Stella Sketch at Catch the Bug

A new challenge at Catch the Bug blog today for a new Stella Sketch. I hope you'll come join us. Here's the new sketch:

And here's my card.

The Bugaboo image is Flower Teapot. I really love this fun image. I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut it with MFT Stitched Circles and backed it with Spellbinder's Scalloped Circles. The mid border is Spellbinder's Scalloped Border. The green card stock is textured. I added some self adhesive gems to follow the sketch. I hope you'll join us in the next two weeks at the Stella Sketch challenge for a chance to win some great Bugaboo images.

I am entering these challenges:

• Scrapping4Fun challenge: anything goes
• Time Out challenge: flowers
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Work it Wednesday challenge: rain or flowers
• Thursday Outlawz challenge: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by today. We had lots of fun with the twins yesterday. They are such a pleasure to watch. Hope your weekend is going splendidly. Raining cats and dog here all weekend. Had close to 3 inches of rain so far. 

Donna

Beary Christmas Wishes

It's almost the weekend! Yippee! I have a quick post tonight for a couple challenges. I am behind on my Christmas cards so far this year. I need to step them up to have enough so I'm not scrambling at the end of the year. So here is a Christmas card.

The image is from Beccy's Place called Stanley's Baubles (a freebie), colored with Copic Markers and accented the ornament with Spectrum Noir glitter marker. I fussy cut the image and popped it up with foam tape. The ticket sentiment is fussy cut and popped with foam tape also. The background is made from scraps of paper from my scrap box. I added some ribbon with the cute little snowmen on it.
I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Place challenge: use a Beccy's Place image
• Crafting by Designs: have yourself a merry little Christmas
• Rudolph Days: anything goes Christmas
• Outlawz Friday challenge: anything Christmas
• Simon Says Monday challenge: add a number

Tomorrow is a day for babysitting the twins all day long. It'll be a busy day for sure. But I'll love every minute of it. The twins are wonderful to watch. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping by.

Donna

Using a Scalloped Circle Punch or Die Cut to Make a Cloudy Background

Happy Wednesday! Today I have a card at Catch the Bug blog. My tutorial will be showing you how to use a scalloped punch or die cut to create a cloudy background for a card. Here's what you'll need.

 I used Salty Ocean distress ink, a Tim Holtz ink pad and handle, a base card, and a punch out from a Stampin' Up! scalloped circle punch. You could also try a scalloped circle die cut if you don't have a punch.

I usually start at one corner and hold the scalloped punch down with my fingers. I start the ink off the card stock and ink around the scalloped punch.

Continue to move the scalloped punch around the area and add ink until you like the results. I usually mask off the bottom of the card so that the blue doesn't go too far to the bottom of the card. In this case I used an MFT stitched basics edge 2 die for the mask.

I continue to move the scalloped punch around, adding ink until I like the pattern of clouds that I've created. Depending on what kind of clouds you want (rain, light and puffy, etc.) you might change out ink colors or the intensity of the colors that you are using.

I mask off the top section to ink the bottom section using Mowed Lawn distress ink. And then I finished my card using Bugaboo's Jesse Boy Bear (currently the freebie of the week until Friday).

To finish off the card I used Marianne Designs Fence and Bird die. I doodled on the bird to give him a litte definition. My bear is colored with Spectrum Noir markers. The sentiment is from Inktegrity (has become a closed blog) and die cut with a Quickcutz tag die. I inked the inside of the tag with Salty Ocean distress ink to match the clouds. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial for using a scalloped circle punch to make a cloudy background.

I am entering these challenges:

• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Digi Choosday: anything goes
• Monday Outlawz challenge: anything goes
• Cupcake Inspiration: animals
• Sweet Stampers challenge: animals

Have a wonderful day!

Donna

Just Chillaxing

Greetings! Happy Sunday! It's a bright sunny day here. We haven't had too many of those lately. This will be a quick post as we are headed out to our other proerty of Baby Creek for the day. I haven't been there much since the twins were born. So we are off from babysitting duty today and we're going to take advantage of the time. My card today is about relaxing and chilling out. Not much of that goes on around here. LOL! This card is for my future DIL who is just finishing up her school work on her Master's degree in Social Work. So I thought I'd send her this card to tell her to take a break for a job well done!

The inside sentiment says "Just Chillaxing!" Pigwit looks so serene and happy. The image is from From the Heart Stamps. I won this stamp set in their blog hop at the beginning of the month. I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut with MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares, inked with Picked Raspberry DI. There are multiple layers of scraps from my scrap box. Always love to use some of that up. The sentiment is from the same set, both inside and out. I die cut the sentiment on the front with Gina Marie Designs Cross Stitch Rectangles. I added a faux stitched circle that goes along with the sketch from I {Heart} Sketches with a Twist. There is no twist this week; just the sketch.

I did spin the sketch a bit but I think it's mostly there. I am entering these challenges:

• I {Heart} Sketches with a Twist: sketch above
• Cupcake Inspirations: animals
• Creative Knockouts: lots of layers
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Crafty Friends challenge: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by. Wishing a bright sunshiny day today and all week long. Make it an awesome week!

Donna

Bugaboo Inspiration Challenge

It's Saturday and a new challenge is beginning at Catch the Bug. This week we are using a picture as inspiration for the challenge.

I used the color combination and the bird as inspiration for my card.

I also used the sketch at the Wednesday Outlawz challenge for inspiration. I flipped the sketch.

The image is Sign It - Love Birdy colored with Spectrum Noir markers. I die cut the image with Gina Marie Designs Cross Stitch Rectangles. I inked the edges with Peacocok Feathers distress ink. The borders were created with Spellbinder's Chevron Borders and I inlaid some of the pieces to reflect the sketch. The hearts are from Lawn Fawn Stitched Party Banner and the "hugs" is from Penny Black Hugs stamp set. I inked the hearts with Picked Raspberry distress ink. I hope you will join us this week and play along with the Catch the Bug photo inspiration challenge. Use whatever strikes you from the picture to make your project!

I am entering these challenges:

• The Outlawz Sketch challenge: use the above sketch
• QKR Stampede: feathered friends
• Creative Knockouts: lots of layers
• Cards in Envy: pastels
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by today. I am off to watch the twins today. Tricia and I took them shopping yesterday and they were good as gold whie we shopped. Just couldn't get over that they were so patient for two hours. Amazing! Have a super weekend.

Donna

One Year Older

Happy Friday! Are you looking forward to the weekend? I hope to have some time to craft this weekend. I'll only be watching the twins on Saturday. Friday evening I am helping with a Girl Scout Father Daughter Dance. So I have just a few commitments this weekend.
So today is Friday Freebie day at Catch the Bug challenge blog. How about a freebie to start your weekend. And this one is a real cutie!

The cutest boy bear ever! He makes a great masculine card. I colored him with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut him with Spellbinder's Beaded Ovals, inked with Faded Jeans distress ink. The sentiment is from Create with TLC, die cut with MFT Pierced Fishtail Flags and inked with Barn Door distress ink. The candle is from Spellbinder's Sweet Wishes. The arrows are from Momenta Arrows dies. I used the Tuesday Morning Sketches for inspiration. Don't forget to hop on over to Catch the Bug blog and check out what the other DT members did with this image and pick up your freebie from the Bugaboo Store.

I am entering these challenges:

• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch above
• Doing Life Anything Goes Create with TLC Element: use an element from Create with TLC
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Incy Wincy challenge: so so cute
• Crafty Sentiments Designs: men or boys
• Decosse's Dynamite Doodles: birthday celebration

Thanks for stopping by. Come back tomorrow when I'll have a new challenge card for the Catch the Bug challenge blog!

Donna

Love You

Happy Thursday! Where did this week go? I've been with the twins and both have been sick. We had to take Valerie to the hospital Easter morning. She had such a terrible cough and so congested that she couldn't eat since she had to breathe through her mouth. Fortunately the chect xray was clear but she isn't much better.But she is such a trooper. She smiles and laughs through it all. Arthur wasn't feeling up to par either but he's much better than Valerie. A simple card today but I think it's cute.

The image is from QKR Stampede. I added just a simple little sentiment called Love You Banner Digi but I neglected to add the source. If you know who please leave me a comment so I can give proper credit. I finished off with some star clusters. Easy peasy.
I am entering these challenges:

• QKR Stmapede: anything goes
• Thursday Outlawz challenge: look alike (2 things taht look alike - the bears)
• Digi Choosday: anything goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: anything goes

I have today off from the twins and I actually get to cook and eat a dinner with my DH for a change. And hopefully some crafting time after that. Have a wonderful day.

Donna

New Bugaboo Challenge

A new challenge today at Catch the Bug challenge blog. One of my favorite challenges is bingo or tic tac toe challenge.

My card uses the first column down: die/punch, Bugaboo image, and ribbon.

The background paper is from a Paula Deen Paper pack. I liked the borders. The image is from the Bugaboo April newsletter called Bug Grandmas. I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers, die cut with MFT Stitiched Ovals and inked with Bundled Sage distress ink. The sentiment comes with the image. I die it with MFT Inside and Out Rounded Squares and inked the middle with Picked Raspberry distress ink. I added a scrap of ribbon from my ribbon box and a flower embellishment from the Paula Deen paper set. I made this card for a friend who just became a first time grandmother. The inside reads "Congratulations Grandma and Grandpa." I hope you will check out the Catch the Bug challenge and join us this week. It's lots of fun!
I am entering these challenges:

• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Happy Little Stampers: anything goes with dies
• Outlawz Paper ala Mode: celebration (new baby)
• Digi Choosday: anything goes
• Inspiration Destination: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by. Have an awesome day! And have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Just a Note

Well, it's the weekend. It hasn't been much of a week for me. Mostly time spent in bed trying to shake what the doctor is now calling a viral infections and nothing can be done but let it run its course. Sure is tough to sit around and wait to feel better. It took me three days this week to finish one little card. Kind of sad when you think about it. My get up and go has got up and went (somewhere else).

The image is Hummingbird-n-Morning Glory Flowers from Createful Heart Digis. I colored the image with colored pencils and die cut it with MFT Stitched Ovals. The embossing folder used on the background card stock is Sizzix Flourished EF. The sentiment's origin is unknown. I won a "sentiment" blog candy once and was sent a bunch of random sentiment stamps. This was one of them. The leaves are Spellbinder's Foliage and the flowers are Daisy Patch Flowers from Heartfelt Creations. I added small pruple buttons for the centers with some yellow striped Doodle Twine tied. I used the Tuesday Morning Sketch challenge as inspiration.

I am entering these challenges:

• Tuesday Morning Sketches: use sketch #398
• Creative Knockouts: buttons, buttons
• Outlawz Progressive challenge: use the image provided from Createful Hearts
• Addicted to Stamps and More: make your mark (coloring) 
  
• Crafty Sentiments Designs: flowers

I haven't gotten to see the twins much this week. I didn't want them catching anything. If everyone is well tomorrow we'll be visiting family for Easter and taking the twins with us so I will be a happy camper to see them again. I have a desing team post tomorrow so I hope you'll visit again for that!

Donna

NBUS and Boo Boo

This will be a quick post. After years of not being sick, it seems 2017 is going to be different now that I am retired. I've had several colds this winter and now it seems I have the flu. Very annoying. But I wanted to post this card before the NBUS (Never before used stuff) and Boo Boo challenge closed today.

My card today is actually both. I used napkins, a first for me, and a shout out to Shelly (My Creative Rumblings) for the idea. And I also have a boo boo on the card. It's not a glaring boo boo or I would have started again but can you spot it? Some might even say it isn't a boo boo but I didn't intend to do what I did.

The background is a napkin from the Dollar Tree and I used a Spectrum Noir shimmer pen on the butterfly and flowers to give it some sparkle. The sentiment was cut from MFT Pierced Fishtail Flags and then I inked it with distress ink while in the die. But I realised the die was too long for my card so then I cut the die again cutting off the end. So my white border didn't go all the way around the tag like I had intended. I guess it might be called an artisitic choice. I called it a boo boo. To finish off the card I added some self adhesive gems. I definitely will be using napkins again. They make for quick and easy cards and there is a ton of great pictures on napkins. Thank Shelly!
Check out all the fun NBUS and Boo boo cards over at Darnell's blog. Ok folks I am headed back to bed. Hope you are all well and hanging in this week.

Donna

Bugaboo Anything But a Card

Happy Monday! At Catch the Bug today it's anything but a card day. So I made two gift card holders to send a gift card for Easter to my two sons. Just a little something different.

I used an orgami fold to make the actual gift card holder with some papers from Rcollections Basics. Then I made the belly band and decorated the band with washi tape. The Bugaboo image is Bunny Chick Topper. I colored her with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut the image with Spellbinder's Beaded Ovals.

This gift card holder uses Bunny Easter Egg image from Bugaboo. Used washi tape on the belly band again. The image is die cut with Spellbinder's Lacy Ovals and colored with Spectrum Noir markers. 

I am entering these challenges:

• Crafty Friends challenge: animals or birds
• QKR Stampede: Easter
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Thursday Outlawz challenge: eggtastic ovals
• Crafty Sentiments Designs: anything goes
• Addicted to Stamps and More: anything goes 
  

I hope your week is off to a great start. Thanks for stopping by today and hope you'll stop over at the Catch the Bug challenge blog and check out the current challenges.

Birthday Bear

Happy Friday! The weekend is almost here. Yippee! I volunteered the last two days and had a blast. Most of the volunteers are much older than I am but it's fun to be out and talking to adults again rather than just singing and talking to 6 month olds. LOL! (AlthoughI do love that too!) Yup, the twins were 6 months old yesterday. Time is flying by. They just recently started eating cereal so I thought I'd share pictures of their first experience.

Valerie

Arthur

Arthur is quite the eater and Valerie is getting the hang of it, but she isn't sure if she likes the texture of the cereal or maybe it's the taste. I'm not sure. But it has helped them sleep better through the night. Next week they go back for their 6 month check up so we'll see how they are doing then.

Since it was their 6 month birthday I had to make a birthday card! 

That little bear is the Stamp of the Month at Gerda Steiner Progressive challenge. He is such a cutie and fun to color with Spectrum Noir markers.  I paired him with my very first (NBUS) layering heart die that I bought at Simon Says Stamps. I cut a bunch of these in different colors before I decided on this combination. You can make so many combination with this. I popped the bear up off the kraft cardstock. The die cut part of the sentiment is Simon Says Painted Happy Birthday die (NBUS) and the "friend" is part of the Pen Pal Bear Stamp Set. I inked the friend sentiment with Spun Sugar distress ink and popped it up too. So cute! I love this card. Happy 6 month birthday, my beautiful grand babies.

I am entering these challenges:

• Gerda Steiner April Progressive challenge: use Pen Pal Bear Stamp Set
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: Happy Birthday
• NBUS and Boo-Boo Hop: used Never Before used stuf (but have a boo-boo coming soon) 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Addicted to Stamps and More: anything goes 
  
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: anything goes

I want to thank all those who have given me suggestions for picture editors. I've found several and I'll try them all out before I decide which one to really work with. So far I am excited about the ones I've tried. Hope you have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for stopping by.

Donna

Happy Easter

Happy Wednesday! Before I retired, I had hoped that when I did I could spend some time volunteering for some organizations that are near and dear to my heart. So today I am starting a volunteer position at Opportunity House. It's a thrift store that all proceeds go to programs for young children (I have a Master's Degree in Early and Middle Childhood Education). Since I usually babysit in the evening I'm going to work a few mornings a week helping at Opportunity House. So we'll see what that does to my crafting time. I was able to finish an Easter card.

My favorite picture editor just died on me so I am looking for a free picture editor that's easy to use. If you have any recommendations I'd love it if you'd leave me a comment. Thanks! The bunny is a freebie image from Beccy's Place. I fussy cut the image and popped him up with foam tape. . I think he is so adorable! I paired it with a sentiment from my files but I neglected to add the place where I got it. If this looks familiar to anyone let me know and I'll give credit. I used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches as inspiration.The background plaid is from Imagine That Digis by Kris Sweet Pastel digital paper. I embossed a green scrap of card stock with the With Love Embossing Folder. I inked the edges of the sentiment with distress ink and added some rainbow colored gems. 

I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Place April challenge: use a Beccy's Place image
• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch above
• Simon Says Monday: make a rainbow
• Scrapping4Fun: Easter
• Alphabet challenge blog: B is for Bunny
• Monday Outlawz challenge: spring colors

Thanks for stopping by. Off to Opportunity House and then get dinner ready and head over to babysit the twins. Never a dull moment. Make it an awesome day!

Donna

April Challenge at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up

I can't remember every posting three times in one day before but all my challenges for design teams ended up on the 1st of April this month. Very strange. So my last post for the day is for 12 Months of Christmas Linkup. Our challenge is always anything goes for Christmas but our twist this month is "Ghost of Christmas Past" or vintage cards. Our sponsor this month is Luna Girl stamps. You can link any Christmas card this month. If you add more than two cards to the link up you could win the newest digi paper from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles.

And if you follow the twist this month you could win a prize from Luna Girl. How awesome is that! Here is my card for inspiration for this month's challenge.

I used the Luna Girl Vintage Christmas Collage Sheet and the new digital paper above that Lisa designed. I added a scrap of ribbon from my box and also some gold enamel dots in different sizes. The little poen on the front is so sweet. You may not be able to read it:

Wish I could be there

Your Christmas gifst to see

But since I can't I'm sending

This Christmas Wishing Tree.

I'm getting excited about Christmas this year. The twins may understand better what Christmas really is so it should be so much fun. I hope you'll join us this month in getting ready for Christmas. Share what you are making in our 12 Month of Christmas Linkup.

I am entering these challenges:

• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas Extra challenge: anything goes Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper challenge: use patterned paper
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Christmas Card challenge: anything goes

Thanks for hanging in there with me today and having so many posts. These kind of marathon posts don't happen very often. Hope you enjoyed your day!

Hugs,

Donna

New Challenge at Imagine That Creative Playground

It turns out that April 1st is a very busy day around my blog. Happy April Fool's Day. No foolin' though, it is busy. This the second of my three posts today. You can find the Bugaboo post here and I'll have another post later this evening.
So the first Saturday of the month begins the new challenge at Imagine That Creative Playground. Play along and use an Imagine That Digis by Kris image and you automatically receiev the featured stamp set of the month. This month we are featuring Rainy Day Fun.

I didn't use this set for my card today. The challenge is anything goes and I used Chef Freddy for my card.

I colored Chef Freddy with Spectrum Noir & Copic markers. I used the Spellbinders Chevron die for the border at the bottom and paperpieced the gray outline with the pink card stock. The sentiment is from the same stamp set. The image panle is die cut with Gina Marie Designs Cross Stitch Rectangles. I hope you will join us this month for our anything goes challenge at The Creative Playground. Imagine That! Digis by Kris is always stirring up lots of fun!
I am entering these challenges:

• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes
• The Outlawz Saturday challenge: anything goes
• Crafty Sentiments Design: anything goes
• Die Cuttin' Divas: anything goes

Happy Saturday! One more postto go later today. Have an awesome weekend!

Bugaboo Guest Designer

I am so excited today to be starting as a guest designer for Bugaboo Stamps for the next 3 months. I love Bugaboo Stamps and use them often in my creations. Today begins a new challenge over at the Catch the Bug challenge blog. This week the challenge is easy peasy: anything goes!

I used the Quick Kutz tag die to cut the two Bugaboo images: Beauty Butterfly (includes the sentiment) and Dollar Spring Bird. For the background of the card I used the Neat & Tangled Polygon Stencil and these distress inks: Squeezed Lemonade, Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean, Shaded Lilac and Abandoned Coral. The images are colored with Spectrum Noir markers. The background of the tags used Salty Ocean and Mowed Lawn distress ink. The twine is from Doodle Twine and Paper Sweeties. I hope you will join us at the Catch the Bug challenge blog for the anything goes challenge.
I am entering these challenges:

• Simon Says Monday challenge: things with wings
• Try Stampin' on Tuesday: sketch 
  
• Thursday Outlawz challenge: anything goes
• Creative Knockouts: anything goes

Thanks for joining me today. I have two other posts later today so please stop back to see some other designs. Have a wonderful weekend!

Donna