Sister - in - law birthday

My sister-in-law is a quilter, so this quilted heart from QKR Stampede is great for her birthday, and could be a county fair entry!..  I colored with metallic markers.  I chose papers that remind me of a vintage look.  I added some shading and distressed edges.  The Blessings die is by Cheery Lynn.
Sketch:    Share Joy
Country Fair:    Dies r Us
Die cuts:    Art Impressions
Vintage:   Cheery Lynn
Feminine birthday:   Pink Gem
Birthday:    Unicorn Challenge
Any:    Crafty Catz
             Angies

SCS Dare to Get dirty - SPotlight Christmas

Image:QKR digi; chalk pencil, textured blue cs, ribbon, gems, circle dies.  Blue and white has become a favorite!  This will go to a family member at Christmas.
Sketch:   Share Joy
 Fave color combo:  Creative Knockouts

Thank you #3

I am continuing my series of thank you cards for members of our church visitation team.  The circle is Majestic Elements by Spellbinders, and the sentiment is Cuttlebug.
Sketch/colors:    Share Joy
Flowers:    Digi Choosday

Blessings Thank you

I need several thank you cards for members of a church group.  This Cheery Lynn Blessings die cut is great for cards such as this.  The Asterisk are from Cuttlebug dies that were among the first dies I ever purchased.  I used miscellaneous papers and a shiny gem to complete the card.  Inside reads "Thank you for the blessing you are to others."
I think my favorite embellishment is the one I am using, but I am very partial to die cuts and gems! : Creative Knockouts
Sketch:   Share Joy
Thank you:    C.R.A.F.T.
                        DLArt
Die Cuts:         Cut it Up
Any:  Cheery Lynn

Blue and Yellow

I had planned to spend much more time on this card, but several unexpected situation came up...
I should have made the strip of Washi tape smaller.  I used a Paper Studio embossing folder, and Several odds and ends of papers, including the DP (these were all pieces I got at a super bargain at a yard sale - looked like someone abandoned scrapbook projects and I got lots of scraps as well as a lot of real goodies.).  The image by CraftSmart is watercolored.  I will send this to a friend who raises chickens.
Sketch:  Share Joy
Blue, yellow and white:    The House that Stamps Built
Off kilter:    Lawnscaping
Hand colored image:   Star Stampz
Birds:    Dies r us
Scraps:   Jo's Scrapshack

CAS in red, white, blue

I placed a full sized red layer under the top of the card, to cover the back of the embossing, and to show through the punched edge (Fiskars).  Embossing - Cuttlebug stylized flowers; butterfly die - Cheery Lynn; 7Gypsies sentiment, glitter on the tiny flower topped with a gem; blue cs for the mat and the butterfly.
CHALLENGES:  
Sketch:   Share Joy
Red, white, blue:    Cheery Lynn
Birthday:      Allsorts 
                       AAA Cards
                       Polkadoodle 
                       Dies R Us  
                       Star Stampz
Flowers:        Pink Gem Challenge
Embossing:   Crafting for all Seasons
Glitter:      Sparkle n Sprinkle 
Wings:    Crafty Calendar
                       

From My Stash

I saw the sketch at Share Joy and am hoping I have shown the inspiration it provided.  The top panel is from a packet of watercolor prints (a prize).  Other pieces are from my stash; the blue strip is Washi tape.  The butterfly is a purchased punch out; the Blessings die is CheeryLynn.
Sketch and colors:   Share Joy 
Nature:                     Cheery Lynn Designs          
Flowers:                   Star Stampz            
Any:                         DLArt

Eureka challenge #183 - paper piecing

The challenge this week at Eureka stamps is paper piecing.  This is a fun way to add texture and a bit of dimension.  It is also a great way to create a different look for items of clothing as well as other images.  I have learned that it is important to choose patterns carefully - I find that dainty patterns work best for me.  I used two different patterned papers - for the dresses, the ribbons in the hats, and the backgrounds. I used markers to add a touch of color to the flowers on the hats. I used a darker golden yellow for the mats, and a sheer gold ribbon to add a final touch - along with the shiny gems.  Here is another tip if this is a new technique for you - color the rest of the image (the part next to the pieced layer) before adhering the DP in order to achieve a well blended edge.  (I'll bet you can figure out how I know that!)  I recently read a tip to use Stickles around the edge of the main image - I tried it here, though you cannot really see it well on the screen.  It does a lot to highlight the image.  I lightly sponged the image and sentiment, and distressed the edge of the circle to give a bit of a distressed look.
The new Eureka image I used is Best Friends, and the new sentiment is also from Eureka.  It is a font I really like.
Sketch:                Share Joy Challenge
Spring (I used colors and the pretty dresses to represent spring):
                             Digitally Sweet 
                             Fresh Brewed Designs
                             Crafty Sentiments Designs
 Bingo:     Row 1 - sentiment, flowers on hat, gems:
                             The Paper Shelter  
Bingo - Row 2 -  distressing, new image, texture, ribbon: 
                             Fussy and Fancy
Touchy, feely:      Simon Says Stamp Wedneday
Ladies:                 Digi Choosday
Child:                   Fan- tastic Tuesday
Sparkle:               Crafting for all Seasons
Layers:                 Frilly and Funkie 
                              Craftin Desert Divas     
Any:                      Lemon Shortbread
                              Jo's Scrapshack 

Pink Thinking of you

I will give this to a friend from church.  I embossed a bit of the bg piece with Cuttlebug's textile, and lightly distressed it.  The main pink layer is embossed with the Darice butterfly folder.  I used a bit of pink chalk to create a background for the Cuttlebug sentiment, and added a shaded Bobbin ribbon.
Sketch:     Share Joy
Pink:         In the Pink
Spring:      Cuttlebug Mania
Embossing: AAA Cards

TeaPot Tuesday #395

I got a large pack of items from Kanban not long ago - lots of great black, cream and gold.  I have had little chance to use them, but decided the look would work with this rooster (Stampin' Up Provencal) - a suggested theme for our TeaPot Tuesday challenge at SplitcoastStampers (Splitcoaststampers - Teapot-Tuesdays-mmtpt395.  The card will go as an RAK to someone who suddenly developed some mysterious, serious health issues.  I doodled some faux stitches on the circle, and added a gold strip and gold ribbon.  The DP is lightly embossed, and I also embossed the black mat layer.
CHALLENGES ENTERED:  
Sketch:      Share Joy
Layers:      Tuesday Throwdown 
Any:           Addicted to Stamps
                    Crafty-girls-creations
                    Crafting-with-friends
                    Through the Craft Room Door
                    One Crazy Stamper
                    The Paper Nest Dolls 
                     

Tea Pot Tuesday for Carolyn

teapot-tuesdays--butterflies-#394 - for Carolyn
This is the link for this week's Teapot Party challenge over at Splitcoaststampers.  Looking for a place to send your cards?  Join this weekly challenge - the mods select some one in need of cheer, or who deserves a special recognition.  This card will go to Carolyn who has had many health problems and could use a little cheer.  Butterflies were included in the suggested themes.
1-2-3 challenge:  Image by Stampemdous; I used shimmery silver cs to emboss the butterflies (Darice) - my favorite cs for embossing.  The second cs is poppy red. There are 3 shiny gems in a color close to the strawberry milkshake of the color challenge. The sentiment is from Inspired by Stamping.
Sketch/color:   Share Joy Challenge
1,2,3:               Come and get it
Embossing:     Frilly and Funkie
Any:                Inspiration Destination
                         Simply Papercrafts for all Occasions
                         One Crazy Stamper  
                         The Sisters of Craft

Hearts for LaVerne

This is for encouragement of my friend.  I used a fairly new Unity stamp, and my newest papers - DP by Lily of the Valley, and red cs from a packet of reds I recently purchased.  The border is from a Spellbinder Banner set that is new to me.  I added twine, and colored with chalk pencils and shiny metallic for the flowers.  I embossed the edge of the red mat (Labels).
Sketch:           Share Joy
Pink and red:  The Unity Stamp co.
Embossed:      Creative Knockouts
New:                Dream Valley Challenges
Any:                Crafty Friends
                          Crafty-Girls

Humor for a friend

Digi image by Dearie Dolls (Pre-colored); Lily of the Valley DPl cuttlebug hearts, Life Style Crafts embossing folder (bg mat) Spellbinder ovals and circles; glitter.  I try to use up glitter, ribbon, paper - but it will take a long time to use it up!
Sketch:          Verve Sketches
Use up stuff:   Eureka
Girly:              Fan Tastic Tuesday
Glitter:            Sparkle n Sprinkle
"D" - Dearie Doll:  Pile it on challenge
Diagonal tic tac toe - hearts, pink, embossing:    Share Joy 

Larry and Smoky - for Leah

I took this photo while at their home for Christmas - had I thought about using it on a card I would have taken more care with the photography.  Oh, well.  Our granddaughter's birthday is soon- she misses her cats (a lot) while away at college - so it occurred to me to send a reminder!  She is just starting a NEW semester as well as a NEW year of her life.  The photo is new, as is the DP (Lily of the Valley).  I used a button die, tied with cord; washi tape; Martha Stewart punch; misc. cs.
Sketch:                Share Joy
Warm and cozy:  Fattastic Tuesday 
You Crack me up: Dragonfly Journeys
 Kitty:                   Show us your pussiecat          
New:                    Crafty Calendar
                             Eureka Stamps
                             Cuttlebug Mania 
Any:                     Not just Cards

Not a morning person

Image - Art Impressions; Sentiment - Bugaboo; ovals-Spellbinder Majestic Elements; New pattern paper - Lily of the Valley;  ribbon - Ribbon Boutique; gems - Hampton Art; Petaloo flowers .  The dp is new and everything else is from my stash.  This card will go to a friend - she likes her coffee in the morning!
Sketch:       Stella says Sketch
Flowers:     Crafty Catz  
New:           Dies R Us
Bright:        Classy Cards
Colors:       Share Joy
Any:            DLArt
                    Creative Knockouts

Old papers, New die; HB, Janet

I have had these papers (DP by DCWV) as well as the ribbon, Washi tape, and gold sticker strip for a long time.  The Labels2  die (small one) is not new, but the labels5 die has been in its package, unused, for a little bit.  The ODB sentiment from Music Speaks is my newest stamp set.  This card will be sent to a friend from church - who is in the choir.   What is the weather like?  Well, in our part of AZ right now it i bright and sunny but cool - most trees still have their leaves, but many look a bit sparse, like the ones on the DP.  And when I go out, I hear the birds singing.
Sketch:            Share Joy
Old & new:     Our Daily Bread
New:                DiesRUs
Colors:             Whimsie Doodles
Weather:          DRS Designs
Any:                 Creative Knockouts