Never Lose Hope

Hey crafty friends!  I am just bringing you a simple card I put together recently.  It has one of my favorite things...puppies.  😊

It has some cute puppies peeking up top.  I colored them pretty simply using Copic markers.

I wanted them to look like they were holding up the sentiment.  So I cut some patterned paper in a nice rectangle using my cross stitch die.  I then put the sentiment from Unity stamps on it using some versamark ink and white embossing powder.  Once I had the sentiment heat set, I layered that on top of the patterned paper. I took the entire piece and placed it on some hot pink cardstock.  Finally I added a few pink iridescent sequins. 

Pretty quick card all in all.  I think the puppies are cute as can be.  I hope this will brighten someone's day as they remember to never lose hope.

I am adding this card to the following challenges:

Craftyhazlenut's Patterned Paper Challenge : January 2018 found here.

Lemon Shortbread Challenge: #59 Anything Goes found here.

Home Sweet Home

I wanted to share with you a card I thought was fitting for the New Year.  This is a card I made quite a bit ago.  It was Pinterest Inspired.  

As usual, I didn't link the idea to my Pinterest Card Inspiration board so I could find it again.  😡  I have lots of cards on the board, but that ain't one. 😂

The reason I am sharing this particular card is because I will be spending quite a bit of time at home this year.  I am starting Graduate School on Monday!  I am excited, nervous, and a little worried how I am going to fit it all in.  That being said, if you notice I am not blogging as often as last year, this is the reason.

I can comfortably commit to continuing my post for the Creative Fingers Design Team I am on, but if there are other posts I will consider myself an overachiever.  Like all of you I still will be creating as it is my way of relaxing, but putting posts together, well that may be difficult.

I hope I can, when the right timing strikes, do some Facebook live sessions on my page.  Keep an eye out for those.  You can find my page here.

Ok now on to the specifics of the card.  The hills, heart, houses, sun are all dies cut out of varying shades of paper.  I used a white gel pen to add some interest to one of the houses and the trees.  The trees were cut with my Cricut since I don't have any tree dies.  The Home Sweet Home sentiment was written with the Cricut as well.

Once all the pieces were cut out, it was pretty quick to put together.  This could be used if you have a friend that has just moved, or you have.  Or it could be used to comfort someone who just needs someone to remind them of the comforts of home.  

I hope this inspires you to get out and create something of your own today.  

Happy New Year Y'all!

I am adding this card to the following challenge:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge: #58 Anything Goes found here.

Masculine Card Inspiration

I hope you are have had a wonderful week and weekend.  Today I wanted to share with you a card I made some time ago.  I love it's simplicity, but I also love the fact it is something you could replicate to give a thinking of you card to a man in your life.

I know these can be the hardest cards to make.  This one came together just as I was playing around.

The idea started with gears.  I always think of the men in my life when I think of anything to do with tinkering, fixing things.  Then one day I was playing with the stencils I made using my Cricut.  I spread some black paste on this bright green cardstock to see how well the stencils worked.  They worked perfectly.

Since I had this paper with the paste on it.  I added the gears I had cut with the Cricut.  The gears were a free svg file I found.  I did add a bit of purple washi at the bottom.  All of this was then added to kraft cardstock base.

Finally, I needed a sentiment.  I found this quote from 'Dead Poet's Society'.  I thought it was perfect.  The quote I put on white cardstock, and again let my Cricut to the work.  The Cricut is what wrote the quote for me.  I die cut the sentiment with a Papertrey die.  Neuvo drops in gray added the finishing touch.

I hope this card inspires you to find things in your stash to make those men in your life a card.  They like home made things too.  (Especially, if papercrafting is your hobby...they have a good idea how much you spend so they know it's special).  😉

I am entering this in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge:  Anything Goes found here.

Not Just Cards Challenge:  Anything Goes found here.

Spotlight Cards

 I am on a roll this weekend!  It has been fun.  I think I have fallen in love with doing Facebook live.  😜

I created all these cards in a couple of sessions of Facebook Live.  You can find those videos on my Facebook page.  Just click this link.

The first video was on 10/29/17, the second was 11/3/17 if you want to check them out.

 To make these cards I used Recollections square card bases in white.  Random paper scraps from my stash were used to stamp the images.  I used stamps from Verve and Unity Stamps.  The patterned paper showing came from some patterned paper stacks from American Crafts called Everyday.  Also, from the Paper Studio's Pink Lemonade.  

The American Craft's pad I picked up from Tuesday Morning so probably not a pad you could find.  The Pink Lemonade I bought over the summer.  I added Nuvo drops as well as some butterfly stickers to add some interest.

I hope this will inspire you to watch the videos maybe while you craft or maybe just use these  as a jumping off point to inspire.

This idea for me was inspired by my crafty guru Jennifer McGuire.  Don't think she knows she is my guru but she is (and one of many).

You can find the video that inspired me here.

I will be entering the first card in the following challenges:
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge : November Challenge found here.

Lemon Shortbread's Challenge: #53 Anything Goes found here.

CCC Digi Creations Challenge: #84 Must use flowers found here.

Adorbs

If you have been following me here at my blog, social media, or YouTube channel.  You may have noticed I tend to get out my Cricut.  Cut tons of images.  Then along with my other die cuts, I will sit down for a few hours to bang out some quick cards.

This tends to work for me pretty well.  The end result can be some totally cute cards.  Again sometimes the mojo isn't working. 😑  In those cases, I end up with some cards but maybe just not in love with them.  Either way, the folks who receive my cards know they are from the heart.  They also know this is my therapy.  This thing of making papercrafts relaxes me and makes me happy.  Which is why I love sharing with all of you. 

So enough of that, here is what is happening with today's card.  This is one of those I made after a Cricut marathon session.  I got out my die cuts to go along too.  These cute animals I print and cut with my Cricut.  (Sorry, I looked for where these came from and can't find it anywhere.)  I do know the images was a free image.  The card base and the patterned paper were already together.  I added the craft cardstock to the bottom for more interest.  

To ground the animals, I added a hill using a border die.  The sunshine die was already cut out.  It just seemed to go so well with this card so I added that to the top right of the card.  Finally for some added glam, I added some stickers I had already added foil to.  The adorbs was just right to add as a sentiment.

So, since I had all the pieces done pretty much, this was a less than 5 minute card.  This will be great for that next baby card I need. 

I am entering these into the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge:  #53 Anything Goes  found here.

Happy Little Stampers October Challenge: Anything Goes With Dies Challenge found here.

Coffin Project from Design Space

As Halloween approaches, I have wanted to try out a couple of cute ways to give some treats to friends or co-workers.  Today I wanted to share with you this really easy Coffin that I made by using a Design Space image from Cricut.  

This might not be the way you package some treats for kiddos, but for co-workers, especially those who like the creepier side of Halloween, this would work great.

This is something that could easily be mass produced.  It wasn't really difficult either.  If you want to see how to make the coffin after it is cut out watch the video below.

I used Recollections Black Cardstock to cut out the coffin.  I then decorated it with some washi and a skeleton from a Recollections stamp set I picked up last year.

 

The Design Space Project I used is:

Coffin Box

#M3EBCC

Hope you enjoy the tutorial below.

I am entering this project in the following

challenges:

Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #120: Anything Goes.  You can go to 

the challenge here.

Lemon Shortbread Challenge: #52 Anything Goes You can

go to the challenge here. 

Congrats Easel Card

 Life has been a bit hectic, which for me means I have taken some time to create some cute cards and other projects, but not enough time to share with you.  So sorry about that!  But, I am hoping things are going to smooth on out giving me some time to share with all of you.  So now let's get to the Congrats card I made just a few days ago.

I decided to go with an easel card.  I was making a card to give to a co-worker who recently passed her LCSW licensing test.  So I knew it needed to be special because that is a big deal!

Easel cards are one of my favorite cards to make.  They are pretty simple to make but they give the recipient a way to showcase the card as well.  So, once that was decided, I just raided all my dies.

I started with the largest stitched die I had to make the base.  I then added a couple of more layers.  One in some Recollections patterned paper, followed by one in pink cardstock.  On the Pink cardstock I added a dandelion stamped using a Unity Stamp Co. in Stampin' Up's Melon Mambo.  Over this I added a Congrats in Cricut silver glittered cardstock.  This die is made by Papertrey ink.

For the bottom, to "hold" the easel card in it's open position, I added two cross stitched rectangles one in a deep pink and one in the light pink.  To this I die cut a deeper pink leaves and topped with a light pink butterfly.  Easy peasy but so cute!

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #46 anything goes found here.

Crafty Creations Challenge #346 Anything Goes found here.

Shop Your Stash...Ep. 4...use that washi and premade cards

Today, I want to share a card with you that is a perfect way to get cards done quickly.  Maybe that last minute card you weren't expecting to need but your stash is low and you don't have the time.

During my last shopping my stash where I took a look at all the "premade" cut-outs I have, stamped images, etc. I ended up with this beauty to  the left.  Even if you had to die cut the scalloped  circle, the circle, and stamp this would be a less than 5 minute card to put together for those time you need a card.  Not only that but you need a card now!

I started with one of the ombre card bases I picked up from Hobby Lobby.  The Paper Studio has these with envelopes in a rainbow of colors just to make people like me happy.  I don't know what it is but anything ombre draws me in.  

This card is in shades of orange.  While looking through my container of die cuts, I noticed the already stamped image that you see here.  The polka dotted circle and the sentiment are both from Paper Trey Ink.  It is an older set called Tag-it's #2.  I layered the circle on the scalloped circle.  

To pull it together I added a couple of pieces of washi tape that I had been gifted in a swap.  Then out of my stash I pulled a prima flower.  It was like these were all made for each other.

I hope this inspires you to shop your stash today.  Get some cards made, get inky, and don't forget to have fun.

I am adding this card to the following challenges:

Crafting with An Attitude's Challenge:  # 20 Anything Goes found here.

Lemon Shortbread Challenge # 45:  Anything Goes found here.

Shopping the Stash-EP 2

Bear with me guys...I luckily have made few cards all in that one sitting to share with you because I will not be doing any crafting for a bit.  I am moving.  Now don't get excited, it is just a town over.  I will be gaining a bit more space (still an apartment though), a little less in rent, and hopefully a bit more quiet.

While I do that however, I have to start packing all my crafty goodies...then get them set back up.  So not sure how long that will take or how often I will be posting over the next few weeks.  But until then...here is another card.

This was totally simple...easy to do, and would be great for a beginner.

The ombre card was one from the pack I got not long ago in yellow.  The image I printed out on white cardstock using my printer.  Not sure where I got the image, but if I can find the source, I will add it here.

I cut the image down a bit and colored the bee with some yellow ink.  Behind the image I added a short scalloped border in black.  On the right I added an orange page holder.  I have this die as part of a set made for all those planners we all love.

Seconds to put together but so cute in person.  The final touch was the heart sticker I added to the bee's trail.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Brown Sugar Challenge #253 Celebrations.  You can find this challenge here.

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #42 Anything Goes.  You can find this challenge here.

Listen to the Music in your Heart

Here is a sweet hula girl I added to the tag from a few posts ago.  You can find that post all about washi here.

The hula girl is from Prettygrafikdesign.  You can find the image here.  I colored here in Copics and she has been happily waiting in my bin of die cuts waiting.

Since I already had the tag started this was easy to put together.  I added her to the tag, put a doily behind her, added some enamel dots, a pink glittered chipboard flower with an added bling center, then cut out one of my sentiments I made with Cricut sticker paper.

Another card ready to give out to encourage someone.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
Creative Craft Cottage Challenge: #87 Three of a kind (Three enamel dots) You can find the challenge Here.

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #41 Anything goes found here.

Crafting with an Attitude Challenge # 27 Anything goes found here.

Easter Egg-Washi Style

I got an Easter card done...and I made a video.  It all was bit nerve racking but I did it.  I don't have any video editing program, so I just went with it.  Hope if you get a chance to watch you will.....

But on to the card.  So for the card I started off with white cardstock (Recollections) 4 1/4 x 5 1/2. Layered on top is purple polka dot paper.  The next layer is from Amy Tangerine's Rise and Shine (6x6 paper pad).  I added some strips of pink glitter paper.  The cut out I did on the Cricut.  It looks like it is colored in because behind the cut out I took another smaller piece of cardstock and covered it in different colors of washi tape.  I think this is so cute!

Finally the sentiment is on an oval cut out with my Cricut in purple cardstock.  The sentiment I stamped using Momento black in.  The sentiment is from My Sentiments Exactly.  It is popped up and layered on a piece of scalloped oval using silver pearlized paper made by Cricut.

I am entering this in the following challenges:
Artistic Impressions Challenge:  #176 Anything Goes/optional twist (Easter)
Lemon Shortbread Challenge Blog: #38 Anything Goes

And here is the Video if you want to watch;

Final Look-Assembly Line Cards

 Over the weekend, I got a chance to finish all the cards I had planned from the backgrounds and critters I had completed. Here is one of the cards I made into a shaker using a circle die, some fun foam and acetate.  I stamped Birthday Wishes by My Sentiments Exactly in Momento Tuxedo Black Ink after putting together the shaker.  I added the bear holding  a cake, as well as a pearl enamel dot.  I used some chunky blue glitter as the shaker portion.

Next is a similar card this time I used a heart die, with some sequins, gold micro beads, as well as some iridescent glitter inside the shaker.  I used the same sentiment, this time with a yellow flower added.  This critter is a fox holding a present.

Below are the other cards I did using the same idea but this time they are not shakers.  For these I think the image should have been bigger on some.  The critter sometime really isn't filling the entire space well.  I used patterned paper behind one image.  I also used two critters in one trying that out.  I like them all but the shakers are my favorites.

The shakers I am entering into two challenges:
Pile it On Challenge:  #129 Interactive Card
Lemon Shortbread Challenge: #38 Anything Goes