Christmas cards - Post 3

Here is another Christmas card I made out of a piece from a store bought card that I received last year. See that beautiful strip of green with all the lovely shimmery gold in it .. it was a border around an image that I cut and kept. 

The gold circle is also recycled, I think it was the inside of a very expensive feeling envelope!  It looks like the sentiment is hard to see in these photos but in real life it is not. 

Christmas is getting closer and closer!! 

Donelda

Take 3 Challenge - Snowflake - Take 3

Hello and welcome back to my final card this week from my Take 3 Challenge. 

Here is my Take 3 card:

Here is a close up of that embellishment ... it is the snowflake stamp that I am using this week.  To make it, I stamped the flake with white craft ink onto a transparency, then heat embossed with a mix of white and kelidascope embossing powder.  It turned out great in the end. I think I will make a bunch of these to help with my Christmas card creating.

Well, I am sad to say that this week's Take 3 Challenge is done!  But not to worry, there will

always be another one around the corner!!

Donelda

Take 3 Challenge - Pumpkins - Take 3

And, finally, the Take 3 card for my Take 3 Challenge this week using this aweosme pumpkin stamp.

Today's card is all about paper piecing!  Love it, never do it enough!

Polka dot madness!! 

Well, thanks for dropping by for a visit.  Hope you have enjoyed this week's Take 3 Challenge! 

Donelda

Take 3 Challenge - Pumpkins - Take 1

Hello again and welcome back to another installment of one of my Take 3 Challenges.  This is where I use 1 stamp (or item) on 3 different cards, showcasing each on Mon, Tue, and Wed of the week. 

Today's Take 1 card is a Halloween card, of course!  Happy Halloween!! Typically I'm not a real halloween card maker but this year I did create a few (3 to be exact) using this pumpkin from Craftsmart. 

This panel started off white ... believe it or not!  Gotta love distress inks!!  And that soft ribbon is an oldie from Stampin' Up!  Loved it so much back then I bought 2 spools ... still love it and have decided I'd better start using it!!  LOL!!

Drop back in tomorrow to see a TOTALLY different card for my Take 2 card.  Can't wait till you see it!! All you clean and simple (CAS) gals out there, you are gonna loooove it!!! 

Till tomorrow,

Donelda

CAS-ual Fridays #24 - No Orange Halloween

Over at CAS-ual Fridays the latest challenge is to create a Halloween card that does not have any orange in it!  Well, that isn't really so hard now .. is it??!!

Here is what I ended up with ....  I really like it ... but it kinda makes me think of batman ... no it totally makes me think of batman!!  LOL!!

The bat was cut out of Sookwang tape and then covered with black glitter ... here is a closer picture that almsot captures the sparkliness of the glitter:

If you are a regular here you know that I love to create CAS (Clean and Simple) cards.  This is the first time I've played along with a CASual Fridays challenge but I am sure to be there again!! 

Thanks for dropping by,
Donelda

Using Scraps 1 - Halloween Stripes

I am always so inspired by those of you who buy crafting magazines and actually use them for inspiration !!  You know who you are.  So, I decided to take my Sept/Oct 2010 issue of Paper Crafts and actually let it inspire me (in addition to drooling all over the great cards!).

In addition to using the magazine for inspiration, I also decided to go with all scraps!!  Everything you will see in the coming posts will include items from my scrap cardstock pile, scrap designer paper pile, or from my bins of "things" I made but didn't end up using .. you know, like die cuts, stamped images, etc.

This card was created based on the Moxi Fab Color Combo - grey, royal blue, rich purple, and gold (page 32).  Once I pulled out a bunch of the scraps onto my crafting desk, the colors were totally Halloween so I created this card.  The grey shape was hand cut and then spritzed with some Silver Sugar Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels).  The buckle of the hat was coated with some Glossy Accents (Ranger) to make it shine.  the hat stamp is a g studio from Michaels and the sentiment is from an old Stampin' Up! set that retired long ago!! 

I am excited to share with you all of the rest of my Scrap Cards inspired by the Sept/Oct issue of Paper Crafts!!   Make sure you drop back in tomorrow!!

Donelda

One Layer Wednesday (OLW) - Border Stamps

First of all, sorry for the strange photo.  As many of you know, I've been struggling with getting enough light in my photo box.  Then, a few days ago one of the bulbs blew...making me have an even bigger lighting issue.  I went all over my house trying to find somewhere to take a half decent picture...it wasn't easy.  In the end, my sons room was it (as you can tell by the Mario behind my hand (sheesh!).  I am hoping to buy new lights this weekend which will solve the problem!

Well, Susan R. has issued another great challenge!  This time she asked us to create a one layer card using our border stamps!  I have a few border stamps ... more than I realized once I started looking!!  I actually like useing them quite a bit.  However, I have a few from Stampin Up! that are on the wheels and I never use them!!  I think it is just too hard to roll them straight, even when I use a guide.  So, when I read this challenge I considered if I wanted to "unmount" my SU! border stamps and ... I did!!  Well, just one for now.  I'll see if I use it more often and if I do then the rest will follow! 

The stamp is Garden Annuals (retired) and is one of those stamps I "had to have" to go with my All Through the Year (retired) set.  Neither of these have been used enough for the money I paid so I happily pulled out the border image to use today!

I stamped the image with Susan's favorite color Orchard Oppulance (SU! .. and I lie, Susan thinks it looks like fairy vomit!!) onto an OO card base.  Then I offset the stamp slightly and stamped again for a shadow effect.  Next, I used a sentiment from Spiral Bouquet (Papertrey Ink).  Interstingly, I am using those large sentiments a lot lately.  I didn't realize I liked large sentiments but I guess I do.  I might have to buy more!!
Finally, I added some purple bling ... just to make up to Susan for using such a 'horrid' color, LOL!!!

Off to see what everyone else has done with their border stamps.
Donelda

Saturday Spotlight - snowflakes

So, here is another late challenge card. Last Saturday the

Saturday Spotlight challenge was snowflakes. I could hardly bare to pull out my Snowflake set (Stampin' Up!) but I did and I love the results.

I took and painted the small snowflake with some Twinkling H2O paint, then stamped onto a scrap of white cardstock. I repeated this until I had a staggered row, stamping off for a few to get some variation of color. To see how glittery this paint really is, you can click on the smaller close-up photo! I did some tearing and added a sentiment (Remember-Papertrey Ink). Then, I adhered a bit of Teal (Stampin' Up!) cardstock that I had left over from making THIS card. A bit of black grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink) and my card was finished.

Now maybe I'll pop over to Saturday Spotlight to see what the current challenge is.

Donelda

Clean and Simple Challenges 23 and 24

While I was away, I missed a lot of great challenges. One that I really like is the Clean and Simple Challenges (or CAS) over on Splitcoaststampers. I completed CAS24 which was this Monday's challenge (I did 3 cards...I just couldn't stop!!) but then when back and did CAS23 as well!!

CAS24 - use the colors Yellow, Orange, and Turquoise.

Here is Card #1 and, actually, my favorite of the

bunch!! When making Clean and Simple cards, this is one of my all time favorite layouts!!

Supplies: Stamps-swirls inchie stamps by Inkadinkado; Cardstock - whisper white (SU); Ink - Only Orange, Yoyo Yellow, Tempting Turquoise, Basic Black (SU) Other - 1" square punch, dimensionals.

Here is the second card I made using these colors. My friend has lots of friends getting married and having babies so I have been trying to make a few baby cards, not something I do very often. I really like the look of the white stitching around the white block and then popped up onto a white card (white on white inpired by the CAS queen herself, Susan). Supplies: Stamps - All Year Through (SU!), Limitless Labels (Papertrey Ink); Paper - Whisper White (SU!); Ink - Yoyo Yellow, Tempting Turquoise (SU!); Other - sweing machine, white thread, dimensionals, orange button (Basic Grey), white floss (DCM).

This is my third card using these colors. No, that

yellow strip was not supposed to be there but

when I stamped the sentiment the first time it was crooked....of course!! Drat! So, I restamped it onto a strip of the yellow cardstock and added it to the card. Not as nice but will work. I do love the swarvoski crystals that I added to the centers of these awesome flowers!!

Supplies: Stamps- Garden of Life (Papertrey Ink); Paper - Whisper White, Yoyo Yellow (Stampin' Up!); Ink - Yoyo Yellow, Only Orange, Tempting Turquoise, Basic Black (Stampin' Up!); Other - crystals (Swarvoski), dimensionals. And here is the card I made for CAS23 where we were giving this awesome site to use as a place to find inspriation! Wow, you could be looking all day!! I used THIS PIECE as my inspiration piece. I've never thought of doing this with this cow from Very Punny before! I laughed out loud when I thought of it!! Certainly not my typical style but it was fun!! Supplies: Stamps - Out on a Limb, Everyday Classics (Papertrey Ink), Very Punny (Stampin' Up!); Paper - Night of Navy, Whisper White (SU!); Ink- Yoyo Yellow, Night of Navy, Basic Black (SU!); Other - gingham ribbon, white gel pen (Signo), dimensionals, copic markers (pink, black). So, next I am going to attack some of the Loonie girl challenges and maybe try to get a card ready for the next Papertrey Ink blog hop (I've missed the last few of those too!!).

Have a great day everyone!!

Donelda

Father's Day and Blog Candy

Happy Father's Day.

Here is the card I sent my dad. It is all made from scrap pieces that were sitting in my scrap bin. I love the Distress Ink background piece and the popsicle stick sentiment.

Kelly is giving away some candy on her blog. Go here to check it out!!

http://klstampinnscrappin.blogspot.com/2009/06/musical-superstar.html

Have a great and special day!

Donelda

CAS18 - Summer color challenge

Time for another Clean and Simple Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers (see link below right on my side bar). This time it was called "A Fun Summer Color Challenge" where we were to use "pinks/corals, kraft, & one other coordinating color of your choice". Now, is it just me or do these colors feel more like fall??!! Call me crazy!!! Anyway, I decided to make a little window for my first card. It was actually inspired by my son who was doing a little stamping with me today. He created the layout and I really liked it!! I rotated it 90 degrees to the left!

And once I got started I figured I'd might as well create another card with the colors while they were out. So, I was searching through my scrap bin when I came across the swirl on a piece of Cameo Coral cardstock. That swirl is actually made with light moulding paste with some brown paint added to it. Then, it was applied into the Stampin' Up embossing template called Finest Flourishes. Perfect for this challenge. I added a thin chocolate mat and a few stamped "faux ribbons" and a finished card.

And, finally, I wanted to share this little gem. My son asked what it meant to be 'clean and simple' so I expained it to him. He wanted to play along and this is what he created!! Awesome :-)

Supplies: Stamps: Birthday Basics (Papertrey Ink), Year Round Fun 2 (Stampin' Up!, retired), Basic Lowercase Letters (Hero Arts), Remember (Papertrey Ink), Faux Ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Cardstock-Kraft, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Cameo Coral (SU!); Ink - Chocolate Chip, Cameo Coral, Cranberry Crisp, Close to Cocoa (SU!); Other - 1" square punch (Marvy), butterfly punch (Martha Stewart), light modeling paste (Liquitex), brown acrylic paint, spatula, brass template (SU!), Cameo Coral marker (SU!), watercolor brush.

Have a great day!!

Donelda

CAS17 Challenge - Towel Inspiration

I love the new Clean and Simple (CAS) challenge over at Splitcoaststampers. I find myself gravitating toward that style a lot. Especially when my creative juices have dried up....CAS seems to be the only thing that is possible for me. So, I checked the thread and the CAS #17 challenge that Jen had up was an inspiration challenge. She gave us THIS LINK from Land's End with towels and totes. I saw the solid blue striped towel and had to go with it!! The card was simple, and is actually a SCRAP card as well!! I used 1" strips of blue in 3 different shades found in my blue scraps bag. I also pulled that fishy out of my image scrap bin. I had stamped and colored a bunch of them a long time ago (see, this is why I never throw anything away). To color him, I had actually dry brushed some blue and purple watercolor paint (remember you can

click on the image to see it larger) onto white cardstock. I added this great sentiment from an add-on set to the Pond Life stamp set from Papertrey Ink and popped that little swimmer up on dimensionals. This was an increadibly easy card to make and used a ton of scraps. I can see this same card made in different colors with different images and sentiments!! Wow, what a great way to use up some of my many pieces of scrap! Supplies: Stamps - Fishy Friends (Stampin' Up!), Pond Life Sentiments (Papertrey Ink); Ink-Versamark, Basic Black (SU!), Paper - 3 shades of blue (one is definately Night of Navy and I think the middle color might be Buckaroo Blue but I am unsure of the lightest shade), White; Other - watercolor paints, paint brush, white embossing powder, dimensionals. Thanks for dropping in! Don't forget about the smARTworks tea party coming up on Wednesday. We were challenged to create a card without using white!! Come and play with us!! Donelda

Ferns from the Cookie Plate

I just seem to have so many ideas to use the Cookie Plate that Susan from smARTworks created and sent the Design Team for Christmas. YOu can earn it by collecting smART Bucks. Read more about that HERE and HERE. I just love all of the images in the set. This lovely fern is one of the largest and one of my favorites. I love ferns!! So, I decided to create a background using it. I think it is so lovely with the stamping off. Just a need for a great sentiment and a bit of ribbon and voila, done. Don't forget that in exchange for the possiblity of slower order processing, smARTworks will be offering FREE SHIPPING on all US orders ($15 or greater) placed April 20 - 24. What a great opportunity for my US friends!!! and today is the last day!!! Take advantage of the opportunity!! Supplies: Stamps - fern from Cookie Plate (smARTworks), Happy Harmony (Stampin' Up!); Ink-Old Olive, Basic Black (SU!); Paper-Very Vanilla (SU!), Olive (Bazzill); Other - spring moss twill (Papertrey Ink). Thanks for dropping in today. Have a great day! Donelda

Wedding Cards in Chocolate and Vanilla - Yummy!!

My friend Jenny is going to a wedding next week and has asked for a wedding card in the colors of the wedding. -- Chocolate and Vanilla -- how yummy does that sound!! Just like a bowl of great pudding!! Anyway, I wanted to make a few different samples for her to choose from so she could pick one she liked the best. Here are the 3 cards I ended up creating. Which one do you think she will pick??? Supplies: all cards are made with Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla cardstock (Stampin' Up), all ink is Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up); all sentiments are from Wedding Day (Papertrey Ink), top card also uses Guide Lines and Borders and Corners (Papertrey Ink), Very Vanilla ribbon (Stampin' Up!), Brown silk ribbon (Michael's), half pearls (Dollarama), scallop scissors (Provo Craft), designer paper- Au Chocolate (Stampin' Up!), roses (from my stash purchased at Michaels' but I can't remember company name), circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug. Thanks for dropping in! Donelda

Single Oak Trees

I colored in these trees one afternoon when I was bored and felt like coloring. I used my Stampin' Up markers and then highlighted with a white Prismacolor pencil crayon. Then I created these two cards with them. This image makes for a great masculine card. I still have one more tree to use someday in the future. Supplies: Stamps-???? (Stampin' Up!), Birthday Basics, Mixed Messages, Borders & Corners {square} (Papertrey Ink), Ink - Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!); Paper - Sahara Sand, Old Olive (Stampin' Up!), brown (Bazzill); Other - ribbon (Stampin' Up!), markers (Stampin' Up!). Thanks for dropping in. Donelda

Boy Birthday 3x3

I just love this little 3x3 card!! So easy and simple! Stamped the image. Colored it in with my prismacolor pencil crayons. Added some shading behind the glove (my fav part). Added a small sentiment (Mixed Messages set from Papertrey Ink is the best set for small sized cards and inchies). Finally, I added some drawn lines around the focal image. This card went to one of my sons' friends for his birthday. Great for the ball player!! Supplies: Stamps-Toy Box (Stampin' Up! - I think it is retired), Mixed Messages (Papertrey Ink); Ink- Basic Black, Night of Navy (Stampin' Up!); Paper - Night of Navy, Whisper White (Stampin' Up!); Other-pencil crayons (Prismacolor), black pen (Sakura). Thanks for dropping in for a visit! Have a great weekend. Donelda

Inspiration Challenge #160

The Saturday Inspiration Challenge #160 over at Splitcoaststampers was to use the web-based store of MacKenzie-Childs. Well, I popped over to the link and saw the picture of this chair on the main page....and I just knew I had to make a card using it as inspiraiton!! It was just so funky great!!

I started out with the blue and added the harliquin diamonds with a darker blue. The the dots...they were a bit tricky. To get the yellow, I stamped the red cardstock with white craft ink, let it dry and then painted some yellow over top. The black and white was done with white embossing on black cardstock. The yellow is color on color!! I sliced up all my pieces and adheared them down. Then, I cut this label by hand and added this great sentiment. The little embellishment is a bracelet piece but it has these big bumps on the back (where the elastic would go). So, I sliced a hole in the lable so that the bumps would go into the cardstock and glued it down. I adheared the label using dimensionals to accomoadate for the bumps!!

Well, not sure if I like the card in the end but it was a ton of fun to make!! And I have left over scraps so you will likely see them appear on a future card!!

Supplies: Stamps-Print Pattern (retired Stampin' Up!), Finest Flourishes (retired Stampin' Up!) French Flair (retired Stampin' Up!), Polka Dot Basics (Papertrey Ink), Faux Ribbon (Papertrey Ink), Remember (Papertrey Ink); Cardstock-Cranberry Crisp, Basic Black, So Saffron, Ballet Blue (Stampin' Up!); Ink, Basic Black, Whipser White craft, Night of Navy (Stampin' Up!), Yellow Ocher (ColorBox), Versamark; Other - black marker (Zig), charm, white embossing powder.

Thanks for dropping by!

Donelda

Post It Note Holders

I love making Post It note holders. They are so easy and you can make them either plain and casual or dress them up.

I wanted to make a couple for some friends who are having a little Christmas party, a little gift for the hostesses. Their names both start with P and I had bought a 2 pack of Post It notes that had the letter P on them and were purple. They matched perfectly with SU's Orchid Opulance. I also found this great piece of textured designer paper from my Old World Stack from Die Cut With a View. Finished it off with an encircled "smile" and black organdy ribbon and black mat.

I think they will like them.

Supplies: Cardstock: Orchid Opulance, Basic Black (Stampin' Up), Old World Stack (Die Cut With a View), Ink: Basic Black (SU), Stamps: Everyday Flexible Phrases (SU), Borders & Corners{circle} (Papertrey Ink), Organdy Ribbon (unknown)

Thanks for visiting