Christmas Quilt

 A merry Christmas to all.  

For what will probably be my final holiday card for the year, I'm revisiting the Disappearing Nine-Patch.  I made a Thanksgiving themed card with this technique earlier this year, but I have a ton of Christmas DP snippets and this seemed like a good use for them. (See the inset photo for some of the snippets I started with. As you can see, most aren't any bigger than a tiny ink cube, which is the black square at the top of the photo for scale.)

To make the patches, I started by die-cutting nine different papers with a Spellbinder's one-inch square die. I then arranged them into a 3x3 square and adhered all to a backing paper. Then I cut the nine-patch in half horizontally and vertically,  rearranged the pieces to my liking, and matted them on a green snippet. For the sentiment, I used another tiny snippet that says "Tis the Season" matted on another small snippet. 

I sprinkled a few red sequins on because I felt the card "needed something." Now I'm not sure that's what it needed, but there they are.

This card is entered in these challenges

Pixie's Snippet Playground  #418. (everything but the card base was a teeny tiny Snippet)

Word Art Wednesday #523 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2151 -- anything goes

Die-cut Divas -- Christmas/winter  (used Spellbinder's one-inch square die)

 

Mistletoe Christmas

 I'm continuing to play with watercolors. I made this little mistletoe image after watching a video on painting winter foliage, and I like it enough to use it on a card.

The card is mini slimline size with a white base. I found the patterned paper already cut on a diagonal, and trimmed just the tiniest bit to fit it onto the card, where I think the strong diagonal adds a little interest. The mistletoe itself is matted on red and accented with a bit of baker's twine. The sentiment is from Stamp Simply.

The card is entered into these challenges:

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #568 -- anything Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

CRAFT #617 -- Christmas

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2146 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #517 -- anything goes

The Paper Shelter 492 -- Say Something

 

Patchwork technique

 I learned a new technique via the folks at Splitcoast Stampers, and it is a great one for using snippets.  It's called Disappearing 9-patch. You begin by creating a standard 3x3 nine-patch--I cut my squares with a 1-inch square die. After assembling the patch, you cut it in half horizontally and vertically. At that point you have four squares you can arrange in any way you find pleasing to the eye. It's fun to see the variations. I ended up turning each piece 180 degrees from how it started. 

You can put all four pieces back together with or without space between them and I chose to add a narrow edge around all the peices by mounting them on a mossy green snippet, which is then mounted on a yellowish snippet.

For the 9-patch, I used really small snippets of 9 different patterns of fall-ish papers. Six or seven were from the same set, and I found a few others that worked well with them. One-inch squares are pretty small, and knowing I started with one-inch squares, that  means the corner pieces are now 1/4-inch squares. 

I added a die-cut acorn and a sentiment from Mark's Finest to create a Thanksgiving card.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday: Thanks/Thanksgiving

Word Art Wednesday #515 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2145 -- anything goes

Pixie's Snippet Playground #415 -- use snippets

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned papers

Mushrooms

Splitcoast has watercolor challenge on Wednesdays, and last week it involved painting mushrooms. I sometimes play along -- usually days late -- with watching the tutorial and trying the techniques, but I don't often end up pleased enough with the outcome to go all the way to completing a card. I thought the mushroom challenge was a lot of fun and was happy enough with the painting to use it on a card.

The image is from Pattie's Creations, painted with watercolors. The sentiment (Impression-Obsession, maybe?) is white embossed. After I made the painting I went looking for paper to use behind the image and stumbled upon a white-dotted paper that perfectly matches the 'shrooms I'd painted! 

(I chose what I thought were fantasy colors for mushrooms, only to find out that mushrooms come in every color, even blue and purple. I guess that's my "you learn something every day" moment for today.)

This card is in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkie's #2144 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #516 -- anything goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Turning toward Christmas

 As you are undoubtedly aware, Christmas is less than two months away.  Challenges are a great way for me to find inspiration for cards, and this is no different.

This card uses the non-traditional black-white-silver color scheme.  All the stamps are from a set by Whimsy stamps.  First, I stamped the tree and deer in Versamark, added white EP and heat embossed. Then I stamped the sentiment and star, added silver EP, and heat embossed.  I was a little worried the sentiment would be hard to read, but that extra fine detail silver EP worked wonders on that pretty, intricate font.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Rudolph Days -- anything Christmas

CRAFT Challenge 615 -- non-traditional Christmas colors

Craftyhazlenut's Christmas Challenge #565 -- anything Christmas

Jingle Belles -- Christmas creature

ABC Christmas - V is for vocabulary(use words)

Word Art Wednesday #515 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2143 -- anything goes

Digi on patterned paper

 I am trying to try new things (or new to me) in cardmaking.  Today's effort is using printed paper as the background for a stamped image (which, in this case, is a digi stamp from Bugaboo).

I printed the Bugaboo image on a snippet of patterned paper -- purposefully choosing a pattern that was muted and not distracting.  I then  used a circle die to cut it out.  Using the same die, I cut a circle in the middle of a second, coordinating printed piece and inset the stamped image into the space. They are both mounted on a car made from SU River Rock card stock. I think the lighter circle really draws the eye without the pattern competing with the print. What do you think?.

 The sentiment is Hello, a die from Stamplorations, with a few pale pink sequins added for interest.

Using two patterns was inspired by the current Butterfly Challenge. Mrs. A is also introducing another of her amazing fancy folds, but combining the stamping on patterned paper and inset die-cuts was as much challenge as I was up to.

This card is for these challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #162 -- Level 2: 2 patterned papers and colors (I believe I have all three -- light and dark lavender and pale pink.)

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2141 -- anything goes

Pixie's Snippet Playground # 413 -- use snippets (center image and sentiment from snippets)

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Word Art Wednesday #511 -- anything goes

Coffee cup

Today's card is an attempt at watercolor. Occasionally I follow along with the watercolor challenge at SCS, and this week's challenge involved creating a top-down view of a coffee cup, using shadows to outline the exterior. I traced a jar for the circular coffee portion of the mug and lightly sketched in where the handle would go. The rest was all painting.

To create the coffee rings, I brushed paint on the bottom of  a small jar and stamped.  I did the same on the envelope and added some splatters. (I love matching envelopes and usually forget to make one when I'm working on a card.

The Hello sentiment is a Stamplorations die.  I used Espresso alcohol ink to color the sequins that are scattered about.

This card is for these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- card and matching envelope

Word Art Wednesday #509 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2138 -- anything goes

Watercooler Wednesday -- All things masculine

Autumn fun fold

Today's card features another fun fold I discovered on SCS. I think they call this one a pull-out panel fold? I wanted to make a fall-themed card, and I thought I had a bunch of snippets of patterned papers with fall leaves on them. Once I went digging, I didn't find as many as I thought I would, but I managed to find four different patterns to use. (If you look at the photo with the card extended you see a light-colored almost impressionistic leaf print on the first panel, a mutlicolored fall leaf pattern in the oval, a monocolored print in the third panel, a different monochrome print in the final panel, which is matted on another snippet of the paper used in the third panel. 

The "fall" is from Purple Onion and is white-embossed.  On the fourth panel, there's a small border of maple leaves from a set by The Alley Way.  I think the maple leaf die is from Memory Box, and the oval and scallop are good old Nesties.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Double D Challenge -- leaves

Die-Cut Divas -- anything with die cuts

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- lots of layers

Pixie's Snippet Playground #412 -- use snippes (all the patterned papers)

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned papers

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2138 --anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #509 -- anything goes

Cutaway corner

 

Today's card features a technique I found on SCS, called cutaway corner -- and the name tells you everything you need to know about this technique.  It's a great way to feature a pretty paper. 

Fittingly enough, I was making a card for the Butterfly Challenge, and I'm pretty sure the patterned paper I selected was part of a  prize packet from Mrs. A. It's certainly lovely paper featuring butterflies. I used a stitched circle die to cut away the lower right corner, and adhered the patterned card stock to a pale pink card.  

I used a snippet of off-white to cut the solid butterfly, and a snippet of medium gray that was barely big enough for the filigree butterfly and sentiment. (Things got a little nerve-wracking when I tore the sentiment while cutting it, and I had just enough of the snippet left to try one more time with the sentiment.) The sentiment (from The Alley Way Stamps) is white embossed. The beautiful butterfly dies are from Simon Says and they are popped up on foam tape.

This card is for these challenges:

The Butterfly Challenge #161 --Level 2 (faux stitching around circle and shimmering pink.)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- lots of layers

Die Cut Divas -- anything goes

Pixie's Snippet Playground #411-- use snippets (butterflies and sentiment)

Word Art Wednesday #509  -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2137  -- anything goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Woven Christmas card

 Hi

Today's card was inspired by this card that Karen Dunbrook posted on her blog. She used scraps of paper she stenciled, but since I can't part with even the smallest snippet of Christmas paper, I decided to try the technique with those.

I trimmed the pieces to random widths (normally if it's less than an inch wide, I throw it away -- I do have some standards!), then arranged them in a pleasing pattern. It was surprising how quickly the weaving was big enough to fill a card.

To finish it, I stamped a Stamplorations sentiment and added a couple of red sequins.

Easy-peasy, quick and I think it's an interesting look.

This card is entered in these challenges

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Card Challenge #556 -- anything Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Pixie's Snippet Playground #410 -- use snippets

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday # 506 --anuything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies # 2134 -- anything goes

Stamplorations Never-ending anything goes challenge -- use Stamploration products (sentiment)

Something different

 Spritzed and splattered isn't generally my style, but I went ahead and tried a technique with lots of spritz and splatters. Here's the result.

This card is made from four colors of Distress Inks. Press on craft sheet, sprintz, pick up the color with watercolor paper, let dry. Add ink splatters. Ink image (it's a tomato plant from Impression Obsession), spritz, stamp. Let dry, then paint with Distress Inks.  Add script or other filler stamps.  Splatter with white paint. Add sentiment (I think that the sentiment is an I-O stamp, too.).

As I said, lots of spritz and splatters. It was fun.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday: Spritz and Splatter

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: add a sentiment

Double D Challenge: Fruits and Veggies

Word Art Wednesday #506: anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2134:  anything goes

Pining for fun

 

I was looking through embossing folders a few weeks and and found a stamp set I'd never used hidden among the EFs. (The pineapple stamps and die also included a tiny -- like 1-inch wide -- EF that I guess is supposed to look like pineapple bark. It's pretty similar to the Sizzix EF I used here, only way smaller. The set is called Totally Tropical, and I think it might have been a prize from one of Hazel's challenges.). 

 When I saw this sketch on SCS, I thought of that set and found the perfect patterned paper to go with it. The pineapple is colored with pencils, and the sentiment is white-embossed. The pineapple, sentiment panel and angled panel are all made from snippets selected to match the patterned paper.

This card is for these challenges:

Double D -- Fruits and vegetables

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- add a sentiment

Simon Says Stamp Monday -- dry embossing,

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Word Art Wednesday #505 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2133  -- anything goes

 

Rocking it

 Hi there!

Once again, Mrs. A has enticed me to try a different kind of card for the Butterfly Challenge. This time around, the challenge is to make a rocker card, and she has instructions for at least 4 different versions on her blog. I started here with the basic one, but I've bookmarked the page to go back and try some more advanced versions (which usually have side steps).

I traced around a 6-inch bowl to create the base circle and kept the height so that it will fit in what used to be known as a "small business envelope," which is something like 6.5 x 3.5 inches.

The base is made from a rather large snippet of sage card stock, and on top of that I used a snippet of a fun print that shows a flower garden. I heat-embossed a Hello sentiment to make it more visible than regular stamping and added a butterfly made from stacked die-cuts (more snippets) with a little pearl embellie.

This card is for these challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #160 (level 2 -- using the color sage/Russian green, rocker card, and butterfly)

Simon Says Stamp Monday -- heat embossing

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2132 -- anything goes

Crafts Galore #90 --- anything goes

Word ARt Wednesday #504 -- anything goes

Pixie's Snippet Playground #409 -- use snippets

Craftyhazelnut's patterned paper challenge -- use patterned paper. 

3-panel Christmas

 In my last post, I shared a three-panel card I made for a swap with a  3-panel theme. I decided to try the technique for a Christmas card, since I have tons of snippets of Christmas patterned paper. Here's the result.

The panels all measure 1.5 by 3.5 inches. They are snippets from different patterned paper mats, and they even have different background colors, but I think they work together quite nicely. I ran all the edges of the three panels along a red ink pad to give them a little definition, mounted them on a light green panel, then on a red snippet (it has an oval die cut out of it, but with a couple layers on top, no one will know. Shhh, don't tell!). All mounted on a white tent-fold card.

I feel like the words on the panels provide enough of a sentiment on front, so I just added some ribbon and a lovely silk poinsettia.

This card is entered in these challenges.

Rudolph Days, July -- Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #552 -- ribbon

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge-- patterned paper

Pixie's Snippet Playground #408 -- use snippets

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2130 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #501 -- anything goes

Fun in the Sun

 This is a quick and easy card using three panels of patterned paper. I went with a summer theme -- I was humming Beach Boys songs while working on it. The sentiment is from Purple Onion Designs, and the papers have been in my stash for quite a while.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday -- Lazy Days of Summer

Word Art Wednesday #499 -- anything goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

More ice cream

 A few days ago, I made a white-on-white ice cream card. Today, I'm back with a "ice cream colors" pastel version. The cone stamp and EF are a set from Michaels, the sentiment is from Purple Onion. The cone is stamped in SU creamy caramel (as is the sentiment) and colored with pencils. Coordinating baker's twine for the bow.

Question for fellow bloggers:  Do you ever monitor your site stats and see weird upticks in viewership? Since I'm not monetizing anything, I glance at the stats just out of curiosity. On a typical day, I might get a dozen visitors, more if I've one of my cards won a challenge or made a Top 3, but not gobs of viewers. Yesterday, it was nearly 1,000 views. I know a couple of my designs have been Pinned alot, but I don't know how to measure that. I'd be happytohear anyone's insights.

The ice cream care is entered in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday: Lazy Days of Summer

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday:  emboss it

The Paper Shelter #478 -- girly

Word Art Wednesday #499 -- anything goes

Catch the Bug -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2128 -- anything goes

 

Christmas music

Since it's Christmas in July everywhere I look, here's a Christmas card. It's based on this week's SCS sketch and features a couple of pieces of printed paper that are sort of the paper equivalent of the "B side" of a record.  In other words, they are from two-sided papers where the other side is the one I'd usually choose, but these sides fit the musical theme. (and yes the musical score is supposed to very faded and vintage looking).  

Instead of a stamped sentiment, I used a piece of ribbon that also reflects the musical theme.

This card is entered in these challenges

Winter Wonderland -- Christmas music

ABC Christmas -- O for Off to One side

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #549 -- anything Christmas

Word ARt Wednesday #499 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2127 -- anything goes

Patties Creations #   -- anything goes

Crafts Galore  -- anything goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper 

Catch the Bug -- -- anything goes

 

Crisp cool white

 I rarely do a white-on-white card, but I couldn't resist using crisp cool white for this card featuring cool treats.

I started by embossing a piece of white card stock, trimming it a bit, and mounting it on foam tape on a white card.  Then I die-cut the stitched tags from vellum, using a die from Stamplorations, then white-embossed the ice cream cone and sentiment.  (The sentiment is hiding behind the upper tag; it says treat yourself). The sentiment is from Purple Onion, and the ice cream cone stamp and EF are a cheapie set I got at Michael's a few years ago.

Hope you're staying refreshed during this heat wave.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Die Cut Divas -- tone on tone

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- hello sunshine,

Word ARt Wednesday #499 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2127 -- anything goes

Pattie's Creations #184 -- anything goes

CRAFT #604 -- anything goes

Catch the Bug -- -- anything goes

Mistletoe Greetings

 

I made a quick Christmas card using the mini-slimline size (which fits what used to be called a small business envelope -- this one is 3.25 by 6.25 inches).  It features an ATC-sized image of mistletoe from a new set by Stamplorations.  There are 15 or 18 to a set, and each is a different design. I really like the watercolored look, and they make a quick card for sure.

The sentiment is also from Stamplorations, as is the stitched tag. (The cord is from SU,and that's SU Night of Navy ink, just so this doesn't sound like an ad.)

This card is for these challenges:

Rudolph Days -- June challenge

ABC Christmas - M is for Mistletoe

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #548-- anything Christmas

Stamplorations Neverending challenge -- featuring Stamploration products

Word Art Wednesday # 497 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2126 --anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes

Peachy pinky

 Happy summer everyone.

What's more summery than flowers and butterflies? This card features an old stamp that's part of a set of four floral blocks -- roses, daisies, and I'm not positive what these are called, but I painted them peach. I started with a snippet of watercolor paper, stamped the image in versamark, then used glitter gold embossing powered. After heating it, I used watercolors to paint the image and mounted it on a scrap of gold card stock.

The background was in pile of papers, I have no idea when I made it or exactly how -- looks like some sort of Distress Inks and smooshing/spraying.  I thought the pinks and peaches worked with the image, and used gold pigment ink to edge the panel.

After punching out the butterflies (from a bit of the gold snippet) bthey seemed pretty boring so I ran them through an embossing folder. 

This card is entered in these challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #158 -- level 2 (color peach and pair of butterflies)

Pattie's Creations #183 -- Things that fly

The Paper Shelter #475 -- things with wings

Pixie's Snippet Playground #405 -- use snippets

Word Art Wednesday #497 -- anything goes 

Pammie's Inky Pinkies # 2025   -- anything goes

Strawberry time

 These days, you can buy strawberries at almost any time of the year, but I still prefer them in the spring, when there's a chance they are somewhat "local" and tastier. 

The TimeOut challenge is to be inspired by items inside your home. I have a set of prints featuring different fruits on my kitchen wall, and one of them is a print of strawberries.  The image is a very old one, stamped on watercolor paper, then misted before laying down the first color layer.  After it dried, I added more concentrated colors on the strawberries, leaves and flowers.

 After that I added splatters, an embossed sentiment (meeting TimeOut's twist to add embossing), and baker's twin before matting the image.

 

This card is for these challenges:

Time Out: inspired by something in your home

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #493: anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2121: anything goes

Ice-skating bird

 I have a Christmas card for you this time, featuring an adorable Bugaboo image of a bird on skates. How cute is that? The bird is colored with pencils (with the coloring sort of loosely based on a tufted titmouse).  There are white Stickles to signify the ice. The sentiment is from the same mat stack as the woodgrain background paper. The card uses the current Stella Sketch from Bugaboo.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday: Things with wings

Winter Wonderland -- winter sports

Time Out #187 -- "move" (any kind of movement, like skating)

ABC Christmas-- K is for kid's card

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge 541 -- anything Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Word Art Wednesday #491 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2119 -- anything goes

Pattie's Creations #182 -- anything goes

Catch the Bug Stella Says Sketch #910

Catch the Bug -- biweekly anything goes

Doodled birds

 The technique challenge at SCS this week features watercolored, doodled birds and they are so much fun to make. Basically, put down a blob of watercolor and let it dry. Then use a pen to outline and add features like beak, tail, legs, whatever your heart desires.  For the backgorund, I found some patterned paper that has itty-bitty blobs that almost look like watercolor splatters. How perfect.

The birds look so goofy and cute -- I hope these cards will make other people smile as much as they make me happy.

I'm entering these challenges:

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2118 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #489 -- anything goes

Catch the Bug -- bi-weekly anything goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper.

Butterfly ballet

 Happy May everyone.

I have owned this awesome image for a long time, with every intention of using it for Mrs. A's butterfly challenge. Today is finally the day.

The digital image is called Ballet de Papillon by Katerina Koukiotis. It is very detailed, so I felt I had to use it fairly large. The image is colored with pencils, layered on a snipped of maroon cardstock, then on a white tentfold card. The sentiment is white-ebossed on a snippet of moss-colored cardstock, and I like how it fits perfectly so that the butterflies are fluttering around it. (I know a lot of people don't keep snippets that are small strips, but I use them all the time for sentiments.)

 For embellishment and contrast, I have added two metal photo corners, plus an acrylic dot on the sentiment panel. 

Do you agree it turned out to be a very feminine card?

The card is entered in these challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #156 -- meets level 2 requirements of theme (metal) and color (maroon and moss) plus butterflies

Simon Says Stamp Monday -- feminine

Pixie's Snippet Playground #402 -- use snippets.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes

Catch the Bug -- biweekly anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #489 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2118 -- anything goes

Birthday travel

 

This is a CAS birthday card for a friend who likes planes -- hopefully he'll be able to travel soon. The central image is from Stamplorations, stamped in black on a whitish/silverish metallic snippet. It was then fussy cut and layered on a blue snipped, with the sentiment added underneath. The blue piece is matted on an orange snippet. Instead of using a piece of patterned paper, the strip below is washi that has a passport-stamp motif.

 

This card is entered in the following challenges:

Stamplorations: Things with wings

Stamplorations: Neverending Anything Goes Challenge 

Pattie'sCreations #181 --  birthday

Paper Shelter #467 -- birthday

Word Art Wednesday #489 -- anything goes

Catch the Bug -- Biweekly anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2117 -- anything goes

Tom Sawyer

I played in an inspiration challenge at SCS based on authors, and ended up making a card celebrating Tom Sawyer and Mark Twain. Not my usual style, but fun for a change.

The scene is made of a number of different bits:

• The white fence diecut that someone sent me
• The boy, which is a piece of clip art I colored and fussy cut
• The paintbrush, a stamp I fussy cut and colored
• The quote from the book, which I googled, and computer-generated
• The flowers, which are teeny-tiny embellies I've had forever and had to hunt down.
• The background, which is a piece of blue card stock with a green strip for the grassy area.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday: Add a quote

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #489: Anything goes

Crafty Sentiments: Anything Goes

Pammies Inky Pinkies #2117: anything goes

Catch the Bug: Biweekly Anything goes

A little bit of latticework

 

Hello! It looks and feels like spring here, and that makes me happy. I hope this card makes you feel happy.

Those of you who follow the Butterfly Challenge know that Mrs A. posts tutorials on a range of different folds and techniques. Her current challenge centers around the letter L, with a tutorial on amazing technique called a Lantern card. I can't wait to see what people make.

However, it looked a little very involved and time-consuming for my current circumstances, so I took an easier option in making this card. It incorporates other L elements -- lattice, lilac, lemon and lawn green (the last three as colors). 

The butterfly is a Sizzix die, and I don't know who makes the others. The sentiment, which is white-embossed, is from The Alley Way stamps.

Oh, and Stamplorations has a Things with Wings blog hop and linky party going on, and this works perfectly for that too. 

This card is for these challenges:

The Butterfly Challenge #155 -- Lattice theme and one (or more) colors

Simon Says Stamp Monday -- layer it

Word Art Wednesday #485 -- anything goes

Stamplorations Things with Wings challenge -- thing with wings

Crafts Galore Encore #86 -- anything goes

Catch the Bug Challenge -- anything goes

Happy Little Stampers -- anything with dies

Elfish (elvish?) fun

I have another Christmas card for you today, using the sketch from Bugaboo's Stella Says Sketch Challenge. The card uses a pre-colored digi of a happy elf from The Paper Shelter, matted on a small piece of pink card stock, with a snowflake patterned panel. The sentiment is in a dark brown ink, and I used small sequins for the corner detail. 

 

This card is entered in these challenges:

 Stella says sketch #905 -- sketch

ABC Christmas -- E is for Elf

The Paper Shelter #460 -- use a digi image

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #532 -- anything Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Christmas Crafts All Year --  starts with E

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2110-- anything goes

CRAFT #589 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #481 -- anything goes

Catch the Bug -- anything goes

Crafty Sentiments - -- anything goes

Pattie's Creations #180 -- anything goes

 

Joy fold poppies

 

The current  Butterfly Challenge is brought to us by the letter J, for joy fold card. I haven't made one of these in a while and it was fun to do again. It's a really easy fun fold That I just forget about sometimes. (Does anyone know why it's called a joy fold?  Please leave a comment and let me know!)  If you need instructions, Mrs. A the butterfly queen has them here.  These cards do tend to flap open. Mrs. A uses a belly band to keep them closed. The top butterfly in the corner on my is on a pop dot and acts as little latch to keep the smaller card open. (If you've never seen a joyfold card, the top, smaller card opens from the left )

That's a digi image, colored in pencils. I was going for light burgundy (aka Japanese carmine) for the flowers. I believe the larger butterfly (from a Spellbinder's set I just picked up on mega clearance) qualifies as jasmine, or a very pale yellow.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Butterfly #103. (level 2, using the joy fold theme, butterflies, at the colors of Jasmine and Japanese carmine)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- beautiful blooms

Catch the Bug -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2110 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #481  -- anything goes

Crafts Galore Encore #85 for March -- anything goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Butterflies and brick

 

Look at that , two posts in two days. Just like old times. (I've had a slight lull in work, but I don't expect it to last long.)

This card features an awesome butterfly die-cut  that someone gifted me with.  It was cut from white cardstock, and I colored it with what I've heard called the Smoosh-spritz-drag technique -- smoosh Distress inks on a non-absorbent surface, spritz with water, and drag the paper through it. First I used a couple blue Distress inks, and followed with a blue distress oxide ink. The main panel is a piece of ivory cardstock on which I inked brick shapes using a Stamplorations stencil. The sentiment is from Stampin Up.

This card was inspried for the Butterfly Challenge. Mrs. A's shape/technique this time is what she calls an inside out card (definitely check it out here) but I didn't have a really good long die cut to use, so I when with a straight card this time.

This card is entered in these challenges 

Butterfly Challenge #152 -- (Category 2: Inking theme and ivory/iceberg colors)

Word Art Wednesday #479 -- anything goes 

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2108 -- anything goes 

The Paper Shelter #458 -- CAS

Crafty Sentiment -- anything goes 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes

Christmas carolers

 

I have a CAS Christmas card for you today. I created this little scene through the magic of masking. The carolers are from The Artful Stamper and the trees are from a Whimsy Stamps set. I stamped the carolers first, made a mask to cover them, then added the trees in a couple different colors of green. The sentiment is from Stamplorations.  I wanted to keep this clean and simple, so I simply used a bright red snippet to one side for a serious pop of color.

This card is entered in these challenges:

ABC Christmas -- C is for Christmas

Rudolph Days -- anything Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenged #530 -- anything Christmas

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes

The Paper Shelter #458 -- CAS

Crafty Sentiments -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2108  -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #479 -- anything goes

I could make one if I wanted to

       And when I say "I could make one if I wanted to" I mean a snowman, not a card featuring a snowman. Like most of the country, we have a ton of snow just outside our door right now. But I'd rather stay inside and make a card, thank you very much.

       This card features a stamp set I got recently from Stamplorations, and I used the Bugaboo Stella sketch for this week. It's a CAS design, with the snowman and sentiment on the same white snippet, with another snippet with a line of snowmen separating the image from the sentiment. (That snowman paper is from a 6x6 pad, and since I usually make A-2 cards, there's typically a strip about that size left over.) Up in the right corner there's a plastic snowflake.

        Hope you are staying warm and dry (unless, of course, you want to make a snowman).

                

This card is for these challenges:

Bugaboo/Stella Says Sketch #904 -- use sketch

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #529 -- use green

CRAFT #587 -- anything Christmas

The Holly and the Ivy #88 -- anything Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Word Art Wednesday #479-- anything goes

Stamplorations Never-ending challenge - use Stamploration productions

Crafty Sentiments -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2107 -- anything goes

Subdued Herringbone

 Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge has presented me with another interesting technique to try. The theme this time is Herringbone, and she presented 3 ways to do a herringbone pattern, all different from the way I learned.. I tried the one she called the quilter's version, probably because it calls for several squares of patterned paper to start.

I cut up a couple snippets of coordinating papers, one dark and one light.  I used less of the dark paper after trying a couple arrangements. For embellishment I added twine and a butterfly (cut from yet another snippet of coordinating paper).  If I decide to add a sentiment, it can go in the lower left corner.

This card is for these challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #151 (butterfly, twine, herringbone and Hansa yellow)

Pixie's Snippet Playground #395 -- use snippets

Crafts Galore #84 -- anything goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned papers

Word Art Wednesday #475 -- anything goes

Simon Says Stamp, Wednesday Challenge -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2105 -- anything goes

Inlaid die

 

I made this card using the inlaid die technique, and it was my first time trying it. With a relatively simple die like this ornament and circle, it wasn't that challenging, but I really admire those who have the patience to use this technique with dies that in includes lots of tiny pieces. I supposed most people know how to do this technique already, but quick recap if  you don't -- die-cut the outline in the card stock  you'll in lay in, then die-cut the piece (ornament here), and put it into the whole you've created (in the white here).  The white circle is also inlaid in the solid red.

This card is for several challenges:

January Rudolph Days - Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #527 -- anything goes

CRAFT #584 -- anything Christmas

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2104 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #475 -- anything goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

A little gap

 

I've been really struggling for inspiration lately, so when I see an idea that intrigues me, I jump on it. I found an intriguing idea recently in Mrs. A's current Butterfly Challenge, to make a gap card. I've seen these made with acetate, but she makes them with just the die-cut holding the pieces of the card front together. 

For my card, I followed the directions Mrs. A gives on her blog for creating the gap. I made by central piece with a couple of existing diecuts and some new ones.  I had the bright pink flower and light green vine already and they layered together really nicely.  I used nested dies to cut a smaller shape from a pink gingham snippet of patterned paper and a larger one from a black snippet.  For the butterfly, I used an apple green snippet of card stock for the solid under layer and a snipped of textured gold card stock for the filigree layer. From that, it was a matter of just assembling everything in a pleasing manner.  I decided to just use white card stock for the base rather than doing a layer of patterned paper because there's a lot going on in the center as it is.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Butterfly challenge #150 -- gap card, gingham, colors Granny Smith (apple green) gold, and geranium (bright pink)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- layer it up

Pixie's Snippet Playground #394 -- snippets (all the die cuts)

Word Art Wednesday #473 -- anything goes

Bring on the butterflies

 Happy 2021 everyone!. Wishing you all the best in the new year.

I have finally tried making a card in a box, which I'm sure you made years ago. I am always leery of "fun folds" because they don't usually go well for me, so I don't see the fun in them. This was actually very easy. (If you've never done one, the tutorial a SCS is very good). 

This also turned out to be an excellent way to use up snippets of patterned paper, and everything aside from the pink card stock used for the base is a snippet. (You pretty much need to cut a fresh piece of 12x12 paper to make this style).

I decorated the card with a variety of punched and die-cut butterflies, which I had stashed away. (However, I used snippets on all of them when I made them.) A few are mounted on strips of acetate so they are "flying" out of the box.

The hardest thing about this style is photographing it because all the butterflies look like a jumble.

This card is for these challenges:

Pixie's Snippet Playground #393 -- use snippets 

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge Jan 2021 -- use patterned paper