Happy New Year!

It hardly seems possible that we are about to begin another year...overall the feeling is it has gone by very quickly. The newest grandchild was born Jan. 4th last year, and 'baby' time vanishes faster!  He is standing, babbling, waving, clapping and is really a distinct little person now.  There is a lot to celebrate.

I have been cleaning and reorganizing the craft room (a task for Sisyphus). The Christmas papers were being sorted, and Oh, Deer! was on top.  Just a lovely CTMH collection from a few years back.  This piece just sparkled and begged to be used.  The sentiment is a cling...without a package, so I'm unsure where it came from, but it is embossed with Ranger Gold powder.  The starburst is a CTMH mini embossed in white on the coordinating card stock.  I actually did another of the same design with a Happy Birthday sentiment as well. This is a fabulously easy and versatile sketch! Try it and link up at AHSC so we can see what you created. Happy New Year!

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #297 for this week:

Holiday Mail

Hooray for Holiday Mail!  It is such fun to get cards and letters in the mail. And fun making them as well.   I am still frantically working on getting my cards finished and in the mail.  Tomorrow must be it.  Sketch #295 at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge is just the thing for using up pretty scraps.

I stamped the images from this Memory Box set (Christmas Elves) many times and colored them with Copic markers. I die cut them, and have been making cards with them all week. Two of the cute mailboxes were remaining...ta da! of perhaps I should say fa la la

If you click on a picture to see it larger, you will be able to see the shimmer pen used on the snow.

Winter Wishes

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #293


Totally a 'use your stash' day for me!  I went through my boxes of CTMH winter sets, and pulled out all the snowflakes I could find and a sentiment ( five sets in all).  I arranged them in the Misti and stamped with VersaMark ink onto a scrap of textured card stock...I found a stack of these in a drawer - they were left from making my middle son's wedding invitations (married in 2005!)  I rubbed Perfect pearls on them.  The sentiment was stamped with Outdoor Denim, and I punched a circle mat from some silver shimmer paper, and a Martha Stewart snowflake from that as well.  I arranged this on the silver side of some fabulous acetate CTMH had a few years back, and put it all on a white card base.  A tiny gem in the center of the sentiment snowflake for even more sparkle. I used the CTMH silver pen to add little dots between the flakes.

Special Delivery

Christmas happy mail!! Oh, yes. The time of year when there is more fun in the mail box.
This card was inspired by Atlantic Hearts Sketch #291  on today's
Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.

The image is a Close to My Heart stamp, the sentiments on card and envelope are Heidi Swapp stamps, and the striped paper is Stampin' Up!  The tiny envelope and holly are from a Memory Box stamp and die set. Card stocks and inks also CTMH - Topiary and Poppy.
Colored with Copic markers and used clear and gold Wink of Stella.

JOY

Freshly Made Sketch #362 and

Cute Card Thursday challenge #555 "Snowflakes"  combined  for this card.         

I used a diffuser with the embossing folder to create a circle.
The snowflakes are Savy dies and the letters are from Altenew.
The embossed sentiment is from Simon Says, Stained glass greetings.

Thankful for You

A new-to-me challenge blog, Back to Basics and Beyond
https://bbbchallenges.blogspot.com/

This week's challenge#15 is a sketch , my favorite!

I did not make a square card...otherwise, it's true to the sketch.  I used CTMH papers, a Pretty Pink Posh die cut sentiment, and die cuts from Lawn Fawn and Momenta for the flowers, acorn and leaf.

Thanksgiving AHSC 289

Loving the sketch this week at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge!

There are dozens of ideas running through my mind, and a bunch of things pulled out to try on my table.

The first card completed uses:
Hero Arts - Infinity Dies
Hampton art - Leaf Stamp and Die set
CTMH - Garnet card stock and ink
          (LONG retired, and I have just a few pieces left!)
CTMH - wood grain embossing folder
Glitz - Rebel Teal Distressed paper
Ranger- Liquid Platinum embossing powder

I embossed some Colonial White card stock with the wood grain folder and set it on the center of the Garnet card base. I then cut a frame using two of the rectangle dies. And cut the patterned paper with the smaller die to create a window for the wood grain piece. Wood grain does not show up very well in my photos, but is lovely in real life.
I stamped the leaf onto another piece of paper from my stash that has handwriting script using the Garnet ink, and then die cut it.
The background panel is popped up with foam tape.
The sentiment was embossed on a long strip of card stock,  then folded back and forward again to make the flags at each end.
I was ready to post, and realized my sentiment was not placed as the sketch indicated. So I moved it, and am adding another photo taken after it was moved.

Try the sketch and link to Atlantic Hearts. Can't wait to see your creation this week!

Heartfelt Sympathy

Needed several sympathy cards this week.  That is never easy, but this came out very well.  The angled cover die is quite detailed, and really looks simple and elegant. The butterfly is from a really lovely set from Stamplorations, Trendy Butterflies 2, that I colored with Zig waterbrush markers and fussy cut. The sentiment is from a CTMH set.

 I made another card, same design, with  shimmer white card stock underneath and a red Memory Box poppy rather than the butterfly. Neglected to photograph it before attending the service yesterday.

The die is from a company new to me. The price point was excellent, and I'm very pleased with how well it cut. Prism, Triangle Collage #57185.  www.birchpressdesign.com

Season's Greetings AHSC #287

Wonderful sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge today.  I made my card using some cherished Indian Corn Blue patterned paper, white card stock embossed with tiny Swiss Dots folder, a white embossed Paper Smooches sentiment stamp, and Savy snowflakes dies, Simon Says Stitched Circle die, foam and Nuvo Drops.  And didn't realize until this moment as I pasted the sketch into this post, that I completely missed the sentiment placement on the bottom of the card....But it's a cute card, and I may have time to try again tomorrow!

AHSC #285 Happy Fall

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Monday!

My card is so much prettier in real life...the shimmer of the Perfect Pearls is really nice and has copper, bronze and gold. Photographs seem to find all the little boo boos. Sigh.  No time to do over today, so here it is. Stamped in Versa Mark, and rubbed with several shades of Perfect Pearls. The sentiment was heat embossed. I used "Many Thanks" from Close to My Heart for the smaller panel and sentiment; the background leaves are from a Hampton Art set.
 A grand sketch with many possibilities.  Check out the design team inspiration on Wednesday, and see what others are making as well. 

AHSC #283 Halloween Fun

My card for Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #283

I found this sketch challenging...perhaps because I started with Halloween in mind. I made several background panels, and a lots of little pieces that ended up in the trash or scattered over the table. 

But it will have to do - so busy right now with grandchildren and projects.  My craft room is very messy. I think if I clean up and reorganize a bit it will be easier to create.   

BOO! AHSC #281

Good Morning, Monday!  Time for a new sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge 
And time to start crafting autumn themes!

I pulled out some new and old Halloween themed items: great old set from CTMH 'Spook Alley' for the central panel. I colored with Copics, highlighted with wink of Stella and some Nuvo Jewel drops.
Paper is from Echo Park.
The sentiment was cut using Altenew Fine Alphabet die.

I cut the scallop oval, but it was just too big and covered the cute panel...so I cut a smaller one from it, and then decided to just use the outline piece so the colored images would show through.

Just a Note! AHSC #279

The last days of summer...it has been so much cooler and the days shorter.  It is autumn I'm feeling in the air.  The garden has been bursting with tomatoes, and it's all I can do to keep up with canning them. Roasting and pickling beets, also. My grandsons were excited to see blue jays jumping around in the yard, and listening to them.  They make a lot of noise and are fun to watch. I guess they inspired this card for today's new challenge at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.

I used
Happy Birds,  Close To My Heart
Sheet Music, Kaiser Craft
Splits sentiment, Papertrey Ink
Copic markers and Intense Black Ink, Simon Says Stamp

Atlantic Hearts #277

Hurray!  It's my first card back as part of the Design Team at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.
They have such fun, versatile sketches-posted every Monday morning.  The DT inspiration cards post on the AHSC site Wednesday. But you get to see mine today 😉

My card is made with CTMH Penelope papers, and an Avery Elle stamp and die set.  The 'hugs' part of the sentiment was
cut three times from CTMH Honey card stock and stacked for dimension. I brushed it with the Wink of Stella pen for a bit of shine. The rest of the sentiment was stamped and heat embossed. Enamel dots from my stash.
I wish I had popped the embossed strip with a bit of foam tape, but was afraid to ruin everything by pulling it off.

Check it out, and make a card today. Happy crafting!

Winner! Send a Smile 4 Kids Hop Comments

Good Morning!  

Time to announce the winners of Christmas in July Blog Hop Comments.  All the prizes and winners are listed on the Send a Smile 4 Kids blog. Go there to check out that full list.

The winner randomly selected from all the lovely comments on my blog:
                              Jerrie 

Congratulations, Jerrie!  You can claim your prize - the Beautiful Butterflies set by contacting Karen.
You must contact Karen at khasheck@gmail.com BEFORE August 18^th at midnight CST with your NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS AND MAILING ADDRESS. If you do not contact Karen before August 18^th at midnight CST, your prize will be forfeited.

The new challenge is posted there as well.

Thank you for all the comments, and the encouragement for kids.

Thanks

A new to me challenge blog Hand Stamped Sentiments had a very CAS sketch #295, and so I created two cards.  On the first, I embossed the front panel with a Swiss dots folder before adding the strip and a double cut die to create a 'shadow' sentiment. Hard to see those dots in my photo. The second used a piece of coordinating paper as the back panel.

Paper: CTMH

Die: Hero Arts

Atlantic Hearts

I've been busy yesterday and today organizing, labeling, and making cards for my local children's hospital.  I am working with Send a Smile 4 Kids.  I realized that I need some cards that are for younger children and gender neutral.  Nothing fits that bill like cute animals, right?

So I took the inspiration of the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #275 and found some Babycakes  paper from Close To My Heart, and lion and sentiments from Life's a Jungle set (also CTMH from long ago).  The monkey is a Simon Says stamp/die set called Baby Animals. I colored with pencils.

Because I cut the paper on the angle, it made two cards. Even better!

Another happy announcement for me - I have rejoined the Design Team for Atlantic Hearts.♥ I had dropped out with my shoulder and knee surgeries, but am excited to be on the team once again starting next week. 

Sunshine

Whoa, we have had LOTS of sun. It's been hot and dry for weeks. Not our usual PNW weather.
So a sunflower seemed appropriate.  I used a very old rubber/wood background stamp for the square, and a new stamp from Papertrey Ink for the flower and sentiment.  I inked up in my Misti and was so pleased with the flower using a dauber and a few different colors...then realized the die is solid...and I couldn't place it properly on the stamped image. I have been spoiled using open dies. It is much more difficult to stamp on the cut piece, and you can't do multiple stamping very easily.  I am going to try lightly tracing the die on the paper before stamping next time and see if that will work.  So this flower isn't as cute as my first. My crafting friend Stephanie and I were moaning about not being able to get perfect dots with our liquid drops.  We think there must be a teaching video on this!!

Sketch from Freshly Made Sketches 347