Leaves for Sympathy

Unfortunately, I have made quite a few sympathy cards lately. While it is hard to make these cards at any time, I just cannot make them in advance.  I always make them when I need them.  This is a 6 x 6 square card.  I used my CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge for the frame and leaves. I cut the leaves on white paper and colored them with Spectrum Noir markers. The DPs are from my stash. The butterflies are a Martha Stewart stamp which I fussy cut. The sentiment is a retired CTMH stamp. (Unfortunately, there is a glare on the right side of the card which I didn't realize until just now.)

I stopped entering challenges earlier this year, in May or so.  I also took a break from visiting and commenting on blogs other than for my DT assignments.  I was experiencing some personal issues, some health issues, and some artistic issues. I was generally discouraged and not enthusiastic about my cards. But I'm feeling a somewhat better now, and want to get back to challenges and my blog friends.

So I am entering these challenges:  Craft Your Passion Challenges - Anything Goes; Simon Says Monday Challenge - Stamp & Punch/Die Cut;  Creative Moments - Anything Goes, and Simply Papercraft Challenge - Anything Goes.

The key to life is accepting challenges. Once someone stops doing this, he's dead.” 
― Bette Davis

Using My Schtuff

Darnell of djkardkreations has another NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff) challenge on her blog. Since I have tons of NBUS, I am compelled to enter. I used some blog candy that I won from the talented and generous Mary of Carolina Cards by Mary H - thanks again, Mary!

The card is for a line dancing friend who is not feeling well. Our group will send it to her. I used the sketch #19 from Stamplorations so I'm entering that challenge also.

Here's my card using this NBUS:  Memory Box Border Trellis die and the carnation stamp from Hero Arts Blossom Etchings stamp set. The background paper is from CTMH and I've had it for probably a couple of years.

Non NBUS items:  I inked the blossom with Hero Arts Orange Soda Shadow Ink; I used my Peeled Paint Distress Marker for the stem. The bow is a Martha Stewart punch. The sentiment is inked with CTMH Chocolate. All cardstock is from my stash.

I'm also entering the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Rubber or Clear Stamps - No Digis. I hope you have a happy day crafting!

613 Avenue Create #75-Anything Goes/Best Friends' Day

Good morning! This week's challenge at 613 Avenue Create has the option of creating something for your best friend because today is Best Friend's Day!! Our sponsors are A Random Fan, Eureka and Vectoria Designs.

My best friend lives in California, and I have known her since I was in the 4th grade. Yes, we go WAY, WAY back - LOL!!  She's married to a great guy - he and my husband are good friends. Our children are cousins. We are auntie and uncle to each other's children and grandchildren. One of her sons and two of her granddaughters live not far from us here in Georgia, so we see them throughout the year. My best friend and I talk all the time, preferring talk to texts and e-mails (we're old school - LOL!) But we do text and e-mail pictures back and forth of the grand kids as any self-respecting grandparent would :)  Anyhoo, here's the card I made for her using Eureka's Sun Flower:

I colored two sun flowers with Distress Markers and Distress Ink. I stacked one on top of the other for depth and then used pop dots to attach the flower to the card base. It's hard to see in the picture, but the flower has a coating of clear Wink of Stella. The side border is a Martha Stewart sticker I got ages ago from Marshall's. The sentiment is a rub on from Close to My Heart that I've had for probably 6 or more years. The card stock is from my stash.

I'm entering these challenges:  Craftitude #66 - Pop it Up; Sister Act #60 - Anything Goes; Darnell's NBUS #1 - Anything Goes/Friendship Theme;  Inkspirational Challenges #58 - Clean and Simple; and Time Out Challenges #7 - Summer/Flowers.

I hope you have a great week!

Easter Bunny

I'm back today with an Easter card for my grandniece. She's a teen now, but she still likes bunnies and Easter treats!

Everything is from my stash.  I used a Martha Stewart Punch All Over the Page punch to make the scallop circle.  The bunny image is CTMH and so is the ink. The bunny and sentiment are fussy cut and popped up. I bought the sentiment a few years ago from the $1 bin at Michael's. The pearls are Recollections.

I'm entering these challenges:  Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Happy Easter or Sweet Treats; Challenges 4 Everybody #40-Anything Goes; Stamping Sensations-April Challenge-Dies or Punches; and Open Minded Crafting Fun #8-Easter or Pastel.

I hope you have a great day!

Butterfly Wish

Hi, folks! Today I'm sharing a card I made for my youngest SIL. She had a fall and is recuperating. The card is in the mail now :)

I used some Martha Stewart butterfly stamps that I got on clearance at WalMart a while ago.  The inks are Memento Grape Jelly and Dandelion. The sentiment is CTMH and the sequins are from my stash. I'm entering these challenges:  The Card Concept - Use A Butterfly (Clean & Simple); Flat Friends Challenge #19 - Use a Sentiment; and Mema's Crafts April Challenge - Anything Goes.

613 Avenue Create #51-Anything Goes-No Twist

We know that everyone is probably caught up in last minute holiday preparations, so we've made our challenge this week a simple one - Anything Goes with no twist. So if you need to relieve a little holiday stress, craft anything you like and submit it.  Our sponsors this week are the fabulous Rick St. Dennis and The Paper Shelter.  One easy way to make quick last minute cards is to use a pre-colored digi, which is exactly what I did using The Paper Shelter's Christmas Candy Fairy:

The card stock and DP are from my stash.  I used Nestabilites.  For the bows, I covered white card stock with Washi tape and then used a Martha Stewart punch.  The tiny sentiment is from SRM Stickers and was gifted to me by the fabulous Virginia Lu.

I'm entering these challenges:  Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #156 - Last Minute Cards or Any Not Shown Already;  Digi Designs Challenge Blog - Anything Goes Christmas Challenge; and Crazy for CAS #34 - Anything Goes.

613 Avenue Create #45-Anything Goes Optional Twist Holiday Thanks

Hi, Y'All!  Today's Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create has the option of Holiday Thanks - a Thank You or Hostess Gift.  Using our sponsor Bugaboo Stamps, the DT has had fun creating some inspiration for you.  Enter the challenge and you could win 7 digis from Bugagoo! Here's my thank you card using AKV Turkey:

I colored this cute little turkey using Martha Stewart Markers.  Everything is from my stash.  I sponged Distress Tea Dye Ink around the image while it was still in the Nestabilities Oval die.  The sentiment is CTMH.  I used Martha Stewart Baker's Twine.

I'm entering these challenges:  My Sheri Crafts #123 - Fall/Thanksgiving; Brown Sugar Challenge #67 - Anything Goes; Craftitude #52- Anything Goes/Use Twine or String; Memas Crafts - Anything Goes - Option "Thanks".

Get crafty and make something!  We'd love it if you dropped off a project at our house.

Runway Inspired Challenge #43

Good morning!  I'm entering the current RIC challenge - look at the inspiration photo:

And here's my card:

The gray cardstock is from my stash as are the sequins.  I colored the sequins with a Sharpie. I used a Martha Stewart punch and Target Washi Tape.  The sentiment is CTMH For Every Occasion.

I've also entered this card in a new challenge blog 4 Krafty Girlz Challenges - Anything Goes, and Addicted to Stamps and More! - Anything Goes.

613 Avenue Create Challenge #31-Anything Goes: Use a Sentiment Twist

Hi, Everyone,

I have taken a bit of a blog break due to a visit from my grandson.  But I'm back now. This week's challenge at 613 Avenue Create is Anything Goes with a Sentiment Twist.  Here's my inspiration for you, using Rick St. Dennis' Snowman with a Squirrel image:

I need Christmas cards so I was pleased to use this cute image.  Card Stock & DP:  Recollections; Baker's Twine: Martha Stewart; sentiment: CTMH Say It in Style; ink:  CTMH Desert Sand, Black; Distress Markers and Sharpies; Sequins - WalMart.  It's hard to tell from the picture, but the snowman and decorations have a bit of sparkle from CTMH Stardust Glitter Glue and a Jelly Roll glitter pen.

I'm entering a few challenges:  Mema's Crafts - Anything Goes; Make It Monday - Anything Goes; and Sparkle Creations Weekly Christmas Card Challenges - Optional Sketch.

Stop by 613 Avenue Create to enjoy all the creativity on the blog!

Option Create Your Own Challenge at 613 Avenue Create

Hi, Friends! Our Twist for our Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create is to Create Your Own Challenge using a chart.  Our sponsors are Rick St. Dennis and  QKR Stampede. 



My image is Rick St. Dennis' 3 Chimney Cottage.  I used the first column:  Image, Patterned Paper, Solid Color Paper,Vellum and a Sentiment:

I did not color the image.  I really like it that way - I think it gives the card a vintage feel, especially with the black and white DP.  The cardstock and DP are from CTMH. My sentiment is on vellum. It was in a package of sentiments gifted to me by a friend several years ago.  I used a Martha Stewart punch on the red paper and colored plain bling with a Sharpie.  The card is 5 x 5.

I'm entering these challenges:  Designer Challenge - Square Card; Creative Fingers Challenge Blog - Anything Goes; and The Sisterhood of Crafters - Black, White and One Accent Color.

You'll want to see what the other DT members have created, and don't forget to see who won last week.  Get crafty and post your project! 



613 Avenue Create

Happy, Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates Easter!!  Today our challenge at 613 Avenue Create is Anything Goes with Flowers.  I used a Bugaboo image - Umbrella 3.  I had an entirely different idea in my head for this card, but it didn't work out at all.  Does that ever happen to you?  I do like how it turned out however. I wanted it to have handmade medallion flowers.  It took me forever to make some, and then I didn't care for them on the card. I tried other flowers, including ones you roll up and stamped flowers, but I didn't like any of them. Finally, I remembered these Martha Stewart flowers I got at T J Maxx this weekend.  Done!

I used my newly purchased Sizzix oval dies (thanks to a sale at Joann's).  I was tired of all my images being square or rectangular. Everything is popped up.  I lightly chalked the background of the image.  The sentiment and ink are Close to My Heart.

Stop by 613 Avenue Create to see other DT members' inspiration.  And see if you won last week! 

I'm entering the following challenges:  Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes; Joanna Sheen Challenge - Weather; Addicted to CAS - Spring.

Heart Cards for My Little Valentines

Today I'm showing some Valentine cards I made for my grandson and my grandniece.  I used the same design, but the papers and colors are taylored one for a boy and one for a girl.  They, however, are not strictly kid cards - I could send them to any adult.  I hope my youngsters like them, and I hope you do too!

For my grandson:

For my grandniece:

The DP is from CTMH, but I don't know the names since I used scraps.  The red cardstock is Recollections.  The white cardstock, inks and stamps are CTMH.  The baker's twine and heart punch are Martha Stewart.

I'm entering these challenges: Addicted to CAS #5 - HEART,  Make it Monday - Anything Goes, and The PinkElephant - Hearts.

Butterfly Card for my Friend

A dear friend is having a bit of a struggle lately.  She's a wonderful, thoughtful and kind person, and she's one of my line dance instructors.  So I made a card that all of us in her class can sign and give to her. I really hope it brightens her day.

And here's a closeup of the sentiment:

I'm entering this card in the following challenges: Make It Monday (Anything Goes), Paper Crafting Journey (Anything Goes), and Scrapbook Sisters (Things with Wings).

Supplies:  Stamps: CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy Bundle, Card Chatter - Sympathy; Cardstock: Recollections; DP: Colorbok; Martha Stewart butterfly punch; Ink: CTMH Blush; Pearls: Recollections.

Sketch Time at Jackson's Digital Expressions

Happy Tuesday Morning!
Today we have a sketch challenge with a duet of color theme from Jackson's Digital Expressions.  As usual, the sketch is Anything Goes.  Here's the sketch:  feel free to use it or not.

And here is my take on the sketch:  I used Robert Jackson's Rain on Me image.

Supplies:  Cardstock:  my stash; Making Memories Mat Stack; Marvy square scallop punch; watercolor pencils; blending pen; Martha Stewart Umbrella punch; CTMH Dutch Blue ink; CTMH Splendid Day stamp set; corner chomper; Michael's ribbon; Icicle Stickles; pop dots


I entered my card in the following challenges:

Waste Not Wednesdays (all paper from my stash, bought who knows when), Whimsy Stamps Challenge Blog (anything goes) ,  Dies to Die For (monthly challenge using dies), and Make It Monday (anything goes).

JDE Anything Goes - Color Challenge

Today is the start of  the Jackson's Digital Expression's Color Challenge:  Peach, Yellow and Dark Brown.  I made another CAS card.

This is Robert's Dance and Praise III image.  It makes me feel church, if you know what I mean!

Go to JDE and see what the rest of the DT has created.  Remember, we want to see what you make.  There are some wonderful changes to our Challenge: Now you can enter 3 projects per challenge.  The challenge now ends at 10:30 p.m. Monday, and EVERY CHALLENGE WILL BE ANYTHING GOES!

Here's what I used on my card:  Water Color Pencils, Bick Mark-Its, Sharpies, Blending Pen, CTMH Chocolate Ink, Martha Stewart Ribbon; Sentiment: Stampabilities; Paper:  CTMH White Daisy, my stash.