I've Got Your Back

I have been curious about Craft Roulette for a while now and finally watched last night. (Click the link to read all about it.) Since the parameters for their #199 Challenge fit things that I have already, I decided to take a leap...make and submit a card. The card had to include:

Project - Card with Bookmark

Element - Large Animal(s)

Colors - Bakery

Random - Add horizontal lines

Here is my card.

First, I found this tutorial by Karen Titus on Pinterest for the card style I chose. Great way to give a bookmark to someone!

While watching the episode it was good to hear these ladies brainstorm what kinds of takes on the parameters could work. In my case, I used a large animal in small form to fit on my bookmark. I stamped my elephant on horizontal striped patterned paper in order to fulfill that parameter on the card. Bakery colors made me immediately think of the pink boxes that you take home your goodies in and I love cherry danish, so I used that paper as well. Finally, I made a corner bookmark that fits onto the front card and lines up with the polka dot pink patterned paper. My elephant and sentiment are from the Simon Says Stamp Stacking Animals stamp set.

I had a neighbor/friend in mind while I made this. She had a big surgery recently and is resting now at home. She is an avid reader and has started several Little Free Libraries in our area. I figured she could use a bookmark and she appreciates handmade crafts.

Check out the website. It is a good way to challenge yourself and use your stash!

See you back here soon!

-Carol

Thank You

At Just Us Girls #711 this week we have a new monthly theme: Anything Goes Using a Stencil. I found the stencil that I used for this background at Pink Fresh Studio and fell in love with their samples using it. I loosely CASEd one of their cards with products I have already.

I am playing along over at Inkspirational this week too.

Products I used:

Pink Fresh Studio:  Mirrored Triangles stencil

Spellbinders: Envelope of Wonder etched dies

Stampin' Up!: Banner die

Sugar Pea Designs: Stitched rectangle die

HoneyBee Stamps: Riding By stamp set

Ranger Distress inks

Concord and 9th: Mini ink pads

I began my card by stenciling on a stitched die cut panel I had in my stash. I read somewhere, maybe on the Pink Fresh site, that it is suggested to use the stencil front, then turn it over (side to side) to get the triangles going in the opposite direction...and then you can even turn it upside down and then backwards from that position. I used it front, then back, like two stencils in one for more options. I started out going for an ombré look, and it looks a little more like that in person. 

Next, I die cut the smaller banner and the flowers. I played with placement and assembled the flowers, adhered them to the banner, and stamped my sentiment. I popped up the banner on foam tape and I was done!

We hope you will get out your stencils and play this week. The team and our wonderful guest Stef have made a great variety of cards for your inspiration.

-Carol

You Warm My Heart

Winter sure has hit the country with snow and all the single digits/below zero wind chill temperatures lately! This week at Just Us Girls Challenge #710 we have a fabulous winter moodboard from Lisa! It has a cozy feel and couldn't have come at a better time. I took a few elements from it and here is my card.

Products I used:

Ellen Hutson:  Cozy Sweater Tag die

CAS-ual Fridays: Coffee Cup die

Pretty Pink Posh: Winter Wonderland stamp set

Stampin' Up!: Snowflake thinlit die

The Greetery: Coaster die

Concord and 9th: Mini ink pad in Mushroom

Pink and Main: Large Sentiment Strip dies

Ink blending brush

The resulting scene reminds me of teaching and living in snowy climates, and the bonus of snow days every winter. It was so nice to stay home and get a day to avoid the elements. I'd enjoy putting on a warm sweater and sweats, sitting under a cozy blanket while having a hot cup of something to drink, looking out at the falling snow. I know I did some stamping, too. 

For my card I spattered some watered down white acrylic paint on the white card base that I had ink blended with soft grey ink. I did not punch out all of the snowflake bits because this die has never been easy to cut and release those pieces. Still, I like the patterns in them. 

We hope you will find inspiration in this moodboard and in the cards we made for you. Come play along!!

-Carol

Love that Sparkles

We are back at Just Us Girls with Sue's fun Word Week Challenge #709: Sparkle. I was in the mood for an inlaid design and got out this Sizzix Christmas Cutouts die set that I got last year for the holidays but ran out of time to use. It has a lot of elements in it that can be used for other times of the year, so this is what I made. I am having fun in Valentine mode lately as you see.

This was a simple card to make after I decided on my colors. I used my new Sizzix Sidekick die cutting machine that Santa left under the tree for me. It is small enough to sit beside me on my desk and it suctions to the work surface. I didn't have to get up and go to my work station every time I needed to die cut again. This is not an advertisement. I just really appreciate how much it helped me make my card!!

We hope you will join us this week with something sparkly!! Check out what Stef, our guest, and the design team created for your inspiration!

-Carol

Christmas Is Too Sparkly???

Happy New Year again, and with holidays behind us now I've taken down the decorations. The house looks plain and sad until we get used to the glitter and sparkle being gone. (Well, I won't miss the glitter everywhere that came off of the wrapping paper and decorations!) Our Christmas Craft Creations theme for January is Glitter and Sparkle, so we can extend the holiday feel a bit longer. I made a clean sparkly card that doesn't spread glitter all over, but keeps the sparkle contained to the card.

Products used:

Ellen Hutson: Sparkly Christmas stamp set

Sugar Pea Designs: Scallop rectangle die

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Versamark watermark ink pad

Stampin' Up!: Gold embossing powder

Random shaker bits and  patterned paper

It is a simple shaker card with heat embossing on vellum. I like shaking the shaker and the sparkle from the outside sentiment. Won't you join us for some glittery, sparkly fun this month? You will get your supply of Christmas cards started for next year!!

Hope your 2024 is off to a great start!

-Carol

Six-month Vacation Twice a Year

I was asked to be a guest designer for Sisterhood Of Snarky Stampers #246 after my card in October was chosen...making me the Queen of Snark. In January the challenge is "N is for New" and I am using this snarky stamp for the first time. The "new" elements of my card are this new stamp set and the new year theme.

I am also playing along at Time Out Challenges with my new stamp/New Year card.

Products used:

AALL & Create: Travel Dee stamp set

Stampin' Up!: Number dies, Scalloped Oval die, Speech Bubble die, Dots embossing folder

Pink and Main: Blue glitter cardstock

Versafine: Onyx Black Ink pad

Prismacolor pencils

It was kind of an easy card once I figured out what I wanted to use and how I wanted everything placed. I popped up the speech bubble on foam tape like a TV cartoon when the speech bubble pops up as someone speaks. 

I got a few new stamping products for Christmas and can't wait to be using them soon! Did you? I'll be watching the gallery at SoSS to see what everyone comes up with for this challenge, too.

Happy New Year!

-Carol

2024 Cheers

Happy New Year!! For our first Just Us Girls Challenge (#708) of 2024, it is all about color: teal, green and navy. I wanted to toast to the new year and decided to CASE a darling card at My Favorite Things by Sara Zoppi. Here is my shaker card for a festive noise and all the sparkle of bubbly champagne as the cork is popped.

I am playing along with Time Out Challenges #254: New.

Just joined in the fun at Word Power #1, a new challenge blog.

Products used:

My Favorite Things: Pop the Champagne and Tall Cheers die sets

Acetate

Markers

Matte gold wrapping paper

Sharpie

Sequins

Not too many tricks to making this card. I created a shaker and backed it with strips of teal, navy and green and some teal, navy and clear sequins. I dotted the background of the front panel with markers for the spray of the champagne. I wrote the year/stripe on the bottle label with a fine tip Sharpie.

I hope your year is off to a good start and that you enjoyed the holidays! We hope you join us this week with these three colors...they are quite versatile! We have a fabulous new teammate, Stephanie Lanzalotto, and our special guest this month is Stef Perry! Along with the rest of the team, they have created some really nice cards for your inspiration. We've also made some fun new changes to our website and challenge that we think you will like, too. See you in the gallery.

-Carol

Valentine's Day Mini Album

Hello 2024!! I know it is New Year's Day but...we are back for Mini Album Mania #3 and I have made a Meandering Book/Album for the next big holiday, Valentine's Day. It took just one 12" x 12" sheet of medium weight patterned paper to make it! Here is the tutorial for the book/album by Helen Griffin. It has 7 pockets holding a pull-out insert with a cute image and message on each. The pockets alternate between top or side openings.

Ellen Hutson and Jane's Doodles stamp sets (plus a few older wooden sentiment stamps) were used for the images on the inserts. The mats on the front/back of the album are made from silver cardstock and Stampin' Up! patterned paper. There is one blank insert to be used for a personal hand-written message.

I die cut the heart from a piece of Pink and Main Inked Oasis paper using the smallest Simon Says Stamp Wonky Hearts die. I also used a Pink and Main Large Sentiment Strip die for the banner and stamped the sentiment on it using an older wood Stampin' Up! stamp. 

I grabbed a 1" circle punch for the thumb tabs in order to grab the inserts from the pockets. The album measures 3 1/4" x 3 1/4" and is a simple project that I can see myself making for different occasions such as birthdays and Christmas.

We hope you will join us for this challenge. We love sharing our projects but we also learn from yours as well!

See you in the gallery!

-Carol