Christmas snippets

Between work, my son's college graduation and getting ready for Christmas, I hadn't been in my craft room for over a month. Last night I left the guys watching football and actually made a card. Yay me.

Those of you who hang around Pixie's Snippet Playground probably recognize the inspiration for this card. About six weeks ago, the amazing Karen Letchworth made a sample card out of lots of strips of Christmas paper, and I immediately knew I'd be CASEing it. (I made this card from what I remembered Karen's card looking like, and now I see I made a more CAS version than she did.)

 The size of the Christmas paper pads I have all require me to cut a strip of an inch or two off the paper to fit on a standard size card, so I have tons of snippets, and I thought Karen's solution was brilliant.  I have plenty more snippets, so I expect I'll make several like this.

My card is for these challenges:
Pixie's Snippet Playground #368 -- use snippets
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #470 -- anything Christmas

Christmas sparkle

I can't avoid it. Christmas is coming and it's time to make some cards. Luckily, PINspirational Challenges has a new challenge designed to spark your Christmas creativity.

My Christmas style is usually pretty CAS. However, while I'm not a glitter girl most of the year, I think every holiday card needs a little sparkle.  This inspiration photo allowed me to do both.

The image and sentiment are both from Simply Stamped. I stamped them in dark green on a white snippet, then used a silver Spica pen to fill in the star and the baubles and garland on the tree. There's brown marker on the tree trunk.  I added some sequins as ornaments/sparkly elements.  The panel is mounted on a snippet of silver card stock, then on a white tent-fold card.

I hope you'll be inspired by the PINspirational photo. Link up whatever you're inspired to make (it doesn't have to be a card) on the challenge blog.

This card is entered in these challenges:
Double D -- Christmas style
Crafty Sentiments -- Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #464 -- Christmas
The Paper Shelter#404 -- Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #414 -- anything goes
Pixie's Snippet Playground #365 -- use snippets

Food or flowers?

      I was really impressed when I saw the cards my Design Team teammates created for the new PINspirational Challenge. I looked at the inspiration photo (to the right here), saw a pie, and immediately went to a homey apple pie theme for my card. (yup, I love food.) But some of the others looked at the same pie I did and created lovely, flowery, filigreed creations. And that's the fun of an inspirational challenge -- you can go where ever it takes you, and no two people are inspired to make exactly the same thing.
      So what do you see when you look at the photo, and how does it inspire you. No matter the answer, I hope you will make a project and link it up at the challenge blog. (You can see the different directions the DT took at the same link.)
       For my card, I created the background by repeatedly stamping an image of an apple seed packet in subtle diagonal lines. For the main image, I colored a small image of an apple pie, used an oval die to cut it out, and mounted it on a larger oval. (Note that the plaid paper I used matches the pattern of the latticework on the pie!) There's a row of small gems under the sentiment. (Sentiment is from Purple Onion Designs, source of  other images not known).

My card is for these challenges:
Word Art Wednesday # 410  -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper
Crafty Sentiments -- anything goes
Crafting by Design -- anything goes
Pattie's Creations #164 -- anything goes

It's fall y'all

Fall has finally arrived here. To celebrate, here's a fall card.  The image is from Stamplorations, colored in pencil, fussy cut and adhered on pop-dots.  The strip down the left is a snippet left when I cut out the apple basket.  The letters are stickers. The card needed something on the right, so I used a few snippets of ribbon and a leaf brad.  The background paper is a snippet of a grid-patterned paper that kind of echoes the squares of the letter stickers.

This card is entered in these challenges:
Catch the Bug -- fall photo inspiration
Word Art Wednesday #410 -- anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes
Stamplorations Never-Ending Challenge -- Stamplorations image
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone. Have you stocked up on candy or are you waiting because if you buy too early it will all be gone by Oct. 31?
     It is time to join in the fun with another PINspirational Challenge, and it's no surprise what the theme is this week. Get out your pumpkin stamps or spiderweb embossing folders, we're celebrating Halloween.
      I prefer "cute" Halloween, and I found this stamped image in my stash. I colored the cat image with pencils and added some Spica pen to the buckle on the hat and the star for a little sparkle. The sentiment and bat are both stickers. (Everything on this card is old enough to have whiskers, but it's amazing what works together when you dig deep.)
       I hope you'll be inspired by the Pin and create a project (it doesn't have to be a card) and link up at the challenge blog.

My card is entered in these challenges
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- spooky
Word Art Wednesday #408 -- anything goes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1942 -- anything goes
Crafty Sentiments -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Thinking of Thanksgiving

Hi and happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends.  The new PINspirational Challenge has been posted and our fearless leader happens to be Canadian, so we're celebrating Thanksgiving. (Hey, I'm fine with Thanksgiving more than once a year.)

For my card, I used a stamp set from Mark's Finest Papers. It is stamped on kraft paper and colored with pencils. (This is a technique I've only used a few times, and it needs some work.)  The center of the sunflower is covered with flocking to give it a nice fuzzy touch.

To the side, there's a scalloped piece of patterned paper and a thin ribbon and bow.

I hope you'll be PINspired to join our new challenge. Just create a project inspired by the PIN and link up at the challenge blog.

My card is for these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- fall/autumn
Word Art Wednesday #408 -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Autumn leaves

         The PINspirational Challenge is up, and it's all about autumn leaves.
        I hope you'll find some inspiration in the photo and join us by creating a project (it doesn't have to be a card) and posting it on the challenge blog.
         (Here in the South, fall feels very far off.  Temperatures should be at very pleasant levels now, but instead, we have a heatwave with temperatures expected to be into the 90s well into October. Yuck).
           For my card, I used a Memory Box die of falling leaves, which I cut in a piece of brown paper that has a print that looks like a nice fall blazer. Behind that paper, I used some striped paper to create some colorful leaves.  (The picture actually looks like the leaves were die-cut and put on top, but it's the opposite.)  The sentiment is an old one from SU.

Deep breath, deep breath

       Life has been totally ca-razy. That's may not be considered a good reason to be two days late posting, but it's the truth.
       So, it's way past time to share the PINspirational Challenge with you.  As you can see, it has a back to school theme.
       I was inspired by the blackboard, so I did white embossing on black to mimic the blackboard look.
I settled on an inspirational quote from Club Stamp. The watch is also a Club Stamp image which was black-embossed on white card stock, fussy cut, and adhered with dimensionals.
       I wanted some texture for the background panels, On the right is a crimped piece of white cardstock. On the left side is a woodgrain pattern to reflect the wooden fro in the inspiration piece.
       I hope you'll be inspired by the image -- there are so many good ways to go with this one... you could do plaid, or apples, or books...  Whatever inspires you, please link up to our challenge blog.

My card is entered in these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes
Crafty Sentiments -- back to school
The Paper Shelter #395  -- back to school
Word Art Wednesday #402 -- anything goes

Joy fold card

I haven't made a joy fold card for ages (read: years), but I had a lot of fun making this card after Mrs. A. posted the most recent Butterfly Challenge.  As you may know, she is featuring a different fold with each challenge, and this time it was a joy fold.

This is a very simple card to make, and hopefully, I'll remember that in the future. (She has a tutorial on her blog if you've never made one of these).

For my card, I used a stamp set from Clearly Besotted.  The sunflower is inked in two chalk ink colors -- chestnut roan and Cadmium.  I used a small, dry-embossed, punched butterfly as a little holder to keep the central part of the card from flapping open.

For the background, I used some very old patterned paper from Stampin UP.  One of the challenge colors for the Butterfly Challenge was "jasmine," a pale yellow, so I felt this paper met that requirement.

This card is for these challenges:
Butterfly Challenge #126: theme: Joy Fold,  Color: jasmine
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper
Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1933 -- anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #400 -- anything goes

Camping fun

I'm a day late posting my DT project for PINspirational Challenges, but it's a fun one. Look at this awesome inspiration photo -- don't you want to be on that mountain?

Instead of making a card, I made tags. I used some old Sizzix dies I got at a consignment sale. (They are the little square ones with a foam layer -- I think they are called Sizzlets.) This is such a great camping set with all the elements for a great scene, except the campfire is the wrong scale. Look at it -- it would loom over that tent if I put them side by side.  So, I made two different tags.

The tags themselves are cut with the Stamplorations stitched tag die. I just gathered bits of snippets in a variety of colors and cut the different pieces, then arranged them to make a nice scene.

And now a funny story about camping. We enjoy camping and headed out for a long weekend of camping fun around the Fourth of July. Except, it was SO hot, SO humid and SO uncomfortable we were miserable. It was too hot to hike even early in the morning. We came home a day early, something we've never done before.

As we were driving home I was trying to think up a good way to tell my DH I didn't want to camp again until it's cooler. Then he surprised me by saying "I've reached the conclusion that I'm not a summer camper. Let's not plan any more camping until it cools down." So ... great minds think alike.

Hope my project or the photo inspire you to create your  own project. If so, be sure to link up at the PINspiratiional Challenge blog.

I'm entering these challenges:
The Paper Shelter #393 -- punches and dies
Die Cut Divas -- hot
Pixie's Snippet Playground #358 -- use snippets
Crafty Sentiments -- anything goes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1932 -- anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #400 -- anything goes

Just beachy

Another PINspirational Challenge has been posted, and life's a beach! I hope you'll be inspired by the inspiration photo and join in the fun by linking up at the challenge blog.

I decided to feature this summer-themed paper along with a smaller image from a beach set from Purple Onion. Usually, I use the large image with this set, which is a beach chair and umbrella scene. But to show more of the paper, I chose this smaller image of a beach bag, hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen lotion. The image is colored with pencils.  The sentiment is from the same Purple Onion set.

This card is entered in these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- bright and cheerful
Scribbles Designs Challenge -- A Slice of Summer
Word Art Wednesday #397 -- anything goes
Crafty Sentiments -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Tagging in

Back with another Christmas project, a tag this time.

I cut the tag (using the stitched tag die from Stamplorations) from watercolor paper, then black-embossed the cityscape and Santa -- from a Whimsy Stamps set. To create the background, I applied some Distress Inks (a darkish blue and a lavender -- I don't have names handy) on a sheet of freezer paper, spritzed some water, and dragged the tag through the ink a few times. After the ink dried, I used a Wink of Stella pen to add some sparkly stars to the sky. I also used a white gel pen on some of the windows that got inked up in the process.

This tag is entered in these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- not a card
Catch the Bug Christmas in July day 3 -- Anything but a card with "Santa is Coming to Town" theme
Word Art Wednesday #397 -- anything goes
Winter Wonderland -- Winter Buildings
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #447 -- die-cut

Charlie Brown Tree

       Let me start by saying that I love that everyone knows exactly what you mean when you say "Charlie Brown tree."
        I got to play with my stamping stuff for the first time in ages this week, and here's the first card I worked on. I am really happy how it came out, and it may become my default "mass produce" card as the year goes on. I try to do a variety of Christmas cards, but at a certain point, I'll find one that's easy to make and pull it out to make more of when time or imagination gets short.
        This card was made using a die from Stamplorations that I refer to as a Charlie Brown tree because it's sort of appealingly sparse and off-kilter. I wanted to use a variety of patterned papers, so I took a bunch of snippets, taped them together and ran them thru the die-cutter. (I started by cutting a full tree from a piece of white card stock, and I used the negative to make sure the snippets were arranged so they'd be well-placed on the die-cut). After cutting,  the die-cut snippets were adhered to the plain, full die-cut tree for sturdiness and to make sure everything was lined up correctly. If I were to mass produce this card, I'd simply cut the entire tree from four or five different patterned papers, then cut the pieces roughly where I did here and mix and match the trees for a similar effect. The tree is on foam tape dimensionals on the card.
         The sentiment is also from Stamplorations, (I think the set is called the Joy of Giving...?) It's white-embossed.
          The layout is the current Sketch Saturday layout, and everything on it is a snippet.

This card is for these challenges:
Sketch Saturday #573
Catch the Bug Christmas in July Day 1-- movie inspiration A Charlie Brown Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #447 -- use a die-cut
Rudolph Days July -- Christmas
Crafting By Designs  -- get ready for Christmas
The Paper Shelter -- Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday #396 -- Anything Goes
Pixie's Snippet Playground -- use snippets
Stamplorations -- neverending challenge using Stamploration products
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Tour de holiday

It's time for another PINsprirational Challenge and it's a fun inspiration this time (see the photo to the right). I'm pretty sure Deanne wasn't thinking about the Tour de France when she selected it, but since I have a sometimes bike racer and huge Tour fan in my family, that's where my mind went.

The main image on my card is a vintage biker from Rubbernecker Stamps. I stamped it three times, one in navy, one in blue and one in slate gray. (The stamping platform was great for this). The sentiment is from a very old All Night Media set, and I spiced things up with some acrylic dots.

Hope you'll be inspired to make a project for PINspirational Challenge -- it doesn't have to be a card. Just be sure to link up to the challenge blog.

My card is entered into these challenges:
Paper Shelter #391 -- holiday time
Word Art Wednesday #394 -- anything goes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1928 --  anything goes

Summertime, and it's hot

     From everything I've read and heard, it's summer with a vengeance everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. So ice cream seems like a timely topic.
       This is my card for the current Pinspirational Challenge #242, inspired by this fun inspiration photo from Pinterest (to the right).
     To create the background, I used snippets of different colors to create -- I dunno, would you call that a  sorta ombre? I adhered all the strips to a backing sheet and ran them through an embossing folder with a popsicle and ice cream cone design. (The EF and stamp I used were in a little cheapy set I picked up at Michael's). The ice cream cones are stamped on white snippets of card stock and are colored in pencil and fussy cut.
     Added the ribbon on the bottom of the color strips, adhered to the top-fold card, and used dimensional tape to pop up the cones.
     The sentiment (source unknown) and cones are stamped in an SU color, Creamy Caramel (I think).
     I hope you'll find some inspiration in the photo and join the fun at PINspirational Challenge. Just link up your project (any project, doesn't need to be a card) at the PINspirational blog.

My card is entered in these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- Make your own background
Pixie's Snippet Playground #355 -- use snippets
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes
Crafty Sentiments -- Bright Colors 
Word Art Wednesday #392-- anything goes
Crafts Galore #65-- anything goes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1926 -- anything goes

Upcycling

Another Christmas card completed! This one features a gorgeous, glittery ornament that I am recycling/upcycling from a card I received a few years ago. I see it every time I go looking for Christmas embellishments in a manila folder I keep, and I finally put it to use.

The base card might look familiar to you -- I used it for a recent PINspirational Challenge card, and as I noted on that post, it's part of a wedding or save- the-day kit I picked up for a mere quarter at a yard sale. For this card, however, I ditched the bride and groom and went with a black/white/gold color scheme.  The sentiment was stamped multiple times and embossed in a glitter gold EP. I also added the gold cording to the ornament, which is popped up on foam tape.

This card is for these challenges:
Rudolph Days -- Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #443-- anything Christmas
Crafting By Designs -- getting ready for Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #392 -- anything goes
Crafty Sentiments -- anything goes

Christmas pattern

         I've made another Christmas card, this one inspired by the current sketch at Sketch Saturday, mainly because it gave me a chance to showcase this lovely piece of patterned paper. The paper comes from a small mat pack I got at Michael's a few years ago, and I don't think I've used it before because I didn't want to cover it up.
         The card also showcases a couple of snippets -- a green strip cut from a snippet from that same mat pack, and a black snippet that was the perfect size for the white-embossed sentiment. (Sentiments is from Whimsy Stamps, I think.  Sorry for the uncertainty -- my stamps are downstairs and I'm upstairs.)

This card is for these challenges:
Pixie's Snippet Playground #354-- use snippets
Sketch Saturday #568 -- sketch
Winter Wonderland -- use red and green
Craftyhazenut's Christmas Challenge #422 -- anything Christmas
Christmas Crafts All Year Round -- garlands, leaves, Christmas Flowers
Double D -- Pick a Pattern
Word Art Wednesday #392 -- anything goes
Craftyhazenut's Patterned Paper Challenge-- use patterned paper

Celebrate things

Another PINspirational Challenge has been posted, and it's all about love. This would be a great inspiration if you need to make a wedding or anniversary card for June. Or if you just want to celebrate love. Or if it inspires you in another direction -- just follow the inspiration and link up your project on the PINspirational blog.

I made a wedding card. I guess this might be considered a "semi-homemade card" like those semi-homemade recipes. In my stash, I had a little box (purchased at a yard sale) that contained blank cards that have black-and-white stripes, plus cutouts of bride and groom clothing, so I decided to use them but to jazz them up with a few touches of my own. I added the sentiment (from an old SU set) in silver embossing, plus I placed some pearls on the dress and added a row of gorgeous lace to the card. (Here's a photo showing the details). The cut-out is on foam tape so it's got a little dimension.

This card is for these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- weddings
Catch the Bug -- bingo (lace, monochromatic, sentiment)
Word Art Wednesday #390 -- anything goes
Crafty Sentiments -- Anything goes

Butterflies at the gate

The current Butterfly Challenge includes the option to make a gatefold card. I hadn't made one in a while and so I decided to take the challenge.  This card uses a piece that straddles the gatefold for the main features of the card, which is a die-cut flourish (which could be a branch) and a die-cut butterfly.
The deets: white cardstock cut vertically to 4.25x11 inches, then folded to make the gatefold. Snippets of a Cosmos Cricket patterned paper used on both flaps. Die-cut Granny Smith-colored snippet stamped with the sentiment (from Faerie Song stamps, ink is Ranger Slate), with the butterfly cut from snippets of gold vellum. (I cut two and layered them just to give the butterfly a little more substance).  I used some dots of glitter on the butterfly.

This card is for these challenges:
Butterfly Challenge #123 -- gatefold, gold, Granny Smith
Word Art Wednesday #390 -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Dads

The newest challenge is up at PINspirational Challenge. Hope you can join us for the challenge -- it's an opportunity to jump start your brain for a Father's Day card. Just create a project inspired by the inspiration photo (left).

I chose to use this sweet penguin image for my card. I like the black-and-white of the inspiration pin, but I wanted to add a little color as well. I'm not sure who made that penguin stamp (it's old). I stamped with Tuxedo black ink and added a little color with pencil. I chose to use the scalloped circle to add more color. The background is a snippet of a B&W printed paper (also old).

This card is entering these challenges:
Word Art Wednesday #388 -- anything goes
Crafts Galore Encore #64 anything goes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1922 -- anything goes
Catch the Bug -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper
Crafting by Designs -- anything goes

Jingle bell, jingle bell

It's about 95 degrees outside, so yes, let's make Christmas cards.  This card features an old SU stamp, one of the first I ever purchased, embossed in silver. The sentiment is a Stamplorations/Cutplorations die, cut from silver metallic paper. Lots of sparkle on this card. I used a snippet of red to create a little frame and get more color into what is a very CAS card.

This card is for these challenges:
Winter Wonderland -- no squares
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #439 -- use some silver
ABC Christmas -- J is for jingle bells
Rudolph Days/May -- anything Christmas
Word Art Wednesday -- Anything Goes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1921-- anything goes

Flapping butterflies

Here's my latest card.  Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge includes the element of doing a flap card, and I found a set of these white card bases among my stash, so it was just a matter of decoration.


I started with two snippets of a pale yellow and stamped flowers in a Distress pink on the diagonal on the larger piece.  The smaller piece is the perfect place for a sentiment. For the main image, I stamped the butterfly flitting, floating... on a snippet of white, colored the butterflies with colored pencils, and used the negative of a scalloped oval to create a frame (I'm almost embarrassed to admit I'd saved that as a snippet, too).
For a little clasp element, I used a die-cut flower in white and added one of these premade flower/gem combos on top. I added a few more flowers to finish the card off.

This card is entered in these challenges:
Butterfly Challenge #122: flap, flowers, colors (Pink, flax, firebrick)
Stamplorations -- Things With Wings
Die Cut Divas May challenge -- flowers
Crafting by Designs -- Feature a Creature (butterfly)
Pixie's Snippet Playground #353 -- use snippets
Word Art Wednesday #388 -- anything goes

Get Musical

A new PINspirational Challenge has been posted and hopefully, you'll be humming and playing along. All you need to do is create a project inspired by this week's inspiration photo.

For my card, I had fun with one of my fave images from Bugaboo.  The image is colored in pencils with very liberal use of a Spica pen to add some flash to those cool shades and the stars. The sentiment is computer generated and accompanied by an open star brad. The image is backed by a snippet of star patterned paper because this kid is going to be a star!

Hope you can join the fun at PINspriational Challenge -- projects don't have to be a card.

My card is entered in these challenges:
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper
Crafty Friends #110 -- anything goes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1920 -- anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #386 -- anything goes
Pixie's Snippet Playground #352 -- use snippets (red layer and star layer both snippets

PINspirational Challege

     The newest PINspirational Challenge is live. The inspiration picture for this challenge provides you with plenty of directions to go in if you don't want to make a MOM card because it has a nice country feel to it.
     My card features an image from a company called Santoro, which Hazel Harris (craftyhazelnut) sent me when I won one of her Christmas card challenges. (The hanging element in the inspiration pic made me use it.) The woman is colored in pencils with a paper-pieced dress (the dot pattern on the dress is so tiny I'm not sure it even shows up in the photo).
     The sentiment is from Stampin Up and it's stamped in an SU ink, Baroque Burgundy, I think. I also used a die-cut flourish in a burgundy color and a really pretty piece of floral printed paper. The base is more SU product, cardstock in the color River Rock.
      I hope you'll find some inspiration to create a project and link it up at the PINspirational Challenge blog. You have two weeks to create.

My card is for these challenges:
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper
Word Art Wednesday #384 -- anything goes
Crafting By Designs -- May anything goes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1918 -- anything goes
Crafts Galore #63-- anything goes

Take that, difficult stamp!

I believe this might be the first orange Christmas card I've ever made.  The image is a House Mouse scene that absolutely refused to stamp for me. I can't count how many times I re-inked it in the stamp positioner, but it wouldn't stamp the entire image. (There was a huge white spot just to the right of what you see here.) I set it aside for a while, and then decided to use what I could and have one bunny hanging carrots on a tree instead of two.

In addition to using the "snippet" created by lop off half the image, the image is matted on a dark orange snippet which is on a paler orange snippet. In keeping with the orange theme, I used orange baker's twine and orange ink on the sentiment.

This card is entered in these challenges:
Rudolph Challenge -- Christmas
Winter Wonderland -- cute Christmas
ABC Christmas -- H is for Hang it Up
Crafting By Designs -- Get ready for Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #434 -- anything Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #384 -- anything goes
Pixie's Snippet Playground #350 -- use snippets

World's best

Welcome to another PINspirational Challenge and I hope you'll find the inspiration photo of our home, planet earth, to be inspiring -- let's make every day earth day. If you would like to join the challenge, please make a project (it doesn't have to be a card) and link up on the challenge post.

My project is a card that uses a gorgeous piece of background paper I have avoided cutting into for years (yes, years).  I got it in a swap where everyone made and exchanged background papers, and I just loved the colors on this one so much. The blues and greens seemed like a good background for this theme.

The coffee cup is from a digi stamp from From the Heart, which  I colored with pencils and fussy cut. The sentiment is from the same set, and it's matted on a snippet of coppered colored metallic paper to play off the metallic paints used for the background. A couple of sequins add a little more metallic shine.

This card is entering these challenges.
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- Going Round in Circles
Word  Art Wednesday #382 -- anything goes
Crafty Sentiments -- anything goes

It's new to me

       I know there are people who love to try new folds, but it's something I generally struggle with. However, Mrs. A's latest Butterfly Challenge featured something called a Dutch fold, which I'd never seen before. I was intrigued, so I went looking for a tutorial. Well, where have I been -- SCS ran a tutorial in 2011!  I also found a more recent tutorial that was simple and easy to follow, and to my delight, this turned out to be a) an easy card to make and endlessly adaptable to whatever size you want to make it; and b) a great way to use up snippets.
       To build the card, I used an almost half-sheet of light blue, scoring it at 5.5 inches and using a scallop punch on the bottom of the flap. I used a white snippet and another blue snippet to create a panel on the flap. The Dutch doors are also blue snippets.
       For the main panel on my card, I die-cut watercolor paper with a Memory Box die (called Spring Border, I think.) Then I used Distress Inks to watercolor the flowers and foliage, cut it to fit the blue panel and adhered it. The butterfly is punched from a small snippet of a yellow print. The doors are covered with snippets of a grid-patterned paper, with a sentiment on one side and the rest of the border die-cut on the other. On the inside, another white snippet covers the raw edges where the Dutch doors are attached.

This card is for these challenges:
Butterfly Challenge #120 -- Dutch Door and butterfly (not sure if the blue qualifies as denim or not)
Double D -- watercolor
Pixie's Snippet Playground #349 -- snippets
Word Art Wednesday #382 -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper
Catch the Bug -- anything goes

Sending sunshine

     Another PINspirational Challenge is up, and it's our 7th anniversary. Deanne has a special prize on offer for this challenge. To take part, all you have to do is create and link up a project based on the PINspirational photo. It says "Create Your Own Sunshine." (Link up at the challenge blog.)
       I guess I kind of took the inspiration literally, as I created a ray effect with snippets of different yellow patterned papers. (Subtle, huh?) To complete my card, I used a sentiment from Alley Way Stamps, a couple of gingham fabric flowers, and stamped stems and leaves.
      Hope you'll join in the challenge.

My card is entered in these challenges:
Word Art Wedneday#380 -- anything goes
Catch the Bug -- anything goes
Crafts Galore #62  -- anything goes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1914 -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge --use patterned paper

Felt wreath

     Like most of you, I have a variety of crafting items stashed away, waiting to make an appearance. This week, I finally found a use for this felt wreath that I've had for ages. (I think it's from SU. I got a packet at a consignment sale with about 6 each of the wreath, holly leaves and mittens -- if I'm remembering correctly. So, I still have 5 wreaths to go ...)
      To create this card, I started a piece of white card stock cut to card size and stamped the gingham pattern on it. (I think this is an Impression Obsession stamp because it's huge -- about 6x6 inches. I'm pretty sure it was sold as a "second" and even with repeated stamping in the stamp platform there are some spots that didn't stamp well.) The gingham was trimmed down and added to a red card front.
       I used a white snippet for the background the wreath is on, stamped a sentiment in the corner, and added a little flag of gingham fabric ribbon in the other corner. The layout is based on the current Sketch Saturday layout.

This card is for these challenges
Rudolph Days March -- anything Christmas
Winter Wonderland -- fuzzy wuzzy(felt)
ABC Christmas -- E is for Embellishments (wreath) F is for Fabric (felt and  ribbon)
Sketch Saturday #556
Double D -- gingham
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #430 -- anything Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #378 -- anything goes
Simon Says Wednesday -- anything goes

Nesting time

There's a new challenge at PINspirational Challenge, and this one should be fun because there are a lot of different directions where this inspiration photo could lead you.

For me, the nest was the thing. I used a stamp set from a defunct company called Smartworks. I stamped the nest in brown chalk ink on a snippet of dark kraft paper, then colored in the eggs and added some highlights in colored pencil. The sentiment is also in brown chalk ink.

The image panel is adhered to a blue snippet that's wrapped with some bakers twine, and everything is on a white top-fold card.

I hope you'll follow your inspiration from this photo wherever it takes you. You have to weeks to link up your project to the challenge post. 

My card is entered in these challenges:
Crafty Friends #106 -- spring colors
Crafty Sentiments -- anything goes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1912 -- anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #378 -- anything goes
Pixie's Snippet Playground #348 -- use snippets