Fun Flock!

Just tried using it for the very first time, and you know what, it is fun!




PDSS # 9: sketch
OCC: try a new technique
Embellish Magazine: green yellow, pink & peach + border(s)
Crafty Ann's: try a technique you've been shying away from (That Fun Flock has been begging me to use it for three weeks before I finally gave in.)
Color Q: melon mambo, regal rose, apricot appeal, green galore & a neutral

Anniversary Card...

...or not. Seeing as our anniversary isn't until July I might give this card to dh for no reason at all. Well, I shouldn't say no reason. The fact that he's probably going to pretend to be insulted about the fact that his pear is quite a bit chubbier than my pear will be completely worth it.



The challenge at Die Cuts R Us this week is to use up leftover Valentine's material without making it look like a Valentine. I used some heart paper as well as some leftover Cricut hearts. They weren't the colour I wanted so I just inked them up with a bit of blue ink. Much better!

Also for:

OCC Sketchs: sketch
Caardvarks: stickers (the two pears and squiggly green line)
SPCC: caramel, banana & moss (and blue right? lol Yeah, the blue just kinda snuck in there. ;-) )

Baby Card

My butt has left this chair today - honest! The two cards I made today gave me little difficulty, which is unusual for me. Plus, I'm starting to find my own "style" so I don't seem to spend as much time tyring to decide exactly what I want to do or second guessing myself when I do figure out what that is.



I seem to have an overabundance of orange paper so I thought I'd use some of it up. IMO orange is perfect for a generic baby card. I'm not a big fan of yellow and mint green together. :-)

For the following challenges:

Truly Scrumptious: sketch
Just Buggin': dry embossing (I don't have any embossing folders or plates so I just did it by hand. Hope that's okay!) - Plantin cartridge
Creative Inspirations: monochrome

Mean Dollies!

Just kidding!!! The DT over at Design Dollies sure didn't make it easy to take part in their trifecta this week. Hmmmm, guess that why it's called a challenge.



Design Dollies: orange, brown & neutral AND three circles, green, inked edges & two different knds of ribbon (middle of butterfly is actually ribbon + ribbon flower) AND sketch
Paper Sundaes: distressed
Crafty Creations: cut it out & pop it up
Tuesday Taggers: get messy (I can't seem to ink edges without ending up with ink all over my fingers!) TT is sponsored by The Craft Barn this week.
Cute Card Thursday: ribbon

Hey, look!

No, down and over.....no, over there.....no, the other way.....yeah, to the right....scroll down, scroll down.....yeah, right there.....do you see it? I actually won!!

(And as a person would rub there hand over a badge on there chest, I am doing so to my badge on my screen right.......ew!!! Gross! I need some Windex stat! Doesn't anyone ever clean this screen? Oh yeah, that would be my job.)

Thank you to the DT at Just Buggin' for picking my card as one of their Top 3. (If you want to see the card, click on the badge.)

Some cool blog candy over....

at Picture Perfect Creations. I'm a total sucker for blog candy. Pop over and check it out.

Regifting

I'm a regifter. And, not ashamed of it at all. In fact, I was a regifter before regifting became cool and environmentally friendly. I was a regifter before the word regifting was even invented. (I believe we have Seinfeld to thank for that, right?) Yep, I was a regifter when the word used to describe people who practiced the art of regifting was "cheap."

So, when I saw this stamp, I just had to have it. (The fact that it was only $3 helped too.)



So, I made this with people like me in mind.

For:

Allsorts: tag, ticket or label
Color Chef: cream, black & green
Practical Scrappers: stamps

That's one big flower!

But isn't it great?

Papertake Weekly: sketch

Get Well Card

Not much to say about this one. I kept it simple and the colours cool, don't want to make a sickie feel sicker.



For:

EBTKS: sketch
Pile It On: get well soon
If the Shoe Fits: plaid
Paper Cutz: get well
Creative Card Crew: get well soon

Birthday Card

Anyone's birthday? Anyone, anyone? Well, if it is Happy Birthday. And, oh look, here's a birthday card.



More suited for a kid or a teen and I don't think I'm getting too many of them reading my blog. So, I guess I'll just say it's for the following challenges:

CPS: sketch
Hand Full of Stamps: wishes (I hope "wish" counts!)
Caardwarks: sticker (The middle square with the red background is actually a sticker. Wish I could take credit for that cute button!)

Much Better! or Take 3

or Really, What Was I Thinking???? Okay, my last card was really buuugggggiiiinnng me. And the more I looked at it, the more I thought to myself, "You posted that on your blog and entered it in some challenges??????"

So I reworked it and I'm much happier with it now. The picture isn't very good because of the lack of natural light but, oddly enough, I was able to get a picture of the stamped heart background this try.




I'm not really sure what the etiquette is on poster's remorse. Do I remove that post entirely and delete the links from the challenges? Do I just edit the previous post to include the line, "No, no, quick! Click on this link?" Hmmm.....I'll have to think on that.

So, now it's for sketch # 41 from Limelight Papercrafts and The Play Date Cafe. (brown, red & linen)

Take 2

In hindsight, I've decided that I do not like this card because it's just plain yugly. (Yep, I had to combine that words yucky and ugly to make a new word, that's how bad I thought this card was.) So, I have deleted the card. (I have reworked it and you can see it here if you're at all interested.

I apologize to anyone who has come here for (now) nothing. To the DT members from Cute Card Thursday, OCC and Pixie Dust Studio (I entered this card in their challenges) - I'm very sorry I wasted your time. If you could please delete my link from your challenges I would be grateful. Thank you.

One lump or two?

I hopped over to a new-to-me site today, Paper Hugs & Stamped Kisses and there's a contest there for some cool blog candy. The deets are that you have to go to Paper Crafts Connection and find some inspiration, make a card and then mail the card. As soon as I saw the banner at the top of their page I had my inspiration.



Since I'm popping the card in the mail I kept it really simple.

I should also mention that I totally CASED this card from Deanna from Dee's Paper Tree. You can see her card here.

Ribbit!

As soon as I saw this week's sketch at i{heart}2stamp I knew exactly what I was going to do and what paper I was going to use. (It's usually not that easy for me!)



It also fits the challenges at EtsyInspired for this pendant and over at Belli. (dragonfly or butterfly)

Eat Cake!

Just got home from a Miche home party and thought I'd post this card as a way to unwind before bed. The purses were really cool but everytime I thought I'd buy one a little voice inside my head would say, "Wouldn't you rather spend that money on cardmaking supplies?" Yes, little voice, yes I would. ;-) So I came home Micheless.



I'm not exactly happy with the way this card photographed but I must say I love this sketch. I played around with my Cricut for this card. It's for the following challenges:

Limelight: sketch
SPCC # 35: green, orange, yellow
Fun With Shapes: spotted

Triple Threat!

For the following challenges:

Design Dollies: lavendar, gray & white (Green flowers? What green flowers? They were supposed to be lavendar!) AND in honour of a woman in my life AND sketch
Quixotic: something for Mom (It's a card from my kids)

Gosh, I really need to take a break from cardmaking (though I probably won't). That's me though, wouldn't want to be accused of doing something halfway!

Another Wedding Card

No singing this time, I don't want to jinx myself!

My husband's nephew is getting married in April so I made this for them. I don't think it's going to be the actual wedding card I give them, especially since it's just a flat card and you can't open it. His other aunts and I are gving Andrea a bridal shower in March so I thought maybe I'd get a small easel and prop it up on the gift table or something.



And, as always, it for the following challenges:

Card Patterns: sketch
Just Buggin' # 25: black & white
Crafty Ann # 8: music or love or food

Dum, dum, da, dum.....

....(and, no, I'm really not insulting anyone, notice I left off the "b") dum, dum, da, dum. I made this card a few days ago and I'm just getting it posted now. I haven't quite decided whether I think it's boring or elegant. Ah, I'll just go with elegantly boring.



Adding charms to a bow. I still feel faint.

For:

Caardvarks: wedding
Daring Cardmarkers: hearts

Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. And, yes, this time I am insulting someone - me! Turns out the Caardvarks challenge ended on the 15th! Okay, with the whole theme of this post, that's just funny.

Flower Power!

I seem to be in a flowery mood. V peace V



For the following challenges:

2Sketches 4 U: sketch (loosely based)
Allsorts: 3 2 1 (I was a bit of a browner so I went 5 punched flowers, 4 stitched buttons, 3 coloured papers, 2 rhinestones, 1 ribbon flower.)
Little Red Wagon: ribbon
No Time to Stamp: purple & green
Pile It On (again): flowers
Spoonful of Sugar: springtime
Crafty Creations: stitching (Hope we can enter more than once!)
Die Cuts R Us: no patterned paper
Pink Elephant: ribbon
Practical Scrappers: flowers
Fun With Shapes: lilac, green & white
Your Next Stamp: spring colours

Birthday Wishes

The more I look at this card, the better I like it. Wasn't too sure about it at first but it's starting to grow on me. I still feel the sentiment needs something but I've given up trying to figure out what.




Isn't that rhinestone in the middle of the flower absolutely ridiculous?

It's for the following challenges:

OCC Sketch: sketch
Embellish Magazine: pink, brown, blue & green + birthday
Paper Play: birthday
Crafty Creations: stitching
Pile It On: flowers
Penny's Paper: birthday
One Stitch at a Time: stitching

Thank You Card

I had to whip this card up fairly quick as I needed it for today.



I was almost panicking thinking that I'd be able to enter it in only a couple of challenges. (Woes me!) But then I got looking around and discovered some more that it matched. (Yipee!)

So it's for:

a lovely lady I know ;-) AND
I{heart}2 Stamp: sketch
Little Red Wagon: red with bling
Pile It On: flowers
Cupcake Craft: keep it simple
The Pink Elephant: ribbon
Clearly iStamp: glam it up
Fussy and Fancy: dazzle us

Now, I feel the need to expound about something. Fair warning first though: I have an extremely wacky, off-the-wall sense of humour, like we're talking so far off the wall that I'm standing in the middle of a jungle somewhere. So, if you do chose to read on, please do so at your own risk.

Ribbon is my nemesis. And while I do eventually get it tied to a card in what I would consider a "passable" manner, it takes me a looooooooooong time to do so. My dh was delivering this card for me so he couldn't leave until it was ready, causing him to stand over my shoulder and watch, which I can't say I enjoy, but since I was holding him up I felt I couldn't complain (at least not so he could hear me). When I know someone is intently watching me do something I tend to get a bit uncomfortable. And when I'm doing something I'm not good at I tend to get really, really flustered.

So, whilst I was tying this card's bow over and over, this scene, like a mini-play, started going on in my head:

(Setting: local coffee shop in a very small town, 2 women sitting at a table enjoying coffee)

Woman # 1: Did you hear?
Woman # 2: I did. Tragic, so tragic.
Woman # 1: And, she was so young.
Woman # 2: Yes, so young.
(General mumuring and tsking.)
Woman # 2: I never did hear all the details of how it happended.
Woman # 1: No? Well, rumour has it that she just kind of wasted away.
Woman # 2: (gasp) Really, how?
Woman # 1: Well, from what I hear she just sat at her desk tying the same piece of ribbon over and over again. She wanted to get it just perfect. You remember how particular she was.
Woman # 2: (mumur) Hmmm, yes.
Woman # 1: Yes, she just sat there and kept fussing with that ribbon. Tying and untying, pulling this loop and that loop, fixing and refixing. It got to the point that she forgot to eat, never went to sleep and eventually just.........
(Both women gaze sadly into their coffees.)
Woman # 2: Oooh, are those fresh croissants?

Maybe there's help for me out there somewhere. (Though I'm not sure which I need more help for, my ribbon tying obsession or my sense of humour.)

Cool Colours

I have to admit when I first saw the colours for the challenge at SPCC I thought, "Ew!" Then I became intrigued and tried putting something together and found out that the colour combination looks awesome.



I used the sketch PDSS # 8 from Posh Designs.

Another Valentine

I was going through my stash of cards and I realized that I hadn't yet made a Valentine's card for my oldest son. Shame on me! It's not exactly your typical Valentine, but I know he'd like this better than something dripping with pink, hearts and lace.



Of course, I had to enter it in some challenges!

Design Dollies (elements): Valentine's with no red or pink
Cute Card Thursdays: love
EtsyInspired: It was this necklace that inspired the clip on the card
OCC: something old in my stash (I've had that package of clips for awhile.)

Followers!!

I have been remiss (and, quite frankly, rude) in my duties as a blog hostess! It wasn't until last night that I noticed I have some new followers. Welcome, welcome, all of you! As, you can see there's plenty of room here. (Dee will scooch over a bit for you, won't you Dee?)

I thought I should do something to show you how much I appreciate your company, but what? Gosh *scratching head* what could I do? Hmmm........that's a toughie. Oh, wait, I've got it! I could make you a card! (Bet you didn't see that coming.)

So here it is:



Now, since I'm me, I also had to make this with some challenges in mind. They are the following:

Allsorts: get distressed including button/s and a bow
A Spoonful of Sugar: 1 patterned paper, 1 embossing, 1 ribbon, 1 button
Paper Sundaes: sketch
Crafty Creations: friends

As you can see I had some fun with my heat embossing tool by scorching the b'jeebers out of the paper and wooden flower. Had to put up with the burnt paper/wood smell for a good hour. That's okay though, nothing's too good for my peeps.

Quilled Baby Tag

I got out my quilling supplies and made this tag today. It's the first time I've ever tried stitching on a card so don't look too close!

I'm submitting it for the following challenges:

Design Dollies: ivory, kraft & green
No Time to Stamp: baby (That's why there's no stamp on this tag, I just didn't have the time. ;-) )
Quixotic: tag
Stampavie: baby

Grungy Valentine's Card

Okay, so this isn't your typical Valentine's Day card, but I like it (uh huh uh huh). It wasn't so long ago that I was a teen (no laughing!) and, to me, this card screams teen angst. You know that here's-a-Valentine's-card-for-you-that-says-love-not-I-love-you-'cause-I-don't-well-maybe-I-do-'cause-you're-like-the-only-person-in-this-screwed-up-world-that-understands-me-the-only-person-I-can-talk-to-gawd-I-hate-my-parents type of angst. You just can't get one of those cards at Hallmark.



And a close up of the flower:


Ha! I just noticed that the word "bride" is one of the most visable words on the flower. It makes my day when the completely unintentional works out like that.

Other than for my own amusement I also made this card for the following challenges:

OCC: masculine Valentine
Crafty Calendar: love & friendship + hearts
Fun With Shapes & More: hearts & stripes
Cute Card Thursday: spots & dots
Pile It On: love
C.r.a.f.t: Valentine's
Creative Card Crew: Valentine
Die Cuts r Us: love
Tuesday Taggers: love
Creative Inspirations: leftovers (cardstock scraps and newspaper)
Pixie Cottage: love
Delightful Sketches: love

Well, that's definitely the most challenges I've ever entered with one card. Hmmm...it might take me awhile to get all those links done. I guess ignoring housework will be on my agenda this afternoon!

It's a beautiful sunny morning...

but darn cold! Good day to sit by the window and, I don't know, make cards! (Well, a card, at least.) When I first saw this paper I had planned on using it to make a Valentine's card for my dd, so voilà.



I used Diedrich Dare's sketch. It also fits at Cupcake Craft (kinda)for four legged and furry, Paper Play as a loved themed card, EtsyInspired (the gorgeous pink flowers from this postcard) and Crazy 4 Challenges for a Valentine's themed card. Whew! Did I forget anyone? lol

Some thoughts

You know, I've been looking at a lot of great cards lately. I'm always so impressed with the cards with the multiple layers made with gorgeous coordinating papers, the beautifully coloured digital or stamped images, the bling upon bling. Then the wheels start turning and I say to myself, "I'm going to make one of those cards." And then I fail miserably. Even when I try not to do too much, take the mushroom card in my previous post, it's not good. Aside from the sentiment (which I love!) I look at it and think, "(short e sound)". I'm just not impressed with it, not to mention I didn't have any fun at all colouring the mushroom.

Now this card below, I have to say I like it. In fact it's definitely one of my favourites I have ever done, might just be my very fav. And it looks simple...wait not simple....brb.....it's classic, clean, subdued, refined, unfussy (thank you thesaurus.com). It's also for the following challenges:

Posh Designs Scrapbooking Store: Sketch # 7
Easy Craft Projects: Valentine's card for a man
Design Dollies: red, black + 1 other colour (white) AND vintage
Charisma Cardz: I Love You



Hmmmm...I see something that I need to fix on this card. I'm not going to say what it is in case you don't see it. :-D Know that it's now fixed but since the natural light is fast fading I'm not going to bother to change the picture.

A mushroom walks into a bar...

and the bartender says, "Hey, get out. We don't serve mushrooms here." The mushroom says, "Aw, come on. I'm a fungi!"

That's one of my favourite jokes. (Yep, I'm chuckling right now.) It's also an inspiration for this card.



Other inspirations came from:

Paper Cutz: masculine birthday card using pink
Pile It On: not winter colours
Embellish Magazine: turquoise, brown, pink + ribbon
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle: open
Dutch Dare: summer in winter

I'm Dreaming of a......

....white Christmas....wait didn't we just have one? Yes, we did but I'm getting a jump on my Christmas cards for this year. This card actually came together quicker than most of my cards do. (Remember I'm still a beginner!) Taking a picture of it was the hard part! I just couldn't seem to get a good one.



I used the sketch from Mojo Monday and the colour scheme from Charisma Cardz (white on white). It's also for Christmas Cards All Year 'Round (at least 3 hearts).