YNS Sketch and Colors for Claire Cards

I had seen this sketch and color challenge at Your Next Stamp and decided to use both to create one card. I knew that my CTMH Claire papers from several years ago had all of those colors except lighter blue (from CTMH Pemberly) and Chocolate, which I added.  However, after I pulled out these lovely  papers, I decided to make an entire box of cards. (I do get carried away sometimes!)

 

Here's my card for the challenge using a new "thank you" stamp I just got. I colored it with matching Copic markers.

I'm sharing this project with the following challenges:
Crafts Galore Encore May Challenge - anything goes
Making Memories Crafting Challenge #5 - anything goes
Simply Papercraft Challenge #46 - anything goes
The Crafty Addicts Challenge #36 - AG/add a sentiment
Word Art Wednesday #280 - 281 - anything family friendly
YNS Challenge #63 - Sketch and all 5 colors of the Color challenge

I decided to make all of the cards in the Cricut Artiste box "swing cards" from both Cricut Artiste and Cricut Artfully Sent cartridges. I also made all of them with the same theme, thinking of you.  I wanted each card to be fairly flat for mailing to someone who is sick or needs prayer or encouragement.

Both the umbrella and the flower below were coated with sparkles using the glitter shimmer brush, but the lighting didn't show that.

Here's a sample of the inside:

One of my CTMH "sisters," Sheila Bennet,  had shared a couple of years ago which frame/label stamps matched the Artiste Swing cards, so I used those: Frame It Up and Perfect Fit Frames.   I had one extra pack of canvas stickers that went with the Claire papers so these adorned several of the cards:

SWAA March Blog Hop - Focus on Penelope and/or Boxes

Welcome to our Blog Hop!  I am featuring Close To My Heart's "Penelope" paper pack.   The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around. 

You may have just come here from Aggie Peters' blog.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog.

I love the way this paper pack has 10 different patterned papers plus two "Picture My Life" sheets with nine more patterned 4" x 3" or 4" x 6" cards ready to cut out for pocket or regular scrapbook pages or cards.  On one side these cards are oriented vertically and on the other side horizontally.



My cards were inspired by the month of March! Green is coming soon in this brown and gray world around many of us!  The card base was cut out using Cricut Artfully Sent. I loved the curved front! I also wanted to use the Operation Smile stamp set, "Animal Greetings," so I included a small trimmed circle of gold glitter paper to anchor the tiny alligator chosen because he's also green. He's standing on a bow tied from Fern Thick Twine.  I used gold shimmer trim to easily edge the bottom of the inside.

My second card was embellished with a bow and glittery hearts from the Pear Fundamental Assortment.

I added four of the hearts inside the card to highlight the cut-out shamrock. You can see the shine of the gold embossed design on the bow here:

I shared three cards earlier this month using the Penelope paper. You can read the details about how I made them here. Come back throughout this month to see the other Penelope projects I'll continue to share here.

Thank you for visiting!  Now you're ready to move on to  Sheila's blog to see what delightful project she's prepared for you.


I'm sharing my second "green shine" card with the following challenges:

Creative Knockouts #130 - Go Green
D.L.Art Thankful Thursday #175 - Frogs and/or use the color green

Birthday Swing Card

I made this card while the wind was howling with single degree temperatures outside. I'm definitely in the mood for flowers and spring!

Cricut Artfully Sent has quite a few swing card patterns so I thought I'd try another with a flower cut-out using CTMH Blossom paper. I adjusted the size to 6.5" x 5" in Design Space.  If you unlock the lock next to the size you can make the proportions different than the original.  I liked the inside sentiment mat that was cut with "stitched" scalloped edges. I had a sheet of green vellum from eons ago so I cut leaves on the Cricut for the front and inside.

 I combined several small birthday sentiment stamps to get the one I wanted, making sure that they fit behind the top or showed on front like the Happy Birthday (see recipe below). I wanted a large sequins inside the flower center and added a few more by placing them under solid flower parts. Practicing first on a sample made from yellow paper from my scrap drawer helped.

 (Since I wasn't sure how it would turn out so I practiced with this Basic Grey double sided paper from my scrap drawer first and decided to keep it, too.) 

Thank you for visiting. 

I'm sharing the blue card with the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create #158 - anything goes with optional birthday/anniversary

Crafting from the Heart #94 - anything goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper January Challenge - anything goes with patterned paper

Fantasy Stampers #53 - Happy Birthday

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #6 - anything goes

Paper Minutes #417 - anything goes

Quirky Crafts Challenge #1 - Let's Quirky Celebrate

The Crazy Challenge #217 - celebrations

Winter Wonderland - Spring is in the air

6.5" x 5" Birthday Card Recipe:

Papers - CTMH Blossom (blue an sunset), White Daisy CS; Basic Grey Nook and Pantry (Yellow); very old green vellum from my stash

Stamps - Both retired CTMH: Happy Everything, Card Chatter-Birthday

Ink - Memento - Tuxedo Black

Other - CTMH Cricut Artfully Sent, gold sequins

"May God be with you" Card with A Happy Hello SOTM

I grew up in a church where we sang so many different old hymns. Those timeless songs left an indelible mark on my life. They play inside my head at different times throughout the day.  I wonder if everyone else learned countless truths from the repetition and repertoire. One we often sang at the end of a service was "God Be With You." Of course God is with us, but it's so important to focus on that fact - that although He's unseen, He's still there. Being aware of His presence helps me through many difficult times. I especially liked the part that says "'neath His wings securely hide you," whether it's from danger or the stresses of life. But as an adult I've also come to realize there are so many dear friends that I've lost through the years or will never cross paths with again. This sentiment in the chorus ends with ..."till we meet again." I'm looking forward to seeing them in heaven some day.

That's why I chose this sentiment as a favorite saying to go with the challenge at Crafting When We Can.

This card uses the CTMH Hopscotch paper and the February Stamp of the Month for the flower. I'm posting some of the other cards made with that paper and stamp set below.

 Thank you for visiting and May God be with you and bless you!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Crafting When We Can #87 - favorite quote/saying



Everybody-Art-Challenge #310 - sentiment as the focus
Loves Rubber Stamps #137 - anything goes
Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #169 - anything uplifting

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More Cards using the February Stamp of the Month (A Happy Hello):

The last two are my CASED versions of the cards shown in the idea book for this stamp set. I cut the blue scalloped circle using Cricut Artfully Sent and the butterflies using Cricut Art Philosophy.

I cut this last one at 6.5" instead of 5.5," which better fit the added stamped circle flowers. It was cut using Cricut Artfully Sent. Links to the supplies are give below.

Hopscotch Paper Pack

A Happy Hello (available only through February)







5" x 7" Vine Embossing Folder

Green and Blue Epoxy Bubbles

Aqua Dots

 Cricut Artfully Sent

With Heartfelt Sympathy

I never have enough sympathy cards. I was glad to see the challenge from Bitten By the Bug2 today to make them with the Cricut. Sympathy cards seem to be hard to make sometimes. I've been on the receiving end enough to realize how much it means to know that someone cares, that someone is praying for you when you've lost a loved one. Here are two I made ahead, hoping I won't need them yet.

I chose a swirly frame stamp that uses a shape from Cricut Artfully Sent, sized 1.75." I cut two larger mats by adding an eighth and a fourth of an inch more to the heighth.  I used some old, retired scraps I had sitting out. All of the papers and embellishments are from Close To My Heart (except the flower and pink ribbon).

Thank you for visiting. May God bless your crafting for those you love!

I'm sharing them with the following challenges:
Bitten by the Bug 2 - Sympathy Card
Come and Get It - Ribbon and bows
Crafting for All Seasons #94 - Things with wings
Fussy and Fancy #131 - things with wings
Glitter n Sparkle Challenge #121 - both pearls (mine are black) and swirls (design in paper, frame, and pearl flourish)
Kitty Bee Designs #39 - use scraps
Sunday Stamper #342 - Wind beneath my Wings
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge #64  - add layers  (5 layers on my sentiment on last card)
Word Art Wednesday #167 - anything uplifting

Stamps used:
Sincere Expressions  and   Cricut Artfully Sent Curlicue Tags  and retired set

Cricut Artfully Sent Fall Birthday Swing Card

I have several friends who have birthdays in October. They are all the oldest child in the family like I am and we share many personality traits, likes, and dislikes. This is one of my birthday cards for an October friend.  We're all turning 65, going on 18 (ok, maybe 28). A recent TV news report said that we share genetic similarities with our friends. I can see that with mine!

I chose this reversible paper from the CTMH Scaredy Cat paper pack so that the leaf would be cut so that it would be orange. I outlined it with gold glitter gel and tried something different with a swing card. I added a panel of Scaredy Cat gypsy colored paper framed with gold glitter paper, gluing it behind the first fold so that I could add a larger sentiment behind it.  I added a strip of Sunset Chevron Washi Tape to the bottom.

Here's the page (p.42) used to make the card using Cricut Artfully Sent. I didn't include the inside panel shown on this page.

I combined three sentiments from the stamp set Your Own Kind of Wonderful.

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Always Something Creative #84 - fall/Halloween
Brown Sugar #114 - autumn/fall
Crafty Creations #273 - orange
Die Cut Divas - Change of Seasons - fall
Frosted Designs Friday Challenge - Fall
Ruby's Rainbow #89 - autumn leaves
Simply Create Too #71 - Special Occasion
Wags 'N' Whiskers #139 - fall colors

Cricut Artfully Sent and Home for the Holidays Stamp of the Month

I had fun today playing with the October Stamp of the Month. The shapes for the stamps are cut using the Cricut Art Philosophy, but I couldn't resist adding backgrounds with the new Cricut Artfully Sent. 

This one is the snowflake "Sleeve" from page 49 and is backed with silver glitter paper.

It has strips of paper from CTMH Snowhaven. The ribbon is one of the specials this month - free with a $50 order. Before attaching the stamped shape, I cut the same shape 1/4" bigger in black for more contrast.

I'm sharing this card with Love To Create Challenge #135 - Ribbon - because this chunky ribbon seemed to set off the card when I added it. I'm also sharing it with Christmas Stampin' All Year #31 - Lots of Snowflakes and Completely Christmas #31 - anything Christmas.

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This card didn't photograph well. The light blue inked area has snowflakes in the design. I added silver sequins topped with sparkles on top of the snowflakes that were cut out of the card base above. 

This card was made using the card sketch from Try Stamping on Tuesdays Challenge #187, turned horizontally:

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This next card uses the "Joy" pocket card as the Black cut-out "Joy" sentiment from Artfully Sent, p.45. 

The gray baker's twine has a silver thread that runs through it, perfect for this Christmas paper. This card uses three different papers from the Snowhaven paper pack, so I'm sharing it with this week's challenge at  Jingle Belles to use 3 different papers.  I'm also sharing it with Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - anything goes Christmas.

Here is the display board for this Stamp of the Month and a close-up of the stamp set.

This stamp set also has two tags. I used the "Home for the holidays" tag on two of the decorated Designer Creations Slate Paper Bags.

Thank you for visiting! October is definitely time to seriously start Christmas cards! I hope this gave you a few ideas! May God bless you as you share your art with friends and family!