More Challenge Cards

 

 

Every once in a while, I make a card I love. While it is nothing fancy (a different way of saying “simple”), it’s a pretty combination of paper, ink, stamps, ribbon, and a punched border and my take on Card Patterns Sketch 64.

The card base is 3-3/4 by 5-1/2 to accommodate the lace border. Everything else, I believe, you will understand from the following list of materials and tools. It’s a short one!

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Cocoa, and Sweet Leaf cardstock; DCWV Latte Matstack; Cocoa and Sweet Leaf ink pads; Verve Stamps Serenity stamp set; Papertrey Ink Spring Moss grosgrain ribbon; Martha Stewart Doily Lace Edger punch.

 

 

 

 

 

This next card is my adaptation of CPS 67 as featured on the Card Positioning Systems blog. It also meets the criteria for this week’s theme, “Let’s Hear It for the Boys,” masculine birthday card challenge on the Our Creative Corner blog.

I used the Happy Birthday stamp from Close To My Heart’s Candlelight set to create a background for the candles. The candles and flames were stamped, cut out, and mounted to the card with foam tape. While I don’t usually use glitter on cards for guys, I didn’t think that adding Orange Peel Stickles to the flames would strip the card of its masculine appeal. The same goes for the not-so-feminine ribbon tied using a square knot.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Cocoa, Barn Red, and Ocean cardstock; Sarsaparilla paper packet; Cocoa, Sunny Yellow, Orange, and Bamboo ink pads;  Candlelight stamp set; Ribbon and brads from my stash; Orange Peel Stickles; 13/16-inch circle punch; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

 

 

Another good day for me. How about you? I am tired, however, and by no fault of my own. The phone rang at 2:30 am – a very sweet 97-year-old tenant with breathing problems – which resulted in a 911 call. I don’t know about you, but I don’t sleep well when there are police cars and an ambulance outside my front door. It was a couple of hours before things settled down again. And the tenant? She was home again before I went to work this morning. Obviously, whatever was ailing her was not serious. I am glad she is OK.

We’ll try the sleep thing again tonight. But first, I’m going to slip over to see what I can come up with for tomorrow. Enjoy your evening!

P,S. About yesterday’s post, I didn’t mean for my wisecrack to sound sarcastic. I truly appreciate being appreciated by my sons. And, I am so very blessed to be their mother. With beautiful (inside and out) women in their lives and the precious grandsons Cameron has brought into my life, my blessings have multiplied. It’s all good … very good, and I’m grateful.

Happy Mother’s Day

Here is my take on Mojo Monday 137. The card also meets the criteria for this week’s challenge on the OCC blog, “Mother’s Day – Look Ma! No Flowers!” Well, maybe not. It’s just dawning on me that the patterned paper is floral. I was thinking of flower embellishments. Floral stamps. Oh, no. Am I disqualified? LOL. I don’t care.

The image is a Heather Ellis Pure Innocence digital image from her Etsy shop. I love her. I paper-pieced her dress and the hearts and colored the rest of the image with Prismacolor pencils and OMS.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Olive cardstock; Cosmo Cricket Early Bird Mini Deck; Olive, Bamboo, and Juniper ink pads; Pure Innocence Girl with Heart digital image; CTMH Stay it in Style stamp set; Cranberry Mini Brads; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Ovals set; Piercing tool; Sponge dauber; Dove blending pen.

I’m yawning tonight, the result of having stuffed myself to the gills at a Chinese buffet this evening. We got raises at work today, so it was a celebratory dinner. Two years ago, the raise was meager due to rising health care costs. Last year, we didn’t get one due to the recession. After seven months of record sales, we were kind of expecting one this year. We weren’t disappointed. Nice. Particularly when one remembers that unemployment is still so high and actually rising in other parts of the country.

The sun peeked out from behind the clouds on and off throughout the day, which was nice, too. I’m still hoping not to see any of the fluffy white stuff tomorrow. As for the 30 degree temperatures they are forecasting, I may have to don a winter jacket one more time.

Did you have a good day, too? I hope so. With husband wanting to go to Wal-Mart, I’ll sign off. With a few things to throw in the cart myself, he’ll probably end up wishing he’d left me at home. Enjoy your Friday! I’ll “see” you again then.

Can You Believe It?

Two posts in one day? What a feat for one who has been a bit of a dud lately! LOL. Seriously, scroll down to check out my Simple Saturday offering.
I had a feeling my camera wasn’t going to do this card justice, and I was right. Oh well, you’ll get the idea.
Unusual for me, this card fits the requirements of three challenges – Unscripted Sketches #38 (love this sketch), Stamp Simply #122 “Mid-Winter Perk-Me-Up!” challenge (to create projects with a floral theme and some fresh spring-time colors) on the No Time to Stamp? blog, and Our Creative Corner’s blue/green color challenge.
To make my card, I stamped the flower on glossy cardstock with VersaMark ink. Oh, and before I forget to give credit where credit is due, I was inspired by these gorgeous cards on the Clean & Simple Stamping blog. Since I’ve never really gotten the hang of using a brayer (successfully), I applied my ink with round sponges – Sweet Leaf on the bottom, Heavenly Blue in the middle, and Crystal Blue on top. The white background is White Daisy Textured cardstock. The sentiment stamped on plaid adds a smidgeon of interest.
Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue, Glossy White, and White Daisy Textured cardstock; Sweet Leaf, Heavenly Blue, and Crystal Blue ink pads; Close To My Heart Treasures and Thank You stamp sets; Martha Stewart Clear Pattern stamp set; Heavenly Blue Bigger Brads; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; 3M foam mounting tape.
As I don’t seem to hesitate to complain about the weather in the frozen tundra, I should say something, too, when it is so nice. It is currently 30 degrees, and while I don’t know how warm it was earlier in the day, it was warm enough to have the window in my den wide open. While it is far from spring air, it’s fresh air, and I love it!
That’s it for now. As always, thank you for stopping by! Later…