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

Words with Friends

The challenge this week at Meljen's Designs is Words with Friends.  Use something with a lot of text in your project to join in on the fun!  It could be a page from a book, a stamp, or an embellishment!

I used the image Story Keeper Gnome and colored him with Copics.  I stamped a script stamp on the front and back of some paper that looked like parchment.  I cut two strips and layered them on the right side of the large piece leaving the right corner free of adhesive.  I rolled each layer over a pencil to create the look of curled pages in a book.  A simple sentiment stamp and ribbon finished off the card.

Card measures 5.5" x 4.25"
Hero Arts Sentiment Stamp
Hero Arts French Script stamp
ribbon from my stash

What's the Point?

The point is you should join us on the Meljen's Designs challenge blog.  Our theme this week is to use something pointy on your project.  It could be a pin, a star, or anything that has a point!

I used the new image, Steampunk Girl and colored her with Copic markers.  Her gold accents were colored with Copics first and then I colored over them with a gold Copic Spica pen.  You can't tell in the picture, but they have a lot of sparkle to them.  I used sprocket gears from Tim Holtz and found the one with the pointiest spokes to fit the theme.  I embossed a piece of Core'dinations cardstock and sanded it so the embossing would show.  I bought the embossing folder ages ago and never used it, but it was perfect for this card!  As my hubby always tells me, "It will turn up in something!"  The clockwork face from Tim Holtz finished it all very nicely.  I am not sure what I will use this card for, so I didn't add a sentiment.  My sister is angling for it to be her birthday card!

Once again, I primarily used scraps on my card!  The only new piece used was the Core'dinations cardstock, and that was from a small stack so there weren't scraps left over.  Even the lace was a scrap from a previous project that was still laying on my table.  I was trying to use a different style of lace and saw the scrap laying there.  I plopped it on my project and it was the perfect size and style!  Love when that happens!

So go find some pointy objects and carefully add them to your projects!  We would love to see them.

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Cuttlebug Clockworks embossing folder
Tim Holtz Sprocket Gears
Tim Holtz Clock Faces

Reduce...Reuse...Recycle!

The theme this week for the challenge over at Meljen's Designs is Recycle.  Use a recycled element on your project.  My current theme is to also reduce...reduce the enormous scrap pile I have amassed over the years.  I didn't reuse...but it made my blog title sound good. =)

This card was made entirely of scrap papers and cardstock except for the cardstock the image is printed on.  My printer dislikes printing on odd sizes of paper.

I paper pieced the pocket of the image Flowers in My Pocket and colored the flowers with Copics.  The background is embossed and I actually hauled out my sewing machine and did a little stitching.  My recycled element you ask?  It is the flower.  The flower is made from a used dryer sheet that I sprayed with different Tattered Angels glimmer mists.  I cut out three flower shapes and wrapped them around a small brad.  I tried just layering them, but there was no definition from one layer to the next.  Wrapping around the brad gave the flower a little bit of body.  The entire dryer sheet flower was layered onto a crocheted flower I made.

Just in case you missed it, the entire shop is on sale this month.  We are celebrating three years of wonderful images from Meljen's Designs.  Hop on over and fill your cart!  In addition, you have a chance to win three images by doing nothing more than leaving some bloggy love on each of the design team posts on the challenge blog.  At the end of the month, three mystery designers will randomly draw a name from everyone that left a comment on their design team post.  Go leave some love!

Card measures 1.25" x 5.5"
Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Ovals Large
Cuttlebug Bloom Dots embossing folder
Studio G sentiment stamp
pearls from my stash

Happy Birthday Meljen's Designs!

Wow!  Three years old!  It's hard to think that I have been a fan of these images for almost as long.  But they are just so darn cute and fun!  The challenge...make a birthday card to celebrate the big day!  You can never have too many birthday cards in your stash.

I used the image Flower Power Car and colored it with Copics.  My head was a little stuffy, so I had a hard time coming up with a funky layout.  I did manage to use up more scraps though.  All of the cardstock and paper was found in the scrap bin.  Did I mention I have a lot of scraps?!  I didn't have the perfect size die to mat the image, so I traced around the outside of the die I used to cut the image and cut it by hand.  Those Spellbinders dies are so versatile!  The sentiment is computer generated.  Love that font!

To celebrate the big day, all of the images in the shop are on sale!  Get over there and get yours now!

Card measures 4.25"x5.5"
Spellbinders Label 4 set
Ribbon from my stash
TPC Studios gold metal embellishemnts

Itsy Bitsy, Teeny Weeny...Cards!

Nope!  No yellow polka-dot binkinis here!  The challenge is to create a 3x3 card.  What's great about 3x3 cards is they use up a lot of the scraps you have lying around.  In fact, I didn't cut a single new piece of cardstock or paper to make these cards, except for the cardstock the images were printed on.

When I was the August guest designer for Meljen's designs, I made 10 3x3 cards for one of my posts.  If you would like to see them, you can find that post here.  My favorite of the bunch was the one with the sunflower.  I decided to make a few more based on that card.  I used the Little Layered Flowers set. It is a great deal with 8 images: 5 flowers and 3 leaves.

Cards measure 3'x3'
Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirls embossing folder
ribbon and gems from my stash