Happy Birthday times 5!

5 Challenge cards are posted here, please scroll down.

Going back to work in another week and have accomplished most of the goals I set for myself this summer. Except for two. I set a goal to complete a whole week of 365 Cards. So with that being my beginning point I decided that I could accomplish another goal by adding to my Birthday card collection.  Check mark, two goals accomplished! Now for the cards and challenges entered.

365 Cards, Tuesday, Day 148 - repeat stamp the background. Did that and added red glitter paper hearts at the end of the scroll.

4 Crafty Chicks - Get your bling on

Cardabilities - sketch

Totally Papercrafts - bling it up

365 Cards, Wednesday, Day 149 - Divided background into 4 parts, 2 parts solid, 2 parts PP

Crazy Challenge - ribbons

Stampin' Bs Design Challenge - ribbon

Deep Ocean Challenge - ribbon

This card is totally made from scraps. I used a die cut for the flowers and leaves with PP, highlighted with copic markers, stamped the brocade swirls, then 'embedded' it all with an embossing folder. Technique of Faux pressed flowers.

365 Cards, Thursday, Day 150 - wet or dry background

Anything Challenge - pick a bunch of flowers

Hand Stamped Sentiments - Flourish forever theme

Paper Play Challenge - in the garden

Stamps R Us - Birthday Challenge

Sugar Creek Hallow - make your designer paper

365 Cards, Friday, Day 151 - minimum of 3 layers

Alphabet Challenge - metal

ColorQ Challenge - Early Espresso, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Island Indigo + White

Sketch Frenzy - sketch I used

Stamptacular Sunday - Friends are Heaven Sent, this is for my DD coz she is always up for a challenge!

365 Cards, Saturday, Day 152 - paint the background, I used white acrylic and glaze

Cute Card Thursday - sketch

Just Us Girls - use fabric and ribbon does not count

Speedy the Cat Friends Challenge - use anything such as twine, etc. but not ribbon

One Stop Craft Challenge - vintage
Paper Craft Star - open
The Play Date Cafe - color: Coral, Petal pink (in the fabric flower) and Antique Gold (pearls)
Friday Mashup - handmade flower and colors of turquoise, red and black. I picked the flower!

Thanks for stopping by! 

SAM

Snowman and A Flower

Talk about being oppositional! Two cards to post, one for winter and one for summer.

No doubt in my mind though that in REAL TIME, we are definitely experiencing summer.

So maybe a winter card will help bring on a cool down...

I was inspired by the Sketch Sunday on 365 Cards, Day 146, Super Sketchy Sunday

The following challenges worked their magic in inspiring too!
Paper Pretties - no markers - I used colored pencils and OMS
Picture Perfect Creations - color challenge (night of navy, crumb cake, whisper white)
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - favorite color, I like vintage looks,
so crumb cake is used a lot!
Craft Your Passion - Christmas in July
Designed 2 Delight - free snowman digi for participating in monthly progressive challenge
Designed 2 Delight Designers Challenge - Christmas in July
Paper Cutz Challenge - Anything goes
Polly Craft Challenge - Ho-Ho-Ho Christmas
Totally Gorjuss - Punch or die (the oval cutout with a nestie)
Cupcake Craft Challenge - Vintage Glitter
Party Time Tuesdays - Anything goes

And I was motivated by Pam's challenges this week at 365 cards with the focus on backgrounds.

This is my first attempt at making a rolled fabric flower. Probably need to practice more. But I think I'll wait till the blister on my ring finger heals from using hot glue to keep it together... :(
Challenges entered in:
365 Cards, Day 147, Monday Background Challenge - 1/2 polka dots, 1/2 solid
Paper Craft Star - Anything goes
Crafty Ann's Challenge - Emboss
Stamp Something - embellish, oh yeah, that blistering fabric flower!
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything goes
Totally Stampalicious - Anything Goes
Sentimental Sundays - Focus on Sentiment
Sugar Creek Hollow - Let's play tag

Keep your cool!  SAM

Nutty Coconuts!

Not quite sure what I would use this card for but it is a cute image/sentiment

with a sense of humor which is what I like best about it!

The image is a surprise digi from the Hot Spot Challenge so

I decided to use it on several challenges with a summer/beach theme.

365 Cards, Day 144   -  So Random, well, this card really fits that challenge!

Charisma Cardz - challenged to make a bright, colorful summer card

City Crafter - "It's a Shore Thing!"

Crafty Calendar - under the sea or a water theme

Do It with Digis - summer fun

Fussy and Fancy - summer theme
The Hot Spot - Time for Vacation

Lexi's Creations - At the beach

Off the Wall Craftiness - Beach theme, any colors

Polly Craft Challenge - summer fun

Designed 2 Delight Designers Challenge - Let's go to the Beach

Clean and Simple - sketch

Please note:  No embellishments were harmed in the making of this card...

G'Day!

SAM

PEACOCK BEAUTY...

I have not step foot out of my house today.

I do not believe a 103 temp outside

deserves my attention.

So I chose to ignore it.

I made a card instead and enjoyed my dwindling vacation.

(2.5 weeks and back to school/work!)

Wish you could see this IRL. I shimmered the peacock with a gelly roll pen Clear Star.

My inspirations for this card include the following challenges:



Allsorts Challenge - Free and Easy July

By the Cute and Girly - Things with wings

Card Positioning Systems - sketch below

CCEE Stampers - Hug Week, card of encouragement

Creative Card Crew - animal antics

Craft Us Crazy - anything goes with digi

Designed 2 Delight - free Peacock digi for participating in progressive challenge

Do You Stack Up - Wings

Freshly Brewed Designs - get wild with animals

Robyn's Fetish Challenge - animals

Incy Wincy Designs- colors: black, white + one

The Play Date Cafe - one color of choice, just a splash

Tuesday Throwdown - something metallic

Stay cool all -

SAM

PEACE ON EARTH or...

CHRISTMAS IN JULY!

Several challenges this week with a Christmas theme, I think everyone is trying to get a jump on getting their Christmas cards. Probably not a bad idea. I'm always at the last minute getting them done, mostly because I can't make up my feeble mind on the design I want to do. [heavy sigh]

This card is all SU! materials except for gold thread holding the earth 'ornament'. I used crystal lacquer on the earth. Now I probably shouldn't be sharing this with you - but - the lacquer made a perfect dome on the little earth, until...I touch it with my thumb! You see, I really thought it was dry. So I turned it over and 'smoothed' it on my craft mat. Ahhh, it looks OK, but probably wouldn't work well in snail mail!

I am entering this in some Christmas challenges and some, well, not so Christmas challenges!

365 Cards, Day 142 -Imagine this Earth, I took this pretty literal!

Creative Belli Challenge - Christmas in July, My old and forgotten embellishment is

the crystal lacquer, I had to take the top off to get it to work!

CES Challenge - Christmas

Christmas Blog Challenge, Winter Wonderland - wet or dry embossing

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - the sketch I used and I turned it on it's side

Craft Us Crazy - Christmas in July and/or distressed/vintage

Craft Your Passion - "Text It"

Crazy Challenge - Christmas in July

Creative Inspirations - Christmas in July

Deep Ocean Challenge - Ribbons

Kaboodle Doodles - embossing

Saturday Challenge - holiday fun, Christmas in July

Simon Says Stamp and Show - embossing

Simply Create - Christmas time

Stamp Something - Christmas in July

Friday Mashup - I chose the color challenge portion, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette (the rhinestone), Early Espresso (the earth), Old Olive, and Whisper White

HO, HO, HO! Merry Christmas!

SAM

Strawberry Fringed!

I have posted 2 cards today. The Strawberry card is first and the pink fringed card is second.

This card represents how I know that summer is here and it is time for school to be out!

Strawberries! I love Strawberries!

My birthday is in June and every year I asked for strawberries and angel food cake.

My mom actually made the angel food cake from scratch. Yummm!

This year our garden produced a 'lot' of strawberries.

I could have ate more. Did I say I love strawberries?

My inspirational challenges for this card are...

Do It with Digis - use spots or stripes or both

City Crafter Blogspot - See the Sun or the word Sun -
The yellow left side represents the sun

Craft Your Passion Challenge - "Just for You"

Crazy 4 Challenges - summer theme

Crazy Challenge - summer theme

Hand Stamped Sentiments - Good Day Sunshine

Just Us Girls Challenge - Ho-made Buttons

One Stitch At A Time - anything goes

One Stop Craft Challenge - Summer Time

Paper Issues - Live is Sweet

Paper Take Weekly - Hot Hot Hot - hot colors, I used red and yellow

Party Time Tuesdays - Blue skies and sunny days, I sponged the sky/clouds and
the yellow half circle represents the sun. 
I love how it looks like the strawberries are floating in the sky, after all,
they are my heaven!

Pile It On - favorite technique - I love sponging sky scenes

Polly Craft Challenge - the great outdoors (my strawberry bed!)

Sentimental Sundays - anything goes

Totally Gorjuss - Summertime

Totally Scrumptious - sketch time

Tuesday Throwdown - Fun in the Sun

Moving Along with the Times - favorites things: strawberries!!!

Designed 2 Delight - free image for playing along in the progressive challenge

My second card is a birthday card and is not at all what I imagined. I needed fringe for Pam's challenge at 365 cards. Didn't have any, so I decided to make my own my using a hole punch and weaving the ribbon like the fringe on a rug ( I did a lot of this many years ago on many of the afghans I crocheted)  I finally thought about a Martha Stewart border punch, much easier!

BTW - the color in real life is pink, not so red like the picture.

Inspirational challenges:

A Spoonful of Sugar - Color challenge, pink (it really is!)

Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturday - color challenge, cream, brown + one other color

Simon Says Stamp's Challenge - Anything goes

Sugar Creek Hallow - Paper Piercing

Freshly Brewed Designs - July-long Challenge: 2 pattern papers, 2 shapes, 2 embellishments

Cute Card Thursday - Going round in circles

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - sketch

365 Cards, Day 135 Collage Card - chipboard, patterned paper, and fringe

Thanks for stopping by!

SAM

A Happy Summery Birthday!

A very summery Birthday card made easy with bright sparkly pattern paper! The flower is a circle scallop punch and fan folded.. The blue layer is made from 2 scallop punches and the green is from one. Then I stickled the edges which ended up making the flower stiff, which means it will keep it's form better!

I am entering this in the following inspirational challenges:

Oldie but a Goodie - anything goes (everything in this card is old LOL!)

Hand Stamped Sentiments - button it up,

the flower are covered with clear sparkly buttons

Try It On Tuesday Taggers - Flower Power

Papertake Weekly - anything goes with option of buttons

Everbody Art Challenge - use shapes, I used layers of circles!

ABC Challenge- Y is for yesterday, and all of my

supplies are from many moons ago...uhm, so am I!

Scrappy Frogs Challenge - summer flowers

Birthday Sundaes - anything goes with a birthday sentiment

365 Cards, Day 128 - ad inspired,

I picked out the stripes and blue/green flower

Deep Ocean Challenge - Flowers!!!

Party Time Tuesday - Square Card

Do You Stack Up - Square Card

Tuesday Morning Sketches - sketch I used

Polly Craft Challenge - Celebrations

Incy Wincy Designs - sugar/sweets

(I put a small cupcake, I'm on a diet! choke, choke cough!)

Freshly Brewed Designs - Birthday or Party theme cards

Penny's Challenges - Happy Birthday

Your Next Stamp - Button Up

Moving Along with the Times - Here Comes Summer

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - gardening theme

Getting Cricky - Summer time fun

Creative Craft Challenge - Pretty Blossoms

Unstampabelles - Celebration

Thanks for stopping by!

SAM

Just Beachy!

A CAS card using Faith's new beginning of the month Designed 2 Delight Digital image Flip Flops. Hurry over and you can participate in this month's progressive challenge and pick up free digis all month!

I printed the digi image and sentiment at the same time then cut my CS in half and had an instant card! Even though it is a one-layer CAS card, I took the liberty to layer up the inside and make it a gift card holder.

You can find the gift card holder toot at: Paper Garden Projects

I am entering this in the following challenges:

The Crazy Challenge - On the Beach

Designed 2 Delight - Freebie flip flop image

Designed 2 Delight - DT challenge of "It's My Party!"

Fresh Brewed Designs - Birthday or Party Themed cards

Kaboodle Doodles - Any Celebration

One Stitch At A Time - use a Digi

Pile It On - Time to Relax theme

Saturday Challenge at The Secret Crafter - Here Comes Summer

Stamp Something Challenge - July Digi Day

Hot Spot Challenge - Time for Vacation

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Sentimental Sundays - Anything Goes

Crafty Calendar - Under the Sea

Cupcake Craft Challenge - Single Layer card

2 Sisters Blog - Birthdays

Crafts and Me - Birthdays

Daisy Doodles Creative Challenges - summer doodles

My Partner in Crafting Crime - Let's Hit the Beach!

Wags 'n Whiskers - Summertime

Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - Hot, Hot, Hot!

 Thanks for Stopping By!   SAM





Owl Wish U a Happy 4th!

My one and only Independence Day card for this year!

It is a spinner card and the star rolls (kind-a-sort-of) from one side to the other.

This card is made of Stampin' Up only materials and supplies except for the star.

A die cut I bought years ago and this is the first time I have used it.

Sound familiar?

This card gave me a couple of new challenges. First time to make a spinner card similar to what my DD did for her DT card at 365 Cards.

Top Tip Tuesday Tip -Make you own Pattern Paper - The stripes on the card? Wanted to use ribbon but it didn't work so I made a table on Word and changed the lines to Cherry Cobbler (by using the RGB code) and making the lines heavier. Kinda looks like ribbon - just glad I didn't make a bow out of it!

On the the challenges I am entering this in and we have a lot of patriotic themes this week...

365 Cards, Day 121 - Spinner card, check out the link Pam gave us that uses a brad and eyelet!
CCEE Stampers - die cuts
CES Challenges - woodland creatures
Cooking It Up With Katie - Colors of your Flag or something your country is known for.
Craft Us Crazy - Red, White and Blue and/or summer
Craft Your Pasiion Challenge - Seeing Red
Crop Stop - Show us Your National Colors
Little Red Wagon - Patriotic
Lollipop Crafts - Anything goes
Oldie But a Goodie - Anything goes using a stamp over 6 months old
Our Creative Corner - a seasonal celebration
Paper-crafting Journey - Anything goes
Party Time Tuesdays - 4th of July
Penny's Challenges - red, white and blue
Pixie Dust Studio Challenge - red, white and blue with option of stars
Scrappy Frogs Challenge - use red
Sentimental Sundays  - use colors of your national flag
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturday Challenge - Stars and Stripes
Stamptacular Sundays Challenge - Stars and Stripes
Tuesday Throwdown - Red, White, and Blue
Friday Mashup - Let's Hear It for the Red, White and Blue and or Patriotic theme
Pals Paper Arts - favorite technique - I love to mix embossing and die cuts.
Allsorts Challenge - free and easy
Challenge Up Your Life - 1 die, 1 lace (mine is paper) and 1 brad
Crafty Creations - Thank You
Speedy the Cat's Friends Challenge - Patriotic
Top Tip Tuesday - starts with T - thank you
Paper Issues - red, white and blue
Color Lab Color Challenge - night of navy, cherry cobbler, not quite navy
JUGS challenge - the sketch I used...


Off the Wall Craftiness - inspiration picture

Well, it's late and I hear an owl hooting that it's time to go to bed.

Have a great, happy and safe Holiday week-end!

SAM