Free 4 All Friday: Kinder-Birthday

How kind of SplitCoast stampers to come up with a Friday Free For All Challenge that I really needed to do anyway.  Tomorrow afternoon we will be celebrating my niece's 3rd birthday - so I definitely needed to a "Kinder-Birthday" card as is called for in the challenge!

FYI: I have taken a dozen pictures in different lights trying to make the yellow scallops look more like they do in real life.  It is a velvet ribbon and it is a very nice soft yellow.  But no matter what light I pick it darkens it. 

(To my local ladies: I just picked up this darling stamp at Hobby Lobby.  The balloons are empty; I added the Happy Bday.  We are going to do this card for Easter (without the birthday)!)

• Stamps: American Art Stamp bunny, Clear Dollar Stamps Too Sweet sentiment
• Ink: Stampin' Up Basic Gray, copics
• Paper: Stampin' Up Pink Passion, dsp unknown
• Accessories: American Crafts yellow velvet scallop ribbon, pink ribbon from Michaels, Karen Foster Scrapper's Floss
• Challenges: SplitCoast Free4All and Just Add Ink Sketch Challenge

FYI: This is my second post today so keep scrolling down to see more!

PTI Make It Monday: Vellum Strip

Papertrey Ink (on Nicole's blog) has a new feature called Make It Monday.  Each Monday she features a video on a technique and then we have a week to make and link a card with that technique.  This Monday was the simple, but very stylish, vellum strip.

I had second reason for making this particular card.  Last week, my Friday Focus was a review of various companies' dimensional flower dies or punches along with tips on each one.  The die from Papertrey was my favorite of the batch - but I just didn't love the card that I used to demonstrate the die.  So I really wanted to put up a card that did a better job of showing you how nice this die looks.  Check out my Friday Focus to see how easy it is to use!

• Stamps: Papertrey Healing Touch Sentiments, Turning a New Leaf
• Ink: Versamark, Papertrey Dark Chocolate
• Paper: Papertrey Simply Chartreuse, Orange Zest, Kraft, Vellum CS, Dotty Biscotti dsp
• Accessories: Papertrey Bloom Builder #2, Orange Zest buttons, twine

D2D with Sketch & Colors

I am ahead of schedule this week! 

I have been promising you that I would get the free Designed2Delight digi up earlier because if you like it, you can go buy the digi, make a card, post it on a blog or in a gallery, link back to Designed2Delight and they send you next week's free!  Just want to say again that I am not affiliated with this company in anyway, but you will be seeing them regularly on my blog because I really, really like free stuff!!  BTW - if you go buy this week's digi, for $3, you get the bouquet and the MOST darling little girl stamp.

I'm also on time for the TechnoStamper Sketch Challenge.  I finished up last week's on Sunday night and went to post it, but the link was already down.  I guess it should have occurred to me that if she posts a new sketch early Monday morning she probably wouldn't leave the old one up!  Here's this week's sketch.

And...I am using today's SplitCoast Color Challenge so I am definitely on time for that!

Here's my card for all of the above.  It's very simple, but I think it's very sweet (if I do say so myself!)

• Stamps: Designed2Delight digi, PaperTrey Simple Little Things sentiment
• Ink: copics
• Paper: Stampin' Up Pacific Point, WIld Wasabi, So Saffron
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Wasabi Ribbon, Crystal Stickers Glitter Domes, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Yellow Stickles on flowers
• Challenges: see above

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The TechnoStamper sketch challenge is the fun challenge that lets you link all of the other entrants to your blog.  I love this because it lets you all see what everybody else has done with this sketch. Plus, it updates as others link their creations.  Here are the other entrants!





A Kiss for Hubby!

Here's my Valentine for my hubby:

• Stamps: Michaels $1 stamp (lips), Inkadinkado (ticket)
• Ink: PaperTrey Hibiscus and Dark Chocolate
• Paper: PaperTrey Harvest Gold, Dark Chocolate
• Accessories: Nesties Squares and Scalloped Squares, Stampin' Up Dot embossing folder, American Crafts ribbon, Smooch Illuminate (for a little sparkle on those lips!!)
• Challenges: SplitCoast CAS Challenge

For a Dude!

Here's my Valentine for my teenager:

The colors from the Utah Divas International Color Challenge seems retro and I thought they would work well on a masculine card.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Punch Bunch (owl), Cornish Heritage Farms (sentiment), Stampin' Up Valentine Defined via My Digital Studio (lines)
• Ink: Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip
• Paper: Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango, Very Vanilla, More Mustard dsp
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Tangerine ribbon, owl punch, Cuttlebug Give a Hoot embossing folder, Ranger Glossy Accents
• Challenges: Utah Divas International Color Challenge and TechnoStamper Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge

 

For a Tweet-Heart!

This is my Valentine for my 6-year old niece:

I have so many little kid Valentine stamps but this little bird just seemed right for her - very, very sweet!  I chose to stamp in colors and keep the images open and uncolored to contrast with the colorful background. 

• Stamps: PaperTrey Little Bitty Bird, Mixed Messages
• Ink: PaperTrey Simply Chartreuse, Hawaiian Shores, Hibiscus Burst
• Paper: PaperTrey Simply Chartreuse, Hawaiian Shores, Hibiscus Burst, and Harvest Gold
• Accessories: Nestabilities Oval and Scalloped Oval, Quickutz tag punch, Cuttlebug heart embossing folders, PaperTrey Hibiscus Ribbon, Martha Stewart Border Heart Punch (just to get the punched out little hearts in the upper corner)
• Challenges: Inkspirations Sketch Challenge and Totally Hues Challenge #1

FOM: February

During my 2010 attempt to make sure all of my Stampin' Up sets saw ink, I came across an older uninked stamp set called "Flower of the Month".  I decided that for our church cardmaking racks, I would do a set of these cards each month in 2011.  The January Flower of the Month is in this post or just click on "Flower of the Month" in Card Categories to see the entire year (which right now only consists of January and February!)

Here is February's card:

I worked this card around this rich paper from a K&Co stack called Alleghany - the entire stack of paper is rich and vibrant.  There are lots of fall colors, but also many blues and purples.  I added some sparkle with the ribbon, then wanted more gold so I edged some of the panels with a Krylon 18KT Gold Leafing Pen.  The gem is from Martha Stewart - which includes the birthstones from each month - I will be using that set throughout the year while I am creating Flower of the Month cards.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Happy Birthday Frame, Flower of the Month
• Ink: Memento Black, copics
• Paper: Stampin' Up Mellow Moss, Black
• Accessories: Nestabilities Scalloped Square, ribbon from Michaels (Xmas Collection), Misc gold "pearls", Martha Stewart Birthstone Gem Stickers, Krylon 18kt Gold Leafing Pen
• Challenges: CardPatterns Sketch Challenge

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I have recently stumbled on a site that I am so excited to share: Christian Paper Crafts Creative Blog.  They include a daily card challenge and it is always associated with a Bible verse or Christian concept.  For instance, I loved a recent challenge to use piercing on your card because they included the lyrics to a Christian song that begins..."He was pierced for our transgressions"...

The gallery is amazing.  Particularly if you have come to my blog because of my series on Church Card Ministries, you need to spend some time browsing!

They do have memberships available.  I did join at the lowest level, but I JUST joined so really can't tell you all of the benefits.

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Woo hoo!  Picture Perfect Creations picked this card as a Grand Creations Winner!! (Card details are on this post.)

I am hoping to get some crafting in today.  I only have one appointment at 10 this morning.  Oh...Who am I kidding?...I am meeting up with a friend who has a Stampin' Up order for me!!  I HAD to do a Stampin' Up order...I just HAD to.  I heard a story from a friend who had a friend who hosted a SU big party - she made brunch and everything - and she is highly pregnant - and nobody ordered anything!!  So what an excuse for me to put an order in on her party!  Not that I need an excuse...but I definitely felt better actually having an excuse!

Have a Happy Friday!