Rockin Out

It's official...I'm back at work and boy, can I ever feel it! I'm exhausted and the kids haven't even arrived yet. How will I ever survive next week? It's been a crazy busy week on top of it being a work week. I have had so little time for crafting, but as always, I was inspired by the sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches and the Digital Tuesday Challenge which was to make a masculine card. I love being challenged to make masculine cards because I have so many men in my family. I love all the "fru fru" that goes with making cards for the girls and women in my life, but I have to really work to keep things simple when I'm going masculine.
To give this card a masculine feel, I kept the elements simple and pulled more "guy" colors. This patterned paper is some retired SU DSP that gives a funky edge to the card. That fantastic image is from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff and it could so easily be punked out or pinked out for a different look or a more feminine look. Definitely, need this image if you've got teenagers to make cards for because these guitars are "hot" right now! You can get this image for a dollar at Lindsay's Stamp Stuff and you can take advantage of her everyday special and spend $5 in the store and get a free image of your choice. Also, sweet Lindsay is giving away one of her brand new digital images. But you've got to hunt it down with a blog hop to the whole design team. Start here.
I'm off to bed now because mornings suddenly come sooo early these days (only 10 more years until retirement!)!
Project recipe
Paper: SU Autumn Vine DSP (retired), SU Baja Breeze CS (retired), SU More Mustard CS, GinaK White Pure Luxury CS
Stamps: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff Bass Guitar, CC Designs SugarPlum Sentiments (sentiment)
Accessories: cuttlebug, SU Movers and Shapers modern label die, SU Modern Label punch, copic markers, Sakura glitter pen, twine

Messy Little Boys

I have three sons who are now grown men. But let me tell you what! They invented the phrase "rough and tumble"! They were always getting into something (another way of saying "getting into trouble") and coming in the house dirty, sweaty and smelly. They were ALL BOY! I have a hard time finding images of less-than-perfect (but ever so cute) boys, especially digital images. Then, Lindsay The Frugal Crafter pointed out a free coloring book website which has images of "Precious Moments" kids that you can download for free. I was able to find several utterly adorable little boys!!!
This little guy with his canine companion reminded me of those messy but still cute boys I raised. So after coloring him with my copics, I created a card for one of the now-big guys. The inside will read "You've grown into a fine, young man."
This card was designed to meet the requirements of THREE, yes three, challenges. The Dare U2 Digistamp Challenge was distressing, so I took some Core'dinations Vintage ColorCore Cardstock and tore the edges. Then, I ran it through the cuttlebug inside the distressed branches embossing folder, and finished the look with a little sanding. The great thing about this cardstock is it is made for distressing giving you a great contrasting core color.
Next up, I used the sketch from Digital Tuesday Challenge. I really like the clean design of this sketch. Finally, the Copic Creations challenge was "eyes". The Copic Creations design team used anime images which have these gorgeous big eyes. My image has the lovely Precious Moments characteristic tear drop eye, so I just was able to add a subtle touch of color to the boy's eye and the dog's eyes. This was the first time I've added color to eyes before. Once I got over my fears, I really liked the look. You can see a closer look at the eyes below.
Wowzer! I know people who can enter 3,4,5 challenges with one card, but usually I can only manage 2 at best. This project just seemed to come together fitting easily into the requirements of my favorite challenges. But it all started with that great image.
Project Supplies
Paper: PTI white CS, Core'dinations Vintage Collection CS, SU Old Olive and Baja Breeze CS, SU Green Tea DSP (retired), GinaK White Pure Luxury CS
Stamps: Coloring Pages Precious Moments, PTI Star Prints (sentiment)
Ribbon: PTI Ripe Avacado twill
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Provo Craft Distressed branches embossing folder, Spellbinders Oval die and ribbon slide die, shaped paperclips (unknown but I think JoAnn's), copic markers

Dream a Little

Get your shopping shoes on! Lindsay's got some new stamps in her shop. And you've just got to have this lovely dragonfly! So much fun to "sparkle up". I colored her in first with my copics, and then added stickles for all that sparkle. On the left side of the card I also gave you a little sneak peak of this week's freebie.
One of the ladies has this complete image to give away. That Lindsay is so sweet to offer all these weekly freebies. Be sure to send a little love her way, too. I printed out the freebie three times, colored each one, added stickles, and then used a 1.25 square punch on random parts of the image, creating a patterned paper look.
This sketch, by the way, is the Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge #6. I really like combining Melissa's sketch challenge with the Digital Tuesday challenge, but this week Digital Tuesday was also running a sketch challenge. I'll have to come up with something else for that one, I guess.
Okay, here's your to do list: (1) hop around to all the design team blogs looking for the freebie and checking out all the pretties (start here), (2) go visit Lindsay's Stamp Stuff and get this dragonfly, (3) spend at least $5 in Lindsay's store and get another freebie because Lindsay is making this an everyday special (can I get a big "WooHoo!"), (4) dream a little and then get busy making those gorgeous projects you've been wanting to make!
Project Recipe
Paper: GinaK White Pure Luxury CS, SU Black CS, SU Green Tea DSP (retired)
Stamps: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff Elegant Dragonfly, SU Dream a Little, retired (sentiment)
Ribbon: PTI True Black twill
Accessories: Ranger Stickles, copic markers, Making Memories 5th Avenue Blossoms and Buttons flower, brad (unknown)

Watering the Flowers

After 10 months of drought, I definitely know how valuable this little watering can is! This is a sweet little digital image from Cute Daisy May. The challenge this week on the Cute Daisy May Challenge Blog is "Floral Fantasy". Be sure to check out that challenge blog link. The design team did some cards that are over-the-top-drop-dead-gorgeous. There's a beautiful umbrella full of Flower Soft Flowers--scrumptious. And Michele Spera has some beautiful papers and flowers and rhinestones. Oh my! Just go look at all of them! They are really spectacular!
Now, back to my modest creation. Since my image doesn't have a lot of flowers, I punched out flowers with several different flower punches. I created a "vine" to join them with some green floss. I used some glittery cardstock from my DCWV Spring Glitter Mat Stack to add just a touch of shimmer here and there on the flowers. The layout for the card is the Splitcoast Card Sketch Challenge # 241. Now, I'm off to water some of my real plants before the heat kills them! Don't know who it'll get first though--me or the plants! Stay cool folks!
Project Recipe
Paper: SU Pink Piroutte CS (retired), SU Sweet Nothings DSP (retired), SU Ridinghood Red CS (retired), DCWV Spring Glitter Mat Stack, GinaK White Pure Luxury CS
Stamps: Cute Daisy May Sheet 51
Accessories: Martha Stewart Cosmo punch, Paper Studio flower punches, Imaginesce button brad, Paper Studio red and pink rhinestone brads, cuttlebug, Spellbinders Classic Circles nestabilities dies, copic markers

Thoughts and Prayers

After my neon-bright card in the previous post, I decided to pull out some more calming colors. I'm getting geared up to go back to work (we start Monday and the kids come back the following Monday) and I decided to make a few sympathy cards for just in case. Things can get kinda busy at work and I don't always have the time to create sympathy cards as needed. So, this is one type of card it is definitely a good idea to make and have on hand in advance.
I used my branches cuttlebug embossing folder for the background layer. I just think it makes a perfect non-frilly card background. Love that texture. I even got to use up a little bit of some retire SU DSP. I sure have a lot of this stuff I need to use. I'm going to have to be on the lookout for a BIG project that requires retired Baja Breeze papers!
So there's my quiet, calm card made especially for a serious occasion, but don't think I won't be pulling out all the stops and sparkles again soon! So don't put away those sunglasses just yet!
Project Recipe
Paper: PTI Very Vanilla, SU Old Olive CS, SU Close to Cocoa CS, SU Manchester DSP (retired)
Stamps: SU Thoughts and Prayers
Ribbon: PTI Very Vanilla grosgrain
Accessories: Cuttlebug, branches cuttlebug embossing folder, SU Markers, PTI Chamomille and Chai inks

Mushroom with a View and a Whole Lotta Color

This thing is crazy, bright! I pulled out my little pack of DCWV Spring Glitter stack and the whole room just started glowing. I just wanted to play around today...nothing serious, no deadlines, no rush, no real need to even make a card...just for fun. Once I picked out that radioactive paper, I found a digi stamp from Sweet and Sassy stamps that I bought but had never used before (got any of those around, lol).
I'm not really sure what mushrooms should look like. These look nothing like the ones I see around here, but I didn't feel like following any rules! So, I've got lime green and hot pink mushrooms! Grabbed my EK Success Swiss Cheese border punch, some SU Melon Mambo dotted ribbon, and my Tim Holtz mini fastener and pulled together a card that just screams "it's your birthday and you need to live a little!!!" Man, that felt good! Thanks for stopping in! Hope your week is truly zippy!
Project recipe
Paper: PTI white CS, DCWV Spring Glitter stack
Stamps: Sweet n Sassy mushrooms, SU A Little Birdie Told Me (sentiment, retired)
Ribbon: SU Melon Mambo dotted grosgrain
Accessories: cuttlebug, Spellbinders classic circles nestabilities dies, EK Success 1.5 scallop circle punch and 1.25 circle punch, EK Success Swiss Cheese border punch, Tim Holtz mini fastener, copic markers

Sparkling Lily

Wear your sunglasses for this one! The challenge at Digital Tuesday was Bling!!! I accomplished that mainly with sparkly paper. The glittery papers are from Die Cuts With a View Spring Glitter stack. I did also add a touch here and there of sparkle to my lily with my spica glitter pen.
You can find this beautiful lily at Lindsay's Stamp Stuff. You can grab it for only a $1, but while you're there, you may as well pick out a few others because Lindsay has decided to extend her July sale into August. That means you can still spend $5 in her store and get a free digital image of your choice, too. And if you're still in the gardening mood, one of Lindsay's design team has a little freebie for you that's sure to please your green thumb (hint, hint). Be sure to visit Lindsay's blog and all the other members of the design team this week.
Thanks to Tuesday Morning Sketches for the card sketch this week. Another great sketch to combine with the Digital Tuesday challenge.
Project Recipe
Paper: GinaK White Pure Luxury CS, SU More Mustard CS, DCWV Spring Glitter Mat Stack
Stamps: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff Lily, SU Matchbox Messages (sentiment)
Ribbon: SU More Mustard Grosgrain ribbon, PTI Summer Sunrise Dotted Satin Ribbon, PTI Lemon Tart Satin Ribbon
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Spellbinders Classic Ovals die, SU Movers and Shapers Curly Label die, SU Curly Label punch, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Martha Stewart Cosmos punch, copic markers, spica glitter pens, buttons (unknown)