Twinchies

Twinchies? Ok I have to admit when I saw the challenge for today I had absolutely no idea what twinchies were. I guess there is inchies too! Come to find out it's a term used when you create a piece of art that is 2 x 2 inches. As you might have guesses inchies are 1 x 1 pieces of art.

Now that I understood the directions it made it much easier to create the card for the challenge! I decided to go with a fun summer watermelon and added brads on the rind for some dimension. Doesn't it look tasty? The card shape was traced for a great card kit that Close to My Heart offered this past September. Isn't is fun? The paper is a retired boy paper kit but I thought it looked like a summer table cloth and went with my watermelon theme well.

Opposites Attract

Todays 365 card challenge is to make a card with opposites. It can be anything with some examples of rain and sun, in and out, dog and cat, girl and boy, etc. I've chosen to do black and white. I've been wanting to try the split negative technique and this challenge was the perfect opportunity. You stamp and emboss one image in white and then a second in black. Cut each in half and trade halves. This is enough to make two cards. I chose this big star. The card had so much going on with switching colors that I decided not to add much except the blue ribbon. I will stamp the inside with "Thank You" or "Happy Birthday" or whatever the occasion is. Now the waiting continues to find out what tomorrow's challenge will bring!

Ad Inspired

Today's challenge is to use the add to inspire something. For me this was a real challenge. I usually have trouble creating with eggs for some reason.

Although the eggs in the ad are blue green it's the pink paper that caught my eye. I decided to go with a Christmas paper and paper piece some eggs. I stamped the egg on the backside of the juniper patterned paper and then again on the pink. I cut the pink egg apart and paper pieced to get a pink egg with juniper accents and a juniper egg with pink accents. I added ricrac a bow and some extra bling for good measure! All in all it turned out pretty cute. I have a niece in love with pink so this will make her smile I'm sure :)

Sketchy Sunday

I am really enjoying these daily challenges. It's getting the creative juices flowing and is productive too. I'm getting much more efficient at getting the card completed. For me I usually pick the stamp set I want to use and then the paper. I'm using up lots of my scraps which is also a bonus!

Today's challenge is to make a card based off this sketch show here. I wanted to showcase the Charmed stamp set with fun petals to make a flower. To tie it together I used the Heavenly Blue ribbon with accents the center of some the flowers on the paper. I love the sparkly blue brads at the bottom...who doesn't love some sparkle?

A Whole New Dimension

The 365 Challenge for today is to take an image and do just a bit of paper piecing in order to raise some portion of it off the page to give it dimension. Do NOT raise up the entire image. This can be a stamped image or an image cut from patterned paper.

I decided to use this darling lion and add color to his mane with paper piecing. To give it some extra dimension I crumpled the paper before I stamped so it looks a bit "ruffled". I'm going to send this to my 4 year old niece just to say hi and I miss you. Although it was a challenge for me to leave so much of the background white I think it was ok.

Circle Frenzy

Today's 365 challenge is my favorite so far. Create something using at least 20 circles from at least 2 sources. I love, love, love circles so the hardest part was figuring out which of my circles to use! I decided to go totally circle crazy. I made a circle card, with circle shaped pieces on it. I stamped circles onto the card base and each of the three patterned papers has circles on it. The butterflies have circles on them and I embellished with circle buttons. How fun is this?! The spring colors are from Close To My Heart's new Caboodle paper pack which I've fallen in love it. Is it the circle or the colors I love so much, I'm not sure? I can't wait to see what the challenge is for tomorrow!

Lovely Landscape

Today's 365 challenge is to create a landscape using ONLY patterned paper. As soon as I saw the challenge I knew I would be making a beach landscape. I really worked outside my normal comfort zone on this one and combined 4 different paper packs and 3 different stamp sets!

I made a challenge for myself when I decided to join the 365 challenge and that was to SEND some of the cards I created. I know I love to get snail mail and love even more getting something hand made. I put one card in my sons lunch box and I'm going to send at least one card a week. It doesn't need to be for any reason other than to just say hello! I challenge you to make someones day and send a card.

Calling Orange-Purple-Blue

Today's 365 challenge is using the colors orange, purple and blue to make any card you like. It's always interesting to me what different shades people pick. I was a my friend Michelle's and we were each creating and she chose a deep orange, smokey plum and a twlight blue. I on the other hand grabbed for the brightest shade of each I could find. I really wanted to create a small card that I can use to send a small message in my sons lunch box. It's fun and easy to surprise him with a bit of love. He loves the surprise and keeps all the cards he finds.

My small card today is only 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" so it's perfect for a lunch box. It uses the Gear Up stamp set from Close To My Heart. It's a pocket card I found in the Wishes How To book and it's so fun and different.

What a Wonderful World

Today's challenge 365 is based on the song What a Wonderful World. The first line in the song talks about green trees. I decided that with the warmer weather I was in the mood to make a card that had a green tree as a look forward to the upcoming summer. Stop in tomorrow to see what the challenge is and what I decide to create.

Outer Space

The 365 Card challenge today is Outer Space. I saw the challenge early this morning before I left for work and couldn't wait to get home to start my crafting!

I really enjoy the circle cards and thought I'd try one today...maybe a connection with outer space and planets being round???

All supplies are star dust. Paper is Stardust and the rocket is from Dream Big stamp set. The stars are actually part of one of the papers in the stamp set that I fussy cut out. Something fun and different. Now to determine who to give it to? I wonder what tomorrow's challenge will bring?

Sketch Challenge

My day number 2 for 365 Card challenge. Today is a sketch challenge. Here's the sketch that you need to use when making your card. The stitching was lots of fun to incorporate.

My card is made using Delight in Everything. The recent spring like weather (or as spring like as we get in March in Michigan) made me digging for some fun flowers and brighter colors.

To achieve the stitching I used the CTMH placement guide stamp set. This set is unique in that it just stamps the "dots" where stitching holes would be. You then use your paper piercer to make the holes and either stitch with floss or use a marker to connect the dots creating faux stitching. I chose the faux stitching because I didn't have the floss color I was looking for. This is a fun and fast way to "one-up" the simplicity.

365 Card Challenge

I've decided to take on the 365 Card Challenge thanks to my friend Michelle Nist. This challenge features a different type of card each day. Sometimes it's a featured pattern, specific colors to use, special technique, etc. Today's challenge is to stamp a solid stamp image with multiple colors WITHOUT stamping the image between the colors.
For the challenge today I used the Tissue Inking Technique. To achieve this stamp the entire image in the lightest color ink you are planning to use. Next taking a tissue ball up a bit of it and ink it up. Using the inked tissue transfer that color to the already inked stamp. This will remove some of the lightest color in and replace it with the tissue color. Repeat with the desired number of colors. To remoisten the ink on the stamp be sure to "huff" on it before stamping with it. I love this technique and find that I use it frequently. Give it a try on your next project.

Kid's Card Class

This month I'm hosting a Kid's Card Class. This is so much for young stampers and scrapbookers! Each child will get to make one of each of these four fun cards. Each is a different type of card and will give the girls lots of different ideas for making their own cards when they get home!

Going in clockwise order starting in the upper left corner. The first is a crisscross card where you can insert a picture of message on a pull out card. Second is a box fold birthday card that when opened reveals a yummy birthday cake and greeting. Third is a square card with edges that fold back to reveal a fun flower. Last is a fun opening tri fold card that opens to expose a fun kite...perfect for spring or summer wishes. Below you can see the cards opened up.

Email me today to reserve your spot! This is a great time for kids to get some creative time in WITHOUT testing your patients or using your supplies! I know all about going crazy when smaller fingers want to touch your stuff!

March Blog Hop - A Little Something

March is here and it's time for a new Stamp of the Month! I love this time! If you've arrived fron Jessica Booth's Blog you're on the right track.

I really enjoy the chance to get a discount or something free for purchasing the product I love! The March Stamp of the Month features words that help Celebrate all occassions. There are three large words (Thanks, Celebrate and Happy) and many small words and sayings (birthday, for all you do, Thanksgiving, Christmas, many, etc). I love the font and love even more that it matches the new Cocktail E-size alphabet set in the Spring catalog!

For this hop I am featuring two cards. The cards were made using the same pattern from the Wishes book but were rotated different directions and use different paper. Just by changing the paper the cards look entirely new! Rotating a pattern gives you hundreds more patterns! Just think of all the cards you can make! The layout books for scrapbooking can be rotated as well.

Here is a Father's Day card using It's a Guy Thing paper and Shore Thing stamp set.
Here's a Mother's Day card using Emporium paper and Grown with Love stamp set.
Now hop on over to Mary Eisen's Blog to see what inspiring art she's created. Enjoy the hop!!

Topstitch square fold card

Here's another card that will be part of the Kids Card Class. A fun twist on a square card. It looks complicated but it's just a bit of folding.

You Rock Criss Cross Card

I have been working of getting cards ready for my Kids Card Class in mid March. Each child attending will be making four different cards. Each is different and simple but fun at the same time. The girls will be making this You Rock Criss Cross Card. They can put a picture on the pull note card or add white cardstock to write a message or do something entirely different and unique.

February Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Can you believe that it's the second month of the year already??? Time just seems to go by faster and faster. With another month comes another stamp of the month which is always exciting! If you've come here from Nona's Blog your on the right track. If not continue on the hop, which is one big circle and you'll make it to all the sites. This month the stamp set is "Piece of Cake" and it's a delicious assortment of cakes to dress up any birthday layout or card.

I've got several upcoming birthdays for family members so this is perfect timing for this set for me. This month I've made two different things to show you.

The first is an explosion box using Topstitch paper. This is a fun 3 dimensional type card I'll be giving to my sister. The outside of box has one of the cakes and also the For You sentiment from the set.

Once you take the box top open the box unfolds and reveles a couple of cakes standing up in the middle and a couple on the sides. Birthday wishes are stamped along the outside.


The second card is a three dimensional stair step card that is also fun. This one is for my mother-in-law. The paper is Veranda from the new Spring catalog. It is so versatile and gorgeous!

Continue the hop by jumping to Kristie's Blog. Enjoy the hop and lots of great art work! To see a list of all the participating blog check out Jena's Blog.

New Catalog Unveiling Party

Join me for the new 2010 Spring catalog unveiling party on Saturday. It's always so much fun to see all the great new products and art. There will be food, friends, art, prizes and more. Stop by to get your new catalog!

Here's one of the make and take cards you'll be able to make while you're there. It's a square birthday card that folds up like a box. It's made with the Caboodle paper and a little ric rac for some added dimension. Something fun for a birthday girl.

Product Spotlight Blog Hop

Another chance to see some great art using CTMH products. This is a new blog hop and each month will feature a different CTMH product. It a great way to see many things you might already have and how to use them. If you're arriving here from Sylvia's blog you're on the right track.

This month we are featuring the Imagine How-To book. This book is a series 50 of 2-page layouts complete with full instructions and cutting diagrams! It's make scrapbooking so much faster, simpler and easier! I love this book and use it all the time.

I have created a layout using the Swing Rhythm layout. This layout lets you incoporate 7 pictures. I have used the new Topstitch paperpack. I didn't get a chance to print out the pictures but it's going to feature Easter egg dying and Easter basket hunting.

Now hop to Wendy's blog for more art!

Cards Kids Made

Here are the four cards that a group of girls made yesterday. The upper left card is a gate fold birthday card. The upper right is a birthday card that when opened has a pop up spiral (far right picture show inside). The bottom left is a spinner winter card and the bottom right is a fun card for a sweet friend.

All the cards were a huge hit, especially the two that had moving parts! The girls did a great job and it was so fun to see how each of the designed their card. They all took the sample I made and used it as a guide but then made each card their own. Some were turned 90 degrees, others changed up colors and still other rearranged paper but all were fabulous!