Monster Mash Birthday Card

I took my three oldest grandsons to the library. The one in first grade chose books from the series of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He's quite an artist, so I showed him where to find "How to Draw" books. As soon as we got home, he went straight to the kitchen table and started drawing animals from that book. His mom said later that he liked the "Wimpy Kid" books because he could draw the illustrations. His birthday is coming up so I've made him a card that he'll probably try to draw. Laurie Wilson made these cute monsters for Clear Dollar Stamps.

I thought it would be fun to use the bright color palette from the Crazy Amigo Challenge. I also used this sketch from the Simon Says Stamp Challenge this week where we were given the choice of two sketches:

 

 

I used a textured card base that was embossed with squares, so I embossed the yellow panel with Cuttlebug's "Traffic Jam" embossing folder. The orange and red designer papers are some that came with the Monster Mash digital stamp set, although I changed the colors using Photoshop. Each of the images and the sentiment were all individual stamps that I copied and pasted into a new image. I also enlarged the sentiment while keeping the dpi at 300. That way it was bigger when I pasted it.

I had been inspired by Digital Tuesday and Catered Crop to make a frame for my monsters. I cut the black cardstock the same size as my image, then cut out the center 1/4th" from each edge. I pop dotted it over the image panel for more dimension and added the row of buttons in the blank area. Tying one with black crochet thread was the final, simple touch for a masculine card.

Can You Digi It #31 - Male Birthdays
Catered Crop - Framed
Crazy Amigo Challenge - Orange, Red, Yellow, Black, and White
Digital Tuesday Challenge #201 - Frame It
Pause, Dream, Enjoy - For the Boys
Simon Says Stamp: sketch
Whoopsi Daisy - Buttons or Bows

5.5" Square Birthday Card Recipe:
Images and Sentiment - Clear Dollar Stamps "Monster Mash" digi
Papers - CDS digi papers from Monster Mash, CTMH Sunkiss Yellow, Black and white cardstock, embossed card base
Accents - CTMH and My Mind's Eye buttons; black crochet thread
Tools - printer, Adobe Photoshop CS, Cuttlebug "Traffic Jam" embossing folder
 

PSC#70 - Easter Bling

This week at The Perfect Sentiments Challenge we are creating Easter Cards with Bling, and of course, a sentiment on the front.  Our Sponsor is Stitchy Bear

 who will give one lucky winner a $10 gift voucher.

 

We have one daughter and a granddaughter who are both hearing impared (and both blonde), so I chose one of their images who is signing the word LOVE in ASL. All three of our daughter's children learned to sign before they could talk. This Easter card was made for them.

 



 

I added glitter ribbon and sparkles for the bling. I even put bitty sparkles on the hair band and her fingernails.

 

The inside says: " May you feel the love Jesus gave when He conquered death for you and me."

I hope you'll join our challenge at The Perfect Sentiments. I can't wait to see your art!

 

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Avadares #9 - Easter or Spring

Bearly Mine #77 - Easter

The Crafty Blogger's Network #9 - Spring or Pastel

Digi Makeover Challenge #79 - Easter/Spring

Lexi's Creations #85 - Easter

 

 

 

 



Twist of Faith #28 - Irish Blessings

This week at Twist of Faith, the theme is very appropriate for March:

 

  IRISH BLESSINGS

Be Green, Be Irish, Be Blessed. Creations should combine Irish with a Blessing (sentiment/quote/verse)

Our sponsor is Digi Darla's who will provide one lucky winner 5 images of their choice.

Sponsor Blog: http://digidarla.com/

Sponsor Shop: http://www.digidarladesigns.com/

 

I used the Digi Darla image called Annie Angel 3 for my card because of the sunshine and the sentiment I planned to use. In fact, if you'd like to use this sentiment, I have it here as a jpg that you can save and use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Broken Box Stock #21 - St. Patrick's Day

Digi Haven - Green

Gingerloft - the color green

Glitter and Sparkle #23 - St. Pat's Day/green 

Great Impressions - Going Green

Simply Create Too #32 - St. Patrick's Day/ mostly green

The Pink Elephant Monday Card Challenge #190 - Happy St. Patrick's Day/green

 

5.5" x 4.25" St. Patrick's Day Card Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart "Olivia", Colonial White, New England Ivy, and Goldrush cardstock; Basic Grey "Lemonade" (yellow)

Digi Stamp - Digi Darla's Annie Angel 3

Markers - Copic E00, E11, Y11, Y13, Y17, G20, YG03; CTMH alcohol markers: Autumn Terracotta and Autumn Terracotta Light, Sweet Leaf, Olive Light, Metallic Gold

Accents - gold sparkles from stash

Tools - Spellbinder's decorative label die; printer; Microsoft Word and Photoshop

 

 

Mojo Monday 283 Sympathy

One of my husband's uncles died and the funeral will be this week. Here's my first card for an aunt and uncle. I thought the Mojo Monday sketch was perfect, although I'm really late getting a chance to make this for the challenge #283.

The papers and stamp are from Close To My Heart. I embossed it with Cuttlebug's Kassie's Brocade.

ODBD Shining the Light Challenge #145 Sketch

The latest challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs was to use this sketch for a card:

 

This sketch gave me a chance to use one of their stamps I hadn't used yet, Sweet William - Small. The first year I was married I planted some Sweet Williams in my garden because that's my husband's name. They self-seeded and came up volunteer for several years. I needed a birthday card this week, so I used the sentiment from their set called Birthday Blessings.

 

I also tried to come close to the colors suggested this week by The Paper Players:

 

 

 

 

I stamped the flower image with Hollyhock ink, then I colored it with all of the Copic markers listed below. The last detail I added after cutting it out was to shade with the N6 dark gray marker along the edge and add a few broken lines for the petal borders and the center. Last, I added some pearl opaques in the center. The green scalloped circle was cut with a Spellbinder's Nestabilities Scalloped circle die and inked along the edges with CTMH Sweet Leaf chalk ink. The long banner shape was from Basic Grey's Sweet Threads, I believe.

 

 

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:



CAS on Sunday #3-  Happy Birthday
Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge #145 - sketch
Robyn's Fetish #150 - Birthday Cards 
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #206 - To Die for plus stamping
The Paper Players #136 - color challenge

6.5" x 5" Birthday Card Recipe:
Paper - Basic Grey "Sweet Threads;" CTMH cardstock
Stamps - ODBD "Sweet William," "Birthday Blessings"
Ink - CTMH Hollyhock and Black; Sweet Leaf chalk ink
Alcohol Ink Markers - Copics R20 Blush, R35 Coral, N6gray; CTMH Cotton Candy Light
Accents - retired CTMH Baby Pink gingham ribbon, licorice opaques
Tools - Cuttlebug 5" x 7" embossing folder
 

Perfect Sentiments Challenge #69 - Going Green

Finally it's March! Spring is nearly here along with many of us claiming Irish roots. Our challenge this week at The Perfect Sentiments Challenge is a color challenge perfect for spring or the Irish:

Going Green with a touch of Gray

CREATE A CARD WITH A SENTIMENT FOR THE OCCASION OF YOUR CHOICE USING THE COLOR STORY IN THE PHOTO ALBUM FOR THIS CHALLENGE.

Our sponsor is Robyn's Fetish who is providing 5 digis for one lucky winner!

I used their digi called "Lucky Leprechaun."

I typed the sentiment on the card front after seeing some great Irish Blessings on the net. Here's a link for some Irish Blessings - http://tacomaweekly.tripod.com/Irish-Quotations.html

I embossed the darker green with some four-petaled flowers reminiscent of shamrocks. I stamped small shamrocks on the sentiment banner and larger ones on the light green patterned cardstock that I placed with the flowers. The green flowers had sparkly brown centers that I covered with green sparkles. The white flower is from a large consultant set that I've had since 2009. I surrounded the green brad with darker green bitty sparkles. The photo doesn't show that I also colored the coins in the gray pot with a metallic gold marker.



Inside the card I included an Irish blessing that's a Tuesday freebie at Michelle Perkett Studio.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Celebrate the Occasion #102 - Luck of the Irish - St. Patrick's Day projects
Clear It Out - St. Patrick's Day theme and use up green supplies from stash (green checked ribbon from 2005 and green brads from 2009)
Great Impressions - the color green
Hiding in My Craft Room #87 - Greens
Oldie But Goodie - Feeling Floral - white flower and green brad from 2009
Scrappy Frogs - Green/St. Patrick's Day
Sweet Stamps #107 - Green
Twisted Tuesday #45 - Spring plus Green

6.5" x 5" St. Patrick's Day Card Recipe:
Paper - Graphic 45 "Tropical Travelogue;" Close To My Heart Topiary, Slate, and White Daisy cardstock
Image - Robyn's Fetish "Lucky Leprechaun"
Stamps and Ink - CTMH In the Month of March and Topiary Ink
Alcohol Ink Markers - CTMH (mixed Buttercup and Sweet Leaf for the light green), Topiary, Copics- E00, N0, N2, N4
Accents - CTMH green sparkles, gold metallic pen and Just Blooms (white colored Big Pinks retired); gingham ribbon from old stash, Martha Stewart flowers (green)
Tools - Spellbinder's Nestabilities "Lattice Rectangles," and "Scalloped Rectangles;"fiskars embossing plate,





 

Twist of Faith #27 - Ribbons and Bows

Our challenge this week at Twist of Faith is to make a card with:

Ribbons and Bows and a scripture, or uplifting verse or positive words of healing, encouragement, or support.

Our sponsor is Eureka Stamps. Check our Twist of Faith blog for more prize details.

I chose a verse about enjoying the wondrous works of God and an image of "butterfly and bluebonnets" from Eureka Stamps because I love both.  The verse from Job 37:14 comes from Clear Dollar Stamps' set called "Sunshine and Smiles:"

Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. Job 37:14

 

 

I used this sketch from Scrapper's Delights Sketch Challenge:

My first focus in choosing paper and ribbons was to use the color BLUE. I added the  Salmon color for contrast and to go with the butterfly. I colored the image with Close To My Heart alcohol ink markers and Copics that I've listed below.

  

I tried three different things with ribbons on this card. First, I substituted 3 strips of ribbon for the three strips of paper in the design. I had wanted to use that wide organdy with satin strips in it for a long time, but could never decide how to use such a wide ribbon to its advantage. Because it was light blue, I chose a light blue thinner organdy to tie with two bows around the digi image. Third, I tied thin satin ribbons through big button holes where the sketch had a place for embellishments, using buttons that coordinated with colors in the wide ribbon or image.

Before starting this card I had seen the challenge to frame something on your card suggested by Catered Crop. I tried something else different. I wanted to use my decorative square Spellbinder's Nestabilities die. I traced around the outside of the die and cut out the shape knowing that it would be just a little bigger than the diecut, thus framing the main image. I've been so spoiled by Cricut carts and Nesties that I forgot I could use scissors to cut a mat that I've traced. Duh!

Please visit the rest of our team at Twist of Faith to see what they've done with ribbon and encouraging verses.  As springtime in the northern hemisphere or autumn in the southern arrives, I hope you'll be in awe of the marvelous beauty of God's creations around you.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge #69 - Button It
Catered Crop - Frame It (with a frame or mat)
Ladybug Crafts March Challenge - the color BLUE
Natalie and Amy's Challenge #7 - die cuts
Scrapper's Delights Challenge - sketch
The Ribbon Girl March Challenge - add ribbon or twine

Markers used: Close To My Heart: Sky, Sky Light, Outdoor Denim Light, Olive; Copics: B24 Sky, YG63 Pea Green, YR68 Orange