Gray, yellow, pink

I wanted to give the Play Date Cafe Challenge as I found the color combination interesting.  I ended up making two cards slightly different.  I actually made about 5 of the Thanks panels before I decided on these two.  Sometimes it hard to only use what's in my, ever growing, stash.  I'm still not 100% satisfied with the result, but I think they look better in person than in the picture.

I'm entering these in the following challenges:
The Play Date Cafe #106
Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #128

Birthday Card

I've seen so many pretty easel cards and decided that I needed to give one a try.  It was a friend's Birthday so I thought this was the perfect time to make something a little fancier.  

The starting point was that I wanted it to include orange.  I picked the orange background paper first and then worked around that.  I wasn't sure what color I was going to go with for the card base. Black was too Halloween-ish, brown didn't seem festive enough and lighter colors just weren't right either.  Then I saw this blue shiny paper and knew I'd found a match.  I tried all kinds of new techniques on this card too.  I used a Spellbinder's die to make the card itself.  I really like the shaped card base.  I'm sure there will be more of these in  my future.  I also wanted to try making some colored paper using distress inks spritzed with water.  I'm sure this technique has a name, but I don't know what it is.  Anyway, that's how I made the paper that the Happy Birthday is stamped, then embossed on.  Then the card needed a bit of bling.  I won a prize pack at the Member's Event at Scrapbooker's Paradise.  Included in that, amongst lots of other goodies, was some glimmer mist.  I sprayed some on the flowers and I have to say I'm in love with glimmer mist!

So that's it for this card.  Lots of playing around and I think it turned out pretty well.  My friend liked it and that is all that mattered.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Scrapbooker's Paradise  PPC #40 
Catch the Bug  Anything Goes

Thank You Card

I've been buying more card making supplies than making cards recently.  My favorite local scrap booking store had a members sale and I stocked up on a lot of goodies.  I also have a bit of any an ebay addiction.  I told myself after the member's sale that I need a monthly budget and I can't exceed it.  Then I went on ebay.  Oh well, a person has to have a hobby right?

Today I made this card.  I used a new Tim Holtz stamp and distress ink as well as a Fiskar's punch that I recently bought.  I guess that justifies my new purchases!

 I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
The Play Date Cafe Challenge 105
Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes
Mojo Monday Challenge 212

Birthday Card

It's been awhile since my last post, but I have been making some cards.  Birthday cards.  For some people who may read the blog and see their card before their Birthday.  That just wouldn't be right!

I made this card for my nephew who will be 13 this year.  I know he won't see the blog and it happens that Scrapbooker's Paradise has a challenge this week that this card will fit into.

13 is a hard age.  A lot of images are too young, but on the other side a regular old masculine card is to adult...and doesn't have a 'cool' factor.  I thought an edgy, graffiti inspired card would be kind of cool.  I hope he likes it!

I'm entering this card in the following challenge:
Scrapboker's Paradise PPC #37
Creative Inspriation Single Layer Card

Orange, Yellow, Brown

This morning I woke up at 7:15 and the foster puppy was still sleeping.  Times they are a changin!  I wanted to do some card making this morning and had an idea all worked out in my head so out of bed we all got.

Guess what?  It's another Thank You card.  For those new to this blog let me explain the ongoing creation of Thank You card after Thank You card.  I foster for AARCS and they send out hand made Thank You cards to all people that donate.  They are a great organization who relies entirely on donations to make ends meet. Without them, my current foster puppy would surely not be alive today.  If you are interested, you can read more about Willie here.  Now on to card making....

I've been wanting to try the faux mosaic tile technique posted by Kim on the Scrapbooker's Paradise blog.  This is the card I came up with.  I think it looks better in the picture than in real life.  The yellow trees show up better.  I need a bit of work on my blending technique on the background but I think it's pretty good for a first try. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
CR84FN Challenge 39
Scrapbooker's Paradise PPC35
Penny's Challenge #63
4 Crafty Chicks  Challenge 57 Anything Goes

Pink, green and black

I made this card for the Catch the Bug Challenge.  It's a duo challenge using a sketch and the colors pink, green and black.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Catch the Bug
Digistamps4joy Challenge #28
Simon Says Stamp Use Dies or Punches challenge

Autumn Card

I won some Autumn chipboard stickers and dies from a previous challenge.  I figured I better put them to use since I was so excited when I won.  I made this simple Autumn card with them

I'm entering this in the following challenges  
4 Crafty Chicks Fall/Autumn Challenge
CPS Challenge 237

Halloween Card

Today I made a Halloween Card.   The other day I went to Home Depot and ended up at a craft store next door and managed to talk myself into some new Halloween paper.  Weird how these things happen!

 I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Sunday's Sketch & Stamp Challenge 73
Anything Goes Challenge 50

Card Making on a Monday

I started a card yesterday that I didn't get a chance to finish.  I find the color in the photo a bit off.  The background paper is much more plumb color than I think it looks in the picture.

 I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Play Date Cafe Challenge #99

CPS #236 Part 1

Thank You Card...again

Yes, you guessed it, today I made a Thank You card.  I saw a new (to me) technique using glitter at the local scrapbooking store and decided that I must try it.

The bottom piece has the glitter and I think the dog paws are really cute.  It was my first try, to it's a bit rough, but I still think it turned out OK.  I also really like this dog stamp and since I'm making Thank You cards for an animal rescue it's likely to show up in quite a few of my cards.

I'm entering this card in the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge  #121

CDAC Progressive Challenge

CDAC has a progressive challenge going on with free images distributed every two weeks.  To continue in the challenge you have to use at least one of the images to move to the next round.  This round's theme is back to school.  Not having children, inspiration is a bit of a challenge for me, but this is the 'card' I came up with. 

Thank You card

Thank goodness I never get sick of making Thank You cards!  I've been wanting a punch around the page and since there was a sale I figured it was a good time.  I was anxious to try it out and came up with this card.  I've also been wanting to use this ribbon.

I honestly think this is one of the simpliest cards I've made, but it looks so pretty.  I can see that punch getting a lot of use :)

I'm entering this in the following challenges
MMSC 119
Catch the Bug Anything Goes

Halloween Card

I bought some Halloween stamps a couple of weeks ago and figured it was about time that I tested them out.  This is what I came up with.

I'm going to enter this in the CPS 234 Part 1 challenge

Birthday Card

Today I made a card that was a bit out of my comfort zone, color wise.  I wanted to enter the Catch the Bug Challenge who's theme is warm colors.  While I like warm colors in moderation, having them as the focal point to the card is a bit of a change.  But a good change.  I had a lot of fun putting this card together. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Catch the Bug
Scrapbooker's Paradise Playing in Paradise #30
CDAC progressive challenge

Sunday Card Making

I had another sketch yesterday that I wanted to make a card for, but wanted to see if I could find another challenge to incorporate into it as well.  There are so many challenges to choose from it didn't take me very long to find one with a color theme and this is the card I came up with.  I love brown with anything so this card was pretty easy to pull together...well it was pretty easy to pick out the paper!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Scrapbooker's Paradise playing in paradise challenge #28 
Priscilla Styles MMSC #116

Saturday Card Making

I've been busy working on my household to do list so I haven't had any time for card making.  I made sure I had the most important items completed so that I could spend Saturday morning making some cards and it was just what I needed!  I find card making so relaxing.  I putter around, enjoy my morning coffee and really just focus on the moment.

I'm back to making Thank You cards.  I got some new paper...even though I told myself I have to use what I have.  I'm sure I'm not the only person with this problem!

I'm entering this card in the There She Goes TSG119 Challenge.

This is the second card I made today.  Actually I made three of these cards because; hey, it's just as easy to make three cards as it is to make one :)

I'm entering this one in the My Favorite Things Week 32 Challenge.

Anniversary Card

August 4th is my parent's 55th wedding anniversary...wow!  I don't usually make them a card, but since I'm crazy over card making right now I thought I would make them one. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
CPS Challenge #228
Catch the Bug Challenge

Christmas in July-Friday Challenge

Today's card is doing double duty.  It's the last day of the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog's week long challenge.  The theme today is anything goes.

This is also the card that I submitted for the weekly Scrapbookers Paradise Challenge as a guest designer...and I use the word 'designer' quite loosely.

Christmas in Juy-Thursday Challenge

Today is day 4 of  Catch the Bug Challenge Blog's week long challenge.  Coming up with and making a card 4 days in a row is not as easy as I thought it might be.  Today's challenge theme is 'snow' so this is my 'snow' card.

Christmas in July-Wednesday Challenge

This my card for the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog's Wednesday Challenge.  Today's challenge was a sketch challenge, which is my favorite.

Christmas in July-Tuesday Challenge

This is the card I made for Catch the Bug Challenge Blog's Tuesday Challenge.  I'm a bit short on time today so I made a pretty simple card.  I like the funkiness of the image so decided it needed a little pink...that's a Christmas color right?

Christmas in July-Monday Challenge

I love making Christmas Cards.  Catch the Bug Challenge Blog is having a week long Christmas in July Challenge so I thought I'd give that a go.  I'm hoping to enter every day but we'll see how it goes.  Today's challenge is a card in non traditional Christmas colors. 

Thank You card #2

I hope no one gets bored with looking at Thank You cards because that's what most of my cards will be.  I made this card for Kathy's Waffle Sketch File challenge.  I'm trying to use up some of my old paper and the patterned paper on this card is one of my favorites.

Playing in Paradise Challenge #23 - Sketch Time!

I've decided to get back into card making since AARCS is looking for some Thank You cards to send to people who donate items.  Since I'm up at the crack of dawn (who am I kidding, it's still dark when I get up) with Cookie  I've got some extra time on my hands.  It also works well because I can make some cards in the kitchen and Cookie isn't roaming around the carpeted area of the house.

This is my first attempt at making a card for a challenge....be gentle with me :)