image. Also did some paper piercing on the three panels and the scallops around the image. A bit of lace to make it extra pretty and I have another Christmas card done!!

Betty

Be Strong and Courageous

Are you ready for a purple card? Hope so, because that's what is on the menu here today!

I have three challenges that played a part in this card:

Paper Players #79 - make a clean and simple card with a tag on it

Sugar Creek Hollow -- go girly!

Word Art Wednesday -- use the word art of Joshua 1:9

Hope you enjoyed my card. Now, I need to share a picture that my hubby took of the sunrise this morning as seen from our front porch. He said that he wasn't able to catch it at it's peak gorgeousness, but I'm pretty impressed with what I see here!

Wishing you beautiful sunrises and bright days ahead,

Betty

Quick Cards

 

This card is a CASE from Andrea's Stamping Moments Simply Saturday.  She inspired me with her single layer card. I masked the area for the sentiment by punching a post-it note on the sticky area and placed it on the card. Then stamped the tree (a clear Martha Stewart stamp that came in a set with glitter or beads) and then sponged Ranger Distress Ink, Crushed Olive. Then removed the mask and stamped the sentiment which is from the Annabelle Stamps set, Sentimental Bluebells. The acorns at the bottom are from the same Martha Stewart set as the tree. I wanted to have a little dimension with my card so I stamped on a panel and adhered it to the card base.

That went really quickly so I did another.....

Not sure where I got this wheat stamp;  the sentiment is Annabelle Stamps, from the set All Things Grow; same technique but added some twine to dress it up just a bit! Two more masculine birthday cards for the church!

Betty

A Note of Thanks

As usual, the turquoise in my card looks blue but is really is turquoise, along with lime and yellow, the color challenge from Annabelle Stamps. You should check out the cards from the design team -- they are smashing!

My layout uses the sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches #18. I have found several challenges at Lesley's blog, Always Playing With Paper that are new to me that I know I will be playing along with from now on! Also met a new on-line friend who loves watching birds as much as I do -- hi LeAnne!

The challenge at Do You Stack Up? is to use patterned paper; designer paper, or create your own. My patterned paper is all from Stampin' Up. The fan fold flower is made from patterned paper although it's a bit difficult to see. Actually, it's the flip side of the turquoise piece with white polka dots and contains all the colors of the challenge.

I've been seeing cards with lots of "white space";  I'm going to try to get used to making some cards in this style along with continuing to make a few each month in the vintage style! Hope you'll walk along with me on this journey to try something "a little different"!

Betty



Shades of Red and Orange

Haven't made a card in the past couple of days so I'm posting one that I made for one of the latest Flourishes release noon time challenges. Since this is the Chinese "Year of the Dragon" we were to be inspired by the shades of the fiery dragon.

Again, it was made to fill a need for masculine birthday cards. I really like the layout; I had saved a picture of a sketch challenge for a long time and just ran across it stuffed in the pocket of a binder.

I've been making my own baker's twine for the past couple of days. Went to the local street market on Wednesday and bought crochet thread and have been coloring it with Bic Markers. Here are the four colors that I've done so far.....

I've had shades of red in both of these pictures, so let me add a couple more....

This is what I call a "fluffy" poinsettia. Is it not gorgeous?????

And here's the full screen view..... I never cease to be amazed at how large they grow here in Mexico!

Later, Betty

Layers, Layers, I Love Layers!

The layout for my card comes from The Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge; here's their sketch:

I will also be entering this card in the Annabelle Stamps Challenge - Say It With .... Anything Goes

The papers on my card are from Basic Gray and stamps are from Annabelle Stamps, All Things Grow.

I saw cards created with this sketch on several of my friends' blogs and thought I'd jump on the bandwagon too. Still working on those masculine birthday cards!

Betty

P.S. The bird from yesterday's post is an oriole -- possibly an altimira oriole or a baltimore oriole.

Joy and Peace

This card was made for Lesley's Merry Monday Challenge #3. My stamp is from Layers of Color, Christmas Blessings and the papers are from a paper pack titled Magic of the Season. This was a sketch challenge, clean and simple, making an easily produced card -- except for the fussy cutting of the sentiment, of course!

I feel so sorry for all of my friends who are stuck in mounds of snow or shivering in low temps. We are enjoying a fairly mild winter (our lows are in the 50's at night and we all freeze so that shows you how wimpy we are!). We put up hummingbird feeders since our hibiscus are still fairly small and have had a lot of hummingbird traffic -- I can watch them from my craft desk! We have also had a larger bird who has been taking advantage of the sugar water. How he can get it, I don't know but he keep coming back for more. Also, I don't know what type of bird he is -- let me know if you can identify him.

 

Hope everyone can carve out some crafting moments today!

Betty

Make It Monday Ghost Masking

My card today was inspired by Papertrey Ink's Make It Monday with Betsy Veldman -- Ghost Masking. Friends, you have to check out the video -- it's a terrific technique! I had to improvise with what I had on hand and even though it didn't turn out quite as nicely as Betsy's, I was quite pleased with my first attempt!

I would also like to enter this into the challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow -- embossing.

My good friend, Mary Anne, let me know that my card would fit the challenge at Art Impressions and Do You Stack Up so I would like to enter my card at these sites also.  AI's challenge is Pink, Pink, and More Pink -- isn't that a fun title? DYSU also wants us to Be Pinky!

After completing the ghost masking technique, I embossed my panel with one of the Cuttlebug folders in the set Paper Lace II, and then sponged some Distress Ink Tattered Rose on top of the embossing. Also used this same ink to sponge on the edges of my ivory card base. The flowers are from a Martha Stewart set, Clear Camellia Stamps, and they were stamped with Stampin' Up ink, Rose Red, Regal Rose and More Mustard. The circle is a Gina K. Designs stamp from the Spring Mix StampTV set and was stamped with Momento London Fog.

Added a little piece of ribbon in the corner with a couple of buttons tied with a piece of that shiny embroidery floss for embellishment.

Hope you'll check out the video and try this technique -- would love to know how you like it!

Betty

There's Something In My Pocket

Jellypark Friends Friday Challenges wants us to use a pocket on our card. Their theme is "Something In My Pocket". I had no pocket stamps so I cut out a pocket shape and added faux stitiching and brads. PaperPlay Challenges has the theme "In Stitches" -- this can either be faux, hand, or machine stitches.

And this is what's in my pocket.......

Speedy the Fox and Friends is having a challenge to create with a border punch. I used my Stampin' Up Scallop Border punch to create some layers at the bottom edge of my card. 

I would also like to enter this card into the ABC Challenge - H is for Happy Birthday. 

The birthday sentiments are from Annabelle Stamps. Did you notice the shiny embroidery thread on the little "pocket pull-out"? A friend from church gave me some of the most beautiful Brazillian embroidery thread recently, hoping that I might be able to use it on my cards since she was never able to get around to using it for embroidery! It is simply gorgeous stuff -- thanks, Lucinda!

Hope you all had a blessed Lord's Day!

Betty

Remember Happy Moments

Here I am, getting out of my box again! This is a one layer card and as per the challenge at Less Is More, it is a one layer card with a bird. All of the birdie stamps come from a Clear Art Stamps set that I bought used from Nina Bracket last year. Couldn't find a name for the set but there was a number on the back -- 139. The sentiment is Autumn Leaves, Remember -- got it on sale at Wal-Mart a good while ago. The name of the background stamp is Solid Block Group, by Stampabilities. Vicki Dutcher reminded me about the ink, spritz and stamp technique in one of her recent posts and this is what I did with the blocks (which is one large stamp, by the way).

Crazy 4 Challenges 119 is requesting a monochromatic blue card and Just Us Girls 119 has a technique challenge; they are asking for a collage card (mine is a collage of stamps -- I guess it could also be a collage of blues).

Last, but certainly not least, Stamping Together Divas has a love challenge. It can be a valentine or a love card. Along with "Remember Happy Moments", my card also says "Love Warms Every Nest". I thought that this might be a good card for a mom whose little bird is leaving the nest -- she has many happy moments to hold close to her heart and the joy of knowing that she provided a warm nest for that little one, who is now not so little any more!

Later,
Betty

Another Guy Birthday Card

My card started out as a challenge over at Flourishes for their new release week. However, I couldn't make it work with only two layers so I gave up and made it the way I wanted to make it! You know, you just can't please everybody all of the time!!

My tree is from Stampin' Up. I colored the stamp with markers and the impression came out perfectly. Love that you can see the tree trunk all the way up through the pine needles! Used a Cuttlebug folder (Checker Board) to emboss the background panel and the sentiment is from Layers of Love which was cut out with a Spellbinders die and sponged. Got a terrific embossed impression with this die too!

This will be another card for the church's birthday file!

Betty

A Look of Nature

Good Morning All! I surely do hope that Blogger is more cooperative today than it was yesterday. I had a lot of trouble getting to blog posts and once there, more problems leaving comments.

My card this morning uses Repeat Impressions Sketch J1112 --

I will also enter the Dutch Dare Challenge -- For the Boys. I need to get some masculine birthday cards made for folks in the church this next month so this challenge was perfect!

I used Annabelle Stamps, All Things Grow and cut the sentiment with a Spellbinders Ribbon Tags Trio die. The green background panel was embossed with a Cuttlebug Folder, Forest Branches, and the border was done with Martha Stewart's Grass border punch. The border is adhered to the inside bottom edge of the card and the front panel is cut a little shorter than the rest of the card.

Thanks for coming by,

Betty

Christmas Cards?

Yep, my cards today are for Christmas, 2012. ABC Christmas Challenges has released their first challenge for this year -  A is for Anything Christmas. The oranament stamp is from Inkadinkado, Holiday Silhouettes, and the sentiment is Stampin' Up. The ornament was "fussy cut" and popped up on a sponged Nestabilities die cut.

The layout of my card comes from the challenge at Freshly Made Sketches #17. Here's the sketch:

This is my first entry at this challenge site; I was too late with my card last week. I do like their neat and clean sketches; I've been trying to get comfortable with other styles, but neat and clean remains my favorite!
I will also be entering this card at For Fun Challenges - Anything Goes.

Thought that I might try to sell some Christmas cards this year since we don't have an outlet for cards in English here so I made an extra card while I was at it. The Christmas tree stamp is also from the same set by Inkadinkado and the sentiment is from Layers of Color, Christmas Verses.

So long and best wishes for a happy day,

Betty

Make It Monday with Papertrey Ink

Dawn McVey demonstrated the technique for making a background with border dies. I don't have any of those gorgeous border dies from Papertrey Ink (will have to be satisfied with a "wish list" for now) so I used a Martha Stewart border punch.

My card design matches the one that Dawn created here very closely. She used stitching where the borders backed together and I used a strip of the colored paper. She put her sentiment on top of her butterfly die which she had decorated with a button but I didn't want to cover up this beauty. Next I stamped the sentiment in Cameo Coral and was very pleased with the overall look.

Check out the video -- you might want to give this a try!

Betty

Butterflies

I was a little to late getting this card made for the sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches but will try to do better this week. Don't you just love this brilliant butterfly? All I had to do was print and cut it out. I had two others cut out but they were too large for the space so I had to stamp a couple of little ones (Martha Stewart stamp).  They are all popped up with dimensionals. The brown "leather look" background was leftover from my first attempt at the cowboy card I posted yesterday and adding the blue made it perfect for the Designer's Choice Challenge at Repeat Impressions, to use the colors brown and blue. I colored the pearls with a Bic marker to match the butterfly. I thought a sentiment on the front might distract the eye from the butterfly so I decided that I would stamp the inside when I decide how it will be used.

I was honored to have the vintage collage card that I made for the Roses December Challenge featured by Karen at The Graphics Fairy yesterday. It was also nice to have lots of visitors come by my blog to get the details of the card. Thanks, Sue, for giving us Roses a great challenge and thank you, Karen, for showcasing my card on your blog; your images made it possible to create my collage card with relative ease!

I know it's Tuesday but I'm working on Papertrey Ink's Make It Monday today. Hope you'll come back tomorrow to see how it turns out!!
Betty

Cowboy Card

Hello all! I had so much fun making this card. It sent me down "Memory Lane" and I'll tell you more about that later. I have used the sketch from Repeat Impressions and will also enter this into the challenge at Catered Crop to use a button or buttons.

The image is the same that I used a couple of days ago from Digital Two for Tuesday; I printed two at the same time so I had another to work with. I used leather textured paper from Sizzix and did some paper piercing on it; I then added a button that has a leather look. The image was also matted with the leather look paper. It is all mounted on an ivory cardbase.

Okay, here's where I go off on a tangent. Who remembers the tv western "The Virginian" which ran from 1962 - 1971? Trampas was my favorite character and I got to thinking that he fell in love with a sweet little thing on the next ranch over from Shiloh and she made this for him, using cowhide, of course. He hung it up beside his cot in the bunkhouse and looked at it every evening before going to sleep. Unlike all the story lines on the tv shows, however, sweet Betsy does not get sick and die, nor do bad guys shoot her and she does not survive. Trampas saves the life of Betsy's father and he then helps them get their own little ranch, they get married  ...........

(wordart from Ginger's House)

Thanks for putting up with my flight of fancy,
Betty