Celebration Penguin parties.

This is an envelope I made for our color challenge over on our 300th celebration challenge, going on now. 

I used the die set from Stampin' Up to cut out my envelope, which fits a gift card perfectly. I embossed it with my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder and assembled it. I colored up Celebration Penguin from 2 Cute Ink with Prismacolor pencils and cut him out with my Nestabilities circle dies. I used the sentiment, stamped in Versafine Black Onyx ink, from the Your Next Stamp set called Silly Monsters.

These days, I only seem to give gift cards so this will come in handy for the next birthday, boy or girl!

You can join in the fun by clicking on the cupcake to be taken straight to the challenge. Hurry, time's running out.

Thanks for looking! I hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I would like to enter this project into the following challenges:

Celebrate You!!

It's time for another challenge over at Cupcake Inspirations!! 

I hope you'll come over and join us. 

We are sponsored this week by 2 Cute Ink !

2 Cute Ink is generously providing a prize of 2 digis to our randomly chosen winner.

Thanks so much for sponsoring our challenge, 2 Cute Ink!

Each challenge, we give you an inspiration cupcake and you make a card or other craft project that is inspired by the cupcake.  

Here is this week's cupcake.

I used this cute image that was a freebie when 2 Cute Ink was celebrating their 500 FB likes, I think. :) I don't remember exactly what we were celebrating but we were celebrating all the same! 

I used my Nestabilities circle and scalloped circles dies for my main image. 

The card stock is an unknown green from my stash (Green Galore, maybe?) and Real Red. I embossed the green panel with my Cuttlebug Happy Birthday folder. The card base is Basic Black. Added some twine around the panels and then dicided it needed a little bling. The rhinestones are from the Target dollar spot.  

On the inside, I layered more of the card stock and used my Stampin' Up 'Celebrate' set in Real Red ink. This will probably end up a birthday card but it doesn't have to be. 

Thank you for looking! I hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Something New - Home Edition

My brother-in-law just moved into his new downtown condo. He has been looking so forward to this and Husband and I couldn't be happier for him. For the occasion, and so the first pieces of mail he gets are not all bills and junk, I made him this card.

I used a Stampin' Up set Right at Home for all my images with the exception of the heart on the interior which is Simon Says Stamp. I stamped the chair in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored Primsacolor pencils. Isn't it CUTE?!?! I can hardly stand it.

My card base is kraft and I used SU Real Red and Basic Black cardstock. I glossy-accented the television screen though you can't really tell in the picture.

For the inside, I stamped the same image in Versamark and used a sentiment from the set in Versafine over the top. The hearts (from SSS) are in Real Red ink.

Thanks for looking! Hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Less is More # 156
613 Avenue Create #56 - Anything Goes
Created with Love #74 - Anything Goes

I don't know snow...(CIC 244)

Our sponsor this week is Freckled Fawn!

Freckled Fawn is generously offering a $15 gift card as our fabulous prize to our random winner! 

Thank you for sponsoring this challenge!

Here's is this week's inspiration cupcake.
Our challenge this week is to use the color combination sage, cream, and mist. 

Snowman Cupcakes from Simply Cake

Before I give you my take, let me just say that I wouldn't know what to do with myself in the weather some parts of this country are experiencing. I grew up here in Houston and we have two seasons, hot and hotter. I hope everyone out there is safe and warm. :) With that being said, I have to laugh when I use snowmen on my cards because I can't remember the last time I built one.

I used Stampin' Up cardstock and, honestly, I am not sure of the exact color names. They were the closest I could come to the challenge colors. I'm also not a "cream" kind of girl so I used white. That's one of the things I love about our challenges; they're really open to your own interpretation. I stamped SU's Six-Sided Sampler with Versamark ink and used clear embossing powder to create my pattern. Decided to try this "quilting" trend everyone is beaming about. I like the trend but not quite sure about my version. :) I colored my snowman (from SU's Snow Buddy set) Prismacolor pencils after stamping him in Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I added Diamond Stickles for my snowflakes.

On the inside, I used the same set to create a little tag using my Fiskars Hexagon punch. Here are some closeups.

 Thanks for looking! I hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge:
Mod Squad - Snow
Robin's Fetish Challenge Blog #195 - Winter Cards

Love you.

I got inspired when I saw the challenge prompts at Addicted to CAS and Inkspirational. Anniversary and White on White. I immediately thought of this card. Don't you love it when you know exactly what you want to do?

I punched the little hearts out with a Stampin' Up punch. I adhered them to the card front when I was happy with the placement. The "red" heart is actually four of the little hearts stacked together, then covered with Christmas Red Stickles. The sentiment is from the SU set Short and Sweet and is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

I entered this card into the following challenges:

Paper Playtime #23 - Sparkle

Addicted to CAS - Anniversary

Inkspirational #43 - White on White

Chocolate, Coffee, Cards #52 - Monochromatic

Wednesday Creative Inspiration Challenge #240 - White on White
The Paper Girls Challenge #43 - Cut it Out

Thanks for looking! Hope this finds you happy and healthy. 

Make-a-Card Monday: BOO!

Halloween is upon us! What do you do for Fright Night? Our neighborhood always has the "Halloween Extravaganza" and has for over 30 years. We block off the streets and, after the costume contest, the neighbors line the sidewalks with their chairs and tables, giving out candy to the trick-or-treaters as they parade past. At the end of the parade is a carnival, complete with haunted house (one for the kids and one for the adults), outdoor movie (It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown), and TONS of treats, including sno-cones, popcorn, and cotton candy, all made to order. It's, honestly, one of the greatest things in Houston (right up there with Lights in the Heights) and people come from all over town to join us.

The kids want to be I'll let you know on Thursday. :)

So in honor of this fun day, I created some Halloween cards for my nearest and dearest. :)

These cards were created using stamps from the Michaels dollar spot. I can't even remember when I got them. I *think* I found them this summer but that doesn't make much sense. Then again, stores are putting out holiday decorations earlier and earlier. :) I colored the images with my Prismacolor pencils. Next, time I will try a green face on the little witch. :) All the circles were cut using my Nestablilities using black, SU Elegant Eggplant (you can't tell in the pictures), and SU Only Orange. The card base is also Only Orange. The inside was stamped in Only Orange with pumpkins from Autumn Harvest and the sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes. 

 

I used this oldie but goodie by My Favorite Things, and I can't even remember the name. I got the stamped images in a RAK. I colored up the *ghoulfriends* with my Prismacolor pencils and used Glossy Accents on their boots, trying to make them look like patent leather. :) Since I didn't have any of the sentiments that went with this set, I broke out my There She Goes Halloween Additions set and used the pumpkin and sentiments from there. I inked them up in Memento Tuxedo Black and SU Pumpkin Pie. The papers are from an old Stampin' Up Designer Series paper pack and Basic Grey's Eerie collection with a SU Elegant Eggplant card base.

This card was stamped with There She Goes Halloween Additions, again. LOVE this sentiment! And it's not just for Halloween. :) My intent was tp add googly eyes but it turns out I don't have any. Boo. I must find some! I heat embossed the sentiments on both the outside and inside of the card, forgetting to use my Embossing Buddy so I have little *confetti* around them. Oh, well. The paper is from the same Stampin' Up Designer paper pack as above. Added a hemp twine bow for texture. 

I made this card using the Your Next Stamp October Sketch Challenge. I love this little guy that I found in the Michaels dollar bins. I colored him up with my Copics. I used K and Company's Spookatular line from a couple years ago. It's so colorful and kid-friendly. I added Stickles to the 'Halloween' and Bella Baubles to the corner. 

Thanks for looking! Hope this finds you happy and healthy. Be safe out there. :)

Make-a-Card Monday: Welcome to the 'Hood!

So, in honor of my in-laws moving about 5 minutes away, I am showcasing these cards I made for them. We are looking forward to having them so close. I am envisioning weekly date nights and sleeping late Saturdays. I know I'll wake up to reality, when the "new" of having my kids so close wears off, and they start avoiding my calls.

In this first card, I used an old Stampin' Up set, Right at Home. LOVE this set! It's perfect for more than just  "welcome to the 'hood" cards. There's "thanks for your hospitality" and "we've moved" sentiments as well. I stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with my Prismacolor pencils. I added some Glossy Accents to the TV screen. I cut out the image with my small circle Nestabilities, along with a black cardstock layer. I drew layout inspiration from Cas(e) This Sketch! sketch #14. My little lines are just one-eighth inch strips of SU's Real Red cardstock. I used SU's heart, 1 inch, and 1.25 inch punches.

But, really, how cute is this chair? Swoon.

On the inside, I decided to try something different. I have just found the amazingly talented Amy and she always decorates the insides of her cards. Seems like a fun idea to me. I used the same Kraft that I matted on the outside and I stamped the image in Versamark ink. After letting that dry, I stamped the second sentiment in Versafine. The little hearts are from a SSS set called "Card Exchanging Friends" and stamped in SU's Real Red ink.

I used the biggest stamp in the same set for this card. Oh my, those houses are adorable! So fun and easy to color, too. (Plus, my in-laws' new home is in a row of three, making this image even more fitting.)

I colored the houses with my Prismacolor pencils, keeping it simple with no shading or anything. I did add Glossy Accents to the windows, just wished I had added a bit of color first. Used a sketch that I found on Pinterest (I was unable to find the original source, sorry) and all the colored paper is from my stash. I embossed the background mat with a Cuddlebug folder. I found those brads floating around and thought they would be pretty perfect on this card.

On the inside, I used the chair and inked it with SU's Gable Green. The sentiment is in Versafine.

How do you let everyone know you've moved? I just put business cards with our new info on them in our baby announcements. (E, our oldest, was born 4 days before we moved to Houston.) If we ever move again, I hope to use a little more creativity.

Thanks for looking! Hope this finds you happy and healthy.