Dream

I couldn't get on the internet for a couple of hours this evening, and so I made another card with my Distress Oxide backgrounds. Is this suggesting that I would be much more productive if I didn't spend so much time online...you decide. I used a stamp by Beeswax stamps , along with a sentiment stamp by Dimensions (one of my oldest clear stamp sets). The butterflies were punched and sent to me about 10 years ago by another crafter when I complained about not having any small butterfly punches. I don't even remember who she was anymore, but thank you anyway!

Lost Coast Designs challenge 97, myths and magic

Butterfly Spot challenge 141. I used a butterfly, and the color Xanthic, along with the theme of x-tra colors 
Word Art Wednesday
Creative Inspirations April challenge, May flowers

Make A Wish

I used another one of my Distress Oxide backgrounds to make this ATC as well. The stamp is Fairy Tales by Lili of the Valley. I colored the stars with metallic sharpies and added rhinestones for sparkle. The sentiment is heat embossed to show up against the dark background.

Lost Coast Designs challenge 97, myth and magic

Word Art Challenge
Cards und More challenge 47, sketch

Dream

I've had some Distress Oxide ink pads for a while now but only just opened them up the other night. Once I got past the truly horrible first results (and promptly looked at a few videos online to learn how to use them), I couldn't stop making backgrounds! Today I turned a few of them into ATC's. This background also used a stencil by Andy Skinner and a stamp by Viva Las Vegastamps that I've had for years and years and never used. Yes, this is all made with NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff) ..yay me!  Note to self, don't decide to fussy cut images with a lot of thin, poky details.

 Lost Coast Designs challenge 97, myth and magic

 NBUS challenge 13, use never-before-used schtuff (but of course!)
Cards und more challenge 47, sketch

Seasons Greetings

You know how you have certain patterned papers that seem to last forever? Well, here's one of those. Even after giving my daughter a batch of papers from this assortment, I still seem to find bits and pieces in my stash.  I combined it with a die cut label by Cuttlebug and holly dies by Spellbinders, for a simple but cozy card.

CHNC challenge 487
Word Art Wednesday
CHN April PP challenge

Mother's Day Rose

I bought several Distress Oxide ink pads a few months ago and hadn't even opened them up until this week. I made a few backgrounds, but as I looked them over I thought I would do some stamping and fussy cutting over it. I usually color my images with markers or watercolor pencils but thought I'd paper piece this time instead, just to mix it up. The rose stamp is by Stamplorations, and the sentiment is by Winnie and Walter.  I also die cut the leafy sprigs out of another Oxide background and used a die by Impression Obsession. My late father-in-law's wife loves flowers, so this one will go to her.

Virginia's April Show and Share: AG

 Word Art Wednesday
Double Trouble challenge 55 . I did Thing 1 (orange, green, flowers) and Thing 2

 Artsy Stamper challenge 14, springtime
Stamplorations Anything Goes challenge, I used a rose stamp by Stamplorations

 Hero Arts Stay Crafty challenge 6. I stamped on Distress Oxide backgrounds that I made, then fussy cut and layered
DL.Art's Thankful Thursday challenge 258, Mothers Day
Creative Inspirations April challenge, May flowers

More Easter Wishes

As I mentioned before, I used this Happy Easter sentiment die by Kat Scrappiness on nearly all of my Easter cards this year, but still had fun switching it around by using the shadow die, negative die cut, or just using the sentiment itself. Next year, as we shouldn't be in lock down anymore, I hope to use this die for Easter gift bags and tags as well as cards. I added a fancy label die that I got as a magazine freebie, some twine, and inked edges for definition.

Unstampabelles April challenge, CASE a design without stamps. I was inspired by Caren Bartholomew's card here

Word Art Wednesday
CHN april PP challenge
Kat Scrappiness April challenge, spring flowers
Papercraft challenges 57, Easter
Cardz TV challenge 113
Double Trouble challenge 55. I did thing 1 (flowers, orange, green), and Thing 3

Artsy Stamper April challenge, springtime

Keep Calm and Merry On

Here is another Christmas card that I made today. I keep my Christmas papers and stamps out all the time, so I can work on them as I have time. That way I can (mostly) avoid that last minute rush in December. This card uses a stamp and die by Hampton Arts, the leafy garland die by Little B, a tag die by Gina K, and more of those glitter stars.

I also stamped the inside of the card:

CHNC challenge 487
Word Art Wednesday
CHN April PP challenge
Crimbo Crackers 209, Christmas and old stash. The paper, tag die, and garland die are all really old
Cardz TV challenge 113
ABC Christmas Challenge, I is for Inside

Holiday Deer

I finally got myself to sit down at my craft table and do a little bit of stamping and card making today. As so many crafters have been reporting, I just haven't been able to focus well when it comes to being creative, and have spent more time organizing my supplies than actually using them. Well, that changed today and last night, when I worked on a few Christmas cards and a Mother's day design. Seeing the Rudolph Challenge got me to rummage through some holiday paper scraps, and I used a stamp from my stash to make this faux wood-slice ornament. I had some trouble making it look like wood, as the image lacked any grain lines, but I used Distress Ink in Antique Linen and dabbed it on here and then...then used a combination of alcohol marks and Distress markers.  The banner sentiment is from a set by Hampton Arts, and all I had to do was add some twine and a few gold glitter stars.

April Rudolph Days challenge, Christmas card
Word Art Wednesday
Penny Black and More April challenge, AG with stamping
CHN April PP challenge
CHNC challenge 487, Christmas 
Crimbo Crackers 209, old stash. The papers and stamp set are all several years old
Cardz TV challenge 113
Virginia's April Show and Share

Easter Garden

I decided to use this Easter sentiment die by Kat Scrappiness for almost all of my Easter cards this year, in order to get the most use out of it as possible. I love that it comes with a shadow die as well as the sentiment, which allows for even more design possibilities.  The paper I used is a beautiful floral by K&Co, and the label die is a freebie that came with Papercraft Inspirations. I inked the edges to coordinate with the patterned paper, and added some bakers twine. The butterflies are punched from textured white card stock, then inked with Stampin'Up ink. 

Kat Scrappiness April challenge, flowers
Word Art Wednesday
Papercraft Business challenge 28, Easter
Crafty Hazelnut's April PP challenge
Unstampabelles April challenge. I CASED Jeanette Kausen, with her quick and easy patterned paper cards and die cut sentiment
Creative Inspirations April challenge, May flowers

Virginia Lu's April Show and Share challenge

Stamplorations April Theme challenge, flight

Celebrate in Style

My sister and I were married a week apart, 40 years ago, and so I always make her an anniversary card to celebrate. In addition, my daughter was married on the same day as my sister (though many years later!), so I have three anniversary cards to make every April. Given that I procrastinated this time around, I decided to make two of the same card, one for each of them. I used this adorable Love Bird image from a stamp set by Janie's Originals, from Papercraft Inspirations magazine. My brother-in-law used to raise finches and parakeets, and they're both bird lovers so this was the perfect design for them. The background was stamped with assorted floral and leaf stamps, and with a handmade batik-style stamp that I made years ago with scrap rubber. the oval dies are by Kat Scrappiness, the tropical leaves cut from glitter cardstock are by Recollections, and the flower is tiny punch that I've had for ages.

Word Art Wednesday
Kat Scrappiness April challenge, flowers
Penny Black and More April challenge, AG with stamping
Virginia Lu's April Show and Share challenge: AG

Lost Coast Designs challenge, Spring has sprung

Time Out Challenge 159, garden or reading 
Stamplorations April theme and prompt challenge, flight

Creative Inspirations April challenge, showers and flowers
Catch the Bug sketch challenge 808. I switched the sketch from right to left

The Flower Challenge, springtime and flowers

Teacher Mini-Calendar

I made a batch of mini-calendars for my granddaughters to give to their teachers and tutors at the end of last year, and this is one that I hadn't posted to my blog yet. The stamp set is by Melanie Muenchinger for Gina K. Designs.  The calendars are by Taylored Expressions, and I used all scraps from my stash.

Word Art Wednesday
Allsorts Challenge 566/7. I used something old (stamps) and blue (paper)
CHN April PP challenge
Penny Black and More, stamping and AG
Crafters Cafe challenge 239, AG

Easter Bunny

This is the card that I made to send to my grandkids. With the coronavirus shut-down going on now, we won't see them at Easter, but I ordered some goodies on Amazon and had them delivered. I went with a more subtle color combo than I usually do for their cards, but this paper pad has been sitting in my stash for at least 10 years and it was time to bring it out. The cute little bunny is from the Easter Essentials die set by Kat Scrappiness, that my daughter let me borrow, and the Easter sentiment die as also by Kat Scrappiness. I tied some twine around the bunny's neck and fussy cut a flower from the background paper to embellish. The punched border is by Fiskars. It's rare that I make a card that doesn't involve any stamping at all, but die cutting works well when you're short on time, don't you agree? Besides, I think that orange is just the color of bunny carrots, which makes it perfect for Easter.

Word Art Wednesday
Kat Scrappiness April challenge, spring flowers
Allsorts challenge 556/7, I used something new (die set), old border punch
Creative Fingers 183
CHN April PP challenge

Crafters Cafe challenge 239, AG 
Unstampabelles April challenge, CASE with no stamps :  I was inspired by the retro colors and patterns that reminded me of applique quilting in this card by Lin Brandyberry Sending Hugs,  

Papercraft Business April challenge, Easter 

Lilies

This whole coronavirus crisis is just throwing me for a loop and I am having so much trouble keeping on track with anything. I spent 3 solid days madly sewing face masks for my daughter-in-law and her co-workers, and am glad to have that finished at least. Sent them off to her and I hope they work for them. I made the design with pleats and a wire along the top, so the wire part took me FOREVER.
Once I crawled out from under the pile of fabric scraps and thread pieces, I realized that Easter is in 4 days and I hadn't made a single Easter card. So...yesterday and today was spent cranking out Easter cards for a few local friends, my grandkids, and my sister. Also made one for some elderly relatives. I do wish I had sent them out sooner but better late than not at all I suppose.
This one goes to my 93 year old mother-in-law who is still healthy and well, but starting to slow down. She loves flowers so I used this lily patterned paper, along with an Easter sentiment die by Kat Scrappiness. I didn't have the color cardstock that I wanted for the sentiment so I used ink blending with Aspen by CTMH. The butterfly die is by Jen Hadfield for Pebbles. A couple of pearls and hemp twine by Stampin-Up finished this one up.

As I had a limited time to make my cards and send them, I was inspired by Jeanette Kausen's quick and easy patterned paper and die cut sentiment designs here: Creative Bliss.  
She made 24 cards with just patterned paper  and sentiment dies as the focal point.

 Word Art Wednesday
Creative Fingers 183
Papercraft Business challenge 28, Easter
Kat Scrappiness April challenge, Spring flowers
Crafty Calendar April challenge, add a butterfly
Stamplorations April theme challenge, flight

CHN April PP challenge
Crafters Cafe Challenge 239, AG
Unstampabelles April challenge, CASE. I was inspired by Jeanette Kausens quick and easy patterned paper cards with die sentiments

Butterfly Garden

I used papers by K&Co on this card, and the same Kat Scrappiness Happy Easter sentiment die. This time I used the negative die waste, and backed it with purple card stock. I wanted to bring some of the colors from the background into the white sentiment square, so splattered two ink colors on it, then inked the edges. The butterflies are stamps from my stash  , which I colored with alcohol markers and fussy cut. When I was almost finished, I realized that the lower left corner of the card had no flowers on it, so I fussy cut a bloom from the middle of the background (which was going to be covered anyway), and glued it down. Let it never be said that I don't use up every little bit of scrap that enters my stash! I then added some jute twine, and will be sending this off tomorrow. 

Pixie's Snippets challenge 375. I used all snippets on this card, including the die cut waste.
Word Art Wednesday
Kat Scrappiness April challenge, spring flowers
Allsorts challenge week 556/7 , something new. My sentiment die is brand new, as are the butterfly 
stamps
Creative Fingers challenge 183
Crafters Cafe challenge 239, AG
The Butterfly Spot challenge 140. I used wisteria and wheat, and a butterfly
Stamplorations April challenge, flight