SNSDC13 Orange, Yellow & Green

The SNSDC13 challenge this week is to make a card using the colors orange, yellow, and green. I immediately thought of autumn so I used this Rhubarb's Autumn Day digi image from SNSS. If you haven't seen any of these Rhubarb images yet, you're really missing out! Korin has been adding new images daily and there's quite a collection of these cute images in the store. I colored this image with Copics and added a punched border on both sides 0f the K&Co dp with an EK punch. I used sponge daubers in autumn colors on the edges of the white cardstock so that the leaves would have autumn colors. The sentiment is from the SNSS Poppies & Greetings set and I used a couple of punched leaves for accents. The final touch was a gold leaf brad.
Just a little reminder, if you play along in this challenge, you must use only Sweet'n Sassy stamps!
Have yourself a fantastic Friday and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

C4C8

There's another Crazy4Cocoa challenge over on the SNSS connection this week, and the challenge is to add paper piercing. For my card I used the SNSS Cocoa's pumpkin digi image and colored it with Copics. I added a couple pieces of retired DP and some ribbon, and stamped the sentiment with those individual wooden peg stamps I've had forever. I used a Spellbinders labels four for the sentiment panels, a piece of ribbon and added some piercing for the final touch.
I hope you can find time to come play along with us this week!
Thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Stamps R Us Birthday Blog Hop Winners!

Here are the Stamps R Us birthday blog hop winners!

Carol's winner - Billie A. ..............4 digis of the winner's choice to Squidgi Digi

Collette's winner - Kimberly......... 5 digi images from the Stamping Boutique

Jan's winner - Sandi De Falco...... $10.00 gift certificate to Clear Dollar stamps

Joe-Anne's winner - Stephanie.... 10 digis of winners choice to Bizzy Bec's

Kathy's winner - Pat......................... $10.00 gift certificate to Oozak.com

Lynn's winner - Meagan................ acrylic stamp set from Inspired Stamps

Marilyn S.'s winner - Renee..........1 yr. subscription to Through the Craftroom Door magazine

Marilyn W.'s winner - Carolina Girl..4 digital stamp sets from K 'n K Designs

Paige's winner - Georgia......one pre-selected birthday image from Michelle Perkett Studio

Shannon's winner - Carol...5 digital images of the winner's choice from Cardmadfairy's Card Creations

Tammy's winner - Gemma....$15.00 gift certificate from Whimsy Stamps

Our celebration isn't finished yet, so be sure to play along with us by making a birthday card and entering it here before the deadline. Whimsie Doodles is our sponsor for this challenge and has a generous prize for our randomly drawn winner, plus there are MORE prizes to be awarded at the end of our challenge & birthday celebration, so the party isn't over yet!!!

Thanks for your participation in helping us celebrate our first birthday! We'll be in touch with everyone shortly!

Carol

Challenge Time!

I made cards for a few challenges today. First up is my card for the OWH Stars & Stamps mid week throwdown challenge to use a "water" theme. I think this hilarious card fits the bill. This free digi image is from Leighs Paper Creations and I colored it with Copics, using flourescent Copics for the umbrella. DP is by Echo Park, blue is Cool Caribbean, and I used some embossed kraft for the bottom. I drew in some water with Copics, and sponged the sky using Tumbled Glass distress ink. The sentiment was done with an unmarked wooden set of summer-themed stamps. I'm not too fond of sunbathing, but I wouldn't mind lazing on a beach to feel a cool ocean breeze with this summer heat wave we're having right now!
This card is for the Speedy the Cat's Friends challenge #65 to use 3 hearts. I also used the SC343 sketch found here. I used kraft, navy & red cardstock, along with some red DP from Bo Bunny, and some navy DP from SU! I cut the hearts using Spellbinders heart dies, and added a shiny brad along with 3 small heart stickers on the sentiment panel. The border of the strips was done with an EK punch. The sentiment is from MFP's Thankful Pumpkins & Mums. This one is going into my next OWH box so a soldier serving somewhere overseas can send a little love back home. I think that's reason enough to use more than 3 hearts for the challenge:)
Thanks so much for stopping by, and don't forget to check back in tomorrow when the winners are announced for the Stamps R Us birthday celebration blog hop. Each blog on the hop will be announcing a different winner so stay tuned!

Have a fantastic day!

Carol

The Stamps R Us Birthday Celebration Begins Today!

Welcome to the Stamps R Us Birthday Celebration blog hop! If you've arrived here from the Stamps R Us blog, then you're right on track! If not, please start at the Stamps R Us challenge blog.

If you've seen the notice about this celebration at the top of my blog, then you know there are lots of generous sponsors awarding prizes on this hop. In order to be eligible to win one of these prizes, you'll have to leave a comment on each stop of this birthday hop! There might be a few other surprises along the way as well, so be sure to follow the blog hop!

Our Stamps R Us challenge this week is to make a Birthday Card, and Whimsie Doodles is our sponsor. To help Stamps R Us celebrate their birthday, Whimsie Doodles is giving our fans a 10% off coupon good for 30 days from the start of our current challenge. For your shopping pleasure the code for a 10% off discount is SRU10.

For my card I used this cute Whimsie Doodles image called Leah Diver. The sentiment inside says "You're to dive for!! In this scorching hot weather, I feel a little cooler every time I look at this cute little girl who's ready to dive right into the water!

And now your next stop along the way is COLLETTE. Thanks for visiting and good luck!!
Thanks so much for stopping by!

Carol

stamps - Whimsie Doodles, Inkadinkado (sentiment)
paper - Echo Park, DCVW pale lavender, Pacific Point (SU!)
ink - versafine onyx black, versamark
accessories - Fish punch, word window punch, EK zig-zag punch, Spellbinders circle and scalloped circle dies, CB ef, Copics, Glossy Accents, clear detail ep

OWH S&S sketch#79

Here's my entry for the Stars & Stamps sketch #79 found here. The entire card was done with Basic Grey Origins dp and the sentiment is Sincere Salutations from SU! I cut 2 branches from a SU! sizzix die cut and added a few MS hydrangea punches with tiny pearls added in the centers. The green card stock came from a DCWV stack.
I wish you a all a great Sunday and thanks so much for stopping by!

Carol

SSS118 sketch

The Sweet Stop SSS118 really was a challenge for me in spite of this week's very simple design! This is the 3rd card I made for this challenge, and I still didn't get it right! LOL I think I have a serious case of "lemme outta here" after being cooped up so long in the house with this heat wave, and I've just completely burned myself out with stamping! They always say a sketch is just a starting point, so let's just say I got off to a very rocky start with this challenge!
I used the Rhubarb's pie digi image that's just been released, and turned this into a get well card. Wouldn't it be great if someone brought you a home made pie while you were feeling a little under the weather? I used scraps of pink and blue dp and card stock and colored the image with Copics. The gemstone brad that gathers the baker's twine is pink, but the photo just didn't catch the color of that very well.
In spite of my taking liberties with the sketch, I'm happy with the way this card turned out, so it wasn't a total loss. Have any of you ever stumbled on a sketch this way? I eliminated the same panel 3 times in a row! I guess it just wasn't meant to be for this card :)
Have fun stamping and stay cool!

Carol

Another Two-fer challenge card

It's too hot outside to do much of anything today, so I decided to just keep doing what I love to do - stay indoors where it's cool and make cards!! I made this one for 2 challenges. First up is the Just For Fun J4F6 challenge over on the Sweet'nSassy connection to use twine. Next I used the colors of black, brown, and ivory for the Stampin'B's challenge #120. I used this super cute SNSS Rhubarb digital image, coloring him with Copics and adding some Flower Soft for his tummy and muzzle. I used some retired SU! DP along with the seeing spots and swiss dots ef's, added some ribbon and twine and made a tag with my Cricut, stamping the sentiment with Rich Cocoa ink. I sponged around the image panel with Antique Linen ink.
I'm still playing in my craft room today and trying to stay cool like the rest of us, so I'll probably turn into a card-making machine for the next day or two! LOL
Thanks for dropping by again!

Carol

Crazy4Cocoa Challenge #7

It's time for another Crazy4Cocoa challenge over at the SweetnSassy connection. This week the challenge is to use tabs. You can make tabs by using a tab punch, or you can make your own by using circles, squares, ovals, die cuts, or any punch you might have on hand. I used the SU word window punch to make the tabs on my card and fastened them down with a mini brad.
This image is Cookies for Cocoa by SNSS and he's colored with Copics.
I hope you can play along with us this week since it's too hot to go outside for most of us! Please tag your cards with C4C7 when uploading to the SNSS galleries.
I really feel sorry for those folks who must work outdoors in this unbearable heat! I just keep my fingers crossed that our a/c keeps working!
Stay cool and thanks for stopping by :)

Carol

Cards for Kids

The mid-week throwdown over at the Stars and Stamps blog is to make Cards 4 Kids, which means we'll be making cards for our men and women in uniform to send home to their children. I have 2 birthday cards for kids that will be going into my next OWH box. First up is a free colored digi from Dustin Pike. With all the coloring done for me, all I had to do was match up some papers and add a little punched tab with a sentiment & mini brads. The blue panel was embossed with a seeing spots ef.
This is an adorable digi from Spyder's corner that I won just by posting another card using one of her digi images! Lyn cruises blogland for cards made with her images and rewards you if she spots one, so that's how I got this sweet digi! I just loooove these happy little mice:) The image was colored with Copics and I used 2 different colors of bakers twine with a pink button. The sentiment is from SNSS Poppies & Greetings.
If you want some amazing inspiration for making those cards 4 kids, be sure to check out my fellow DT member Shannon's adorable samples over on the S&S blog! They're SO cute you won't want to miss them!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're keeping cool wherever you are today!

Carol

A Cheery Challenge and an Award

I made this card for the Speedy the Cat's Friends #64 challenge which is to create something "bright & cheery" using pink, yellow & green. I used the MFP Thankful Mums & Pumpkins chrysanthemum stamp for this card, stamping with Versafine Onyx Black ink and embossing with clear ep before coloring with Copics. I like the uncomplicated simple look of this card, so I didn't add anything else to it. I used DP from a pack of "sugared collection" papers that were given to me by a sweet friend {thanks Michelle}, and inside was this stamped and cut sentiment, which seemed to be perfect for this card. Sorry, I have no idea who makes the stamp, but I love the sentiment!
My sweet friend Mary Anne of Lakeside Stamping gave me this award a while ago, and I'm just now getting around to posting it. Although I'm very appreciative that anyone thinks my blog deserves any kind of special recognition, I seriously doubt that anyone wants to know 7 more personal facts about me, but here goes just for laughs :)

1. I spend most of my mornings stamping in my jammies now that I'm retired. (love it!)
2. I cannot watch any kind of horror movie!
3. I hate wearing shoes if I don't have to.
4. I had to give up chocolate and surprisingly I don't miss it!
5. I never thought I'd make a statement like the previous one :)
6. I love the tv show Leverage (my new fav)
7. I'm so grateful for each and every one of you that stop by here and leave me some love!

Now I'm passing this award on to 7 more ladies who visit my blog often. Enjoy!
Donna Hanley
Nancy F
Lynn
Shannon
Wendy
Monika
Sue

Thanks for stopping by today and heartfelt thanks to Mary Anne for my blogging award. I hope you stay cool wherever you are today! It sure is hot in PA!

Carol

Stars & Stamps sketch #78

Here's my take on the Stars & Stamps sketch challenge #78 found here. I used all Basic Grey Marjolaine dp for this one, using a SU! Boho Blossoms punch for the flowers and an EK rock fern punch for the leaves. I snipped the leaves from the punched sprays, and just added 2 leaves to each stem. The button brads came from Michaels. The sentiment is from SNSS Poppies & Greetings stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink, and I added a left over strip of DP to the sentiment line just for a little interest.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fabulous Sunday!

Carol

A Different Kind of Bow Tutorial

I recently posted this card over at SCS and I had a PM from Kathy asking me how I made the bow. It’s really funny how this bow came about, because I made it too large for the card. I’d already glued it down, so I had to try and figure out how to save the card. I decided to try to trim it down a little, and the results were a pleasant surprise! I really liked the way it turned out!

Here’s how I made it in a few easy steps. I hope you can read the instructions by clicking the photos to make them larger. I’m trying Live Writer for the first time for this post since Blogger only allows me to post 5 pictures at a time.

And here is the finished card.

I hope this helps anyone who’s interested in making a bow like mine.

Carol

SSS117

Here's a card for the Sweet Stop Sketch SSS117. I used one of the brand new Sweet'nSassy Rhubarb digi images called Rhubarb Santa. I think this is just the sweetest little bear evah! I colored him with Copics, and sponged the edges for a vintage feel, adding liquid applique to the fur on his Santa hat. I added some crocheted lace and narrow ribbon along with a felt snowflake. DP is by Basic Grey and the greeting is by Inkadinkado.
I hope to have something else in a little while, so stay tuned :) Thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Crazy 4 Cocoa Challenge 6 - Juicy!

There's another Crazy4Cocoa challenge going on over at the SNSS connection and this week we're using the theme "something juicy" for our cards. I used this Cocoa watermelon digi image for my card, coloring with Copics. I used a piece of BG dp, and embossed a panel of green cardstock with an unknown ef and added some gingham ribbon for the final touch.
A big chunk of juicy watermelon sounds refreshing to me in all this hot weather. How about you?
I hope you'll grab those SNSS juicy Cocoa images and come play along with us for the C4C6 challenge over on the connection. See you there!
Make it a great day!

Carol

Mid Week Throwdown & a Sketch

Here's a fun card I made for the Stars & Stamps mid-week throwdown. The theme is "miss you." I rarely make "missing you" cards for kids, so this is one a military parent can send home to their children. The image is by Hambo stamps, and I colored it with Copics. I have so many strips of white cardstock left over from trimming and wanted to use them, so I came up with this idea to make a zig-zag border. I colored the pieces with flourescent Copics in 3 colors after punching them with the EK punch. I just laid some adhesive down on a 1-1/2" scrap of cardstock, and laid the zig-zag strips down close to each other in a pattern. I trimmed the edges straight afterward, and the piece that was left over was adhered to the top of the stamped image to pull it all together. The bottom mat for the image is white, and I just went around the edges with the blunt edge of the purple Copic. This was fun to make and I'm loving those Flourescent Copic markers!
This was made for todays SC341 sketch challenge. I won this unicorn digi image from Lyn of Spyders Corner/dragonsmoore and printed it on Neenah cardstock, and colored it with Copics. Unfortunately I had to trim some of the image off the bottom to make it fit my card, but I think it still looks OK. The sentiment is by G Studio and was stamped with SU Basic Grey ink. The paper is BG granola and I added 4 mini brads to the sides.
Thanks for stopping by today, and I'll be back tomorrow with another Crazy4Cocoa challenge.

Carol

Meet Rhubarb!

I couldn't wait to ink up the latest digi creation from Sweet'nSassy stamps called Rhubarb! Isn't he the cutest little bear?! Be sure to check the store every day this week for a daily release of a new Rhubarb image!
For this card I used the "rhubarb enjoys the pool" image, and colored him with Copics. I used Echo Park dp for this and made a matching pinwheel. The bottom border was made with a top-note die, and I added some matching colors of bakers twine just for fun. The little flip-flop clip was from my stash and I thought it added to the summer theme. This card is going to one of my granddaughters living in IN along with a couple dollars to treat her to an ice cream cone courtesy of grandmom and Pop-pop! I think she'll like the pinwheel :)
Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you stay cool wherever you are! It's gonna be a sweltering hot day here in PA!

Carol

Sgt. Yarbrough's 1000 Card Challenge

I just saw this link on Jan's blog about one of our American heroes who is recovering after being injured in Afghanistan.

His family has launched a card drive to help Sgt. Yarbrough's recovery and they're seeking 1000 cards for him.

I know that there are lots of card makers out there who can easily help this family reach their goal, so I'm going to get started on this project right away and do my part.

You can read the details and get the mailing address right here. Click on the "home" button for the daily updates, and please help spread the word to get card makers involved!

Let's do this together!!

Stamps R Us...through the garden gate

Happy Monday and welcome to another Stamps R Us challenge. This week our theme is "through the garden gate" and Heart Song Designs is our sponsor. I'm using the Blooming Stars digi image for my card today that was colored with Copics. I embossed a piece of ruby red dp with the square lattice ef, and added some turquoise card stock to mat the image. The vertical border was done with a MS arch lattice punch, and I added some bakers twine tied off inside of a button. The star blooms on the flowers have blue eyelets in the centers, and I added some pink liquid pearls to them for a little interest. The sentiment was computer generated and done with a word window punch and embellished with a mini butterfly. The final touch was adding stickles to the image butterflies.
I hope you'll find time to play along with our "through the garden" challenge and have some fun. You'll have 2 weeks to finish and post your card, and there's always a generous prize randomly awarded from our sponsor. Click the new Stamps R Us badge button on my sidebar to take you to the other DT members blogs where you'll find some amazing creations to inspire you!
Have a wonderful day!

Carol

Stars & Stamps Sketch #77

I made this for the OWH Stars & Stamps sketch challenge #77. I tweaked the sketch and omitted 3 smaller elements because the medallion I made was just too busy to add more. I used some retired SU! dp for the medallion and pinwheel. Sentiment is by MFP and the borders were done with a MS arch lattice punch. Nestabilites used were Lotus, circles, scalloped circles and a SU! scalloped punch.
Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you enjoy your evening.

Carol

Got Hardware??

I may have gone a tad overboard with hardware on this card, but whenever I pull these sprocket dies out, my brain just takes me to all the metal in my stash. This card is for Speedy the Cat's Friends challenge #63 to use a die cut as a background mat. I chose the top note die to use as my mat, and after I cut it, I embossed it with the Clockworks ef. The sprockets were all die cut with scraps of colorful card stock, and the white card stock was stamped with the retired flannel backgrounder stamp using Desert Sand ink. The sentiment is by MFP and cut with a ticket punch. A scrap of turquoise twill was used on the doo-dad on the sentiment panel. There's no doubt that this is a masculine card, so I'm also entering this into Sandy's blogaversary challenge to share our masculine/unisex cards.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're enjoying your day!

Carol

Have you met Rhubarb yet?

There's a new Sweet'nSassy cutie-pie in town, and his name is Rhubarb. I know you like free digis, right? Well Korin - the owner/illustrator of SNSS - is having a card-making contest and the details are right here. She's giving away a free Rhubarb digi image to make your card with, but hurry! It's only there until tonight! You'll have until Friday July 15th to enter your card but go grab your free digi now before it's gone! One lucky randomly drawn winner will win a $15 gift certificate to the Sweet'nSassy Stamps store. How sweet is that?
Now hurry over to Facebook and grab your free Rhubarb digi and have some fun before he's gone!
Good luck everyone!

A SNSS Saturday

I combined a couple of SNSS challenges into one card this morning. This is for the SSS116 sketch challenge, as well as the Sweet'nSassy connection's Sunday Just for Fun challenge to make a thank-you card. I used the butterfly from the new creature SNSS set, along with a sentiment from the SNSS Poppies and Greetings set. I used some very old BG dp I've had forever, but I liked how it looked with these bazzill blue & yellow card stock colors. The ribbon was from my stash, and I added some HA 3mm pearls to the centers. The "friend" tab was cut with a Nestabilities die.
I hope you're all having a good start to a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Challenges, Challenges....

Here are a couple more challenge cards. This is for the OWH Stars & Stamps sketch challenge #76. I used a fiskars circle punch to make the white medallion, and embossed it with a Sizzix ef. The sentiment was from the $1 bin at Michaels. Heart brad is from my stash.
And here's a fun beach card for the Stampin B's challenge #118, to create a beach scene with sand. I used this free digi image from the Stamping Boutique. Isn't it cute with those flip-flops and sunglasses hanging on the line? I love it! I colored it with Copics, added an embossed background done with an impressabilities plate and lightly sponged with desert sand ink. I added some bakers twine and a ticket punch, stamped with a sentiment from SNSS. Finally I added some platinum and copper stickles to the edges of the sand for a little sparkle.
That's all she wrote for me today! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Carol

It's Christmas in July!

I made a couple early Christmas cards for some challenges, and now I think I'll make a few more to get a jump on the holiday rush! First up is Cocoa's Christmas Tree by Sweet'nSassy Stamps. This card was made for the Crazy4Cocoa challenge C4C5 over on the SNS connection. Cocoa was colored with Copics and I used a scrap of DP I've had for ages. The ef is by Sizzix and I just used a piece of pretty ribbon to finish this simple design.
This card was made as a sample card for the Christmas in July challenge over at the stars and stamps blog here. This image is SNSS Cocoa's ornament, simply colored with Copics and matted on some BG dp. Another quick and easy card finished. This one will mail with one stamp because it's flat, and that works for me! I love to add ribbon and embellishments, but they all add up to extra postage, so this year I'll be trying to make basic, flat cards for the most part.
I'll have another challenge card to post later on today, so stay tuned........


Carol

A Sweet Stop Sketch

Here's my card for the SSS115 sketch. I used a tree stamp from A Muse for this, coloring with Copics and layering with chocolate chip cardstock and Basic Grey dp. I used an EK border punch for the leaves, adding 3 punched elements at the top. Sentiment is by MFP, and I added a few line dots with a chocolate marker to balance things a little bit.
I hope your July 4th was great! Mine was very quiet and I got a lot of stamping time in :)
Happy Monday everyone!

Carol

Happy Birthday !

Happy Birthday America, and Happy Birthday Denise!

Seeing light at the end of the tunnel...........

The virtual cardmaking party at the Stars & Stamps blog has ended it's challenges, but I'm playing catch-up to finish them up! I have 2 more to go and I hope I can find time to get them done. Here are 3 more I just finished. This purple polar bear meets the challenge #14 Tammy gave us to "color me crazy." The idea is to color an image with non-traditional colors. I think I met the challenge easily with this............I don't think I've ever seen a purple polar bear :)
This card is for Lisa's #15 challenge to make a card with a play on words. I think this pretty much speaks for itself and needs no explanation. I actually USED some of my favorite all-time hoarded retired DP for this one! LOL
And this card meets Linda's challenge #13 to use "bears and hearts" on a card. I chose this cute Penny Black image for my bear and added a couple orange hearts to the sentiment panel.
If I can find time to finish up the remaining 2 challenge cards, I'll be back with them later. Be sure to check out the S&S post here where you can go place your vote for your favorite challenge card made during this virtual party. I'm not on Facebook, so I won't be voting, but hopefully you all can!
I wish you all a fantastic July 4th holiday!!

Adding More Challenge Cards.....

I've been on a stamping mission during this virtual cardmaking party over at the Stars and Stamps blog! I've completed all but challenge #2 so far.........and I'm totally stumped as to creating a card with a fishbowl! LOL This card is for Kate's challenge #11 to create a pinwheel. She posted a tutorial on her blog showing how to make this, and it's super easy! Probably the quickest card I've made so far in these challenges.
This one had me puzzled for a while. Sandy's challenge #10 challenged us to use the same stamp and create 2 different cards with 2 different seasons. I think I finally figured it out by making a summer scene and a winter scene with the same tree. That's liquid applique on the winter tree and it really does look like snow doesn't it?
This card was done for challenge#9 in which Patricia challenged us to create a card using a 1,2,3 recipe. 1 designer paper, 2 stamps, and a sentiment with 3 or more words. Check, check, and check!
And this is for Sarah's #12 challenge to create something "fruity or foodie." I used this free colored digi image from Beccy's Place and used a piece of DP that has a tiny border of cherries.
I'm taking a break now to go fix us some dinner. I think I'm just about burned out from making cards for this weekend, but I'll check back a little bit later and see if I can finish them up! I hate to throw the towel in after coming so far! KWIM?
See ya soon!

Here's a few more!

Here's my card for challenge #7 by Marti of Essence of Paper who asks us to use the "subway art" technique to remember our childhood memories. I wasn't familiar with this technique, but I'm glad I gave it a shot. It's fun going back to those days of summer so long ago when I was a child.......sigh
This one is for challenge #6 by Marianne of Petunia's Paper Passions who's challenge is to "Howl at the Moon" - which is to use a "moon" on your card. I went with the literal version, adding a wolf howling at the moon. Wait until you see all the different ideas folks came up with to use "a moon" on their cards! (giggle)
This card is for challenge #8 by Melanie of Scrappily Ever After. Melanie asked us to be inspired by this photo she posted on her blog. I liked the photo so much I just printed a copy and made a quick & simple card using one of my favorite sentiments. All I added was a red mat and some photo corners from my scrapbook supply stash!
I hope everyone is having fun with these challenges. I know I'm getting a lot of cards completed for my next OWH box. Stay tuned for more..........

The Virtual Cardmaking Party Continues....

I've managed to play in several of the challenges going on over at the Stars & Stamps blog this weekend. Blogger is being contrary and won't allow me to post my cards in the challenge order, so they're randomly posted. This card is for challenge #3, by Tanya of Tinkerin Ink - to "tie a yellow ribbon". Her challenge is actually a color challenge to use espresso, peach parfait & daffodil. I improvised with chocolate chip and the paper co yellow since I don't have all the required colors, but I did get the yellow ribbon tied around the card.
This card is for challenge#5 from Holley of Holley's Hobbies who challenged us to create a vintage or distressed card. I used a SU! image and distressed, distressed, and distressed! The lettering was done with my Quickutz tool.
This was challenge #1 by Brenda of Brenda's Stamping Corner where she asked us to use camouflage. I found a 3" square scrap of camouflage dp in my stash, so I paper pieced this young boys outfit. I added strips to the background in the camouflage colors, and stamped a weathered background on the kraft cardstock. Each panel was embossed with a different ef to add interest.
I have more cards to post and more to make, so stay tuned!!

What Does Freedom Mean To You?

If you noticed the big announcement in the previous post, then you already know there's an Independence Day virtual card making party going on over at the Stars & Stamps blog today & tomorrow. The festivities have already begun, and you'll find lots of inspiration and challenges along the way to get you started! You'll find blog candy along the way, and different challenges posted every 2 hours today & tomorrow, so stop by the Stars & Stamps blog often this weekend!

Today I'm giving you a challenge to create a card using an image or sentiment that represents what FREEDOM means to you! The card I made today will be an ""any hero" card going into my next OWH box.

I chose this gorgeous bald eagle free digi image from Crafty Journal for my card, because every time I see an eagle, I automatically think of how proud I am to be a citizen of the US where we are blessed to live in freedom! I'd like to give a grateful shout out to all of our military men & women who have served, as well as those who continue serving this country, to ensure that our freedom remains in tact! Without them, we wouldn't even be celebrating Independence day this weekend!!

I colored this image with Copics and matted it with labels 10 and a top note die. Of course I used the good old red, white & blue flag colors to compliment this majestic creature! The sentiment is from Marks Finest Papers. The background was done with the CB star embossing folder.

I know this is probably a very busy holiday weekend for most of you, but after you barbeque the chicken and have a smore or two, please try to take a little time to play along with any or all of the challenges you'll find during this virtual card-making party! Our soldiers really appreciate the cards we make and send to them! They'll also be announcing the winners of the second million challenge, so you won't want to miss a thing!

Have a safe and fun Independence Day weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Carol