Black, Red, & White

I saw a great card gatefold layout on Our Little Inspirations, and had to CASE it.  Here is my version:

I cut and folded the card base in a matte black and cream card base.  I layered a shiny black paper embossed with snowflakes.  Then I cut the Spellbinder cut and fold die with a paper with mirrored red and white paper.  The sentiment was heat embossed in white on the same paper as the card base.  I am linking this up with Can You Case It challenge #105 (red, black, and white or neutral).  There are a few more days left to join us in the Words 2 Craft By New Beginnings challenge!

Fun Color Combo - Yellow, Gray & Kraft

This week's inspiration image looks like this:

Here is my version:

I LOVE the subtle colors in this card.  The gray and beige tones of the patterned paper from Lemon Flower paper pack just flowed into the rest of the card!  There are still a few more days to play along with us at Words 2 Craft By!!

Red Chevrons

Instead of Valentines, I prefer to send general love or thinking of you cards instead. 

Addicted to Clean and Simple's challenge is Code Word Red.  Bazzill Basics chevron paper, red grosgrain ribbon tied with a pearl brad.  I love all of the white space, and the tiny layers add a little interest.  I have resisted buying the Perfect Payers rulers, thinking that they were unnecessary.  Wrong!!  The 1/16 edge made these tiny layers a breeze!  There are a few more days to join us in our New Beginning at Words 2 Craft By!! 

Fusion

It is hard for me to do the Fusion challenges, since I always want to follow both the inspiration image and the sketch. 

Here is my attempt:

This Cloud 9 Wild Indigo papers all have a wood grain base.  The sentiment and circle frame are heat embossed and cut with Spellbinder dies.  Come play along with us at Words 2 Craft By for our New Beginnings challenge!

1 2 3 - Pink, Aqua, and Kraft

The Color Throwdown's challen image looks like this:

Love the colors!!!  Here is my version:

The aqua looks more blueish than greenish in my photo...  Love this vintage wood button - perfect for this Deconstructing Jen layout!  I am sharing this with The Color Throwdown # 376, and Shopping Our Stash 1 2 3.  One button, two solid papers (white and kraft), and three patterned papers.  Come join us at Words 2 CRAFT By for our More Beginnings than Endings challenge!!

New Beginnings!

Just a quick reminder that you can join the Words 2 CRAFT by New Beginnings challenge through February 3.

For our first challenge of this new year, we chose a quote by Dave Weinbaum as our words of inspiration.

The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings.

 
I like my first Hello Baby card so much, I recreated it in blue!

Instead of bling, I fussy cut the stars from the stamp.  Come play along with us for a chance to win some great prizes!!!  I am going to share this with The Male Room Babies and Little Boys challenge. 

Love is in the air....

I am not big on Valentine's Day, so I tend to make love cards instead.

The Mod Squad challenge this week is to make a card with hearts or the words "love".  The kraft hearts were stamped with various background stamps and white Lawn Fawn ink, red hearts  from very old Bazzill patterned paper and stamped on the patterns.  The sentiment is from Clearly Defined, and accented with a kraftish-gold heart brad.  Colorbok cream and white patterned paper.  I am sure you can't tell how much time and effort went into this one....

Come play along with the Words 2 Craft By New Beginnings Challenge!!!

Kissing...

No, not THAT kind of kissing.  Layered stamping!

Very old SU! Oh So Lovely images stamped in Scattered Straw and Soot, colored with those inks, colored pencils, and chalk ink, sentiment from Unity.  I also stamped, colored, and fussy cut the popped up flowers.  The centers are layered on opposite colors.  I used different sized crystals, and I like both sizes for different reasons.  Interesting how the cards, while basically the same, look so different.  Sharing these with Less Is More 259 - Kissing Technique.  There is a New Beginning at Words 2 Craft By, come join us!!

Happy Birthday Can You Case It!!!

It is Can You Case It's third birthday, and their challenge is to create a project in black and white, either elegant or fun.  Not sure which category these fit into....

I love starburst cards, but I prefer to start from scratch rather than use scraps.  Guess I am not that confident choosing different pattern and color papers and putting them together.  I used 6 pieces of 4.5 x 6.5 DCWV papers from their Black and White Mat Stack, cut into 1.5" strips.  I should have been able to make 5 cards, but I messed up.  So much for measure twice cut once!!!!

So here are two of my cards made using Sharon's tutorial.  I think I like the tiny pop of color on the thank you card.  Do you like the one that is only black and white?  Or the one with the pink flower bling?  

Be sure to check out the Words 2 CRAFT By New Beginnings challenge!!

Using what I have....

Sometimes, I am overwhelmed by my hoard.  Don't get me wrong, I am SO grateful for my husband who indulges my passion, the Marti gift, and the resources to add as I choose.  I am trying to make myself use what I have, and not hoard the papers I love. 

And I love these SU! Retro Fresh papers!!  Accented with a stash sticker and Antique Gold SU! ribbon (thank you Seongsook!).  The brown has a lot of grey in it, the photo makes it look chocolaty.  I am sharing this with the Mod Squad Friend challenge, and the Color Throwdown #375, green, orange, yellow, and grey.  I hope my brown is close enough!!  Come play along with us at Words 2 CRAFT By for our New Beginnings challenge!!

Shopping Our Stash - Something New

I keep a basket on my work space just for new goodies.  My basket runneth over with options for the Shopping Our Stash - Something New challenge.  Unfortunately, I need a sympathy for a co-worker who recently lost his mother. 

 Here is the inside:

The card is 5"x5", an unusual size for me, but I thought it worked for this Spellbinder Nestabiilties and Imperial Gold set that I received for Christmas.  Come play along with our New Beginnings challenge over at Words 2 Craft By!

Merry Monday Plaid Christmas

OK, so I promised myself that THIS year, I would  NOT be frantically making cards in December. 

Merry Monday's challenge is to made a card with plaid.  Think I have enough different plaids?  :)  After a few attempts at coloring the entire image, I was happiest when the stocking was stamped and fussy cut.  I also fussy cut the holly leaves.  I really like how they look almost dimensional.  The ribbon was colored using a gold Sharpie.  I am finding that I like the metallic Sharpies more than I like my gel or leafing pens.  Goes on more like a paint, and easier to add highlights.  Come play along with the Words 2 CRAFT by New Beginnings challenge!!

House of Cards January Embossing or Color Challenge

This month's HOC challenge had me stumped.  Here is the inspiration photo:

 

 I loved all of the shades of bluish green, and the mottled texture of the house.  Here is my interpretation:

I added score lines between the color blocks, and white enamel accents.  The sentiment is from Unity, stamped in Memento London Fog ink.  I love how the narrow layers on the card base and sentiment frame the graphic background and sentiment.  Come play along with the Words 2 Craft By new beginnings reboot! 

Words 2 CRAFT By!!!

Welcome to Words 2 CRAFT By, really Words 2 Scrap By reboot.  Seems that too many crafters thought our challenges were limited to scrappers.  Nope - we are an equal opportunity challenge blog.  We hope that our name change reflects how much we love all types of projects.  This month's challenge words are by Dave Weinbaum:

The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings.

Babies are the best of beginnings, hence my card:

 

 Love the tiny flower shaped crystals paired with the pink single crystals from Design By Dawn.  Unity elephant stamped and fussy cut, sentiment die cut from Our Daily Bread Designs.  Come play along with us at Words 2 Craft By (through February 10, 2016)!

Shiny Thank You

I love this mirror paper, but I cannot photograph it well.  Trust me, this card is so pretty!

Snowflakes stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed in clear on holographic paper.   Just Rite stamps for the charms and sentiment.  Pink satin ribbon to top it off.  I am sharing this with the Cards in Envy Shiny New Year challenge.  Why, oh why can I take better pictures of this gorgeous paper?!?

Fun Color Combo

I love orange and teal together, but I usually pair the colors with a shade of brown.  The Color Throwdown challenge is to combine aqua, orange, and light grey.  Challenge accepted!!

The ribbon is actually grey silk hem tape, patterned paper from an old Basic Grey pad, sentiment from my stash stamped in orange and layered with aqu.  Window cut into patterned paper and mounted on grey card base.  This photo does not do this card justice, but it's the best one I took :(. 

Pink Ombre

I have been having a lot of fun playing around with different techniques, and this card has a few!

I started with a piece of acetate, and cut it with the Spellbinders Cascading Hearts die to make my stencil.  I taped the stencil to a piece of watercolor paper.  Then, I took 3 globs of drywall spackling, mixing cranberry ink into the first glob, spreading it in the upper left corner.  I then mixed the second glob into the first, and dragged it further down the stencil, and repeated with the third glob.  I tried to use the remaining spackle to color the die cut, but that didn't work.  I found a coordinating piece of paper, and die cut the sentiment for the front, and a few small hearts to decorate inside.  

I am sharing this one with Shopping Our Stash - Monochromatic or Pink  (in honor of Leslie), and the Mod Squad Ombre challenge.  Big changes coming to Words to Scrap By - Words 2 CRAFT by!!  Join us January 15!!!

Merry Monday White on White

The Merry Monday challenge this week is to make a white on white card.  Well, I never seem to be able to follow directions, so my card is cream and gold. 

I used 5 different embossing folders/plates on Coredinations Pearl paper, layered on dark gold shimmer paper.  The sentiment is heat embossed in dark gold.  I love this layout!!!

Die Cuts Galore!

I am on a mission to use all of my dies before I buy any more.  We'll see how long that lasts...

The letter are My Favorite Things, the banners are from Sizzix, sentiment from Unity.  The background paper is from Doddlebug. I am sharing this with the Mod Squad die cut challenge. 

Playing Around...

Lately, I have seen a few cards using the Spirelli (sp?) technique.  Freshly Made Sketches provided the perfect challenge to try it out!!

 My version:

My Mind's Eye Now and Then patterned paper, very old SU! sentiment.  Spellbinder's scalloped die cut with Coats and Clark Lemon Twist embroidery thread. 

Lawn Fawn Fun!

When I attended the Simon Says Create event last October, one of the classes was with Kelly Marie from Lawn Fawn.  She was quite generous, and gave everyone a set of the Holiday Party Animal stamps.  Of course, I had to buy the dies!!!

The critter is colored with Derwent watercolor pencils.  I fussy cut and popped up the package.  Paper Smooches sentiment.  The American Crafts background paper was textured with a very old Fiskars grass texture plate.  I am sharing this with The Paper Girls Challenge #94 - Celebrate!

New Craft Supplies...

I was lucky to receive a gift card for Christmas, and hit up the after sales at our local craft store.  I Scored a set of beautiful dies by Heidi Swapp. 

I cut these with shiny silver paper, and mounted it on Core Creations glitter paper.  Simple, with plenty of shine and bling.  I am quite happy with it!  I am sharing this the Mod Squad challenge - One Die Cut.

Father Christmas

Love this Santa/Father Christmas card!

Father Christmas is layered die cuts, popped up, and mounted on Spellbinders die cuts.  I am sharing this with Christmas at Sweet Stamping challenge blog.  Words to Scrap By is now Words to Craft By - come join us!