Submission for Hand Stamped Sentiments Design Team!

One of my favorite challenge blogs, Hand Stamped Sentiments, is filling spots on their design team. I love how they have theme challenges, that I can use on it's own, or combine with a sketch and or color challenge.

And I love the idea of being part of a group of ladies that inspire each other and others, and having a reason to make at least one card or project each week, to keep my creative muscles working.

So I decided to take the plunge, and hope they like what they see... I couldn't decide if I wanted to do a fun card or an elegant card, so I did one of each. I was also going to do a 3d project (an Easter basket), but ran out of time, so keep an eye on my blog for that to show up soon ;)

Here are my submissions!

I challenged myself to use Regals instead of the Brights I tend to use for fun, kid's cards. I thought it would also be fun to give the dino a party hat and tie some balloons to his tail. Some stitching to add some interest to the wide, simple ribbon, and a few curls here and there tied it all up, so to speak.

This one was a bit quicker and less labour intensive (and doesn't even have a stamp on it), but I really like how it all came together. I spritzed the doily with Soft Suede, to make it pop better, but my favorite part is the ribbon/scallop/rhinestone combo.

Delicious Celebration!

For my niece's upcoming birthday, I wanted to finally try my hand at a card with a Treat Cup. I did this one with the same A La Card Monkey sketch I used for the Mixed Bunch card earlier this week. It definitely turned out fun and tasty... the only regret I have is that Stampin' Up! doesn't make candy to coordinate perfectly with our papers ;) This did alright though...

And the sketch:

Mixed Bunch Card and Gift

My mom is celebrating a big birthday, and although she insisted no gifts, I wanted to bring a little more than a card, so I made this pretty little desk organizer for paper clips, etc. I used the Create With Connie and Mary color challenge and the A La Card Monkey sketch.

And here are the challenges...

Fishy Rainbow

This is a "Just for Fun" card... I think I'll be doing more of those in the future, just to play with my art and fill my display board with some fresh air! I used the Stampin' Queens sketch and flipped it upside down, and combined the rainbow theme at Hand Stamped Sentiments with the beach them at Just Add Ink...

I just love how bright and cheerful it is! And I can always add a sentiment in white at the bottom right, when I decide to let it go ;)

Here are my inspirations...

And all the rest...

And here are all the cards whose challenge links have expired... phew! Then I'll take a break from bombarding you with posts, and get back to creating ;)

A card for teacher:

One for my hubby, with custom debossing done with punches:

And this last one I did just to play with the doilies, but I wasn't quite happy with the finished product...

UNTIL, I turned it around, and all of a sudden the flow was much better and I loved it... such a tiny change in perspective can change so much, in my humble opinion!

And now for something super pretty...

I'm caught up on posting cards for live challenges, but before I do a big post of all the ones for expired challenges, I just wanted to share this card that I'm so proud of! Last night, I felt creative, but didn't have any events coming up, so I decided to just try to make something pretty, with the Sale-a-Bration stuff... I think I succeeded! I used the sketch challenge at A La Card Monkey, and the colors at The Play Date Cafe were perfect to let me use the Everyday Enchantment, but still keep me focused on just a few colors instead of the whole gorgeous palette in that collection...

And here are the great challenges I used:

Up in the air...

Another kid's Valentine's card, this one for my older son, with the Utah Divas sketch... I love how all these different elements worked so well together. It's hard to tell in the pic, but I used Glossy cardstock for the background, and it really made the whole card pop!

The sketch I used is missing now, so I can't post it here, but if you follow this link, you can get a good idea of what it was... Saturday Sketch Challenge 2/11

Gnomeo for my little man

This is the Valentine's card I made for my littlest dude, who love the movie Gnomeo and Juliet, using the Craft Project Central sketch for the month...

And the fun sketch I used...

Just My Type

I managed to use a whole bunch of challenges for my hubby's birthday card. And while typewriters really aren't "him", he still liked this one with it's masculine, clean lines and his favorite colors.

I used Mojo Monday

for the sketch, Hand Stamped Sentiments for the color-blocking challenge (the spritzed columns on newsprint), Utah Divas color challenge and SUO's Happy Birthday theme... phew!

And here are the challenge images...

Dino-Roar!!!

It may appear, if you've been following this blog, that I haven't been doing any cardmaking, but in actuality, I've made quite a few... it's just the blogging I haven't had time to do. But today, I'll be catching up. I'll be doing it backwards though, so I can link to the challenges I used that haven't closed yet. Then I'll do post or two of all the ones I made and loved, but missed the challenge deadlines.

Here is my first chance to use my new Dino-Roar set. The sketch I used for this one has expired, but it was a fairly simple one, because I wanted this card to be clean and simple to showcase the watercoloring. I also used the ColourQ challenge, the SUO Happy Birthday them and There She Goes challenge for animal themes.

I ended up using 3 different watercoloring mediums. I used a Basic Grey watercolor crayon for the horns and toenails, Dusty Durango marker for the dino, and Ballet Blue and Old Olive pastels for the sky and grass.

Here are the colors... I substituted the Ballet Blue for Baja Breeze, because I was also doing a challenge (expired), to use stripes and polka dots, and didn't have any Baja prints on hand.

A Big Demo Deal and a Fabulous Freebie

First, I'll tell you about the exciting freebie for EVERYONE! Starting now, you can download My Digital Studio Express for FREE for a 30 day trial!!!!

How do you get it?
You can download the software and access the free trial through the Shop Now button on my Online Store, and order using item number 129600. You will need to create a customer account, with your name and address, but no payment info is necessary.

What do you do once you try it and like it?
Once the 30-day free trial period is over, you can purchase the downloadable or disc version of the software to continue using it. You'll simply open up the trial version you already have on your computer, and will be prompted to enter the product registration key you received after purchasing the software. (You'll receive this key via e-mail if you purchase the downloadable version, and you'll find it along with your shipped software if you purchase the disc version.)

More info:

What is My Digital Studio (MDS) Express? It is a downloadable version, regularly $39.95, of our popular My Digital Studio digital design software. You receive the same software and some digital content to get you started!

What comes in the MDS Express download? Over $50 worth of content, which includes:
-12 Designer Series paper patterns
-One 9-piece stamp brush set
-81 embellishments
-26 punches
-Five designer templates (24-page 11" x 8-1/2" photobook, 7" x 5" postcard, 5" x 7" postcard, 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" greeting card, 4" x 9-1/4" trifold card)

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Click here to view the full content of MDS Express

How Does My Digital Studio Express differ from My Digital Studio? My Digital Studio (item 118108, $79.95) contains packaged DVDs and nearly 2,000 stamp brush sets, embellishments, designer templates, punches, Designer Series Papers, card stock and more. That's a $500 value. My Digital Studio Express does not contain the $500 worth of digital images.

With the FREE 30 Day Trial, you'll get:
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-View MDS Catalog.
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-Learn, get tips and see lots of samples at mydigitalstudio.net.

Ordering is very simple, but if you have any trouble, please email me for help.

And now, for the Big Deal!

During Sale-A-Bration, New (or returning) Demonstrators can sign up for only $150 AND you get a years worth of monthly freebies!!! The freebies are either a pack of Designer Series Paper free each month, OR Digital Downloads (or alternate between the two). The great thing is, if you try the MDS and like it, you can sign up for the Digital Demo package, and build up your collection of downloads for free. Or grow your DSP stash for a year, for your paper crafting... the choice is yours.

Details:
-FREE package of Designer Series Paper ($13.50 or less) or digital download (any price) begins the month after the new demonstrator joins Stampin' Up!
-New demonstrator may alternate between Designer Series Paper and digital download each month.
-Free paper or digital download does not include tax or shipping.
-New demonstrator must redeem her free item on a demonstrator order. If a demonstrator chooses not to add any other items to her order besides the free Designer Series Paper, she will incur the minimum shipping charge (there are no shipping charges for digital downloads).
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And don't forget that Sale-A-Bration is in full swing now...

Click here to see the whole Sale-a-Bration catalogue.

Creating Pretty Cards #7 & Color Throwdown #176

I've been pretty quiet on the blogging front lately... for anyone who noticed, and wondered why, don't worry, it's only temporary. Aside from cards that I need at the moment, all my creative time has been dedicated to My Digital Studio, working on a scrapbook for my mom's birthday. (Don't worry, she doesn't see this blog ;) I've also just had a birthday, and spent all my birthday cash on modular storage cubes from Michaels, so that took up a few long evenings to assemble them and then organize my craft area.

Anyway, things may just trickle in here slowly for the next month while I finish the digital scrapbook project, but today I have a card that I made for my Sister-in-Law's birthday this week, using Craft Project Central's sketch, the Color Throwdown and the Everyday Enchantment line from the current Sale-a-Bration... I'm stocking up on this paper, ribbon and brads, but I think I'm going to cry when I eventually run out! At least I'll have the coordinating stamp sets forever though ;)

Here are the challenges:

SQSC21 - Sweets for the Sweet

I have to admit, every time I hear that, I can't help but think of Candyman, but it applied so well to this sweet ice cream card for a sweet little girl, I had to get over myself and use it ;)I used the Stampin' Queens sketch for this one and love how it turned out... I just can't get enough of this Sweet Shoppe suite! Also for the Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge of ruffles/pleating, I experimented with punching the new White Waffle Paper with the eyelet border punch and then pleating it for the base of the tag.

And here are the challenges I used:

CCMC182 Sketch Challenge

One of my best friend's had a birthday last week, and I wanted to make her card extra special, so I went all out on this sketch from Create with Connie and Mary. I also used the ColourQ challenge of Black and White, with one other color, but when I started blogging today, discovered I was a few hours too late to post there... oh well...

And here's the sketch:

SFF122311 and Mojo Monday 221

With the last of my Christmas gatherings, I had cards to make, but got behind on posting them, so I'm just going to do a two in one post here to finish up with Christmas posts...

When I saw this sketch from Sketch Frenzy Friday, I knew instantly what it would look like, and I love how it turned out...

From this:

And the Mojo Monday sketch which I'm a little less happy with the outcome, but I still like it...

From this sketch: