Card Challenges

My sister will be hosting a card challenge crop in her home town on April 2nd.  Seeing that she is on the east coast and I am on the west, I won't be able to attend.  That's not stopping me from playing along however!

She's been kind enough to let me in on the challenges so I could have them done before the actual day of crop. (I will also be out of town that day too and not able to upload any pics).

There are 12 challenges and as I complete them, I will post a picture. I won't be doing the challenges in number order though.  Just not me LOL!!

Challenge #2 - Create a card using the colors pink, chocolate and kraft.

Challenge # 7 - Create a Christmas card using non-traditional colors.

Challenge #10 - Create a masculine card using a cuttlebug folder, a nestabilitie and the color black as the base.

Challenge #4 - Create a card 9" x 3 3/4" to fit a legal/business size envelope.

Challenge #9 - "Let's Get Pretty" - maybe even vintage!  Create a card with 2-3 handmade flowers and either ribbon or lace.

  

Challenge #8 - Create a card with your choice of color but the card must contain at least 2 circles, 2 rectangles, a square and one embellishment.  I need more masculine cards so decided on the 'manly' colors LOL!  I kept changing my mind on the layout so the rectangles are actually FIVE pieces although it looks like it could only be three!

"Thanks" card

Here's a card I made for a challenge.  Had to use ivory, brown, 2 shades of purple and green.  The dark purple is the same color as the dark purple dots on the patterned paper.  Looks blue in the picture!

Birthday Card

Using a paper piecing from Little Scraps of Heaven, here's a quick card I made for a friend's 3 year old grandson.

Hope you like it!

Birthday Card Challenge

Hey everyone!  There's a Birthday Card Challenge going on over at Treasure Box Designs! (when you get there, go to their Facebook and click on "notes").

Just complete a card using one or more of their cutting files (they are awesome)!!

Here's mine!

The little girl is from the Rockin Rachel cutting file, the present is from the Tis the Season cutting file and the balloons from Clownin Around!  Had a fun time creating this card!

 In this picture you can see how I used pop dots to add some dimension to the card!

Dad..........You Rock!

My husband's birthday is today and while he was at work my daughter made him a card with the new "Rockin Randy" cut file from Treasure Box Designs (check them out......you'll love their files).

I think she did an awesome job on this card and he's gonna love it!  I do have to mention though, my husband wears black shoes with red laces so she had to make sure the laces on the card were also red!!

here's the inside......

Color, Card Sketch & Anything Goes Challenges

I wanted to make a card this evening and really liked three online challenges I found so decided to incorporate them!

  The two challenges I've entered this card into are:

1) Color Throwdown  - pear pizazz, kraft and blushing bride (aren't those colors so pretty?)

2) Clean & Simple Stamping - love this card sketch!

 

  3) Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog - anything goes!!


Have a wonderful, warm day, and thanks for looking!

Pink Orange Aqua Challenge

There's a color challenge going on over at The Pink Elephant!  Make a project using these three colors - PINK, ORANGE, AQUA.

I never would have thought to use those three colors together but once I pulled out the papers I loved the look of them!!

Here's a Valentine's card I made using the colors!  I stamped the "I" and "U" in aqua, cut them out then "stickled" them in orange stickles!  (My card is aqua but kinda looks green in the pic.  I think its because the card is glossy)

Enjoy!

Card for Charlie

I came across a blog today- Angela's blog -  that is sharing a story of a sweet little boy with a rare skin disease.  Charlie is only 4 years old but such a brave little boy!

Angela is asking anyone who wants to, to send a card to help brighten this little boy's world.

It was 6:00am when I saw her blog and I started on my card right away.  I was peeved that I had to go to work before I could finish it though, but as soon as I got home I went to work on it again.  I'm mailing it out tomorrow.

Sure hope it puts a smile on his face!!  My little piggy was made using a cut from I purchased from Treasure Box Designs.  Check them out.....you'll love their files!

Mojo Monday

Check out Mojo Monday for some awesome card sketches/challenges.  You may even win some Verve Stamps!

Here's the sketch for this week:

Here's the card I created following the sketch.  I decided to make a masculine card as I find these most difficult to make but of course, we do need them right?

All papers are from Basic Grey's Ganola collection.

Enjoy!

Sophia

Saturday Sketch Challenge #185

The folks over at Stamping 411 are having another sketch challenge!  I just came across their blog last night - yay!!  You've got to check out their gorgeous cards - and of course, be sure to play along!


I really liked the tree card on their blog so when I came across a palm tree in the Cricut cartridge, Life is a Beach, I decided to put it on the card - dreaming of being some place nice and warm instead of this cold and snow!

Would be a cute card to give to my sister who recently just booked a cruise (unfortunately, she visits my blog so it wouldn't be a surprise - will have to make her a different one LOL!)

I used Life is a Beach cartridge for the palm tree and Beyond Birthdays for the "bon voyage".  All cardstock is Bazzill.  The cream cardstock is embossed with the Cuttlebug folder "distressed stripes".  (the sun in created with a circle punch and scissors)

NOTE:  I have a new laptop with Win7 (old laptop had XP).  For the life of me I can't figure out changing my pictures (aka cropping, etc.).  Once I figure this out my pictures will hopefully look better!

Have a wonderful day.


Sophia

Happy Monday!

I still have a couple more days off before school re-opens so after I got all the decorations and Christmas tree put away, I decided to "play" for a bit!

I made this card using just scraps of papers I keep in folders (I don't part with my precious paper LOL).  I used the Beyond Birthdays cart for the mug of coffee, and the sentiment.  I used Accent Essentials for the scallop circle.  I love inking so I just had to ink that scallop circle.

Hope you like!

My Pink Stamper Design Team 2011 Challenge

My Pink Stamper is having a design team 2011 challenge!!

I've decided this is the wake-up call I need.  I've been in a slump and I'm treating this challenge as a kick in the 'you know where' to get me started again (thanks, Robyn)!

The challenge is to create a card, layout or other project using your favorite cricut cartridge AND Robyn's favorite colors - pink, green and brown.

Here's my 5x7 card. (sorry the quality isn't great....the lighting this time of night isn't so good - I'll see about posting a better pic in the morning)

Here's what I used:
5x7 white card (unknown brand)
Cricut New Arrival Cartridge (all-time fav of mine!)  The giraffe was cut at 4".  The "baby" blocks cut at 1".
Bazzill cardstock (green, white)  both strips were cut at 1" x 7"
KI Memories striped paper 5x7 to cover card front
Reminisce 100% Girl paper (dotted paper) 1/2" x 7"
Kaiser Craft pink pearls - placed on each of the letters
Martha Stewart Lace punch - punched both green/white cardstock above
VersaColor Evergreen ink -inked edges of "baby" squares
The "grass" was hand drawn and cut.  I'm sure it's on one of my carts but for the life of me couldn't find it.  If anyone knows, can you please jog my memory?  Thanks.

Hope you like it.  It was loads of fun to do!

Sophia

Christmas Cards

Starting to get in the mood for Christmas cards!  With the upcoming long weekend I may just get a whole whack of them done!

Here's a few I recently made.

September Cards!

Well, this morning I got a little creative and made a couple of cards!

The first one is made from papers from Three Bugs in a Rug (Spring).  So cute!  The top paper is chalked in pink to stand out a little more.  I purposely left the sentiment off as this card can be use for many occasions and I'll add it when needed!

The next card is made using the Tea Bag Folding technique.  I wasn't looking to make a card from this technique but my sister was making one from a different fold and it was hilarious!  For those of you who know me, my sister and I connect through Skype as she is 3000 km away from me!  Anyway, it wasn't going so well for her so while she was taking a break I surfed the net and found an easier one to do!  Check it out here.

  I love orange and blue together.  I also used Martha Stewart's lace punch on here as well.

Here is a side view of the tea bag fold so you can see how it's dimensional.  How cool is that!!!!

Hope you like them!!  oh, and only 89 days til Christmas.....fa la la la laaaaaaaa

UPDATE:

My sister figured out the tea bag folding "medallion" and created this beautiful card for our brother's birthday!!  Way to go, sis.  It's awesome!

Here is the 2nd card my sister made using the technique I used further up the page.  Beautiful paper selection!  This could become a new fav technique of ours!!

Christrmas Cards!

Yowzers!!! Only 14 sleeps til Christmas. Although I'm crossing off a few items from my "things to do" list, it doesn't seem to get any shorter. Deep breath, deep breath heehee!!

Thought I'd share some Christmas cards I've made over the past couple weeks.

A cute "Joy" card made completely from leftover paper scraps and ribbon. I inked everything to help it stand out a bit more.


I used a couple of my cuttlebug folders on these cards. The snowflakes are from the Accent Essentials Cricut cartridge.


Love these little hedgehogs!! Had some fun coloring them and feeling like a kid again! The scalloped circles were cut using Spellbinders in the Cuttlebug!


How about a little PINK!! These two cards are very quick and easy!!

Hope you like the cards! Have a wonderful day!

Sophia

Dress Up Those Trees!

Here's my card for the "Dress Up Those Trees" challenge at Saturday Spotlight With Hidden Potential.



Seeing how we are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend I thought I'd create a "thankful for" card. This card will go on my table and just before the meal is served we will all write, on the inside of the card, what we are most thankful for. Hmmm, this could become a family tradition!

The left side of the card is embossed with the D'vine Swirls embossing folder, then inked. The paper on the right side is from Deja Views Home For the Holidays collection. The tree stamp is from imaginisce and the sentiment stamp is from inque boutique.

Now the BEST part. I decorated my tree with STICKLES to create some gorgeous fall leaves! I am So addicted to those little bottles of glittery glue! If you haven't tried them yet, be sure to pick up a bottle soon and give them a whirl. You too, will be addicted!











Happy Thanksgiving.

Sophia

Saturday Spotlight with Hidden Potential

There's a new challenge blog on the block!! Saturday Spotlight with Hidden Potential! (you can click on the link on the right side of my blog as well)

Yesterday was their FIRST challenge and I thought I'd jump on board and give it a whirl! You have to create a card for Halloween but NOT use any Halloween images!

I decided to use the Close To My Heart flourish stamps - a birthday present from my sister - and wanted them to resemble a "howling wind". I stamped them, then cut them out with scissors. Do you think I accomplished this look? I embossed the orange cardstock with the Forest Branches embossing folder (cuttlebug) then flipped the cardstock over to show the de-bossed side. I embossed the purple cardstock with the Swiss Dots embossing folder. The "boo" was stamped on green cardstock with Provo Craft's Simply Chic Stamps then cut out and pasted down.

I can't wait til next week's challenge!

Happy World Card Making Day!

Where has the time gone? It's October already. We had such a horrible summer (spring weather for months on end!) and now it's almost winter again for us! We even had some flurries last week. Yep, old man winter is arriving fast - too fast!

It's World Card Making Day today and a little later on I will post a card I made. I can't post it right now because it's on the table in my craft room and in order to get into the craft room I have to move a ton of STUFF! I'm trying to renovate my downstairs family room and it seems all the STUFF I have no clue what to do with is being dumped inside my craft room! Hopefully, later today it will all be cleared away (aka given away & trashed) and I will get my card posted!

It's a cute little "friends forever" card that I made for my daughter to give to her best friend. Her best friend is moving 7 hours away in a couple weeks. It's gonna be so sad in my house for a while. These two girls are joined at the hip!

Well, I hope you are all having a fantastic weekend, wherever you may be! Feel free to drop me a line telling me where you are! I'd love to know........ :-)

Sophia

UPDATE: Here's the card. The picture doesn't show the detail though. The edges of the white label the image is stamped on are chalked with a pretty yellow. It is then raised (using pop dots) on top of the blue label. The "Friends Forever" sentiment is also on pop dots - I love using those!

BOO

Allergies, allergies, allergies! Sheesh, when does it end? I've been suffering from them for a couple weeks now! Seems the meds don't want to work any more either! Oh my poor, poor nose!

Anyway, here's a card I created for Halloween - good grief it'll be here before we know it! The stores are already putting out the decorations!! I recently picked up the latest Scrapbooks, Etc magazine and loved how they placed chipboard letters under cardstock (with a different core color) and sanded over top to bring out the core color! Thought I'd give it a try on this card. I used Core'dinations cardstock. I think it turned out pretty good. The little metal cat on the card is actually from an old halloween charm bracelet I had! Look around your house.......you'd be amazed at what you can find to put on your cards and layouts!

Thanks for looking. Have a wonderful day!

Wishing you........

GOOD MORNING! I love Sunday mornings. Everything just always seems to be so peaceful. Most Sunday mornings (September - May) my sister and I go online and chat! She lives 3000 miles away from me so the internet makes it so much easier for us to chat and share creative ideas! (morning Sis - I know you're up and wanting to talk!!)
The above card was made with patterned paper, lime green cardstock (my fav color), some ribbon, flowers, My Sentiments Exactly stamp, bling and stickles! I filled in the flowers on the patterned paper with silver stickles rather than bling (which I used on the fabric flowers).
TIP: When using stickles if you give the underside of the paper a couple flicks with your thumb/index finger the "points" left by the stickles will settle down and looks more even and a lot nicer!

Another reason I love Sundays is the traditional Sunday Dinner! A big meal to end the weekend/start the week, with a yummy dessert is always looked forward to! I think today I'll make a lemon meringue pie - YUM - to go along with my pot roast!

Enjoy your day!