Holly Berries

The challenge this week at Meljen's Designs is to use red and green on your project.  I am not as fond of the traditional red and green color combo, so I chose to go with a burgundy/avocado combo instead.

I used one of the recently released images, Christmas Lights Snail, and colored him with Copics.  The lights were colored with Copic Spica pens and have gorgeous sparkle to them.  Unfortunately, you just can't capture that in a picture!  I used a sketch from Taylored Expressions because I needed to jump start my mojo!  The sentiment is from the Stampin' Up! Easy Events set.  I cut the sentiments off of each of the images in the set so I could use them alone if I wanted to.

Card measures 5.5" x 4.25"

LifeStyle Crafts Linear embossing folde

LifeStyle Crafts Nesting Circle Dies

Stampin' Up! Easy Events set

trim and buttons from my stash

Giving Thanks

Today is the day that we gather with family and remember all of the things we are thankful for.  Our challenge this week follows that theme.

I used the image Hot Apple Pie and used Copics to color it.  The good news is this image also comes in a colored version.  Perfect for when you need to whip up a card and just don't have a lot of time.

I hope you all enjoy your time with friends and family.  I know I will.

Card measures 5.5" x 4.25"

Spellbinders Label 4 dies

Martha Stewart Doily Lace border punch

Twine & pearls from my stash

One Word Says It All

Our challenge this week at Meljen's Designs is to use a one-word sentiment.  Can you express everything you want to say on a card in one word?  Then join us for our challenge!

I used Fancy Gift Box and colored it with Copics.  I love this image because you can color it to fit any occasion.  Use red and green for Christmas, silver and gold for a wedding or anniversary, or someone's favorite colors for their birthday.  The sentiment is computer generated.

Card measures 4.5" x 5.5"

Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder

wooden star embellishments and ribbon from my stash

Are You Scared of Franken Kitty?

How could you be scared of that adorable face?!  Our challenge this week is to create a Halloween themed project.  I fell in love with Franken Kitty at first sight!  I only wish that Halloween lasted longer so I could use all of the great images Melissa came up with this month!

I colored Franken Kitty with Copics.  I got some fun ghoulish green colors just for Halloween projects.  I had to ink around the edges with some Charcoal ink from Stampin' Up! because the white around the image was to bright for the muted papers.

I hope you aren't a Scaredy Pants and join us for our challenge this week.  You might just win a few images from the shop just for playing along!

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"

Spellbinders Label 4

Martha Stewart Drippy Goo border punch

rhinestones from my stash

Peek-a-Boo! I See You!

What a fun challenge we have this week!  Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to have a hidden element or message on your project.  How much fun is that?!  And don't worry...this message will not self-destruct in 10 seconds...unless Blogger wants it to!

I used Country Jam Jar and colored it with Copics.  I thought this would make a great image for a hidden message.

When you "open" the jam jar using the ribbon tab, you see the hidden message.  I used Friendship to Keep You Cozy for the sentiment. I finished it off with a little lace and trim.  The card doesn't actually open.  It is just a panel with the hidden tab sandwiched between two pieces of cardstock.  I love that someone will have to figure out where the message is when they can't open the card!

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"

Cricut Lacy Labels cartridge (circle stretched into an oval)

lace, rick rack, flower and pearls from my stash

A Fun & Fabulous Sketch

We have a fun sketch challenge for you on the blog today.  Our wonderful teamie Ria came up with a great sketch for you to play with.

Isn't it fabby?!  

I turned the sketch on its side but due to size, I had to take out one layer.  I used Top Hat Pumpkin and colored him with Copics.  Love this new image!  Check out the other great new images in the shop.

I used the Framelits Label Die from Stampin' Up! to create the shaped layer.  To create the mat, I traced around the outside of the die and hand cut the shape.  I had some silk leaves that I thought I could use as embellishments on this card, but they were too big!  I cut the ends of a couple of the leaves off and used them instead!  I used a wooden button from American Crafts.  I wanted to run some twine through the button holes, but the button already had glue dots on it!  I placed a pearl over the center instead and love the way it looks!  A little raffia adds the perfect fall touch.

Card measures 5.5" x 4.25"

Stampin' Up! Framelits Label Die

Spellbinders Classic Ovals Large

Spellbinders Scallop Ovals Large

American Crafts wooden buttons

Pearls & raffia from my stash

Take Five

Oh how I wish I could take five!  Things are crazy in my neck of the woods right now!  Good thing I had time to create something for this week's challenge.  The challenge is to use five of the same elements on your project.

My husband's grandmother is turning 100 years old on September 25th.  We will be travelling to join friends and family in celebrating with her.  She used to be in a garden club and loves flowers so I used the Little Layered Flowers Mini Cuties as one of my repeating elements.  I colored the flowers with Copics and put sapphire colored gems in the center.  Sapphire is the birthstone for September.  I used Happy Birthday Swirls as the main focus of the card.  The pearls add the finishing touch.

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Stampin' Up! Hearts & Swirls background stamp
Spellbinders Fancy Tags three
ribbon, pearls, gems from my stash

Robot Love!

What a fun challenge we have on the blog for you this week!  It is an ABC challenge and the theme is to use elements on your project that start with the same letter as your first name.  How lucky am I that a lot of my favorite things begin with the letter "r"!

I used Robbie the Robot.  I have had him printed for a while and this challenge was the perfect opportunity to use him since he started with "r".  He is, of course, colored with Copics.  I also used rhinestones, ribbon, and "rivets".  They aren't really rivets, but I think they look like them on the card!  The sentiment is computer generated.  I figured a robot would probably use chat speak to send a message!

Thanks for stopping by and I can't wait to see what you all come up with for this challenge!

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Darice Steam Punk embossing folder
Metal embellishments
ribbon from my stash

Fancy Friendship

It's Thursday so that means it is time for a new challenge on the blog.  The challenge this week is to use a fancy font on your card.  One of my favorite fonts is Scriptina, so that is what I decided to use for my font.

I used the image Cat and Mouse and colored them with Copics.  I realized after I took the picture that the mouse should be casting a bit of a shadow on the cat's back.  I will have to get that fixed!  I printed the sentiment on the computer using the Scriptina font.  I wish I had a stamp, but then I realized that if I did, I wouldn't be able to resize the sentiment to fit my card!  I guess I will stick to the computer generated version.

There are a lot of word art and sentiment stamps in the shop.  The good news is the 50% off sale has been extended until August 25th, so you still have time to hop over there and fill your cart with all of your favorites!

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Spellbinders Lacy Squares die
Stampin' Up! Stripes textured impressions folder
Sizzix Framelits Stamp and Die Set: Banners #2
pearls from my stash

Missing You...Always

The challenge this week is one that is dear to my heart.  My hubby is currently stationed in Florida and I am still in Illinois and will be unable to join him anytime soon.  It is hard, but technology today makes it so much easier than it used to be!  Of course I love to send him a card made especially for him from time to time.  This card will be making it's way to Florida very soon!

I used an image that was a freebie given on the Meljen's Designs group page on Paper Craft Planet.  Images were given as the group gained members and this one was for 300 members.  There are over 1000 members now!  I colored the image with Copics and the sentiment is computer generated.

Since it was going to my hubby, I kept the colors masculine and the embellishments to a minimum. Hopefully he won't get tipped off before he gets it in the mail!

Card measures 5.5" x 4.25"
Spellbinders Label 4
Stampin' Up! Early Espresso baker's twine
TPC Studio metal embellishments

Do a Little Doodling

Do you love to doodle?  Then the challenge this week is perfect for you.  The challenge is to doodle on your project.

I decided that doodling a blanket stitch and making the background look like a cozy baby blanket would be perfect for this image!  I colored Sweet Dreams Moon with Copics.  I didn't have a die that fit the image, so I used a smaller one and let it just peek out of the top edge of the image.  I also doodled on the yellow border.

Card measures 5.5" x 4.25"
Spellbinders Star Circles die
Stampin' Up! Large Scallop Edgelits

Mismatched Madness

The challenge at Meljen's Designs is to use paper from at least two different manufacturers.  This was an easy one for me.  I rarely use paper from the same manufacturer.  Some of my paper I bought so long ago, I have no idea who even printed it in the first place!  I did make sure to pull out paper that I knew so I could be sure they were from different manufacturers.

I used Swim Time Mouse and colored him with Copics to match my papers.  The stripe is from My Mind's Eye.  It is the Stella and Rose-Mabel collection.  The other patterned paper is from Carta Bella and is the Winter Fun collection.

Card measures 5.5" x 4.25"
Stampin' Up! baker's twine
TPC Studio metal embellishments

Tag! You're It!

Tag was always so much fun to play as a kid.  It is just as much fun to play as an adult...as long as it is the crafting kind.  I am fairly certain I could not run to goal if I tried!  Our challenge this week is to use or create a tag in your project.

I used Kitty Cat Cuddles and of course colored it with Copics.  I decided to make the card tag shaped.  Rather than pull out the Cricut, I just marked off the corners at a 45 degree angle using an acrylic quilting ruler.  I just don't have a place to set the Expression up right now!  I have had these stray metal tags rolling around in my stash for ages.  They are pretty small so it is hard to find a sentiment that fits.  I stamped the letter on a punched circle and embossed with silver embossing powder.  I used all of them!  Woohoo!  One more thing cleaned out of the stash.  The twine at the bottom of the card is actually the strings from the tags.  I just knotted them, staggered the knots and cut off the tails.

I can't wait to see what projects you come up with now that you are "it"!

Card Measures 5.5" x  3.5"
Lifestyle Crafts Circle and Scalloped circle dies
tags from my stash

How Charming!

We have to use charms for the challenge this week.  There are so many cute ones that it is hard to decide which to use.  I had to keep my project simple this time.  In fact, I will be in Phoenix as you read this.  I had limited time to get my project done, so I relied on one of my favorite layouts to make this card quick and easy.

I used Little Heart Vase and colored the image with Copics.  The charm didn't photograph very well, but it says "thank you".

It is supposed to be 118 degrees in Phoenix on the day this posts.  Wish me luck!  I might melt!

Card measures 5.5" x 4.25"
Cuttlebug Paper Lace 2 embossing folder set
charm from the wedding section at Michaels
ribbon from my stash

Father's Day Funny

The challenge this week is Dad, Daddy, Father.  Does that challenge give you an anxiety attack?!  It does me.  There is nothing harder than trying to design a card for a guy:  no bling, no frills, no ribbon!  How does a woman cope with so much stress. =P

I looked through my library of images and just wasn't coming up with any ideas.  So I hit the shop and had a look around. Of course I found my perfect image!

I used Bear Butt and colored him with ProMarkers.  Why not my Copics you ask?  Well...as I started coloring with my E71 marker, it went completely dry!  And of course, I had no refill on hand.  I printed a new image and found some colors that would work.  I used my favorite color combo for a masculine card.  The upper right corner seemed the teeniest bit empty.  Normally I would put gems or pearls, but since this is for my hubby, I pulled out these great metal embellishments by TPC Studio.

I also have to share the inside of the card.  Not because it is fabulously decorated, but because it is punny!

I am willing to bet it will make my hubby laugh!  (UPDATE: In fact it did!  Long and loud. =P)  Both sentiments were printed on the computer.

Card measures 4.25' x 5.5"
Cuttlebug Forest Branches embossing folder

Fun Color Challenge

Do you find yourself using the same colors for every project?  The challenge this week will help you step outside of your creative comfort zone.  Use the inspiration picture to create the palette for your challenge project.

Love the colors in this picture.  More importantly, I can imagine myself sitting in that chair right over there!

As soon as I saw Funky Flower Hat, I knew it would be perfect for this color challenge.  I colored it with Copics, which proved to be a challenge as I didn't really have blending pairs in the colors I wanted to use.  Luckily, letting the ink dry and coloring over the top with the same color helps to create the shading.

I cut strips of cardstock 1/2 inch wide and embossed them with various embossing folders to create the background.  I doodled some stitching to set off each strip.  The mat was created by tracing around the outside of the die that I used because the next die was too big.

The giant button was actually the lid for a container of buttons that I bought at Michaels.  I saved them because I just knew I would find a use for it one day!

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots, D'Vine Swirls, Argyle, Textile embossing folders
Ribbon from my stash