Ombre in Shades of Orange

I often play along with challenges from Try Stampin' on Tuesday.  This round, they are partnering with Double Trouble for an It's a Tall Order challenge, make a tall and skinny card. 

The Craft Smith Paint Chip pad is perfect for a card like this.  Pretty simple and the spacing wasn't easy, but I'm happy with it. 

Cats & Dogs

The Paper Players have a sketch challenge:

I love animals.  We have a spoiled Yellow Lab who we allow to think that he is the center of the universe.  When I saw the Echo Park Love My Cat and Love My Dog paper pads and journaling cards, I had to have them all:).  I started out with this one:

Meh.  I like the glossy accents for his eyes, but the fish bone paper blended into the background too much.  Next try:

I used a paws embossing folder for the entire background.  Much better!

Jingle Belles Red Challenge

I'm slowly getting back into the crafting groove, but my photography skills have not improved :(.  The Jingle Belles Have a Red challenge this time around. 

Loved playing with the different patterns and textures.  The Divine Swirls embossing folder makes the die cuts look "quilted".  While I like the tiny polka dots paper, the pieces are so small that the polka dots look too big!  The labels are adapted from Spellbinders and the sentiments from SU!.  The other sentiment is Clearly Defined. 

Fun Fold Card

Soooo hard to photograph, but I love this fun fold card, and the colors, courtesy of The Color Throwdown, are divine!!

 Here is a pic of the inside:

Super delicate die cut in Garden Green and Elegant Eggplant.  I "painted" some shading on the blooms with a tiny brush and Lovely Lilac.  Sentiment from Sheltering Tree. 

CAS(E) This Sketch #358

I'm trying to play along with some different challenges in an effort to get back my crafting groove.  The CAS(E) this Sketch #358 looks like this:

I bought myself a couple of sets of Echo Park 6 x 6 pads and matching 12 x 12 solid packs, including the America the Beautiful patterns featured in this card:

I used the Daric Assorted Stars embossing folder on the navy layer, and my We R Memory Keepers corner rounder to mimic the edges of the journaling card.  

Card Redeux

So I made this card, and thought, why do we only use circles for the bokeh technique?  Why can't I use hearts instead?

I used Chipped Sapphire, Stormy Sky, and Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide inks for the background.  To make the stencil, I punched some different sized hearts into a piece of mylar.  I changed out the and matted it with white instead of pink to make it more masculine.  I like this version even better than the original!  Shared with The Male Room Heart This challenge.  

2 Posts in 1 Week!!

Trying to get back into the crafting groove one challenge at a time.

I hadn't used the bokeh technique in quite a while, and thought it fit in well with the Color Throwdown challenge this week:

Also shared with The Male Room Heart You challenge.  Older Fiskars sentiment, Chipped Sapphire, Stormy Sky, and Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide inks, paper from my scrap bins.

Long Time, No Post

I saw the Color Throwdown image I knew I had to play along:

This is one of my favorite combinations.  I love using it for Valentine or love cards, and couldn't wait to use a new die I received for Christmas.  It also works well for the JUGS challenge this week - Put a Bow On It, even if it is a small thin one!

This morning I realized that I haven't posted in almost 6 weeks.  I wish I could say I was busy with fun parties and holiday get togethers.  Instead, I attended funerals, memorials, and life celebrations.  All very different ways to honor the deceased, and all appropriate for the individual.  Never pass by an opportunity to express love and gratitude to your loved ones.