Key West Gratitude

I wanted to make a special card for my sister-in-law and her husband who hosted us for a vacation in Key West. Here is the result. Unfortunately, I forgot to take the pictures before I wrote my message so I blurred it out. I used the new Beach Life set from Flourishes. I love this set. I have been wanting something with palm trees forever. I am entering this card in the "Something New" challenge on The Crafty Pad blog.

I used designer paper from the K&Co. Sea Glass stack. I matched the paper up with the Sea Glass paper ribbon of sand dollars. I started following this week's sketch from Our Creative Corner, but couldn't fit in a sentiment strip at the bottom.

The images were stamped on Neenah Solar White with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics. The sky was sponged on with Bashful Blue. The elements were aged by sponging the edges with Creamy Caramel, my favorite ink for aging. The K&Co. paper is mounted on SU's Baja Breeze. The sun was stamped on with the circle from the old SU Shape of Things set. I inked the circle stamp first with Summer Sun, then rocked it around the edges first on a Only Orange pad and then a Really Rust pad. I wanted a sunset feel to the card. The main panel was cut with a Spellbinders Mega Rectangle die. The Baja Breeze mat was cut with the same die, and then cut diagonally.

The small beach gear images were paper toled and glazed with Crystal Effects. Inside, the sentiment Key West Memories was printed on the computer. The beach chair, which is also paper toled and popped up, is colored the exact colors of the ones at the house where we were guests. The seahorse and other sea creatures were cut with a Cuttlebug die and the bottom panel was cut with the Top Note die from Sizzix.

Unicorn Rider

This is my Guest DT submission for this fortnight's Creative Inspirations Challenge Blog. The challenge this time is to use bling on your card.I have also entered it into the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge. They have a similar challenge - use shimmer/Shimmerz.

I used SU's Holigram Highlights embossing powder on the floral vine die cut and Star Dust Stickles on the main image. Unfortunately, the camera never picks up the shimmer and shine. I also used the Holigram Highlights EP on the swirls on the bottom mat and the Stickles on the tiny pink flowers. The center of the flowers is in itsy bitsy pink rhinestone.

This card is really beautiful IRL. It is so richly romantic looking.

Card Recipe:
Stamps: All of the stamps are from Rubbernecker
Paper: Base is Naturals Ivory, Handsome Hunter, DCWV Jewel Color Texture Cardstock, Neenah Solar White, DSP from 7 Gypsies Abbey
Ink: Copics, Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Night of Navy
Accessories: Cuttlebug, D'Vine Swirls embossing folder and Floral Borders die, Spellbinders Mega Rectangles dies, tiny rhinestones are nail jewels from the Dollar Store

Happiness Shared

This was a tough week for mojo!! I have been trying to make a card for The Next Level challenge all week, but couldn't come up with just the right thing. I actually thought I had one ready earlier in the week, but then I realized it was not just a 3-D card, but also a SKETCH!! So I was back to Square One. Now I finally have my entry finished, but I think I missed the challenge deadline which is Sunday, 9:00 p.m. British time (6 hrs. ahead of EDT??).

But all is not lost. I have several other challenges I am entering it in. Here are the challenges I am entering this card into:

The Next Level - Sketch plus three dimensional

The Cuttlebug Spot - Decorate the inside too

Our Creative Corner OCC Challenge - Tripple Play - use at least three different embellishments

Stampin' for the Weekend - Rock & Roll 70's Music Inspirations - I selected Bob Dylan's Tangled Up in Blue

Dutch Dare - use dies or punches

Creative Inspirations - Stitching, Real or Faux

Crafty Goings Ons - Color an image (winner wins set of 72 Copics!!!)

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Sweet Pea - Flourishes

Paper: Whisper White base, SU Bella's Birds DSP, Night of Navy, Neenah Solar White for stamped images

Ink: Mememto Tuxedo Black, More Mustard and Creamy Caramel for sponging, Copics for coloring images, sentiments stamped with Night of Navy

Accessories: Beaded brad flower - K&Co., KaiserCraft half pearls, Prima flowers, Cuttlebug, Floral Fantsey embossing folder, Nestabilities Ovals, Spellbinders tag die, lace from Lace Heaven, sewing machine.

Tagged & Tied

I love fancy, vintagy tags but never take time out from card-making to make one. So this week, the challenge at Flourishes Timeless Tuesday was to make a tag and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was a challenge in which I was going to participate. A short time later, I was on the Copic Creations Challenge Blog and amazingly, they were having a botanical challenge sponsored by Flourishes!! What a perfect combination, especially since I recently purchased this set and haven't tired of it yet!

So here is the result of the two challenges. I really love this set and plan to use it a few more times before I file it away in my stamp closet. Flourishes also has a fabulous new strawberry set that I have on order but won't receive in time for these two challenges. If you love strawberries, be sure to stop by their challenge blog and vew the DT samples. They are really gorgeous!

The two layer tag is cut with two Spellbinders dies - Mega Rectangles and the Classic Frame Frameabilities. The designer paper is from Stampin' Up! as is the Script background stamp. The image was stamped with Mememto Tuxedo Black ink on Neenah Solar White paper, sponged with More Mustard and Creamy Carmel and colored with Copic markers. The tie is some wonderful brown lace ribbon I picked up recently at Jo-Ann's and the jumbo eyelet is from SU!

Tripple Play

I made this card for three challenges - Stamp Something, which is a pink, green, yellow color combination, Delightful Sketches which is a sketch challenge and Stamp With Fun, which is to make a card using a punch or shape. My friend Wendy from Digital Delights is sponsoring the challenge there this week and you can win one of her delightful digital images so be sure to stop by and see if you can enter a card.

The image is a Sugar Nellie stamp. The base papers are from SU - Barely Banana and Certainly Celery, layered with Making Memories Brooke Paisley and American Crafts designer papers. I used Prima flowers and crystals, Nestabilities and an Autum Leaves stamp to make the ticket.

Something...old, new, borrowed and blue

I made this fancy, schmancy wedding card for the Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue challenge on the Creative Inspirations Challenge Blog where I am a guest designer for the next three months. It didn't have to be a wedding card, just to contain all those elements. However, I haven't done a wedding card in quite some time and I thought this would be a good excuse. I know it came out very fancy, but I think it will make a treasured wedding keepsake for a special bride. Another wedding theme challenge this week that I am entering is the Rosie-Dee's Challenge. Drop by her blog and see the wonderful DT samples with wedding themes.

I am also entering it in the ABC Challenge which is to use vellum. The vellum is the something old on this card. I have had the same pack of vellum since I started stamping over 8 years ago. I don't use it much, but it is handy to have around because every once in awhile it is the perfect ingredient that you need right then. On this card, the bride's wedding dress is vellum that I ran through the CB Textiles embossing folder.

Something new is the lace trim I purchased specifically for this card. Isn't it gorgeous? I actually bought one and a half yards of it because I thought I would do a matching scrapbook layout, but haven't started on it yet. It was super expensive - around $8 a yard - eek! I guess I better use it up and not have it sitting in my stash!!

The frame was cut with the Spellbinders Classic Framabilities die and then stenciled with Bashful Blue ink. The blue panel directly below the frame was cut with the Spellbinders Piercerabilities Ric Rac Scalloped Border die and then embossed with the CB Swiss Dots embossing folder. The next panel down, the white one, was embossed with one of the CB Fancy Corners embossing folders. The bride and groom stamp is from the SU To Have and To Hold set and the silver embossed flourishes are from Inque Boutique. The final embellishments are several blue Prima flowers, half pearls from KaiserCraft and round pearls from the SU Pretties Kit.

Life & Lemons

I was out of town most of last week vacationing so it has been a full week since I finished and posted a card. I was definitely having crafting and blogging withdrawal - LOL!! We are leaving again on Wednesday for another short 5-day get-away so this will be the only card for this week. Hope to be back at full steam in a week or so.

This card will be entered in multiple challenges including:

The Next Level - Buttons & Bows

Cute Card Thursday - A Stitch in Time

Charisma Cardz - Buttons

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - 3 ribbons

Pile it On - 3 different embellishments and enterd in at least one other challenge

Creative Card Crew - add ribbons

Plus a summer citrus challenge for a private group I am in.
This is a new set from Flourishes called Life, Love & Lemons. Normally I probably wouldn't buy such a limited use set, but I needed something for my papercrafters' group's summer citrus challenge. I am really happy that I made the investment. This card was so much fun to make. It was colored with Copic markers. Flourishes' blog has a great tutorial this week on coloring these lemons with Copics.

Here is the card recipe:

Stamps: Flourishes Love, Live & Lemons, SU Script

Paper: SU Patterns DSP in Always Artichoke, Barely Banana, Neenah Solar White, SU Parisian Summer DSP

Ink: Copics, More Mustard, Creamy Caramel, Tim Holtz Vintage Photo, Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories: Cuttlebug, Rectangle Nestabilities, Sizzix Top Note die, Martha Stewart edge punch, ribbon, SU button, sewing machine

Have a wonderful week!