Flower Power Easel Card

Wow there is alot going on in this card! I hope it doesn't look too jumbled but when I saw the challenge at 365 cards - 5 buttons & 5 bows - I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and it works for a few other challenges too.

Challenge Entries:

365 Cards - 5 buttons & 5 bows, I added paper faces to flower shaped buttons and made the stems from ribbon and bows.
House of Gilli - easel card with flowers - I think this qualifies! ;)
My Craft Spot - sewing, stitching or faux stitching - I used a white pen to add faux stitches to the label and flowers. My patterned paper already had faux stitching.
Paper Creations Ink - flowers - again, I think this qualifies :)

CARD DETAILS:
I used some flower shaped buttons and removed the shanks. I then gave them paper faces using Peachy Keen face stamps. I used ribbon & bows for the stems and leaves but I only had white ribbon so I colored the stems with Copics G14 Apple Green and the bows with G12 Sea Green - btw, this plain thin white ribbon colored beautifully with copics. I cut out the ladybugs and colored them with Copics R46 Strong Red and made the dots with a sharpie. My paper was DCWV & Papertrey Ink and I used stamps from Papertrey Ink and Peachy Keen. The faux stitching was done with a white Gelly Roll from Sakura.

If you have never done an Easel card and would like to learn, here is a great video tutorial from SCS.

Beach Page for my Summer Mini - and challenge entries

Birthday - Accordian Card Challenge Entry

This is my second post today, I have been on a roll this weekend! I have been seeing some accordian cards lately and I wanted to try my hand at making one of my own. They are so cute, like little books! I also put this into several challenges, how fun!
I used a nestie die to make it a shaped card but that is certainly not a requirement. Once I worked out the dimensions and fold lines it was actually pretty easy to make and I expect I will be making more of these in the future. If you have never tried one, you should! Make up your own or follow the instructions at the end of this post. My instructions will make a card sized 4 X 5-1/4 and fits perfectly into an A2 envelope.

Challenges:
Creations by Gill M - Anything that flies - I have a butterfly and birds.
One Stop Craft Challenge - anything but square
Totally Gorjus - As you like it
Jellypark Friends - die cuts and/or punches
Mami Doodles - shaped card

Recipe & Materials Used:

Nestabilities Labels Eight - largest die for the covers and 3rd size down for the panel layers
Paper: K & Co. Classic K collection
Stamps: TPC Studios Vintage Birdcages, Gina K Designs Stenciled Spring set and Springtime Silhouette set.
Perfect Pearls: Platinum Pearl
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Vintage Photo and Old Paper

UPDATE: I removed my instructions because I found this wonderful link to an accordian card tutorial and video by SCS that was much clearer than mine. Click here to see the tutorial.

Funny Birthday Cards and a Challenge Entry

I have had the rare opportunity to spend almost the entire weekend in my crafting studio - Yay! This has resulted in 3 birthday cards, 1 graduate card and a page set for a mini-album I am working on. Normally I would not post so much stuff in one day but I want to put some of these in challenges soooo here are my first two cards.

This is a belated birthday card that I have been wanting to make ever since I saw this sentiment in one of my new CTMH acrylic stamp sets called Card Chatter-Birthday. The sentiment says "I didn't forget your birthday..." "I'm just extending the Celebration!" How cute is that, and imperative to have for a procrastinator like me - haha.

Card Materials:
Stamp: CTMH Card Chatter-Birthday
Paper: DCWV The Whimsy matstack
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa

CHALLENGE: Catch the Bug - warm colors and paper piecing.

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My next card for this post is also one I have been wanting to make since I saw the sentiment. It is very simply stamped & colored and a little cuttlebug embossing, not alot of bells and whistles to take away from the sentiment. (Beware: my coloring is very amateur - sorry!)

Paper: scraps from my stash - Papertrey Ink and DCWV
Stamps: Gina K designs stamp set "Tickle Your Funny Bone"
Colored with Prisma color pencils and gamsol
Cuttlebug embossing was one of the border folders but I am not sure what the name is.

Graduation surprise wiper card

I love the colors on this card and when you pull the arrow tabs on either side, shiny stars pop up from the top. This is called a Wiper card because of the action of the pop-up. This is a fun and easy card, click here for a you tube tutorial from splitcoast stampers.

I made this card for my niece and I think she'll like it alot! I don't know if you can see it but on the left panel of the opened card it says 'reach for the stars'.

Cricut Cardz Challenge #89 - Jungle Animal Kids B-day Card

It's time again for a challenge at Cricut Cardz Challenge! Join in the fun by making a kids birthday card using any animal you would find in the jungle. Here is my design team card, I used Create-a-Critter, an oldie but goodie, and one of my favs. Enjoy and be sure to get your entry in before next Wednesday!

Amazing Blog ~ Must See!

Because I have been trying to do more challenges, I compiled a list of some of my favorite challenge blogs on my sidebar. However, today I came across an amazing blog that tracks 500 challenge blogs, can you believe it!? Feline Playful tracks and lists challenge blogs weekly with a description of the challenge and links to the blog. They also post images for any sketches needed. This makes it so much easier to see what challenges are being offered and I am happily replacing my sidebar list with their badge. What they do there takes alot of work and I for one am very appreciative and would like to send a big THANKS to the Feline Playful team!

Shadow Stamping with Gina K designs

I saw this great technique by Gina of Gina K Designs on Stamp TV for double stamping an image to give it a shadow effect. I loved the look of the shadow stamping, and the simplicity of the technique.

Now normally when I see an idea that I like for a card or project, I try to totally spin it to create a project completely my own. But when I saw this card by Gina K Designs, I loved every element and decided to made it almost exactly the same way. The design and all materials are from Gina K Designs. LOVE IT! Check out Gina's video on how to do this easy and fun technique here.

Hello Note Card Challenge Entry

I have been trying to push myself to think outside of the box by entering challenges so I am starting off with this note card I made to enter into two challenges:

Crazy for Challenges - make a monochromatic project

Paper Variety - use threads - floss, ribbon, yarn, lace, twine, etc.

Follow the links above to join the challenges - there is still time!

So I have done a monochromatic card in green (Crazy for Challenges), and tied up my buttons with floss and edged the card with ribbon (Paper Variety Challenge). I also used paper from DCWV, fiskars flower punch and corner rounder punch, a gel pen, and a 'hello' sentiment stamp from Gina K designs. I made this card with plenty of room inside for a nice long note to a far-away friend. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!

Boy's Football Birthday Card

Hi all! My grandson is turning 6 on the 19th.... where has the time gone??? Seems like the grandkids are growing up so fast, and I don't get to see them often enough!

My grandson has been throwing a football - and doing it very well - since he was about two years old. He is playing in a league this year for the first time and his favorite team is the Lions so what else was I going to put on his birthday card?? He is all about the game face so I had to make sure this little guy had his game face on too - haha - I hope he likes this!

This little football player was cut from the Everyday Paperdolls cart and I used a silver, black & white pen to make it look more like a Lion's jersey. The banner letters were cut from Martha Stewart All Occasions Cake cartridge.