Celebrate the day with Edwin

This card is for three challenges:

• ICS - sketch
• Copics Colour challenge - YG63
• Creative Card Crew - polka dots

The sketch from ICS is perfect for a boy card. I love all of the squares and Edwin fits perfectly in the center. I used blues, greens, and golds for this card. I matted each square and Edwin with gold. I added some triangle gold buttons on some of the squares and a green round one on the sentiment. The sentiment says 'someone like you should be celebrated every day'.

Here is a close up of Edwin. I used my Copics to color him including YG63 for the Copics color challenge.

The inside is a little plainer than what I normally do but you can't really add flowers to a boy card, at least not this one.

Friends using Reflective by Sugar Nellie

I am on a roll this weekend - been able to create and join challenges!

This card qualifies for four challenges:

• Sugar Bowl - sketch
• Papertake - color combo
• Dutch Dare - cutting die or punch
• Daring Cardmakers - borders

I used 'Reflective' by Elisabeth Bell sold through Sugar Nellie stamps.

I had one piece of yellow checked paper with little flowers on it. It is hard to imagine with all of the paper that I have that I only had one piece of this. Then, looking through all of the other papers to find a color match was a long process. I finally got everything all together and started coloring. (I always color my images after I have my paper so they will coordinate). Here is a close up.


I used my Martha Steward punch for the border on the left side and also on the inside. I then punched the squares for threading the ribbon using another punch. I added yellow ribbon and a flower. I punched leaves for the flower using a Martha Stewart punch. I just love what these leaves do to the flowers, they really make them stand out. I used Nestabilities to make the mat on the front and also on the inside.

The inside of the card has a sentiment that says 'when I count my blessings, I count you twice', a mat for writing and another flower.

Scrappy Frogs challenge

Here is my design team creation for the 'Run around the Magnolia Bush' challenge at Scrappy Frogs. You really need to pop on over and see the creations and enter one of your own. The prize is a Magnolia stamp!!

I used one of the new Tilda's from the Magnolia Sweden summer kit. She is adorable! She is holding a flower and pulling the petals off. I used a back ground stamp with a fence and sat her on the fence.
I used flowers in each corner of the card and added buttons as their centers. The DP is English Garden by Making Memories. I just love this paper but only found it in an 8 x 8 stack, may have to get more!

I colored Tilda using Copic Caio markers. Here is a close up:


The sentiment is Friends were flowers I'd pick you. Here is a close up of this also.

You're invited with sitting Alvin

This card is eligible for 5 challenges:

• Delightful - sketch
• Pink Elephant -animals
• Card-a-licious - baby card w/stitching
• The Little Yellow challenge - boys card
• Caardvarks - baby or bridal shower card

Here is a pic of the front of the card. It is made with DP from Flair Designs. The colors are blues, yellows and greens. The two strips are sewn to the card using yellow thread and the mat that Alvin is on is also stitched. The edges of the card is inked with SU Ballet Blue.


Here is a close up of Alvin. He was colored with Copics and sitting on a blue ribbon.


The little monkeys are stamps purchased from Oriental Trading Co and colored using Copics. I thought they would look cute with Alvin so I added them.

The final pic is the inside.

Edwin's gone surfing

Here is a card I made using one of the stamps from the Magnolia Sweden summer kit. This one is Edwin with a surf board.

This one fits in with three challenges:

• Pile it on - mostly orange
• Edwin blog hop
• Just Magnolia - sketch

It was pretty tough to try and come up with a sentiment on this one. I just used Surf's Up and Let's catch a wave on the inside. I know, not too ingenious but that is the best I could do. Oh well.

Here is the front of the card.


A close up of Edwin.


The inside.

New Elisabeth Bell - Dolly and Emma

A few months ago I won some blog candy from Susana's Custom Art and Card Design. The candy was a signed, hand drawn sketch by Elisabeth Bell and the new stamps that were being designed for Susana's store with a release month of July. I received the stamps last week and couldn't wait to get them inked. Today was the day!

This card can be entered in three different challenges:

• Stampavie - in the garden
• Kaboodle - buttons and bows
• C.R.A.F.T. - pink and green

The stamps used are Dolly. She is having a picnic with her doll. Emma is holding a basket with a kitten. The papers used are Making Memories Spring Fling. I used a pattern for a tri-fold card found Split Coast Stampers.

This is the card folded closed
This is the front of the card open.

This is the side of the card open.

Close up of Dolly.
Close up of Emma.

You're So Sweet - New Tilda

This card is made using the new Tilda from Magnolia Sweden. It also fits into four challenges:

• Roses on Paper - summer or vacation
• Charisma Cardz - Tag it
• Scrappy Frogs - Magnolia stamp
  
• Stamping and shopping - Paper piecing

I wanted to make a stair step card so I did but with a twist. Instead of it being it's own standalone card I attached it to a 5 x 6 card. This gave me more space to decorate.

I added a bow on the bottom of the stair step portion to hold it closed. Here it is with the bow untied. The DP is Making Memories English Garden and I purchased it at either Hobby Lobby or Springfield. It comes in an 8 x 8 mat pack.


I cut out the strawberry and mounted it on the second step. I also cut out the small flowers and put one on the first and top step. Here is a close up of Tilda. I colored her with Copics.


The inside of the card has a pocket for the tag. There are flowers and rhinestones in the center.

MIA This weekend

I wanted to let everyone know that I will not be posting this weekend. I will be helping out with ABC's Extreme Makeover in a little town named Ash Grove. It is in Missouri. The company that I work for will be one of those providing the 'safety' for the show but we will also be volunteering.

If you are interested if you search on Google for Extreme Makeover Ash Grove Mo you will see the news releases for this. It is so great what they are doing for this family. If anyone would like to make a donation to help pay off their mortgage there are links to do so.

My husband and I built our house and I feel so fortunate that I have a place to call home. It's not much, but it is mine. So much more so will this family that is being helped have. Their story is heart-wrenching and I am so glad that I will be a part of it even if minimal.

Look for new posts next week. I am taking my camera with me and will post pics when I return!

Win $1,000 at TheCuttlebugSpot.com!

I have just discovered that The Cuttlebug Spot is having a contest - "The Journey to 1,000"! They are trying to reach 1,000 followers by the end of July and need your help. To enter all you have to do is go to their site, sign up as follower and complete a few easy steps and you could win a $1,000 gift certificate to Custom Crops! GO NOW and check it out at www.TheCuttlebugSpot.com

Stampavie DT call

Edited 7-13-09 - - - I stand corrected - I said below that these are Sarah Kay when in fact they are Elisabeth Bell. I have both kinds and love them all the same and yes, I sometimes get them confused. Apologies to all and thanks for the anonymous poster for letting me know.

I made this card for the Stampavie DT call. It works for several challenges but to ensure that I might have a place in Stampavie I am only entering in that one.

I just love Stampavie and all the great designers that it hosts. I am a geniune fan of Sarah Kay so if I were to be chosen for this design team I would be so ecstatic! I would probably shout from the rooftops!!

I used a sketch from Sugar Bowl, I just love all of the different shapes and layout of this one so thought it would make a beautiful card. I also created a coordinating envelope to go with the card. The flowers used are beautiful! I added some gemstone brands to the centers of the flowers. I also used some glass brads in green, pink and white. It is difficult to see them due to being outside when the pics were taken but the colors are visible on the bottom set. All of the stamps I used, except for the picket fence, are from Sarah Kay. The picket fence is from Magnolia Stamps and I purchased it from the US website found here.

The colors I chose for this layout are yellow, pink and green. The designer papers are from K & Co. I think. I have had them for awhile and still have not exhausted my supply. They are such pretty, springy papers!

I used several embellishments from different companies on the front. I colored my stamps with Copics. Here is a close up of the stamp and also the picket fence. I added pink flower soft to the morning glories on the fence.

I just love this stamp. I love the way her hair flows to the side, the jeans, the envelope and the dainty pencil that she is holding. I also love the feet! I added pieces of rubber stamps to the image on the back for added dimension. I wanted her to look like she was standing on the outside of the fence. You can see her added dimension by the shadow cast when taking this picture.

For the inside I used another Sarah Kay stamp. I colored her, and the mailbox, to coordinate with the papers that were used. I matted the papers on cardstock so that they would stand out more and not just blend in with the other patterened papers.

I also used flower soft on the flowers that are with the mail box. I used the same Copics colors on this image. I used more flowers, with the gem brads, on the inside of the card.

The sentiment on the inside is generated on the computer and melds with the sentiment Sweet Hello on the front of the card.

Whiff of Joy - two challenges

This card is for two Whiff of Joy challenges. There is the weekly Whiff of Joy challenge here and also there is a Whiff of Joy anniversary blog hop GD call over at Katharina's blog here using this sketch.
The regular WOJ challenge blog called for three patterned papers, three flowers and one ribbon. The patterned papers are the light burgundy with little flowers and leaves, the striped and then the blue has polka dots but doesn't come out in the pics. I used several flowers with glittered brads. There is also a coordinating envelope using the little burgundy flowered paper.

Here is a close up of the WOJ stamps that I used.

The inside of the card is also finished using the same papers with a white circle mat for writing. There is a small cutout of another WOJ image on the left side of the card that is also surrounded by flowers.

Here is a close up of that one.

Copic challenges and Truly Scrumptious

This card was made for the Copic color challenge (I used e47), Copic creations (brunette hair) and I used the sketch from Truly Scrumptious.

The challenge at the Copic color challenge was to use one of the following: E47, YG23 or YR68. I don't have the YG23 or YR68 but do have E47 and it is one of the many colors I used over at Copic Creations to color the brunette hair.

Copic creations has some great coloring by the DT and there was also a tutorial from Mary Giemza. I loved her creation and I love to color. On her blog she had a link to this wonderful line art design. I did go over and get it and found so many more wonderful drawings that can be colored. You can find these here along with several thousand more! And no, that is not a typo. I spent hours going through these and they are just awesome.

So, on to the pics.This first pic is the card embellished along with a coordinating envelope. This is the sketch over at Truly Scrumptious. I like the way that it turned out. One thing that I do not normally do is color my image first and then pick out the papers, I usually pick out the papers and then color so it was a little tough trying to match up the colors. All in all, I think it turned out nicely.
Here is a close up of the colored image. I used several Copics to create this. They are Y00, Y02, Y06, Y08, Y17, G00, G02, G05, E00, E11, E13, E18, E21, E29, E33, E35, E37, E47, E51 and R20. The sentiment is from WOJ's summer release. I also used some gold corner brackets.

The inside of the card follows the same sketch as the front. I used a clear stamp for the inside sentiment. Added some more flowers and glittered brads.

I used yellow and green flowers with glittered brads as their centers to match the color scheme.