Caught a Bug?

5/19/2017 Update: Winner at The Male Room Challenge #59.






Have you ever questioned yourself with, "What was I thinking when I bought this?" That's how I felt about this stamp set after receiving it. It's kind of grown on me now that I have made a Get Well card with it.

On a panel of white cardstock, the bugs and beetles were stamped in multiple steps. Some of the stamps are two-step and some are three-step. A strip of vellum was added with the stamped sentiment then it was adhered to a taupe card base.

The inside of the card was lined with white cardstock and decorated with a line of stamped ants.

I am entering this card into the following challenge:

The Male Room Challenge #59






Techniques: Multi-step stamping, vellum
Size: A2

Stampin' Up! Materials
Stamps: Beetles and Bugs
Inks: Lost Lagoon, Coastal Cabana, Mint Macaron, Gumball Green, Daffodil Delight, Peach Parfait, Not Quite Navy, Real Red, Smoky Slate, Crumb Cake, Tip-Top-Taupe
Cardstock: Whisper White, Tip-Top-Taupe, Vellum

Other Materials
Stamp: Paper Smooches Healthy Vibes (sentiment)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stazon Jet Black (sentiment)

The Great Outdoors - Masculine

If you have read my other posts, you may remember I am on a mission to reduce the patterned paper in my stash. I made a little dent in my stash with this card. Two challenges in particular inspired the card - a sketch challenge and a theme challenge. (Click on the photos to enlarge them.)

The bird, hedge hog and mushroom images were cut from patterned paper with a die. The bear was fussy cut from paper. (Cannot be cut in the Scan 'n Cut machine.) A panel of patterned paper was adhered to a vanilla card base. A panel of paper with fish images was backed with foam and adhered at an angle.

The mushroom, hedgehog, bird and bear were all adhered with foam tape. The sentiment was cut from patterned paper and adhered to a banner of vanilla cardstock and added in keeping with the sketch. The inside was decorated with a fussy cut fox with flowers in her hair.

The card is being submitted to the following challenges:

1. Cardz 4 Guyz #167
    (Theme: The Great Outdoors)



2. Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #209






Materials
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla
Paper: Photo Play Catch of the Day, Woodland Critters, Badges
Die: Simon Says Stamp Stitched Circles
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape); ZIG Wink of Stella (clear)

It's Hip to Be Square

What a fun theme for a card challenge - It's Hip to Be Square! Rather than making a square card I decided to create a card with some not-so-perfect squares.

Various dies were used to cut true squares, wonky squares, wonky window squares and the lone circle. The sentiment is a die cut stamped image with a die cut shadow. A panel of black cardstock was adhered to a white card base. A panel of patterned paper was then adhered. (Note the tiny squares in the patterned paper.)

The remaining items were adhered to the card - some with foam tape and some directly to the card front. The inside of the card was decorated with a strip of patterned paper and a strip of black cardstock.

This card is being entered into:

1. Dragonfly Journeys #90









2. Crafting from the Heart #156
    (Theme: Just for Fun)





3. Crafty Creations #349
    (Theme: Anything Goes)

Techniques: Stamping, die cutting
Size: A2

Materials
Stamps: Wplus9 "That Is All"
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: Stampin' Up!  Whisper White, Basic Black, Pacific Point
Paper: Stampin' Up! Everyday Chic Collection (retired)
Dies: Wplus9 "That Is All", Lil' Inker Designs Wonky Stitched Squares, MFT Wonky Windows, Simon Says Stamp Stitched Squares & Stitched Circles
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape)

Cheers on Your Birthday!

Wanting to participate in a photo card challenge led me to create this birthday card. I used a sketch challenge for the layout.

The flowers, leaves and stems were stamped and die cut. The oval pieces were also cut from dies. The card was assembled by applying the black and white patterned paper, the black cardstock and the yellow patterned paper onto a white card base. The oval shapes were backed with foam tape for dimension. The flowers, leaves and stems were adhered using foam tape.  The sentiment was cut with a die.

The inside of the card was decorated with three strips of cardstock matching cardstock on the front of the card. Clear Wink of Stella was added to the flowers to give them a sheen.

This card is being submitted to:

1. Just Us Girls Photo Challenge #390






2. The Paper Players Sketch Challenge #341








3. Crafty Creations Challenge #340

    (Anything Goes)




4. Paper Sweeties April Challenge #54



Techniques: Stamping, die cutting
Size: A2

Stampin' Up! Materials
Inks: Blushing Bride, Strawberry Slush, Pumpkin Pie
Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Blushing Bride, Strawberry Slush, Garden Green, Pistachio Pudding, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Everyday Chic (retired)
Misc.: Dimensionals (foam tape)

Other Materials
Stamps: Paper Sweeties "Pretty Posies"
Dies: Paper Smooches "Birthday Words"; Paper Sweeties "Pretty Posies"; Gina K Designs Ovals

Best Ever - CAS/Masculine

05/02/2017 Update: Winner at Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #116.






My stepson, Ross, has a birthday coming up so I decided to use a few challenges for inspiration to make his birthday card. Ross was always an outstanding baseball player throughout his youth and young adulthood. Although he no longer plays much, he still loves the game.

I made an effort to keep the card clean and simple plus low profile for easy mailing. Using patterned paper, the baseballs were fussy cut and adhered to a card base of navy blue cardstock. The stars were die cut or punched, then adhered - some with foam tape and some directly onto the card. The sentiment was stamped, fussy cut and adhered with foam tape. The inside of the card was lined with vanilla cardstock and decorated with die cut stars.

This card is being submitted to the following challenges:

1. CASE This Sketch #218











2. Watercooler Wednesday Masculine Challenge #116







3. Aud Sentiments Challenge #178
    (Use a Sentiment Stamp)





4. Crafting from the Heart #156
    (Anything Goes - Just for Fun)


Techniques: Stamping, die cutting, punch cutting, fussy cutting, CAS
Size: A2

Materials
Stamp: CTMH "Life Is Sweet"
Inks: Stampin' Up! Riding Hood Red, Night of Navy
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Real Red, Night of Navy
Paper: Moxxie "Play Ball"
Dies: Stampin' Up! Stars Framelits
Punch: Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Accents Star
Misc: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape)

Wild About You

It has taken some time for me to make the transition from the graceful, formal cards I am used to making with plenty of flowers and ribbons. I am trying to adjust to using stamp sets with cute critters and silly characters.

I thought the patterned paper was reminiscent of jelly beans, which I used to buy (and eat) when we would take the train from Tampa to the circus at Sarasota, Florida. This was the winter home of the Ringling Brothers Circus and was always a fun day for my older brother and me.

I actually saw a similarity between two sketches so decided to submit this card to both. The lion and stand were stamped, colored and die cut. The white oval, yellow vellum, balloon, string and banners were all die cut and layered onto the patterned paper. The sentiment was stamped directly onto the patterned paper so as not to detract from the colorful card. The inside was lined with a panel of white cardstock and decorated with die cut banners.

This card is being submitted to:


1. Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #208








2. Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge #262







3. Brown Sugar Challenge #247
    (Use a Die Cut)



Techniques: Stamping, coloring, die cutting
Size: A2

Materials:
Stamps: Reverse Confetti "Leaping Lions"
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Basic Black, Lost Lagoon, Regal Rose
Paper: Day Spring Illustrated Faith; WRMK Party Vellum
Dies: Reverse Confetti "Leaping Lions"; Spellbinders Classic Ovals & Labels Eighteen; Craftin' Desert Divas "Party Dies"
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensional (foam tape)

The Sweet Shoppe

After deciding to submit a card to a challenge, I realized I did not have the suggested paper collection. A friend came to the rescue with all of the paper, although I already had the card base ready to decorate. Never having made an awning card before and because one of the papers reminded me of roof tiles, I gave it a try. Such a simple design with a cute result! I especially like that the design folds flat for easy mailing. This card is sized for an A2 envelope.

The card base was scored and folded 1/2" from the center fold  at the top front and top back of the base. This 1/2" fold was adhered with strong adhesive. The awning was trimmed with die cut borders and adhered to the card front. A panel of coordination paper was adhered and a "shelf" was added with another die cut border.

I found the cute stickers in my stash and added them to the store front. I love the pretty cakes and French macaron biscuits. The inside of the card was decorated with a strip of coordinating paper and the donuts from this pack of stickers. I see all kinds of possibilities with this card fold - a Tiki bar, a quilt shop, a pet store, etc.

This card is being submitted to:

1. Color My Heart Color Dare #240









2. Three Amigos Blog Hop Challenge #1
    (Theme: Some Kinda Wonderful)


3. Between the Folds Challenge #44-B





4. Heart 2 Heart Challenge 
    (Theme: It's a Wonderful World)





5. Brown Sugar Challenge #247
    (Use a Die Cut)


Materials:
Cardstock: CTMH Lemon
Paper: CTMH : "Some Kinda Wonderful" Collection
Die: Sizzix Border
Misc.: Doodlebug stickers from stash

Let Your Dreams Take Flight

04/25/2017 Update: Honorable Mention at Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #115








04/24/2017 Update: Winner of Sapphire Award at Color Dare Challenge #239



After recently acquiring a set of circle stamps I just had to find an immediate use for them so I guess one could say that the circle stamps provided inspiration for the layout.

Using the MISTI to achieve solid images, the large yellow butterfly was stamped at about the center point, the circles and spheres were stamped in gray, followed by the small butterflies in eggplant ink. Another yellow butterfly was stamped, fussy cut and added over the first butterfly, leaving the wings free. The sentiment is carved into the butterfly stamp, "Let your dreams take flight."

The stamped panel was adhered to a panel of eggplant cardstock and then to a white card base. The inside of the card was decorated with stamped circles and butterflies.

This card is being submitted to:

1. Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #239








2. Watercooler Wednesday "Spring Theme" Challenge #115





Techniques: Stamping, fussy cutting
Size: A2

Materials
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp "Lots of Dots" & Reverse Confetti "Butterfly Dreams"
Inks: CTMH Canary, Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Smoky Slate
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant