Crafty Creations Challenges #159... Who Made THAT?

This week, Crafty Creations Challenges is asking participants to go VINTAGE. While I love many things vintage, in cardmaking that's not exactly my style. But that's what a challenge is all about, right? 

Our sponsor this week is Digi Doodle Shop, and that's where my terrific focal image comes from, along with the simple tag frame around it. The background panel has a collage of images from the Paper Girl set from The Girls' Paperie (part of a blog candy win from Kary!). The base layer is a digital paper from Echo Park's For the Record pack. I recoloured it a bit in Word... I wondered if that was, um, allowed, but then decided it was no different than adding some sponging. Speaking of... I sponged! I distressed! Me! And since I distress so rarely, how can I pass up adding this to the current Do You Stack Up? challenge (DYSU#60), which is all about distressing. 
If I can do vintage, anyone can, so come join the challenge this week! 

Supplies: white cardstock, cream certificate paper, Echo Park For the Record Noteworthy digital patterned paper, Digi Doodle Shop 1920 vintage dress & frame 1 digital images, The Girls' Paperie paper girl stamps, Brilliance coffee bean ink, feathers Pin It Now!

Triple Challenge!

1. Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge

This is the latest inspiration photo Kim has posted on the Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge blog. I really like the blue stripes on the clock, so at first, focused particularly on that. After a nasty first attempt involving watercolour paper, distress inks and a stippling brush (ugh), I went with strips of blue cardstock for the background panel. The maritime theme lent itself to the little fish from the set Birthday Buddies. They are coloured with Twinkling H2Os for some shimmer... you can almost see it on the main guy in the photo!

2. CAS-ual Fridays CFC #41: Jest for the Pun of it


I can enjoy a good pun, so I knew the latest CAS-ual Fridays challenge might be for me. There are a few layers on the card, but overall, I think the design is still clean and simple. And the sentiment is a fine pun, isn't it? :P 

3. Moxie Fab World: The Cure for the Winter Blues Challenge

The Cure for the Winter Blues Challenge is inspired by the amount of navy blue seen at the recent Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) winter show. And yes, I will admit, navy is not overly prominent on this card, but after looking at some of the inspiration and other entries, I think I can sneak it in. ☺


I'll be back on Wednesday with a so-not-me card for the newest Crafty Creations Challenge!


supplies: white and various blue cardstock, Paper Smooches birthday buddies stamps, Versafine onyx black ink, clear embossing powder, Twinkling H2Os, tiara glitz Stickles, Stampin' Up basic rhinestone, pop-dot tape Pin It Now!

Flashback Friday Challenge

I discovered the latest Flashback Friday challenge thanks to my blogging friend Jen. Hosted by Amy Tsuruta, this week you are asked to look back and re-post your first black and white card. I wasn't actually sure I had any! But just over a year ago, back at the dawn of time my blog, I posted this: 

And I am pleased to say, I even still like it. :P The details, should you care, are here. 

Happy Friday! 

Pin It Now!

Two... and not TOO late!

The February Hero Arts contest has only been around for 23 days, and ends tonight, so what better time to enter? Just because it's last-minute doesn't mean I can't come up with two entries! 

Here's my friendship/hello card. How cute is that little owl? He's actually a Christmas stamp, but a little masking and paper-piecing lets him grace a non-seasonal card. His little wing-wave seemed perfect for saying hello. Yes, technically there are also die-cuts on this card, but since they're not overly original, we'll just stick with the hello theme. 

The contest this month offered three nice, simple sketches, so of course I had to take one and make it even simpler! I love this flourish-y treble clef, and it seems to lend itself to metallic heat embossing. First I took the music score part of the set, stamped it in versamark and heat-set it before embossing the clef in pale gold pearl embossing powder. And of course one of my greatest discoveries ever was finding out that you can heat-emboss vellum out of the printer! No die-cuts here -- a ticket-corner punch for the clef panel, and the sentiment tab is cut by hand.
Wish me luck! ☺


Supplies: (Hi! card) white & Stampin' Up kraft cardstock, Recollections patterned paper, green note paper, Hero Arts Do Not Open stamp, Memories black ink, Letraset rub-on letters, circle and scalloped circle Nestabilities, pop-dot tape; (Just a Note card) Stampin' Up very vanilla and old olive cardstock, vellum, Hero Arts Musical Clef stamps, Versamark ink, pale gold pearl embossing powder, Tim Holtz symphony tissue tape, Stampin' Up' ticket-corner punch Pin It Now!

Friends with Flair!

Happy Friday! If it's Friday, it must be time for Unity's Friends with Flair.

I didn't want to post my husband's Valentine before the big day -- yes, he does sometimes look at my blog! I stamped the Giving It All Meaning background, then added a layer of vellum over top to soften it a bit before putting the three hearts on top, popping up the middle one with pop dot tape. Added a red frame, and it was done! Since this has about as many layers as I ever manage, I'm going to add this to the layering challenge at DYSU (Do You Stack Up?). And I hope Simon Says Stamp and Show means it when they say "Anything Goes"!
Don't forget to check out all the other Friends with Flair inspiration over on the Unity blog. Have a great weekend! 


Supplies: white & Stampin' Up real red cardstock, vellum, Unity Giving It All Meaning & August 2010 Kit of the Month (All You Need) stamps, Versamark & Stampin' Up real red inks, clear & white embossing powder, pop dot tape Pin It Now!

Crafty Creations Challenges -- Bears, Oh My!

Sorry, no lions or tigers... but Crafty Creations Challenges would like to see your teddy bear cards this week! Show us you warm and cuddly teddy bears, and add some flocking for an extra bonus! 

No flocking here (I have mostly pinks and purples...) but how about this cute little bear from our sponsor this week, Stamp Fairy? He's coloured in Prismacolor pencils, while the balloons are coloured with Sharpies with highlights in white gel pen. The balloons and the teddy's nose have some Glossy Accents for shine, as well. 
Please join us this week for your chance to win a terrific prize! 

Supplies: white cardstock, Gina K. Jersey Shore digital patterned paper, Stamp Fairy digital image, Sharpies, Prismacolor pencils, white gel pen, Glossy Accents, corner-rounding punch Pin It Now!