Heaven-sent friends

Yay for rainy days in July!!
Hehehe...I bet you'd never imagine that being said.
However, what a perfect excuse to stay cozy inside and color up a new image/card.

Here is the card I created as my entry for the July FTHS Challenge:
A thank you for a special friend...







Faith has a progressive "Stamp of the Month" challenge each month on the From the Heart blog (participation earns you a free stamp for the next month's challenge).

This featured digi stamp for July is Winter Friends .



If you missed participating in the June challenge,  head over to Faith's "From the Heart Stamps" Shop and purchase this adorable snowman for yourself.


You even have a few days left to enter the July SOTM challenge.
(Shocker, I know...I'm posting this a few days before the deadline).  :)



Don't you just love this stamp...It's perfect for so many types of cards: Christmas, Thinking of you, friendship, Thanks, etc.

Using the Print-n-cut feature in my Silhouette Cameo's software, I traced and offset the image and then the Cameo did all the cutting work. :)
The sentiment is also by Faith, but I can't recall which digi it came with originally...as I've put them all into one big "From the Heart sentiments" file on my computer.

 Besides the stamps, I got inspiration from this week's FTHS' I {heart} Sketches- sketch074 challenge.
Have I mentioned how much I enjoy using sketches?!


I used both the sketch and the great "twist" this week. The Twist was to use PAINT...yikes...

Seriously, this did scare me a little.



 And my first attempt with my kiddo's watercolors was just an ugly mess.  But I do like this version. Both the sentiment tag and the snowman were colored with a plain brush and kid's watercolor set.

The bottom "snow" field was "finger-painted" with MS multi-surface glitter paint from Michaels. It was sitting on my desk, leftover from another project, so I decide to use it. I tried brushing it on first, but I didn't like the results. So I started over and just swirled it on the paper with my fingers. After it dried, I embossed it to give it some texture (Sizzix Polka Daisies plate).

You'll notice that I rotated and flipped the sketch...It just worked better for me that way.  :)

The top part of the card is embossed card stock using a folder by the Paper Studios (Hobby Lobby).

Now, I just need to stick this card in the mail. Have a great week!

Challenges Entered:
From the Heart July SOTM challenge
FTH I heart sketches #74 challenge

Super Dad

**Procrastination doesn't pay...
I had this ready to go with minutes to spare to enter the FTHS sketch challenge...but the Link-up didn't work  (arrrggg- Technology) and when I tried to refresh at the last second and re-enter my link...the collection closed.


So here is my entry for the June FTHS Challenge:
A Super Birthday card!

Faith has a progressive "Stamp of the Month" challenge each month on the From the Heart blog (participation earns you a free stamp for the next month's challenge).





I missed the May challenge deadline due to all the "end-of-school-year" activities that our family was committed to attend and participate in (Projects due, field trips to chaperone, band concerts, etc).

So I didn't "earn" the June stamp...NO Problem.
I headed to Faith's "From the Heart Stamps" Shop and bought June's featured SOTM challenge stamp...
Super Birdbrain (from the always clever "Birdbrains" line.  :)

Don't you just love this stamp...I'm sure you know some superheroes that would love a card made using it.  :)


Using the Print-n-cut feature in my Silhouette Cameo's software, I  printed the sentiment onto the base of the easel card.

I colored the stamp with Copic markers.

Besides the stamps, I got inspiration from this week's FTHS' I {heart} Sketches- sketch072 challenge.



I used both the sketch and the great "twist" this week. I LOVE their weekly sketch challenges. They're fun and inspire my card-making...

You'll notice that I flipped the sketch...That way SuperBirdbrain left the rings in his wake.  :)



Again, All the papers were from my "scrap bins"...I loved using up pieces.  :)

Entry for the following Challenges:
From the Heart blog- Stamp of the Month June 2014  

A quick hello

This is a bit of a "good news, bad news" post.

Bad news:
Unfortunately, I missed the deadlines for submitting this card to the perpetual "Stamp of the month" challenge over at From the Heart Stamps.

This cute spring image "Whimsy Garden Fence" was the image for From the Heart's May challenge.

I finished the card in time, but was too tired to blog about it. Some days are just like that.  I was happy to have some creativity going at all after surviving a week of Spring colds/allergies combined.  :)

It's so adorable and versatile for so many purposes. I actually plan to cut out the card several more times and switch up the sentiment.  It's always nice to have a few cards at the ready ...when you need to send one out.
 
IF you ever miss the deadline for Faith's "Stamp of the Month" challenge, you can simply buy the month's image from the shop and create something to enter...Voila! You're back in the game.
That will be my plans for June....as soon as June's image hits the shop.   :)

Good News:
Each week, The From the Heart community also has a Sketch challenge (This week is sketch068).
I have 1/2 hour left to make that deadline...so here goes nothing!

I love this sketch...I plan on rotating it to make a few variations on the theme...later this week.
This is the first completed card.

The "twist" was to use a sentiment.

This one comes from Paulette at Create With TLC... sweet and simple.

My other (planned) variations will utilize the sentiments included with FTH digi stamp...as those are great too.

I colored the image with my copics and some pencils.
I followed the color scheme from ColorThrowdown's Challenge #294.  I didn't have a good paper match for the "coastal cabana" so I had to use more of a blue... It still makes for a cute, spunky card. :)

All the papers were from my "scrap bins"...I love using up pieces.  :)

Entry for the following Challenges:

From the Heart Sketch Challenge #68
ColorThrowdown Challenge #294

A little note of THANKS!

Teacher Appreciation

Hi! Happy May.

Why is it that life continually interrupts my project plans...LOL?

The first week of May is always "Teacher Appreciation Week".  For months, I have had all these wonderful, cute ideas inside my head...but that just didn't pan out this year.  I managed to pull together a cute metal vase with the teachers' names in vinyl, and filled those with chocolates, new "grown-up" scissors (tag attached: "you're a cut above the rest") and "flower" pens. Unfortunately, there are no photos of the actual gifts.

And of course, those little tokens don't say near enough "thanks" for the wonderful things my kids' teachers do each and every day.

But, I did want to send a heart-felt "THANK YOU" and I managed to photograph the cute (IMHO) thank you cards that accompanied the small tokens of appreciation...albeit seconds before they went out the door.

Can I just say how much I LOVE my Cameo??

It makes me look much more talented than my abilities really are.

This adorable cutting file can be found on the Silhouette Online store here.

I just used the offset feature to add a simple blue insert for the inside of the card.



And of course, the DARLING images are some of Sassy Cheryl's Colored illustration digis.

Sassy Cheryl to the rescue AGAIN.
Her wonderful art has saved me from boring cards once more.

When I want to relax and create, I love coloring Sassy Cheryl's digi stamps myself with copic markers or pencils.

At other times, when I am harried and hurried, The colored illustration versions are just the time-saving help I need.

I just use the "print and cut" feature in the Silhouette Design studio... and Voila... Instant cards....CLEAN and SIMPLE!


Since my 5th grader is a boy, I used the Noah- Freedom image for his teacher.

I used the Sally- Ladybug Tales image for my 3rd grade daughter's card.

Both of the images I used capture my kids' personalities.
Another one of the many reasons that I adore Sassy Cheryl digi stamps!!

 
Like most of my projects, these were finished over a week ago but I am posting them (barely) in time for Sassy Cheryl's Challenge #208- "Clean & Simple with/ a Sassy Cheryl image".  :)





I think the cards were a perfect fit for both this challenge and my personal style.

Well, now that posting these cards is checked off my list, I guess I'll go tackle the next "to do" item.

Have a fun, creative, thankful week!!

Challenges entered with these cards:
Sassy Cheryl Challenge #208- Clean and Simple
Sassy Cheryl's Show Me Thursday Challenge-SMT #144

Spring is Here

Well, it's another end-of-the month post...LOL.
Spring is definitely here and this week we are even enjoying a taste of summer for a few warm (hot for PNW) days.
Soooo nice!
Of course, I could have done without the phone call from the school nurse yesterday when my ds got sick from dehydration.
Rest, water, and he's completely fine today. HURRAY.

Back to Projects:
I have been working on several projects around the house lately, but nothing that I have photographed. Except today's entry...

My card for the April "stamp of the month" challenge at From the Heart Stamps.








Faith has a progressive "Stamp of the Month" challenge each month on the From the Heart blog (participation earns you a free stamp for the next month's challenge).


The darling "Spring Medley" stamp was April's freebie for those who participated in the past month's challenge. It is also available in the shop.



 I cropped just the  sentiment part of the image, but it comes with some adorable tulips and another crocus.


This digi stamp was such wonderful food for thought earlier this month as rain cascaded almost daily.


The digi stamp was printed on kraft paper and colored with Prisma Pencils.


I was inspired to try coloring on the kraft paper by a FTH sketch challenge early in the month. I like the result and will certainly do it again.  

Besides the stamps, I got inspiration from this week's FTHS' I {heart} Sketches- sketch064 challenge.


 I used just the sketch this time...but they also had a fun "twist" this week. I LOVE their weekly sketch challenges. They're fun and inspire my card-making...




All the papers were from my "scrap bins"...I loved using up pieces.  :)

Entry for the following Challenges:
From the Heart blog- Stamp of the Month April 2014  *Just in the nick of time.
From the Heart Sketch Challenge #64

Spring Cheer

Hello!

I grabbed a few moments to put together a card this weekend. We've been busy working on many other "creations" around the house lately (like kids' school projects, garage organization, etc.), so card-making took a back seat for a while.

Front (closed) view of my swing card

The digi stamp was colored with both
Copics and prisma Pencils.  

*Note to self: Turn on some lights before you start trying to color...Then you'll get these lovely results on the first try instead of the 2nd...LOL.  :)

   It's time to post my card for the  March Stamp of the Month challenge at From the Heart Stamps.

Faith has a progressive "Stamp of the Month" challenge each month on the From the Heart blog (participation earns you a free stamp for the next month's challenge).
The darling "Hamlet PigWit Think Spring" stamp is was March's freebie for those who participated in the past month's challenge. It is also available in the shop. This digi stamp set comes with 2 versions of Hamlet plus a few sentiments.


 


Besides the stamps, I got inspiration from this last week's FTHS' I {heart} Sketches- sketch059 challenge.


 I used both the sketch and the "twist", which was "Interactive Cards".

inside view of swing card

 I cut this swing card with my Cameo.
Super easy and such a fun card design.
Unfortunately, I was a little bit slow this week, so it wasn't finished in time for the sketch challenge.
That doesn't matter...It was the perfect inspiration anyways.  :)


The wonderful sentiment was in my files from Paulette at Create with TLC.  Nine times out of ten, my sentiments come from the amazing Paulette. I love her talent of combining just the right phrases into an interesting graphic.

This sentiment and card is perfect for a loved one of mine that could use a "we're thinking of you" and "take care" kind of lift/reminder right now.  :)


The papers were from my latest trip to Hobby Lobby. Since I was there anyways (buying supplies for ds' science fair project), I stopped by the 50% paper sale and picked up the cute "Eat Cake" and "Birthday Extravaganza" paper packs by the Paper Studio. I'm loving the little 4.5x 6.5 inch packs...Just the right size to add variety to my cards without having  HUGE paper stash guilt.  LOL.


This card is now ready for the mail...on it's way to spread some Spring Cheer and brighten a worrisome day.  :)


Entry for the following Challenges:
From the Heart blog- Stamp of the Month March 2014  *Just in the nick of time.


Sassy Cheryl's "Show Me" Thursday Challenge  **Because this is the only project I actually have photos of.  :)

Happy Bird-day

It's time to post my card for the February Stamp of the Month challenge at From the Heart Stamps.

    Faith has a progressive "Stamp of the Month" challenge each month on the From the Heart blog (participation earns you a free stamp for the next month's challenge).
The funny "Birthday Candle Birdbrain" stamp is this month's freebie for those who participated in last month's challenge. It is also available in the shop.


Besides the stamps and sentiment (included with the digi stamp), I got inspiration this week from the FTHS' I {heart} Sketches- sketch055 challenge.



I think it was serendipitous that the BoBunny Back-to-Basic papers ("Pincushion" collection) I had just purchased also contained a scallop element. I just needed to do some fussy cutting.
 I had bought the papers after a brief "inspiration" trip to my local, small craft store.  I was trying to make something for a green/grey challenge, but nothing worked out in time...
So they stayed in my stash waiting to make this card.
*note: The Grey/white polka dot paper is by My Mind's Eye... "Chalk Talk" paper.

It's so fun when things pull together.
I had originally tried coloring the bird in varying shades of green (all w-r-o-n-g), but love the finished birdy now...all sweet and persimmon-y. :)
It was colored with both Copics and prisma Pencils.

This card is now ready for the mail...and it's even on time.

Entry for the following Challenges:
From the Heart blog- Stamp of the Month February 2014
FTHS' I {heart} Sketches- sketch055 challenge.