Happy Fall, Y'all! with The Cutting Cafe

Here we are in the first few days of Fall, and it feels like it here in NW Wisconsin.  Our nights are getting chilly, the sun doesn't have much warmth, and the leaves are turning and falling.  Such a pretty time of year!

 

This week, at The Cutting Café, we had a choice of three sets to design with:

ACORN SHAPED CARD...TEMPLATE - CUTTING FILE

or

FALL WORD SHAPED CARD......TEMPLATE - CUTTING FILE
or

WELCOME FALL......PRINTABLE STAMP SET

Since I used the fall word shaped card in a post yesterday, I went with the acorn shaped card today.  It's definitely a fall-looking card, don't you think?

 

 

I loved how this turned out.  I've been excited ever since I got it made to post it today! The fall looking paper on the base is from Little Yellow Bicycle -- Acorn Hollow 12x12 paper. All other papers are Close To My Heart cardstock.  I used a Spellbinder die for the ribbon slide, and the Joy's Life stamp set, "It's All Fall Puns" found in the Joy's Life store. The fall leaves and acorns are a Tim Holtz die that I painted with various Creative Inspirations paints. The twine and buttercup ribbon are also from Close To My Heart.

It's hard to tell the size of this card without any perspective, but it's big! There's plenty of room to write a great big, long message inside.  My BFF is gonna love this one!

Don't forget to visit The Cutting Cafe's blog every Thursday for a chance to win 3 sets of your choice from The Cutting Café online store.  All you have to do is comment on the post to be eligible to win.  Easy peasy!

Happy Fall Y'all!
 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Creative Inspirations Paint -- Anything Goes

Sister Act Card Challenge -- Anything Goes

D.L. Art Thankful Thursday Linky Party -- Anything Goes

Just B Creative Crazy Linky Party -- Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog -- Fall with a sentiment

 



 



Buttons, Burlap, Kraft, or Twine -- for Joy's Life. And a winner!

Happy Monday, crafty friends.  It's all about using texture for a Fall-like feel this week with the Joy's Life design team.  Since yesterday was the first full day of Fall, we're right on track with these projects!

I used Kraft and twine for my Fall-feeling project, plus some autumn-like papers and falling leaves:

 

The sentiment is from Joy's Life "It's All Fall" stamp set.

 

You can find this set, and all her wonderful stamps, here in her store.

I used a cutting file from The Cutting Café for the "F-A-L-L" and the outline. The fall leaves are a Tim Holtz die, painted with Creative Inspirations paint. The papers used for the lettering are 12x12 Acorn Hollow by Little Yellow bicycle, mounted on a Kraft cardstock base (Close To My Heart).  The tag shape is cut with a Spellbinders die, and the twine is from Close To My Heart.
I promised to pick the winner of my blog candy and announce it today with my Joy's Life post.  I used Random.org to help me with the selection.  I entered my total # of comments from the hop, and Random.org picked comment #11.  Chriss America Real! You are the winner!  Halloween stamps, Halloween rub-ons, ribbons, embellishments, it's all heading your way, as soon as I get your address.

We barely hit 50 degrees here in WI today, with a cold North wind.  Yes, Happy Fall, Y'all!!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Creative Inspirations Paint -- Anything Goes

Sister Act Card Challenge -- Anything Goes

D.L. Art Thankful Thursday Linky Party -- Anything Goes

Just B Creative Crazy Linky Party -- Anything Goes
AUD sentiments challenge blog -- Fall with a sentiment

 

 

 





Inspired by Sunflowers for Friends With Flair

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you've had an enjoyable week.  We've been working short-staffed at work.  No, I've been working short-staffed, so I'm very glad for the weekend.  I hope to catch up on some rest and some crafting this weekend.
I painted some sunflowers last weekend, and they've been sitting on my craft desk.  I had some other things on my desk I put together to make this card:

The "Fall" word shape is a cutting file from The Cutting Café, found HERE. It comes with a word shaped card also. I cut the word shape out on my Silhouette. The sunflower stamp is a retired one from Close To My Heart.  I used Creative Inspirations Paints in Mellow Yellow, Sunshine, and Mocha Latte on the flowers, and Evergreen, and Emerald on the leaves. The "Celebrate" sentiment is from the Unity set I use the most, "Happy Everything".
Papers are by Little Yellow Bicycle, Acorn Hollow (both 12x12 and 6x6 papers).  I used two different colors of Viva Décor Pearl Pens on this card -- Sunny Yellow and Copper.
I hope you enjoyed my Fall inspiration.
Do you like pirates? Looking for some inspiration for the upcoming Halloween season?  I'm hopping tomorrow with the Pinque Peacock Artists and Creators and I'd love it if you'd stop in for a visit.  I'm showcasing Unity stamps again.  And, there's prizes to be won!

I'm entering this in the following challenges:  Creative Inspirations Paint -- Inspired by Fall

Sister Act Card Challenge -- anything goes

D.L. Art Thankful Thursday -- anything goes

 

 

Sunflowers Make Me Happy on Tuesday, Too!

Happy Tuesday, my loyal blog followers! I'm filling in today on the 3 Girl JAM blog.  Since yesterday's post that I had on the Pinque Peacock blog works so well for the 3 Girl JAM blog, I'm posting it again. It might look familiar! Besides, I really DO love sunflowers! And 3 Girl JAM ribbon! And Pinque Peacock beaded stick pins!

 

The ribbon is from the Royal collection.  I placed two layers of the Gold Crown crinkle ribbon on the center of the card, tied it with a double bow, and placed a Pinque Peacock beaded stick pin in the bow.

The papers are from Close To My Heart. It is the Stella collection (retired).  I used a Spellbinders die in two sizes.  The Sunflower and sentiment are also retired CTMH stamps.  I painted the sunflower with Creative Inspirations Paints.  I love those paints!  They make me feel like a real artist! (really, it's the paint)

I have another post up today, my The Cutting Café "Back To School" project.  Check it out!

 

 



Sunflowers Make Me Smile -- plus W-I-N-N-E-R-S-!

Happy Monday, blog friends!  I'm filling in today on the Pinque Peacock blog.  I thought I might as well do something I love, and got out my Creative Inspirations Paints yesterday to do some water coloring. I love it when I can get ink and paint on my fingers all with the same project!

Creative Inspirations Paints is having a design team call.  Yes!  I've been stalking their blog, bugging their DT for info, waiting for this to happen!  Happy dance! So, this card will be submitted for the call.

 

 

Sunflowers are blooming right now here in NW Wisconsin, so they inspired me to paint this card. The sunflower is a Close To My Heart stamp, as is the sentiment.  I used 3 colors of Creative Inspirations Paints on the flower (Mocha Latte, Sunshine, and Mellow Yellow) and 2 on  the leaves (Emerald & Evergreen). I used a Spellbinders die in 2 sizes, and the designer papers are retired papers from Close To My Heart called Stella. There's some scrumptious 3 Girl JAM ribbon tied around the card. And, of course, a FAB Pinque Peacock beaded stick pin. Oh MY!

 

If you hopped with the 3 Girl JAM design team over the weekend, you know I promised blog candy.  And, here are the winners, as promised:

Winning the School Days Flair buttons, generously donated by 3 Girl JAM -- Diana Larson!

Winning the blog candy from my blog -- Beckie Creative Crazy.

I'll be in touch with both of you to get your winnings to you.

Stop and smell the sunflowers!

 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

 

Raisin Boat blog -- Hurray for Summer Challenge

Creative Inspirations Paints -- Inspired By: Autumn Colors

 







It's Friday! -- Yeehaw! (and FWF!!)

It's Friday, and this is supposed to be the start of a 2-week vacation for me.  However, my oh-so-wonderful boss is making me come in to work Monday morning for CPR recertification.  Yeah.  I bet he'd interrupt HIS two weeks for it.  Oh well.  I have a job!

Remember last week's post? I posted early, heading out on my first ever scrapbook retreat? Well, it was a wonderful experience.  I would do it again tomorrow (or as soon as I catch up on sleep).  Here we are, my online friends from CropChocolate.com

 

 Our Tees say, "chocolate is usually the answer".  Don't they just look like a great bunch of scrappers?  Yup, they were!  We shared supplies, some techniques, lots of food, and even more stories and laughs.

 

I promised you the "serious" card that I gave my BFF for her birthday last week, and here it is:

 

 

I used one of my favorite Unity sets, Tulips & Daisies.  I've colored the tulips a few times, but this was a first for the daisies.  They were colored with Copic Markers.  Then, I used a little Creative Inspirations Paint Fairy Dust on the petals for some lustre. I used Fancy Pants Hopscotch 12x12 papers on this card, a Lifestyle Crafts doily die, and Spellbinders die, a sentiment from Get Inky! Stamps, a chipboard border from Close To My Heart, and chipboard confetti circles from my friend DeeDee, and UmWow Studio.

The birthday card used a sketch from Cardabilites:

 

I'm going to post a couple other cards that I had on my blog earlier this week.  I really like both of these.  They both have Unity stamps on them and neither one got much traffic.  I want my FWF audience to see them, too.

I made this butterfly card for a tutorial on the All That Stickles blog.  You can find the tutorial HERE.

 

 



I used Unity's Bold Butterfly (Donna Downey) on this card.  The sentiment is from Joy's Life "Pun in the Sun".

My last card was a fun one.  I made it for the Unity {Show & Tell} party happening this week on Facebook.  It hasn't gotten a lot of attention.  I think I entered it too early in the week.  So, I thought I'd show it here.  Maybe it will inspire you to go "like" it on FB ;)

 

 

 

It uses, of course, the free digi image from Angie Blom. I loved the way this turned out.  The colors of the digi matched the papers so well.  The papers I used are Simple Stories Vintage Bliss 6x6. I used 3 different Spellbinder dies on this, and a corner rounder.  I added some bling from Close To My Heart and some pearls from my stash.  The cream crinkle ribbon is from 3 Girl JAM's coffee bundle. And, there's some Stickles on the flower's centers.

I have more blog candy to give away this weekend.  Karen Nofziger won last weeks.  Tomorrow, I'm hopping with the Joy's Life design team so I'm giving blog candy away to celebrate that event.  To increase your chances of winning, you can comment on any of my posts from Thursday, July 25 (there are 2) through Sunday, July 28 (there are 5 more posts Friday and Saturday).  I'll announce the winner on Monday, July 29.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

 

Sister Act Card Challenge -- anything goes

Oozak.com -- anything goes with texture

Pin and Tack -- anything goes
D.L. Art Thankful Thursday Linky Party -- anything goes

Color Me Creative Challenge -- Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations Paints -- inspired by ribbon and bling
Crafty Creations Challenges -- Summer





Turquoise -- some words are hard to spell!

If you are looking for the Get Inky! Stamps hop, please click here.
If you are looking for the Craft Lovin' Challenge Blog Post, click here!

Happy Saturday All That Stickles fans!  We're in the middle of the turquoise linky party and it's my day to share a little inspiration over on the All That Stickles blog.  I had so much fun making this card featuring turquoise Stickles.

 

 

I used turquoise Stickles on the big flower and on the ribbon, there's Star Dust Stickles on the smaller flower.  The silk ribbon started out white and so did the largest flower. I dyed them to match with Tim Holtz Peacock Feathers distress ink and turquoise Stickles.  Pretty cool, hunh?!? Love how they match the one girl's dress.

 

And, speaking of girls, they are a Unity/Phyllis Harris stamp, "The Heart of a BFF".  The sentiment is from Mama Elephant Stamps.  I stamped the girls on Cryogen paper with Memento black ink and colored them with Copic markers. I used some Creative Inspirations paints in Fairy Dust on the girls' dresses to make them shimmer.

 

The card is 6 1/2 x 5 inches.  I used Fancy Pants Park Bench 12x12 papers.  The flowers are Close To My Heart.  The brad is a My Mind's Eye Indie Chic.

 

 

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Sister Act Card Challenge -- Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations Paints -- Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp -- Anything Goes



Snail Mail

A sad, sad thing has happened.  My favorite place to buy scrapbooking supplies, and one of my favorite places to hang out on the internet, cropchocolate.com, is closing their online business at the end of May.  I just found out yesterday.  I feel like a piece of me is being left behind as well.  I have been a part of the CC community since the company began in 2009 and have made many friends on the site.  We're brainstorming ways to keep the friendships going. When their online business ends, so does my design team assignment.  I spent Saturday working on my next assignment for them.  It's no longer needed.  So it goes.  With that in mind, I'm hoping to get on a new team or two, to fill the gap, and mend this slightly broken scrappy heart of mine.  I've put out some feelers, and I'm hoping for results.  One of the possibilities that I'm very excited about is with a Challenge blog!  I love challenges!  Everyone at Crop Chocolate can tell you that I've entered every single week of challenges there.  I've never won one (it's why I don't gamble.  The winner is chosen from a hat -- literally), but I've entered every week of their 60 challenges ever offered.  Stuck On Us Sketches Challenges is adding some team members, including members for a new die cut challenge.  YES!  I would SO LOVE to be on that TEAM!  With my Silhouette, my 3 Cricuts, more cartridges than I can admit to, a Bigshot and a Grand Calibur and lots and lots of cutting dies, I'm set!  I rushed home from work today and whipped up this card, just to enter it in the challenge and let the powers that be see my style.  Here it is.  I hope you like it!

The challenge theme this time is crustaceans.  My scientist husband says, "yes, a snail qualifies as a crustacean."  I cleared it with him before I launched into the card.  I used a Lifestyle Crafts cutting die to make the window in the front of the card, and then a smaller one to stamp the snail on.  I mounted the snail on an adhesive spring (CTMH), to make it even more fun for the recipient when they open the envelope. The cardstock is Close To My Heart.  DP is Authentique Fresh 6x6 Collection.  The Snail stamp and sentiment are from the Unity Feb, 2009 Kit of the Month. I colored the snail with Copic markers, then used a little Creative Inspirations paints in Fairy Dust to give it a little lustre.  It shows up better IRL.

I have some blog candy I'm giving away this week in celebration of a very busy week of blogging for me.  I have a tutorial and post on The Crop Tuesday, April 30, and a post here on my blog, a blog hop with my 3 Girl Jam DT sisters on Wednesday celebrating the release of some gorgeous new ribbon colors and a SALE!, a blog post on the 3 Girl Jam challenge blog on Thursday, and a post here on this blog,  another blog hop on Friday with some art journal peeps.  We're the Mixed Media Mix Up, or the Mixed Up Media Girls, or something like that.  It's Friday-Sunday -- tons of fun, and I have a post here on Saturday for All That Stickles using Icicle Stickles.  So, to celebrate all this inspiration, I'm giving away a 6x6 paper pad, some Pincque Peacock stick pins, some twine, Stickles, miscellaneous bling, and some ribbon.  To be eligible to win, follow my blog and comment on this post, then come back each day this week and comment again to increase your chances of winning.  I'll announce the winner early next week when I've recovered from all this scrappy mojo.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Stuck on You Sketches -- die cut crustaceans
Simon Says Stamp -- anything goes
Sister Act Card Challenges -- anything goes
Creative Inspirations Paints -- anything goes
Great Impressions Stamps -- Pastel Colors &/or Polka Dots
D.L. Art -- anything goes

Thanks you so much for visiting my blog! I love your comments.

For Mom and Friends With Flair

I had the afternoon off and spent it making cards.  I made this card with the Trendy Twine April challenge in mind.  I'm entering it in Crop Chocolate's challenge this week, too -- a neutral color and twine, plus I used the sketch from cardabilities blog so I'll enter it there and a couple of other Mother's Day and Spring challenges.  Also, Color Me Creative is having their 3rd birthday celebration.  I broke out the Copics so I could participate in their first challenge  of the weekend. Here's my afternoon's work...

I got some Trendy Twine in the mail yesterday.  I have to tell you, it's my newest addiction!  I bought the Spring Mini and just had to break it out of the package.  It's soooo pretty.  I used all three colors on this card -- limeade, tickled pink, and lemon tart. I want more, LOL.  The papers are all Carta Bella.  The base is Kraft.  Everything you can see is So Noted 6x6.  I used dies by Spellbinders and Lifestyle crafts.  The flower stamp was stamped twice -- once on the circle, then again on Cryogen paper, colored with Copic markers, painted with peach Creative Inspirations paint to give it some shimmer, and fussy cut.  It is a Unity Stamp, "Best Things Just Happen".  The MOM banner was made with a Making Memories Dilly Dally clear stamp set.  And, I probably don't have to tell you, I made it for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day.  Hopefully, she won't read my blog before then!

I already linked up once for Friends With Flair, but since this is a Unity stamp, I'll link again.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Trendy Twine's Monthly Challenge
Color Me Creative's birthday Bash -- Celebrate Something
Crop Chocolate's Twine and neutral challenge
Really Reasonable Ribbon -- Mother's Day plus Ribbon (or trim)
Raisin Boat Challenge #10 -- Mother's Day
Cardabilities Sketch #73
Sister Act Card Challenges
Simon Says Stamp -- Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations Paints -- Anything Goes
Ribbon Carousel -- Showers and Flowers challenge
Great Impressions Stamps -- Pastel Colors &/or Polka Dots
D.L. Art Thankful Thursday -- Mother's Day Challenge
2 Creative Chicks -- Mother's Day Challenge

Time for a New Challenge and of course, Friends With Flair!

Happy Friday, everyone!  After a long, long, long winter here in NW Wisconsin, temperatures are predicted to make it into the 60's for the first time since October over the weekend. 

 I CAN'T W-A-I-T!!!

 

3 Girl Jam's newest challenge starts today and runs through May 9th.  It's a particularly fun one because it's sponsored by both 3 Girl Jam AND Trendy Twine.  So, I used both 3 Girl Jam ribbon and Trendy Twine on this first card. 

 

 

 

I used ribbon from the Spooky bundle in the 3 Girl Jam Store and Trendy Twine on the candles and on the punched paper star. I used the Unity Itty Bitty stamp set, "Candle, Stars & Birthday Wishes", and October Afternoon Cake Walk paper.  I colored some of the candles using Close to My Heart re-inkers and a water brush. There are some fussy cut stars on the twine candles.

 

I'll give you a close up of the candles so you can see the twine a little better...

 

 

I used a glitter pen on the candle wicks and the one star I didn't fussy cut.  Here's a close up of the ribbon with the star.  Isn't it yummy?

 

 

I wanted to share this next card with my Unity FWF peeps, too.  I made it a couple week's ago and didn't post it last week.  If I don't post it soon, I'll forget!

I painted the image with Creative Inspiration Paints.

 

 

Isn't that house adorable?  I love it!  I made this for a co-worker after a get together at her house.  I used the Unity Itty Bitty "Thanks for Visiting" and Unity's "Insta-live, love, dream" for the polaroid image. The sentiment is from a retired Close To My Heart set. I used Echo Park card stock and Yellow and Turquoise Stickles.  There's some Trendy Twine on this card, too.

I used the following Creative Inspirations Paints on the scene:  Mocha Latte, Tickled Pink, Sky Blue, Evergreen, Sapphire, Turquoise, Sunshine, Peach, Winter Frost, Fuchsia and Tanzanite.

 

 

I'm entering these cards in the following challenges:

 

Creative Inspirations Paints -- Anything Goes challenge

Simon Says Stamp -- Anything Goes

Get Inky! Challenge  -- Bring on the bling

Sister Act Card Challenge -- Anything Goes

Ribbon Carousel -- Showers and Flowers

Great Impressions Stamps -- Pastel Colors &/or Polka dots

D.L. Art Thankful Thursday Linky Party -- Anything Goes

 

 3 Girl Jam is having a hop on May 1, showing some {GORGEOUS} new ribbon colors.  You're going to want to check out the inspiration and the ribbon.  The hop will start here at the 3 Girl Jam blog.  And, next Friday, May 3, I and other FWF peeps will be participating in an art journal hop called Media Mix Up. That hop will start here, at Maria's blog.

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Please link up your anything goes with ribbon creations here:

 





A Special Card for a Special Friend

Good morning everyone, I hope you have had a good week.  I have a card featured on the 3 Girl Jam blog today, using 3 Girl Jam Baby Girl Pink crinkle ribbon and I wanted to show it to you and tell you the story behind it. 

I have a good friend who recently celebrated a birthday.  She is a very special lady -- one of those people who will do anything for you, and through the years, has.  So, I wanted to make a card that would show her that she was special to me.  I took a lot of time to color and design this card, and when she opened it, she was thrilled.  I accomplished what I set out to do.  I always love it when people say, "Did you MAKE this?"  Yeah.  I love that.

My friend, Roxie, is a classy lady, so this Unity stamp, Maggie Girl, worked so well for her. This stamp is really big, so I made the card 6 1/2 x 5.  I used October Afternoon Cakewalk papers, and matched my Copic colors to the papers.  There's a couple Close To My Heart Kraft border strips and CTMH wood buttons, along with some Trendy Twine.  I used some Fuchsia Creative Inspirations paint on the bow of the package and a Spellbinders ribbon slide where the sentiment is stamped.  There's some Liquid Glass on the wine glass to make it look a little more realistic.

Here's a couple closeups of the different ways I used the ribbon.

and...

And, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it, too!

Come back on Sunday for the All That Stickles Baby Blog Hop -- there'll be blog candy and great inspiration!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Creative Inspirations Paints -- Spring Colors
MarkerPop -- April Showers (springy)
Unity -- Friends With Flair