Curtain Call Inspiration and Sweet Sunday Sketch: hope

Just a reminder that there is still time to play along with the current Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge. You have until Friday, October 10th at 8 a.m. CDT to play along for a chance at a guest designer spot and a random winner gets a $25 gift certificate to Paper Smooches!!

I didn't go with the lips for this card, but all of that pink said Breast Cancer Awareness Month to me.  I had been paging through the stamp sets that I have to make cards for breast cancer and realized I had forgotten a very nice set and die by Paper Smooches called Hope.  As part of the Curtain Call design team, I had received the set Blossoming Buds.  The sets seemed like a perfect match!

I used the solid leaf in Blossoming Buds to create the soft pink patterned paper.  I also stamped the square sets of the words "faith hope love" on the small banner.  The hope word die is very nice in that it comes with two awareness ribbon dies.
I hope you are inspired to play along.  I look forward to seeing what you create!
I used the current sketch from Sweet Sunday Sketch.

• Stamps: Paper Smooches Hope, Blossoming Buds
• Paper: Stampin' Up Pink Pirouette, Strawberry Slush, My Favorite Things Bubblegum, black
• Ink: Stampin' Up Pink Pirouette, Strawberry Slush, Memento Black, Copics
• Accessories: Paper Smooches Hope die, MFT Bubblegum button

Sweet Birthday Wishes for Hannah!!!

I am blessed to count Stacey Schafer as a true blogging friend - and we've actually spent time together in real life!!  First, she came to Colorado to visit and after a long day of crafting, we had to find a pet store to get a Broncos dog tag for her daughter's new puppy.  About six months later, we met up in Chicago for three days of tourist time and Hannah came too!  We ate and shopped and visited museums and the Skydeck.  Hannah was hanging out with me to walk out on the Skydeck but abandoned me in favor of her mom when it became clear to her that there was no way in heck that I was going to step out on the glass floor 103-stories up!  But when I decided to walk back to the hotel, Hannah graciously agreed to come with me.  It ended up being quite a long walk but very interesting.  We figured out that if you looked up, the gargoyles and other winged creatures on top of the buildings were quite ominous. A few months later, I was honored to be Hannah's first Facebook chat!

Anyway, it's been in my mind for months that I needed to find out the date of her birthday and I've just never gotten it done.  Luckily, I saw cupcakes on Facebook for Hannah's 10th birthday today!!!  So, the card isn't mailed - but I wanted to send sweet birthday wishes to Hannah!!


Happy 10th Birthday Hannah!! Sweet wishes to you!

• Stamps: WPlus9 Sweet and Treats, Whole Lotta Happy ("Birthday Wishes")
• Paper: Doodlebug Sugar Shoppe, My Favorite Things Orange Fizz, Simon Says Doll Pink
• Ink: Black, Simon Says Doll Pink and Smoke, Copics
• Accessories: WPlus9 Sweets and Treats dies (just the "sweet" banner), Stampin' Up border Punch, misc sequins
• Challenge: clean&simple Fall to Layout but upside down

Color Throwdown and Reverse Confetti: Trick or Treat

This is my third post today.

The next challenge that I wanted to play on World Cardmaking Day is color throwdown.  I love the natural, fall color scheme.

I envisioned the natural colors with the chunky Halloween sets from Reverse Confetti, so I also checked out their sketch and it all worked together!!  The sketch also allowed me to use one of their fun dies.  It's just a simple circle (and there are scalloped circles) - but check out the ridge along the edge which makes a clean and simple frame.

I thought I'd get quite a bit more done today for World Cardmaking Day, but I really do have to consider showering and getting ready to head out and cheer my kids on at a marching band competition.  They are virtually certain to make finals - so it's going to be a late night.  It's been a fun day, crafting uninterrupted for four hours (and, yes, I know I only made four cards) - I might have to figure out how to make tomorrow a card day too!

• Stamps: Reverse Confetti Spooky Cuties and Spooky Sentiments
• Paper: Carta Bella A Perfect Autumn 6x6, Stampin' Up Kraft and Tangelo Twist
• Ink: Stampin' Up Tangelo Twist, Simon Says Fog, Black, Versmark
• Accessories: Reverse Confetti Circle 'n Scallops die, Pretty Pink Posh 6mm Sparkling Clear Sequins, Hero Arts white embossing powder

Mojo Monday and CAS(E) this Sketch: It's Marching Season

This is my second post today.

In my previous post, I noted that I had four hours carved out today for cardmaking.  The reason only four hours is that it's marching season and both of my children are at a competition.  They march this afternoon in the preliminary competition. Typically I go for the full day and take notes on the competition so I'm feeling a little guilty sitting here crafting (but not too guilty!).  In this particular competition they would have to completely fall apart to not make finals tonight so I figure I'll see most of the bands this evening.

The next challenge I want to play today is Mojo Monday.  As soon as I saw it, it occurred to me that I had not thought about making cards for my guys.  Although the cards are lost and forgotten as soon as they are opened - they would definitely notice if I forgot.   Check out the great paper.  Clearly it's meant for a football card - but as they say..."what is the football team doing on the band field"?

For the second child, I noticed the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch - perfect for a line of music and a sentiment.  This card uses the colors of their uniforms which always feels a little militaristic - but he'll like it.

Dude You Rock:

• Stamps: Verve Dude
• Paper: Echo Park That's My Boy 6x6 pad, Papertrey Ink Simply Chartreuse, Stampin' Up Night of Navy
• Ink: Stampin' Up Night of Navy, Papertrey Ink Simply Chartreuse
• Accessories: My Favorite Things Fishtail dies, misc button and twine

Absolutely Proud of You:

• Stamps: Simon Says Absolutely
• Paper: Echo Park That's My Boy 6x6 pad, Simon Says Schoolhouse Red, Stampin' Up Night of Navy
• Ink: Stampin' Up Night of Navy
• Accessories: Simon Says Absolutely die, Memory Box music, Papertrey Arrow, Doodlebug Graduation Stars Sprinkles

Merry Monday: Stripes and Dots

Happy World Cardmaking Day!  Isn't it wonderful to have our own special day?!  I have managed to carve out four uninterrupted hours.  There isn't even anybody home to bother me!! Life is good!

I'm not going to chatter too much because I want to be making cards.  I decided not to play along with any official celebration.  I am simply going to walk through challenges and do the ones that I want to do - with absolutely no other requirements on myself - no design team, no NBUS, just fun!!!

The first is the current Merry Monday Challenge: Stripes, Polka Dots or both.

I have a lot to choose from but I decided to go with the original Clearly Besotted set.  They have a new release going live tomorrow that I am loving - so while I'm waiting for that I am pulling out the first set ever!


I recently got the Kaisercraft pad called Mistletoe.  I am loving the fresh colors - particularly the lime green - so I pulled all the colors from the paper.  The borders are two die cuts that come in the pad.  Honestly, I have always just paged right by the die cuts in pads - but I like these!

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted Stamps Signature Christmas and Signature Christmas Additions
• Paper: Kaisercraft Mistletoe, Papertrey Ink Ocean Tides
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Limeade Ice, Ocean Tides, Simon Says Schoolhouse Red, Versamark
• Accessories: Clearly Besotted Stamps Signature Christmas dies, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter, Stampin' Up Heat 'n Stick Powder, Hemptique 10-lb white twine, misc sequins.

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Smooch

This is my second post today.  Freshly Made Sketches
is just a post away!

It's time for a new Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge!

We have a new sponsor, Paper Smooches, for the Curtain Call Inspiration: Smooch!  A randomly selected participant in the Smooch challenge will be awarded a $25 gift certificate to the Paper Smooches store, while the LEAD of the challenge will be invited as a guest designer for a future challenge!

I was inspired by the various pinks with a lot of white - so I used the sweet flowers in Blossoming Buds along with the handy set We Connect.  We Connect has a variety of loving words with some big ampersands so you can put together your own sentiment.  I had to use "kisses" because of the inspiration, and I love "huge hugs".

I also used wanna sketch #20 from Lisa Arana.  I have to admit to already planning to put the spray of flowers in the corner before I looked at the sketch, but then I saw the single colored heart and that's what led me to leaving some uncolored flowers.

Make sure you visit each of the designers' blogs for more inspiration!

Smooch Designers

Wanda Guess, Guest Designer

Amy Kolling
Amy Sheffer
Amy Tsuruta
Gayatri Murali
Kim Singdahlsen
Laurie Willison
Lisa Henke
Marisa Ritzen
Maureen Plut
Monika Davis
Sarah Gough
Sheri Gilson
Stacey Schafer
Tenia Nelson
Tracey McNeely

Follow us!

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge Facebook Page

Curtain Call Pinterest Boards

Stop by the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge:  Smooch for the challenge details and to play along with us!

Freshly Made Sketches: Boo to You

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!

If you started with my card, be sure to head over to Freshly Made Sketches and check out the amazing variety of cards that came from this single sketch!!  I am always amazed at what everybody sees in a sketch and how different each card can be even with just a few panels.  I went with a happy ghost.


I really had no intention of getting any new Halloween products this year.  It's fun to make Halloween cards but I simply do not have many people to give them to. But I was playing at a friend's house and she had this Stampin' Up Fall Fest set - I couldn't resist!  It's full of different sized pumpkins and a variety of faces for the pumpkins or the little ghost, plus it has coordinating dies!
I hope you are inspired to play along - I look forward to seeing what you create.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Fall Fest, Good Greetings 
• Paper: Doodlebug Haunted Manor 6x6, Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade, Simon Says Fog, My Favorite Things Grape Jelly
• Ink: Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade, Pumpkin Pie
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Fun Fall dies, Jillibean Soup Enamel Stars, Wow white embossing powder, Papertrey Ink file die