August CCC

The August CCC sign up has begun!  Once again we were provided with a choice of a colour palette, a sketch or a theme, or all three!  I went, as usual, with all three!  You have until the 17th of August to sign up, it's fun, give it a try!

Paper: cardstock (PTI); Neenah; patterned paper (unknown)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Copic Markers; CTMH (Tulip dye ink)
Stamps: Stampin' Up (Elements of Style; Language of Friendship)
Other: Oval Nestabilitie; Pearl (stash); Dimensional squares

Sketches are really helpful!  And I liked this colour combination too.  I had a great time playing with my new Stampin' Up stamps.  I hope the recipient (who has not yet been revealed), likes this card.

Thanks for popping in!  Have a wonderful day.

July CCC

It's time for the July Card Chain Challenge, you can find all the details HERE, and you have until the 14th of July to make a card and upload it.  I have been participating for a good few months now and really enjoy it.  As usual we can choose from a colour  palette, a sketch, a theme or all three.  This time I went with all three!

Paper: PTI cardstock; My Mind's Eye; Watercolour paper

Ink: PITT artist pens; Memento Tuxedo Black; Punch Chalk Ink (HA)

Stamps: Penny Black (Gossimer); Typewriter letters (MFT)

Other: CB Embossing folder; Stickles; Jute; Pearl; Corner Punch

I did turn the sketch around a little and instead of using an oval in the background I used a rectangle in teal and white polka dot patterned paper.  The green strip of paper was run through my Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dot embossing folder for added texture.

I hope the recipient will enjoy it, the colours are nice and summery.  And I always choose the theme of Friendship, it seems the most appropriate for me.

Wishing you a wonderful Thursday!  Is it possible that it is almost the end of the week and that half the year has gone?!

June CCC

It's time for the June Card Chain Challenge over at Lily Pad, join in, you have until the 13th to upload your card there and that way you will be the lucky recipient of an equally beautiful card hopefully from a complete stranger!  I love this challenge!  You get a choice of either using a colour palette, a sketch or a theme, or all three. 

This month I decided to go with the colour palette and the theme of Friendship.

Paper: Cardstock (PTI); Neenah Solar White; Patterned Paper (My Mind's Eye)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Copic Markers

Stamps: Hero Art (Artists Butterfly H5426); Technique Tuesday (sentiment)

Other: Stampin Up Scalloped Edge Punch; Glossy Accents; Dimensional Squares

I truly enjoyed making this card.  I was not sure that I would get all the colours in but I did!  And I love to piece that butterfly, so the inside wings are popped up with some dimensional squares.  I also added some glossy accents to all the little circles on the wings.

I like the simple  design of the card, can you imagine how many different cards you could make using this same layout but different strips of patterned paper and a different stamped image or a chipboard piece of some sort.

So now I wait until the week of the 13th to find out who I send this card to and who sends one to me!  So exciting!  Go and join in the fun if you can!

May Card Chain Challenge

Lily Pad is the new digs for the monthly Card Chain Challenge that Deborah was/is hosting.  It really is a great, stress free challenge because it's all about sharing a card with someone else on the globe, you may know them, you may not!  I encourage you to participate, even if it is for the friendships alone!

So, we got a colour combo, we got a sketch and we got the option of three themes.  I went with all three, choosing the theme of Friendship.

Paper: PTI
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black; Versamark; Versamagic Pink Grapefruit Chalk ink
Stamps: Hero Arts
Other: Clear embossing powder; Stampin' Up scallop punch

Believe me, it took me a while to arrive at this.  Firstly I had to decide whether the first colour in the combo was black or moss green, it was just hard to tell on the computer.  I decided it had to be black, for me!  Then the decision of whether to stamp the 3 strips in the sketch directly on the note card and make this a one layer CAS card or to adhere some decorative strips.  Once that was decided, I needed to decide whether to stamp on the bottom half of the note card or to leave it blank.

Well, you see the end result.  My favourite part is that ladybug from the HA Antique Engravings set, it's such a beauty.  I could not resist clear embossing it at the bottom of my card. Although the sentiment appears really light on the photo, it is very clear in real life.

It's still a mystery who I get to send my card to, but that's the fun of it.  This will be revealed after the 6th of May which is the deadline for you to link your card on Lily Pad's blog!  I hope it brings a smile to someones' face.

Wishing you an incredible Sunday! (And thank you to everyone who wished me to get better pronto, it worked!  It must have been a 24 hour virus or something, but it sure did knock me down.  At least I can play with my daughter today!).

March CCC

Every month the amazing Deborah, whose BLOG you have to visit to brighten your day, hosts and manages a worlwide card challenge.  She provides the sketch, theme and colour combination, you choose to go with one or all, and then you send your card to person X and receive one from person Y.  It's wonderful, you get to meet so many different people and receive awesome cards!

I had the pleasure of sending my card to my friend Rosemary.

Paper: PTI Cardstock and patterned paper; Neenah Solar White
Ink: Copic Markers; Memento Tuxedo Black; CTMH (Juniper dye ink)
Stamps: Unity
Other: PTI Edgers Die #1; Corner Chomper; Brad (unknown)

This time around I went with Deborah's sketch and theme, not the colours.  I wanted something brighter.  Don't you love those lanterns and that sentiment from Unity's KOM? And how lucky was I to find a brad in my stash that had those exact colours!

The person who sent me a card was Joy (Dustypenny) . Here is her lovely colourful and happy card! It's so nice to receive brighter cards at this time of the year, they make me happy!

Thank you Joy!  And than you Deborah for all your organising!

February CCC

I received a note from Sally in the UK to say that she received the card I made for her for the February Card Chain Challenge managed and organised by the lovely, and extremely funny, Deborah Nolan.  So I am posting it here to share with you.

Paper: PTI cardstock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, CTMH Juniper Dye Ink, Shabby Shutters & Broken China Distress Inks
Stamps: Hero Arts
Other: Pearls(Hero Arts), Martha Stewart Butterfly punch, PTI Edgers Die #1, Corner Chomper

I started off by rounding the card base corners with the corner chomper and then stamping the front of the card with the Envelope Background stamp using Juniper dye ink.  I added the scalloped edge which I made using the PTI Edgers #1 die, love it!  And then I stamped the Friends Definition over it with the same Juniper ink. The round panel was stamped with the Hero Arts Hydrangea stamp and very, very lightly coloured with some Shabby Shutters and Broken China distress inks. I added a few pearls and a little butterfly and finally stamped the sentiment.

I enjoyed trying to follow the sketch that Deborah provided, and the colours as much as possible, and one of the suggested themes of Friendship.  Thank you Deborah for everything that you do!

Thanks for stopping by and for all the lovely and generous comments I received on my postings yesterday!

November CCC

I got news yesterday that Janet in Mauritius did receive the card I made her for Deborah's November Card Chain Challenge, so I am happy to be able to post it today.

Deborah's challenge offered 3 options, a color palette, a design template and a theme. You could choose to use all three or just one, or two of the options.

I used one of the colours, deep blue, the design and one of the themes, Friendship.

Paper: Hero Arts Notecard, Neenah Solar White

Stamp: Hero Arts

Ink: Adirondack (Denim), Stazon Black, Vintage Photo Distress Ink

Other: Gems from Hero Arts, Vellum

I used the Hero Arts Fabulous Flourish stamp as my central image and stamped it twice in a Denim Blue colour on white cardstock.  The first panel was lightly inked on the edges with Vintage Photo and this was adhered to Kraft cardstock and then onto the notecard itself.

I then cut out 3 squares from the second flourish, and for the life of me I cannot remember how I lined it up to fall exactly where I needed it!  I remember it being a little complicated and I think I even tried to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig to make this happen.  These three squares were added to Kraft cardstock and adhered to the card. 

I stamped a strip of Vellum with the sentiment, and adhered it with 2 small glue dots.  Then to conceal the glue dots I added two gems over the vellum.

This design template was quite a challenge for me, but I think I managed it in the end!  It would have been more challenging for me to try to use the colour palette!  This was my first card exchange, I look forward to doing more in the future.  A big thank you to Deborah for planning and organising this event!

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday!