Two Challenges in One Card!

I have really enjoyed the few challenges I have participated in, so today I set out to combine the colour challenge and the sketch challenge from Splitcoast Stampers for this week. The colours for colour challenge 207 are pumpkin pie, summer sun and kiwi kiss (or old olive). The sketch for challenge 217 is to the left. I must say it was quite the challenge for me to try and incorporate both into my card, but after a great deal of time (and deliberation), here's what I came up with:

I'm not sure how I feel about this card. I was thinking of using it for my sister-in-law's birthday in March, but I couldn't figure out how to put sentiment on it. I feel that it is a little too plain, but I don't have ribbon in any of those colours, so I didn't know what else I could add... suggestions are ALWAYS welcome! The colours for my picture are off because the brads really do match the summer sun paper. Oh well!

Here's what I did on the inside:

Edited to Add: Now that I have looked at this card for a bit, I decided to add a sentiment. What do you think? I think if I was to try this card again, I would have used four brads (two on each side) on the pumpkin pie instead of in the corner.

Thanks for looking,
Kim

SU Card Stock - Kiwi Kiss Textured; Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun, Velum, Whisper White
SU Designer Paper - Kiwi Kiss
Ink - StazOn Black , VersaFine Black Onyx
Stamps - In Full Bloom by Staming Up, Mixed Messages by Papertrey Ink
Accessories - 1" Punch, Summer Sun Brads from Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts. Stamp-A-Ma-Jig; Paper Piercer, Mat Pack. SU Markers in Summer Sun and Old Olive

Measurements
Base - 4 1/4" by 5 1/2
Summer Sun - 3 3/4" by 5
Kiwi Kiss - 3 3/8" by 5 3/8
Velum - 4 1/4" by 1 3/4
Pumpkin Pie - 4 1/4" by 1 3/8
Whisper White Circle - 3/4
Pumpkin Pie Circle 7/8" using my Cricut and the trial version of Cricut Design Studio

No Stamping Needed

This card for my sister-in-law and brother-in-law's 29th wedding anniversary is loosely based on the card found on page 177 of the Spring-Summer 2009 Stamping Up Catalogue. I was trying to CASE it more closely, but ran into problems.

I don't have the heart dies to use in my Big Shot so I used my Cricut, which doesn't have the same shape of heart. (A problem I could solve if I had the Sure Cuts A Lot program - maybe when our dollar improves I'll buy it.) I used the trial version of the Cricut Design Studio so I could squish my heart a bit to get it to fit in the spot. I Cuttlebug embossed mine because I didn't have the dots to stamp on it and I felt it needed something. I tried to make a scalloped edge strip with my Cricut, but that didn't look right so I left it off. I originally had left a strip of the Chocolate Chip base showing on the right of the Kiwi Kiss strip, butI had glued the Kiwi Kiss strip on crooked and I couldn't get it off once I realized it was crooked so I chopped it off.

I can't say I'm in love with this card, but it's going in the mail tomorrow anyway... their anniversary is on the 29th and it's all I have!

Thanks for looking,
Kim

SU Card Stock - Chocolate Chip, Pink Piroutte Textured; Kiwi Kiss Textured
SU Designer Paper - Chocolate Chip
Accessories - Cricut with George Cartridge; Cricut Design Studio Trial Version; D'Vine Swirls Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Chocolate Chip 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon; Stampin' Dimensionals; Heart Punch

First SSS Challenge

I needed to make a sympathy card for a friend who's father passed away last week. While doing my morning blog reading this morning, I came across Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge on her blog, The Sweetest Thing. I decided to play along.

I think this is only the third challenge I have ever tried and the first sketch challenge. I always find it a little challenging to come up with the dimensions of the the sketches. As it turns out, what I thought I was doing with my measurements ended up to be wrong. I wanted my layers to be the same as Karen's card, but I figured the card base was 1/4" from the Soft Sky layer which was 1/4" from the DSP layers. They must be 1/8". Oh well, I like how my card turned out. My measurements are at the end of this post.

I'm guessing that it is okay that I used three brads on each side instead of two because Karen did on her card. I hope that it is okay that my focal image is smaller than in the sketch. Can you tell that I'm new at this? Can you tell that I am a rule follower?

I inked my image with Certainly Celery ink and then used my Old Olive marker to colour in the leaves. I "huffed" the stamp before stamping. This technique is called "Dirty Stamping", but I had a hard time finding any information about it. I learned about it from Dawn's card.

I used my Crop-A-Dile for the hole for my Stay Put Bow, which I think is a great way to make a knot exactly where you want it. I also use a lighter on the end of my ribbon to keep it from fraying. I used my Mat Pack to create the holes for my brads so they would be lined up and evenly spaced.

Thanks for looking,
Kim

SU Card Stock - Certainly Celery; Baja Breeze Textured; Old Olive, Whisper White
SU Designer Paper - Green Tea from Fall-Winter 2008
SU Ink - Certainly Celery; Old Olive, VersaMark
Stamps - "All I Have Seen" - from SU (Retired); Mixed Messages from Papertrey Ink
Accessories - SU Marker - Old Olive; Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon; Certainly Celery Brads from Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts; Distressing Tool; Mat Pack, Crafter's Tool Kit; Crop-A-Dile

Measurements
Certainly Celery Base - 5 1/2" by 4 1/4
Baja Breeze layer - 4 3/4 " by 3 1/2
DSP Rectangles - 1 5/8" by 2 1/4
Old Olive - 1 3/4" by 2"

Anniversary Card

My 17th wedding anniversary is tomorrow. I can't believe it has been 17 years. My husband, Tim is a very special man and I am so thankful for our relationship. I am truly married to my best friend.

I used Cindy's valentine card for inspiration for my anniversary card for Tim. I would have copied it exactly because it is so adorable, but because I don't have the punches that Cindy used, my hearts and squares ended up being a little bigger so this is what I came up with:
I'm pleased with the way that it turned out and I think Tim will like it too. He really liked the card I made him for Valentine's Day.

I'm a little disappointed with my scalloped square. I used my Cricut to create it using the Mini-Monograms cartridge. One of the corners is more in than the others. I actually cut two because I thought the paper had shifted on the first one. How noticeable is it? I thought about embossing with silver, but decided to go less elegant and use white. I used the white craft ink because my demo said that it worked better with the white embossing powder. It's not perfect, but I can let it go.

I wanted to say how much I appreciate the few comments that I have received. I started this blog as a journal for myself to help me remember the cards I have made, but input from others does make my day! It has also encouraged me to leave comments on the blogs that I visit.

Thanks for looking,
Kim

SU Card Stock - Basic Black, Whisper White, Real Red
SU Ink - Whisper White Craft Ink
SU Stamps - Wonderful Words
Accessories - White Embossing Powder, Cricut Mini-Monograms and George cartridges, Stampin' Dimensionals

Measurements
Hearts - 1"
White Square - 1 1/2"
Scalloped Square - 2" RD
Black Square 2 1/4"
White Square 2 3/8"

Quick Valentine's Day Card

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for my husband for a Valentine's Day card. I bookmarked a few, but wasn't feeling really inspired. Guy cards are such a challenge. This is what I ended up making:

On the inside I am going to write "I love ewe" or the words from that old song that is stuck in my head - "I love youuuuuuuuu...." I can't remember all the words or who sings it so I'm having a little trouble with my Google search! Too bad I couldn't sing to Google!

For the image, I found this great Doodlebat font called DB Animal Valentine's at Scrap N Font . I couldn't decide between that font and DB Animal Occasion and decided to go with the Valentine one because of the hearts and the sayings. Lots of the animals are the same in the two fonts. Since I ended up covering up the ewe's heart with a Cricut cut out heart, I could of gone with the DB Animal Occasions font and got the CUTE penguin image that is in that set... I guess I'll have to spend another $3 US for that one too! What an awesome way to add to my images without breaking the bank. Besides lots of images for a cheap price, I also can print this images any size I want.

Thanks for looking,
Kim

SU Card Stock - Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red
Accessories - Rectangular and Scalloped Rectangular Nestabilities, Stampin' Dimensionals, Cricket George cartridge

Delight in Life Birthday

I found Jenny's Stamping Moments blog a week or two ago and after browsing through her entire blog and seeing MANY projects that I admired, I added her to my Google Reader. One project I bookmarked was this one because she showed how she added strips of colour to white grosgrain ribbon using SU markers. I still haven't tried that, but I did use her card for inspiration this card.

I don't have the Sending Happy Thoughts stamp set, so I pulled out all my floral sets and decided to use Delight in Life. The card was not overly difficult to make, just time consuming because of all the cutting of the flowers and leaves - which are just the petals from the flower coloured green. I didn't know the measurements of Jenny's scalloped circle etc. so I ended up guessing. If I was going to make this card again, I would make the scalloped circle 3" and the Pretty in Pink circle and the cut out on the front 2 1/2".

My trial version of Cricut Design Studio was useful for cutting out the circle on the front as I could make sure I got the placement just right as I could see where it was going to cut before I actually cut it.

Thanks for looking,
Kim

SU Card Stock - Lavender Lace, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
SU Ink - Orchid Opulence for Sentiment
SU Stamps - Delight in Life, Warmest Regards
Accessories - Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon from Wal-Mart, SU White Organdy Ribbon, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, Cricut (George and Mini-Monograms cartridges), Cricut Design Studio, Pretty in Pink brad from Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts

Measurements
Card Base - 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" Whisper White - 4 x 5 1/4
Scalloped Circle - 3 1/2" Real Dial size from Mini Monograms cartridgePretty in Pink Circle and front circle cut out - 3" Real Dial size

Another Masculine Star Birthday

I had forgotten that I had created this card for my brother-in-law's birthday at the end of the month when I created the one I posted yesterday. I guess this one will just go in my stash... It's hard to believe I'm actually get a stash of cards as I'm usually making them right as I need them! Stars seem to be the thing I do for masculine cards... I wonder if the guys even notice.

Thanks for looking,
Kim

SU Card Stock - Buckaroo Blue, Cranberry Chrisp, More Mustard, Naturals White

Ink - VersaFine Black Onyx
SU Stamps - Birthday Whimsy
Accessories - Star brad from the Dollar Store, Cricut, Mat Pack and Crafter's Tool Kit

Lovely as a Tree Reflection

When I find cards that I like, I put them in my Internet Explorer's Favorites folder. I knew I had to make this card because I had it in my folder three times! Once from Kim's Splitcoast gallery and then twice from her blog! I almost didn't make the card because I thought it was beyond my abilities. It wasn't that hard to make and I'm so glad that I made it!

This card uses the Reflection/Mirror Image Technique and the Thumping Technique, which I had never tried before. The trees trunks were inked with my Chocolate Chip stamping spot and then coloured with my Old Olive marker. I then thumped the branches with Always Artichoke and Garden Green. I used my Stampin' Pastels to colour the sky and the grass.

I misted by Close to Cocoa card stock before embossing it with the "Feathers" Fiskar embossing plate in my Big Shot. Misting the paper sure gave it a deep emboss.

Thanks for looking,
Kim

SU Card Stock - Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Brocade Blue, Chocolate Chip
SU Designer Paper - Old Olive
SU Ink - Chocolate Chip

Ink - VersaFine Black Onyx for sentiment
Stamps - SU's Lovely as a Tree and Studio G's $1 Stamp from Michael's for "Happy Birthday"
Accessories - Hodge Podge Accessories in Pewter, Chocolate Chip 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Pastels, Fiskar's Embossing Plate - Feathers

All in the Family Birthday

While I still had Erin's "All in the Family" stamp set, I decided to make another card. This is for my great niece who won't be two until November! I wish I could say that I had all the other cards that I need between now and then done, but I don't. I saw this card on Splitcoast Stampers and I knew I had to make something similar for Anya. I quite proud of the fact that I didn't copy it as much as I have for other cards.

I really like the VersaFine ink, but it was a poor choice for this project. Because you build the people you really need to use a Stamp-a-ma-jig, but the VersaFine ink needs time to dry so it took a long time to make this card... well longer than my usual long time.

I'm wondering if I should have stuck some patterned paper behind the little girl image. It's too late to take it off now as it is stuck for good!

Thanks for looking,
Kim

SU Card Stock - Cool Caribbean (retired), Rose Red, Taken with Teal, Whisper White
SU Designer Paper - Petals and Paisley (Spring 2007)
Ink - VersaFine Black Onyx
Stamps - SU's All in the Family, SU's Family Accessories, Studio G $1 Stamps from Micheal's
Accessories - Pretty in Pink 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, SU Markers (Blush Blossom, So Saffron, Rose Red, Taken with Teal, Pretty in Pink), Cricut (George)