It's Been Forever Card

This It's Been Forever Card was made for the Stella Says Sketch Challenge. My time as a guest designer is finished but I wanted to play along with this fun sketch.

Here's the sketch:

Sketch challenges are one of my favorites because the foundation has already been decided, all you have to do is assemble the pieces. I started this It's Been Forever Card by selecting the darling Flower Puppy image for the focal area. The hardest part is always deciding what patterned papers I'm willing to cut into (I have a hard time cutting my favorites!). Most of the patterned papers on this card are from the Happy Day! paper pad by Pebbles with the exception of the middle strip by Stampin' Up!. The sentiment is from a Fiskars stamp set called Hello Fabulous and was stamped using Memento black ink. I used some of my retired and hoarded candy dots for detail and that's it. I'm glad you stopped by and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day

Cute Car Congrats Card

Hello and happy Saturday! This last week went by really quickly and now it's time for another weekly challenge at Catch The Bug. It's a recipe challenge to use - 1 image, 2 buttons and 3 colors. Easy peasy! We would love for you join the challenge and share your creation. You can find all the challenge details and design team inspiration HERE.

When pondering how to use the buttons on my creation I decided to use the new Attitude Car image by Bugaboo to add the buttons over the tires. The layout is nothing too creative but it works. I thought this Cute Car Congrats Card would be perfect for a young lady I know who just got her drivers license. The plaid paper is by Recollections and yellow rhinestone flowers are by Jolee's. That about sums it up. Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see your card in the gallery at Catch The Bug.

Embossing at Tuesday Throwdown

Wow! It's Tuesday again and that means the start of another challenge at Tuesday Throwdown. This week we want to see your embossing skills. Our lovely sponsor is Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and they generously provided the design team with a choice of digital images to use on our creations. I'm using Lilacs for Cocoa on this Hello Fabulous Card. For all the challenge details and design team inspiration click here. I hope you will share your embossed creation with us this week.

Card Supplies:

• Paper: Whisper White and Blushing Bride cardstock by Stampin' Up!, Green Apple cardstock by Simon Says Stamp, Lilac patterned paper from Butterfly Kisses paper pad by Bo Bunny and light purple scrap paper.
• Stamps: Lilacs for Cocoa by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. Hello Fabulous! sentiment by Fiskars.
• Inks & Coloring: Memento black ink and Copic Markers.
• Other Stuff: Big Shot, Fancy Fan embossing folder by Stampin' Up! (retired), 1 1/4" circle punch, scalloped circle punch, rectangle stitched die by Lil' Inkers, white lace from Ribbon Resources and dimensionals.

Challenges entered:

1. Cards in Envy: Pretty Pastels
2. A Gem of a Challenge: Ribbon and/or Lace
3. Crafting From the Heart: Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Photo Challenge at Catch The Bug

Happy Saturday and happy Earth Day! Today is the start of a photo challenge at Catch the Bug and I love the sweet bird photo. The colors were fun to work with and I hope you will think so too. So, go outside and do something earthy for Earth Day and then use the photo as your inspiration during some afternoon crafting. I can't wait to see what you create! Click here for all the challenge details and design team inspiration.

Using birds on cards is one of my favorites, so I went with a literal interpretation of the photo. The Cherry Bird image by Bugaboo was colored with Copic markers and then die cut with a stitched square die by Lil' Inkers. All patterned paper is by Bo Bunny from the Butterfly Kisses Collection. To add some detail I stamped and punched a flower from the retired Polka Dot Pieces stamp set by Stampin' Up! accented with die cut leaves. The Just for You sentiment is from the Watercolor Wings stamp set and a glitter sticker was added to the middle of the flower. That's it!

This Cherry Bird For You Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Brown Sugar: Use a Die Cut
• Jo's Scrap Shack: Anything Goes
• QKR Stampede: Feathered Friends or Anything Goes

Big Clearance

This afternoon I made a trip to my local Hobby Lobby and was thrilled to find Copic 3-pack sketch markers on clearance. Supplies were limited on the markers so I didn't hesitate to make a purchase. The store had a big clearance section filled with crafting supplies including a lot of wood mounted stamps. If you live close to a Hobby Lobby and use Copic markers it might be worth stopping by.

Blue pack includes: B01, B04 and B06
Pink pack includes: RV000, RV52 and RV55

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!!!

Under the Weather Card

With Spring comes seasonal allergies and that came make you feel Under the Weather. This afternoon I spent some time making this Under the Weather Card using the Spring Showers stamp set by Newton's Nook. Now I'm prepared with a cute card in my stash. The design idea was inspired by a card made by Jennifer Jackson. I like how she arranged the patterned paper above the image. The clouds and striped paper on this card are by Echo Park and the paper pieced umbrella are scraps from Crate Paper. I did go a little crazy with the rain drops but they needed to splash into the puddles. The image was colored with Copic markers and I added three clear sequins on the clouds for some sparkle. That's it!

This Under the Weather Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Little Red Wagon: April Showers
• Simon Says Stamp: Showers and/or Flowers 
• Sisterhood of Crafters: Stamp It! No Digis

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Easter Card with Lambs

Happy Easter! Today I'm sharing the Easter Card I made for my parents. They raise sheep and Spring is always a fun time when the babies arrive. So instead of using a bunny on their card I found these cute lambs by Craftin Desert Diva. The lamb images are digital and came with a colored version which I used. Once the images were printed they were fussy-cut and ready to adhere. For the layout I used the sketch from a previous Inky Paws Challenge. The plaid paper is from Lawn Fawn and the green is from Doodlebug Designs. Tumbled Glass distress ink was sponged onto white cardstock for the sky and the Easter Greeting sentiment is from Unity Stamp from the Bunny - Keep You Forever stamp set. A little stamped and punched yellow butterfly and twine were added for detail. That's it! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful day!

This Easter Card with Lambs is entered into the following challenges:

• Glitter 'N' Sparkle: Easter
• Angie's Digital Stamps: Anything Goes with Easter Twist
• 613 Avenue Create: Anything Goes with Spring Twist

Flower Teapot For You Card

Hello crafty friends! Today is the start of a new Stella Says Sketch Challenge at Catch The Bug. This Flower Teapot For You Card is what I was inspired to create. I used the Flower Teapot image by Bugaboo and colored it with Copic markers. The image was then die cut with a stitched circle die by My Favorite Things and matted to a slightly larger piece of Calypso Coral cardstock by Stampin' Up!. All patterned paper is from the Penny Black Painted Blooms paper pad. My sewing machine was sitting close by, so I added some yellow zig zag stitches where the papers joined. The Especially For You sentiment is slightly crooked but I decided it added character and I wasn't scrapping it. Three round glitter stickers by Jolee's was added for detail and that's it. I hope you will play along with the sketch challenge! Click here for the design team inspiration and challenge details. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Bingo at Catch The Bug

Happy Saturday! I hope you have time this weekend for crafting because we would love for you to play along with the Bingo challenge at Catch The Bug. You'll find all the challenge details and wonderful design team inspiration posted HERE.

For my cards I used the center row down using a Sentiment, Player's Choice and Stitching. I ended up making two cards because I didn't realize the Violet Can digi was retired, so I decided to make a second card using a current image called Cute Owl. The layouts and sentiment are the same but the colors are drastically different. I was in the mood to use purple and that's what prompted me to use the Violet Can digi. Both images were colored with Copic markers and die cut using a stitched circle die by My Favorite Things. The Just A Note sentiment is from the Watercolor Wishes stamp set by Stampin' Up!. Three sequins were added for detail and everything was adhered flat for easy shipping. That's it! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a lovely day!

This Violet Can Note Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Daring Cardmakers: Spring Garden
• Pattie's Creations: Shades of Purple in Your Image
• QKR Stampede: Flowers or Anything Goes 

The Cute Owl Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Crafty Catz: Anything Goes with Animal Twist
• Moving Along With The Times: Birds & Feathers

Cat Bunny Easter Card

Yes My Dear, the Easter bunny is really a cat dressed up like a bunny. Well, maybe not but this Cat Bunny image by IkesArt is super cute and made the perfect card for my nephew. I have a harder time making Easter cards more masculine, probably because of the colors I like to use. So, for this card I went with yellow, orange, green and blue. My nephew is only 16 months old, so he isn't going to care but I think it turned out cute. All the patterned paper was from my scrap bin and the image was colored using Copic markers. The sentiment is from Unity Stamps from the Bunny - Keep You Forever stamp set. A couple of punched banners and two glitter dot stickers by Jolee's and this card was done. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Easter wishes to you!

This Cat Bunny Easter Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Cardz 4 Guyz: Animal Antics
• Addicted to Stamps: Make Your Mark
• Crafty Creations: Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon: Happy Easter
• Show Us Your Pussies: Furrything Goes 

Look! The Cat Bunny visited my house.

Colorful Plaid Thanks Card

Happy Tuesday! It's time for a new challenge at Tuesday Throwdown and this week we want to see Something Clear on your creations. Our sponsor this week is Honey Bee Stamps! You can check out their wonderful stamps, dies and embellishments right HERE. The design team has created a variety of inspiration and you can see it along with all the challenge details HERE. I can't wait to see what you create.

Clear embossing powder was used on the row of hearts on this Colorful Plaid Thanks Card. Besides some clear epoxy stickers it's about all I had in my stash. The stamp set is called For Being You and it's a retired Sale-A-Bration set by Stampin' Up!. The plaid paper is by Lawn Fawn and it covers the entire front of the card. For detail some purple twine from The Twinery and three sequins finished the card. That's it! Wishing you a crafty day!

Handmade Easter Cards

When making handmade holiday cards I usually make multiples with the same image and layout but I use different colors and papers. So, they are the same but different. If you follow my blog on a regular basis these images will look familiar. If you are like me, I love seeing the difference color makes, so I have included the links to the previous posts. The card to the left (or above) was first done with purple and yellow (click here). To change things up, this card used patterned paper from the Spring Things paper pad by Doodlebug Designs. The orange and blue are fun and different. I'm always asking my hubby which one he likes better but he's really no help... he says "it's the same just different colors." I'm like "yes!" but which one do you like better. I think he's afraid to give me an answer. This card is entered into the following challenges: Simon Says Stamp - Hip Hop, The Cutie Pie - Bunnies & Chicks and Cute Card Thursday - Easter.

On the cards below I did change one element from the original card (click here). I added the scalloped die cut and stamped the sentiment directly onto the cardstock. This change will help avoid extra postage charges for those raised/bumpy areas. Plus I added some zig zag stitching where the papers join. The papers on these cards came from my scrap bin. The Handmade Easter Card below is entered into the Bugaboo Crafty Challenge. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Cute Kitty Hello Card

Hello and happy Saturday! I'm on my second month as a guest designer at the Catch The Bug Challenge and I'm having a lot of fun using Bugaboo Digi Stamps and sharing them with you. Today is the start of a theme challenge and the theme is Raining Cats & Dogs, such a fun theme! I hope you will play along. You can find all the challenge details and fantastic design team inspiration right HERE.

When it came to image selection... it was clear this challenge was going to the dogs. Most of the design team went with a canine approach. Well, that just wouldn't do! I'm proclaiming to be on the "Cats Team" and decided to use the Cute Kitty image for this Hello Card. The image was colored with Copic markers and then die cut with a stitched circle die by My Favorite Things. All the patterned papers are from my scrap bin, I was just about to cut into some new papers when I changed my mind. The sentiment is from Jillibean Soup Handwritten Sentiments stamp set by Hampton Art. For detail I went with a bitty blue butterfly and twine. That's it!

This Cute Kitty Hello Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Creative Knockouts: Outside Fun
• Brown Sugar: Anything Goes
• Jo's Scrap Shack: Anything Goes
• Show Us Your Pussies: Furrything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!!!

Happy Easter Card

When it comes to making Easter Cards mine usually feature a rabbit. Although I realize the rabbit has nothing to do with the holiday. It did make me wonder why we use rabbits, chicks and colorful eggs to adorn our Easter Cards, so I did a little digging and found this article from NBC News.

To make this Happy Easter Card I started with the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches. Their sponsor this week is Bugaboo Digi Stamps and since I love using Bugaboo images, I decided to make a quick Easter Card. After searching my images I decided to us EB Eggs Easter Bunny and turn the sketch vertical to accommodate the image. The rest is pretty simple! The patterned paper is from the Spring Things paper pad by Doodlebug Designs and was matted to a piece of Daffodil Delight cardstock. Since my sewing machine was sitting out with yellow thread, I decided to stitch around the edges of the paper. It was then adhered to the white card base. To accent the image a bitty butterfly was added using the Papillon Potpourri stamp set along with the bitty butterfly punch both by Stampin' Up! The Happy Easter sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set by Stampin' Up! along with the word window and modern label punch (both retired). That's it!

This Happy Easter Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Tuesday Morning Sketches: Sketch
• Deep Ocean: Easter
• Little Red Wagon: Egg-cellent (use eggs)

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Bunny and Butterfly Easter Card

Easter is one of my favorite holidays to make cards. It combines wonderful Spring colors and usually a bunny image, both make me smile. When I recently found this Wild Rose Studio Bunny and Butterfly stamp I immediately fell in love. The image is so sweet, I couldn't resist. Although the image is large, I still manged to fit it onto a A2 sized card. The image was colored with Copic markers and then die cut using a cross stitched oval by My Favorite Things. It was then matted to a die cut scalloped oval by Avery Elle. The polka dot paper is from the Bella paper stack by Wild Rose Studio and the Easter Greetings sentiment is from a Unity stamp set. Three white sequins were added for a little sparkle and that's it. Everything was adhered flat for easy shipping. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

This Bunny and Butterfly Easter Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Alphabet: *B for Bunnies*
• Crafting When We Can: Animals
• Come and Get It: Easter

Second card using the same stamps and patterned paper.

This Bunny and Butterfly Easter Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Mustard Seed: Easter
• Stamping Sensations: Anything Goes with Stamping
• Addicted to Stamps: Stamped Image and Sentiment
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: Anything Goes

Anything Goes at Catch The Bug

Hello and happy April! No April Fools' Jokes here today... I've never been good and pulling them off. I'll just stick to making cards and leave the pranks to someone else.

Today is the start of an Anything Goes challenge at the Catch The Bug Blog. The design team has some fantastic creations to share with you, so click here for all the challenge details and design team inspiration.

This card was made in anticipation of a new family moving into the house across the street from us. I'm not really a "social" person but I will introduce myself and take them some cookies when they move in. I wanted the card to be bright and cheerful. The Whimsical Cat digi by Bugaboo has a wonderful mix of colors and goes well with the Doodlebug Designs floral paper from the Hello Sunshine paper pad. The Yellow Gingham was a 12 x 12 paper by Paper Pizzazz. I cut it to 8.5" x 11 and added the sentiment using the computer and printer. Bermuda Bay and Pumpkin Pie cardstock by Stampin' Up! were used to mat the image. The final detail was adding the pink twine and blue sequins and this card was done. Pretty easy and simple! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day.

This Whimsical Cat Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Brown Sugar: Anything Goes
• Crafty Gals Corner: Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations: Anything Goes