ColourQ Challenge #30

How about a little Christmas in April fun with this weeks challenge?

I wish I would have picked a little bit bolder sentiment for this but I just couldn't find a "thank you" I liked better:

Supplies
Stamps:  Stampin' Up, Hero Arts, Papertrey Ink
Markers:  Stampin' Up

Chair-ished

When I saw the sneak peek for this set I thought I would be able to be strong and pass on it.  Then I saw this card on Lisa Johnson's blog and this one on Kim Hughes blog and I was powerless to resist it.  So I copied (or cased or lifted or whatever the right term is here) their cards almost exactly:

Then since I had the chairs all lined up on my block after making the first card I went crazy and stamped them the other way and just added a sentiment:

Doesn't this set make THE cutest backgrounds ever?!

All supplies are from Papertrey Ink (except for the button which just came from my stash)

Happy Earth Day!!

Since this card has the earth on it I thought it would qualify as a good post for today:

This card was inspired by Nichole (you can see it towards the bottom of this post).  Yet another moment of having to raise my fists to the heavens and call out "Curse you Papertrey Ink design team for making me spend more money!"  But that die, that stamp, that sentiment - I neeeeeded it.

Papertrey received lots of my hard earned money this month and I've had a blast playing with everything the last few days - more to "chair" with you tomorrow!

Supplies
Every last thing on this card is from Papertrey!

Color Cue Challenge {3}

I stumbled upon this color challenge by way of Maile Belles blog (lots of fun stuff there!).  Check out the details here.  Not that I need to add another company to my stamp buying addiction but there are some cute things in Wplus9 shop!

Okay no shopping!  Back to the challenge:

I used SU Basic Gray for the gray/blue, SU Crushed Curry for the Golden Yellow and Papertrey's Melon Berry for melon.  Lovey dove dove that combination!

Throw in some cute new Unity stamps and I think I have a winner!  I also used one of Teri Anderson's sketches from the Sketches to Go idea book for design inspiration (it's the very first sketch turned on it's side for those who have the book - and if you don't you should!).

Supplies
Stamps: Unity
Paper:  Papertrey Ink, Stampin' Up

One Layer Challenge

A fun challenge from Kristina Werner's blog to make a one layer card.  Check out her's here - it's flat out adorable (hehe I crack myself up).  We love watching her video's every Monday and Friday.  And by we I mean me and my four year old who comes running whenever she hears the intro music yelling "Is it a card video?!".  She is especially excited whenever there is "e-bossing" involved.  So if you're reading this Kristina - Isabel wants more e-bossing!

Anyway here's mine:

No e-bossing here but a little masking.  I love these fillable frames stamps/die combinations from Papertrey Ink - makes masking super simple.

Supplies
Stamps:  Stampin' Up, Papertrey Ink
Die:  Papertrey Ink

ColourQ Challenge #29

One of the things I love about the ColourQ Challenges is that not only is it easy to find inspiration in the colors but very often the inspiration piece can provide great design ideas too.  Like this week - all I could imagine was finding some flower stamps and copying that plate right onto a card front:

So that's pretty much what I did:

Supplies
Stamps:  Hero Arts, Papertrey Ink, Studio Calico, Technique Tuesday

Curtain Call Color Challenge: Act 26/FTL 86

I don't usually combined challenges but I was already planning on creating this card for the Clean and Simple FTL sketch and when I saw this weeks Curtain Call Color Challenge it was like a match made in heaven!

I had to substitute Papertrey's Soft Stone cardstock for Going Gray but what a fresh combination Crushed Curry makes when paired with any gray!

Supplies
Stamps:  Stampin' Up, Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up

Color Throwdown #88

This gray/yellow/orange combination seems to be very popular on the challenge circut this week!  Look for more coming the next few days.

For today's card I used this combination from Color Throwdown:

And oh yes - I can handle that!

I've had this idea in my head of embossing this flower image in white with a patterned background like this one since I first bought the set.  This seemed like just the time to use it!

Oh and that "thinking of you" sentiment was from a KI Memories set I purchased at JoAnn's for - get this - 97 cents!!  Couldn't pass that by.

Supplies
Stamps:  Stampin Up, Papertrey Ink, KI Memories
Dies:  Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up
Paperclip:  Ranger

A non-card project

Here's a little tidbit - I actually started out as a scrapbooker.  The cards came later.

I still create layouts now and then - most often as part of my Quickutz design team responsibilities (lately that's the sole reason most of my photos find their way onto scrapbook pages at all).  If you'd like a peek at that gallery look here (there's a good mix of projects - so if cards are your only interest you can choose the type of projects you're viewing on the left).

So I'm going to start a little non-card project following the Ali Edward's A Week in the Life concept.  I've completed one of these albums already - a few years ago when I attended CKU - lots has changed so it's probably a good time for an update!

I'm going to put about zero creative effort into designing this album - I'm following Ali's formula exactly.  You can find details about that here.  But I am going to make a card a day using the scraps left from the album and inspired by the page designs I'm going to use.  So that will give me something a little more original to share.

Here are the supplies I've chosen to use:

The best part is I'm only using supplies I already have on hand:

• 8 1/2 X 11 album by We R Memory Keepers
• Papers are all from Stampin' Up pulled from different packs of DSP
• White cardstock from American Crafts - I bought a pack at Archiver's and found that the white is usually too bright for my taste but it works well here so I can finally use that up - yay!
• Baseball card holders from my now defunct couponing craze.

I may purchase some digital elements - but not until I take a stab at creating them myself and then deciding that, as usual, Ali's are better.

I doubt I'll be posting my layouts each day - my plan is to collect, take notes and photos and assemble later.  But I'll be sure to share some of the album when it's complete - and all of the cards!

Hopefully by putting this out there it will force me to actually follow through - wish me luck!

Curtain Call Color Challenge: Act 25

A really fun, tropical color combination for this weeks challenge:

I also used a sketch from the new Go to Sketches issue to create this:

The orange flower is from a Stampin' Up Christmas set but I think it works just fine as a generic flower if you just change the color.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies
Stamps:  Stampin' Up, Sassafrass Lass, Papertrey Ink
Punches:  Stampin' Up

ColourQ Challenge #28

So many directions this color combination could go:

I decided to make myself use the Good Neighbors set that has sat unused (at least the houses) since I received it:

This is one of those cards that has no plan at all and turns into something I really love.  I especially like the "home" part (Studio Calico alphabet stamps with a line hand drawn with the matching Stampin' Up marker) - I'm going to try that again for sure.

I don't usually provide details of stamp set names in my supply lists (because I'm too lazy to keep track).  But if anyone ever has a specific question on which stamps came from where just leave a comment and I'll be happy to answer.

Supplies
Stamps:  Stampin' Up, Studio Calico, Technique Tuesday, Papertrey Ink
Markers:  Stampin' Up

Curtain Call Color Challenge: Act 24

I feel like it's been too long since I've made a card with a kraft base - that's just not right!

So this weeks Curtain Call Color Challenge was the perfect chance to break out the kraft cardstock:

Here's my take:

I don't know if it's the coordinating dies or what - but that Papertrey set hasn't left my desk in weeks!

Supplies
Stamps:  Papertrey Ink
Dies:  Papertrey Ink

ColourQ Challenge #27

This weeks challenge colors are so cozy and perfect for a masculine card:

And I won't share how much time I spent fooling around with the placement of those stars!

Supplies
Stamps:  Papertrey Ink
Punch:  Fiskars