2 cards for 365 challenge +

Below are 2 cards for 365 Cards Challenges this week.

The first card is for Day #153 - Tag You're It! I also combined it with Midnight Madness, MMSC12 sketch and Splitcoast Challenge LSC231 to use Limited Supplies, this week was A Challenge to DIE For - translated: use a die cut/punch as the focal point of the card, the only stamped image could be used as background or sentiment but not both. Midnight Madness and Day 153 at 365 cards was easy to combine. I opted not to use a stamp at LSC231 but used the cuttlebug folder "Thanks" for my message.

To make this card I used cuttlebug butterfly, swiss dots and thanks folders, corner punch, scor-pal for grid, circle punches, SU! CS, yellow dotted paper from Making memories scrapbook project pad. No ink was used in the making of this card!!!

The next card is for Day #152 at 365 Cards - Peek A Boo to You!

The challenge is to make a card that has a flap or hidden area on it. This card turned out the way I designed it in my head, but the mechanics of it didn't. The flap doesn't lift the way I thought it should but I'll just have to work those kinks out the next time I make one! LOL!

I versa marked and embossed in white Long Stem flower from SU!. All cardstock is SU and used a fiskars punch for the lace edging.

Well, that is it for today. I need to finish painting the utility room today, well, at least get part of it done. My DH keeps wanting to know if we are ever going to finish any of the projects started this summer. Well, DH, in an older home, I don't think we'll ever be finished!

Have a great day and week-end. Stay safe and Happy!

Silly Monkey! You Can Do It!

Day 151 at 365 Cards guest reader, Audrey, asked participants to use a certain sentiment, You Can Do It! What wonderful words of encouragement, what a hard card to compose. I have a lot of flower stamps that just didn't seem to fit the sentiment. Then I remember my little 2 cup Changito monkey and with the sublime caffeine message (meaning with a little caffeine you can do anything), I came up with this card!

This is also designed to meet today's Splitcoast Challenge, Ways to Use It, WT229, Supply Me, which translate into - Use office supplies on your card. I used the paper clip as a card stand. Not a new idea but it works for this challenge.

I was totally surprised when the computer generated sentiment printed right on the purple stripe, believe me, it wasn't planned. I used scraps on the card, added white dots, just because I thought it needed it. The CS base is SU!

Wood U Like A Sale?

I know I wood, I mean would! This really goes against my grain, I've worked for years to teach students how to use the correct word! 365 Cards, Day 150, An 'Eye' for an 'I' guest reader challenged us to use a homophone sentiment on a card. (words that sound the same, may or may not be spelled differently). I knew I wanted to use 'sail' & 'sale' interchangeably (is that a word?) and had a hard time getting straight the picture with the word. Just ask my daughter Kim, we had a few conversations about it...her advice, "Sleep on it mom." Well, this is what I came up with...

OK, that is a real gift card to Hobby Lobby that will be removed from the card...given to me by my 2 wonderful sister-in-laws. I used brown and blue for my color combo. The wood grain paper was bought on sale and the other DP and CS are from SU! The boat portion is a pocket to hold a gift card. Now I have a card ready for a birthday gift card, how great is that!

SECRET GARDEN...

This is Reader Appreciation Week at 365 Cards and the challenge on Monday, Day 149 is to try a technique - sponging. I have been wanting to make a card like this for quite some time and now I have! I based this on a card by Just Painting Around on Splitcoast. Her blog is awesome, if you haven't already, take a look at it.

The card is 6"x6". I'm finding the bigger work surface is easier to develop a scene such as this. I used SU! vanilla CS and quite a few ink pads were used in the making of this card.

1. barely banana

2. only orange

3. soft sky

4. river rock

5. mellow moss

6. true thyme

7. vintage photo (ranger)

8. moonlight white (brilliance)

I started with the barely banana and worked down to #8 in that order. Colors were overlapped with each other with the greens working up and around the card. I sponged with cosmetic wedges. The black stamping is embossed with fine detail EP. I wanted the white to show up more but wasn't quite sure how to do it (at what point to do it). I think I need to read some more of Zindorf's tutorials to get the steps right.

OK, need to stop now and put up all my inkpads! As always, have a great day!

SAM

Christmas the World Over

What a sketch at 365 Cards, Day 148, Super Sketchy Sunday!

From looking at the cards posted, I think several of us had difficulty with this sketch. My finish product is one of 7. I don't know why, but I woke up Sunday morning wanting to make a Christmas card but told myself that was crazy. So I made 2 heat embossed pine trees to make a 'winter' card, digressed to 2 dry embossed pineapples, a Christmas ornament (see, back to Christmas), then I decided to use SU! The World Over Stamp set because of the half circle shape and make it into a gate card . Yeah, I made up my mind, but it didn't work...stamped, colored, stickled, got ready to put it together and I forget to clean the ink off my hands and made a smudge. Darn it all! But all mistakes work out. Thanks to Patti J. I discovered the most sparkly CS of all at our local craft store, The Red Rooster. I stamped on it (NO stickles this time!), colored it, attempted to make a latch to close the gate and went to bed. Got up this morning, added the ribbon and Viola! I have my Christmas card!

Well, here it is! I imagine if you're wondering if this will be my Christmas card this year. Well, wonder no more - IT'S NOT!

Have a great day - I think I'll take a break before I start on Day #149!

Bubbles Make You Giggle :)

Day #147, Scraplift Saturday, at 365 Cards, challenged us to pick one of DT's card to scraplift. I picked Vicky's Bubble Card, shown below.


When I saw it I went back to my Kindergarten teaching days and remember an art activity I did with the students. It was to put food coloring (I used red) into a bowl of water, add liquid soap and then use a straw to blow bubbles. That was the hard part for the students - to blow out - not suck it in! Anyway, then a piece of paper is put over the bubbles and pushed down until the bubbles pop. So this is what I did and I giggled the whole time! What fun! It turned into my version of Vicky's and is shown below...

The background is the 'red' bubbles that turned 'pink' on the textured white cardstock. I mounted it on a cuttlebugged swirl pink paper that didn't work on another project. I mounted both of those on black cardstock for the card base. The faces are from Close to my Heart stampset Scrapbook Kids, Faces and Hands. Punched those out with a 7/8" hole punch and mounted on black 1" hole punch. The giggle sentiment is from SU! warm words set. Hope you like it and have a great Sunday!

Tall, Lean and Dimensional!

I made this card to complete 2 challenges. The first is 365 Cards, Day 144 - To Raise Me UP.

It's hard to tell the POP UPS on the picture but one dimension is the origami flower (not my best, but it is late for me, I'm usually asleep by 9!) and the Quickcuts leaf dies are glued on with POP UP dots. The 2nd challenge is StampinB to make a long, tall card without inking any stamps. First time for me to make a tall card and it was good to 's-t-r-e-t-c-h' my limits. Boy, I wish exercise was this easy.

The DP is SU and the flower center is SU build-a-brad. I used Ranger Rick to distress edges of the DP. Well, like I said it is late for me, so if you have any questions please just leave a comment and I'll answer you tomorrow. Well, sometime tomorrow, we're taking off to a cemetery cleaning on Marble Creek. Yes, you read that right. My DH did said we will not actually clean the cemetery, but just eat and socialize with the church members. It's a little country church with a whole bunch of his ancestors. Maybe I'll take a picture to show you! OK, I'm rambling - Night!

Paint the walls, paint the card!

Been painting 2 rooms all week so I put off 365 Cards, Day 140. To Paint It!

But I did get it done, the rooms and the card! I used Making Memories metallic paint in copper, silver and gold. For the paint challenge I used a sponge brush and 'streaked' across the main card to produce the background. I stamped the flower from SU! Heartfelt set on the same color as the background, a mellow moss green and then matted it on a artichoke green. I found a metal "Imagine" embellishment and added that to the bottom. I also was able to emboss the dark green and light green with a nestablility die! Thanks for looking and have a great week-end!

Mirror, Mirror on the wall...

Who is the fairest card of all? Could it be...

this card??? Well, it was a fun card to make and I am pleased with the colors, the flowers, the composition and for goodness sake, I hardly ever feel that way about a card!

This is for Day 146, Mirror Me at 365 Cards. I think it was easier for me to do because I was focusing on only 1 challenge on this design. Maybe I should do that more often, hmmm, I'll have to think about that and learn to control my ADHD tendencies.

DP is from Designer Mat Pad by K&Co., a nice vintage touch. Used MS Lace Edge punch, SU! Looks Like Spring flower stamp and a scallop punch to cut out flowers. Matted all this on vanilla CS and a little brown ribbon and bows and a few pearls for the flower centers.

Hope you have a great week-end, I'm off to get busy dusting and polishing to get things back in order after our paint frenzy!

Bird and Butterflies...

Day 145 at 365 Cards challenge is to be Ad Inspired.

I stuck to the color inspiration and layout of the birds and butterflies. I bought the glittery Martha Stewart bird stickers some time back and thank goodness it fits this challenge so now I can use it! No stamping on the card, just the bird sticker, scallop and butterfly punches, flower cut out of the DP (AC Patterned Paper/Amplified by American Crafts at 50% off no less!), charm (for Splitcoast challenge: WT228 - Charming) and glitzy diamonds (what girl doesn't love diamonds...). CS used is SU! More Mustard and generic dark brown. I'm finding that I'm using up more scrap paper because I have left it all over my workspace, which means my work space is getting smaller and smaller...but at least I'm using left overs! Looks like a fair trade to me and darn good excuse not clean up my messes!

Have a good day and week-end to come - SAM

Good Morning Sunshine!

Another quick and easy 5 minute card that only took 4 days to do! Well, that was in between painting, cleaning the carpet, furniture stacked everywhere including my workroom, kitchen, bedroom, oh well, it's almost over!

Back to the card. This is another double challenge. 365 Cards, Day 141, Super Sketchy Sunday and Splitcoast CAS24, Turquoise, Orange, and Yellow. When I think yellow, I think sunshine, which reminds me of my daughter, Kim, and that is always brings a smile to my face!

I used SU! set - Sun,Moon, and Stars. The sentiment is computer generated.

Enjoy your day and think about what makes you smile!

Silent Sympathy...

Another double challenge card. The first is 365 Cards, Day 143, to make a silent sympathy card, which translate into - no sentiment on the front. I combined it with Splitcoast Sketch Challenge, SC238. The two combined so easily and that is right up my alley! It is really nice to have sympathy cards on hand because you don't always have time to make one on short notice.

The card is pretty basic. The stamp is from Gentler Times, one of the first SU sets I bought and never used in the last, oh let's guess, 4 years! The card base is a mossy green and the vanilla is embossed card stock, both bought on sale 'somewhere'. (Its' true, I can't remember if was Mike's or Hobby Lobby) The dark cappucino, (hmm, doesn't that sound delicious!) is from Sonburn bought at a small Big Lots store. Then I used generic satin ribbon and buttons to finish it off. Oh, the debossing at the top is Cuttlebug 'Just My Type' border folder.

I must say I'm enjoying participating in different challenges. I am pulling out unused stamps, embellishments, etc. and jump starting my creativity in ways to use them. Plus I am inspired by looking at everyone's creations and card making skills. Not only that, it is the best 'work avoidance' excuse I have come up with! What a joy!

Have a great day and remember, it takes less muscles (and energy) to smile than to frown.

Ohhhhh, Edward!

In case you are not aware of the Twilight series, it is 4 novels about a vampire and the great love of his life over the last 200 hundred years. Well, I'm guessing that's his age, it's been awhile since I read the first 3 novels (I'm waiting to borrow the fourth when I get back to work) but just know he is quite old.

I made this card yesterday in between painting, laundry and cleaning. It is designed for 365 Cards Day 142 to create card based on the Twilight series, using red as the main color and lots of qlitz. I always have trouble with the layout, so surfing different challenge I found the one at Mojo Monday and it fit perfectly for what I wanted to do. The teacher who is so kindly lending me the books is totally in love with Edward. She put the quote in the first book I borrowed, "Forget the prince on the white horse, give me a vampire in a Volvo!" I knew when I saw the 365 challenge that I would have to use the sentiment on the card.

I used Glitter Card stock in red and white by Best Creations bought at a local craft store. I stamped the large flourish from SU Baroque Motifs in black on the red. The sentiment is computer generated and printed on the glittered white CS. The silver surrounding is a recycled foil from the top of a food container, mounted on black and run through the cuttlebug swiss dot folder. Finished it off with a black ribbon and red 'bling' on the bow.

Hope you have had a great day and if not, well, just take that frown and turn it upside down! OK it's late and on that note - Good Night!

My Wedding Colors are...

Yellow and White! I wanted my wedding to be very small and simple, I'm not much for 'fluff'. My to-be husband flew in from Vietnam on a 10 day leave and we were married 8 hours after he got home. That was 38 years ago this August 15th! WOW! I really didn't pick my wedding colors. My sister-in-law was my matron of honor and we went shopping for her dress. She tried on a dress with a white bodice and bright yellow skirt, she liked it so that became my wedding color. I chose daisies for the flowers (yes, I am flower child). Actually I'm horrible at making decisions so this choice just happened and that was fine for me!

I used SU Jar of Fun stamp set, SU Summer Fun ink pad (sponged for the table cloth effect). The edge is bound together with yellow brads for 365 Card, Day 137 challenge, I'm In a Bind.

This is also for Splitcoast Challenge Limited Supplies, LSC229 to use either wedding or high school colors and to use staple, clips or photo turns.

Thanks for looking, now I'm off to spend the day with my wonderful husband of 38 years painting the kitchen and bedroom. I won't remind him that today is his birthday until we're done! Have a great day!

AND I QUOTE...

In case you can't tell by my blog decor, I am a Mary Englebreit fan. I like her work because she incorporates quotes into her art. I will show you another time how I have decorated with ME posters, furniture, etc. So on to the 365 Card challenge (Day 138), She Said, and I Quote... I made a card utilizing a Mary Engelbreit stamp. I also added 2 hearts to the card to play along with the Splitcoast Challenge WT227, Seeing Double and the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge SC237. The card was easy to make except for the Martha Stewart lace punch. Does anyone else have trouble getting it to punch all the way through? I end up using one of my acrylic blocks to get it to punch all the way down.

As always, hope you have a great day and thanks for leaving a comment to let me know what you think.

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

Why it's my entry for 365 Cards challenge Day 136, which means this is the first time I have completed a challenge at 365 on the same day it was issued!

Since it took me so long to make the Butterfly Window card, I decided to CASE a card I had made earlier this spring. You can see it on my Splitcoast Gallery. The link will show you the secretaries gift I made (a pack of 5 cards in a SU clamshell case with the front of it decorated). I changed the layout by moving the flower over to the right and of course I changed the colors to meet this challenge.

Of course you can tell I used Cuttlebug folder Birds and Vines, Scallop Punch, Circle Punches, prima flower, red bling and ribbon from Mikes.

Enjoy your day at work, play, or cardmaking! Thanks for stopping by.

A Wonderful Day for a Butterfly

I guess you could say, "I'm a day late and a dollar short!" I made this for yesterday's challenge on 365 Cards, Day 135. Didn't have any idea what I wanted to do until I started making it. At first I had the window vertical, didn't like it so I turned it sideways and from there it just 'flowed'. Wished every card worked that way. I knew I wanted to keep it simple, I feel lately like my cards are getting to 'heavy'. Really it's the truth! The card I tried to make for this last night just kept falling over! I trashed it! LOL.

The transparency covers the whole front of the card. It is light blue in color and has white dots on it.I bought this on sale "somewhere" and it is Transparency Overlays from Dena's closet. Pastel colors and would be good to use for baby or wedding cards.

The butterfly is a birthday gift from my daughter Kim and worked perfectly on this card, Thanks Kim! It is Cuttlebugs' Cut and Emboss Butterflies. It has 4 different embossing patterns on it with the die.

The rest are SU supplies. Apricot Appeal CS and ribbon, Chocolate Brown CS, and Warm Words. The pearls are generic, bought "somewhere"!

Have a Great Day and thanks for stopping by, be sure to leave a comment just to say "HI!"

A Dog's Prayer

This card is designed for 2 challenges.

One is for Our Creative Corner (OCC), A Pet Parade!

The other challenge is Day #134 Super Sketchy Sunday on 365 Cards. Click here to see the sketch and other entries. They have a new challenge everyday and of course you can do that or just the challenges you want to do.

I wish I could tell you the name of the designer paper I used, but, I took the packaging off, which I tend to do a lot! But I can tell you that my daughter and I each got a free pack of it at Archivers only because we spent too much money! Hard to believe I know, just don't tell my husband. The doggy stamp is from Inkadinkado Clear Stamps. I read some where recently to help new clear stamps make a darker image, just take a white eraser (I used magic rub) and rub it over the stamping surface. Then I cleaned it and stamped with it. Worked pretty good.
The embellishments are just things I have gathered over the last couple years. The teal ribbon was in a grab bag of ribbon a friend gave me cause she knows I like that 'stuff'. My daughter bought the raindrops and gave them to me. Last but not least, I believe I bought the bone brads at Micheals.

Thanks for stopping by and always, "Have a great week!"

Wedding Card in Neutrals

I have been wanting to make cards to stock pile for special events. When I saw StampinB's challenge to use neutrals and I had just bought the 6"x6" Black Tie paper pad, well, I just couldn't help myself!

I also entered this card in LSC228 Splitcoast Challenge for Limited Supplies. The challenge is to crop a stamp 3X and only use brads or eyelets. OK I couldn't do it, this card just screams for the shine of the ribbon! I used SU stamp set Happily Ever After, one I bought on E-Bay but haven't inked it till now. (A good question would be, "How many stamp sets do you own that you haven't inked ?") I don't think I can count that high. A friend of mine calls those 'Virgin Stamps'! LOL

Enjoy your week-end, I'm off to water flower beds and get ready to paint the kitchen and a bedroom. I think I bit off more than I can chew!

Vintage Flower SC236

Made this simple card for Splitcoast sketch challenge #236.

The sketch is pretty simple, just took me forever to figure out what paper/colors to use. I usually use blues and pastels, but for a change I really like the vintage look of this paper. I have purchased several mat packs and it sure simplifies matching different colors and prints. I wanted something dimensional for the center of the card so I tried my hand at making a 'grunge' layered flower. I like how it turned out and that doesn't always happen!

Want to visit another new blog? Try my daughter's new blog. She makes some awesome cards and uses some interesting techniques. She lives in Hawaii but you can find her at:

Living in Paradise

Thanks for stopping by today and as always I appreciate any comments you have.

Have a good day!

Happy Birthday Malie!

Well, this is my attempt to be a blogger. Looks easy and with the encouragement of my daughter I am finally trying this avenue of sharing my hobby of card making! Thanks Kim!

This is my 2nd post - the first was a 'test'. I am posting the card I made for my 1 year old gran-puppy Malie's first birthday. I wanted it to be special, Malie is such a critic, therefore I couldn't decide what to do. Since I have to get it done today to get in the mail tomorrow I looked this morning at the different challenges and found 5 that I could use to design this card.


Here's the card, read below for the challenges I am posting to.




1. CAS22 - Design a Birthday Card (Splitcoast Stampers)

2. Stamping B - Use metal (the bone brad)

3. 365 days (Day 128) - 1 rub-on, 2 buttons, 1 patterned Paper (it's metallic DP with palm trees, hard to see, look close), 1 ribbon (No bows), 1 sentiment on the inside of the card (mine is on the back)

4. TLC228 - Try a new technique, to make a stand up card. (Awesome directions, Splitcoast Stampers)
5. And the last one is MoJo Monday Sketch Blog

Well, I'm adding a 6th challenge - CAS21 - last week's Make it Sparkle on Splitcoast, just can't make a card without a little Stickles! (Check out the birthday hat)

Since this is a new adventure for me, I am interested in your comments on how you like my blog. Being an educator (first a Kindergarten teacher, now an elementary school counselor) I believe we have something new to learn everyday and that is what keeps us young! So be honest and give any suggestions you have. Thanks for checking in and hope to see you soon.

My Very First Post

Ok Let's see if this works...

Can you see me now?