Black & White

 Hello Friends!

WOW!  Just in the last hour the smoke has rolled into Akron, Ohio from the Canadian fires.  They say we are in the 'unhealthy' range so I'll just hide in my crafting cave and make cards!  After yesterday's birthday, I'm too old to not play it safe when it comes to breathing and the air qualify around me lol. 

 Anyways, I've been wanting to play along in the A Place to Start Challenge ✓ (Rising Star Honor) where their optional theme is Black & White.  Here's their inspiration offering for the twist . . . 

 

 This also gave me a chance to use up more of my scraps and I just happened to have a couple pieces of 2 sided b/w in the box ... here's what I created . . . what do you think?

  I had a scrap of an embossed white panel that I was going to use for the focus and add a flower of some sort, but wanted more of the card base background to be seen so decided to cut it in half and make it into a 'door' to showcase the focus sentiment.  That was easily done by simply scoring each panel in half and folding back.  Of course a door needs a 'latch' of some kind so used another scrap for that detail.  I thought it looked too 'bare' so low & behold I found this cute polka dot flower in my stash!  Perfect!!

 A few more scraps to adorn the inside panel along with a proper sentiment and my card is ready for mailing.  OH WAIT ... I need to go back ... 

OH WAIT ... I need to go back ... I have one more scrap ... wonder if it will fit on the envelope flap ... hang on . . .  yep!  Close enough!!  lol

 

 I've been obsessed lately with using up this mountain of scraps I have in the box and I'm thrilled with the outcome of this card!

Challenges to share in:

Creative Creases #117 - ATG with a fun fold (ends 8/6) ✓
Snippets Playground Challenge #536 - ATG with snippets (ends 7/18) ✓
 

Hope you like it and Hope you have a great day today!!
Be careful out there!!!  Crazy times we are living in these days!!

   As always . . .

Double D - Your Favorite Fruit

Hello Dear Friends!

It's time once again for a new challenge over on the Double D Challenge Blog!

 

Here's today's theme:

 

YOUR FAVORITE FRUIT

 

 and here's an inspiration board created to help get you started . . .

 

 

 YUMMM ...who doesn't like a fresh bowl of fruit?

 

Here's what I've created for you today . . .

  

 When growing up, we always used a basket when going berry picking so I thought the Lisa Horton 'Weave' embossing folder would work perfectly for the background to go with my Stamperia 'Forest' paper cut outs.  I've used the left over ink on my large brown & yellow daubers (TH distress oxide inks) to add some color to the basket weaving.

 

 

 

 I created my sentiment on the computer then die cut it using Tutti Designs Stitched Scallop Rectangle dies after printing.

 

 

 

 

 You'll want to be sure to pop over to the Double D Challenge Blog to see all the details and amazing samples offered up by our VERY TALENTED design team ladies!!

 Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hope to see you at Double D! 

  As always . . .

 

Friends

 Happy Monday All . . .

 Today's card is about Friends ... where would we be without them?
I know my life is so much richer because of the friends I have made over the years.

I was inspired to make this card by the challenge offered over on the Cardz 4 Galz Blog which is all about Friends / Friendships (ends 7/23). (Spotlight Winner)

I had some scraps laying on the work table from a couple other projects so decided to use those to cover a large tag that was die cut using the Tutti Designs 'Stitched Nesting Tags' die set and a scrap of white card stock.  3D squares were used to Pop Up the tag from the card base.  The 'Friends' die is also from Tutti Designs and the sentiment stamp is from Impression Obsession.  A piece of black satin ribbon & black Nuvo Crystal Drops were used to finish my card.

In case you can't read the sentiment ... it says:

Friendship isn't a BIG thing, it's a million LITTLE things. 

Challenges to share in:

Cut It Up Challenge #360 - Create Your Own Background (ends 7/20) ✓
Tic, Tac Toe Challenge #296 - TTT Board using Patterned Paper, Die Cut & 3D (ends 7/16) ✓

 I hope you've enjoyed today's share!
Here's wishing you an amazing week ahead!!

As always, thanks SO MUCH for taking the time to stop by!

A Rose for your birthday . . .

 Welcome back friends!

Today I'm joining in on a couple fun challenges that helped get my mojo going to create this card.

 

I began by using the sketch offered this time around over on the 

Freshly Made Sketch Challenge #744 (ends 7/13).  ✓

 

 Another guideline came from the challenge over on the CAS on Friday Challenge ✓ blog where not only do you keep your card CAS in design but for this challenge #338, you are asked to use Dies & Only Word Stamps.  This challenge ends 7/22 so you still have time to join in!

 

 The dies I've used are the Tutti Designs 'Stitched Scalloped Rectangle' dies, Sue Wilson 'Stitched Flags' (CED4317) and the Rose die is from Kokorosastudio.  The DSP I've used is from a Prima 6x6 pad called 'Aquarella Dreams'.  Nuvo Crystal drops were used for the 'Dew Drops' on the rose as well as the 'Lavender' drop accents.

 My stamped sentiment is an old and well used stamp by Inkadinkado.

A couple other challenges to share in:

Alphabet Challenge - F is for Festivities i.e. Wedding, Birthday, Anniversary (ends 7/24) ✓
Daisy Chain Challenge #109 - Birthday (ends 7/30) 

 I hope you've enjoyed today's share!
Here's wishing you an amazing week ahead!!

As always, thanks SO MUCH for taking the time to stop by!

Can You Handle the Pressure - Twist - Stars/Stripes

 Hello Friends, thanks for stopping by today!

We have a new challenge starting today over on our new Can You Handle The Pressure Challenge Blog and the TWIST theme is ...

Stars / Stripes

Remember, the twist is optional but you MUST use an embossing folder on your projects to qualify for the prize.  Heat embossing is also permitted but only in conjunction with an embossing folder.

 Here's what I've created to inspire you today ...

 

 

 

 I had a lot of fun creating this card!

I've used an older Embossalicious 'Petite Dots' folder for the top portion, stripes of red card stock for the bottom portion and the stars are the popped out portion from a Poppystamps 'Stitched Star Cutouts' (#1308).  The sentiment is a die set from Tutti Designs.

 

  

 I do hope you'll come check out our challenge blog and play along.

Challenges to share in:

Alphabet Challenge - F is for Festivities i.e. Wedding, Birthday, Anniversary (ends 7/24) ✓
Unicorn Challenge #122 - No Designer Paper (ends 7/31) ✓
Daisy Chain Challenge #109 - Birthday (ends 7/30) ✓
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #218 - Red/White/Blue (ends 7/31) ✓



{PIN}spirational Challenge #339 - Red/White/Blue (ends 7/31) ✓ FAVORITE WINNER

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,
I appreciate it more than you'll ever know!!

As always . . .

I love flowers . . .

 Happy Friday Friends!

Today I've created a card to play along in one of my favorite sketch challenge.  That is the sketch offering over on Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 blog. (ends 8/4)  They offer up a couple different sketches you can choose from ... or create with both.  Here's their July offerings . . .

 Sketch # 330 and Sketch # 331

  

 I went along with Sketch #331.  Here's what I came up with using papers from the Paper Rose 'Arabella's Garden' 6x6 paper collection.  

 

 The sentiment & little butterfly are also from that same paper pack.  I've used Tutti Designs Scalloped Oval dies for my focus image and scraps of cardstock for my matting panels.  I've used the 'off cuts' for my envelope flap and the narrow pieces in the design.  Don't want to waste a scrap of this pretty paper!

I hope you've enjoyed today's share!

A few other challenges to share in:

Tic, Tac Toe Challenge #296 - (layers, die cut, summer colors) [ends7/17) ✓



Beautiful Blossoms #42 - Anything Floral (ends 7/12 ... winners 7/15) ✓
 

As always, thanks SO MUCH for taking the time to stop by!

Using Up Scraps

 Happy Thursday Friends

It was pretty quiet at our house over the 4th of July weekend so I spent a little extra time in my crafting cave using up some of the many card stock scraps I had accumulated after cutting a variety of A6 card bases.  I started out with this card . . . then expanded on the idea.

 

 

 As you can see, I used a few more 1/2" strips on the inside of the card as well as on the envelope flap.  The sentiments were all from a Katy Sue Peelables Birthday pack that was purchased through Amazon.

 The chipboard flower stickers were purchased at Hobby Lobby and are from the Paper Studio company.

    

 

Here are the other cards I continued making after liking how well this one came together.

 

 

 

They all have a strip or two on the inside along with a continuing sentiment.
We all need extra Birthday cards on hand so these will come in handy.

 Here are a few challenges to share in:

Unicorn Challenge #122 - No Design Paper (ends 7/29) - can enter more than once
AAA Birthday Cards Challenge #87 - For Girls (ends 7/31) - can enter more than once



The Crafter's Cafe - ATG option/Blooms (ends 7/11) - can enter more than once
Daisy Chain Challenge #109 - Birthday (ends 7/30) - can enter more than once
Thanks for taking the time to stop by today!

As always . . .

Sisterhood Challenge (7/2026) - Flowers

 Hello my friends!

Today I have a card for the new challenge over on The Sisterhood of Crafters!

 

Our theme today is:

 

 Flowers

 

Here's a fun mood board I've created to help inspire you . . .

 

 OMG what fun ... here's what I came up with . . .

 

 

 

 I let this beautiful Brutus Monroe 'Secret Garden' designer paper do all the work today.  I simply matted and added a Creative Expressions sentiment.

 

 I hope you'll come join in our challenge fun at The Sisterhood of Crafters!

My 'sistahs' have created some fabulous creations to help inspire you ... 

be sure to pop over and check them out!

 As always, thanks SO MUCH for taking the time to stop by!

Stencil Fun Challenge (7/2026) - Patterns

 Hello Everyone!

It's time for another fun challenge over on our Stencil Fun Challenge!

Remember, this challenge is all about using your STENCILS.
We are a MONTHLY challenge that begins on the FIRST TUESDAY of each month.
Theme will always be ANYTHING GOES USING STENCILS but we will also offer an OPTIONAL theme.

Here is the OPTIONAL theme chosen for this month:

 

 Patterns

 

 Using the Tim Holtz 'Shifter Chevron' stencil (THS127), I've created this masculine birthday card.  The sentiment dies are Tutti Designs and the inks used are also Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks.  Scrapbook.com Red POPS of Color was at the beginning & end of each blue line.

 

    

  

 

For my second card (Anything Goes)

  

Here I've used an older Darice embossing folder on a panel of orange cardstock the stenciled the center of the embossed frame using a Creative Expressions Mini 'Bubbles' stencil and TH walnut distress oxide ink.  The oranges are stickers from a sticker book called Autumn Garden that I ordered online.  I've used Orange (even though they look yellow - must have reacted with the cardstock) Nuvo Crystal drops and a Simon Says sentiment stamp for the center focus.

 

 Hopefully you'll get those stencils out and have some fun with us.

We won't always have a prize but periodically we will, you just never know!
We do have a Top 3 and a Top winner and it could be YOU!

 

Please come join us and GOOD LUCK!!
As always . . .