Ribboned Happy Birthday

Today found me up at the early hour of 4 a.m.  Considering I didn't get to bed until after midnight, that just wasn't enough sleep.  Since I couldn't get back to sleep, I got up and made a card.  Isn't that what you do when you can't sleep?

There were several challenges this week that I wanted to participate in and it worked out that this card fit the bill for them.  I love how that works out sometimes.  I'm going to keep this short as I have a few photos to add to the post.  First, is the Timeless Tuesday Double The Ribbon Challenge over at Flourishes.  The challenge was to use two kinds of ribbon.  I used a wide ribbon and a narrow ribbon.  Here's how I used them.

Stamp Sets:  Delightful Dozen and God's Blessings (Stampin' Up!); Inks:  Night of Navy (Stampin' Up!); Card Stock:  Not Quite Navy, Pool Party and Whisper White (Stampin' Up!), ADORBS Patterned Paper (My Mind's Eye); Accessories & Tools:  Small Octagons Nestabilities (Spellbinders), 1-1/4" Not Quite Navy Striped Grosgrain Ribbon and Corner Rounder Punch (Stampin' Up!), 1/8" Vanilla Ribbon (Offray), Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine

Taylored Expressions is turning five this week, so I've been playing along with all of the fun challenges and games they've been doing.  This one was to play Tic Tac Toe which is why you see , rhinestones, happy birthday and ribbon.  I'll be posting this to the Splitcoaststampers Gallery.  Click on the image below to head over to the Taylored Expressions blog and see all that's happening to celebrate their birthday.

A relatively new challenge for me is the one at Seize the Birthday.  All you do is make and post a birthday card.  Since I always seem to need birthday cards, this gives me the opportunity to stay on top of those cards I need to make and send.  Click on the image below to head over and see all the great projects.

Here is the wonderful sketch I used for my card.  Click on the image below to head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog.  I love the clean and simple look of their sketches.  This, too, is new to me.

Whew!  A much longer post than normal but it was such fun to find all of these great challenges.  Now I'm off to find a new challenge to join.

Until next time. . .happy creating!

Fairy Tale and Doily

Today I was thinking of my younger sister, Terri, who lives in Wisconsin.  It has been such a long time since I last saw her.  We keep in sporadic touch so I decided that I was going to start sending her a card a month to let her know I'm thinking of her.  She loves purple so I used a lot of purple tones on the card.

With the deadline for Timeless Tuesday at Flourishes looming, I added a doily which was the focus of the challenge.  To find out all the particulars, click HERE.  It will take you right to the Timeless Tuesday #234 - Dainty Doilies challenge.  You still have time to enter, too!

I had a lot of fun making this card.  I used the Garden Fairy stamp set I won from Flourishes as part of the July release.  It is a beautiful set and the first time I've had a chance to use it..  I also used the Silhouette SD that I won at work for an employee contest.  I am having so much fun with it, too.  I discovered that all of the stamp sets I won from Flourishes have cut files so I just had to have them.  I cut the image, stamped and colored it.  So cool to not have to fussy cut it since I'm not so good at the intricate cutting these days.  When I was coloring the image, I realized I didn't have any flesh tone Copic markers nor anything that would work for the wings of the fairy.  So, out came the colored pencils and Smooch.  I used my peach pencil for the touch of skin tone.  For the wings I used a periwinkle and covered it with Smooch to add a little shimmer.  I think my sister is going to love it!

Stamp Set:  Garden Fairies (Flourishes); Ink:  Concord Crush (Stampin' Up!); Copic Sketch Markers:  YG11, YG13, YG17, V12, V15, V17, Y11,Y13, Y15, Y17, B00, B02, B05; Accessories & Tools:  Scallop Oval Punch and Oval Punch (Stampin' Up!), Smooch Pearlized Top Coat, Bo Bunny Doily, White Organdy Ribbon, Garden Fairies Silhouette Cut File, Silhouette SD Die-Cutting Machine, Dimensionals

The doily is actually white but I sponge some Concord Crush ink on it to take the brightness away.  It was a perfect back drop for this little fairy.

Until next time . . . happy creating!

Butterflies and Button

One of my favorite card stock colors is kraft or in this case, Crumb Cake.  I thought it would make a great background for these flowers.  Timeless Tuesdays #232 is all about backgrounds.  I kept the card very clean and simple.  The butterfly pins are actually clear and I simply colored these with my Copic Markers.

If you'd like to play along with the Times Tuesdays Challenge, click HERE and you'll go right to all the details along with the Challenge Rules.

Stamp Set:  Heard from the Heart and Unknown (Stampin' Up!); Inks:  Cajun Craze (Stampin' Up!), Tuxedo Black (Memento); Card Stock:  Crumb Cake (Stampin' Up!); Accessories & Tools:  Linen Thread (Stampin' Up!), Button (from my stash), Butterfly Pins (colored with Copic Markers)

Until next time . . . happy creating!

Timeless Tuesday #230 - Christmas in July with a Catch

The catch?  The card had to be semi-flat - no big bows or anything else that would make it a lumpy, bumpy envelope.  I used a banner that when put into the envelope will flatten out until you take it out.  The three pretty rhinestones shouldn't present a problem but I always add a light layer just so they don't poke through the envelope.

To get all the details about the Christmas in July with a Catch Challenge, click HERE or on the image below.

Here is the card I created for this challenge.  One of my favorite dies is the Peekaboo Frames from Stampin' Up!  Oh, and I absolutely love this silver glitter paper from American Crafts!  It's sparkly and shimmery and it does not flake off and get glitter every where.  Now that is something to happy dance about!

You can see the image once you open the little door on the frame.  I used the horseshoe from Flourishes Cowboy Christmas stamp set.

Stamp Set:  Cowboy Christmas; Inks:  Tuxedo Black (Memento), Copic Markers R22, R24, R27; E33, E37, E39; YG11, YG13, YG17; Card Stock:  Gumball Green (Stampin' Up!), Classic White (Flourishes), Silver Glitter Paper ( American Crafts); Accessories & Tools:  Peekaboo Frames (Stampin' Up!), Clear Rhinestones colored with Copic Marker R27

Until next time . . . happy creating!

Timeless Tuesday - Make it a Mini

Making 3 x 3 card sets is one of my favorite type of card to make.  I had some black and white scraps of paper laying around so I used them all up to create these three little cards for the Timeless Tuesday #229 - Make it a Mini Challenge.  You can find it by clicking Here or on the image below.

I added a layer of white on the inside of the card and on the lower right, I stamped the little swans from Flourishes Swan Lake stamp set.  The vine image on the front of the card is also from the Swan Lake stamp set.  Each card was stamped using a different sentiment from the Sincere Salutations stamp set from Stampin' Up!  I even made the little envelopes to go with the cards.  They are so easy to do using the We R Memory Keepers' Envelope Punch Board.

And now, here are the cards and envelopes I made for the Timeless Tuesday Challenge.

Stamp Sets:  Swan Lake (Flourishes), Sincere Salutations and Tiny Tags (Stampin' Up!); Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento); Card Stock:  Basic Black and Whisper White (Stampin' Up!), Imaginisce Patterned Paper; Accessories & Tools:  Jewelry Tag Punch, Black Brad

Until next time . . . happy creating!

Swan Lake Chalkboard

Well, here I am doing yet another challenge.  I really love challenges.  They are a great way to be inspired.  This one is Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #227 ~ Going in Circles!  My scallop circle die and punch were perfect for this challenge as we were challenged to make a circle card or project.

Stamp Sets:  Swan Lake (Flourishes), Trust God (Stampin' Up!);  Inks:  Popcorn (Color Box Chalk), Basic Black (Stampin' Up!); Card Stock:  Poppy Parade (Stampin' Up!), Chalkstock (Canvas Corps); Accessories & Tools:  Scallop Circle Bigz Die, Clear Circle Die, 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch (Stampin' Up!), Silver Mini Brads (Stampin' Up!), Pearl Shimmer Mist (Tattered Angels). 1/2" Poppy Parade Stitched-Poly Ribbon (Stampin' Up!), Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine

I love the Swan Lake Stamp Set from Flourishes.  For now, it's the only Flourishes stamp set I have but I plan to rectify that in the near future.  They have some absolutely beautiful floral stamps that are on my wish list.