Monochromatic Magic

Back with Day 4 of MFT's Camp Create. It's been such fun watching the videos and pulling things together for some fun trying out the technique. The video used a background stamp for the monochromatic technique. I didn't have any background stamps from MFT so I used one from Penny Black.

The background stamp is Penny Black's Allover Pattern. I used Altenew inks in rose quartz, puffy heart and purple wishes colors. To finish off the card I used MFT Happy Hippos stamps and dies. I stamped the hippo in Memento Black ink and colored with Spectrum Noir markers. The sentiment was stamped in the purple wishes ink and then I added a bit of twine for some interest. Love the background!
I am entering these challenges:

• MFT Camp Create Day 4: monochromatic magic 
  
• Creative Knockouts challenge: tic tac toe (stamp, sentiment, ribbon/twine)
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: add a sentiment
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter
• Crafty Animals: anything goes

That's it for me today! It's a busy day and I wanted to make sure I got this posted. I'll be with the twins most of the weekend so I don;t know how much crafting I'll get in. Hope your weekend is splendid!

Donna

Background Bonanza

Fun week of crafting as I am trying to eke out time to play along with the MFT challenges. Day 3 is all about backgrounds. The video shows several ways to make a rainbow background. I just chose a couple of colors: salty ocean, shaded lilacs and seedless preserves distress inks.

I used the MFT One Way Chevron stencil to create the background with the distress inks. I used the MFT All About You stamp set and the MFT You Trio dies to make the sentiment. I white heat embossed the sentiment on a scrap of black card stock and then die cut the "you" from a scrap. To finish off I adhered sequins and stars to the background. I really like this one.
I am entering these challenges:

• MFT Camp Create challenge: day 3 backgrounds 
  
• Addicted to Stamps and More: photo inspiration (i used the colors) 
  
• Seize the Birthday: anything goes
• 4 Crafty Chicks: sequins
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: add a sentiment

Thanks for stopping by. I am hoping to get another card done today but we'll see how that goes. Hope you are looking forward to some relaxing crafting in your schedule. Have a great day!

Donna

Magnificent Masking

Day 2 at MFT Craft Camp is all about masking. I'd actually never tried this before so it was lots of fun.

I used the negative from Spellbinder's Labels 13 to create a mask and then masked off each section with painter's tape. The top section was mustard seed, orange marmalade and picked raspberry distress ink. The bottom section was mowed lawn distress ink. I die cut the grass with MFT Fresh Cut Grass die. I stamped,colored and popped up my little girl from MFT Love You With All My Heart (retired). Both sentiments are from that same stamp set. To finish off I added some Neat & Tangled sequins. Lots of fun making this one!
I am entering these challenges:

• MFT Craft Camp challenge: use a masking technique 
  
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: add a sentiment
• The Outlawz Thursday challenge: layers and dimension
• Penny's challenge: anything goes
• Crafty Friends: anything goes

That's it for me tonight. The twins were awesome this evening. Valerie figured out how to blow bubbles with her saliva. Both of them are just a hoot. They were jabbering back and forth to each other after we took a walk. It was just too funny. Hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by. I am heading for bed.

Donna

Inlaid Die Technique

My Favorite Things is having a Camp Create this week. Each day they have a video for a technique for you to try. Monday's technique was Inlaid Made Easy. And the Tuesday Morning Sketch this week looked like it was perfect for this. So I used the sketch to create my card with the inlaid die technique.

I used three sets from My Favorite Things to make the card.  I first cut the white card stock with MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Square dies. If you watch the video you will find that you work from the back forward, so I started with that set first. Then added the Happy Hippos stamps and matching dies. Popped all of that into the yellow panel and then die cut the flags with MFT Pierced Fishtail Flags. I added some tone on tone stamping from the Happy Hippo set with some other little stamps using Fossilized Amber distress ink.
I am entering these challenges:

• MFT Camp Create Day 1: inlaid die technique 
  
• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter
• Koala T Crafts: turquoise or yellow or balloons
• Crafty Animals: anything goes

Back to watching the twins today. My little mini vacation is over. I've missed these cute faces so I'm more than ready to see them today. Who could resist those cuties?

                                             Valerie                                            Arthur

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day!

Donna

You Make Me Smile

Happy Tuesday afternoon. This is move in week for the university students. Traffic is a mess. You can't get near a grocery store or Target/Walmart, so it must be time to stay in and craft. Besides that the temperatures are back to high 80s and the humidity is up. I did my walking early this morning before it got too hot.

My card today uses the freebie over at Pattie's Creations. Isn't it a great flower image! I colored it with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut it with MFT Cross Stitch Ovals. The plaid paper is from Imagine That Digis by Kris Sweet Pastels. I added some ric rac and some flowers from the Spellbinder's Square Bracket Edge Box dies. I punched black centers from my scrap box. The butterflies are from Cheery Lynn. The sentiment is from MFT All About You stamp set.
I am entering these challenges:

• Pattie's Creations Design challenge: anything goes
• The Outlawz Wednesday challenge: sketch 
  
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes
• Tuesday Throwdown: anything goes
• Happy Little Stampers: anything goes with dies
• Simply Create Too: use flowers

I hope to get some more fun in at my desk today but dinner time is calling me. Have a wonderful day!

Donna

Time To Be Jolly

Happy Sunday! It's been gorgeous weather here for a change. Much cooler but still hardly any rain. But the sun is shining and the temperature has been nice. No air conditioner for some time now. Is this August?
I was thinking Christmas again and came up with a really cute card.

I think the singing bunnies are just adorable! They are from Eureka Stamps called Caroling Bunnies. I colored them with Spectrum Noir markers and then gave them some zing with my Wink of Stella pen. The "snow" I cut from a scrap with MFT Basic Edges 2. The sentiment is from Altenew Halftone Holidays. I added some eksuccess stickers (music notes) as embellishment. I really like this one.

I am entering these challenges:

• QKR Stampede: used Eureka stamp and inspired by music
• Sketch Saturday: sketch turned sideways 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes
• Outlawz Friday challenge: Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas Extra: anything goes Christmas

I have some crafting time today so I am hoping to get a jump on some of my upcoming card needs. I hope your weekend has been relaxing and you've had some crafty time too. Have a wonderful Sunday!

Donna

Floral Thank You

Happy Friday, I think! I kind of have my days mixed up, All day I thought it was Saturday. But we are supposed to go to the Indianapolis Indians game this evening with friends and that was on Friday. LOL! Being retired does not help you know what day of the week it is but who really cares. Right? I got a quick card finished today. It should have been quick but I was experimenting with stamping the layers on the flowers so it wasn't as quick as it could have been.

This uses the Altenew Bold Blossoms stamp set and dies. These are stamped using several colors of distress inks and some Altenew inks. The flowers are die cut with the matching dies to the set. The plaid paper is a piece from my scrap box. The sentiment is from Hero Arts sentiment set.  I used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches for this card.

I am entering these challenges:

• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch above
• Happy Little Stampers CAS: flowers 
  
• Simply Create Too: use flowers
• Sweet Stampers challenge: clean and simple
• Addicted to Stamps and More: clean and simple 
  

I just noticed it's raining outside. Yippee! (It's not raining in Indianapolis where the game is tonight). We need rain so badly. Everyone around us has gotten rain lately but none for us. My plants need it so badly. Doing a happy dance. Thanks for stopping. Hope you have a wonderful day!

Donna

My First Pop Up Box

Happy Tuesday! Today is an amazing new release over at Imagine That! Digis by Kris. Throughout today over at the Imagine That! Creative Playground the design team will be featuring the products from this new release with their amazing projects. I am showcasing the new Flamingo Birthday stamp set. And I decided to try something I hadn't done before: a pop up box card.

I used the tutorial over at Splitcoast Stampers to help me work through this card. It took me a couple days to work through this one, not because the instructions are difficult but because I kept changing my mind about what I wanted as pop ups. LOL! The designer paper that you see on my card comes with the set as well as the flamingo image and the sentiment(there are a bunch of sentiments).

I fussy cut the flamingo and added some additional pop up items: MFT Happy Birthday Circle, MFT Heart Balloon, Spellbinder's Scalloped Hearts in two sizes.The extra sentiment stamped on the heart balloon is from Simon Says Happy Thoughts. I really enjoyed creating this pop up card and would do it again for sure!

Here are all the wonderful new products available today at Imagine That Digis by Kris!

Flamingo Beach

Flamingo Birthday

Flamingo Christmas

Tropical Breeze Digital papers

Plus, Kris has bundled all of these sets with the Flamingo Dress Up set, out special set for August at a very special price.  

I hop you will pop over to The Creative Playground to see all the wonderful projects from the design team. They are spectacular!

I am entering these challenges:

• Tuesday Throwdown: interactive card
• Simon Says Monday: Happy Birthday
• Monday Outlawz challenge: celebrate
• Alphabet challenge: K is for kinetic
• Koala T Crafts: balloons
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Catch the Bug: three layers, scallops and hot pink

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you have a marvelous Tuesday!

Donna

Work of Art

Good evening or almost good night. When I finish this post I am heading to bed for sure. It's been a long day. But I wanted to share the card I finished today for a friend's birthday.

The image is from QKR Stampede called Artist Bear. I colored him with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut the image from MFT Cross Stitch Ovals. The next layer I die cut the sentiment, from Create with TLC, with Gina Marie Designs Cross Stitch Rectangles.  On that layer I used 

Jack Frost Glimmer Mist (it gives the card a really nice shimmer) and then splatter painted with Fired Brick, Mustard Seed and Mowed Lawn distress ink to give it a splatter painted look. The yellow layer is a textured paper that isn't showing up in the photo. The base is blue card stock. I added a couple of brads to the image die cut and the image is popped up with foam tape.
I am entering these challenges:

• QKR Stampede: anything goes; make it humorous
• The Outlawz Wednesday Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• Doing Life Create with TLC challenge: use a Create with TLC element (sentiment)
• Simon Says Monday: Happy Birthday
• Creative Knockouts challenge: furry friends
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter

Well, my bed is calling me and tomorrow is another day. Thanks for stopping by and checking our what I've been up to. Hope you had a great start to your week!

Donna

Halloween Treats

Well, it's almost the end of the weekend. How do we move through these weeks so fast? I made several cards with the Gina Marie Designs Stitched Quilt #3 die. It was lots of fun to die cut it and then piece it back together. For this card I die cut it twice: orange and black.

It's a pretty simple little card. Most of it is that fabulous stitched quilt die. The little image is from Create with TLC. I fussy cut him and popped him up from the front of the card. I don't send a lot of Halloween cards but I do send a few especially for the twins.

I am entering these challenges:

• Doing Life Anything Goes with Create with TLC Element: use an element from Create with TLC (mouse image)
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: anything goes
• Thursday Outlawz challenge: faux stitching
• Addicted to Stamps and More: any holiday 
  
• Crafting by Designs: anything goes

Short and sweet today. But since I mentioned the twins: today is their 10 month birthday. So I'll leave you with a picture taken today for the occasion.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!

Donna

New Challenge at Imagine That Creative Playground

Welcome to the August edition of the anything goes challenge at Imagine That Creative Playground. This month if you play along with an Imagine That Digi by Kris you get the cutest stamp set called Flamingo Dress Up.

You can mix and match to dress up the flamingo in a variety of ways. Such a fun set! I wasn't scheduled to use the set this month so my card doesn't use this set.

For my card I used Kimmie's Reindeer Friend. I created the background with distress ink and die cut the image with a Lawn Fawn tag. Added some ribbon. The sentiment is from Altenew Halftone Holidays. The patterned paper is from my scrap box. I tried to figure out where it originated from but I couldn't figure it out. I also added a few sequin stars to the tag. I hope you will play along with the Imagine That Creative Playground challenge during the month of August. There are several freebie available over at the Imagine That Digis by Kris Facebook page.
I am entering these challenges:

• Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper challenge: use patterned paper
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes; 3 of something (stars)
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas Challenge Extra: anything goes Christmas
• Addicted to Stamps and More: any holiday 
  
• Monday Outlawz challenge: anything goes
• Scrapping4Fun: lace/ribbon

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope your weekend is awesome and you get some time to craft and relax.

Donna

12 Months of Christmas Linkup: New Challenge

Welcome to August and a new challenge over at the 12 Months of Christmas Linkup. As usual you can link up any Christmas card that you make for a chance to win some awesome paper from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles and if you follow the theme you can win a nice prize from our sponsor, Kitten Scraps. You can check out the challenge details if you'd like. The theme this month is traditional Christmas colors. How easy can you get? Here's a card I made to inspire you to play along.

I used Kitten Scrap's  Xmas Mice Clipart on my card. And I used on older set of Christmas paper from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles called Christmas Confections. I die cut three windows from the candy cane paper. Two of the windows I used a second paper from the Christmas Confections with the peppermints on it and inlaid the peppermint paper but adding the mice peeking out of the side of the inlay. The middle box I die cut the mouse and left him as is. I added some gorgeous ribbon and then added some holly stickers at the corners of the ribbon. Here's what I used:

And this months paper prize is this lovely glitter paper:

I am entering these challenges:

• The Outlawz Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes
• Hiding in my Craft Room: free style
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas Extra: anything goes Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper challenge: use patterned paper

I hope you will join us for this easy challenge and play along at 12 Months of Christmas Linkup. Get those Christmas cards started because Christmas will be here before you know it! Have a wonderful day!

Donna

One Last CIJ

Happy Monday! I have one last quick post as July comes to a close and we welcome in August. How did that happen so fast? It's another busy day around here. So I have to make this quick. My last Christmas in July card.

I got this Birch Press Ornament Trio die several months ago and it was in a stack of stuff that I hadn't gotten integrated into my filing system. But I think this one will be one of my favorites. It makes a great monochromatic card like this one but I'm making another one that's inlaid and it's very pretty too. So you might see this die cut a lot this year. LOL! I kept it very simple. Just the layers of card stock and then added pearls to the centers of the ornament designs. The sentiment is from AlteNew Halftone Holiday. I think this is a very elegant-looking card. I am entering these challenges:

• Crafty Friends: Christmas in July
• The Outlawz Paper ala Mode challenge: Christmas in July
• Crafting by Designs: getting ready for Christmas
• Rudolph Days: anything goes Christmas
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Extra: anything goes Christmas

Hope your Monday is off to a great start. I am off to Opportunity House to volunteer this morning. Then back home to get some dinner together and then off to babysit the twins. And back home to fall into bed. LOL! Take care.

Donna

July Progressive Challenges

Where did July go to? I can't believe we are almost to the end. And as usual I have waited until the last minute to do the progressive challenges that I usual do each month. So today I have cards for both of my progressive challenges.

So my first card uses the progressive image from Gerda Steiner called Strawberry Mouse and colored with Spectrum Noir markers. What a cutie. I paired him with a sentiment from Create with TLC and made a clean and simple card following the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch. The designer paper is from Bearly Mine and it's actually called Red Snowflakes but I thought it looked like strawberry blossoms so I used it with that in mind. I am entering these challenges:

• Gerda Steiner Progressive challenge: use Strawberry Mouse
• CAS(E) This Sketch: sketch
  
• Anything Goes with Create with TLC Element: use a Create with TLC element (sentiment)
• C.R.A.F.T. challenge: summer (one of my favorite parts of summer is strawberries)
• Addicted to Stamps and More: make your mark 
  

My second card today is for The Outlawz Progressive challenge. The digital stamp this month is from Anne Fenton from Anne's Cards 4 U. 

I made a note card with the cute dog image colored with Spectrum Noir markers. The image is die cut with MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares. I followed the Sketch Saturday challenge which is to pick a sketch from the archive. The designer paper is from Imagine That Digis by Kris. The paw print is a die cut from Paper Smooches. I backed everything with black card stock.

I am entering these challenges: 

• The Outlawz Progressive challenge: use the stamp of the month
• Sketch Saturday: sketch from archive #301 
  
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter
• Simon Says Wednesday: anything goes
• Crafty Sentiments Design: anything goes

That's it for today. I have one more card to finish and post by tomorrow. We'll see if that gits done. Hope your weekend has been awesome!

Donna

Classic

A very quick post this morning. It's going to be a busy day. And a busy weekend. So I better get this up while I can.

A quick birthday card for a BIL. He works on cars so I thought he'd like this classic. Just a CAS card with a few little extras. I punched the edges with a Stampin' Up Scalloped Punch and then doodled on them with a white gel pen. The sentiment is from Doodle Pantry (sadly closed) and the image I am not sure about. I abbreviated and wrote IAS but I haven't been able to come up with a source. If you know please leave me a comment so I can give proper credit. Thanks!
I am entering these challenges:

• Simon Says Monday challenge: you've got the edge
• Addicted to CAS: wheels
• Scribbles Designs: use your noodle to doodle
• The Outlawz Sunday CAS challenge: monochromatic
• Inspiration Destination: anything goes

Gotta run. Have an awesome weekend!

Donna