My Music, My Life

The challenge for Sparkle N Sprinkle is to create a card for a remarkable woman in your life.  With Mother’s Day just around the corner, most people would immediately think of their mom.  That was my first thought, too.  Then I had another idea.  My mom is definitely a remarkable woman and has remained so positive through so many hard times, but I have already made her card.  As I thought of others in my life that are remarkable I thought about my oldest daughter.  She is at college working on a viola performance major.  This weekend she was asked to perform with the Jackson Orchestra in Nashville, TN.  She has been performing since third grade and music and playing her viola is the love of her life.  I had this awesome stamp from Sparkle N Sprinkle that made a perfect card that so reminds me of her.  Even though the instrument is not a viola, the message is the same.  The stamp is also a bit unique in its style and my daughter definitely has her own style.

The card base is white with a gold layer and then a layer of some lovely aqua design paper with golden swirls and musical notes.  I cut a window through all three layers using a die.  I sponged some darker aqua ink and then some gold ink around the edges of the window.  I stamped the top half of the sentiment in aqua on white and layered it on gold, cut out with a die.  This is added with foam tape to pop it up a bit.

Inside the card I added a layer of lighter aqua paper.  For the image I stamped it in a darker aqua ink on white cardstock and cut it out with the same die as the window.  I lined this up with the window and adhered it to the inside of the card.  Then I stamped the bottom half of the sentiment in dark aqua in the bottom left corner.

I wanted to use some cute musical note buttons for embellishment but even after having recently cleaned in my stamp room, I still couldn’t find them.  I even have a drawer for all my buttons but for some odd reason they just were not in there.  That every happen to you?  Like all card makers, I improvised.  I did find my musical note punch and used it on my gold cardstock.  I added a few of these golden notes to the card front and inside.

Both the image and the sentiment are from an older set from the Gail M Burton collection at Sparkle N Sprinkle.  All the stamps in this collection are really unique.  Sparkle N Sprinkle also has come out with a new music theme set called Music Labels.  I can’t wait to get this set.

This card is entered in the following challenges:

Sparkle N Sprinkle Challenge – Remarkable Woman

Art Impression Challenge #12 – Anything Goes

Allsort Challenge Week 99 – Sketch

Whoopsie Daisy Challenge – Free and Easy
Sweet Stamps Challenge #10 - For the Ladies

Girls and Swirls

Today was the third Saturday of the month and a group of us meet at a local scrapbook store to play all day.  Some scrapbook and some stamp but we all have a great time.  The weather was a bit iffy with tornado warnings out but later in the morning it seemed to be clearing up so some of us decide to brave it and head over.  It was a small turn out, and I was late because I was trying to help my daughter get off to the beach with a friend.  My friend, Cheryl, came down from Charlotte, NC and waited patiently for me.  It was so great to see her.  She is the one that won the scrapbooking weekend and it is schedule for next month.  It will be so great.

I really did not get a lot done today but it was still a lot of fun.  One of the challenges I wanted to enter this week had the theme “Girls and Swirls”.  I found the perfect paper at the scrapbook store so I had to make it.  The image is a stamp I bought when I was first starting to make cards and that was a long time ago.  I can’t remember the last time I used it.  When I was thinking about something really girlie, I remembered these adorable Precious Moment stamps I had and this little girl was just perfect.  I love the sweet faces on these images.

I stamped her with black ink on white cardstock and colored her with colored pencils.  Then I cut her out with an oval Nestability and layered it on a pink scalloped oval.  I attached it with foam tape so it was popped up on top of the great swirly cardstock I bought.  It has such lovely colored stripes and then these dainty, different sized swirly designs embossed on top of it.  Lots of shimmer and sparkle, too.  This was sponged with some ink around the edges and layered on a white card base.  I ran some sheer white ribbon underneath the image and tied a bow on the side.  I also added some cute little pink and polkadot flowers, layered on the top left, and some flower and butterfly jewels to add to the bling.  Perfect card for any child.

**I almost forgot to leave a tip for the Top Tip Tuesday Challenge.  My friends and I have been having a big debate on how to store all of our Spellbinder dies.  After trying 3 different things, I went to Walgreens and bought a CD/DVD Wallet (carrying case) that has a handle on it.  I bought some sheets of magnet and cut them to just fit inside the sleeves.  I have put most of my favorite dies on the magnet and arranged them by shape.  When I need one I just flip through (eventually I will add colored labels) and slide the magnet out just far enough to remove what I want.  So easy to put back and also to take with.  At our get together yesterday I think it was a winner.

 

                       

This card is entered in the following challenges:

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #106 – Girls and Swirls

Simon Says Stamp Challenge – For a Child

The Corrosive Challenge #111 – Sketch

Creative Inspiration Challenge #57 – Easter

Delightful Challenges – Easter

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge – A Card for a Child

Little Claire’s Challenge #5 – Animals

Ooh La La Challenge #77 – Easter

Paper Romance Challenge #46 – Paper Flowers

The Pink Elephant Challenge #97 – Easter

Top Tip Tuesday Challenge #28 – Spring Has Sprung**

Totally Papercrafts Challenge #62 – Springtime
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge #78 - Furry Friends

You Make Me Smile

In my last post I admitted a silly mistake I made by using a stamp from the wrong company.  I promised I would still post it.  Such a fun card.

The image is from My Favorite Things.  Such an adorable little fellow.  I stamped him in black on cream.  I colored him with Tombow markers and sponged deep yellow around the edges.  This is layered on a pink and then a deep yellow cardstock.  I scored the top of the yellow layer to allow the image to lift up like a flap.  The base card is pink with a yellow layer on top of it and then a layer of decorative cardstock from Basic Grey.  The sentiment came with the set and was stamped in deep pink on light pink cardstock, sponged with deep pink and also orange ink, and layered on a green scalloped rectangle.  I placed this where the image flap tucks just under the top edges to keep it in place.

When you lift the flap up you see another sentiment from a different company.  This is stamped and treated just like the other sentiment but layered on a green label cut out with a die.  Underneath it is a strip of yellow ribbon with a diamond design.

Then I used some new ribbon to make two little bows.  The ribbon is very sparkly and kind of wavy.  The card also opens like a normal card but I inserted a light pink layer topped with a strip of the Basic Grey cardstock where you can write your own special message.

This card is entered into the following challenges:

Totally Stampalicious Challenge – Anything Goes

Totally Papercrafts challenge #61 - Sketch

The Pixie Cottage Challenge #65 – For a Special Lady

DDCC #108 – Fancy Folds

DYSU #15 – Scallops

Crafts and Me Challenge #30 – Ribbon

Basic Grey Challenge #41 – More Than One Fold

Aifactory Challenges AIF#076 – Party Animal

Follow Your Dreams

I think I must be losing it.  I had made a wonderful card for the challenge at  Impression Obsession and I was looking up the name of the stamp and realized that it wasn't theirs.  It had just been put in the container with their stamps.  Unbelievable!  I should have realized this since it really wasn't their style.  The card really came out cute so I will post it later.  I immediately attacked another card and then got carried away making it just like I wanted and almost missed the challenge.  It has been that kind of week.

I had planned to do something simple but then all these ideas kept coming and I just had to play with them.  I decided to use Impression Obsession's Stamp L4046 Dance Party Collage, one of my favorites.  I have been having a lot of fun this week playing with a technique referred to as emboss resist and wanted to do more of this.  Here are the instructions.  I stamped my image on cream cardstock and sponged various Brilliance inks over it, after embossing it in white.  No matter how many pictures I took, I really could not get my camera to do it justice.  The colors are beautiful pastels with a lovely shimmer.  I cut out the image, leaving a little extra cardstock along the embossed border which I distressed and sponged with Antique Linen Distress Ink.  I layered this on a left over piece of dark aqua cardstock sprayed with Smooch Spritz which I also distress and sponged the edges with Brilliance ink.  I added a simple sentiment stamped in maroon on light yellow, layered on deep rose cardstock.  I decided not to make this real fancy so it wouldn't take away from the image.

Here is a better picture of my actual card.  I started with a deep rose colored 6" x 6" piece of cardstock.  On top of this is a piece of light pink decorative cardstock from K&Co.  This paper was just perfect for this card so it made it easier to use it since the other side of it is absolutely gorgeous.  Thank goodness I still have more of this.  I sponged the edges with distress ink.  On the right side I placed a piece of yellow and white striped paper that I cut out with a Spellbinder die and embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.  Then I added some Antique Linen Distress Ink and some yellow Brilliance.  Just to the left of this I added a strip of lace.  I just recently found this at Michaels and I love it.  I mounted my image on top of it with foam tape.  I added a large homemade pink rose on the top left side and small pink pearls on the bottom left.  I added two more roses on the right side, this time using some small white ones I also picked up at Michaels.  Guess it was good I made the mistake I did on the first card or I might never have had the fun of creating this one.

I have entered this in the following challenges:

Impression Obsession Challenge - Encouragement

Speed the Cat's Friends challenge #50 - Emboss Resist Technique

Sketch Saturday Challenge #150 - Sketch

Catch The Bug Challenge - Four or More Layers

Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge - Distressing

Flourishes Spring has Sprung Challenge FLLCAPR11 - Color Combo

Fourishes Bring Back the Beautiful Challenge - The Beauty of Spring Colors

Flutter By Wednesday Challenge #150 - Soft Pastel Colors plus Butterfly

Incy Wincy Designs Challenge #89 - Flowers

The Shabby Tea Room Challenge Week #57 - Doilies &/or Lace

Totally Stampalicious Challenge - Anything Goes

Whoopsie Daisy Challenge - Vintage

Paper Pretties Challenge #149 - Designer Paper (Use at least 2 different design papers - K&Co. Decorative Pink/Yellow and White Striped)

Count The Waves

I have a really special card I would like to share tonight.  Sparkle N Sprinkle asked me to be a guest designer again and let me play with some new sets they have just released.  The set I used is Summer Swirl (431).  What a great set!  Not only does it have some beautiful images, but it also has a variety of wonderful sentiments.

For this card I started with a cream base.  For the next layer I used a lighter blue cardstock and sponged the edges with some aqua ink.  Then I stamped the Wave [3490-431G] with Versamark ink on the bottom half and embossed it using Sparkle Embossing Powder [EP107].  I had some dark aqua cardstock and I sprayed it with Splash Smooch Spritz [spritz4], then used part of it for a small border around a rectangle of decorative cardstock and layered this on the top half of the card.

For the main image I used Seashore Squares [3485-431N] and stamped them with a glue pad onto Clear Embossable Acetate [99602].  Before stamping I brushed the area with the Static Free anti-static pouch.  I added Poolside Embossing Powder [EP393].  After heating this, I used some permanent markers on the back to add a little bit of color to the shells and then I sponged the back with the glue pad and added Hit the Beach Embossing Powder [EP394].  After heating this powder, I use 1/4" Double Sided "Tear-ific" Tape [SAT01] to create a border around the four images and added Log Cabin Embossing Powder [EP397].  This was the perfect color to enhance the Pool color of the images.  I trimmed off the excess acetate and added a small square of white cardstock behind the images to bring out the color even more.  I layered this on top of a light blue scalloped square and then onto a square of the spritzed dark aqua.  After running a strip of rick rack ribbon across the card, I added my image with foam tape.

I stamped the Count the Waves [3493-431A] sentiment with aqua ink on the light blue cardstock.  I cut it out with a die cut and sponged the aqua ink around the edges.  I mounted it with foam tape on top of a small rectangle of the decorative cardstock that had been punched with a corner/border punch.  This was layered on another punched rectangle of the dark aqua, creating a shadow look that makes it stand out more, then tucked just under the main image.

For the final touches I added three jewels at the bottom right side of the card and two seahorses on the top right side.  The seahorses are from a die cut of cream cardstock.  I sponged the edges with the aqua ink, then stamped and embossed part of the Wave [3490-431G] stamp, using Versamark Ink and Hit the Beach Embossing Powder [EP394].  I used a Sakura Glue Pen [99202] around the edges and added more Beach Embossing Powder.  What started as a plain diecut became a very elegant embellishment.

Keep checking back for more cards using the Summer Swirl Set [00-431P4] along with cards from a second new set, Bird Swirl [00-432P4].

This card was entered in the following challenges:

Delightful Challenges – Sun, Sea, and Sand

Sketch Saturday Challenge #150 – Sketch

Catch The Bug Challenge – Four or More Layers

Sentimental Sundays Challenge #50 – Treasured Memories (plus a sentiment)

Totally Stampalicious Challenge – Anything Goes

Sweet and Yellow!!

Sorry for the unoriginal title.  I used up all my creativity on my card.  Tonight I decided to work on a challenge by Sweet Stamps.  They asked for a recipe of 1 Ribbon/Border, 2 Designer Papers, and 3 Gems/Brads.  This was a bit tough because I really wanted to add a few more jewels, throw in a few flowers, and add some glitter but I kept my control and tried my best to meet their requirements.  After all of this work, we had to deal with some issues in the neighborhood due to the death of a neighbor and I did not get to post it for the challenge but thought I would add it to my blog anyhow.

I started with a yellow card base.  On top of this I added some decorative yellow designer paper.  I distressed the edges and sponged with ink. 

I added some wide yellow ribbon that I actually stamped and embossed in white.  The image is the bird image from the center of Bird Frame 8008 from Sweet Stamps.

For the main image I stamped Sweet Stamps Elegant Filigree Oval and embossed it in white on some yellow polka dot designer paper.  I sponged around the image with yellow distress ink to bring it out and then cut it out using a Spellbinder die.  I added one white floral brad and two jewels (totaling 3).  Simple but fun.

This card was entered in the following challenges:

Dutch Dare Card Challenge #107 – Spring Has Sprung

Speedy the Cat’s Friends Challenge #40 – Emboss Resist Technique

Simon Says Stamps Challenge – Spring Colors

Simon Says Stamp and Show – Distressing

CES Challenge #31 – Monochromatic

Corrosive Challenge #111 – Sketch

The Crafty Pad Challenge #116 – Spring

DYSU Challenge #14 – Yellow

Flourishes Bring Back the Beautiful – Beauty of Spring Colors

Lexis Creations Challenge #37 – Monochromatic

One Stop Craft Challenge Week #126 – Monochrome

Totally Stampalicious Challenge – Anything Goes

Carrot Gift (Not a Diamond)

Awhile back I had made a fun card using Spellbinders Ornament Dies to create a carrot.  Recently I my sister shared a cute project they were using to put little candy bunnies in for a gift.  I decided to try the same kind of project with my Spellbinder “Carrot”.

I cut out two "carrots" out of orange cardstock and glued them together around both sides.  I took the top of the front die and folded the top down.  I sponged darker orange ink around all of the edges and even a little red on the edges of the folded top to make it stand out.   I also added a few streaks coming in from the sides to the middle to give it a more real carrot look.  I cut out a green scalloped oval and cut it in half.  I sponged ink around the edges and place one half behind the top of the back carrot and one half on the bent over top of the front carrot.  These are to represent the green stem.

My sister had place a cute little chocolate bunny inside the top of the carrot.  Since I am a last minute shopper, I did not have any candy bunnies, so I stamped this adorable bunny from Sparkle N Sprinkle's Stamp Set 426 - Easter Chicks.  I embossed it with embossing powder, also from Sparkle N Sprinkle, and colored it with Tombow markers.  I cut the little paw and inserted a carrot, also from the set.  What a cute little project.

This card is entered in the following challenges:

Ellephantastic Challenge #25 – Anything but Square or Rectangle

Simon Says Stamps Challenge – Spring Colors

Totally Gorjuss Challenge75 – Fluffy

Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge – Anything But A Card
Aifactory Challenges AIF#075 - Happy Easter
All Sorts Challenge Week 98 - Anything but a Square
Creative Craft World Challenge - Easter
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge - For a Child
Ooh La La Challenge #77 - Happy Easter
Paper Cutz Challenge #86 - Bunny Image
Phindy's Friday Challenge #50 - Celebrating Easter
The Pink Elephant Challenge #97 - Easter
Stampin for the Weekend Challenge #7 - Easte
Totally Stampalicious Challenge - Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations Challenge #57 - Easter

Congratulations

What a wonderful weekend.  I cannot remember the last time I had the whole weekend to myself at home.  I know that may sound crazy, but sometimes I just ache for a period of time at home, alone!!  I relished every minute.  The husband left Friday morning and I dropped the daughter off on Friday evening.  Neither one were due back until Sunday afternoon.  I was in heaven.  After dropping off my daughter I went through the drive through at Krispie Crème with that big red “hot” light on and bought a dozen doughnuts and some decaf coffee.  I arrived home and settled in to watch a movie and munch on one of my favorite things.  After the movie I went into my craft room and started to clean it up.  Alas, with all of my cardmaking lately, I had created a disaster and could hardly move around in my room and only had a very small space to work on the table.  I was determined to change this.  I was up quite late but slept in on Saturday.  I am not a morning person so I love a quiet Saturday morning curled up in bed.  I did have some responsibilities with two cats and a dog still in the house so made myself be somewhat responsible.  After eating a few more doughnuts, I headed back into my room and attacked it.  Around  2:00pm I began to feel a bit weak and realized that one can not live on Krispie Cremes only.  I found some leftovers in the refrigerator and refueled.  Then back to my room.  After another late night I felt I had made some progress, ate one more doughnut and went to bed.

Sunday was another beautiful day and so I spent today playing.  It sure doesn’t take as much time to mess things up again as it did to clean it up.  My family is back together and life is back to normal.  I love my family but it was nice to have this time to myself.  I did get some creating done so I will finally get to what you came here for.  Our Daily Bread Designs Blog has a challenge this week of “no ribbon”.  Talk about a challenge – how can you make a card without at least a bow?  I have been wanting to make a shaped card and have recently seen some wonderful shaped easel cards, so I decided to finally try one..

This card has a light green base, cut out with a Spellbinder die.  I took two different pieces of decorative cardstock from Basic Grey and stamped and embossed Our Daily Bread Designs’ Butterfly Corner in white.  Speedy The Cat’s Friends was challenging us to use an emboss resist technique so I sponged ink over the embossed image giving the flowers and butterfly some extra color but still letting some of the design of the cardstock show.  I cut one out, using the same die I used for the card base, and layered this one on the front of the card.  I stamped the sentiment, Congratulations, in maroon on a light pink rectangle, rounded the corners, and sponged all edges with maroon and yellow ink.  I punched out 3 medallions, using a Martha Stewart corner punch, and used these to create a white layer behind the rectangle.  I added some pearls and flowers.

The second embossed image was cut out with one size smaller of the same die and layered on the inside of the card.  On top of this I added the verse from Our Daily Bread Designs’ Birthday Set, once again stamping maroon on light pink cardstock and sponging the edges.  I layered it on rust cardstock and then on top of a white border punched with another Martha Stewart punch.  I added more pearls.

Here is the card when it is open.  I love how the embossed image from the front seems to blend in with the one on the inside.  I stamped the green base edges on the  inside with the butterfly image from ODBD’s Birthday Set with Versamark ink and rubbed on some glimmer chalk, but this did not show up in the pictures. 

This card is entered in the following challenges:

Basic Grey Challenge 41 – More than One Fold

Charisma Cardz Challenge 14 – Wedding

Speedy The Cat’s Friends Challenge #50 – Emboss Resist Technique

Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge ODBDSLC56 – No Ribbon

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge 77 – Embossing

Craft Your Passion Challenges #52 – Anything Goes

The Shabby Tea Room Challenge Week #56 – Spring Color Challenge

Simon Says Stamps Challenge – Spring Color
All Sorts Challenge Week 98 - Anything but a Square
Totally Stampalicious Challenge - Anything Goes

Birds and Spring

Just a little information about this card as it is very late and I really need to get some sleep.  Our Daily Bread Designs has a challenge to use “birds” on your card.  Since I did not have any of their bird stamps I decided to accomplish this with my designer paper.  I had recently purchased this pad of the most gorgeous paper and found the perfect piece for this card. 

I cut out just one part of a side border using a Spellbinder label.  After sponging the edges with ink, I layered this on a scalloped rectangle of red decorative paper from the same pad, cut out using a Nellie Snellen die.  The top and bottom background papers are also from this same pad. 

The sentiment is a verse from Our Daily Bread Designs and was cut out with a Spellbinder die and sponged with ink,  I layered it on another piece of the red decorative paper, also cut out with a Spellbinder die. 

I added various flowers, pearls, and a butterfly button.  I can’t wait to use more of this paper.

This card is entered in the following challenges:

Paper Pretties – Sketch

Our Daily Bread Designs Shining Light Challenge – Birds
Whoopsie Daisy Challenge – SPRINGTIME

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #105 - Buttons, Bling and Bloom

Simon Says Stamps Challenge - Spring colours or an Easter

Little Claire’s Challenge 4 - Spring Celebration:  Spring colours, spring images, Easter cards - anything that says spring to you

Flutter By Wednesday's Challenge 149 – Open

Flourishes BRING BACK The BEAUTIFUL- The Beauty of Spring Colors!

The Craftypad Challenge 115 – FLOWERS 

Craft Your Passion Challenge #52 – Anything Goes

Catch The Bug Challenge - Anything Goes

All Sorts Challenge Week 97 - Blooming Blossoms
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge (FTTC112) -  Inspiration

Spring Birds

This card is all about birds.  I stamped the butterflies from Our Daily Bread Designs Faith Set in dark green on bright lime green and layered this on the light yellow base,  I used some new bright yellow decorative card stock from K&Co. that I just purchased at the Mighty Dollar  It had small flowers and little lime green birds on it.  I punched a bird border across the top, using  a Martha Stewart punch, and layered this in the middle of the card.  I stamped the beautiful scene from Our Daily Bread Designs' As You Graduate set in dark teal on lighter teal cardstock.  Then I used a Cuttlebug Cut N Emboss folder to create a frame from darker teal cardstock and layered all of this in the center.

I used another Cuttlebug Cut N Emboss folder to cut out the small green frame and then sanded it to bring out the design.  I layered this over an embossed bird on light yellow cardstock and popdotted this to the front right corner.

This card is entered in the following challenges:

Dutch Dare Card Challenge – Distressing

Our Daily Bread Designs – Birds

Crazy4Challenges C4C81 – Sketch

Whoopsie Daisy Challenge – SPRINGTIME

Simon Says...... Spring colours or an Easter

Speedy the Cat's Friends Challenge #49 -   Spotlight Any Animal 

Little Claire’s Challenge 4 - SPRING CELEBRATIONS;   Spring colours, spring images, Easter cards - anything that says spring to you

Flourishes BRING BACK The BEAUTIFUL- The Beauty of Spring Colors!

Craft Your Passion Challenge #52 – ANYTHING GOES
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge (FTTC112) -  Inspiration