EjoyVC5 - Monochromatic!

For this week's challenge I'd like you to create a card using monochromatic colors. (One color or hue - eg. various shades of pink, not pink and green and brown together). I chose to make a monochromatic blue color scheme. I'd love for you to share your creation here with Mr. Linky. Also if you upload to SCS please use the code EjoyVC5. Hope you can have fun creating this week.

My card was made for this week's sketch on SCS (SC248) and Pals Paper Arts challenge #10 - Gratitude! I was gone all week, so I was combining a few and this was the only card I had a chance to make this week.

I don't know if you can tell from the picture but the flower was made with the scallop circle and I just cut with the scissor toward the center.

Stampin' Up supplies: Elegant Thank You, Punches - scallop circle, circles, word window, modern label. Birds n Blooms die cut, texturz, ribbon, brad

Colors: Night of Navy & DSP, Brocade Blue, White

EjoyVC4 - Recipe Challenge

Here's a simple recipe for you to follow to make your creation.
The ingredients are:

3 - circular embellishments (brads, eyelets, buttons, etc)
2 - different patterns of Designer Series Paper
1 - Ribbon
0 - Words

You must use the required amount of ingredients and no more or less. You can't use 3 brads and a button, or you can't use 2 ribbons. You must have 2 different patterns of DSP. NO WORDS on your card. Etc.

Hope you have fun and play along. I'd love to see what you come up with. If you are uploading to SCS please use the codeword EjoyVC4. Mr. Linky is here for you to link your wonderful creations as well.

Thanks so much for playing.

Here's my second card for this challenge:

Stampin' Up Supplies: Little Leaves die, Birds n Blooms die cut, brads, always artichoke ribbon

Colors: Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke, Night of Navy DSP, Mellow Moss DSP

This card is made for the Fall To Layout Friday Sketch.

Sneak-a-peek at the next CHALLENGE!

Here's a card that follows the guidlines of my next challenge. Come back on Monday and find out what this week's Ejoy Variety Challenge is. I'd love to have you play along too.

Stampin' Up Supplies: Inspired by Nature, Tall Tales DSP, vanilla ribbon, eyelets
Colors: Old Olive, Close to Cocoa, Barely Banana, Very Vanilla, White

Piercing/Piecing

Here's my card for today. I wanted to show off two really great techniques.

I love piercing. Piercing is great and adds so much to the card. You can pierce in a straight line, or try a pattern. I also pierced in one of the hearts.

Paper Piecing is also a fun technique which gives a great look. Simple stamp the image twice on different colors of paper and cut out part of it to put overtop the other one.

For this card I used the stamp set "Simply Said" and designer series paper - Tall Tales.
Colors - Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, More Mustard, Rose Red, Regal Rose

3rd Ejoy Challenge

Welcome to my third challenge! I hope you will try to participate and share your lovely creations!

This week I want you to use TWO TRIANGLES on your project. (Not just one triangle layered!) This one was a challenge for me as triangles aren't really a common shape to use. My card ended up looking very different than I intended but when I was laying out my triangles they looked like trees - so I went with that idea instead. Please use the code EjoyVC3 if you are uploading to SCS. I'd love for you to link your creations back here so everyone can see! Hope you can have fun with this challenge!

I used Stampin' Up sets Dasher, Gifts of Christmas, Snow Swirled.

I used Punches - Word window, modern label and boho blossoms. I used the crop-a-dile to punch out the teeny circles for Rudolph's nose and the sentiment.

I ripped the white "snow" and distressed the edge of the trees with the distresser. I sponged a bit of green behind the trees.

Colors: Kraft, Old Olive, White, Tall Tales DSP, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip

Today's Challenge - Don't let your cards get moldy!

Today I want to pass along the challenge to send a card to somebody.

My husband complains that he never gets "fun mail", but always bills.
Wouldn't it be great to receive a card JUST BECAUSE!

I'm finally getting around to sending some cards off for the Canadian Military to use to send to their loved ones. I was looking through my cards (which weren't all stored properly) and some were wrecked. What a shame to make cards and not share them! My roof actually leaked on some of them and they were ruined (hence the title!) I got a BOX of cards packed up to send off. I'm excited about all the happy families who will be able to receive a card from their military officer.
If you would like to know more about sending cards to support the military here's the link:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233231

If you're anything like me, you have a stack of cards just sitting there.
Today (while the kids are napping and my dishwasher running) I am going to be sending cards to family members and friends JUST BECAUSE to brighten their day and let them know I'm thinking of them. Isn't that what cards are intended for?! So have fun creating (maybe even participating in a challenge) and then SEND it!

Hope you all have fun spreading the love!

I love my followers!

I have 5 wonderful folowers and I love them but I don't know what happened to them?! I was changing my template and the follower area went blank. It shows that I have followers, but I can't figure out how to get them back! Whenever I try to add the follower bar its just blank.
I'm sorry to you wonderful followers. I don't know how to fix it. Please know that I love you!

A huge thanks to Robyn for participating in my challenge this week, even though she hates the colors! Her beautiful card is posted in Mister Linky. Robyn, I'm glad you were challenged! I really think you did a great job!

Thanks to all the rest of you who are here viewing my blog and those who have posted. I really appreciate it! I will try to come visit you too.

Happy Fall!

Yes, I did say HAPPY fall. I hope you can enjoy your day and the new season with all its changes.

Some highlights about this card:

Crystal Effects - I covered the pumpkin with crystal effects to give it shine!

Sponging - Even a little bit of sponging around the edge of the image can give it an extra special touch.

Tone on Tone - This is the first time I've tried this. I cut a strip with my scallop edge and put it right next to the same color cardbase.

Colors: Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, To the Nines Specialty DSP, Mellow Moss
Stamps: Thoroughly Thankful, Autumn Days

Some card tips

I made a card today that illustrates a few card-making tips...
Layers - Black layers are really stunning. Often adding a layer (or mat) adds a lot to a card.

Background - A subtle background really adds interest, but doesn't overwhelm. Texture works great.

Stampin Off - You can achieve a different look by stamping your image on a piece of scrap paper, or even stamping twice for a more faded color. You don't even have to stamp the full image on the page, but can let some fall outside the area. You also don't have to use an entire image, but can use just parts of it, which gives the stamp more versatility.

I made this card with Kind & Caring Thoughts (hostess set) and texturz embossed background using the bigshot. I cut out 3 circles with a circle punch and added a brad to each.
Colors: Sahara Sand, Regal Rose, Old Olive, Black

Second challenge - EjoyVC2

I'd love for you to play along with me on my second challenge. This week my challenge is a COLOR CHOICE!!! I would like you to make a project using SUMMER SUN, BARELY BANANA, any neutrals (white, black, grey) and you can also add any other color of your choice. But you can just stick to the two yellows if you want. Please use EjoyVC2 as your keywords if you're uploading to SCS. I'd love for you to link your cards here too! I hope you can have fun with this!

Here's my sample...

I used Stampin' Ups sets "Celebrate Everything" and "Pun Fun". I added the color Always Artichoke as my color of choice. The always artichoke panel is embossed with the Big Shot and texturz! I left the image plain except to color the flower with marker. The edges of the barely banana celebrate are inked with summer sun.

White Gel Pen

Here's my card for today. I wanted to highlight the white gel pen! Here I used it to highlight my silhouetted flower. I also pierced holes on the green and connected the dots to make it look like stitching. A lot easier than real sewing!!!
The flower image from Kind & Caring Thoughts was embossed with black. I sponged around it with purple, and highlighted with the white gel pen. The green piece was embossed with texturz and the Big Shot! I also versamarked the background. The beautiful flower was made using just ONE punch! I layered the flowers from the boho blossoms punch 5 times and put a button on top! How cute is that!

First Challenge - EjoyVC1

I'm going to start posting a weekly challenge. It's a chance for you to play along and gain inspiration to start crafting. I'd love for you to share your creations with me and I'd love to comment on it! If you upload to SCS please use the keyword EjoyVC1.

Here's our first EncourageJoy Variety Challenge:

This is super simple and anyone can do it with the supplies YOU HAVE!

Use ripping on your card! All you have to do is tear something!

Here's the card I made today...

The snowflakes are from Snow Swirled and are punched out with Boho Blossoms punch. The sentiment is from Season of Joy and is cut out in a rectangle and the edges inked with marker! The background is embossed with D'Vine Swirls and I used the crimper for a strip. Very simple and easy.

Our new puppy - Mulch

This weekend we picked up our new puppy, Mulch! Her dad is a Great Pyrenees and her mom is a really nice Lab X Collie. She will end up being a nice large dog which is what we want. We chose her in the hopes that she will be a good family dog - with the kids and with our small dog - and not have too much energy! We wanted a big dog for a bit of the protection aspect. A nice big friendly dog, but big enough to discourage people from entering our yard without permission! She's a super puppy so far.

Kia gets along with her and they sleep together at night.

Special card of the day - easy card fold technique!

This is probably the most simple way to spruce up your card. Simply fold in half (like a regular card) then about 3/4" in from the fold, fold again. I used a horizontal slot punch and attached ribbon so that the card will only open at the second fold. Very simple, but something different and special!
A few other things I did on this card - The Dasher image is embossed with silver. I distressed the very vanilla layer behind it. I stamped French Filigree Background on the Top Note that I cut out with my Big Shot! and only used part of it. I layered word window punch and modern label punch with a brad in it for a neat effect.
It's hard to tell in the picture, but the background Chocolate Chip is embossed with my Big Shot and a texturz plate.
The ribbon is simply looped through the holes made by the punch and the linen thread is tied in a bow around it.
Elegant and different Christmas card!

Top 10

These are my top 10 favorite cards that I've recently made. All supplies are Stampin' Up!

Here are some higlights of each:

Tree - rubbing alcohol/reinker technique for the leaves on glossy paper
Branch Out

Best Wishes - Silver embossing

Kind & Caring Thoughts

Big Shot - Cherry Blossom & Little Leaves

Razzleberry Flowers - Love the new Rich Razzleberry In Color. The background and one cut out flower are stamped with Fifth Ave Floral.

Pink Snow - Great simple layout and unique colors. Clear rhinestones in the centers of the snowflakes.

Warmest Greetings - Cute pun. Simple layout and nice use of Crosshatch background stamp.

Grey Season's Greetings Tag - Love the color combination - Basic Gray, Rich Razzleberry, Kraft and White. The background is one image, but cut into two panels.

Simple Sponged Leaf - This is a one layer card with the exception of one photo corners punch. I masked a circle shape and sponged.

Horse for you - Love the layout! The bottom is faux denim technique with rubbing the ink pad on the paper, which makes it look like jeans!

Hoppy Father's Day - I love the colors. I like the ribbon and half a Top Note die with two brads underneath.

Baby Girl Duckies - Love this cute baby girl layout and colors. The scallops, ribbon and piercing add a lot.