Saturday, October 31, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 30: Inspired by Your Scraps

This challenge was to use your scraps to make a card, and the twist was to add bling. I didn't have any bling that would really suit my card, so I decided to forget about the twist. The gnome was a Silhouette Design Store file. It was supposed to be a regular cut, but I had used it as a print & cut, then never actually used it. It's not perfect, but it worked well enough, and since it was a left over, I felt it qualified as a scrap.



Wednesday, October 28, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 29: It's a Magical World

This is my last CARDtober challenge where I am the hostess, and it is to make a card or layout with a "magical" theme such as Disney, Harry Potter, a magician doing tricks, dragons/fairies, Halloween, or whatever is magical to you. The twist is to use a technique that you haven't done in at least a year. I chose to do heat embossing. It's been so long that I have no idea when I last did heat embossing on a project. It's definitely been a minimum of a year.

I used the Paper Nest Wizard Boy stamp, as well as Queen & Co. Foundation dies (of course). The "Stop by for a Spell" heat embossed phrase was done with a Stampendous stamp that I have had for several years.


 


CARDtober Challenge 28: Use Only Scraps

This challenge was to use scraps and make a card based on the sketch and dimensions that the hostess provided. The twist was to use an animal. I had butterfly paper in my scraps, and since insects are part of the animal kingdom, I fussy cut one of them out. It was the perfect size to fit inside the circle.



Tuesday, October 27, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 27: Slider Interactive Card

This slider was done with nylon thread or fishing line and a tube bead. It's a very clever idea. I have no idea who came up with this technique, but the little ghost slides easily back and forth as the card is tilted.

The 3 views below show different positions of the ghost as she glides between the tombstones.

The print & cut ghost is from the Silhouette Design Store, and the artist is Stinkin' Cute Paper Piecings.

I used Lawn Fawn dies for the slimline card. I used Queen & Co. dies and stamps for the banner and tombstones.



Monday, October 26, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 26: Make it Shine with 4 colors of Bling

I found a really cute paper in my stash from a holiday paper pad. It had glittered color on it, which looked like it had been heat embossed. I used 3 different colors of rhinestones, and an unusual color of pearl.

I added a border at the bottom, did some fussy cutting for this card, and glued the layers on top. It adds slight dimension, not a lot, but I felt that it needed "something" more, so that's what it got.



CARDtober Challenge 25: Sunday Sketch

I used some of my scraps from the previous day's card to make this one. The sketch used only one vertical banner, and it used a circle in a scallop (marked "any shape"), but I kept closer to the sketch than sometimes. I used Queen & Co. dies and stamp.



Saturday, October 24, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 24 Bright Colors w/Black & White

The twist is supposed to be to fussy cut. I fussy cut the strawberry tag, the 3 butterfiles (including their antennae), and the ladybug. The papers were from the BoBunny Celebrating Freedom paper pad, and I used Queen & Co. Foundation dies.



Friday, October 23, 2020

CARDtober Challenges 20, 21, and 23

 Challenge 20 was to make a spinner card. You wind it up before putting in the envelope. When the recipient opens the card, the figure spins. I used a Silhouette Print and Cut file, and reversed it, so that I could have the exact same image on both sides.


Challenge 21 was to use a stamped or printed image. I did some fussy cutting from BoBunny's Cottontail Collection.


Challenge 23 was to be inspired by stickers or die cuts and use them on a card. I used stickers from Echo Park on a Simple Stories cut apart card. This one was super fast, super easy.



Thursday, October 22, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 22: There's No Place Like Home

It's my turn to host the CARDtober challenge again, and this time the challenge is to make a card that is reflective of where you live. 

I live in Texas. Some people wear cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and drive big trucks. I am not one of them. However, when I found this stamp, I bought it, because it reminded me of one of the first friends I made after I moved here. She unexpectedly became a young widow two years ago, and life is often challenging for her. I made this card with her in mind. The phrase inside says, "Some days ya gotta put on your BOOTS and just DANCE."




Monday, October 19, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 19: Holiday Simplicity

 This challenge was to make a very simple holiday card. I used leftovers and scraps from my stash mostly, to make this Thanksgiving card.



CARDtober Challenge 18: Sunday Sketch

 I had far more trouble with this challenge than I should have, since it was a simple sketch. I adapted it slightly, since there was an asymmetrical aspect that bothered me. I like asymmentrical designs if they are balanced, but this one just didn't sit well with me. Sketches are meant to be adaptable, anyway. The twist was to include food or drink in some way. The apple basket was a very old stamp from my stash that I had used for one of my card nights. It was a leftover. The phrase was from a Queen & Co. set. The dies I used were their Foundation dies. Of course. They just make it easier.



Saturday, October 17, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 17: Brown/Hard to Use Colors

This challenge was to use brown or whatever color is typically difficult for you to use in card making. The twist was to incorporate circles in some way. I struggle to use brown/kraft paper. 

This is a kraft patterned paper that I had in my stash, with various printed designs on it that could be cut apart for card making. I'd found a 12 sheet pack of it at Tuesday Morning, and I bought it, thinking that it would be great for cards, but I actually have had a very difficult time using it. 

I often wake up during the night and can't go back to sleep. Last night was another of those nights, so I was up in my craft room around 4:30 this morning, working on this card. It came together easier than I expected. The hardest part was actually figuring out what to use for the card base behind the printed kraft elements. I used an embossing folder to give the lighter brown card stock some texture/dimension.

The kraft paper is called Alfresco Sampler on Kraft by Canvas Corp.




Friday, October 16, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 16: Inspired by and Use a Kit

Today's challenge is to be inspired by a kit and use it to make a card. I don't subscribe to kits. The kits that I have bought on an individual basis tend to be for scrapbook layouts, which I'm not going to cut into in order to make a card. I'm not sure if Queen & Co. are the kind of kits the hostess had in mind, but I have bought quite a few of those during the pandemic "Stay at Home" orders. I went with the Queen & Co. Support Sentiment Stacker kit, which included papers, dies, and phrase stamps. I also used a few of their Foundation dies to make this card:


Wednesday, October 14, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 15: Enjoy the Journey

It's my turn to host the CARDtober Challenge again. This challenge is to use a stamped or die-cut vehicle or other mode of transportation as a focal point on a card or layout, with 2 bonus points for anyone who includes a shaker in some way. Their is also a twist: another bonus point if it is a shaped card or shaped element on a layout.

For my example, I used the Queen & Co. Hot Air Balloon Shaped Card set, with a My Favorite Things stamped elephant baby in the basket. The colors are more vibrant than the photo shows.



CARDtober Challenge 14: Scraps in Strips

I have a lot of scraps, but this proved to be a harder challenge than I expected. We needed to cut our scraps into strips, then use them on the front of a card in some way.

My card just seems too busy, even with the die cut "BOO" and banner (from Queen & Co.). I was going to do a different arrangement, but I cut my strips 3/4 inch wide, due to the pattern on some of them, and I think that was a mistake. The samples used 1/2 inch wide strips.

I may try this again, just not today.

I decided to try again. I'm happier with the one below. Same papers, cut thinner strips, better pattern.




Tuesday, October 13, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 13: Make It Swing

I bought the My Favorite Things Interactive Swing die set awhile back, along with their coordinating stamp "Start Each Day with a Whee." This card is a blatant copy of the example in the video on their website. No creativity required. However, the phrase was not part of the stamp set. I created it on my computer.



CARDtober Challenge 12: Holiday Card with non-Traditional Colors

I'm not a big fan of non-traditional colors for holidays, but I did have one paper in my stash from Bazzill Basics that fit the bill. It also gave me a chance to use a Queen & Co. shaker and stamp that I haven't used yet.



CARDtober Challenge 11 Based on a Sketch

I definitely took some liberties with the sketch, but I needed a birthday card, and I wanted to use these Paper Nest wizard stamps and Queen & Co. broom shaker, since it's for a family member who is a Harry Potter fan. I used Wink of Stella for the hint of magic coming from the wand. I created the sentiment with the LD Lightning font and printed it with my computer. I had to go with a 5x7 card for everything to fit.



Saturday, October 10, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 10: Color Inspiration Using Pink, Yellow, Brown, and Blue

 This might have been a harder challenge for me if I hadn't had the Graphic 45 Cafe Parisien collection. I used the Queen & Co. Foundation dies and did a little fussy cutting. It's kind of a salmon pink, but it's pink.I used foam tape to pop the fussy cut center piece.



CARDtober Challenge 09: Inspired by a Collection

This challenge is to design a card where you are inspired by a collection. Most of my "collections" are paper pads. I bought the Echo Park Fashionista 6x6 paper pad at Tuesday Morning awhile back. It works perfectly with the Queen & Co. Make Me Up set, so I guess you'd say that I created my own collection. The card turned out a little "busier" than I had expected, but I plan to send it to my daughter, perhaps for her birthday.

I used Queen & Co. Foundation dies to cut the papers.

And because someone probably wonders, I have no affiliation with any company. I don't get anything free from anyone. I just have my current favorites, and I really love the Queen & Co. Foundation dies. They simplify card making for me.

Friday, October 9, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 07: Use only 2 papers

For this challenge we could use only 2 patterned papers. I used Graphic 45 Floral Shoppe papers and did some fussy cutting from the papers to add a bit of variety.

I also used Queen & Co. Foundation dies. I don't remember who makes the stamp. It was part of a wreath stamp set that I found at Tuesday Morning.



Wednesday, October 7, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 8: It's a Small World

It's my turn to post the challenge for CARDtober again. This time, it's about using your small/tiny dies and/or stamps.

I made the little flip flops with tiny dies from Queen & Co.'s Summer Celebration add on set that goes with their Special Delivery truck set. I used another small die from one of their Foundation die sets for the banner. The papers are from Carta Bella's Soak Up the Sun line.

I live in Texas. It's still flip flop weather here.

 


CARDtober Challenge 6: Slider Card

I have intended to make a slider card for a long time. I just never got around to doing it. Since I already had some My Favorite Things stamped images colored and cut out, I used what I had on hand. The slider spacers are also from My Favorite Things, but I used Lawn Fawn dies for the slimline card and the slider opening. The patterned paper is from Graphic 45.



CARDtober 5 Challenge: Holiday w/Traditional Colors

 I went for easy on this one. I have plenty of Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas cards made from previous CARDtober challenges, so I went for a 4th of July card.

I used BoBunny papers. Simple and fast. I'm already 2 days behind on my challenges, but life is crazy right now.



Sunday, October 4, 2020

CARDtober Challenge 4: Sketch

The hostess for this challenge posted a simple sketch, which I followed, with very slight adaptation. The vertical banner was a plain rectangle in the sketch. The tag was a scalloped circle, but had wording inside that said "any shape." It was also placed a little lower than I placed my tag.

I used papers from the BoBunny Celebrating Freedom collection and a variety of Queen & Co. Foundation dies.



Saturday, October 3, 2020

CARDtober Challenge Day 3: Cactus Green and Pink

I had a hard time finding papers that would work for this challenge. We were to make a card with Cactus Green and pink(s). I can't say this is my best work, nor is it my favorite card. I went for easy since we had family over today.

I used a cut apart card page from Simple Stories (Mistletoe Kisses) and turned it into a shaker with a Queen & Co. die from their North Pole kit. I added a little bling, and I was done.


 


Friday, October 2, 2020

Fall Slimline Card/CARDtober Challenge 2

This challenge was to use an ad for inspiration. A JoAnn Fabrics ad came into my email, showing a fall table runner with a plaid outside border. It made me think of a slimline card.

I had actually already made this card recently but not posted it. Since it fit the challenge, and I am not on a team claiming any points, I decided to post this instead of make a new, very similar card.

The papers that I used are all from an older Little Yellow Bicycle line named "Feels Like Home." I used Lawn Fawn slimline dies.



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