Winter Blues

Brrrrr!

 

 

It's so easy for me to joke about the freezing weather sitting here in 100 degrees,

but come next Spring, I'll get pleanty of teasing about how I'm sweatin' it out!

 

 

The sketch challenge at

Craft's Meow

 this week is a terrific one!

And they are taking part in the "Hope You Can Cling To Challenge"

over at SplitcoastStampers! 

Of course, it wasn't until I had my sketch card finished that I saw that!

Now I get to make a few more cards during the course of October

for the challenge at Splitcoast!

 

 

I haven't had this TCM stamp long, and this is my first chance at inking it up!

"Let it Snow"

And, rather than just straight cutting the edges of my background paper, I chose to

wiggle the scissors around a bit. All it did was make my paper look crooked. 

Next time, it's paper cutter only!

 

Well, I love the little snowman image, and hopefully, that will be the main

focus when a recipient gets this card!

I plan on sending this, along with a few others before the end of the month,

to the MD Anderson Cancer Center. 

I plan on going through my box of previously completed cards and throwing those in the package, also.

This is something we can all do to help the cause and clean up all these cards we tend to "accumulate" over time.

If they've been posted before, no reposting and entering the contest with each!

Just remember, this is for the cancer patients!

 

Thanks for visiting me today,

and please, it's Breast Cancer Awareness month!

Do something to help your fellow BFF's,  "breast friends forever"!

 

~Jan~

 



Happy Spring!

This card was made for the sketch challenge over at

Craft's Meow

I used the sentiment from Craft's Meow's, "Fly Free".

The DP is My Mind's Eye, "Lost and Found, Madison Avenue" collection

The flower is Prima and the little brads are brown felt ones from my stash.

I love using ribbon as a border, especially ruffled a bit!

It seems strange making a Spring card when the temperature is in the low 90's today!

Thanks for looking at my blog!

Spread your wings....

This card was made especially for the

Birthday Bash Color Challenge at Craft's Meow!

Do you love their stamps as much as I do?

They are celebrating their very first blog birthday

and there are numerous challenges and even FREE digis!

My card:

I heat embosssed the birdcage from the gorgeous Craft's Meow  "Fly Free" stamp,
along with a few little personal extras... cream Hug Snug, resin bird...

The feathers are from our very own parrots.  I have peacock and artificially colored craft feathers in my stash, but it just seemed right to use our very own.

(Don't worry, they fell out during a normal molting.

No birds were injured in the gathering of these feathers!  LOL!)

They were the perfect blue and green colors.
(Note: Bird feathers glow with an odd irridescent color when photographed!
There is NO  yellow in that feather!)

The inside simply has the sentiment that is included in the set:

Spread your wings and fly!

Hope you enjoy!

Little Frieda

I absolutely love this little Craft's Meow gal!  

She is so easy to paper-piece and has so much personality!

(I used DCWV's "Tradewinds" matstack)

To enter this week's sketch challenge, I have her vacationing on yet another beach...

My favorite part of this card?

Her little toes in the "sandy beach" with those adorable tiny shells!

I had to dig into my vacation goodies to find these shells from Rocky Point, Mexico!
I had them in a little jar under my bathroom sink! (Go figure!)

Thanks for joining me today!

Can you tell I'm ready for those Summer trips to the West coast?

Check out the challenge at Craft's Meow !

Also, this card has been entered the challenge at Clear It Out (the seashells)

DYSU Challenge #61 - Wings

For this week we have two great sponsors:

Winner's Choice of 6 Digital Images



6 copic ciao marker (North/South America)

Martha Stewart punch (rest of the world)

I couldn't resist using one of my favorite stamps
for this challenge! 

"Butterfly Kisses" from Craft's Meow

and of course, more of the gorgeous Fran*tage flakes and glitter from Stampendous!

Inside:

IRL, the stamped butterflies match the blue bird's egg flakes...
go figure....

Craft's Meow wishes...

This is my favorite fairy stamp ever!  Wait, I've never really been much of a fairy person, so where is this coming from?  Only the fact that this little stamp won my heart about a year ago and I just can't get enough of her!

This week's sketch challenge at Craft's Meow is ideal for a simple, yet elegant card.

I heat embossed the sillouette in black to make it POP off the pattern paper.

I love the delicate little wings...

Paper used was Basic Grey, "Origins" and Nestie used was Labels Eleven.

Inspire...

I have been dying to get this little fairy all inked up since she

arrived in my mail the other day!

I used the challenge sketch at Craft's Meow who makes this

amazing little stamp!

When I make cards, I usually even make a larger size card, but this week I decided to try something new. At least one thing...every week... so this week it is to make an ATC card!  Not easy for me. Normally such a tiny canvas in with which to work!  But, in this case, the folks at Simon Says Stamp & Show stated that it need not be a traditional size ATC.  (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") Whew!  So I added less than an inch each direction and went with a 3 1/4" by 4" card base. I know! Not a lot of difference, but baby steps, baby steps....

I had already stamped the second sentiment in the center when I realized the sketch calls for the sentiment on the bottom. (I also noticed several of the DT had used more than one sentiment...just sayin'....)

If you look closely, you'll see my tiny, wee sentiment along the bottom of the card.

I also flipped the sketch a bit, but stuck to the basics of it.

For my next trick of the week, this is the first time I have ever stamped and heat embossed on vellum! Yea, I know...under a rock...

It turned out really nice! I stamped the little fairy with my Momento black ink, sprinkled it with black powder, and carefully heated it up! Not so tough! It melted properly and never even looked like it would melt or burn! Love it!

So, in a nutshell, I have learned several new techniques this week and all because of a few wonderful blog challenges!

Supplies used:
Paper;  Graphic 45, "Renaissance faire Collection"
Stamps; Craft's Meow, "Butterfly Kisses"
Dies; Cricut, Art Philosophy
Rub-on; Scenic Route paper Co.
Pearls; Recollections

This little creation will be entered into the challenges at:
Craft's Meow Shop Sketch Challenge
Simon Says Stamp and Show (ATC card)
Crafty Creations (Fabulous Fairies)
Simon Says Stamp Challenge (Dies to die for)