Sister Act Card Challenge #46 - with Stamp 'n Create

Hi folks!

It's Friday so that means it is time for me to share my latest creation for our weekly "Anything Goes" challenge over at the Sister Act Card Challenge!

As you probably know by now, the rules for joining in our weekly challenge are pretty simple - anything goes as long as it is a new card of your own creation! Just join in the fun by linking up to your blog post featuring your lovely creation and you will be in the running for the prize offered by this week's sponsor - Stamp and Create! I can't wait to check our your fabulous creations!

My creation this week is a birthday card for a dear friend. We had been friends in high school but lost track of each other over the years as our lives went different routes. Well, through the magic of Facebook we found each other AND when she moved a little town on the outskirts of Ottawa, we reconnected. More than 20 years later! Isn't that fab?

card details:

• finished size: 6x6 inches, CTMH Breeze (I think) card stock base
• patterned papers: My Mind's Eye "Market"
• stamped image: Stamping Bella "Uptown Girls Felicity & Blair", coloured with Copic Markers (E000, E00, E01, E93, BG10, BG11, E21, E23, E25, E27, E50, E51, E53, E37, R00, R21, R22, R24), background sponged with CTMH Breeze
• sentiment: Verve "Doodled Occasions"
• doily & pompom trim from a Verve goody bag
• half-back pearl brads: The Girls Paperie
• Spellbinders: long rectangle, petite circles

additional challenges for this card:

• Seize the Birthday: Anything Goes Birthday
• Simon Says: Anything Goes With Pearls

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 199

Hi folks,

I'm chilling at home today and thought I would hit up the craft room to make a few more Christmas cards.

I already had this image from Stamping Bella coloured up (from last year) and in my folder of already coloured images so I figured I should use them up. I did wind up changing a couple of the colours (gotta love Copics for that - a year later!) to better match my paper choice...and quick as that, I had two more Christmas cards ready for the post.

card details:

• finished size: 5x5 inches square, white card stock base, dark red matsChr
• patterned paper: Echo Park "Very Merry Christmas"
• stamped image: Stamping Bella "Frostier", coloured with Copic Markers (YR16, YR18, W1, W3, W6, W7, W8, W00, R37, R39, Y28, Yg00, G94, G46, E57, C1)
• sentiment: Verve "O Christmas Tree" stamped in CTMH Cranberry
• white buttons and green jute from my stash
• layout: Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #199

challenges for these cards:

• Corrosive Challenge #189: Anything Goes
• CAS on Sunday #23: Christmas
• Sentimental Sundays #184: Snowman
• Christmas Card Challenges #2: Black and White (but any Christmas card will do - which is good since my cards are not black and white)

As always, thanks for stopping by. Be sure to come back on Friday when I'll be featuring my card for the latest "anything goes" challenge at the Sister Act Card Challenge Blog!

SCS Lovefest with StampingBella

Hi folks,

well, as usual, I did not get to spend nearly as much time in my crafty space as I had hoped. Absolutely none yesterday as I started out with the household errands and chores and just never made it into the craft room. Today, I did things in reverse. Into the craft room before 7am to make a couple of cards. Good thing too! I came out at 10:30am and never found my way back.

Anyways, I had wanted to play along with a couple more of the Lovefest challenges going on over at SplitCoastStampers. I saw the "Bring on the Bling" challenge from Stamping Bella and just had to play along.

card details:

• finished size: 5x5 inches, white card stock base, kraft card stock mats
• patterned papers: My Mind's Eye "Market"
• stamped image: Stamping Bella "Uptown Girls Felicity & Blair", coloured with Copic Markers (E000, E00, E01, E93, E30, E31, E33, E34, E35, E37, E39, E41, G0000, G000, G00, R20, R21, R22)
• sentiment: Verve "Making a Statement"
• half-back pearls from my stash
• layout: Bellarific Friday Sketch February 22

additional challenges for this card:

• Stamping Bella: Bannerific
• Through the Craft Room Door: Anything Goes
• Sentimental Sundays #143: Flowers, Flowers and More Flowers (notice the bouquets on the background paper on this card)

thanks for stopping by!

Bellatastic Tuesday #2 - White Space

Hi folks,

I was messing around in my craft room and decided to finish off these images that I had partially coloured on my desk as I had an idea in my head for a card (or two) for the current white space Bellatastic Tuesday Challenge over on the Stamping Bella Forum on SCS

card details:

• finished size: 5 x 5 inches, die cut card base from Studio G (Michael's)
• burgundy card stock for mats and inner liner (to make the die cut edge stand out a little more), silver ink sponged around the edges for a little interest.
• stamped image: Stamping Bella "Frostier", coloured with Copic Markers (YR16, YR18, W1, W5, W6, W7, W8, R37, R39, YG00, G46, E57). CTMH Heavenly Blue sponged around the background of the die cut image (out of the box technique around the scarf)
• sentiment: Verve "Holiday Greetings"
• Spellbinders Classic Rectangle Die
• Cuttlebug Snowflake embossing folder

additional challenges for these cards:

• Bugaboo: Holiday/Seasonal
• Christmas Card Challenges Week #5: The challenge this week is to use paint (but any Christmas card will do). I didn't use paint - but I did sponge around my image and ink up the edges of my papers with silver ink.
• There She Goes #188: Sponging with die cuts
• Paper Pretties Monday Challenge: A winter creation

Thanks for stopping by!

Frostier Christmas

Hi folks,

Since I wound up making several of my Christmas cards just before Christmas (i.e on Christmas EVE!!), I still have quite a few Christmas 2012 card posts to go, even though Christmas is done for this year. This is one of them.

card details:

• finished size: 5.5 x 5.5 inches, kraft card stock base
• patterned paper: Teresa Collins "Christmas Cottage", edges distressed with Memento Rich Cocoa ink
• stamped image: Stamping Bella "Frostier", coloured with Copic Markers (YR16, YR18, W1, W5, W6, W7, W8, W00, R37, R39, YG00, G46, E57)
• CTMH bling from my stash

Challenges for this card:

• Papercraft Star #125: Snow (for the snowman and the snow pattern on the cream paper)
• Simon Says: Anything Goes!
• Through the Craft Room Door #50: Anything Goes!
• 2013 Christmas Card Challenges #4: the theme was Jingle Bells this week but any Christmas card will do.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 174

Hi folks,

back with another of the Christmas cards I made for one of my nieces.

card details:

• finished size: 5.5 x 5.5 inches, kraft card stock base
• patterned papers: Fancy Pants "Winterland"
• stamped image: Stamping Bella "Mister Penguin goes for a ride", coloured with Copic markers (E000, E00, E01, E93, C1, C5, C7, C9, E21, E23, E25, G21, G24, G28, G29, R21, R37, R39, E55, E57, E59, BG10, BG11, BG13, YR65)
• sentiment: Verve "Holiday Greetings"
• EK Success Scalloped Scallops border punch
• Stampin' Up Ticket Corner punch
• layout: Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 174

additional challenges for this card

• Winter Wonderland: Oh Christmas Tree
• Paper Pretties Monday Challenge #70: Christmas Creations

December SFYTT and SFYTT year in review

Hi folks,

well - here it is - the final sketch for you to try for this year. And, sadly, it is the last SFYTT.

Here's the sketch:

and here's the Christmas card I made for my brother and his fiancee (so far, I think this is my favourite Christmas card I made this year)

card details:

• finished size: 5.5 x 5.5 inches, kraft card stock base
• patterned paper: Fancy Pants "Saint Nick"
• stamped image: Stamping Bella "Frostier", coloured with Copic Markers (YR16, YR18, W1, W5, W6, W7, W8, W00, R37, R39, YG00, G46, E57)
• sentiment: Verve "Winter Mittens"

And here's the links to all of my other SFYTT cards for 2012:

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November

It's been a blast playing along all year - this has been the only challenge site that I have faithfully kept up with all year. So sad to see it come to an end.

Bellarific Friday - Sketch 25

Hi folks,

I had the time this week to play along with this week's Bellarific Friday Sketch Challenge over at Stamping Bella

Here's the sketch

and here's my card

card details:

• finished size: 5.5 x 5.5 inches, kraft card stock base and mats
• patterned paper: Fancy Pants "Winterland" (I did some tearing on one of the papers and layered it to create a sledding hill effect)
• stamped image: Stamping Bella "Uptown Girl Winona Loves Winter", coloured with Copic Markers (E01, E00, E000, E93, E50, E51, E53, E30, R20, R35, R37, R39, R56, R00, R21, R22, E57, E59)
• Spellbinders Classic Rectangles Die Cuts - I even got fancy and used the "out of the box" technique around her skirt and the back of the toboggan.

challenges for this card:

• Crazy4Challenges 166: Use one of your favourite holiday stamps (this is definitely a fave even though it is a new one for me. I expect there will be more cards made with this stamp this year and next!)
• Christmas Card Challenges 2013 - Week #2 Die Cuts
• Seriously Creative Challenges: 'tis the season
• Kraft Journal Make it Monday: Anything Goes

Today's my big day - I am taking the day off work to do what little Christmas shopping I have to do this year. My plan is to drop my sweetie off at work (we only have the one car so in winter we car-pool), come home and exercise. Then get ready to hit the stores as soon as they open. I expect it will only take me a couple of hours and then I'll be done. Probably finished by lunch time or shortly after!

Hope your day goes well! Thanks for stopping by!

Bellatastic Tuesday Challenge

Hi folks,

Back with another of the cards I was able to put together on Sunday during my "crafty time".

I affectionately refer to this time of year - from about Canadian Thanksgiving (in October) right through my birthday at the end of March - as the "season of eatin'" so it's probably no surprise that I have THIS particular stamp from Stamping Bella in my collection. Perfect for me to play along with the 1st Bellatastic Tuesday Challenge over on Splitcoaststampers.

mmmm.....cupcake!!! And aren't those papers a perfect match?

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, kraft card stock base
• stamped image: Stamping Bella "Cupcake with Holly on Top", coloured with Copic Markers
• patterned papers: Close To My Heart "Mistletoe"
• sentiment: Verve "Holiday Greetings"
• layout: Stella Says Sketch #125

additional challenges for this card:

• One Crazy Stamper: December Holiday Challenge
• Frosted Designs: on the 2nd day of Christmas: 2 stamps (my image from Stamping Bella and my sentiment from Verve)

Thanks for stopping by!

October SFYTT and Bellarific Friday!

Hi folks,

I'm a bit later than usual getting my card made for the October Sketch For You To Try challenge, but here it is!

Here's the sketch

and here's my card:

card details:

• finished size: 6x6, CTMH Cocoa card stock
• patterned papers: Close To My Heart "Sonoma" (I used three of the patterned papers in the paper pack)
• stamped image: Stamping Bella Uptown Girls - Felicity and Blair. Coloured with Copic Markers (E000, E00, E01, E93, E30, E31, E33, E34, E35, YG91, YG93, YG95, V0000, V000, V01, E50)
• Three heart shaped gems from my stash to cover where the hearts are in the stamped image above the cupcakes

additional challenges for this card:

• Stamping Bella Bellarific Friday: Three papers, three embellishments (check out everyone else's creations at the Stamping Bella Blog here)

For Mom for Mother's Day

Hi folks,

with Mother's Day just around the corner I guess it is time for me to share the cards I made this year.

This one is for my Mom.

card details:

• finished size: 6x6 inches, CTMH Chocolate cardstock base
• patterned papers: Jillibean Soup "Dutch Mustard". Since my Mom likes yellow, I HAD to use these papers.
• stamped image: "Big Shoes" by Mo Manning for Stamping Bella. I didn't realize that I coloured it so much like the image on the product page until I linked it up! Coloured with Copic Markers (E000, E00, E01, YR09, YR15, Y11, Y21, Y23, Y32, Y35, E50, E51, E53, E57, E59, E27, E37, E35, YG05, YG06, YG07)
• paper flowers from my stash (Recollections)
• Spellbinders Labels Four and Labels Four Small
• brown floss for stitching also from my stash

challenges for this card:

• Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #184: layout
• Stamping Bella Bellarific Friday: Stitching
• Card Crafter's Circle #21: Mum's the Word
• Tuesday Throwdown #97: Motherly Love
• Paper Sundaes #119: Mother's Day
• Sentimental Sundaes #101: for a special woman
• One Crazy Stamper May Challenge: Mother's

Hope you are all having a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by!

Bellarific Graduation Card

Hi folks,

This week's Bellarific challenge over at the Stamping Bella Blog is a sketch (seen below)

Perfect timing as I wanted to use my Jane Girl stamp to make a high school graduation card for my eldest niece. Here's the card that I came up with:

I hope the little flaw in the image isn't too noticeable? There's a little bit of an indent on her head on the stamp and it leaves a little void in the image. I tried sponging a bit of the ink over the void and I think it came out mostly okay. But it is tricky.

I thought the sentiment was perfect for a graduation card. Lots of hope for the future.

card details:

• finished size: 6x6 inches, CTMH Cocoa card stock base
• patterned papers: CTMH Perfect Day
• image: Jane Girl from Stamping Bella, stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa on CTMH Colonial White card stock
• Spellbinders Eyelet Pendant accessory pieces for the corners, with micro half-back pearls for accents.

additional challenges for this card:

• Simon Says Challenge: Anything Goes
• lollipop crafts #78: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you are having a fabulous week!

Bellarific Friday

Hi folks,


The Bellarific Friday challenge for this past week was a sketch, seen below:

I made a couple of Easter cards for two of our nieces, using the cute Umbrella Peep image.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches, Stampin' Up cardstock base
• patterned papers: Echo Park Sweet Summertime
• stamped image: Stamping Bella Umbrella Peep, paper pieced umbrella but the Peep and Umbrella handle are coloured with Copic Markers (E00, YG21, YG23, C2)
• sentiment stamps: CTMH
• CTMH Buttons from my stash

additional challenges for these cards:

• Paper Pretties Monday Challenge: April Showers bring May flowers - or umbrellas!
• Cupcake Craft Challenges: Things from your sewing box - buttons!
• Papertake Weekly Challenge: Anything Goes!

Thanks for stopping by! Today is the start of the holiday long weekend here in Ontario. Believe me, I NEED this weekend to be calm and relaxing.

Bellarific Friday!

I haven't played along with a Bellarific Friday challenge in what seems like ages so.....here we go.

card details:

• finished size: 6x6 inches, CTMH White Daisy textured card stock
• patterned paper: Echo Park Summer Days
• stamped image: "Matilda on her swing" from Stamping Bella, coloured with Copic Markers (I'll update the colours used later)
• buttons from my stash
• layout: Bellarific Friday from February 17, 2012 (if you click through though I have linked to the post from today so you can see all of the creations from everyone else who played along. BEAUTIFUL!)

Hope you are all having a great day and have a fun weekend ahead!

The last of the kiddo Christmas cards

Hi folks,

here's my second last Christmas card for 2011 - this one was for another of dearly beloved's nieces.

I think this might be the first time I've inked up this stamp. Isn't it a cutie?

card details:

• finished size: 5.5 x 5.5 inches, kraft cardstock
• stamped image: Theo gives a prezzie from Stamping Bella, coloured with Copic Markers (R81, W00, W0, W1, W2, W3, W4, R00, R24, R27, R29, G21, G24, B0000, B000, B00)
• patterned papers: CTMH Believe, edges distressed
• crocheted flower: CTMH White Daisy Embellishment pack
• ribbon from my stash

Thanks again for stopping by!

Christmas Challenges Sketch #16

Hi folks,

I know Christmas is over but, as usual, I found myself making a few cards the last couple of days before Christmas. This and the next couple of post will finish up the cards I made for Christmas 2011. My Christmas Card resolution for 2012 is to actually write the recipient name on the card as soon as I make it - that way I can check them off my list and know that I have them done. I thought I had made lots of cards, and in fact I do have some leftovers, but I didn't have the right card "type" for all of the recipients. I came up short on cards for the kids specifically.

Anyways, here's a couple for two little girls on our list. The first one went to dearly beloved's youngest niece.

And this one went to the youngest daughter of some dear friends of ours.

Same image and layout but I switched up the papers and sentiments.

card details:

• finished size: 6x6 inches, CTMH cardstock used for the card base
• stamped image: Mavis wearing Holly from Stamping Bella, coloured with copic markers (YG61, YG63, YG67, R85, R81, R000, N0, N1, N2, N3, BV0000, BV000, BG0000, BG000, BG01, BG02)
• patterned papers: CTMH Wonderland
• sentiments: Verve Ornamental Christmas
• layout: Christmas Challenges {with sketches} #16

Thanks for stopping by!

Cute Card Thursday #196

Hi folks,

phew. Is everyone pooped now that Christmas has come and gone? I don't know about you but I had four days off for Christmas and this is the first chance I have had to sit down to write up this and the following few posts.

I'll be happy to go back to work tomorrow so I can sit down for a few hours!

Anyways, here is a card I made last week for my friend's other 15 year old daughter's birthday. Yes  she has two fifteen year old daughters and they aren't twins. Their birthdays are only two weeks apart though - one two days before Christmas and one the same day as my Dad on January 7th.

card details:

• finished size: 5.5 x 5.5 inches, kraft cardstock base
• stamped image: little peep's birthday cake from Stamping Bella, coloured with Copic Markers (E30, E31, E55, E57, E59, E49, B91, B93, B95, YG21, YG23, YG25, YG63, YG67. Y02)
• patterned paper & buttons: Basic Grey Marjolaine
• layout: Cute Card Thursday #196

additional challenges for this card:

• Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #166: Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by at this busy time of year! Hope you all had a fab Christmas!

Pixie Cottage Challenge 101

Hi folks,

while I still have a couple of Christmas cards for the kiddos to finish up before the big day, I had a more pressing need to get a a few more birthday cards ready for a few birthdays that happen over the next couple of weeks.

For you today, I have the card that I needed for today! One of the daughter's of a friend of mine is 15 today (my oh my where have the years gone?) and this is the card I made for her birthday.

card details:

• finished size: 5.5 x 5.5 inches, kraft cardstock
• stamped image: Izzie has a birfday cake from Stamping Bella, coloured with Copic Markers (BV0000, BV000, BV00, BV01, E51, E53, E55, E57, E59, E49, E30, E31, E34, YG63)
• sentiment: Verve Big Wish
• patterned papers: Basic Grey Wisteria (thanks Peggy! These were in a "crafty care package" that I got in the mail a while back and this is the first chance I've had to use them.)
• prima paper roses from my stash
• layout: Pixie Cottage Sketch #101 (challenge: someone special)

additional challenges for this card:

• One stitch at a time #93: Anything goes

Thanks for stopping by at this busy time of year! Hope you are all catching a little time to relax in the middle of all the Christmas prep!

December SFYTT

Hi folks,

well, I did it! I played along with all of this year's SFYTT challenges!

So here is the December SFYTT

and my take on it

cute huh? This card is going to our youngest niece.

card details:

• finished size: 6x6 inches, CTMH chocolate card base
• patterned paper: CTMH Wonderland
• stamped image: Mavis Wearing Holly from StampingBella coloured with Copic Markers (YG61, YG63, YG67, R85, R81, R000, N0, N1, N2, N3, BV0000, BV000, BG0000, BG000, BG01, BG02)
• sentiment: CTMH Holiday Wishes
• Spellbinders: Petite Circles, Classic Rectangles

So now the BIG part of the SFYTT year-end wrap-up -- a link to ALL of the other cards I made this year for each of the SFYTT challenges

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November

Wish me luck for the big draw on Christmas Day!

additional challenges for this card:

• Crafty Creations Challenges #147: Card with a Sentiment
• Papertake Weekly: Anything Goes

Hope you are all having a lovely day, thanks for stopping by!

Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge #23

Hi folks,

back for the second time today with still more of my "Christmas Card Catch-Up". Over at Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge Blog, challenge #23 was to use a "non-traditional Christmas image". Well, the challenges are always optional, as long as you make any Christmas card, it's good.

So, I wasn't feeling particularly creative with choosing a non-Christmas image to use - but I did come across an actual Christmas stamp in my collection which, to me, is a bit non-traditional - a cupcake!

And with the papers switched up slightly.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches
• stamped image: Cupcake with Holly on Top from Stamping Bella, Coloured with Copic Markers (R24, R29, R30, G20, G21, G24, G28)
• sentiment: StarvingArtistamps Santa's Sweet Shoppe Sentiments
• patterned papers: CTMH Mistletoe, edges distressed with CTMH Cranberry, New England Ivy
• kraft cardstock for card base and sentiment panel
• layout: Stamping Bella Bellarific Friday Sketch Challenge

So that brings me up to 54 Christmas cards made for this year. Now, if I can just get this week's challenge done I'll be back on track! 

By the way - there's a design team call up over at Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge Blog if any of you are interested in applying! If you haven't started on your Christmas cards yet for this year it would be a GREAT way for you to get ahead of the game.

Hope you are all having a lovely week so far! Thanks for stopping by!