Another fall card

I'm sharing a Fall/Thanksgiving card today.  Thanks to the Huntington paper pack, I am all motivated to make Thanksgiving cards!  Love love love the patterns and colors of this paper pack.  When I first received this paper, I was so excited that I made a two-page scrapbook layout - the first time of scrapbooking after months without any incentive to scrapbook.

I am using Poster Tidings, the Stamp of the Month in September.  I really like this stamp set as this kind of stamps with a stack of words is very popular.  The stamp can be used as is, or like what I did here - stamping in different colors then cut them in pieces and put them back together:

How I love the fall colors all appear in one image!  I've got this sketch from Deconstructed Sketch:

My card is an A7 card (5" x 7") as I want to make sure there is enough room for the entire image.  It could actually fit to a standard A2 (4.25" x 5.5") card but I like this better when the space on the card can balance out the activities in the center image.

My card is entering the challenge at:
 Great Impressions - Fall colors
C is for Challenge - Lots of layers 
Craftin' Boutique Challenge - Fall Challenge
Sarah Hurley Challenge - Autumn Glow
Paper Crafting Journey - Anything Goes
4 Krafty Girlz challenge - Anything Goes
Happy Campers Challenge - Use a Stamp

Thanks for stopping by!

A super quick post

I can't explain why my eyes can't stay open.  The eyelids are as heavy as lead.  I have to rush through this post so I could get some sleep.  Sorry.

I am sharing a sympathy card today: 

I got the sketch from Deconstructed Sketch:

I'm in love with this sketch and I know I'll use it over and over again.  Please click the link above to see the sample card by Jen.  It is such a gorgeous piece.

My card is entering the following challenges:
1.  The Perfect Sentiment - Ribbon, Twin and/or Seam Binding (I've used the organdy ribbon)
2.  Tammy Scrapin Corner - Anything Goes
3.  Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes
4.  Addicted to Stamps Challenge - Anything Goes
5.  Fluttery By Wednesday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Thanksgiving

A couple of challenges are asking us to make Fall cards and I am happy to switch from my Christmas prep to Fall cards. 

I'm using my beloved Huntington paper pack to make my card:

It is based on the sketch from Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge:

It happens to qualify for the color challenge at Heart 2 Heart challenges - Barn Red, Sunset, Gypsy and Cashmere.  Well, I didn't mean to use Gypsy, as purple does not appear to match with the color scheme, but I like how I've made the flower pop out more with a Gypsy ring here.  To tone brightness down I've sanded the paper to expose its white core and I think it is not too odd.

I have put three gems on my card.  These mocha gems have been in my stash since they were released years ago.  They were so cute and pretty that I just had a difficult time to part with them.  Interestingly I have no problem to part with sparkles but have been very indecisive in using pearls/gems.  My card is thus entering Clear It Out Challenge to show my mocha gems.

My card is also entering the challenge at
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Bearly Mine Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafty Sentiments - Fall colors/ patterns
Paper Playtime - Use three different papers

Thanks for stopping by!

Playing with new toys

I think we all love playing with new goodies.  This year, playing with my new toys has become a motivation for me to make Christmas cards.  Today's card made use of two new items - the Yuletide Greetings stamp set from Close to My Heart and the Merry Christmas die from Elizabeth Craft Designs.

It is a traditional Christmas card:

I made use of sketch #7

and color combo #19 from 52 (Christmas) Card Throwdown:

My card is also entering the following challenges:
1.  Hiding in My Craftroom - Anything Goes / Freestyle
2.  Catered Crop - Sentimental
3.  Christmas card challenge - Something new
4.  613 Avenue - Anything Goes
5.  Challenges for everybody - Anything Goes
6.  Creative Creation - Christmas
7.  Sister Act Card challenge - Anything Goes

Now that my "new toy" bin has two fewer items, but many more to go through. :)  Thanks for stopping by!

Hooray Hooray

I hope your Labor Day weekend has been fabulous.

The infection on my right eye was persistent so I took quite a bit of rest.  I was frustrated as I really wanted to play at my craft desk non-stop, but the itch, the medication and the eye drop all prevented me from doing that.  Nevertheless I tried to craft in between those hours of rest. 

I have made a birthday card for a little child.  A cupcake was the first thing that came to my mind, then I looked for sketches online for the layout.  I found this from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge:

 

Then I wanted to use the colors from Color My Heart Color Dare challenge:

 

 

A clean and simple card was then born:

 

 



 Because there is no patterned paper involved, I want to make sure that it has enough interest going on.  I first cut out the pennants from the banner and pop up some of them, then for the cupcakes, I added some glitter gel for that mimics the icing and purposeful aligned them randomly.  I did thought about having a big cupcake (1.5" instead of 1" as shown) but that looked a little odd.  That cupcake could be used in another project, I'm sure.  I also thought about lining the three cupcakes in a row, but I think that is too boring for a young, energetic boy. 

My card is also entering the following challenges:
1.  The Paper Nest Dolls - CAS
2.  The Cheerful Stamp Pad - Inspiration picture (that inspires me to make a birthday card)
3.  Kaboodle Doodles - Use Yellow
4.  Make it Monday
5.  There She Goes - Banners and Birthdays
6.  Get Inky! Challenge - Cakes/Cupcakes
7.  Sentimental Sundays - Birthdays
8.  Dream Valley Challenges - For a Child
9.  Scrapper's Delights Challenge - Paper piecing

Thanks for stopping by!

In a rush

Happy Labor Day Weekend to those who live in the States!  Have a safe and wonderful weekend!

I was having a busy week at work as it was the last week of the month.  This weekend will hopefully be restful and playful.  I have been thinking about what to do with this sketch from Sketchbook Saturday Challenge:

Iwona has presented her card with a gorgeous gradation of colors using distress inks.  Some other entries have various ways to represent the stripes of colors in the sketch.  I was hoping to use a border stamp and colors in the same family to create that effect, but alas, when I got home tonight I realized that I have about 3 hours to finish making the card and blogging it.  I dug out my border stamps and tried.  That didn't work.  Clock is ticking.  O.M.G.  (Boy, it feels so young when I say OMG!)

I do not want to miss the opportunity so I took the short cut.  Let's forget the stripes for now, and perhaps this weekend I'll get some time to experiment it.  Since I've settled on the colors, I decided I'll make pretty flowers.  I've used the new Memory Box dies (I have got a lot of loot from its new release) to create my flowers.  I ran the die a couple of dies and carefully did a "surgery" on the cuts then I "stitched" them together (we use super glue in real surgery now, so stitch is quite the right word), creating these yellow flowers with pink borders and green leaves.  The most difficult part, in my opinion as an inexperienced "surgeon", is to glue the pieces well - exactly in the right place with the exact amount of glue.  I have yet tried my Xyron but next time when I'm not in such a hurry I will try it out with thin cuts.

Have I mentioned that I love making birthday cards?  I thought about putting the sentiment on a banner but eventually I chose to emboss it with black powder to pop it up.  I think the dark colored sentiment adds a nice touch to the card.

My card is also entering the following challenges:
1.  Dutch Care card challenges - birthday wishes
2.  Paper Crafting Journey - Anything Goes
3.  Happy Campers Challenge - Use a Stamp
4.  A Creative Romance - CAS card
5.  Stampin for the weekend - Colors of Summer
6.  Challenges and Candies - Colors, scents and tastes of summer
7.  Aud Sentiments Challenge - Any sentiments

Thanks for stopping by

A Scarecrow

To take a break from Christmas cards, I've switched to Fall/Thank you cards.   Even though I love Christmas and making Christmas cards, I feel bad that I do not have enough Fall cards.  Sometimes it feels that Thanksgiving is buried between the shopping for Halloween and Christmas, and sometimes it is just a rush for the feast plus Black Friday shopping.  It actually means much much much more than that!

When I first got my new goodies from the current Close to My Heart idea book, I played with the Huntington paper by creating a two-page layout.  This paper pack is gorgeous!  Thanks to the Make it From Your Heart guidebook my layout took us much shorter time than expected but it turned out beautifully. I'm sure it will be enjoyed for the years to come.

My fall card is making use of this lovely fall paper.  It has a big scarecrow on it:

It is based on the sketch from Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge:

I wanted to play along the Heart 2 Heart Challenge - Make a scene so I dug out all the stamps I have to pick an appropriate one.  I think it is time for me to make an index for my stamps.  I think this scarecrow makes a good one for the challenge.

My card also made use of the ideas from Creative Creations Bingo Challenge:

My card is entering the following challenges:
1.  Craft-Dee Bowz - Handmade bow
2.  Kaboodle Doodles - Season of Fall
3.  Paper Playtime - use pearls
4.  Lady Anne's Challenges - Anything Goes
5.  Crafting by Designs - Anything Goes
6.  The Male Room Challenges - The Great Outdoors

Thanks for stopping by!