New baby

Although I haven't participated in online challenges or posted here, I've been making many cards throughout the summer!  I started a Facebook group as mentioned in my last post.  I also have a button to the right here on my blog if you wanted to link over.  

But I'm still here!  This blog started so I could play along with different online challenges.  So fun!
Today, I  turned to Freshly Made Sketches for inspiration before making "welcome baby" cards for two friends who've given birth recently.  They don't know each other but both their boys are named Elijah!  Here is the sketch:

And here one is my cards (the other is identical but with a rocking horse die cut):

Card is a light blue base.

Patterned paper over that.

Blue layer has scallop edges from Fiskar border punch.

The cream color layer is linen paper with bits of brown threads in it.  So pretty!

Welcome stamp from my stash

Big oval made using Creative Memories oval cutter

Sponged edges in Pacific Point SU! ink

Elijah: Close To My Heart alphabet
All letters in Pacific Point SU! ink

Thanks for swinging by!

Sunbathing

I started a new Facebook page because I have officially gone public to take custom orders.  I blogged about it HERE on my personal blog since this blog is typically for card challenges.  So it was thru that announcement that a friend asked me to make a card for her.  She needed a birthday card for someone who likes the beach.

Someone at my card group made a super cute beach babe using different shapes from punches.  I googled it and found Lynn Pratt's blog for a sample.  I didn't have the same punches so had to tweak it a bit.

Head: Scallop punch, circle punch, glasses are smaller circle punch, jewel rhinestones for the earrings, hand drawn nose & mouth
Body/bikini: Oval punch, heart punch
Legs/arms: Word window punch (bent for the arms)
(All these punches were bought thru Stampin Up!)
Sentiment: Annabelle Stamps, All Things Grow set
Towel: Made from linen paper & I snipped the ends of the towel to give it a fringe.
Sand:  done with sandpaper.
Beach bag:  sticker from Creative Memories

I'm submitting this card to Allsorts challenge: "By The Seaside".

Thanks for swinging by!

Copy cat card

I subscribe to Paper Crafts magazine and get tons of card ideas from that site.  Like this one:

Click here for link to the PaperCraft site where I got this photo.

And here is my card:

I have no idea how to get the white brushed on as well so if you have input, I'd appreciate it!  I just rubbed it in after using a paint brush dipped in white craft ink.

I used:

Brown cardstock

Stampin Up! Basic Black ink and Whisper White ink.

Clear stamps from local craft store.

Thinking of you is from Close To My Heart

Red adhesive beads from a kit I rec'd as a gift.

Thanks for swinging by!

My son's 2nd bday card

I made my son a Curious George card based on a blue color theme and a fun sketch from A la Card Monkey:

Here's my card:

Because it's for a child, I kept the card super simple.  Just swirly papered paper.  Stamped the images from a set we got ages ago.  Used a circle punch to cut them out.  Rubbed blue ink on the cake circle and used pop dots so that stood out.

Then the inside:

Again nothing fancy... just another happy George with my own handwriting.  Punched it out.  And voila.

My monkey will be TWO!  Where does the time go??!!!
Thanks for swinging by!

Pastel, For You card

When I have a card to make, sometimes I just don't know where to start.  I super love online challenge blogs to help me with a starting point.  Stampin Sisters in Christ has a challenge to use pastels and I saw this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches:

And here is my card:  

I stamped the background with a butterfly stamp I got years ago.

I used a Creative Memories corner punch on the big square piece of patterned paper (rec'd as gift and I don't know brand) and rubbed ink on the edges.

The butterfly is a 3D sticker.  The 'for you' sentiment is a stamp from Stampin Up!  They are mounted on a scallop circle punch, also from SU!

The 3 little flowers are small SU! punches with SU! pearls.  

I'm using this card for Mother's Day.  :o)

Thanks for swinging by!

Birthday stripes

Do You Stack Up has a stripe challenge.
And The Paper Players had a sketch challenge:

The birthday girl likes zebras and purple so glad they had a stripes challenge this week!  Here is my card.

I layered all the patterned paper.
The zebra paper has chalk rubbed on the edges.
I used my new Fiskars border punch on the striped paper.
The 7 is a sticker and that's mounted on a little square that I punched using a pretty Fiskars lace corner punch.
I didn't follow the sketch exactly because I put my sentiment up higher but I wanted to tie it all together and liked how it looked.

Here is the inside after I wrote on it!  I edited it a bit in Photoscape to hide my writing (great free editing program).

Thanks for swinging by!

Hey chick!

My friend Darcie who sells Stampin Up! and has monthly workshops, posted a cute chick using a top note die cut on her Facebook group.  I didn't attend but I knew I wanted to copy her idea as soon as I saw it!  

Do You Stack Up is having a challenge to use friendly critters on our cards.  This little chick is pretty friendly don't you think?  So I'm entered her into their challenge this week.  I don't get to play often but I love following this group for inspiration!

It's for my friend's birthday so I printed: "Hey Chick! Happy Birthday" from my computer directly onto the pink cardstock.
Top note die cut used for the body.  I sponged a little "Daffodil Delight" ink on the outter edges although that's hard to see in this pic.
I used a flower punch for the wings, trimmed and sponged those too.
Eyes are just two diff punches.
And the beak I cut from orange scraps.

Thanks for swinging by!