Plant Smiles

Plant Smiles. Grow Laughs. Harvest Love.
Wow. Amazing. My new words to live by! This entry is for the latest and greatest sketch challenge at Caardvarks. So much fun. I started with my only paper pack from a couple of years ago because it had the general feel of the top layout on the sketch, then added the chipboard rings attached with ribbon. I originally had the ribbon on the bottom but by chance my little three year old with his sticky fingers got in my craft area and turned things around. Then I saw a Window Box with grass growing! My dear husband then wanted to add to the card by stating that I should make a tomato plant, not sure where that came from, but it lead to the idea of adding the crystals for something growing. I like crystals better than a tomato plant. I then added the sentiment on the bottom part to tie it together.

Supplies Used: Bo Bunny DSP, SU Chipboard, CTMH Cardstock, CTMH Treasure Life Stamp Set, SU Paper Piercer, SU Chocolate Chip Ink, Color Box Chalk Ink in Creamy Brown, Basic Gray Filing Set, Zva Creative Crystals

A Little Birdie

My masked little birdie decided to land on another background, a bit softer and more winterlike. (Drat, I couldn't find the original bird mask that I had made so I replicated it again.) I loved the bit of green poking through, and the white bird surrounded by the chocolate-ness of the twigs, the image itself was a beautiful choice for the Moxie Fab's Tuesday Trigger Inspiration Challenge. (This is my first card made a quite a while ago.)

Here's the Goods: SU Very Vanilla Cardstock, SU Chocolate Chip Ink and Marker, Colorbox Chalk Ink in Creamy Brown, SU Satin Ribbon, SU Chitchat Rubon, SU Woodgrain Stamp, Making Memories Printed Flower and Button, Daisy D's Silk Flower, Brown Twine, Fiskar's Corner Rounder Punch

The Gem Dog

Having visited each of the design team member's for the Jacksonbelle Blog Hop I was inspired by the many patterned papers most of them used in ONE card. Now its been a while since I have purchased a whole coordinating paper pack so I don't have any on hand, but still I wanted to stretch myself and try the same thing. I found two patterns in the colors for the Flourish's Timeless Tuesday Challenge (use black, yellow and a color of your choice) and used the Jacksonbelle Blog Hop sketch to create this modern (?) card. The dog stamp was a bit more intricate than I anticipated so working it with was a challenge as well. The gems on the dog are colored with pencils and then topped with crystal effects. I also wanted to keep the general card flat enough so that I don't have to pay for extra postage should I decide to mail it out.

Here's the Goods: Yellow and Black Cardstock, DCWV Patterned Paper, Me & My Big Ideas DPS, Inkadinkadoo Gem Stone Dogs Stamp Set, SU Birthday Best, Black Stazon Ink, SU Watercolor Pencils, Crystal Effects, Black Brads

Paperclip Hearts

Kristina Werner posted on her blog a year or so back on how to create these paperclip hearts...do you agree with me that they are a fun and simple embellishment for a Valentine's card? The quarky sentiment is computer generated, the black cardstock is folded ruffles and I pierced a line of dots on the bottom. The sketch is from 2S4Y and the colors are based off the Embellish Magazine Challenge. I'll be sending this card to the Cards for St. Jude project. It might not be the littlest of kid friendly, but one would think that older kids are cured at the hospital too. You've got to work with what you have on hand, or at least I do because my craft area is a closet!

Here's the Goods: Target Notecard, SU DSP, Black and White Cardstock, Fiskars Scallop Edge Punch, SU Mat Pack, Paperclips

L.O.V.E.

There are a lot of things that I L.O.V.E. in this world...I'm a very blessed person to have THAT many things in my life. I created this clean and simple card for the Our Creative Corner challenge and it will be sent with my other Valentine's cards for Cards for St. Jude. Yellow is a hard color to photograph, the cardstock is a very soft baby yellow and the words are white embossed.

Here's the Goods: Pastel Yellow and White Cardstock, Love It and So Many Sayings SU Stamp Set, SU Blush Blossom, Pretty in Pink and Apricot Appeal SU Ink, Versamark Ink, SU White Embossing Powder, Thread, Fiskars Corner Rounder Punch

You & Me

You & Me. We were meant to Be. You & Me.

Here's another shot at my own challenge to use the Christmas Wrapping Paper from this card look completely different on another card. I cut strips of the paper so the lines are at different angles, folded them lengthwise for dimension and sewed them behind the window of white cardstock. I've learned the hard way that red sticky strip tape doesn't work well with sewing machine needles, but that Goo Gone does work wonders on getting the goo off the needle. Of note: I'll have to ask my "Sewing Teacher" aka Mom how to change the needle next time she comes to visit. This tiny and intimate card is my third submission for Everything but the Kitchen Sink's current challenge and another notch off the learning curve on using my new sewing machine.

Here's the Goods: White Cardstock, Wrapping Paper, Black Thread, SU So Many Sayings Stamp Set, Red Sticky Strip Tape

Be Mine

Inspiration from many places met in my hallway and decided to mingle for this card! I was inspired by the colors, patterns and stitching from ManicMuffinTotes (hosted by the Etsy Inspired Challenge), the sketch from Stamping411 and the overall theme for the Cards for St. Jude project hosted by Winter. I think it is wonderful that there are so many sites to visit for inspiration otherwise my supplies would just sit and not get used.

Here's the Goods: SU DSP, SU Love It and So Many Sayings Stamp Sets, SU Chocolate Chip Marker, SU Blush Blossom Ink, Thread, Pop Up Dots

I {heart} Acetate

I love acetate and peek-a-boo cards and textured cardstock and grosgrain ribbon, but not really Valentine's Day. Perhaps that started when I wasn't the recipient of one of those folded small generic valentine's from my fourth grade crush... I guess I might be the only one to not get into this holiday but there are a lot of challenges (Embellish Magazine) and good causes (Cards for St. Jude) out there, so I thought that I could make a couple cards. I had acetate laying on my table from my last card and wanted to try another technique out with it. The faux silk technique was also a good reason to use all the leftover crumpled tissue paper from the holidays, and perfect for another try at Everything but the Kitchen Sink's current challenge. The design is pretty clean and simple, but sometimes that's ok when you want your technique, colors and textures to stand out.

Here's the Goods: Acetate, Bazill Textured Cardstock, SU Pretty in Pink Cardstock and Ink, Tissue Paper, Black Stazon Ink, Spray Adhesive, SU Love It Stamp Set, Grosgrain Ribbon, SU Chitchat Rubons, Fiskars Corner Rounder Punch, CM Circle Cutting System

Acetate Snowflakes

For the SCS Inspiration Challenge, I chose this image and was really inspired by the colors that she used: Kraft, Celery and Blue. This designer also uses recycled glass to make her products so I thought to create my first card using Acetate. (For those that are interested and for my records) I stitched the acetate to a kraft panel, added the ribbon to hide the stitching and glued the patterned paper to the underside of the acetate. The blue panel is attached with glue to the kraft. I added the snowflakes on the acetate panel and in real life they look like they are slowly floating down the card. I'm submitting this to the online Cards call (use snowflakes) in hopes that it will be featured.

Here's the Goods: SU Kraft and Blue, Acetate, Grosgrain Ribbon, Snowflakes, Hero Arts Gems, SU Corner Rounder

Dahlia Flower

When design team member Courtney described her card for the latest Everything but the Kitchen Sink Challenge to use wrapping paper, she mentioned that this medium would be excellent to fold. That got me thinking to make a Dahlia Flower, as I have been wanting to try this technique out before. I found some double sided wrapping paper from Christmas and followed the tutorial here. I look forward to making some more cards with this wrapping paper as my own challenge to see if I can create different looks with the same product. For this card I wanted to keep the design clean and simple with just enough added interest to compliment the flower rather than distract (I hope).

Here's the Goods: Wrapping Paper, SU Very Vanilla Cardstock, CM Circle Punch, Colorbox Chalk Ink in Creamy Brown, Inkadinkadoo Happy Days Stamp Set, Scallop Border Punch, SU Build a Brad.