Masculine Birthday for Mojo, Etc Challenges

This was a fun and easy card to make, suitable for the man in your life. I'm always on the hunt for those cards! The Seize the Birthday Challenge this time was for masculine birthday cards.

The Mojo Monday MOJO387 Sketch inspired my layout:

The leaves of the tree were stamped in Tangelo Twist, per the Monochromatic Challenge at Colour Me Card (CMCC61). Neutrals are allowed, so I used Early Espresso and Crumb Cake in addition to Whisper White.

To make the bicycle stand out more, I heat embossed it, using Versamark Ink and Early Espresso with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder. Doing this meant I could include this card in the challenges at Stampin' Royalty (SRC269) and Virginia's View (VVC13).

The sentiment, from the And Many More set, was inked in Tangelo Twist, punched with the Word Window and snipped at one end for interest. It was mounted on Natural Chevron Ribbon (turned around), which was tied with Linen Thread.

Rather than list items by type, I've included hot links ('kraut, anyone?).  Which is your preference? Drop me a line or leave a comment below, please!

A Whole Lotta Punches "For the Birds" Cute Card Thursday

One of my new goodies from the 2012-2013 Annual Catalog is the set, For the Birds.  I love this sweet set and its simple line illustrations (I'm a sucker for feathered friends).

I used my Owl Builder punch to punch out this little heart in Summer Starfruit (a heart is part of the "thought bubble").  My Blender Pen and a bit of Summer Starfruit Classic ink fill in the bird with a bit of color...  The sweet heart DSP is from the Patio Party Designer Series Paper, whose color scheme is seen throughout this card.

My sentiment is inked with a Midnight Muse Stampin' Write Marker and then punched from the Whisper White using the Word Window punch.  I've mounted it on Primrose Petals cut with the Modern Label punch (one of my *FAVE* sentiment combos) and added a couple of Boho Blossoms in Summer Starfruit with a Midnight Muse center (from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack).  Whew!  Stampin' Dimensionals pop it up a bit.

I entered this sweet card in last week's 365 Cards Color Scheme Challenge and the Cute Card Thursday Challenge (following 

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  For the Birds (W126405, C 126407)

Papers:  Patio Party Designer Series Paper (126916), and Baja Breeze (111352), Midnight Muse (126843), Summer Starfruit (126839), Primrose Petals (126841) and Whisper White (100730) Card Stocks

Inks:  Midnight Muse Stampin' Write Marker (Set of 2012 In Colors:  126856), Midnight Muse (126860) and Summer Starfruit (126991) Classics

Accessories:  Modern Label (119849), Word Window (119857), 2-3/8" Scallop Circle (118874) and 1-3/4" Scallop Circle (119854) and 1-3/4" Circle (119850), Boho Blossoms (119858),Itty Bitty Shapes (118309) and Owl Builder (118074) Punches, Blender Pen (102845) and Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Not Quite {50} Shades of Blue -- Build a Blossom

Please forgive the title...  When I saw the 365 Cards Challenge, "A Little Shady," I was immediately reminded of that title.  No Grey here -- just shades of Pacific Point.  Since I stuck with just Crumb Cake and Pacific Point (Whisper White doesn't "count," in this case), I entered this card in last week's Dynamic Duos challenge, too.

This card is one of my favorites that I made last weekend.  I used the Build a Blossom set and the Blossom Petals Builder punch.  To make the different shades of the leaves, I simply "stamped off" (AKA stamped on scratch paper first) and then stamped on the Whisper White card stock.  Double (and even triple) your supplies!  The Pacific Point card stock (punched with the Blossom Petals Builder) gives another dimension of color).

The Pacific Point piece behind the blossom was run through my Big Shot using the Elegant Lines Textured Impressions embossing folder.

One of my *favorite* sets is the Petite Pairs sentiment set, which includes sentiments broken into two messages (many can be used separately, tho), so that one can add a second thought to the inside of the card.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Build a Blossom (W121923, C121994), Petite Pairs (W122495, C122497)

Papers:  Crumb Cake (120953), Pacific Point (111350) and Whisper White card stocks

Inks:  Pacific Point Classic (126951)

Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Elegant Lines folder (119277), Modern Label punch (119849), Word Window (119857), Blossom Petals Builder punch (121808), Large Pearl Basic Jewels (125577), Linen Thread (104199), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), Misc. button

A Little Peace, Love, and Happiness (and a 365 Cards Challenge Winner)!

Things have been busy around here with Easter and our dear daughter's birthday on Tuesday.  She is a big fan of peace signs and while I don't have one of those, she helped to inspire this card, which was made for a 365 Cards Challenge a couple of weeks back (we were to show "peace, love and happiness" on our cards).

I used the word "peace" from the Christmas set, "Snow Swirled."  It's inked in Pacific Point and then punched from the Whisper White with a 1-inch Circle.  The circle was drug across my Rich Razzleberry pad to give it a little oomph before it was popped up with a Stampin' Dimensional.  I tied a little bow through the Daffodil Delight Lace Ribbon Border punch using the Whisper White 5/8-inch Organza ribbon.

The heart and sun images come from the "Every Little Bit" set.  I punched the solid image from the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch in Rich Razzleberry to make that Daffodil Delight Lace Ribbon Border piece stand out more.

I wanted to make the "peace, love and happiness" a wish or sentiment, not just a theme for my card, so I inked "wishing you" in Rich Razzleberry, punched it with the Word Window and mounted it on a snipped piece of Daffodil Daffodil that was punched using the Modern Label punch.  The flower comes from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (I used a circle punched using my Crop-A-Dile for the inside of the flower).  As you'll notice, I fed the card body through my Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Super easy and I love what it adds to the project!

I wanted to add a little surprise to the inside of the card, so I punched the same "flower" from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack from the Whisper White insert so that the Pacific Point showed behind.  I also used a scrap of cardboard punched with the Lace Ribbon Border punch as a stencil with the Pacific Point ink on the envelope.  I love adding a little extra to the envelope and inside of a card; I'll be posting about that idea soon...

So the happy news about *THIS* card is that I won Spotlight Designer at 365 Cards with it!  :)  Thanks, guys!  So many great cards get entered in their challenges, it's an honor to be selected!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:


Stamps:  Snow Swirled (111690), Every Little Bit (W117096, C120558)

Papers:  Pacific Point (111350), Daffodil Delight (119683), Rich Razzleberry (115316) and Whisper White (100730) card stocks

Inks:  Pacific Point (111837), Daffodil Delight (119667) and Rich Razzleberry (115658) Classic Inks

Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folders (117335), Word Window (119857), Modern Label (119849), Lace Ribbon Border (122362), Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer (122464), Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (118309) punches, Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

{Stamp Set Spotlight} Home for Christmas: Day 1

This is one of my favorite sets, namely for this image. I love the intricacy of the design; it can be completely watercolored or you can do what I did, and highlight just a few elements of the illustration.



I inked this image in Jet Black Staz-On ink because it is permanent ink and won't bleed when I apply color with the Blender Pen, Stampin' Write Marker or Aquapainter. I can be a little heavy-handed with those sometimes! I opt for Staz-On over embossing for this particular image because the finer elements of this image can get lost in embossing (the wispiness of the garland, for example).



Stampin' Up! Supplies:



Stamps: Home for Christmas, Teeny Tiny Wishes



Paper: Old Olive, Real Red, Basic Black and Whisper White card stock

Ink: Jet Black Staz-On, Basic Black and Old Olive Classics

Accessories: Real Red Stampin' Write Marker, Decorative Label, Modern Label, 1/2-inch Circle and Word Window Punches, Real Red and Basic Black Wide Grosgrain ribbons, Mini Glue Dots


Thanks for your visit! I hope this season, you find yourself "Home for Christmas," no matter where you are...

Happy Dance! 365 Cards Top Trio Winner!

Hooray! What a way to start a week! The card I made for the 365 Cards "Terrific Ten" Challenge won me a place in the Top Trio!

The trick this time was to create a card in which ten different pieces of patterned papers were used. Here's my take, using the Welcome Home Designer Series Paper (available through tomorrow as a Sale-A-Bration freebie).
I stamped images of the trees, houses and roofs from one of the Sale-A-Bration freebie sets on the backside of the Designer Series Paper I wanted to use (and then cut them out).

I also used my Scallop Trim Border Punch (another SAB freebie) on the top piece with the grosgrain ribbon.

Speaking of the grosgrain ribbon, refer to my step-to-step video tutorial about tying a simple grosgrain knot!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Warm Words, Good Neighbors (Sale-A-Bration freebie stamp set)

Papers: Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Whisper White and Kraft card stocks, Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper

Inks: Old Olive Classic

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Paper Snips, Scallop Edge Border, Word Window, and Modern Label Punch, Melon Mambo Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Thank you so much for your visit! Please be sure to visit the gals at www.365cards.blogspot.com. The challenges are always fantastic and the people who contribute are very inspiring!

Please remember that Sale-A-Bration ends tomorrow! We're on Spring Break around here, but I'll be posting another technique video before long...