Stepping out

I haven't done a shoe card for a while, and I came across this digi of a fun looking boot, so I decided to do a boot card. (Everyone hum along -- These boots were made for walking....)
The sketch is from the Taylored Expression Share the Joy Challenge.The image is colored in pencils with a little out-of-the-box cut (because I cut it too close when I was rough cutting before using the circle die.), nounted on a slightly larger purple circle, cut from a snippet.  For the narrow white panel, I used a sentiment stamp from Impression-Obsession ("Pretty shoes can cure the blues") and stamped it repeatedly on a white snippet. There's a ribbon (purple with white stitching) running alongside the white panel.  The embellishment picks up that same ribbon and features a pink flower with a pearl in the center. I think the DP is probably Heidi Grace; it was just sitting on the paper cutter when I got there and seemed like a perfect match)

The card is for these challenges:
Simon Says Monday: inspired by a song ( Everyone hum some more -- These boots were made for walking...)
Kraftin Kimmie #319, amethyst
Catch the Bug -- Bingo (designer paper; flower; pearl)
2 Crafty Girls #13 -- Anything goes with option of pearl
Share the Joy Challenge #23 -- sketch
Pixie's Snippet Playground #217 -- use snippets
The Ribbon Girl, use any image (plus ribbon)
Craftyhazelnut's patterned paper challenge -- use dp
Word Art Wednesday #220 -- anything goes

Plaid roses

As cards go, this one is about as self-explanatory as it gets. The roses were an RAK so I don't know who makes the die (possibly Stampin' Up).  Sentiment is from A Muse.

I'm entering this chard in these challenges:
Catch the Bug October Recipe -- Black, White and a pop of Color
Curtain Call -- Plaid
Craftyhazelnut's patterned paper Challenge -- patterned paper
Word Art Wednesday #207 -- Anything Goes

Leaf time

Here's a fall card featuring die-cut and punched leaves.  The sketch is  from Bugaboo. The tree stamp is an old one from Posh Impressions.  The die-cut Leaves are from a Spell-binders die, and the smallest ones are made with a little cheap punch. The ribbon is actually raffia.

This card is for these challenges:
Catch the Bug: Stella Says Sketch #316
Cuttlebug Mania: Trees
Moving along with the Times: Trees/leaves
Word Art Wednesday #207: Anything Goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge: use patterned papers.

Pun fun

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas challenge this week is "The Nativity."  I do have a Bethlehem stamp, but I decided to go a non-traditional route, using the With Wondering Awe set from The Alley Way. If there were shepherds, there were sheep, so here they are.
The star outline is embossed on navy blue card stock, and I filled the interior with a white Wink of Stella brush.  The sheep are fussy-cut and popped up, and the sentiment is on a fishtail banner.

I'm entering these challenges:
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #252 - the Nativity
The Alley Way Stamps -- October link up
Rudolph Challenge for October -- anything Christmas
Time Out Challenge -- Christmas with the option of using pink
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra Challenge -- anything Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #207 -- anything goes

Vintage holiday card

The theme this week at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge is vintage. I have some vintage style little gift enclosure cards (or whatever you want to call the little card you stick under the bow on a gift) and found this cute little holly girl among the set. I rounded the edges and put the image on a mat made with a Spellbinder's framed die. (This is the best use I have found yet for that die).  The sort-of-vintage-looking holly paper was a perfectly sized snippet, and a little distress ink toned down the busy appearance it had.  Sentiment comes from a cardstock sticker sheet.

Challenges:
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #228 -- vintage
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra -- May: anything Christmas

Krafty Christmas

Here's another for the Christmas card pile, using the coffee and cream color combo from 53 Christmas Card Throwdown.  The tree (which I think is CTMH) is white embossed and mounted o a frayed burlap layer for texture. Sketch is the current Sketch Saturday layout.

I played in several challenges to create this card:

Sketch Saturday #356
Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge #224 -- add texture
Crafty Hazelnut Christmas Extra -- anything Christmas
52 Christmas Card Throwdown -- coffee and cream colors
Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge -- trees
Inky Inspirations #205 -- Kraft it
Creative Inspirations #309 -- seeing stars
The Ribbon Girl -- any image plus ribbon
CRAFT Challenge #307 -- Christma

It's cold enough for penguins

(The title of the post is all I'm going to say about the weather here....)
Crafty Ribbons Challenge asks us to make a card that was at least 90 black and white.  What's more black and white than penguins?  I just added the tiniest bit of orange to brighten it up.
The sketch is STAMPlorations #28, with a strip of dotted ribbon running down the edge of the plaid panel.  I added a button and some orange embroidery floss.

I'm entering these challenges.
STAMPlorations #28 -- sketch
Crafty Ribbons #113 -- black and white
Inky Impressions #197 -- cute and cuddly
Creative Inspirations #301 -- buttons
The Paper Shelter #191 -- animal
Papertake Weekly -- Bingo (ribbon/die/button)
CHCN Patterned paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

What's shaking this Thanksgiving?

I could not resist an opportunity to use the turkey from TAWS It's Fall About You set when I saw the photos for their BE Inspired challenge this time.  Who could resist that cute turkey in the right corner?

With a little bit of basic masking, I created this image of the turkey hiding in the basket (from the same set). The images are stamped in Sepia ink. I colored the turkey with pencils, picking up colors from the photo. Then I created a little acrylic pouch around him to make a shaker card. I punched a bunch of tiny leaves and added them and some gold microbeads to the pouch, then attached it to my card base with seasonal washi tape. It's a fun Thanksgiving card, don't you think?

This card is for these challenges
The Alley Way Stamps BE Inspired #59 -- inspiration photo
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- Thanksgiving
CHNC patterned paper Challenge for November
Word Art Wednesday #159 -- anything goes

Glittery ornament

I have this pad of Christmas patterned paper that really isn't to my taste; I like my Christmas stuff pretty traditional, and this pad is very modern. But waste not... so I'm trying to find ways to use it that tone down the paper, and I think I found a nice mix here. The secret seems to be a good amount of white space.

I used a red printed piece for my base, then added a wide snippet of striped glitter paper.  I used a Prickly Pear die and my trusty Cuttlebug to create an ornament-shaped opening on a snippet of white paper, which I placed over the stripes. I took advantage of a glittery strip on top of the striped piece and left it uncovered to provide a glitter band across the card.  A holiday sentiment stamped in burgundy and a bow of burgundy cording was all it took to finish off the card.

I'm entering this card in these challenges:
Ribbon Girl November Color Challenge -- red
Die Cut Divas November -- holiday spirit
Pixie's Snippet Playground #151
CHNC Christmas extra, November

Paper-pieced butterflies

Since I won the Butterfly Challenge a few weeks ago (thanks to Ms. Random.org), Mrs. A asked me to guest design for the Butterfly Challenge #19 that starts today. The challenge is "paper-pieced butterfly." Here's the funny part -- I love paper-piecing, and I have my fair share of butterfly images, yet none of them really lend themselves to paper-piecing.  I finally decided to work with an Inkadinkadoo image of a flock of butterflies, and try piecing a few of them -- the ones that had the more open patterns on them.
The butterflies are stamped in Navy, and the printed paper is from Lime Rickey by Basic Gray.  Once I'd cut the oval, there was a partial butterfly at the top, which I chose to cover with a punched butterfly.  (I put a solid orange butterfly behind the print/punched one so it didn't blend into the background.)  I also used the old trick of running the edges of the paper along an orange ink pad to get a little line of color there.

I'm entering this card in these challenges:
Loves Rubberstamps #127 -- Things with Wings
Papertake Weekly -- Soooooo Girly
Clear It Out -- anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday #159-- anything Goes
Sister Act #83 -- anything Goes
CHNC patterned paper challenge, November -- patterned paper.

Look what I found

I keep most of my Christmas card supplies in one drawer, so stuff can get buried. While digging through it, I came across a sheet of fairly large stickers and decided to see how they would look as the featured on a card. Framing them on a circle or oval seemed a good way to make them seem like "featured art," so that's one I did.  I also added a touch of sparkle to each, as well as ribbon or twine and a sentiment.
What do you think?
The bear is perfect for Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #200 -- If you want to get ahead, get a hat (something with a head and a hat on it,) as well as for Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra (anything Christmas).
With a pair of cards, I can also enter Sarn's Rudolph Day challenge.

Vintage feel

I used some vintage-y looking prints on this card. I can almost imagine them on an old quilt.
The card features a tag with a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt.  It is embellished with piercing around the edges, lace, and a couple punched butterflies. The butterflies are each accented with some tiny pearls.

I'm entering this card in these challenges:
Butterfly Challenge #16, use a tag and butterfly
The Paper Shelter #177, shabby chic
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge, October

Never enough purses

I've had this set from Purple Onion for years, but I still think it makes a fun card.  The sentiment is:
A girl can never have ....
too many fabulous handbags, too many stylish shoes, or too many incredible girlfriends.

The various purses are stamped in a ot pink, and they all decked out with the teeniest, tiniest little pearls I've ever seen.  The papers are from this humonguous 12x12 stack I bought ages ago and will never be able to use up.

I am entering this card in these challenges:
Crafty  Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge/October, use patterned paper
Sister Act #77, anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #152, anything goes.