Sparkle and Shine Challenge 13 Any Occasion Tags

     Here is my tiny (1.5 inch by 1 inch) tag that I submitted to the Sparkle and Shine Challenge (#13).

     I'm surprised that I was able to get so much stamped on it.  (That is a small set of scissors next to it.) I used the Pretty Peonies clear stamp set by Wplus9 for the floral details and the sentiment was from Fiskars All Year Greetings. I used a pencil eraser for the dots and did first and second generation stamping on those.  The inks were dye inks from memento and color box plus one hybrid ink from color theory.  I got a small box of these tags from my local pharmacy.

My Daughter's 17th Birthday Card

     My daughter likes black and white cards, and cats.  She loves cats.  Did I say she loves cats?

Digital Cat Love stamp by Mo's Digital Pencil
  Celebrate You Today by Hampton Arts Ki Memories Greetings

Final Countdown for Operation Write Home donation.

     My box is basically full for my Operation Write Home donation.

Altenew Vintage Roses 

Sentiment is My Favorite Things Clearly Sentimental about Art (discontinued).

     When I went through the box to stamp the logo on the back of the cards I noticed that since I had been saving cards over several years, there were a few sets of cards where I had more than 5 of the same or similar design.  I use to be allowed to make 7 or 8 of the same design, but now I am limited to 5 since there are fewer boxes being sent to fewer troops.

Jodie Lee Designs Fairy Belle Collection Stamp (Free with a card making magazine).

Sentiment is from Fiskars Heidi Grace Greetings which appears to be discontinued.

     I had to take some cards out of the donation box and put them in a smaller donation box that I hope to have filled up by fall.  I have a lot of Christmas cards which I shouldn't send this early plus extra LOVE cards, and other miscellaneous cards.  

Image is Hero Arts Merriest Christmas Wishes (discontinued). 

Sentiment is from Fiskars All Year Greetings

Day 2 Of I Treasure You Virtual Stamp Night at Splitcoast Stampers

     This particular challenge on Splitcoaststamper's Virtual Stamp Night asked us to make a card using a map, and extra points would be given if it was a Pirates Treasure Map.

     I had the perfect set of stickers for this card from the Dollar Tree and a sheet of paper with a map motif I purchased eons ago from a dollar store.
     After I posted my card, someone commented that they thought is seemed like the circle with the map in it was what the pirate saw when looking through his "Spyglass".  I hadn't planned it that way but I like looking at it that way now.  By the way, we don't really get points, it's just an expression about how happy the hostess is if you follow more specific instructions then everyone might be capable of.
     I named this card Special Birthday Treasure.  Surprisingly the only stamping I did was on the inside which was a birthday greeting.

     The instructions for the next challenge was to make a card that showcased a memory.

Joys Life Barnyard Puns

Inside sentiment from Barnyard Puns says It's Past-ure Birthday

     My brothers and I would visit our Great Uncles Farm every Saturday during the summer when we were growing up.  Our favorite thing to do was to climb into the hay loft, then jump into the very high loose straw on the ground level just below.  The mice would scurry the first time someone jumped but stayed away after that.  It was probably dangerous but we never got hurt and had a lot of fun.  I made this card to go with that memory and I call it Barn Raising Memories.  

     We were next challenged to create an Easter Card and if we could manage to place an Easter Egg on it we would get extra points.  

Joy's Life Barnyard Puns

    

      I had a plain blue egg shaped die cut that I added washi tape to in order to make it look like an Easter Egg.  I experiemented for the first time with a stencil and distress ink (boy should I practice-not a good first attempt) and I really loved the shape of the stencil for the Easter theme.  I call this Easter People.

     The next challenge of Virtual Stamp Night had us use a front door on a card and extra points would be give if we put a welcome sign on it.  

Fiskars All Year Greetings

   
     I had nothing to use for this and had to find clip art.  I love this clip art though and feel as if this should be the front door to my front door if you know what I mean.  It's called My Ideal Welcome Door.


 
      For our next challenge we were asked to use spring flowering bulbs, and if we could use tulips we got extra points.

Fiskars All Year Greetings 

      

     I kept this card simple with large block silver heat embossed letters and a tulip sticker.  I call it Simply Love.

Splitcoast Stampers Virtual Stamp Night I Treasure You

     Here are some cards I made for the Virtual Stamp Night over at Splitcoaststampers.com. The theme was I TREASURE YOU.  The first challenge was titled TREASURED HOSTESS.  I cased (used another person's card for inspiration) a card from the suggested gallery and this is what I came up with.  I don't think I am allowed to post her card though.  I am calling it "LOVE YOU BUNCHES OF BANANAS".

Mama Elephant Basic Borders
WPlus9 Winter Woodlands
Fiskars All Year Greetings

     The second challenge was titled SCAVENGER HUNT.  There were so many requirements for this card that it stifled my creativity.  I don't really like this card that much but I managed to meet all the requirements of the challenge: Distressed neutral layer, metal embellishment, soft item like a ribbon, stamped image of something found on an island, dry embossed colored layer, AND doodling.  I don't like my doodling, distressing or forcing the stamped image to go with the card, BUT here it is and it is called BEACH DRAGONFLY:

Inkadinkado Sand Dollar

     The next challenge was called TREASURED FURRY FRIENDS.  This was very easy for me and came together quickly with the supplies I had on hand.  The dog image was already colored and cut out, I had the perfect sentiment and the frame was already die cut.  I just added some low profile adhesive metal gems and it was done.  I call it THINKING DOG.

Lawn Fawn Critters in the 'burbs

Cloud 9 Designs Simple Thoughts-Dog

Operation Write Home Card for Two Challenges

   

Fiskars All Year Greetings, Hero Arts Dotted Snowflake

Copics Day 10 - Pen Details

     In my Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers class today I combined several techniques on this masculine card.

Fiskars Birthday Bash
Focal Stamp is an Magenta Made in Canada Stamp

     The first technique was to add pen details.  The stamped image was rather "Sketch like" with loose edges to the boxes around the images.  I went over the image edges in black to define them more, drew squares around the printed squares, and added details to all three of the images (the fanlike effect in the circles of the mushroom, the vertical lines to the edge of the acorn cap, and the dots at the end of the veins of the leaf).  

     Then I embossed the outer edge of the entire rectangular focal piece in black.  I didn't do a good job and will need to practice that technique, but when done well, it looks very nice.

Sweet Sixteen Card

     My second daughter just celebrated her 16th birthday.  I made her a card but it didn't say sweet sixteen on it.  I made it in bright colors since that is appealing to most teens.  I had a birthday stamp set and had just watched a video about a new technique I wanted to try out using the balloons.  I also had a birthday paper set I wanted to use.
   

Fiskars Birthday Bash

Mojo Monday #287 Sketch

     The details of the video and supplies used for this card are at the end of this post.  Basically, I double stamped the balloons after removing part of the second color.  That gave the balloons more depth.  (Notice there is more color at the bottom and part of the right side of each balloon- and it isn't a matching color.)  I've never been able to line up my clear stamps to do a second stamping on top of the first one.  I always mess up. This time I noticed that if I lined up the little dots inside the balloon the second time I stamped, I could keep them in line with each other.
     When I double stamped the balloons I still couldn't get the ribbons below them to line up for a second stamping so I rubbed the ink off the ribbon, double stamped just the balloons, and free-handed the ribbons.  I'm not particularly happy with the look of the free hand ribbons but it is better than if I had double stamped them.  Also I had originally intended to use the balloons paper in the vertical rectangle and the Happy Birthday pink paper for the half circle, but I messed up and did it backwards.

Operation Write Home Super Bowl 2014 Weekend Challenges

     Operation Write home is having a 3 part Super Bowl challenge this weekend.  The first challenge was to make a masculine card inspired by either the Denver Broncos or Seattle Sea-hawks logo.  I chose to use the colors from the Seahawks and a stamped bird design (which isn't an eagle, but you get the idea).

Inkadinkado Winter Birds

     I used sketch #89 which seemed to fit into the masculine theme along with the colors I chose.  I will be attempting the other two challenges this weekend as well.

     Here is the card from the second challenge.  

Papertrey Ink Ruby Reprise sentiment (free gift with purchase)

     I was suppose to create a masculine card using the color brown.  I accidentally got an ink smudge on the inside of the card on the lower right corner so I cut out another football to cover it.  No one will ever know.  (Us card makers are sneaky like that.)

I used sketch #109.

     Here's my third card in this challenge.  

Fiskars Birthday Bash