I encountered a card on KittieKraft that really struck me, enough that I ran with my own version three times; I'm thinking new baby, new home, new relationship/engagement/wedding. My fav is the kraft without green version. I love these new heart rhinestones and how the light plays with them. Swoon. And the MFT frame die I got over the holidays? I cannot believe I used to cut frames by hand; it's sooooo much easier using the die. To create the dimension in the card, I only glued the grasses and fence down at the bottom. They then naturally want to stick out with a little "fluffing". For the butterflies I just squeezed their wings together then glued their thoraxes down. I only used pop dots on the cloud to better create the illusion of floating. Easy peasy. The Details: PTI white and kraft cardstock, mystery green cardstocks, Memory Box butterflies die, Marianne fence & grass, Cameo flower stems/tall grass, MFT Chalkboard Frame dies, PTI cloud die, TPC Studio Playful Expressions sentiment, Glossy Accents, foam dots, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Paper Studio embossing folder I'm entering this in Try it on Tuesday In With the New, Sentimental Sundays It's a Buggy Bug World, Sisterhood of Crafters Out with the Old In with the New, Jellypark New Beginnings, and Shopping Our Stash #133 Use Something New.

I was very excited to receive my first CAS-ual Fridays stamps so I combined them with the current CASE Study and Card Concept colors. I thought it would be fun to cut out the flower with a circle and inset it. I then mounted the panel with foam tape on the card base. I then stamped & embossed the banner sentiment in gold. You can just tell in the photo that I cut out the banner in vellum and layered it. I tried a few different colors then went with classic black for the bottom sentiment which I embossed in white. I added white Enamel Accents around the flower--I love the dimension and shine there. A few holographic gold sequins finish it off. The Details: Pop Tone Sno Cone cover stock, CAS-ual Fridays Woot Woot stamps, The Good Life 12x12 designer paper, Darice holographic gold sequins, gold embossing powder, Versamark, Stampendous detail white embossing powder, white Enamel Accents I'm entering this in CASE Study #200, Simon Says Spots & Dots, The Card Concept #14 Colors (clean and layered), Addicted to CAS #43 Celebrate

I especially like how the dots in "bright" are echoed by the background dots on this card. Plus the shine and dimensionality of the sentiment. Fab! The Details: PTI white and dark pinky cardstocks, black cardstock from old stash, Inkadinkado dotty stamp used for the background, Hero Arts Glow Girl, Memento Pear Tart and Rose Bud, Versamark, Hampton Art clear embossing powder I'm entering this in Addicted to Stamps & More #85 International Women's Day, Crazy 4 Challenges #226 Be Sentimental,

The piano card got me thinking about other easy to recreate musical instrument cards. Duh . . . xylophone. I can see using this all occasion card for a child. It's so happy and fun. Also, below you'll see the pic of the piano card officially on happy yellow. The Details: DCWV Silk Smooth Brights cardstock stack, silver brads, PTI white cardstock, Glossy Accents as glue, Hero Arts Everyday Sayings sentiment I'm entering this in the ABC Challenge C is for Colourful.

Found the flower paper sifting through my scraps so paired it with my ink spattered kraft experiment and random do-bobs. I thought it would be cool to Doppler the paper so cut it into random width strips and spread them out. The flower paper extends to the back for added interest there. The Details: Kraft card stock from old stash, mystery patterned paper, tulle from sewing stash, Heidi Grace epoxy sticker, K&Company Flora and Fauna round epoxy sticker, PTI stamped sentiments, Memento Tuxedo Black and Love Letter, Fiskars corner punch I was inspired by a Daring Cardmakers photo but I missed the deadline. I'll blame it on yesterday's sunshine! I'm entering this in Simon Wednesday Get Krafty, Seize the Birthday, Just Add Ink #202 Just Add Stripes, Shopping Our Stash #138 Oh, Shiny!, The Friday Mashup! FM147 Avery's Feeling Spritzy

Have fun launching Apollo 11 straw rockets! Free rocket template printable! This easy kids activity straw rockets craft is lots of fun!

I'm combining a couple of challenges with this one. As You Like It asks whether you lines or no lines when you color--umm, yes, lines please! I find it difficult to shade sufficiently without the lines. I do wonder how this little girl would do without lines tho. I wish there was a way to remove the lines after the fact--LOL. I was also inspired by Just Us Girls photo inspiration. It totally reminded me of country living and growing up on the farm. We raised rabbits for a time, chickens, and geese (so mean!). There was also a paddock for sheep although we didn't have any. I was excited to be trying my hand at coloring denim. Love how her jeans turned out. Someday when I have more Copics I'll recolor her with a lighter scheme and try that thing where you use the blending solution and old jeans to give the illusion of real denim. I also tried out my new Sharpie white oil-based pigment pen. I wouldn't recommend it. I get better coverage with my Sakura pen. The Details: Hammermill 80lb coverstock, Recollections 110 lb white cardstock base, MFT pierced rectangle die and Contempo Cage sentiment, Martha Stewart 12x12 designer paper, Stampavie How Sweet Are You, Copics (forgot to write them down--B21, B95, B99 for the jeans for sure) I'm entering this in As You Like It Favorite Technique: Lines or No Lines, Simply Create Too #82 Anything Goes, Just Us Girls #286 Photo Inspiration, Simon Says Anything Goes

I saw on Pinterest a paper collage on a larger scale than this and wanted to see how it would translate into an A2 card format. I love it. Definitely not an everyday card - cutting out the circles then folding into squares, playing with color placement, adding embellishments - time consuming but so worth it. Added bonus that I used up some scraps from my knitting and sewing worlds too! And I got to patch quilt without trying to shove a giant wad of fabric through my sewing machine. Those were the days. LOL. The Details: various brads and eyelets, most of the patterned paper is from a Miss Caroline Dolled Up 6x6 stack, hand-dyed wool yarn, extra sequins from a blouse, Heidi Grace epoxy dots, Hero Arts Everyday Sayings, base card stock purchased from Paper Zone years ago. I'm entering this in Simon Says Monday Patchwork Challenge and Stamplorations November Stamps & Sequins.

I was inspired by a challenge that required a fairy but I can't remember what challenge that was. And it was probably weeks ago! LOL. So spring flowers it is. One of the challenges I'm entering asks whether you prefer lines or no lines. I prefer lines because it's easier for me. I did try no lines on a vintage Holly Hobby type image that turned out well enough. I should try the technique again now that I have Copics and more experience. Again, colored with my Copics and kept really simple. A bit of Wink of Stella on the fairy wings but otherwise plain jane. The Details: Recollections 110 lb white and black cardstock, Hammermill 80lb coverstock, Copics, Papercraft Essentials Easter image, Doodlebug Design Springtime 6x6 paper, Memento Tuxedo Black, Studio G sentiment, MFT pierced rectangle die, Bazzill green cardstock I'm entering this in Simon Says Anything Goes, Addicted to Stamps & More #137 Make Your Mark, Crafter's Cafe #109 Spring Flowers, As You Like It Lines or No Lines

When I first got my set of Spectrum Noirs for my birthday in July I really wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with them--fill in a little detail here and there; maybe enhance a pre-colored image; watch them gather dust. I don't know if times (or I) have changed but, wow, there are so many fun things to color nowadays. You'll see a few Stampavie images like this sweet "Time for Apple Pie" girl making an appearance here. Lurv them! In this case, right after I got the pens I was trying a technique where you stamp the image in a light ink then color in the image so it looks softer, more like a watercolor really. Things I learned: I had to make more shading decisions (a good thing) Building up color gradually to create depth makes a huge difference (I'm quite proud of the dimension of her basket and bonnet) Don't be afraid to let the image dry and then come back to add more color Large areas of plain colors bore me (thus I added polka dots) Things I wish I had noted: how on earth did I get the shoes to look like that? All of my subsequent shoe attempts (on different images) so suck. The details: Stampavie "Time for Apple Pie", Spectrum Noir (using the basic sets, none of the 24-packs), Martha Stewart pink glittery paper, PTI cardstock (white), pink cardstock from my old stash, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, dark pink rick rack, pink velvet ribbon, Smooch (dandelions at her feet) I'm entering this in the Designed to Color Challenge #20 sponsored this week by Crafter's Companion.

I so love the texture and depth of this twist on a more traditional card. My kid sis rehabilitates the blind so we're always on the look out for things that would work well for a person who's visually impaired. Close your eyes and imagine what you'd "see": the edges where the green panel meets the red, nubbly background stars, a raised line, the shape of the tree, the texture of the washi tape, the edges where the different tapes meet, the popped up star's dotty edges and slick feel, the embossing on the sentiment. A lot to experience, no? I need to ask my kid sis if her braille machine would work with this cardstock. If not, Enamel Accents? Also, on my soapbox here, visually impaired isn't just blind. Many of us will experience degenerating sight as we age (argh) so think about those people in your life who may appreciate receiving a card with texture, larger sentiments (I specifically bought this HA set because of the sentiment sizes) and high contrast. The Details: various washi tapes, PTI Fresh Snow ink, Bazzill cardstock, Pop Tone wild cherry cardstock, Recollections white 110 lb cardstock base, Paper Studio embossing folder, Hero Arts sentiment, Little B star die, gold mirror board I'm entering this in Holly Jolly Christmas Colour Choice (red, green, white), Inkspirational #69 Shine, TIME OUT #19 Embossing (without sparkle option)

I took the one-layer card from my last post and made it into a layered card after trying to iron it flat. Next time I use this technique, I'll tape it down before I start. And how could I not do another? I love how the colors mix and change as you layer. The black edge really pulls the card together, doesn't it? I wonder if I looked back at my cards, would black be my most used card base besides white?

As I perused my ribbon collection for the current HOC Add a Bow challenge, my eye kept coming back to this stitched grosgrain ribbon. There's a lot of textural interest happening in a very simple ribbon. I immediately thought of blacktop--country roads--picnic--summer-- road trip--vacation. I embossed the cloud design first then hand cut a hill out of a scrap of the two-tone green. I adhered the ribbon down and tucked the ends under before using foam tape for the truck which I cut out of a summery gingham paper--ready for a picnic, anyone? Popping the scene panel up adds an easy design detail that packs great punch. This card really invites you to touch and examine the different layers while still remaining quite CAS. Love! The Details: Papertrey Ink white cardstock, PopTone Black Licorice cardstock, Offray ribbon, Darice embossing folder, My Favorite Things You Move Me sentiment, Versamark Onyx Black, Martha Stewart gingham cardstock, Memory Box car die, 3M foam tape, Scotch ATG tape, Gelly Roll white pigment pen (hubcaps) I'm entering this in Tuesday Throwdown #203 Have a Picnic, Try it on Tuesday Colours of Summer, Friday Mashup #168 It's Summer Y'all, Fab n' Funky #223 Feels Like Summer, Addicted to CAS #42 Sky,

I didn't think I was going to get any crafting time in this weekend--what a busy one! I managed to squeeze in time to play along at CASology since there were so many possibilities. I paired that with the ATC Gold challenge and use a cool new comic book inspired stamp set. First, I spritzed the cardstock with Shimmer Mist. I then stamped the image in VersaMark then embossed in gold. I kept going with the gold and sponged gold pigment ink using a sunburst die I had cut using the Cameo. The sentiment fit perfectly within the speech bubble die. I added the sequins for just a little extra bling--they're nearly transparent with gold flakes And finally I mounted on a gold cardstock that reminds me of snakeskin and again on black. Glam sparkles make me happy! The Details: Brilliance Galaxy Gold, Versamark, gold embossing powder, VersaFine Onyx Black, Penny Black speech bubbles, PTI white cardstock, foam tape, Glossy Accents, Fiskars Kapow! sentiment, Inkadinkado In the Groove stamp, Recollections embossed gold designer paper, PopTone Black Licorice cardstock base I'm entering this in Addicted to CAS #44 Gold, Simon Says Make it Sparkle, CASology #107 Stripe, Penny Black Anything Goes

Love. This. So. Much. The image is pretty big so that didn't leave me a lot of room to add embellishments--for the best. The simple washi tape frame added just enough interest to that dark lime paper. I also liked what happened with the embossing powder. I had intended a more solid black but the way it beaded up looks way realistic for a poppy. Any suggestions for a black embossing powder that doesn't bead up so (this one is Zing)? As a final touch I added a little lime embossing powder to the buds and a dot of Beads in a Bottle to the flower on Lulu's hair. The Details: Stamping Bella Lulu Loves Poppies (and so do I :), green cardstock from old stash, Hammermill Color Copy 80lb Photo White Cover Stock, Spectrum Noir (sorry, didn't note colors at the time), Tulip metal beads in a bottle (center of flower on her headband), Zing embossing powder, washi tape, PTI white cardstock for base card I'll be entering this in the following: Designed to Color Use a Die #21, Love Rubberstamps Challenge Anything Goes #72, Seize the Birthday Anything Goes, and Simon Wednesday Going Dotty.

I swear is there nothing you can't get at Costco? I was there this past weekend and discovered they had a We R Memory Keepers washi tape dispenser and 20 rolls of washi in fall/retro colors for $20. 20 rolls! See Card 4 for examples. Also the bold black honeycomb and Greek key in cards 1 and 3. The others are tapes that I got from Etsy a while back. Anyway, obviously I had washi on the brain when I got home plus recall that I had been running low on thank you cards. I was toying around with placement, liked how the washi looked on the slant and just ran with it . . . 4 times. This would make a really cool gift set, dontcha think? Card 1 Details: PTI white and Pop Tone Black Licorice card stock, the 2 dark black washi are We R Memory Keepers, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Inkadinkado Thank You Words Card 2 Details: Inkadinkado Thank You Words, Bazzill Icy Mint and Pop Tone Black Licorice card stock, Darice embossing folder, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Martha Stewart mini scoreboard Card 3 Details: PTI white card stock, Stampabilities sentiment, We R Memory Keepers washi (the dark ones), Memento Tuxedo Black ink Card 4 Details: PTI white card stock, Inkadinkado Thank You Words, We R Memory Keepers washi, Stazon, Martha Stewart mini scoreboard I'm entering cards 1-3 in the CASology #68 Black challenge, card 4 in the Crazy for CAS #30, and all of the cards in Catered Crop Washi Recipe Swap and Simon Says Monday Challenge Anything Goes.

The other day I mentioned I loved the sequin baby card from Lucy's Cards and planned to play around with the concept. Play I did. I loooooove sequins (anything sparkly for that matter--I'm a total magpie). The fall blend I had really spoke to me, especially at this time of year. Rainy and dreary days are coming to us in Seattle so I better soak up the color as much as I can. Even with the sequins it seems a little plain so I decided to emboss it. Now see the third pic with the yellow (think more maize yellow; this is too 70s pumpkin)? My eye kept being drawn to the yellow instead of to the sequin tree so I switched to a more subtle color. It made such a difference. I also like that I have three layers. That thin dark background mat really anchors the card. Hmm, what else? Oh, I tried spray adhesive for the sequins but it just wasn't strong enough so I went with a solid sheet of Scor Tape. Muchas better. And I didn't have a thankful stamp so I printed it with my laser printer and cut it into a little banner. On top of all this card-making crafty joy, this design also satisfies my love of salvaging/reusing since I'm using the negative of the die cut here but the tree itself in the card below. Yes, two cards in one day! And I have the urge to start another. There really is a Santa Claus, Virginia! This one is actually in response to a challenge from my kid sister. We've set challenges for ourselves for the following this weekend: window frame, Autumn, get well, dog, and Kenny K. They can be combined, repeated, whatever but all have to be used in some way by Sunday at 6pm. This card satisfies the window and Autumn part; I may even use it for the get well but am leaning toward a dog for that one. You've been served, girl!! I'll be entering the sequin card in the CAS-ual Friday Colors and a Leaf Challenge and the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge. You still have time to enter the challenges so do it. It's totally fun! Added: Turns out you can't enter more than 1 card if it's in the same post. Drat! The Details: Memory Box Madison small window and Arboscello tree Spectrum Noir TB1, TB2, TB3, CT4, OR1, TN7 & TN8 PTI Dark Chocolate and white paper Heirloom "antiquity" paper Paper Studio leaves embossing folder Ranger Glossy Accents Martha Stewart glitter (added to cover any open spots between sequins) autumn-color solid papers I got at Ben Franklin's in a mystery paper pack

This weekend my kid sis and I tried our hand at the Northern Lights technique in the latest Splitcoast Stampers newsletter. My attempt was abyssmal. Truly. However, my kid sis had fab results. So jealous. I kept the ink out and played around with the OLC concept again. I have to say that one-layer cards are quicker than my usual layered stuff but way inkier. I so need to keep disposable gloves in my craft room. For this card I randomly inked the squares using pigment ink. I then used a complementary blue to help visually pop the letters off of the squares. Dimension without foam dots! Cool! The Details: PTI white cardstock and Square Prints stamps, Hero Arts letter stamps, Brilliance Rocket Red Gold and Sunflower Yellow, Colorbox Cranberry, and VersaMagic Sea Breeze. I'm entering this in Less Is More OLC #145 Thanks, CAS on Sunday #21 OLC, and Simon Says Wednesday Clean & Simple.

P/K Lifestyles Mulri-Purpose Maddox Embroidery celery by P/K Lifestyles | Joann x Ribblr

As promised here is another card for the current House of Cards challenge. My previous post featured the color palette card. As you can see from the two cards, there are a lot of different things you can do with the inspiration pic. So get craftin' and join us! :) The Details: Recollections 110lb white cardstock base, Tim Holtz watercolor paper, Paper Studio vellum, Versamark, Memory Box Fresh Foliage, Dancing Butterflies and Rhone Butterfly Wings dies, Glossy Accents, Ranger gold embossing powder, Kuretake watercolors #63 and 64, MFT Inspired by Butterflies sentiment I'm entering this in Mod Squad Tic Tac Toe (embossing, diecut, coloring), Virginia's View #14 Layers & Dimensions, Fab n' Funky #253 Lots of Layers

For this wedding card I wanted to go gender-neutral, modern and yet traditional at the same time for a couple who are getting married next week. I spattered a variety of Distress Inks in the general shape of a tree top, used a bit of ink and clear water to create the idea of leaves then added a few limbs and the trunk. The sentiment I stamped in two shades of Memento. I then mounted the image on a pale gray cardstock and mounted that on a darker gray-green A7 cardstock which is a style of photo matting that I love. The Details: Tim Holtz Distress Inks and watercolor paper, PTI Soft Stone cardstock and Mighty Oak sentiment, Memento Rich Cocoa and Love Letter, Stampin' Up Versatile Verses sentiment inside, Bazzill Basics Rock Candy cardstock I'm entering this in Allsorts #270 Favorite Things (watercolor!!!), Time Out #11 Celebrations, AAA #14 Watercolors

I had so very much fun with this design. I hope the ice cream cone reminds you of a bullhorn! I took my PTI cloud dies and cut them out of pink then embossed them to create the ice cream (mmm, strawberry). Then I hand cut the cone from scrap and embossed with a chicken wire folder. The sentiment is from Riley & Company which has a bunch of funny ones. I'm going to keep this card in my stash and use it for a birthday, just because or apology. Versatile! The Details: PTI white & kraft cardstock and cloud dies, Riley & Company sentiment, Cuttlebug swirl embossing folder, Lifestyle Crafts chicken wire embossing folder, Memento Tuxedo Black, My Favorite Things stitched rectangle die I'm entering this in CASology #89 Joke, Cardz for Guys #12 Make Us Laugh, All Sorts #252 Use Those Dies, Alphabet Challenge D for Diecuts, Make My Monday One for the Boys, Addicted to Stamps and More! #89 CAS also entering this in Cuttlebug Mania Make Us Smile

Hello! I took a much needed break from everything that wasn't a book, tv, paper or food over the last few. It has been gooooood. But that's not the only thing I'm excited about. I've made a card inspired by the current Runway Inspired Challenge AND completed it in time to enter! Like I said, vacation = good. In the challenge pic, I was drawn to the color (one of my favs), textures, silhouette, and sunglasses. I used a silver shimmer paper embossed with branches/grass to mimic the runway itself, the same paper for the "belt" sentiment, glossy white paper behind the curved green circles panel inspired by the model's silhouette, and black sequins based on the sunglasses. You can just barely tell from the photo that some of the green circles are glittery--gotta have some glam for the runway! The Details: PTI white card stock base, Paper Studio Uptown Flair designer card stock, Canson Effects paper in Cyber Gray, SMART Kromekote Plus Glossy cover stock, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Stampendous Counting Birthdays stamp, StazOn Jet Black ink, and Craft Medley black sequins. I'm entering this in Runway Inspired Challenge #50 Matthew Williamson, Seize the Birthday, CASology #76 Party, CAS-ual Fridays CFC 124 Happy New Year, Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Bling It On, The Male Room Celebration, and CAS on Sunday #24 Happy New Year.

I'm ready for spring, aren't you? I keep looking out the kitchen window wondering if I should get a start on plucking out those pesky unwanted plants in the garden; it's still too cold and wet but a few more degrees warmer and you know where I'll be. Since I'm stuck inside, I've been practicing the watercoloring of flowers. Most of them end up in the bin but I think this one a bit more successful--not as overworked--but also more realistic than I really wanted. I'll keep at it! I do like how the brick background I did freehand turned out. I guess that's what I want out of my watercoloring sometimes--more a suggestion of an object/image. The Details: Gansai Tambi watercolors, Distress Inks Tea Stain, VersaFine Onyx Black, Hampton Art clear embossing powder, vellum, PSX Iris Botanical K-040, Hero Arts With Sympathy sentiment I'm entering this in Simon Says Wednesday Something New (iris stamp) and Without Words Dreaming of Spring

I started thinking about this card back when a stamp company released a set of Art Deco Stamps and had a blog hop (for the life of me I cannot remember the company--argh). I used my Cameo to cut strips from PTI white card stock, then did it again in Pop Tone Sno Cone and inlaid those, using a scrap of paper glued on the back for stability. I then used a Lifestyle Crafts die for the circle (Bazzill in red) and Spellbinders for the rectangle. Talk about covering my die bases! It's all popped up to add shadow interest to the chevron paper (The Good Life 12x12 pad) and Inkadinkado Thank You Words sentiment. I mounted it on Pop Tone Black Licorice card stock. I'm entering this thank you card in the Crazy for CAS sketch #31 and Simon Says Wednesday Clean & Simple. Note to self: thermometer, barometer. Update: It was Waltzingmouse that released the Art Deco designs.

Hello! Time for another Great Impressions card for you. I love how this turned out. Lots of white space but full of texture that works so well with the E149 Said the Butterfly sentiment stamp, don't you think? I added a few tiny butterflies for a jot of color and used a dark blue ink for the sentiment rather than my usual black. See you next week with another GI design! Toni Don't forget about the GI monthly challenge! You don't have to use GI stamps but it'd be totally awesome if you did! Also, if you do use GI stamps, be sure to link up to the customer gallery to show us your fabulous work and for a chance to get a little year-end prize.

This card was so fun to make. My partner is a silly dork whose love of me, donkeys and squirrels knows no bounds. Like I said, silly. I definitely tailored this card to him. Ridiculous donkey on a wobble on his fav color. I wish Valentine's Day were tomorrow I so want to give it to him now now now! Fun fact: the carrots are washi tape. I was originally going to sew carrots (tapered zigzag stitch) then discovered I didn't have anything even close to orange thread. The Details: Spectrum Noir EB5, EB6, IG3, IG4, BG4, BG5, EB1, EB2, CR2, GB1, GB3; Paper Source Chartreuse cardstock, Bazzill Soft Stone cardstock, Hero Arts Operation Write Home sentiments, Papercraft Essentials image, Memento Tuxedo Black and Love Letter, Stazon Black, washi tape, Martha Stewart branches punch, MFT Pierced Circle Die I'm entering this in Simon Wednesday Let's Have a Laugh, Sentimental Sunday #191 Lovey Dovey, Pink Elephant TPE235 Love, Dream Valley #74 No Designer Paper, OLLCB #148 A Man Card, Crafter's Cafe #47 Very Funny, Totally Gorjuss #220 Furtastic, Totally Papercrafts #203 One for the Boys, Charisma Cardz #2 It's a Boy Thing, Card Makin Mamas #79 Move It! and Twisted Tuesday #68 Give Me a T.A.P.E (alcohol markers).

I was so excited to learn that I was given a shout out for this past Festive Friday whimsical challenge. Woo hoo! I entered a few times but it was that cute cute penguin card that won. I want to thank the gals over at FFC for the shout out and for running the challenge. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I made this thank you card during the same card making week as the challenge--kismet? I so need to make more thank you cards--nearly out! The Details: Red rickrack, red transparent sequins, American Crafts PP, Bazzill Basics paper in Rock Candy, Pop Tone paper in Sno Cone, glossy accents, PTI sentiment, and Penny Black speech bubbles die. I'm entering this in (CAS)e this Sketch! #51, Penny Black Anything Goes, and Wordplay Saturday Anything Goes.

Here's my second, and last minute, entry into the Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. A little bit of Copic coloring and lots of layers well outside my norm left me a card I really like. Also, I airbrushed around the mug with Copic BG11 and the Master Airbrush compressor I got at Xmas. I was prepared to have to buy couplers and who knows what all else to get the Copic gun and the compressor to play nice but it fit together from day 1. Woo hoo! I'd highly recommend this compressor. It's compact and nearly silent which was a must for me. Plus, it's so much more economical than those little air cans that last a lot less than you think they will, trust me. The Details: Impression Obsession Smell the Coffee stamp, Copic BG11, BG13, Y11, Y15, Y19, YR07, DCWV Cafe Mediterranean paper stack, Recollections 110lb cream card stock base, hemp twine, Glossy Accents, Simon Says stitched rectangle die, Lawn Fawn Tag You're It die, Memento Tuxedo Black I'm also entering this in Simon Says Girly

Learn how to make cloud dough in just a few minutes with this 3 ingredient recipe!

I swear is there nothing you can't get at Costco? I was there this past weekend and discovered they had a We R Memory Keepers washi tape dispenser and 20 rolls of washi in fall/retro colors for $20. 20 rolls! See Card 4 for examples. Also the bold black honeycomb and Greek key in cards 1 and 3. The others are tapes that I got from Etsy a while back. Anyway, obviously I had washi on the brain when I got home plus recall that I had been running low on thank you cards. I was toying around with placement, liked how the washi looked on the slant and just ran with it . . . 4 times. This would make a really cool gift set, dontcha think? Card 1 Details: PTI white and Pop Tone Black Licorice card stock, the 2 dark black washi are We R Memory Keepers, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Inkadinkado Thank You Words Card 2 Details: Inkadinkado Thank You Words, Bazzill Icy Mint and Pop Tone Black Licorice card stock, Darice embossing folder, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Martha Stewart mini scoreboard Card 3 Details: PTI white card stock, Stampabilities sentiment, We R Memory Keepers washi (the dark ones), Memento Tuxedo Black ink Card 4 Details: PTI white card stock, Inkadinkado Thank You Words, We R Memory Keepers washi, Stazon, Martha Stewart mini scoreboard I'm entering cards 1-3 in the CASology #68 Black challenge, card 4 in the Crazy for CAS #30, and all of the cards in Catered Crop Washi Recipe Swap and Simon Says Monday Challenge Anything Goes.

I have to admit when I borrowed the SU Awesomely Artistic set from Tonya , I had no idea what I would do with it. I like the idea of ...

I encountered a card on KittieKraft that really struck me, enough that I ran with my own version three times; I'm thinking new baby, new home, new relationship/engagement/wedding. My fav is the kraft without green version. I love these new heart rhinestones and how the light plays with them. Swoon. And the MFT frame die I got over the holidays? I cannot believe I used to cut frames by hand; it's sooooo much easier using the die. To create the dimension in the card, I only glued the grasses and fence down at the bottom. They then naturally want to stick out with a little "fluffing". For the butterflies I just squeezed their wings together then glued their thoraxes down. I only used pop dots on the cloud to better create the illusion of floating. Easy peasy. The Details: PTI white and kraft cardstock, mystery green cardstocks, Memory Box butterflies die, Marianne fence & grass, Cameo flower stems/tall grass, MFT Chalkboard Frame dies, PTI cloud die, TPC Studio Playful Expressions sentiment, Glossy Accents, foam dots, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Paper Studio embossing folder I'm entering this in Try it on Tuesday In With the New, Sentimental Sundays It's a Buggy Bug World, Sisterhood of Crafters Out with the Old In with the New, Jellypark New Beginnings, and Shopping Our Stash #133 Use Something New.

Hello! It's time for more inspiration for you from Great Impressions! Today also marks the start of the CRAFT sketch challenge that we're sponsoring. Be sure to link up your card here as well as there if you use the sketch! Here I used the D445 Patience sentiment. Isn't it fab? I die cut some leaves out of watercolored scraps and used a tree die to create a little Autumn scene. The green faux ribbon acts as ground as well as a nice way to focus on the sentiment in the bottom panel. See you next week! Don't forget about the GI monthly challenge! You don't have to use GI stamps but it'd be totally awesome if you did! Also, if you do use GI stamps, be sure to link up to the customer gallery to show us your fabulous work and for a chance to get a little year-end prize.

We had our first hard frost yesterday so winter is officially upon us. Time to put the rest of my garden to bed. I'll be spending time this weekend cutting down my dahlias and mums which had been blooming like crazy. They've bloomed so long this year there will hardly be any flowerless days for me with the camelia ready to bloom in the next couple of weeks. Yay! I made this card while my kid sis was visiting last month. I just taped the stencil down then sponged away. I tried masking the deer but didn't like the effect so put a die-cut deer on top. The Details: Memory Box deer trio, Memento Dandelion, London Fog, Coffee Bean, and Tangelo, sponge dauber, removable tape to mask, PTI white card stock

It has been a coon's age since I used my watercolor pencils. Fun! This weekend I plan to try coloring on kraft using the pencils. As pencils, not watercolor, as I'll be using regular card stock. Does kraft watercolor paper exist? The Details: Penny Black Blooming Garden, Hero Arts Everyday Sayings, Aquarelle watercolor paper, Memento Rich Cocoa & Tuxedo Black, Environment Green Tea cover stock, Derwent watercolor pencils, trim from sewing stash, My Mind's Eye "My Favorite Things" 6x6 paper, Cuttlebug embossing folder I'm entering this in Whoopsi Daisy Favorite Color Combo (muted orange), Incy Wincy Designs Add Texture, Simon Wednesday Challenge Emboss It, Tuesday Throwdown #178 Stripes, Without Words Spots and/or Stripes, and CAS(E) this Sketch! #60.

Vespas are ever so cute, aren't they? Like shrink it down and carry it your purse cute. Augh! For this card, I went in a totally different direction than I intended. Love that. I still have the other idea rolling in my head so it's like I got 2 cards for the idea of one. Hee hee--rolling. When I saw the new Curtain Call challenge I wanted to do two things: 1) play with the word smitten (I'm thinking of giving this to my boyfriend who I am still smitten with after all these years) and the colors of the inspiration photo and 2) pull out my knitting and make a hat. The fair isle technique pictured is my favorite. Ha! I knew I had a pic of my favorite toddler hat creation called Jest. I plan to offer this one for sale some day. I don't use a pattern when I knit my hats so writing up my patterns can be a chore (I also don't take many notes). I love making them up as I go. Just like card making! The Details: PTI white card stock, Pop Tone Gumdrop Green solid card stock, DCWV White Ginger 12x12 designer paper, Memento Love Letter and Rose Bud, black Sharpie, Heidi Swapp stencil, Stampabilities sentiment, MFT You Move Me scooter I'm entering this in Sentimental Sundays #187 Pick a Previous Challenge (Love is in the Air), Curtain Call Smitten, Less is More #151 Any Past Challenge (#133 Round & Round), and Keep It Simple #30 Anything Goes.

This month at the House of Cards we ask you to use a butterfly and/or our color palette. I did both--no, no, not on the same card--your eyes are not deceiving you! Honestly I had no intention of using the color palette but while I was coloring these strawberries unrelated to the challenge, it occurred to me how easy it would be to incorporate all those colors. Dude! I love it! And now I want some yummy strawberries, my favorite fruit! Do play along with us this month. There are soooooooooooo many possibilities--who knew?!. I can't wait to see what you come up with! And do also stop by the blogs of my teamies. Always such fab creations to inspire us! Barbara Cohenna Cornelia Daen'Ys Dana Donna N. Donna T. Emily Gracie Judy Katy Lilian Linda Lorry Merethe Michele Monika Mrs Duck Pat Rocky Ruza Sue Tammy Toni -- you are here! The Details: Recollections 110lb white cardstock base, Paper Studio vellum, Memory Box Fresh Foliage die, Simon Says stitched square die, PSX G-1301 stamp, Gmund Savanna Limba 111lb coverstock (woodgrain), navy pinstripe cardstock from Ben Franklin's years ago, Copic R22, R24, R27, R29, R39, YG61, YG63, YG67, B21, B23, B26, BG01, B0000, T1, N3, Y11, Y21, Y19, Y35, E30 I'm entering this in Fusion Cupcake (sketch and bright yellow),

This didn't turn out like I had in my head. I wonder if it's the ink. I used an ink from like 10 years ago called Ancient Page. It's amazingly juicy considering I haven't used it in a coon's age. Darn it all. Now that I look at it, it says it's waterproof. Um, could that be why it didn't blend as well as I imagined. ;-P I'll definitely have to try this card again. I like the layout and using one stamp to create the look of a full bouquet. The butterflies? I added those on after I decided I didn't like the enamel dots I'd put on there. Lesson: enamel dots are surprisingly hard to rip off and trying to watercolor over the boo boos just doesn't cut it because those areas act like ink sponges. Thus, butterflies. Also, I like how the 1" wide flat brush works when applying a background wash. The Details: Penny Black Blooming Garden stamp, Ancient Page and Distress Inks, Memory Box butterflies, Tim Holtz watercolor paper, painter's tape to mask the edges I'm entering this in Colour Q #242, Paper Players #193 Ann's CAS Floral, Charisma Cardz #11 May Flowers

I found this skate stocking among the stickers my kid sister gifted me from her stash and was immediately drawn to the vintage style and colors. I had picked up the linen background paper on clearance and hadn't realized it was one of those with a different colored core so when the embossing folder "broke" it I was pleasantly surprised; I just rubbed it a bit more to bring out the blue even further. I then used the Big Splash die upside down with shimmery paper to evoke blustery wind. The Details: Darice embossing folder, Memory Box Big Splash die, PTI white card stock, Fiskars sentiment inside, I'm guessing a Jolee's sticker I'm entering this in Festive Friday Vintage, Shopping Our Stash #129 Holiday/Winter, Simon Says Wednesday Anything Goes, Christmas Cards All Year 'Round Stocking, Christmas Card Challenge No Stamping and Stampin' Royalty #204 Winter.

Time for another fab challenge over at House of Cards! This time you just need to use a die or a punch. Can it be any easier than that? I don't thinnnnnk so! Also, be sure to check out Minn's tutorial. I love, love, love her card--look how she created the pumpkins out of circles and ovals. Super genius! With my card I use two different dies--one die to cut out the square and another to create an impression of the tree. Cool, huh? The Details: Spectrum Noirs EB2, EB3, CR3, CR7, DR3, CG2, DG3, PTI Mighty Oak Die, Jillibean Fresh Vegetable Soup sentiment, Recollections white 110 lb cardstock, Neenah Solar White 80 lb, Versamark, Stampendous Detail Black embossing powder, Deep Red apple stamp Edited to add: My Favorite Things Stitched Square die, Sakura white pigment pen I'm entering this in Time Out 15 Stamping with Optional Twist of Apples, Crafter's Cafe 84 Punches or Diecuts, and Virginia's View #8 CAS

Clean and layered for today's card. It seems so fussy with that ribbon compared to my usual, huh? I started out coloring the image then figured out the sentiment and layout. This is my usual modus operandi. I love the final product. Reminds me of the farm. The Details: Deep Red Apple Harvest stamp, PTI Mighty Oak sentiment, mystery designer paper, PTI 140 white and 110lb kraft cardstock, Hammermill color copy cardstock, Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics I'm entering this in Curtain Call Orchard, Simon Says Wednesday Tie It Up, Sunday Stamps SSC107 Color Inspiration

I am still so loving Chubby Chums (I'm not fat--I'm big-boned!). These cards are going to two sisters as they head back to school so I wanted them to be alike enough to reduce competition but different enough to be uniquely her own. For each card I used painter's tape to create a frame before sponging. For the hills I cut a curve in a piece of scrap and sponged away. Next, I took a Spellbinders scalloped circle die and cut out a make shift cloud mask to sponge the clouds. For the bird card, I wanted a very fresh, clean and girly look so I chose to emboss the bird and Hero Arts sentiment in white. I was very pleased the sentiment remained easy to read. I colored the bird in Spectrum Noirs and fussy cut it out, lopping off the bow on its head and using twine for that instead. I then mounted the bird on a branch cut out of scrap. I wanted an edgier look for the dog card so used Versafine Onyx Black and clear embossing powder for the dog. I then colored him in a bright purple and gave him some brindling with white speckles. I wanted the sentiment to pop too so used a speech bubble. The Details: PTI white cardstock, Spectrum Noirs (bird: BP1, BP2, CT2, CT4, OR1) (dog: PL2, PL3, IB3), Stampendous Detail White embossing powder, Hampton Art clear embossing powder, VersaFine, VersaMark, Memory Box branch die, Hero Arts MX261 sentiment, Paper Smooches Chubby Chums, foam tape, baker's twine (white strand only), Distress Ink Tumbled Glass, Memento Pear Tart, mask made from Spellbinders Scalloped Circle die, Marianne fence die, Penny Black speech bubble die, Sakura white pigment pen I'm entering these in Paper Smooches Anything Goes, Hero Arts One Layer, Fab 'n' Funky Walk on the Wild Side, Time Out #11 Celebrations, Penny Black Anything Goes

The piano card got me thinking about other easy to recreate musical instrument cards. Duh . . . xylophone. I can see using this all occasion card for a child. It's so happy and fun. Also, below you'll see the pic of the piano card officially on happy yellow. The Details: DCWV Silk Smooth Brights cardstock stack, silver brads, PTI white cardstock, Glossy Accents as glue, Hero Arts Everyday Sayings sentiment I'm entering this in the ABC Challenge C is for Colourful.

I was cleaning up my craft space--okay, "cleaning" is too strong a word--clearing an opening is more accurate--when I ran across the PTI hexagon stamps I used a few days ago. Of course, I got sidetracked and started playing around. Happy country girl sigh. There is just something so nostalgic for me with this card--mini patterned hexagons, cheesecloth, crochet thread, even the ol' red, white and blue. I also enjoyed letting my inner child run amok splattering ink everywhere. Whee! I'll be entering this in the Less is More Felt or Fabric Challenge 138 as well as the current Seize the Birthday Challenge. The Details: Memento Danube Blue and Bahama Blue, PTI hexagon and Happy Birthday stamps, PTI white cardstock, red cardstock from my old stash, mystery button, crochet thread from my doily-making stash, cheesecloth from my kitchen Currently listening to Duck Sauce.

I tried my hand at a couple of different bokeh methods this past weekend. In this case I tried to evoke a Christmas tree behind the zombie by using an eraser to create dots. It helps if you squinch your eyes. Can you believe this is a card a coworker requested for his young niece? I hadn't realized zombie popularity spanned the generations; I'm feeling rather hip now! Even so I tried to make this guy zombie cute rather than zombie chomp although the "merry" makes me think of bullet holes--aim for the head, you fool! The Details: Stamper's Anonymous Zombie Birthday stamp, mystery green card stock from old stash, Memento Pistachio, Bamboo Leaves, Pear Tart, and Love Letter, Colorbox Cranberry pigment ink ("bright"), Spectrum Noirs, Memory Box die, Hero Arts Glow Girl and You & Me stamps, Pentel Clic Erase I've had forever I'm entering this in Addicted to Stamps & More #73 Any Holiday, Shopping Our Stash #129 Holiday or Winter, Incy Wincy Designs For the Men in Your Life, Designed to Color #23 Christmas/Winter, Festive Friday Final 2013 Challenge Merry, Penny Black Anything Goes, Inkspirational #44 Anything Goes, and Cards for Men #24 Anything Goes. Currently listening to: annoying buzzing sound from computer and my cat cutely snoring. Oh, plus tinkling water from Yurtle the Turtle's tank.

Today marks a new challenge at House of Cards where we ask you to incorporate stitching into your design. Come join us! I used a stitched die as well as a stamp with stitching, keeping it really simple. I surprised myself by liking the background designer paper. I initially was planning to use a black and white stripe but this seemed very fresh and happy. The Details: PTI Movers & Shakers sentiment, Great Impressions Stitched Flowers, mystery DP, Copics, Doodlebug Designs sequins, Versamark, Stampendous detail fine black embossing powder, Memento Tuxedo Black, Simon Says stitched rectangle die

Bright and fun Easter cards for my niece and nephew. One more card to make for another nephew and off they go in the mail. These are wobbles which I hope will entertain the kids as much as they entertain me. The Details: Papercraft Essentials images, Doodlebug Designs Springtime 6x6 paper, Memento Tuxedo Black, wobbles, MFT pierced oval and pierced circle dies, Recollections 110 lb white cardstock base, Hammermill 80lb coverstock, Lil' Inker Funny Bunny sentiment, Lawn Fawn Happy Easter sentiment, Copics I'm entering this in Just Add Ink #255 Eggs or Ovals, Simply Create Too #81 Easter or Bunnies, Fab 'n' Funky #251 Spring into Color, Curtain Call Jelly Bean