Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge

When I saw the sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge; I wasn't sure at first if I wanted to play along.  I have to admit that this sketch was a bit of a challenge for me as far as picking papers was concerned.  I am glad that I persisted as I am very pleased with how this card turned out.  Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

Cardstock, turquoise rhinestones and ribbon is from my stash.  The design paper is from Echo Park Hello Summer 6 x 6 paper pad.  I love this paper pad and wish I could get my hands on another one!  The sentiment is from Cornish Heritage Farms and was stamped with Versa Color Turquoise.  I also sponged the edges of the papers with the ink.  The butterfly is a Memory Box die - Pippi Butterfly. I'm quite pleased with how this card turned out.  I will also be entering this card into One Stop Craft Challenge which is to use stripes.  

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Butterfly birthday card

I made a card this morning for a close friend who will be celebrating her birthday very soon.  I am very pleased with how this card turned out.  Here is the card I made:

The design paper is from Echo Park - Hello Summer 6 x 6 paper pad.  Cardstock, ribbon & pearls are from my stash.  I used a Creative Memories butterfly punch.  The flower was stamped onto the yellow cardstock with Versa Color - Turquoise and then fussy cut.  I also added a scalloped border inside the card with the left over flower design paper.  I enjoyed making this card for my friend and hope she will like it.

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Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #17

It's time for another sketch challenge over at the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge blog!  Here is the sketch we would like you to play along with:

Here is my interpretation of the sketch:

I wanted to do something different this time around so I chose this card shape and distressed it with Color Box Chianti ink and also inked the sentiment with the same colour.  The large stars were punched using a Martha Stewart punch and the small stars were punched with a Fiskars punch.  The sentiment is from Penny Black.  All the papers I used were from my stash.  I love glitter and couldn't resist using the red as I think it matches the gold and silver so nicely.  This card literally took less then 10 minutes to make.  All the stars are popped up with foam dots.  This card can be used for quite a few occasions which makes it very versatile.  I haven't finished the inside as yet as I do not know who the recipient of this card will be.

I hope you'll play along with us at Atlantic Hearts and if your card is chosen you might just be displaying a top 3 badge on your blog!
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A Christmas card Case

I had pinned a card to my pinterest board which used a Memory Box cutting die that I bought just recently.  So on Friday evening; I got to work and cased the card I had pinned.  The original card can be seen here.  Here is my card:

I used the die Glowing candles.  The gold glittered card stock is from my stash.  I dry embossed a piece of cream coloured card stock with my Swiss dots embossing folder.  The sentiment from CTMH was heat embossed using Stampendous Champagne Pearl Lustre embossing powder.  I added the maroon bow to give the card a pop of colour.  Unfortunately, the embossing on the die did not come out onto the glittered card stock so I will be remaking this card using gold card stock.

Here is the 2nd card I made:

This time I cut the die with gold card stock and the embossed detail of the die shows up much better.  I really like this card.

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Sunday Stamps Challenge

When I saw the sketch at the Sunday Stamps challenge blog; my mind filled with all kinds of possibilities for the sketch.  I was thinking butterflies, flowers, snow flakes etc. etc. etc.  I'm sure I will be using this sketch again especially for Christmas cards!

Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

The maroon card stock base is from my stash as is the cream cardstock which I embossed with Stampin Up's Petals a Plenty embossing folder.  The 3 poinsettias are from Verve's stamp set "Poinsettia Christmas". I stamped 2 poinsettias in Versa Mark onto the maroon cardstock & 1 poinsettia onto Kraft cardstock and then heat embossed them with Stampendous Detail Gold embossing powder and Adirondack Cranberry.  The gold pearl embellishments are from Queen & Co - Sunshine yellow.  The ribbon I used is from my stash.  I am very happy with this card and will be making more Christmas cards & birthday cards (cupcakes) using this sketch.  The card came together very quickly as I already had the 3 poinsettias embossed and cut.  I love the gold detail on the ribbon.

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1st Christmas card for 2013.

I came across 2 challenge blogs via one of the blogs that I follow and was inspired to make the very 1st Christmas card for my stash for this year.

The 1st challenge is from 52 Christmas Card Throwdown and their challenge was to use Red and Metallic Gold.  I thought this colour challenge would be perfect for a new Memory Box Die that I bought recently while on a weekend getaway with my hubby.  I stopped in at Scrappin Great Deals in Komoka (Kilworth).  I bought the Memory Box Die - Glowing Candles (along with some other goodies).

The 2nd challenge is from Jingle Belles and their challenge is Christmas Tic-Tac-Toe:

For my card, I went diagonal - dry or heat embossing (I used dry embossing), red or green (I used both) and die cut or punch ( I used the die cut).

Without further ado, here is my card:

I cut the die twice - 1st with the green card stock and then with the gold glitter paper.  I cut out the candles of the green die cut and then layered it over the gold glittered die cut.  I also added some copper coloured rhinestones for some added bling.  I embossed the red card base with a Nellie Snellen embossing folder - Oval Frame 1.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the embossing folder was just a wee bit bigger than my card base.  Oh well!  We can't all expect to have every one of our cards turn out perfect, now can we?  All in all I'm quite pleased with this card.
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Butterfly card

I made this card for 3 different challenges.  The first challenge I made it for was for House of Cards and their challenge is a sketch and the theme is clean and simple.  I believe my card qualifies as it came together very quickly.  Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:  

The card base is embossed butterfly paper which I purchased a long time ago at one of my favourite Scrapbook stores, Pointer Scrapbooking.   I used to go there quite frequently on my lunch hours as it was within a short driving distance from work.  The lilac cardstock is from my stash and the design paper is from a 6 x 6 paper pad - Docrafts Papermania - Lucy Cromwell.  I love the papers in it and have used it before and will definitely be using it again.  The butterfly die is by Memory Box - Pippi Butterfly.  The butterfly circle die is by Tonic Studios.

I am also entering my card into the One Stop Craft Challenge which is to use pastel colours.  The other challenge I am entering my card into is Crafty Sentiment Designs which is to use punches or dies.

I am very pleased with this card and when I decide who to send it to, I will finish the inside with a sentiment or maybe just write a small note.

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Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #15

Time for another sketch from the talented ladies at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.  I really like this sketch and can see myself using it again and again.  Without further ado, here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

The ivory and light blue card stock as well as the ribbons are from my stash.  The design paper is from a 6 x 6 paper pad by Fancy Pants - Park Bench.  The image and sentiment which was stamped with Versafine Majestic Blue Ink is Taylored Expressions - Cutie Pie and was the stamp of the month for May.  I tried something different this time around and paper pieced the 2 dresses on the end of the line onto designer paper and the middle dress onto the light blue card stock.  I also used baby blue liquid pearls at the top of the dresses where they are hanging on the line.  I am very pleased with how this card turned out.

Won't you join us at Atlantic Hearts?  I would love to see your interpretation of this sketch.  Who knows, you might just be able to display a Top 3 badge on your blog!


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Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #14

I love clean and simple sketches and this week's sketch is a good example.  It didn't take me long to choose my papers and embellishments.

Here is the sketch:

And here is my take on it:

Card stock and ribbon is from my stash.  The circle butterfly die is from Tonic Studios and the butterfly die and matching angel wings are from Memory Box.  I popped it up with foam pads. I love butterflies and have several butterfly punches and dies. The design paper is from Docrafts Papermania line - Lucy Cromwell - 6 x 6 paper pad.  There are 48 papers in this paper pad - 24 double sided and 24 glittered papers.  I love this paper pad so much that I bought 2 of them!  It has shades of pink, blue, purple (lilac) and turquoise.  The sentiment which was stamped with Versamark and then heat embossed with white embossing  powder is a free gift I received from Verve Stamps when I placed an order with them.  I am really happy with this card and it will be sent to a very special person.

I am looking forward to seeing your take on this sketch and if you're lucky, you might be able to display our Top 3 badge on your blog!
Thanks for stopping by!

Atlantic Hearts Sketch #13

I'm late with this week's sketch challenge.  My husband's younger brother passed away last week Tuesday quite suddenly.  He was an awesome husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather and to say that he will be missed would be putting it mildly.  The funeral service on Sunday was very emotional.  Stew was very fond of one of his granddaughters and she of him.  Taylor is 9 years old and as far as she was concerned, her grandfather was her best friend.  When she tried to speak about him on Sunday, she fell apart and her uncle (Stew's son) finished her dedication to him.  I don't think there was a dry eye in the chapel.  My husband and I are still trying to come to grips with his sudden passing.  This picture was taken Christmas Eve 2011 which was the last time all 4 of my husband's siblings were together.  From L - R - Bernice who is 76 years old.  She has dementia and is in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease.  Stew who would be celebrating his 62nd birthday next month, Jan who will be 64 2 days after my 64th birthday next month and my husband Herb who will be 66 in December:

I managed to cut and emboss the card stock on Monday but as far as putting it all together; took a bit longer as I just was not motivated at all!  Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

Everything I've used on this card is from my stash.  The butterflies were punched using a Creative Memories punch.  The embossed card stock is actually light blue in colour although it looks white in the photo.  The embossing folder is from Provocraft.

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Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge # 12

I really like this week's sketch and had fun making a card for it.

Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

Card stock and ribbon is from my stash.  The design paper is from a My Minds Eye 6 x 6 paper pad - The Sweetest Thing.  The sentiment is from Taylored Expressions Delightful Day.  The Rose and leaves are from Taylored Exression Rosy Posy stamp set and was stamped with Majestic Blue Versafine Ink and then cut using the matching Taylored Expression Rosy Posy Dies with my Cuttlebug.  I really like this card and hubby likes it too.  I know I've made a nice card if my hubby likes it.  

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Happy Anniversary Herb!

It was 41 years ago today that I married my best friend.  I have never regretted it and even though we have had our ups and downs, I would marry him all over again.

Here is the card I made for him yesterday morning:

I got the idea for this card from one I saw on an Etsy site.  The original card was done all in white but I thought it needed a bit of colour.  I did not do anything with it on the inside except to write him a personal note.  Cardstock is from my stash, Martha Stewart heart punch, 3 step bird punch and tulip embossing folder are from Stampin Up, sentiment which was stamped in Majestic Blue Versa Ink is from Taylored expressions and the scallop punch is also from Stampin Up.  I thought the blue flat backed rhinestones added just the right amount of bling.  I was afraid that this card was too feminine but  Herb loves this card and has it displayed on the end table beside the side of the chesterfield where he sits.

I had barely finished making this card when we got a call from Herb's niece to tell us that her father who is Herb's younger brother had been admitted to ICU with pneumonia.  His brother also has leukemia and when he took a turn for the worse, the doctors put him into a drug induced coma.  We left right away and picked up his sister and drove out to the hospital to see him.  When Herb saw him, he was very upset and told me today that even though he and his brother used to fight a lot as brothers do, it wasn't until he saw him lying helpless in a hospital bed hooked up to monitors with IVs that he realized just how much he loves his brother.  They transferred his brother to Toronto General hospital from the hospital in Brampton as the doctors wanted to do a heart lung bypass procedure to oxygenate the blood and remove the carbon dioxide.  He is not out of the woods yet.  They are trying to increase his blood pressure to a more comfortable level.  The next few days are critical but I am confident that he will pull through.
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Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge # 11

In case you didn't read my previous post; I am now a design team member of the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.

On to this week's sketch by Michelle Stewart:

Here is my interpretation:

The white card base was layered with a piece of Bazzill Powder Blue card stock.  The design paper is from a 6 x 6 paper pad from Recollections - Blue Christmas which I bought at Michaels last year.  The sentiment from CTMH - A Very Merry Christmas which I bought from my niece Krista - a fellow design team member and a CTMH Consultant was stamped in Majestic Blue Versafine Ink.  The bling is by Prima - Say it in Crystals.  I am very happy with how this card turned out.  

This sketch would be an excellent way to use up some of your scraps; so go ahead, don't be shy - play along and who knows, you might be chosen as one of the Top 3 and get to display a Top 3 badge on your blog!

Thanks for stopping by!

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge

I am super excited to let you know that I have been chosen to be a design team member of the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge!!  Whoo Hoo!  I will be joining my niece Krista who is a CTMH Consultant along with 15 other talented ladies.  I am excited about this new venture and wish to thank Michelle and Darla on choosing me.  It has always been a dream to one day becoming a design team member.  The late Annette Funicello once said, "A dream is a wish that your heart makes" and now my wish has come true!

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Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge # 10

It is no secret that I love butterflies and flowers.  I have several dies for both and love to incorporate them onto a card.  When I saw this week's Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge, I knew I could use both a butterfly die and some flower dies.

Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

Card stock is all from Bazill.  The embossing folder is from Nellie's Choice - Small Flowers.  The strip of design paper is from Echo Park - 6 x 6 paper pad Sweet Girl.  The square die is a Spellbinders Nestibility - Decorative Labels One.  The butterfly and flower dies are both from Your Next Stamp - Spring Fling - Garden.  The bling which is in the shape of flowers are from K & Company.  The sentiment which was stamped with Versafine Majestic Blue is from Penny Black.  I am quite pleased with how well this card turned out and I am hoping to make it onto the design team for Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenges.  

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Mojo Monday 300 and Embroidery on Paper

Mojo Monday is celebrating their 300th challenge.  I have taken part in quite a few of their challenges over the last 2 years or so, just not lately.  To celebrate they are giving away quite a few prizes from 23 paper crafting companies.  Not only that but 6 companies are also offering discounts on their sites.  After looking at my entry; please go to the Mojo Monday site to check it out.

Without further ado, here is the sketch:

This is how I interpreted the sketch:

Card stock is from my stash.  The flowered design paper as well as the embroidered square were part of a card kit.  I didn't care for the card so decided to use some of the elements to make this card.  I embroidered the flowers and leaves and if you look carefully you can see where I used some gold thread for the smaller inside square.  I have had this card kit in my stash for a very long time and am finally getting around to doing something with it.  The other design paper is from Bo Bunny 6 x 6 paper pad - Sweet Tooth.  The sentiment is from Verve.  It was sent to me as a thank you gift when I placed an order with them.  The button is from one of my Taylored Expressions Key Ingredients kits.  The banners were cut with dies from the Taylored Expressions Banner Stacklets die set.

 I used to do a lot of counted cross stitch embroidery but after becoming a grandmother; my interests turned to card making.  I used to go to a twice yearly show and sale called the Creative Festival.  It started out as the Creative Sewing and Needlework Festival with an emphasis on the fiber arts and I would usually go in the fall and stock up on floss, needles, and material.  Several years ago, they changed their name to the Creative Festival and it has now evolved into a show with something for everyone including paper arts.  It was at this show that I first became acquainted with a company by the name of Ecstasy Crafts who import a lot of paper crafts from The Netherlands where I was born.  I was  happy to see that they sell embroidery on paper books and card kits.  I am anxiously awaiting for a 3D kit that I ordered from them last week to arrive. 

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Anna/Oma

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #8

This is the first time that I am entering the Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge.  As soon as I saw the sketch; I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.  My niece Krista who is a CTMH Consultant is a design team member.  I would love to be on this design team.  I think it would be a lot of fun.  Without further ado, here is the sketch:

Here is the card I made:

Card stock and design paper is from my stash but the design paper is from a sheet of 81/2 x 11 inch paper and did not have a name on the back.  I've had it for so long that for the life of me, I can't remember where I bought it!  The die cut is from Memory Box - Tilth (is that even a word?) Floral.  I attached it to the circle which I cut with a Spellbinders die.  The rose was stamped with Tsukinek Clear embossing powder and then heat embossed.  The sentiment was stamped with CTMH Hollyhock onto a Spellbinders Grommet Tag.  The pearls are from my stash.  The main image as well as the sentiment were popped up onto foam squares.

I'm quite pleased with this card and I hope that the lovely ladies at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge will consider me for their design team.
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Happy Birthday Brooke!

The challenge this month at the One Crazy Stamper blog is to make a summer card.  I made the following card for my 2nd granddaughter, Brooke.  I'm sure that the ice cream cone designer paper qualifies for a summer card.  The paper is all from Cool Summer by Carta Bella which I bought at One Crazy Stamper.  The sentiment by My Favourite Things (Polka Dot Greetings) which also came with the matching die, was stamped with CTMH Hollyhock.  Button, bling and twine is from my stash.  It wasn't until I had finished this card, that I found a turquiose button which probably would have been a better choice.

Brooke was born 07/07/07 and she  has been a source of joy for all of us, but especially for her Opa.  She calls him her BFF.  She and Opa love to tease each other.  She enjoys dancing and she is the spitting image of her mother and I have the pictures to prove it.  She is a real girly girl but also enjoys running (like her mother) and playing outside in all kinds of weather.  She loves making cards with me and I have to watch her like a hawk or she will cover her cards with all kinds of bling!  Lately she has been telling us that she wants to take guitar lessons.  She received a guitar for Christmas from my son. Unlike my daughter, however; she is not shy at all and can be quite cheeky at times.  One day while we were at their house, after listening to her father ask her to do something, she told him, "You're not the boss!"  He got down on her level, looked her straight into her eyes and said, "But I am the boss!"  Opa and I struggled to keep from laughing.  

Opa and I are looking forward to seeing her and her 2 sisters soon.
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Happy Birthday Sierra!

Tomorrow is my eldest granddaughter's 8th birthday.  I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday.  Opa and I were so excited on becoming grandparents.  When my daughter told us that she was expecting in December of 2004; I told her that I wanted her child to call us Oma and Opa as a way of honouring  my Dutch heritage.

The challenge at the One Crazy Stamper blog for the month of June is Summer.  I thought that the card I made for Sierra fit this category.  Here is my card:

I used a Popsicle stick for the pinwheel.  Card stock & ribbon is from my stash.  Design paper is from a 6 x 6 paper pad - Flower Box by Doodlebug Design which I bought at OCS.  I love this cheerful paper pad and will probably use it to create a birthday card for my 2nd granddaughter Brooke who will be celebrating her 6th birthday next month.  She was born on 07/07/07.

Sentiment is from Penny Black - Sweet Wishes.  Here is the inside of Sierra's card which I personalized with the alphabet clear stamps from Your Next Stamp which I bought at Scrapfest in April.  I also added some blue glitter stars which I punched out.

Here is the clear stamp set from Penny Black.  I've used it quite a bit:

Here is the Alphabet clear stamp set:  http://yournextstamp.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=280&products_id=4890.

Sierra will be getting roller blades from her parents so Opa and I will be getting her elbow and knee pads along with some pajamas which she needs. 

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