Sunday, March 31, 2013

Mourning Dove Nest




Hello and Happy Easter! No Easter eggs here, just a couple of Mourning Dove eggs. Last weekend I mentioned a Mourning Dove pair cooing to each other on the roof of the house. This week my husband noticed they built a nest right by my front door in one of my potted plants (the plant is not alive, but that's a different story). I'm really excited to have a close-up view of this natural event. Although, on Friday evening I was a little concerned because we received a pretty good hail storm and the mama Mourning Dove was being hit with hail. I was afraid she would fly off, but she didn't. She sat there and kept her eggs safe and warm.

I hope you had a wonderful Easter. I'll share more pictures when the chicks hatch. Thanks for stopping by!


On a totally different subject.... is anyone else having problems uploading pictures to blogger???

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Cricut Silhouette Card


Hello all you night owls! I've been hiding in my craft room this evening and I created this Cricut Silhouette Card for this weeks Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge. My Cricut machine was the very first tool purchased for scrapbooking and card making. My hubby bought it for me many years ago for Christmas. In the beginning I used it all the time but as my tool selections expanded I used it less and less. So, tonight I made a point to use it. I cut the focal silhouette image using the Cindy Loo cartridge and used the shadow function on the pool party accent color. The background patterned paper comes from SEI, the vanilla sunshine collection. The butterfly and corner accent patterned paper is from the Sycamore Street dsp by Stampin' Up! The pool party buttons and twine are also from Stampin' Up! I didn't use a sentiment on the front of the card because I didn't want to limit it's use to a specific occasion. Sometimes it's best to leave your options open. Well, it's getting late. Thanks for stopping by!!!

My Cricut Silhouette Card is entered into the following challenges:

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Blossom Birthday Card


A few of my favorite crafting tools were used to create this Blossom Birthday Card. They are:
All the supplies listed are from Stampin' Up! and I would definitely call them my go-to tools for beautiful handmade cards. I created this Blossom Birthday Card using this weeks sketch from The Paper Players. The sketch was designed by Anne Marie Hile and I love it's versatility. I know I'll be using this sketch again. The colours came from this weeks ColourQ challenge to use: Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder, Always Artichoke, Lucky Limeade, and White, card stock colours by Stampin' Up!. I can honestly say before this challenge I had never used Always Artichoke, but after using it, I really like it. The inside of the card is decorated and stamped with "Have a Great Birthday." I don't always decorate the inside of my cards but this one seemed to need it. I hope you have a FABulous day and thanks for stopping by!!!

My Blossom Birthday Card is entered into the following challenge:


 

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Wooly Lamb Easter Card


Last month I bought some adorable vintage children's playing cards from the 1960's. My intent was to use them in making Easter cards, but somehow they were pushed to the back of my crafting table and forgot about. Luckily, I was cleaning my creative mess yesterday and I created this Wooly Lamb Easter Card with one of the playing cards. The design comes from this weeks sketch at Sketchy Friday. I really struggled with the papers and colours for this card but it turned out okay. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

My Wooly Lamb Easter Card is entered into the following challenges:

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Simple Easter Card


Last night I finished all the Easter cards I needed to make. The last card I created was this Simple Easter Card. There are no fancy embellishments but I LOVE it! I added stitching to give it a little more detail but with the gingham checks it's a little hard to see. The finished size is 4" x 5.5". Thanks for stopping by!

Simple Easter Card Supplies: White and lilac card stock by Core'dinations, Gumball Green card stock by Stampin' Up!, and Green Gingham patterned paper by Paper Pizazz. Easter Chicky pre-coloured digital stamp by Fred She Said. Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, modern label punch, and word window punch all by Stampin' Up!

My Simple Easter Card is entered into the following challenges:

Monday, March 25, 2013

Painted Egg Easter Card


Good afternoon! It's been a busy Monday at my house. Laundry, dishes, the usual clean up after the weekend. I did manage to make this Painted Egg Easter Card using the Easter Egg Ants pre-colored digital stamp from Doodle Pantry. I've been using several pre-colored images because I'm running out of time to finish my Easter cards and they are a wonderful quick solution. I've kept the design simple because I'm making multiples of this card to send to the boys in the family. I'm trying to eliminate spending extra on postage, so there are no large embellishments. The chevron patterned paper is from Bella BLVD and the yellow glitter paper is by DCWV. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

This Painted Egg Easter Card is entered into the following challenges:

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Easter Greetings Card


Well, another weekend bites the dust. We did go to the movies to see OZ The Great and Powerful. It was definitely worth the price of a ticket. The colours and visual effects were beautiful. I didn't read the reviews or spoilers before I watched it, I just went and enjoyed the story. 

To finish off my weekend I made this Easter Greetings Card using a sketch from the Come and Get It challenge. The sponsor for this challenge is Fred She Said, so I popped over to their site and purchased this adorable Easter Chicky pre-colored digital stamp. I just loved it the second I saw it and couldn't wait to make this card. Well, thanks for stopping by and have a terrific week!

This Easter Greetings Card is entered into the following challenges:
Easter Greetings Card Supplies: White card stock, yellow dots patterned paper by The Paper Studio, chevron patterned paper by American Crafts, certainly celery card stock by Stampin' Up!, and baby pink pearl card stock by Core'dinations. Easter Chicky digital stamp by Fred She Said and computer created and printed sentiment. Finishing Touches Edgelits by Stampin' Up!, Itty Bitty Flower punch by Stampin' Up!, brads and gemstones by The Paper Studio, and stampin' dimensionals.
 

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Eggstra Special Easter Card


Hello! I hope you are enjoying this lovely Saturday morning. As I sit here typing my post, I'm listening to two Mourning Doves cooing to each other on my roof. They are so sweet and they've been doing this for the last week. It's been driving the cats crazy but I really enjoy it.

The card I'm sharing with you today was made with my favorite colours, purple and green. The design for this Eggstra Special Easter Card comes from a card made by Shannon White at Enchanted Ladybug Creations. I flipped her design and added twine and rhinestones to mix it up but I love the simplicity of her layout. I was looking for something fast and simple to make multiple cards and she provided the perfect solution. The precoloured digital stamp is from an Easter four pack from San's Design and the twine is from Doodlebug Design inc. The purple patterned paper is by The Paper Studio, green polka dots from the Ooh La La collection from My Mind's Eye and I've used Summer Starfruit and Whisper White card stock by Stampin' Up!. Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

My Eggstra Special Easter Card is entered into the following challenges:

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Sweet Bunny Easter Card


Hello! I hope you had a fantastic day. Mine was fine, I can't complain. When I arrived home this afternoon I started working on this Sweet Bunny Easter Card. The design for the card comes from the sketch from Flutter by Wednesday's challenge. Again, I have used patterned papers from American Crafts accented with Baja Breeze card stock by Stampin' Up! The sweet bunny stamp has been in my collection for a very long time, it's dated 2004 and made by Delta. I coloured the image with my Copic markers and cut the oval details with my Cricut machine. I followed Danni's idea for the three butterflies placed on the paper strip and added a rhinestone to each for some sparkle. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your evening!

My Sweet Bunny Easter Card is entered into the following challenges:

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Happity Hoppity Easter Card


Happy Spring! It's officially here, so... let allergy season begin, or at least that's what happens around our house. Every thing starts to bloom and we start to sneeze. Oh well.... that's just the way it is.

My hubby has been working late the last couple of days and that's given me extra time to spend in my craft room. I'll need all the time in my craft room I can get. I tallied it up and I need to make ten more Easter cards by next week. Today I made this Happity Hoppity Easter Card using the EB Eggs image from Bugaboo. I coloured the image with my Copic markers and used spring coloured patterned papers from American Crafts and The Paper Studio. Thanks for stopping by!

My Happity Hoppity Easter Card is entered into the following challenges:

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Happy Easter Card


Hello again! I had some free time during the afternoon to make another Easter card. This Happy Easter Card was made using this weeks Tuesday Morning Sketch. The digital image from San's Design is part of a precoloured Easter pack of four images. I love using precoloured digial stamps when I'm crunched for time. The Reunion patterned papers by MME have been in my stash for awhile and the colours worked perfectly with the cute little bunny image. The Happy Easter stamp is from the dollar bin at Michaels and I inked it up with classic stampin' pads in Pool Party and Pumpkin Pie by Stampin' Up! Well, that about sums it up, thanks for stopping by!

My Happy Easter Card is entered into the following challenges:

Eggbert Easter Card

Good morning! My focus for the next week will be on Easter cards. I need to make several and time is running out. This Eggbert Easter Card was made using a sketch from The Sweet Stop challenge. I love this sketch with the diagonal design element. It was a lot of fun to put together. I used the Eggbert Bunny digital image by Bugaboo Digi Stamps and the patterned papers are from the Color Crush collection by American Crafts. Thanks for stopping by!

Have a wonderful day!





My Eggbert Easter Card is entered into the following challenges:
  1. The Sweet Stop: Sketch with Springtime Spin
  2. Make It Monday: Anything Goes
  3. Craftin Desert Diva's: Easter Eggstravaganza
  4. The Pink Elephant: Easter
  5. Tammy's Scrapin Corner: Easter

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Handmade Anniversary Card

Hello and Happy St. Patrick's Day! I chose not to make another St. Patrick's card. I have a different occasion to share. If my great-grandparents were still living, today would be their 80th wedding anniversary. They were married on March 17, 1933 and they made it 71 years together before my great-grandmother passed away. I asked her one day how she stayed married that long? She replied with "never go to bed angry, always work it out." Words of wisdom! When I think of their accomplishment, it still makes me go "WOW!" I've been married 15 years and that is just a fraction of the time they spent together. This Handmade Anniversary Card was made thinking of their marriage and the great role models they were for our family. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Handmade Anniversary Card Supplies:
  • Paper: Black folded card by Recollections, white card stock, and Lattice Foiled Silver patterned paper by The Paper Studio.
  • Stamps: Happy Anniversary stamp by Stampabilities and Secret Garden stamp set by Stampin' Up!.
  • Inks & Colouring: VersaMark watermark stamp pad and stampin' emboss powder in Silver and Iridescent Ice.
  • Other Stuff: Big Shot, Heat Tool, Finishing Touches Edgelit and Secret Garden Framelits by Stampin' Up!, and Spare Parts flower brad by The Paper Studio. 

This card is entered into the following challenges:
  1. 4 Crafty Chicks: {Clean & Simple}
  2. One Stop Craft: Anything Goes
  3. Sentimental Sundays: Anything Goes
  4. Stamptacular Sunday: I Do, Wedding or Anniversary

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Welcome to the Neighborhood


Thank goodness it's Saturday! I've enjoyed a lazy morning hanging out in my craft room. My hubby volunteered to help build a house for Habitat for Humanity this morning, so it was nice and quiet. I figured he could help build the house and I would make a card for the new homeowners. This Welcome to the Neighborhood Card was made using this weeks sketch at Sketchy Friday. I used the Bird House with Two Birds digital image from SKdigis and I coloured it with my Copic markers. The patterned papers are from American Crafts and the flower brads are from The Paper Studio. Enjoy your weekend and thanks for stopping by!
My Welcome to the Neighborhood Card is entered into the following challenges:

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Hello Card


Is it nap time??? The last couple of days I have been really tired and it has zapped my creative energy. Here in the US we turned the clocks forward one hour over the weekend and it's staying daylight an hour longer. Which is great, it means Spring is almost here. We have a few more days until Spring officially arrives, but here in Oklahoma we are having 76 degree weather. It feels like Spring, so let's go ahead and say Hello to Spring with this Hello Card.  I LOVE the colors in the patterned papers by October Afternoon. It's a simple card but it's full of color. Well, enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for stopping by!

Hello Card Supplies:
  • Paper: Very Vanilla, Daffodil Delight, and Gumball Green card stock by Stampin' Up!, a couple of random pieces of scrap card stock, and October Afternoon patterned paper from the Cakewalk collection using Hula Hoop and Paper Straws.
  • Stamps: Hello sentiment stamp from the Lacy & Lovely stamp set.
  • Inks: Classic stampin' pad in Gumball Green.
  • Other Stuff: Big Shot, Sizzix Floral Botanical die set, Fiskars scroll corner punch, yellow pearl by Recollections, and stampin' dimensionals.

My Hello Card is entered into the following challenges:
  1. Celebrate the Occasion: Spring is in the Air
  2. Crafty Sentiments Designs: Hello Spring
  3. The Crafty Bloggers Network: Spring or Pastel
  4. Creative Stamp Friends: Spring Colours

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

One Year Blogiversary


Hooray! Today marks the one year blogiversary for Savvy Handmade Cards. So, today I am celebrating 42,000 page views, 65 card making enthusiasts (followers), and this makes the 301st post. Now, let me tell you a little story.... last year when I started this blog I had never looked up/searched for other handmade card blogs. I had no idea the vast amount of fun you could have creating cards for challenges. When I first started making cards I immediately started submitting my work to be published, not realizing the competition was steep. The only source of inspiration at the time was from published magazines. Needless to say, I had a quick reality check when I found the world of online card blogs. There are many amazingly creative people posting inspiration on a daily basis. Thanks to everyone who have left comments on my creations and chose to follow my blog. I enjoy sharing my creativity with you and I look forward to another creative year!!! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

My Zebra Floral Card is entered into the following challenges:

Zebra Floral Card Supplies*:
  • Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Baja Breeze, and Cherry Cobbler card stock by Stampin' Up!, and Zebra patterned paper by The Paper Studio.
  • Stamps: Secret Garden stamp set and Papillion Potpourri stamp set.
  • Inks: Classic stampin' pads in Basic Black and Cherry Cobbler.
  • Other Stuff: Big Shot, Top Note die, Fancy Fan embossing folder, Secret Garden framelits, Blossom punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, Elegant Butterfly punch, black ribbon, ribbon slide, basic jewels, and stampin' dimensionals.
*All supplies by Stampin' Up! unless noted.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Monochrome Green Card


It's time for one more GREEN card! This Monochrome Green Card was made using this weeks Tuesday Morning Sketch and there is a "twist" for this challenge. The twist is to use a Monochromatic Green colour scheme. I found another challenge called There She Goes and their challenge is to use Shades of Green. So, that's what I did. The flourish accents were cut with my Cricut machine and then I added some lime ice Stickles and rhinestones for a little sparkle. The Lucky Shamrock stamp is by Stampin' Up! and shamrock patterned paper by The Paper Studio. Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic day!
My Monochrome Green Card is entered into the following challenges:
 

Friday, March 8, 2013

Wild and Irish Card


Hello! I'm loving all the green and St. Patrick's Day challenges right now! I think green is a fun and happy colour. Don't let the sentiment on my card fool you... Yes, I'm Irish and NO I don't consider myself "wild" but I did have fun creating this Wild and Irish Card. I bought the Studio G stamp set last year after the holiday was over and until now I had never used it. The green polka dot paper is from the Ooh La La collection by My Mind's Eye. The shamrocks and sentiment were heat embossed to give the images a raised and shiny effect. I love the look of embossed images. Don't you? The design is simple but spacing the images can be a little tricky. Well, have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by!
My Wild and Irish Card is entered into the following challenges:

Sympathy Card with Flowers


Today is a solemn day for me, it's a day that I remember the passing of my sister. She passed away two years ago, on this day. Her passing changed me and it changed my family. Last night I created this Sympathy Card with Flowers to commemorate the day. I used the sketch from Charisma Cardz that contains several lovely layers. I used patterned papers that my sister would have loved, and I coloured the sympathy frame stamp with my Copic markers. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to give your loved ones a hug today!

Sympathy Card with Flowers Supplies:
  • Paper: Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Baja Breeze and Whisper White card stock by Stampin' Up!, and patterned paper by American Crafts.
  • Stamps: Sympathy Frame stamp by Inkadinkado and Secret Garden stamp set* by Stampin' Up!.
  • Inks & Colouring: Classic stampin' pad in Basic Black, stampin' write markers in Certainly Celery, Gumball Green, and Summer Starfruit, Copic markers (B12, R22, R32, R35), and translucent pearl embossing powder by Stampendous!.
  • Other Stuff: Secret Garden Framelits*, Big Shot, heat tool, circle dies, Elegant Butterfly punch, Bitty Butterfly punch, stampin' dimensionals all by Stampin' Up! and gemstones by The Paper Studio. 
*Secret Garden stamp set and Framelits are sold in a bundle (wood stamps here and clear-mount stamps here).

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Live, Laugh, Love Card


Good afternoon! I've been playing in my craft room again. Recently, I bought the On Trend paper pad from Crate Paper and I've been waiting for the right project to use it. This Live, Laugh, Love Card highlights a couple of the patterned papers from the collection.  The design for this card comes from the Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge and I really enjoyed using the sketch. It has many possibilities for future use, so it's going in the sketch file. It was nice to use Spring colours and I really like how the early espresso contrasts with the pink. Well, thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Live, Laugh, Love Card Supplies:
  • Paper: Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, and Summer Starfruit card stock by Stampin' Up!, On Trend patterned paper by Crate Paper, and Houndstooth patterned paper by American Crafts.
  • Stamps: Live Well, Laugh Often, and Love Much stamp by Inkadinkado, and zebra stamp by Studio G,
  • Inks: Classic stampin' pads in Early Espresso and Summer Starfruit.
  • Other Stuff: Fiskars scroll corner punch, Sizzix label die, Elegant Butterfly punch,  Bitty Butterfly punch, Gumball Green ribbon, basic jewels, and stampin' dimensionals all by Stampin' Up! 

My card is entered into the following challenges:
  1. Tuesday Morning Sketches: Sketch
  2. Crafty Sentiments Designs: Pretty in Pink
  3. Whimsical Designs: Think Spring
  4. Flutterby Wednesday's: Anything Goes (must have butterfly or fairy)
  5. Word Art Wednesday: Anything Goes

Monday, March 4, 2013

Happy St. Patrick's Day Card


Hello! Wow, the afternoon really got away from me!!! I don't know what happened but I'm running behind schedule.

Okay, onto the card. This Happy St. Patrick's Day Card was made using the Mojo Monday sketch. To add details, I did a little stitching, used washi tape, and added some twine. I coloured the Bugaboo image with my Copic markers. The image is a freebie through Thursday, so go get it while you can. Thanks for stopping by!

My Happy St. Patrick's Day Card is entered into the following challenges:
  1. Mojo Monday: Sketch
  2. Scrappy Frogs: Luck O' the Irish
  3. 613 Avenue Create: Anything Goes
  4. Hiding in My Craft Room: Greens!
  5. Digi Haven: "Green"
Happy St. Patrick's Day Card Supplies:
  • Paper: Black folded card by Recollections, Whisper White card stock and Certainly Celery dsp by Stampin' Up!, Forest Green card stock by Best Occasions, and Shamrock Mix patterned paper by The Paper Studio.
  • Stamps: Circle Sentiments - St. Patrick's Theodore by Bugaboo Digi Stamps.
  • Inks & Colouring: Copic markers (110, C7, E15, E23, E27, E55, G05, G46, Y17) and silver metallic writer by EK Success.
  • Other Stuff: Chevron washi tape, charcoal twine by The Twinery, black thread, sewing machine, and stampin' dimensionals.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Manly Thinking of You Card


Hello! I hope you're having a wonderful day! It's been a lazy day around my house and sometimes that's just what I need. This afternoon I created this Manly Thinking of You Card. My brother is having surgery this week and I need a card to send to him. He likes dogs, so I bought this Rottweiler Puppy digital image by Bugaboo. The image was fun to colour with my Copic markers! The design for the card comes from the Stella Says Sketch challenge and I combined a few other challenges for stitching and twine to come up with the end result. When I was searching through my paper stash, I realized I don't have many "manly" patterned papers. The papers I ended up using are from my scrap bin and I stitched them to neutral dsp by Stampin' Up! Well, hopefully he will like it. Thanks for stopping by!

This Manly Thinking of You Card is entered into the following challenges:
  1. Catch The Bug: Stella Says Sketch
  2. 4 Crafty Chicks: You've Got Me In {Stitches}
  3. The Ribbon Girl: Add Ribbon or Twine
  4. The Craft Place: Anything Goes
  5. Make It Monday: Anything Goes

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Blossom Thank You Card

Good evening! I hope you had a wonderful Saturday. The sun was out today and it ended up being a very pleasant day. Tonight I spent some time in my craft room. There are so many great challenges right now! It was hard to decide which card to make first. I decided to make this Blossom Thank You Card using several challenges as inspiration. I used a green and yellow colour scheme, did a little embossing, stitching, and added three butterflies as a finishing touch. Thanks for stopping by!
 
My Blossom Thank You Card is entered into the following challenges:
  1. Dynamic Duos: Green & Yellow 
  2. My Time To Craft: Embossing
  3. Sweet Stampin': It's all Embossing
  4. Flutter By Wednesday's: 3 or more Layers
  5. 7 Kids College Fund: Anything Goes

Blossom Thank You Card Supplies*:
  • Paper: Whisper White card stock, Daffodil Delight Designer Series Paper, Gumball Green sandable paper by Core'dinations and African Daisy card stock by Bazzil Basics.
  • Stamps: Floral Flourish stamp by Inkadinkado, Mixed Bunch stamp set, and Itty Bitty Banners stamp set.
  • Inks & Colouring: VersaMark watermark stamp pad, Gumball Green stampin' emboss powder, Basic Black stampin' write marker, and classic stampin' pad in Daffodil Delight.
  • Other Stuff: Heat tool, Big Shot, Lacy Brocade embossing folder, Blossom punch, 1" and 3/4" circle punches, black ribbon (source unknown), Beautiful Wings Embosslits, Bitty Banners Framelit, black rhinestones by Recollections, black glitter brad, and stampin' dimensionals.
*All supplies by Stampin' Up! unless noted.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Lucky Shamrock Card


Happy Friday! For the first day of March I couldn't think of anything better to share than a St. Patrick's Day Card. These Lucky Shamrock Cards are a casual design that is easy to duplicate. When I was creating this card I wanted something simple that I could make multiples of quickly. I mixed it up a little and made one card with the opposite papers, just for fun. All supplies by Stampin' Up!

Lucky Shamrock Card Supplies:
  • Paper: Sunshine & Sprinkles Designer Series Paper (126922), Lucky Limeade, Daffodil Delight, and Whisper White card stock.
  • Stamps: Lucky Day stamp (129177).
  • Inks: Classic stampin' pad in Lucky Limeade.
  • Other Stuff: 2 3/8" Scallop Circle punch, 2" circle die cut, 4" circle die cut, Itty Bitty Shapes punch, basic jewel rhinestone, Whisper White twine, and stampin' dimensionals.

My card is entered into the following challenges:
  1. Broken Box Stock: St. Patrick's Day
  2. Simply Create Too: St. Patrick's Day or use mostly Green
  3. Creative Corner: Use Designer Paper
  4. Card Makin' Mamas: GREEN