Celebrate Everything!

The Paper Craft Crew has a fun challenge this round. 

I’m not a big Valentines person, so the banners and colors were my inspiration. 

I used the Taylored Expressions Hooray quad for the background, and Honey Bee Stamps sentiment. There is a lot of great inspiration on the Paper Craft blog, be sure to check it out!

Lots of Love

I get the Scrapbook and Cards Today monthly sampler, and it is my absolute favorite subscription.  $15 per month for papers, a die and/or a small stamp set, shipped.  Super value!!  The Sampler was perfect for The Color Hues challenge of Pink and Red and the Paper Craft Crew Love is in the Air challenge:

I used the stencil and die from the Sampler.  I inked the stencil in pink, then turned it 90 degrees and inked in red.  I didn't have the exact paper color, so I inked some white paper with the red to create the sentiment and base layer.  Such a soft, pretty effect!  Sharing with The Color Hues Pink and Red Challenge:

Hello!

I have been spending a lot of time in my craft aka crap room creating Christmas gifts, but haven't been able to join in many challenges.  New year, new challenges!  

Silver doily and grosgrain ribbon for elements, and I love this color combo!  Sharing with The Color Throwdown and The Paper Craft Crew.  

Happy Birthday!

 I needed a masculine birthday card, and came up with this:

NOW I know what I was thinking when I bought this sentiment!  It is perfect for this guy.  Sharing with The Paper Craft Crew sketch challenge:

And with the really fun challenge form Shopping Our Stash:  WTHeck Embellishments, go through the stash and find embellishments that make you wonder why do you even have them, and use them.  

You Are So Loved

I subscribe to the Scrapbook and Cards Today monthly Sampler.  For $15 a month, I get a new die, a stencil or small stamp set, a variety of 6x6 paper, and coordinating ephemera.  Great way to expand my collection and try new themes I might otherwise overlook.  

The patterned paper and sentiment are from Crafter's Companion, vellum leaves from my stash, and sketch from the Paper Craft Crew #474:

Stencil Fun

 I was lucky enough to get a spot in the March Crop & Create Delivered by Scrapbook & Cards Today.  The huge box of class materials included lots of stencils, something I have not used a lot.  I am hooked!!!!

I used Gina K's Daisies Forever stencil tone on tone on the Cameo Coral base layer, then again with Ruby Red on white for the flowers.  The "hello" is from another stencil and die from Pinkfresh.  The woodgrain look is done with a technique that Gina used in her class, just drag a grey inkpad down a piece of white paper.  Easy peasy!  The layout if from Paper Craft Crew's vertical sketch challenge:

You're A Hot Mess

Paper Craft Crew has a horizontal sketch challenge.  Thought it was a great way to use a Color Burst background I had in my stash, and the Hero Arts Sentiment was perfect for the "messy" strips.  

This sketch will be great for the many strips of patterned paper scraps.  

Send a Smile for Kids has a fun Thank You challenge running through the end of the month.  Come join us!

Sketch Challenge!!!

The Paper Craft Crew has a versatile sketch challenge. I made my version with Echo Park I Love My Cat paper, My Favorite Things I Miss Your Hugs sentiment. 

I inked the Paw Print embossed background to highlight the paws. Here is their sketch:

Enjoy Today

When I saw the Paper Craft Crew sketch challenge, I immediately thought it was perfect for washi tape!

Love the narrow washi with the gold layer.  

Sunshine and Laughter

 Who couldn't use a little sunshine and laughter?

Cath Zielski inspired me to break out my Distress Inks to create not just a background, but also the cardstock used for the die cuts.  For the butterflies, I used Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade.  The background and oval were inked with Tumbled Glass and Mowed Lawn.  I added a Hero Arts sentiment.  The butterflies were too plain, so I cut out the black centers from a Cheery Lynn die, and trimmed down to fit.  

Sharing with the Just Us Girls color week challenge:

And with the Paper Craft Crew's sketch challenge:

Masculine Cards

Even though I am not a frou-frou  person, I still tend to make cards that are a little more feminine.  Trying to branch out a bit using the Paper Craft Crew sketch challenge:

Using Simon Says and older SU sentiments paired with Geared Up Garage paper and some twine:

On my first attempt (not pictured, a hot mess), I embossed the papers with a gears folder.  WAY too much going on!  In this case, less was more.  Also playing along with the Paper Girls All About Boys challenge. 

Sketch Challenge

I played with some fun media today:

The sentiment was heat embossed with JudiKins Lapis Lazul powder.  I used glitter paste embossing medium to a sunburst stencil, then die cut the circle.  The grass was also die cut.  The fancy border is an old Martha Stewart punch. 

Sharing with: 
The Paper Girls Mixed Media challenge and The Paper Craft Crew sketch challenge:

Baby Swing Card

I love this Echo Park baby paper.  So much that I bought every pad from our area Tuesday Mornings!!  I use it most often to make the shaped baby books, but it is perfect for this baby card!!

Sizzix swing card dies.  Sharing with The Male Room - Wild & Free and The Paper Craft Challenge Crew's Fancy Fold challenges.

I have been missing from the blogosphere for a while - even neglecting my Words 2 Craft By i-team privileges.  All is well.  I was able to spend a long weekend with my brothers and sisters on Lake Erie.  The very next weekend, my husband, son, and son's girlfriend left for a week at the beach in South Carolina.  A few hours after our return home, our son left to go back to college.  In between, I tried to work as much as possible to make up for the time I was spending away.  What a whirlwind!!

CAS Sympathy

I need to build up my stash of sympathy cards, and the Paper Craft Crew's sketch is perfect:  

Here is my version:

Love the washi tape tripe.  Sentiment from Unity, die cuts are a mix of Ellen Huston and SU! Swirly Birds cut with adhesive paper.  Still deciding if I want to add any bling like the sketch suggests...

Come play along with us at Words to Craft By for our Flip Floppin' challenge!!