Gingham Birthday Card

Sketch and Stash Challenges require you to tell what is your new/neglected stash that you used on your card. I know honesty is always the best policy. I told my kids to tell the truth even if it hurt. I am truly a paper hoarder. I have paper that is really old. Some of my friends would give away paper they hadn't used. I kept it in case I was asked to teach more stamp camps for kids or Girl Scouts like I have in the past. In my school district I'd have 70 to 90 kids each afternoon from different schools, so I needed lots of supplies. But now that I'm retired, I'm using it to make cards!!

My neglected stash is the gingham and pink cardstock that I know I bought in 2006 in Salt Lake City. Close To My Heart was getting rid of old surplus and sold my friend and I many packages of 24 sheets for $1.00 each package. Unfortunately, she had an emergency and had to fly to New York City so that my hubby and I packed her luggage and paper along with mine and his in my car as we left the convention to go on vacation in Wyoming. My husband said it would never fit, but I learned I was really good at packing a car - tight. I'm sure our gas mileage back to Kansas City, Missouri, wasn't too great with all that weight.

Here's the sketch for this week:

CCEE Stampers asked us to use Gingham in this week's challenge - my very neglected paper. I also had some newer paper I hadn't used yet - Basic Grey's Hello Luscious - the aqua pattern. I made the card with the color palette from CR84FN - pink, aqua, and neutral, I used white and black as neutrals.

The button is really the same shade of aqua as the leafy flourish, but the shadows hide the color. I used white satin ribbon for the horizontal strip in the sketch. I liked the way the black jute bow almost matches the black stamped flourish under the sentiment. Overall, I think mixing old patterns with new can have a nice effect. I hope it helps give you ideas about using up your stash!

Challenges:

CCEE Stampers - CCEE1218 Gingham

CR84FN Color Challenge #53 - pink, aqua, neutral

Sketch N Stash Challenge #87 - sketch and tell what was neglected stash

5" x 5" Birthday Card Recipe:

Paper - Basic Grey "Hello Luscious;" Close To My Heart retired gingham and shell pink cardstock, White Daisy, Juniper, Black cardstock

Stamp - CTMH "4 My Friend"

Inks - CTMH Black, Baby Pink

Other - Cheery Lynne "Tropical Flourish" die; CTMH Juniper button, Black Jute; Cuttlebug embossing folder; White satin ribbon unknown

The Lord Is Good

It seems I have more and more friends that need encouragement or sympathy cards. Here is one I made for a friend I've had since high school. She lost her mother a few days ago unexpectedly, but we know she's in a better place. We are planning our 45 year high school reunion this week. Most of my friends have been Christians like me for more years than that. God has brought us through many trials and we are stronger and better for it. We lean on each other, pray for each other, and share our trust in a loving God.

 Word Art Wednesday's verse is a wonderful verse of encouragement, as it usually is. I used the 2nd May sketch from Viva La Verve to make this card.  I included some stitching for the challenge at Little Red Wagon. and two types of ribbon for the challenge at Crafts 4 Eternity.

Challenges:

Crafts 4 Eternity - Recipe #70 - Maypole Ribbons

Little Red Wagon Challenge #131 - Stitch it up

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #26- Nahum 1:7 or other scripture 

Viva La Verve May 2012 - Week 2 sketch

6.5" x 5" Encouragement Card Recipe:

Paper - Graphic 45; Close To My Heart "Elemental"(background pattern), Sorbet, Juniper, White Daisy cardstock

Ink - CTMH Sorbet

Other - CTMH Juniper ribbon, Colonial White waxy flax; Sizzix embossing folder "Musical Flourish;" Spellbinder's Nestabilities "Lacey Circles;" Recollections floral embellishments; white trim unknown

Mother's Day Love

If you read my previous post, you would have read about the tornado warnings where my son lives. I just watched the evening news with lots of photos of the tornado near their house. How thankful I am again that no one was hurt and there was no damage. Olathe, Kansas, is a very populated area with so many homes and businesses. Both tornadoes stayed aloft, but they certainly looked ominous.

I have a few more Mother's Day cards to make, so I was glad to see the challenge at Paper Sundaes. This card uses the great sketch at Freshly Made Sketches, #33. I used the color scheme from The Play Date Cafe, Challenge #130. It worked really well with the My Mind's Eye "Love Me" paper collection.

I used an embossing folder that has diagonal lines like the plaid paper. I cut out two hearts from the paper and pop dotted them. The gray heart on the sentiment circle came from a gray doily pattern on the back of one of the papers. Ribbon and sparkles were simple embellishments, but maybe with the embossing, my card isn't quite so Clean and Simple. It certainly was simple to make and I know my oldest daughter will love it.

May God bless your cardmaking for the special women in your life.

Challenges:

Freshly Made Sketch #33

Paper Sundaes Challenge #119 - Mother's Day

The Play Date Cafe Challenge #130 - pink, aqua, gray

6.5" x 5" Mother's Day Card Recipe:

Paper - My Mind's Eye "Love Me;" Close To My Heart Crystal Blue cardstock

Stamps - CTMH retired (sentiment)

Ink - CTMH Hollyhock

Other - Cuttlebug embossing folder, CTMH pink sparkles, Crystal Blue organdy (retired), Spellbinder's Nestabilities Heart Circles

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

Miss You So Much for Operation Write Home

Today (Saturday) was National Scrapbook Day, so Friday and Saturday this week were devoted to scrapbooking with friends and lots of phone calls with friends. My hubby was mostly ignored, but he knows how much I love him and we're both OK with the brief times we're separated for our individual responsibilities or hobbies. Tonight as he was planning a business trip, I thought about the service men and women who have long, difficult separations and wanted to make cards for them to use to write home. I used the Operation Write Home sketch #119 and made an extra to put in my own hubby's laptop computer bag so he can open a note from home when he goes on his brief trip.

Paper - Basic Grey "Origins;" Close To My Heart Colonial White, Kraft cardstock

Stamps - Technique Tuesday sentiment, CTMH "Cherished Flourishes"

Ink - CTMH Cocoa, Olive

Other - circle and scallop punches, Cuttlebug embossing folder

Glittery Mother's Day Card

Whenever I make a card for a specific person, I like to think about them, pray for them as I create. This card made me think of my sweet Christian friend who never had children but took classes to become a foster mom and maybe even an adoptive mom. It seemed like she waited a long time. Then one week two little girls came into her life and changed it in the many ways she'd hoped for - and probably a few she didn't expect. I know she has challenges. Motherhood is demanding, but seems to fill a place in our hearts. She's a strong Christian, so I'm praying that she'll keep relying on His strength, wisdom, and leadership as she encounters each new situation. I can't wait to send her a card to celebrate her first Mother's Day!

This card was inspired using the fun color palette suggested by Colour Create Challenge #95 - Rose Pink, Kraft, and White. One of the pieces of paper I saw had the perfect design to go with Sketch #152 from Sweet Sketch Wednesday. I wanted it to be feminine, so it also goes with the challenge #47 at Really Reasonable Ribbon. Here's the inspiration from both sources.

The patterned paper I used on the top half was glittered, so I added some glitter gel to the flowers and the frame around the sentiment. I used thin white organdy ribbon to tie the frame over the stamped sentiment.

Challenges:

Sweet Sketch Wednesday #152

Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge #47 - Mother's Day/Feminine plus ribbon

Colour Create Challenge #95 - Rose Pink, Kraft, White

Stamps - My Favorite Things "Sunflower Girl" (Pure Innocence); sentiment from Close To My Heart

Joy to the World with Pure Innocence

I haven't made a Christmas card for a while, so it's about time. There are three challenges that go together really well this week. When I saw that Crimbo Crackers Challenge #14 was ANGELS, I knew it was time to use my Pure Innocence angel from Heather Ellis. Winter Wonderland's challenge this week is Here Come the Girls, so it's perfect for girl angels. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #70 is to use any sentiment without the word "Christmas." So let heaven and nature sing, Joy to the World!

I used the CPS Sketch #263 which provided the extra room my angel needed for her horn and a bird.
I knew some glittery snowflake paper would be great in the middle with white embossed snowflake panels on each side.

I added aqua blue sparkles on each side of the sentiment and bitty clear sparkles on the center of each embossed snow circle. The angel's halo is also glittered with a Sakura glitter gel pen.

Thanks for the inspiritng challenges!! May the message of Christ's birth bring you joy all year long!