EBTKS and Cute Card Thursday Card Challenges

Why is it that the simplest sketches are sometimes the hardest ones from which to make a card?  That was the case with this sketch from Everything But The Kitchen Sink's Challenge #23 . . .

It's a very simple sketch, but it sort of threw me for a loop.  Then I found the Cute Card Thursday challenge # 130 to make a card with a bird or a butterfly, and I knew what belonged where that straight line is!  Oh, and I turned the card 1/4 turn clockwise as well.  Here is my take on the sketch and the challenge from CCT . . . 

And here are all the details . . . 

Product Info:

• 
  
  Base card stock is Die Cuts With a View
• 
  
  Patterned papers are both from Pink Paislee's 365 degrees collection - the stripes are 'be free', and the pretty orange patterned paper is 'daydream'
• 
  
  Ribbon is from Hobby Lobby - their brand
• 
  
  Bling on butterfly body is from Prima e. Line with Stickles 'platinum' underneath
• 
  
  Butterfly's antennae are quilters pins and seed beads from my stash, look for more info in Tips, Tools and Techniques

Tips, Tools and Techniques:

• 
  
  Cuts made using Cricut Expression
• 
  
  Card base cut using Walk in My Garden cartridge, card2 set at 5"
• 
  
  Striped paper cut using Walk in My Garden cartridge, card1 set at 5"
• 
  
  Butterflies cut using Serenade cartridge, Butterfly3 set at 1 3/4" and 2"
• 
  
  Butterfly antennae are made from quilters pins that I inked with red ink, dipped in Ranger 'Queen's Gold' embossing powder and then heat set with a heat gun, then inked again with red ink, dipped in Ranger 'Enchanted Gold' embossing powder and heat set with a heat gun.  Then I added three coordinating seed beads to each pin, gluing with FabriTac glue.  The two butterflies are separated with a scrap from a sheet of foam dots, and the pins are pushed down into the foam.

This is a very simple but elegant card that could be used for many occasions.  Birthday, sympathy, encouragement, thank you, or just about any occasion you could imagine.  When I am doing shows, it seems people like this kind of card just to keep on hand, and I like making them, too!  The pretty fall colors are very appropriate for this time of year also. 

Come back soon to see what is going on at Camellia Cottage!  Blessings, Becky

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Easy Craft Projects Challenge #21 - Home

I loved this challenge because we just got home from 9 days away from "home" yesterday and, while I had a great time, it was so good to get back home again!  The challenge is hosted by Easy Craft Projects, and the theme is to make a project with the theme of 'home'.  Here is my take on that challenge . . .

And here are the details . . .

Products:

• Card stock is Die Cuts With a View
• Patterned paper is Echo Park, Life is Good 'The Neighborhood'
• Gems on sentiment are Prima e. Line
• Gems on flowers on gate are K & Company

Tips, Tools and Techniques:

• Card base was cut on Cricut Expression using the Walk in My Garden cartridge, card2 set at 5"
• Frame shapes for sentiment were cut on Cricut Expression using the Songbird cartridge, frame1-s set at 2 1/4" and the green background was cut using shadow feature, frame1-s set at 2 1/4".  {Note:  I printed the sentiment on my home printer, and cut the frame on the Cricut using the 'center point' feature.  You simply click on the 'center point' button then using the arrow keys around the 'cut' button, move the blade housing to the center of the space you want cut, and then press cut.  It may take a few times to get your spacing just right, but once you do - it's very easy!}
• The garden gate was cut on Cricut Expression using Freshly Picked cartridge, gate set at 2 1/4".  The green vine and flowers were cut using the layers and layers2/Shadow features.  The grass at the gate posts were cut using flwer6-s set at 1 1/4".
• The gate was cut from brown card stock, then inked with brown ink and heat embossed using Ranger 'copper' embossing powder.
• For gluing the tiny pieces of the gate and plants, I used the Zig Memory System '2 Way Glue' chisel tip glue pen

I sure hope you have enjoyed visiting my 'home' today!  Come back soon to see what is going on at Camellia Cottage!  Blessings, Becky



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Unscripted Sketches Challenge # 73

Hello everyone!  Thanks for visiting this very special day!  It's my first week as a member of the Unscripted Sketches Design Team!!!  I am unbelievably excited and grateful to be given this opportunity, and hope I do the other DT members proud.  As usual there is a sketch challenge, but this week there is also a 'piggyback' challenge to use only one color!  Black and white are neutrals, so the card needs to be black and white plus one color, and I chose pink.  Here is the sketch for this week . . .

And here is my card based on the sketch . . .

Product Info:

• Pink patterned paper is Bo Bunny, Alissa line 'Alissa Kissable'
• Black and white polka-dotted paper is Websters Pages, Life's Portrait 'Reflections'
• Small pearls and gems are from Prima e. Line
• Large gem, fabric and lace for flower,and stick pin are from my stash

Tips, Tools and Techniques:

• White tag was cut from a scrap of white card stock on my Cricut Expression, Tags, Bags, Boxes & More cartridge using scltop-h set at 2 1/4".  The sentiment was stamped using an Inkadinkadoo Brenda Walton stamp with black ink, and heat embossed using Ranger black embossing powder.
• The flower was made using a circle of felt as the base, and an approximately 1 1/2" strip of torn fabric.  Using FabriTac glue, you start at the center and twist and turn the fabric, gluing along the way.  When you are finished you tuck the end underneath the felt and glue it.  Then I gathered a bit of lace with needle and thread and glued it to the bottom of the felt.
• For the stickpin, I used a green quilters pin and inked it with black ink and heat set it with a heat gun.  Then I inked it again with black ink and dipped it into black embossing powder and embossed it with my heat gun.  Once it had cooled, I added a clear heart bead and a jet black bead, which I glued to the pin shaft.  I used this to pin the sentiment tag to the flower.

I really hope you find inspiration from my take on this week's sketch.  It was a lot of fun to make, made even more so because of it being my first card as a member of the Unscripted Sketches Design Team. 

Blessings!  Becky


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Double Duty - One Card, Two Challenges!

Hi Folks!  I just wanted to share one card with you today that worked out for two challenges! 

The Daring Card Makers 'dare' for this week is to make a card using the theme of Sapphire because that is the birthstone for September. 

Tuesday Taggers challenge this week was to use a house on your project, and if you'll look closely, there's an English cottage type house on the lampshade in the image.  And the sponsor for this week's TT challenge is The Craft Barn, a wonderful craft store in the UK.

Here is my card based on the challenges . . .

Product Info:

• Base card stock is Die Cuts With a View
• Patterned paper is Pink Paislee, 365 Degrees collection 'Daydream'
• Blue pearls are Prima e Line
• Gold pearl and ribbon are from my stash
• Flowers are Prima
• Stickles 'diamond'
• Image is from clip art software

Tips, Tools, Techniques:

• Base of card cut using Cricut Expression, Walk in My Garden cartridge, card2 set at 5"
• Frame behind image cut using Cricut Expression, Songbird, Frame3 set at 4"

I love this card!  The colors, the vintage image - everything!  I hope you've enjoyed stopping by and visiting, come back soon, please!  Blessings, Becky

Daring Cardmakers "String of Pearls" Dare

I have probably said this before, but Daring Card Makers (aka DCM) is one of my top favorite cardmaking challenge sites.  They aren't 'snobby' about the types of products you use, they throw out some great dares from time to time, and the design team members are great!  Love'em!  That said,  here is my card for their latest dare called "A String of Pearls".  It is the first challenge of June, and the June birth stone is the pearl, and I love me some pearls!  Here goes . . .

How it all came together . . .

That white satin bow (a gift from a friend's stash) with the pink applique flower in the center was my inspiration for this card, so I went looking for cardstock and a patterned paper to match the colors of pink, white and soft baby green.  I didn't have to look far, because I found this piece of patterned cardstock from the Die Cuts With a View 'Be Mine' stack, and it matched perfectly.  I simply cut the card on my Cricut using the 'Walk in my Garden' cartridge, card 2 set at 5 inches.

The sentiment was stamped with a stamp from Inkadinkadoo using Versamark ink and then heat embossed using Ranger 'Seafoam White' embossing powder.

The pearls are all from Prima e-line gems.  The bow is made from a bit of pretty cotton trim I bought at Hobby Lobby a while back.  It was 'by the yard', so I don't have any way of identifying it other than look at Hobby Lobby.

And that is IT!  This was such an easy card to put together, but will be a great card to add to my ever growing collection.  Thanks for visiting today, and I hope to be back soon with a card for the Mojo Monday sketch.

Blessings, friends!  Becky

Scrapbook Trends Cards Blog Challenge

This week's challenge on the Scrapbook Trends Magazine 'cards blog' was so. much. fun!!!  Paige asked us to make 'mini' cards that were no larger than 3", and you know that small cards are great to have on hand to put into a gift or even put in someone's lunch for a bright spot in their day.  As I thought about what I wanted to do those My Minds Eye papers I won a while back came to mind, so I pulled them out and made a set of 4 coordinated mini cards.  Here's the group:

And here's all the info, divided up by card.  Bear in mind:

• Cardstock is Die Cuts With a View 'pastel' stack
• all patterned papers and the accessories are My Minds Eye - Ooh La La 'For Him' . . .
• Cards cut on Cricut Walk in My Garden cartridge card 2 set @ 3"

Card One:

Paper is 'Soiree'

Gold gems are from K & Company

Green pearl is from Prima 'e' line

Stickles Diamond

Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Label One'

Flower in center is from MME Accessory Sheet

Card Two:

Paper is 'Frivolous'

Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Label One'

Flower paper is 'Happy Days' and is cut on Cricut Walk in My Garden cartridge

'coreopsis' set at 1 1/4", 1 1/2" and 1 3/4'

Gem is from Prima 'e' line

Rub-on is from Melissa Frances

Stickles 'star dust'

Tag from stash

Card Three:

Dotted paper is a frame from the MME accessory sheet

Patterned paper is 'Simply Sweet'

Spellbinders Nestabilities classic scallops small

Flower is Prima

Stickles Diamond

Button and twine from my stash

Card Four:

Grid (background) paper is 'Gt In Line'

Polka dot paper is 'Simply Sweet' reverse

Journaling tag and orange paper flower are from MME accessory sheet

Spellbinders Nestabilities classic scallops small

Stickles 'platinum'

 'hello' stamped using Inkadinkadoo stamp with versamark ink

Heat embossed using Ranger 'verdigris' embossing powder

Flower from stash

I know that seems like a lot of steps, but all 4 cards came together really quickly because I used coordinating papers and accessories.  Thanks for visiting today, I hope your weekend is going well!  Blessings, Becky

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Challenge # 9 - Sketch

Hi There!  I'm back with another card for one of my favorite new challenge blogs - Everything  But The Kitchen Sink (EBTKS)!  Their challenge this week was to make a card based on a sketch.  Here was Kelly Marie's inspiration for the sketch . . .

 . . . and here is her sketch . . .

 . . . and here is my take on the sketch . . .

 . . . and here's all the info . . .

Product Info:

• All cardstock is Die Cuts With a View, from either Be Mine Stack (pink) or Citrus Stack (green)
• All patterned paper is from My Minds Eye 'Ooh La La for Her' line.  Clockwise from top right is:Just Lovely, Summer Days, Beautiful Morning and Lah Dee Dah.
• Flower and pearls are from Prima
• Stickles 'Diamond'
• Sentiment and background cut on Cuttlebug using Spellbinders Nestabilities Scalloped Circles Small, and popped up using foam squares
• Machine Stitching

Cricut Info - All cuts made using "Walk In My Garden" cartridge

• Card base is 'card 2' cut at 5"
• Green background squares are 'card 1' set at 2 1/4"
• Patterned paper cut on 'card 1' set at 2"

It's a beautiful, sunshiney (but cold) day here in northern GA - I sure hope you find some sunshine somewhere in your day!  Blessings folks, Becky

Thank You My Minds Eye!!!

Just before Christmas, the blog for one of my favorite companies for scrapping products, My Minds Eye, was having a '12 Days of Christmas' giveaway contest.  They gave prizes every day for 12 straight days, and I was the fortunate one to win day six!  A set of papers from a line of my choice.  I chose Ooh La La For Her . . .

 . . . and I reasoned that since it was the holidays, it might be mid January before I got the goodies, so I sat back and waited.  And waited.  Finally, the last week of January I e-mailed them and asked about the goodies I was so anxiously awaiting.  Before long I got a very nice, and very apologetic return e-mail.  The employee (who shall remain nameless), was so sorry, she had forgotten to send my address to the people who were supposed to send out the goodies. 

I e-mailed her back and told her it was okay, I understood that she had had the holidays and then CHA and I was sure she'd had much more to do than keep up with my goodies.  I got another note from her, and she thanked me for being so understanding, and was going to send me BOTH of the Ooh La La lines to thank me!  And so I got this one as well . . .

How cool is that!!!  So, I finally got them the other day.  Apparently the brown truck had a hard time getting here with all the weather issues around the country, but that was okay!  I knew my goodies from My Minds Eye were on their way.  (Have I told you how much I love MME??? Yep, I thought so!)

So of course I had to make a card first thing,and here is what I came up with . . .

And here is all the info . . .

Product Info:

• Base Cardstock is DCWV 'Pastels' Cardstock Stack
• Patterned paper is My Minds Eye, Ooh La La For Him
• Octagon print is 'Frivolous'
• Circle under the bird is 'Simply Sweet'
• Journaling Label is 'Playful'
• Ticket and smal flower in bottom left corner of journaling label are from the 'Accessory Sheet'
• Stitching done by machine
• Bird made from felt using a template I lifted {sorry}
• Rub-ons on journaling label and ticket from Melissa Frances
• Gems from Prma 'e.' line Pearls and Crystals
• Buttons, twine and lace from my stash (I love the look of offsetting the patterned paper and putting lace around 2 sides!)
• Stickles 'crystal' used on small flower and circle under bird.
• Circle cut on Cuttlebug using Spellbinders Nestabilities Scallopped Circles Small
• Journaling label cut on Cuttlebug using Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels One

Cricut Info:

• Card Base cut on Walk in My Garden, card 2, set at 5"
• Patterned (octagon) paper cut using Walk in My Garden, card 1, set at 4 1/2"

So, what did I learn from this experience???  Well first, that patience really is a virtue, and second, that if you are understanding of others situations, polite and nice, it pays off in unexpected dividends!  Oh, and if possble, I'm an even bigger fan of My Minds Eye!

Have a great week, folks!  Becky

Cardvaarks Challenge - A Challenge In a Million!

So, who of you cardmakers out there wouldn't love to be published in one of the premier cardmaking magazines???  I have two dreams.  One is to be published, the other to be on a design team.  Now, I've been a guest DT member for Making Handmade Cards, and I loved it, but I want to be a full fledged DT member of a challenge blog or a product manufacturer.  I know, dream BIG, right!

And the current challenge for Cardvaarks could possibly help make one of those dreams come true!  The challenge is to make a wedding card.  The prize?  The winner's card will be published in the July, 2010 issue of CARDS Magazine!!!

Yep, THAT magazine! And of course I had to go for it - how often does such a wonderful opportunity come along?  So, here is my wedding card for this challenge . . .

I wanted a vintagey look, and my jumping off point was the lace.  That is one piece of vintage lace that was in with some fabric my mother gave me.  I would guess the age is somewhere between the late 1950's to late 1960's.  It is aged and even stained a bit, but I think that adds to the vintage charm.  The lace is a little over 2 1/4 inch from tip to tip of the hearts.  Here's all the info . . .

Product Info:

• Base cardstock, and tan cardstock for scrolls are from my stash and they didn't have labels on the pieces.
• Patterned paper is K & Company Blue Awning Ivory Medallion Swirls Flat Paper.  I inked the edges with some brown pigment ink.
• Vintage lace from my stash
• Flowers are all Prima
• Pearls are all from Prima 'e.' line Pearls and Crystals
• Ribbon is from Michaels 'Celebrate It' line
• Stamps used for 'congratulations' and 'swirl' are from Inkadinkado's Brenda Walton's Chelsea Sentiments clear stamp set
• Ink used for sentiments is Tim Holtz Distress Ink 'Frayed Burlap' from Ranger

Cricut Info:

• Base card cut on Walk in My Garden cartridge, card 2 set at 5"
• Patterned paper cut on Walk in My Garden cartridge, card 1 set at 4 3/4"
• Scrolls under flowers cut on Serenade Solutions cartridge using Scroll 1 and Scroll 3

And that is my card.  I hope you like it, and I hope that whoever picks the card for this challenge likes it as well.  I can honestly say I put more thought and care in making this card than any I can remember - it means that much to me!

Thanks for visiting, and have a blessed day, Becky

Carols Sketch Fun # 20

Another fun challenge today!  I recently found a cardmaker on scrapbook.com who truly inspired me!  She used deep, vibrant colors for things that most people do in lighter colors.  So I used her inspiration on the butterfly in this challenge - sketch 20 from Carol's Sketch Fun.  Here is the sketch . . .

And here is my take on the sketch . . .

And here is all the info . . .

Product Info:

• Base Cardstock from Die Cuts With a View
• Patterned papers are from an old My Minds Eye 'Wild Asparagus' stack
• Butterfly paper was printed on cardstock from a clipart softwere.  It is old seed packs. 
• Rub-ons from a very old pack I got at Walmart
• Butterfly antennae have Stickles 'platinum'
• Red and green gems are from Prima 'e.' line
• Polka dotted paper was glued onto cardstock and both were cut on Cuttlebug using Spellbinders Nestabilities 'labels 1'.  The label was inked with brown ink and bumped up with foam dots.

Cricut Info:

• Card base was cut on Walk in My Garden cartridge, card 2 set on 5".
• Butterfly was cut on Serenade Solutions cartridge, butterfly 3, one set at 2" and one set at 2 1/4".

I know I strayed a bit from the original sketch, but that's the fun of artistic license - you take an idea and make it your own!  I hope you like it!  Blessings, Becky

Cute Card Thursday Challenge # 98

My husband has two ladies in his office who will be having babies in coming weeks, so I thought I'd take the Cute Card Thursday challenge to make a card with 'spots and dots' and make a baby card.  Here is my take on the challenge . . .

And here is all the info . . .

Product Info:

• Card base and baby buggy are made from DCWV Pastel cardstock stack
• Pink and spotted 'label' cut from American Crafts 'the goods' Pat-A-Cake paper (reverse sides)
• Labels cut using Cuttlebug and Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 1
• Ribbon from stash (I actually bought it on ebay and it came from Hong Kong - great price!)
• Stickles 'crystal'
• Pearls from Prima 'e.' line Pearls and Crystals
• Purple rhinestones from K & Company

Cricut Info:

• Base card cut on Walk in My Garden cartridge, card 2 set at 5"
• Baby carriage (pram) cut on Mothers Day 2010 cartridge  Baby Carriage and Baby Carriage shadow set at 2 1/2 inches

It's a new week folks, so I hope you have a great one!  I'll be back in a couple of days with another challenge, but until then, be blessed!  Becky

Another Challenge Project - Tuesday Taggers and Everything But The Kitchen Sink

Hi Folks!  I've been playing a lttle bit today, and this project is for two challenges . . .

Everything But The Kitchen Sink's challenge is to make a project using a boxtop or the cardboard from a box, and

Tuesday Taggers challenge was to make a tag with a Teddy Bear theme.

Here is a collage picture of the product I used.  An old icecream cone box.  Top is both sides before, and bottom is both sides after I cut the tag out on my Cricut.

And here is my tag . . .

I apologize for the bad pics, but I got this finished after dark and took it inside.  Here are a few spotlight pictures . . .

Here is all the info . . .

Product Info:

• Patterned paper is from a very old MME Wild Asparagus stack
• Lace and burgundy ribbon are from my stash
• Braided trim from Dollar Tree wedding crafts
• Grey rhinestones are from Basic Grey bling-it
• Burgundy pearls from Prima 'e.' line Pearls and Crystals
• Teddy Bear sticker from K&Co. Grand Adhesions
• Crown Rub-on from Melssa Frances
• 'Remember' rub-on from a very old set from Walmart

Cricut Info:

• Base of tag, and patterned paper cut on Plantin SchoolBook, 'tag1' set at 5 1/2 inches

I must say this isn't my usual 'style', but it was fun to make, and a good excuse to use the teddy bear sticker I've had for ages.  It's a new week, so I hope everyone has a great one.  Blessings, Becky