Summery Cards

Several of the challenges this week have a summer theme. Kaboodle Doodles is no exception. This two images are from Bugaboo. Bugaboo has been having some server issues this morning, but they are worth checking out in the near future. I have over 20 of their images. I printed these two directly onto the blank card and added the clear sticker sentiment: "Oh to be carefree and approach life with such childlike enthusiasm." I remember how much fun summer was - outside with friends all day. I was even known to take a book out under a tree if no one was around to play with.

The Creative Cottage challenge theme is also summer. Again I used Bugaboo images mounted on DCWV cardstock and then onto atd paper. Sports (organized or not), exploring and experimenting are all "Kid's Stuff"

Patriotic Pride

The For Fun Challenge theme this week, appropriately so, is Patriotic Pride. Images of fireworks, parades, red/white/blue, and flags come to mind. My mind went to the song: "I'm proud to be an American....God Bless the USA". This line inspired my card.

The image is from Sew Many Cards.

Young Sailors

Summer Lovin' is the theme for the Pear Tree Challenge. I used this cute Soft Pencil image with a friendship sentiment for my card. The summery beach scene with the sand, water and sailboat looks like a day at the beach.

The paper is HOTP. The image was colored with Copic markers.

Ready for the Beach

Mrs. Comfy is a delightful character available at Phindy's Place. She is involved in a variety of activities but at the moment the image of her relaxing at the beach is one of my favorites.

This card is my entry for the Digital Tuesday Challenge. The striped paper is ATD and the checkered is HOTP. The sentiment reads: live today fully and you create a lifetime of meaningful memories."

Donovan Rocks!

Donovan the Donkey is one of the first characters Angela created at Sew Many Cards. I used two of Donovan's western images for challenges this week.

 Sew Many Cards Challenge is "Anything Goes". I think Donovan looks very cute with his red kerchief around his neck and the matching cowboy hat. The DP is from HOTP and I added a piece of gold rick-rack.

 

Donna's Den has posted its second challenge! It is a sketch challenge and I have used Donovan's Good Luck image. I just love this striped paper from ATD, if you hadn't guessed. The burlap paper is from HOTP. The sketch was very simple, so I kept the embellies off and stayed simple.

Rustic America

The challenge at Digi Doodles is "Anything Goes"! I have several of their images - of the vintage persuasion - that I really love. The milk cans and the quilt rack are great! The first Digi Doodle image I purchased was the old barn. Living out at the lake, driving the back roads, I see a lot of old houses and barns just like this one. The wood is weathered to greys/browns and some boards are missing, leaving large gaps in the walls. This makes them dangerous, but charming places. Better to photograph than to explore. Some of them, however, are being repaired with brand new wood. 

I just bought this paper (like I need more paper!). It is ATD (which I never heard of before) which is on sale at Michael's this week. The rich earthy colors in browns and greens were purrfect for several rustic images that I used recently. Being at the other house this week I didn't have the Cricut or my main stash of lettering. I'm not happy with the letters I had to use, but the sentiment reads: Charmed.

Vellum

The Character Cafe's challenge this week is to use vellum.

It is hard to see, but the background is actually a pale purple vellum. The flower image is from McMahon Five Designs. I double printed and colored the blossoms and stack them, securing with a purple brad to make the flowers thicker and more 3D. The purple buttons (center one has glitter inside the acrylic) are from a variety pack purchased from Oriental Trading.

Something Different

This card has a different feel to it than most that I make. I didn't see a challenge that fit it, but I wanted to play with the flower corner.

The flower corner image is from McMahon Five Designs. The black pearls and the Dazzle border are from Paper Wishes. The sentiment is a vellum self adhesive from a booklet that has long since fallen apart as I've used the sentiments.

2 cards - 2 different moods - 2 challenges

I have used images from McMahon Five Designs (the doggy) and Phindy's Place (the 3 minis) to complete the sketch. This is my entry to Sketch and Stash Challenge. The DP is from a pack of Karen Foster papers that I bought today. The slide mounts were colored with Copics, just like the images, and were purchased at Paper Wishes.

This Sunflower (McMahon Five) card is my entry for Cute Card Thursday. The recycled item is the gold foil strip behind the image. It is the wrapper from a Fannie May candy bar. (The BEST chocolate!) The DP is HOTP.

Flying High

ABC Design Challenge this week is a color challenge: Red, White and Blue. It does not have to be a 4th of July card. The hot air balloon (Digi Doodle Image) I believe still conveys the essence of liberty and freedom that we have in the USA. I kept the card simple so the focus would be on the balloon and the sentiment.

Treat your friends nicely

This is one of my favorite digital stamps. The Clematis is from McMahon Five Designs. I used a double layer on the blossoms separated by 1/8 inch dimension squares. The DP is from HOTP and I added some silver border Dazzles to give a little sparkle. I am entering this card in the Crafty Catz Challenge. The theme is "Let's Go Digital". The sentiment reads: "treat your friends as you do pictures and place them in their best light."

Stripes

This first card is my entry for Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge. I really like the sentiment on this card: "Friends bring sunshine and color into our lives allowing us to see the quiet beauty of everyday things." The pop up sentiment is from ki memories. The image of the roses on the wall is a McMahon Five Design colored with Copics. The ribbon was an odd color somewhere between olive green and mustard yellow. I bought it at Michael's a while ago. The three crystals are a progression from clear to light blue to bright blue. The DP is HOTP.

This is also a McMahon Five Design image. You know we are partial to kitties at Purrfect Sentiments. I printed the image twice: once on white and a second time on blue. Then I cut out the fish bowl from the blue paper and layered it onto the white. The sentiment "You must always be curious" is actually from a book of quotes for boys. I think it works better with this curious kitten. I used two blue crystals from the same pack as used on the first card.

Child's Play

Cas-tastic Challenges is a color challenge this week: Yellow, Blue & a neutral. I chose this Girly Bear from McMahon Five Designs. The sentiment is so true: Play is really the work of childhood. Learning everything from language to manners to physical skills is a lot to learn in a few short years. The card mimics an envelope with the Girly Bear on the flap. Sentiment to the lower left and a blue metal flower on the right. Add a few blue crystals and you have a CAS card (Clean & Simple).

Big Wheel for Big Boy

The challenge this week at Die Cut Dreams is to make a card for a teenage boy using blue & green. Well teenage boys are interested in cars and trucks. Not the little Hot Wheel ones that fit in your pocket anymore, the Big Boy Toys - The Real Big Wheels.
The image is from Daisy Digi Doodles and the paper is DCWV.

More OWH cards

I made 4 OWH cards this morning. This first one is very bright. I used papers from a citrus pack. The image is McMahonFive.

This second card I am entering in Scrap It with a Song. The image and the papers were selected to be very masculine. OWH has been requesting more "guy" cards. I think an 18 wheeler would qualify. The image is from Daisy Digi Doodles. The DP is from HOTP.

The theme at Scrap it with a Song is "Riding Solo". Only 1 cup of coffee on the card. So riding solo in the cab of the big truck.

Summer Heat & BBQ

It is time for the annual Lenexa BBQ Battle. Spent 8 hours in the heat and humidity at the park. Not going back tomorrow. DH can handle the competition with DS, DSIL, DD and her fiance. I'm going to stay home and craft. Only got two digis colored today at the park. The gnats were so annoying!

I thought this was such a pretty digital stamp from McMahon Five. It is purrfect for Aud Sentiments Challenge. I got a little more daring with my paper combo this time, but I think it works.

Didn't find a challenge for this little cutie, but with 2 kitties I couldn't pass it up. Sir Chester would have been very upset with me. I was attempting to make the kitten at the bottom of the page appear to be Siamese. The other is a simple white kitty.

No Digi??

Being a math teacher, this week's Paper Cutz Challenge is right in my league. Somehow I made a card without a digital stamp - how did that happen??? The stars are gold Dazzles. The dotted paper and the checked paper came from the same mat stack by Paper Studio. Mat stacks are great for backgrounds on cards. Not as much waste. I find that when I use a 12 x 12 sheet for a card, the leftover piece gets wrinkled
or torn or just not used.
So get those geometry minds going and create a circles, squares and stars card!

Sketch Challenges

This darling bear on his tree swing is another McMahon Five image. I am entering him in the Pear Tree Challenge this week. I did take the liberty to turn the sketch sideways. The DP is HOTP and the orange cardstock is DCWV. The ribbon I found in the dollar bin at Michael's. The buttons are Oriental Trading.

The second card is also for a sketch challenge. This one is at Friends Having Fun. The image is from McMahon Five (I'm still on the marathon). The DP is from DCWV. The papers were side by side in the package as coordinating colors/patterns. The orange ribbon was also a morning purchase at Michael's (dollar bin).
Friends Having Fun site rotates the type of challenge. Out of the four Mondays in most months, one week is a color challenge, one is a recipe, another is a sketch and the 4th is based on pop culture. I've submitted cards for many of the challenges. They are a bit different and a lot of fun.

The Marathon Continues

There are two challenges this week that ask for Christmas cards. I saw this image at McMahon Five Designs and fell in love with it. My two oldest children are 1 year and 2 days apart in age. Since John was always tall, they looked like twins. This image reminds me of them.
I used a blank white card and off set the plain green and plain red cardstock, matting the image on the red. The silver Dazzles add the sentiment of "Trim the Tree" plus a reindeer, some snowflakes and 2 edgers. I am entering this card at Digital Tuesday Challenge and My Time to Craft Challenge.

When I saw this image at McMahon I knew I wanted to stack the blossoms with dimensional dots. The DP is HOTP. While the colors have photographed as mauve, everything is in varying shades of lilac. I found the lilac pearls at Michael's. I haven't seen a challenge that this will fit this week, but I wanted to make it anyways. I just love the image!

Listen to the Music

This fun card features the Soft Pencil images of Michu on the guitar and his lead singer Ratiny. The DP (HOTP) and the black music Dazzles are both available at Paper Wishes. I am entering this card in two challenges this week. One Stitch at a Time has a challenge theme of "Seeing Double". That is why Michu has a twin today. The other challenge is at Incy Wincy Designs where the theme is "Music"

If you would like to see another Soft Pencil image scroll down. Earlier today I posted this week's DT assignment - to use a particular image on a scrapbook page. While most of my posts are about cards, I do also scrapbook. How about you? Do you do only cards? or scrapbooking too?

Faster Uploads - More Cards

The faster Internet in the city is sooooooo great! I am uploading two cards in less than a minute instead of 2-3 min each.
I am on a McMahon Five image marathon. Girlie Bear would obviously be one of a little (or big) girl's favorite things. The bright colors on this DCWV paper reminded me of kids toys. The cookie jar charm and apple & peppermint brads round out the display of favorite things.

I was intrigued with the image of the pumpkins on the railing. The detail of the wood grain and the shadowing on the pumpkins makes it easy to get a great result when coloring. The HOTP papers (green and the background papers) blend together with the dark brown Autumn Dazzles. The large brads in bright orange, white and yellow/green pull together the fall theme.

Soft Pencil Layout

 Sometimes we get so used to using digital stamps for cards that we forget that they can be used on scrapbook layouts also. Usually it means printing out the image larger than we normally use it, but isn't that why we like digis?? That you can size it to fit the project?

Of course I looked to the Soft Pencil collection when I was ready to layout this page. This cute little girl with a flower (she'd have been better with a kitty according to Sir Chester) seemed appropriate to guard these photos of the flowers at our lake house. The lady who owned the property before us loved to garden. Lucky for us, she left a lot of bulbs in the ground when she moved. We have had the pleasure of beautiful flowers each spring.

McMahon Five Designs

I've been playing with some McMahon Five Designs today. For this first card I used two shades of grey and two shades of brown for the outside walls of the old barn. I was trying for a weathered look. The DP is HOTP, I ran the striped one direction over the whole front of the card but matted the image with the stripes going the other direction. Added some gold Dazzle borders and brown Dazzles for Autumn. The flowers are rub-ons. I am going to enter this card in the Prairie Fairy Fun Friday Challenge. The theme this week is a card for Dad.

This is the third card this week I've made with this McMahon image, (And it's a freebie!), but I totally changed the color scheme around it. I used a coral Copic marker this time instead of Shock Pink. The DPs are HOTP and I added some silver Dazzles. The red buttons came from Oriental Trading and the sentiment is from JoAnn's. This is my entry for A Spoonful of Sugar Challenge. The theme this week is "Best Wishes" or "Good Luck". I chose to phrase it as "It's Your Day!" - encouragement to give it your best!

Heart Clip

The challenge this week at For Fun Challenges is to use a pin (safety pin) or paper clip (may be colored or shaped) on your card. I have my new digi stamp from Squiggle Stamps of the Love Birds. I have used this stamp already this week on another challenge. I also had a heart shaped paper clip. Add some paper and some pale green/blue pearls and you have an anniversary or "I Love You" card!

Birthday Bear

Another new (to me) challenge. I'm on a roll! Jazzy Paper Designs posted a CD cover as inspiration for this week's challenge. The colors on the cover are red/tan/white. The tan and red cardstock was layered to make a pattern. I used white 5mm pearls for the vertical borders.

Soft Pencil is sponsoring this week's challenge so I used the Soft Pencil Birthday Bear. I have quite a few of the Soft Pencil images, especially those with Michu (the cat). Sir Chester likes those too! Michula, the real Soft Pencil Kitty, is his (long distance) girlfriend.

Purr

Purr is Sir Chester's favorite word. Translated it loosely means: I love you, You love me, Pet me, Cuddle me.

This card is for Corrosive Challenges. The challenge this week is to use black, white and only one other color. I chose brown. The kitty image is from Character Cafe. This is the second time I've used this image in a week. I paper pieced it again in 3 layers. It makes kitty look fluffier this way.

Busy Morning

Here are cards #3 & #4 for the morning. I've been up for awhile, but I also was on the phone and was sorting completed cards and matching them with envelopes.

I am participating in some more new challenges. This first card is for the Cupcake Craft Challenge. The theme is Strawberries & Cream. I love this Phindy's Place image of the mouse on the strawberry cake.

I am also participating in the Shabby Tea Room Challenge. They had a photo of a bedroom posted for inspiration. The colors were warm browns/apricot, sage.... So I came up with this second card.

This is also a Phindy image. The DP is from HOTP. I like the look of rich shades of brown.

Rose House

Crafty Catz has challenged us to make a card that is not a square nor a rectangle this week. I chose to use a pentagon (5 sided figure) shaped like a house. The DP is Kaiser Kraft and the image is McMahon Five.

I mounted the image on a chipboard circle then added silver Dazzle borders along each side and a silver Dazzle design on the bottom. 

Summer Heroes

Sew Many Cards Challenge this week is to make a 4th of July/Americana/military card. It also has to be a fancy fold card. What a purrfect chance to make an Any Hero card. Miki is a Sew Many Cards image. 

I used the desert camo colors but made the patches red, white and blue. There are 3 crystals - again red, clear, blue. 2 copper ribbon brads hold the card closed. The paper was in my stash.

Since Katie keeps winning on the Phindy's Place Challenge, I have to get serious here! I came across this paper when sorting and organizing and fell in love with it. It needed a special image to go with it. What better than the Phindy Sweet & Sassy gardener? "Memories are meant to be Made NOT forgotten" is the sentiment. Sometimes it is the simplest things that make the best memories.

While Mom was not a fashion plate and those shoes would have never been on her feet, something about the scarf around the hat reminds me of her white babuska. Being allergic to many plants, she didn't garden, but this image still reminds me of her.

Your kids are always your kids

Our oldest, Lauren, is having surgery on Thursday. Since her husband had already requested a 4 day weekend for the annual BBQ Battle (they obviously are not coming afterall) I won't be going to Dallas to help with the boys. I do hope to go at the end of July. Even at 28, you still worry about your kids.

My Time to Craft's challenge this week is to make a card for a special person or special occasion. I think this qualifies. The hot air balloon image is from the Digi Doodle shop. The blue crystals are Martha Stewart. "Thinking of You" is cut from Oh My Vinyl with the Cricut Expression cartridge "George",

Allsorts Quilt

Allsorts has a sketch challenge this week. The sketch reminds me of a patchwork quilt, so what better image to use than that of a quilt. Besides I've been dying to use this image.

The quilt rack is a Digi Doodle image. They have a vintage section of images that are wonderful. I love them all. The paper was in my stash and the purple is more of a rose color. The iridescent flowers work well to complete the corners of the card. I debated about adding a sentiment, but I decided it would detract from the rest of the card. A sentiment or a note could be put inside.

Love Birds

I found several new places for digital stamps this past weekend. One of these is Squiggle Stamps. Although the name is similar, no fly here. The love birds image I used for a couple of cards already. It is simple and cute.

The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge is to make a wedding or anniversary card. I mounted the Love Birds on a shaped piece of chipboard and also used chipboard/glitter flowers secured with mini brads.

Vintage Milk Cans

Found another site with some really good digital stamps - Digi Doodle. Since many of the neighbors identify our house as the "one with the milk cans on the porch", I had to have this stamp.

Crafty Ho's Challenge blog this week is a sketch challenge. This card is based on Scrappy's sketch #23. The papers are HOTP and the 5mm gold pearls are Mark Richard available from Paper Wishes.

Character Cafe Kitty

The Character Cafe Challenge this week is paper piecing. A couple of different ways to paper piece. One is to print out each part of the stamp on a different paper and then reassemble. I chose the second method: make several copies of the same image then stack smaller and smaller parts of it. There are three layers for this kitty. The whole cat is on the bottom. The head and scruff are repeated in the middle layer. The head only is repeated on the top layer. They are separated by dimension dots.

 The grey paper with black and red pin stripes blended well with the greys of the kitty. I added 2 red buttons and one black glitter button. The glitter is contained within the acrylic covering of the button so it is okay for OWH. The glitter cannot flake off. 

More Summer Sun

I just love Mrs. Comfy. That adult beverage looks refreshing! This is my 3rd entry to Phindy's Place Challenge. The theme is Summer Sunshine. Hard to get a tan without the sun!

Digital Paper

Soft Pencil has expanded their products. They now have multi-language sentiments and digital paper. I have been making cards for OWH so I played around and made this one using Soft Pencil images.

Peaceful Lake View

The docks on Lake of the Ozarks are covered and have a slip. This reminds me of family vacations in Rhinelander Wisconsin when I was in early grade school. There were 7 cabins at Pine Point Resort. We would rent one for the week. There were 7 rowboats lined up along the water's edge next to a small sandy beach. Each cabin got the use of a rowboat and oars. Motors cost extra.

This card is my latest submission to the Phindy's Place Challenge this week. The theme is Summer Sunshine.