WM Sketch Challenge #103 Nordic Winter Reindeer

Today I have made a card for WM Sketch Challenge #103, a very challenging sketch by Edna Morrisedie. Here's the sketch:

Interesting sketch with all those little strips, don't you think? It had me stumped for a bit especially since I am on vacation with only 6 WM stamp sets with me. You would think I could make a decent card with 6 sets...but it was tough! As it turns out, I had also brought with me a roll of ribbon that I bought a very long time ago because it reminded me of Waltzingmouse Stamps Nordic Winter...that cute little reindeer image. Once I remembered I had that ribbon, the card came together quickly.

Doesn't that ribbon remind you of those little reindeer? I used two of the WM sets I had brought with me, Nordic Winter and Very Vintage Labels #18. I also used that ribbon, brown twine and a woodgrain impression plate. Nordic Winter is such a fun stamp set to use to create a cozy pattern and I was so happy that was one of the stamp sets I chose to bring with me. I am getting quite a collection of Christmas cards all ready to address and send out...what am I going to do with myself when Christmastime actually arrives?

Papertrey Ink June Blog Hop

Today is Papertrey Ink's June Blog Hop and this month there is once again a gorgeous picture for our inspiration. We were also challenged to use ruffles, ribbons or pleats on our projects.

I loved the yellow and green color scheme and as soon as I saw that pretty yellow pillow with the simple green band, I remembered a card posted a while back by Stephanie ( http://stampingsharing.blogspot.com/2012/04/with-gratitude.html). She used a CAS design on her card with gorgeous pleated patterned paper.

Here is my card inspired by Stephanie:

I used patterned paper by Simple Stories, Summer Fresh collection. The stamps are PTI's Wildflower Garden and the cute bees are from Honey Bees. The ribbon is Harvest Gold and I also used a linen/canvas impression plate to add a little texture to the cardbase.

Here's a close-up of the pleats:

Those little pleats are actually very easy to make...thanks Stephanie for the great inspiration!

 

WMSC#102 and WM June Christmas Card Challenge

I am on vacation and using my Ipad to post this card for WMSC #102 and also the WM June Christmas Card Challenge.

You will have to forgive me for not linking things or doing much other than posting a picture of my card. I didn't realize I couldn't just write up a post using blogger like I always do at home on my computer. I had to download a new blog ap called Blogsy and try to learn it all in a few minutes...make that hours just to get this much done.

I brought a very limited amount of crafting supplies with me on vacation, so this card is not very elaborate. I used Candy Jar Fillers for the cute little gingerbead men and a sentiment from A Cottage Christmas . Not sure if you can see it or not, but the green panel is embossed with a woodgrain IP.

The Christmas card challenge this month was to use stitching on our cards, and my stitching without a sewing maching proves that I should NEVER try to stitch without it again. I used some handstitching with embroidery floss onto the gingham panel and a few little cross stitches onto the gingerbread men.

Thanks for taking a look at my first attempt at vacation blogging!

 

4 of a Kind - June Edition with a little bit of Summery Fruit

Our June 4 of a Kind hostess, Kim sure knew what she was doing this month.  She couldn't have picked a better stamp set as the basis for her June kit.  Fruit Fusion, a stamp set that I was so excited to order last year, couldn't wait to get into my hands and promptly made one or two cards and never used it again...until I opened my great package a few weeks ago.  It brought back all the memories of why I loved that set to begin with.  Here is a little picture of what Kim sent us in our June kit:

Photo by Kim

My first card really did practically assemble itself. (As Joyce would say)

Kim sent a white panel stamped with the two cute cherry images, one in each corner.  All I did was add a little texture with my linen/canvas impression plate, add one of the photo finisher sentiment strips that Kim sent along and that was it!  It doesn't get much easier than this and I love it!

My second card was nearly as easy.

I used the dark chocolate panel impressed with a cane print as the base of my card.  I added the cute picket fence die cut from Kim and cut down the grape images so the scale fit the fence.  I popped up the little grape stems and added some grass along the bottom.  It needed a little something, so I had to add a few clouds up in the sky.  The sentiment is another photo finisher strip from Kim.  They are just about my very favorite way to add a sentiment these days!

For my last card, I used some of the patterned paper and the cute apples Kim sent us.

Isn't that Fruitti Tutti paper adorable?  I added a bit of Simply Chartruese gingham paper, some stitching, a little red bow and some sparkly stickles on the green apple for a cute card that can go for several occasions.

Here's a pic of all three of my 4 of a Kind cards this month.

Lots of fun once again, Kim was a great hostess and these cards were a blast to make!  Now that you have seen my Summery fruit cards, make sure to check out what Joyce, Renee and Kim have made with their kits.

Joyce

Renee

Kim

The Ribbon Wheel Color Challenge #30

Today is my first time playing along with The Ribbon Wheel and their Color Challenge #30.  I have had strawberries on  my mind for several weeks now and this gorgeous inspiration picture just made my mouth water!

Wouldn't you love to have  a great big piece of this?

Here's the card I made based on those beautiful colors.

I used Authentique paper (Uncommon collection) along with some PTI Fine Linen and Kraft cardstock.  I don't remember where I got the lace, but I wove some yellow and cream bakers twine through the top border in two rows.  It added just a little bit more of the yellow from the inspiration photo.  The gorgeous heart diecut was a gift from my friend Jeanne Jachna of A Kept Life, it's a Serendipity Heart Scroll (Jeanne is on their Design Team) and is so lacy and intricate.  They also sell a solid background for the heart which gives a great contrast.   I also added a few cute flowers that Jeanne sent me.   I also tried to "channel" Jeanne with the bow. Her bows are always so perfect!  It is not my normal style and it kind of got away with me a bit, but sure looks nice and poofy in person.  After I had done all the layering and stitching, I realized I didn't really have a place for the sentiment, so I added a tiny little tag with a PTI Tag-It's #12 sentiment.  

That is it for today, I'm getting ready to leave on a vacation and am practically forcing myself to stop crafting long enough to get packed.  Thanks for taking a look!

WMSC #101 - Accordion Purse

The first time I see a new sketch for Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenges, I "see" something in the sketch.  I almost always end up making something based on that first impression.  This weeks sketch  (WMSC#101) is by Mischief Maker Edna Morrisidie and when I first saw it, I "saw" a  purse turned on it's side.  I guess if you looked that up on a Rorschach Ink Blot test, it probably means something crazy psychologically, but in my mind, it was a purse.  Here's the sketch, you tell me if I am crazy or not.  On second thought...you don't have to tell me, I think I know!

For the last few weeks I have been making a set of thank-you cards to give my niece for her birthday. She is the only relative I have who likes to craft and is also very, very good about writing thank you cards.  She barely has a gift opened and there is a thank you card in the mail.  She is probably my only relative who I am certain would use a set of hand-made cards.  I have made her a set of 12 cards, four different patterns (I will be sharing the rest of the cards later this week).  I decided to make an accordion fold purse to hold them.

Here's a link to the  tutorial I used to make the Accordion Purse.
Here's a picture of the accordion side (very easy to make, by the way).

I used WM Sewing Box Hugs to decorate my purse, stamped, and popped up with patterned paper.  The sentiment is from Compact Sentiments.  The red panel is stamped with a cane print pattern.

The purse closes with a little magnet that is hidden under the patterned paper.  It really snaps shut nicely.

The coordinating cards themselves are small, 3 1/2 x 5" and since my niece will be mailing them, I had to make them pretty flat so I only popped up one layer of the flower and the cute "Thank you sew much" sentiment from Sewing Box Hugs.

Thanks for taking a look at my little thank you card ensemble. Ok, you can say it now, I am a little crazy!

WMSC#100 - My Beautiful Girls

Thanks to Kelly Schirmer it has been almost exactly one year since I started playing along with Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenges.  Back then I had only one set of WM stamps and have since collected considerably more...lots more actually!  This week Waltzingmouse is celebrating their 100th sketch and they are celebrating BIG!  More free stamps up for grabs and a shot a being a guest sketch designer for a month.  Here are the details as the more that play, the more prizes are up for grabs.  This weeks sketch is by Edna Morrisidie and it is a good one!

This week I made something just for me, something that will sit in my craftroom up on a shelf with cards I have received from some of my crafty friends I have met since I started my little hobby!  This is my very favorite picture of my daughter Carly with her two sister's-in-law, Katie and Ashley.  It was taken nearly two years ago and until now, has been taped up on my refrigerator and brought a smile to my face of many a day.

I used lots of Waltzingmouse Stamps on this one, You're Lovely, Victorian Frippery and Text-It.  I altered the "My Beautiful Girl" sentiment a bit by adding an extra "s" so it would apply to all three of the girls.  Can't play favorites with this group!  

Here's that link again to the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge...hope you all check it out and play along!

"and can you make it really cute?"

My daughter Carly, who never asks me to make a card for her, asked me to make her a thank you card.
I KNOW!  Can't believe she asked me to make one for her!  She needed a thank-you card to give to one of her co-workers at Starbucks, and yes, I am kind of proud that she was writing a thank you note without me having to force her to.  Anyway, her last words to me as I went off into my craft room to get busy were,
"and can you make it really cute?"  Lots of pressure there, but here is what I came up with:

It's kind of cute, don't you think?  I used the Heart to Heart #1 coffee mugs since she wanted to give something "Starbuck-related".  First time I have used them and they are FUN!  I added a couple of punched flowers and rhinestones to them.  The color combination is my favorite and I have really enjoyed having patterned papers from PTI to match my favorite colors of card stock.  I did a bit of stitching, added a PTI Parisian Lace doily, a sentiment from Fillable Frames #4 and stamps and die cuts from Mat Stack #3.  I am sitting here waiting for her to get home from work so I can see what she thinks.  Hope it is "cute" enough for her!