Button Cluster Butterfly

It's a very stormy day here today. I started a card using a kaleidoscope of colour suggested by Simon Says Stamp and Show, but tornado warnings came up for the area where my son lives and that changed things. My card was nearly finished, but I started making phone calls to his phone and his wife's. When I couldn't get either of them, all I could do was pray for their safety and watch the TV for any news. Finally, his wife called me that their adventure was over. They were in a theater a few blocks from their home. My son said his phone vibrated with a call from his wife's mother then from me and he knew that meant there must be a tornado. The theater stopped The Avengers and said there was no safe place for them to go so they decided to race for the safety of their own basement. Thankfully the warning expired. When it was over I realized I had been unconsciously singing "Trusting Jesus."

My goal with this card was to make it colorful for a child in the hospital for the challenge this week at Send a Smile 4 Kids, using buttons, ribbon, and or flowers. I was also inspired by Challenge #108 at Craft Your Passion, to use Lots of Texture. The versatile sketch #164 at Card Patterns provided the structure.

The texture was provided by a Sizzix embossing folder, textured cardstock, and lots of buttons on the butterfly. Initially it was cut on the Cricut to match the stamp set. After stamping the spots and flower shapes I matched buttons to each shape. On the largest flower shapes I used two flowers punched out of the same purple paper as the heart circle diecut. The smallest dots were covered with Stickles for some glittery texture. I know that the little girls I used to teach would have loved this colorful, textured card. It's not my usual style, but thanks to the lovely ladies who dream up these challenges, I stepped outside my box.

Challenges:
Send a Smile 4 Kids - Buttons, Ribbons, and/or Flowers
Simon Says Stamp and Show - use a Kaleidoscope of Colour
Craft Your Passion Challenge #108 - Lots of Texture
Card Patterns Sketch #164

5.5" x 4.25" Kids card recipe:
Paper - Basic Grey "Color Me Silly" and "Euphoria"(purple); Close To My Heart Twilight and Colonial White Textured cardstock
Stamps - CTMH "Love clusters" (butterfly), "A Little Buzz" (sentiment)
Inks - CTMH Black, Twilight, Sunflower
Other - Spellbinder's Heart Circle die, Sizzix Floral Flourish embossing folder, MME Lime Twist baker's twine, CTMH buttons and Glitz Glitter glue Stardust

Card Patterns Sketch 162 for Mother's Day

I love to save paper scraps because I usually see a card in the making and can't bear to throw them away. My hubby would say I can't even bear to put them away. This card definitely qualifies for the "Shopping Our Stash" category since it came from my Basic Grey paper scraps and old ribbon and very old brads that I hadn't used yet. This week Challenge #49 challenges us to use things that start with "B." I used brads, a bow, an embossing folder called Kassie's Brocade, and one mat of black cardstock to make the title pop. I used the simply lovely sketch from Card Patterns, just slightly altered to fit the scrap.

Challenges:
Card Patterns - Sketch 162
Shopping Our Stash Weekly Challenge - Challenge 49 - starts with "B"

Loveable - Card Patterns Sketch 149

I have so many friends that are totally loveable, so it would be hard to know which one should get this card. However, I want to be the kind of person that shares God's love with those who don't think they're so loveable. I am amazed that God loves each of us, every minute of every day, loveable by our definition or not, we are loveable to Him. That is the message of this card. The heart on this card is for Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #123. I hope I'll give it to a friend who needs that encouragement, to know she is loved.

The design for this card was inspired by this sketch made by Tracy Schultz for Card Patterns Sketch 149. I loved it the minute I saw it.

Using the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge that has so many shape cards, I first cut a circle card that was 5.5" intending it to fit in my 6" x 6" envelopes. Then I cut a 5.75" scalloped circle using the layer feature that just makes a circle border. Using that feature made a scalloped circle type of frame. It was a little too thick for this card, so I cut the Graphic45 paper at 5.25" to fit over that. Everything was sponged with Chocolate ink. The heart was stamped on CTMH textured Blush cardstock. The edges were first sponged with Tulip, then just the edges sponged with Chocolate. I liked that effect for a shabby chic card. Instead of adding a 2nd flower like the pattern, I chose to make a bow from some net-type lace in my stash that has pink flowers lightly scattered throughout. I made a tiny tag stamped with the word "loveable" that comes from my newest alphabet stamp that has large cursive letters with a word for each letter. It doesn't go on sale until Wednesday, but I couldn't resist using that word. I hope that I show God's love to all of my loveable friends!

I'm also adding this card to Word Art Wednesday because of the theme. (Thank you, Karen.)

5.75" Card"
Paper - Graphic45 Playtime, CTMH Tulip, Colonial WhiteCS, Blush Textured(retired) CS, Black unknown
Stamps - CTMH "Soul Mates," "Keepsake Alphabet"
Ink - CTMH Tulip, Chocolate, Black
Other supplies - Martha Stewart "Lacey Hearts" punch, pink ribbons unknown, pink pin CTMH retired, Recollections red rose

Valentine's Card Pattern and 52 Christmas Card Throwdown

Challenges are a great way for me to make more cards-especially for the Valentine's Craft Show this weekend. Both of these cards use the Card Patterns Sketch #148. The first one is for Valentine's Day, obviously. The colors for both of my cards are from the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, so my second card is a Christmas card.

The 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge was to use black, white, and a splash of red.

Both cards are made with BoBunny paper, Close To My Heart cardstock and stamps.

Christmas Shopping in a Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland has a fabulous challenge to create Christmas cards in a timely fashion throughout the year. I used a sketch from Card Patterns to make this fun card. I'll add more details later today.

6" x 6" Card: Paper Basic Grey; CTMH CS, stamps, button brads

Christmas Silhouette

I've been in love with silhouettes since I was a little girl in third grade and read a seriesof biographies that were illustrated with silhouettes.  The City Crafter Challenge Blog Week #91 theme is "Back to Black" silhouettes. I've looked at this paper sitting out for several days and kept thinking Christmas, so Santa's silhouette seemed natural since I was using red, black and white as my colors. It's different from the usual Christmas card, so I hope you're not sick of seeing something about Christmas. It reminded me of sunset among icy trees. It also seemed complete without adding more.

6" x 6" Card:
Paper - Basic Grey "Indian Summer," CTMH White Daisy and Black CS
Stamps - CTMH "I Believe," "Charm Upper Case Alphabet"
Ink - Memento Black Tuxedo
Accessories, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 1/8" circle punch, CTMH black button brads

Vintage New Year

I didn't have more than a couple of New Year's stamps, so I found a digital image from a wonderful resource, Clearly Vintage. I needed a round clock depicting midnight and used one from her New Year's image 22. I used Card Patterns Sketch #146 and the inspiration photo and color scheme from The Ribbon Reel Challenge #18, white, cream, gray or silver, and black and the clock and lace idea from their photo.  The papers are from the BoBunny Enchanted collection. The cardstock, ribbon, clear sparkles, and Rhinestone Designer Brad are from Close to my Heart. The silver doily is from Wilton.