Keeping It Clean and Simple (CD 601)

It's another color challenge at Color My Heart Color Dare #601. This is an "Only Two" challenge where one color is required but you get to pick the second color from the color board below. I chose blue to go with the required red. I did not have the exact colors in my stash but used close substitutes. 

I created a 'Clean and Simple' (CAS) card since the colors are also 'Clean and Simple'. I also wanted a card that could be used for either gender. Onto a white card base, I stamped part of the sentiment in red and part in blue, then added "second generation" spatter painting. The inside of the card has spatter as well. Leaving plenty of "whitespace" adds to the CAS style.

If you have not tried a color challenge, please visit the CD 601 Blog and join the fun. You are free to make it as CAS or fancy as you wish as long as you use the correct colors.

Thanks for stopping by.

Melanie

 

Materials

Stamps: Honey Bee "Smooch" & Wintertime Crafts "Spatter and Brush Strokes"

Inks: Stampin' Up! Real Red & Pacific Point

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White

Celebrate - Masculine Card (TSOT 646)

It's time again to try a sketch over at the Try a Sketch on Tuesday Blog #646. This semi-monthly challenge began on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, and ends on Sunday, May 19, 2024.

I have three brothers and five nephews so masculine cards are in demand. After searching my stash I found a bit of ephemera and patterned paper that I liked and then simply followed the sketch, making two identical masculine cards. 

Thanks for checking out the TSOT Challenge and for stopping by.

Melanie

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Peacock

Paper: Photoplay "Birthday Bash" Collection with Ephemera & Scrapbook.com "Pinstripes & Polka Dots"

Misc.: Honey Bee Pearl Stickers & CTMH thin foam tape

Cascading Hearts

Why do I fret over color challenges? Once completed, I am glad I played along but getting started always seems to be daunting. This is Color My Heart Color Dare #575 - an "Only Two" challenge. The color board is below and as shown, there is one required color and then one optional color.

I like colors in the pink family so I selected Ballerina as my optional color with Rosy. My pinks are the closest match using items from my stash because I don't have the precise colors as seen on the board. In addition, I used black, white and metallic gold to complete my card. It isn't my habit to make cards too far in advance of an event or holiday, but the pink hues reminded me of St. Valentine's Day in February, so I made a card about love.

Onto a black card base, I added two panels of patterned paper with a thin horizontal band of gold foiled cardstock. (It is difficult to discern the pattern on the lower panel.) Using a border die, a cascade of hearts was cut from the gold, backed with white vellum and adhered to the right side of the card front. The word "love" was die-cut from black cardstock three times and layered onto the card front. Hearts created from the gold heart border were adhered for decoration. The inside of the card base was lined with white cardstock and decorated with pink patterned paper and gold hearts. 

Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #575 is biweekly and runs through Thursday evening, November 30, 2023. A new biweekly challenge begins every Friday so there is always an active challenge underway.

Please join us for some challenge fun! Thank you for visiting my blog. I appreciate your comments.

Melanie

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Basic Black

Paper: Stampin' Up! vellum and gold foiled paper, 49th and Market "Art Options - Spice"

Dies: Spellbinders word die "love", unbranded heart border die

Let's Get This Par-TEA Started!

Yes, indeed, let's get this par-TEA started and win some Blog Candy!

My aunt is in her 90s and she is a great admirer of my cards, so of course, I keep mailing them to her! She is a tea drinker so I thought she would be the perfect card recipient when I came across this image of a teacup in my stash. The card layout came from a sketch that I used in a previous challenge ages ago.

Double Trouble Challenge #152 is participating in the Fall-Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. It's  worth playing along! Double Trouble lasts for one week only to coincide with the Coffee Lovers Challenge.

There are specific details at the Double Trouble Blog but in summary:

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker is reminding us that the time is here to create at least one card for the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. You are free to enter cards continually for the duration of the challenge at Coffee Lovers but no more than four cards at Double Trouble.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare is asking you to be sure to link your coffee-tea-cocoa-cider project HERE. Then watch on the days that drawings are made to see if you have won a prize.

Thing 3 (optional): Isn't it just like Twisted Sister to change things up? She wants you to include a sentiment that uses a pun. I really did not want to add my pun to the front of my card, so inside of the card, I handwrote, "Let's get this par-tea started."

We've made a change in our routine for this challenge - we have BLOG CANDY! Each Design Team member has a giveaway for those who wish to play along. We hope you'll visit each member's individual blog, view the prize, and leave a comment - BUT - this will not qualify you for the prizes. After viewing each individual blog, go back to the Double Trouble Blog and leave a comment. From those comments, we will randomly select the names of Blog Candy recipients. Please join in the fun. A photo of the items in my Blog Candy giveaway is below. 

To clarify, the Double Trouble Challenge #152 closes on Friday, November 10, 2023, along with the Coffee Lovers Challenge. Be sure to check back at both challenges to see if you have won any prizes.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I appreciate your comments and wish you good luck in winning blog candy.

Melanie

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Basic Black

Paper: Paper Rose "Katie's Tea Party"

Sentiment: Paper Rose Sentiments Sheet

Misc.: Clear droplets and CTMH thin foam tape

BLOG CANDY:

La-la Land Crafts "Astronaut Marci and her Stellar Friends"

(One of the stamps has been gently used, the dies have not been used.)

Includes two stamps with four images and a variety of sentiments.

Also includes three die sets - a four-piece spaceship, a three-piece satellite, and a one-piece  moonscape.

Fall Is in the Air

When the fifth Monday of the month rolls around, it's time for our one-week challenge at Double Trouble Challenges. This challenge, #151, began on Monday, October 30, 2023, and will end on Sunday, November 5, 2023. This "Fifth-Monday" challenge theme is Something, Anything, Everything... meaning that Anything Goes! 

It's always a disappointment when Wink of Stella or other glitter products do not photograph well. My Slimline card has a pretty sparkle to it but the camera captured something that resembles sand rather than the gold "Pop Up Color".

As usual, Double Trouble Challenge has three "Things" to this challenge:

Thing 1 (required): Keep Trouble Maker happy by showing us your "Anything Goes" project.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare is hoping you will take a look at our previous challenge partners and link your project to at least one of them. You could earn extra chances in our Random Drawing and win a prize. I have linked my project at I Spy with My Little Eye #8, "Shades of Autumn".

Thing 3 (optional): If you happen to see circles in this challenge, it's because Twisted Sister has discovered it is "Look for Circles Day" on November 2, and is challenging you to use at least one circle shape on your project. My card is made with layered circles that have been cut in half. The technique is sometimes referred to as Layered Waves or Layered Circles and can be arranged in varying ways. I was inspired by the brisk winds that occur during Autumn when I arranged my elements. I found a sentiment in my stash, "Fall is in the air", and thought it worked perfectly to represent Autumn's sweeping winds. Adding a circle will give you another chance at our Random Drawing.

Onto a bright green card base, leaf-patterned paper was adhered. After arranging my half-circles onto white cardstock, I fussy-cut the arrangement, leaving a white rim, and then adhered it to the leaf-patterned card base front. A few fussy-cut images were adhered plus a stamped sentiment. The inside was lined with white cardstock, a few more fussy-cut images were added, and a sentiment, "In all things, give thanks," was stamped. As a final touch, "Pops of Color" glitter glue in gold was added to a few of the images.

Don't forget to visit the Double Trouble Challenge #151 Blog for complete details and check out I Spy with My Little Eye #8, Shades of Autumn.

Card Interior

 

I appreciate your visiting my blog and thank you for your comments.

Blessings...

Melanie

Materials

Stamps: Newton's Nook "Heartfelt Fall" (sentiment on card front); Colorado Craft Co. "Savvy Sentiments" (sentiment inside card)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: SU! Basic White; Scrapbook.com "Harvest Collection"

Paper: Photo Play "Leaves Are Falling"

Dies: Hero Arts Infinity Circles

Misc.: CTMH thin foam tape and "Pops of Color" (gold)

Size/Style: Slimline

Celebrate His Love - Easter

Although the "official" first day of spring was March 20, I always think of Easter as the beginning of spring. Easter falls on April 17 this year and while I was making my family's Easter cards, I came upon a frame die that I thought would work for my simple scene at Double Trouble Challenge #107 - and it had two bunnies!

Double Trouble Challenges are always comprised of three "Things":

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker has asked us to watch a YouTube video. Click HERE to see it. Cute - right? We're hoping you are inspired to create a simple scene using the KISS method. (Keep It Simple, Stamper.) An Easter theme is not required but you are free to use Easter if you wish. All you really need is a simple scene to earn a chance in our random draw.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare is suggesting we partner with Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #541. Isn't their cupcake photo (below) cute? Check out their guidelines and if you link your card to their challenge, you will earn another chance in our random draw.

Thing 3 (optional): Twisted Sister is all excited about hopping down the Bunny Trail, so include at least one rabbit on your project and you will be eligible for another chance in our random draw.

A scrap of pretty paper provided the background. I brushed on a little ink to enhance the colors to resemble an Easter sunrise scene. The frame was die-cut from purple cardstock and adhered to the scene panel. I wanted the bunnies to stand out so using the original die I cut just the rabbits from a tiny scrap of white cardstock, added eyes, touched up the nose and ears with a pink marker then overlaid them onto the purple die-cut panel. To finish, I adhered the completed panel to a white card base and added a sentiment. As is customary, I decorated the inside of the card with additional coordinating paper.

We welcome you to our biweekly DTC107 challenge and hope you will link up with CIC541, too.

Materials

Stamp: Computer generated sentiment

Inks: Stampin' Up! Highland Heather & Crushed Curry

Cardstock: SU! Basic White & Pale Plum

Paper: Lavinia (scraps from stash)

Die: RCD (Forest Scene)

Canoes for Rent (Masculine)

It's time to create another project for our biweekly challenge! Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #545 runs from Tuesday, March 1, through Sunday evening, March 13, 2022. Below is the required sketch. It's up to you if you wish to include the optional theme: include an animal(s) on your project.

 

I've had this masculine paper in my stash for several years. It seems as if I'm continuously trying to take older items from my stash but the stash never shrinks! There is always a need for a masculine card in my family so this card will not go to waste.

This sketch is ideal for a Clean & Simple (CAS) card but I headed in a different direction. I started by embossing the front panel of the card base. This was followed by a hand-cut triangle from the fish-patterned paper. From coordinating ephemera, I used a circle punch to cut the "Canoes for Rent" sign. The elements were added using foam tape. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with coordinating paper in plaid. I have met the optional challenge with several fish and two dogs.

Be sure to visit the TSOT545 Blog to see guidelines for our challenges. We have a biweekly challenge beginning every Tuesday so there is always an active challenge for you to join.

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Baked Brown Sugar

Paper: Photo Play "Lakeside" Collection

Misc.: Stampin' Up! Embossing Folder & Circle Punch (1.5"), CTMH thin foam tape

Cuddle Up and Let It Snow

Happy New Year! Double Trouble is celebrating its 100th  Challenge and its first challenge of 2022. This is a biweekly challenge closing on Sunday evening, January 16, 2022. As is customary, there are three "Things" to the challenge.

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker wants us to remember that January 6 is Cuddle Up Day so she wants to see your project about cozy and warm and layering. That means your project must have at least two layers on top of the card base and your project must include the use of at least one die.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare hopes you will take on the challenge to ensure your card also meets the requirements of our partner, Bitten by the Bug 2. Be sure to check out their guidelines.

Thing 3 (optional): Twisted Sister is challenging you to include a cuddly item on your projects such as a quilt, comfort food, or even a good book - something you like to cuddle with.

With each of the above elements, you will earn a chance at our random draw so we encourage you to play along and join the fun. For our 100th anniversary, we are also including some fun prizes in addition to our usual random draw, so be sure to follow our guidelines at our DTC100 Blog.

I decided to use a pair of mittens for my cozy and warm item. I always wear gloves of some type when the weather turns even the slightest bit cool so I like mittens when the temperatures really drop. I assembled three rectangular die-cut panels onto the card base then added snowflakes and mittens, so ended with a card comprised of five layers. To complete the card I added a narrow red ribbon and a couple of "buttons" to the mittens.

Thing 2 Prize:  Double Dare (That's me!)

I am offering a Special Prize if you have used a machine-created image or shape on your project. Be sure to mention in your post what element you created and what machine you used. A Cricut, Silhouette, Brother Scan 'n Cut or similar is acceptable. To enter, leave a comment below. 

We're looking forward to seeing your creations for "warm and cozy!"

Materials

Stamps: Reverse Confetti "Smitten Mittens"

Ink: Stampin' Up! Coastal Cabana

Cardstock: SU! Basic White, Coastal Cabana, Cherry Cobbler, & Glimmer Cardstock (silver)

Paper: Dare 2B Artzy

Dies: Paper Rose (stitched rectangles), Reverse Confetti (mittens), Lil' Inker (stitched snowflakes)

Misc.: SU! Ribbon (Real Red), SU! Glitter Enamel Dots, foam tape

Coffee Makes Life Mer-mazing

Just one more day and the 2021 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop will be finished! And then we will know which participants have won the random draws for the wonderful gifts from the sponsors. This is my seventh card in seven days (entry #861) and I still need to submit one more on the final day, which is tomorrow, Friday, November 19, 2021. 

I've had this stamp set in my stash for a while but have only used one of the stamps a few years ago. I decided to select a different stamp from the set - the cheerful mermaid in a to-go cup is so cute. I stamped the image, colored it, and then fussy-cut it. (There are dies but I don't have them.)

I selected a panel in green cardstock and added it to a white card base. On a panel of white cardstock, I stenciled dots in different sizes and colors, then die-cut the panel with a pretty border and adhered it to the green panel. I backed the mermaid-in-a-cup image with foam tape and added it to the center of the stenciled panel then stamped the sentiment and added it to the card. As usual, I decorated the inside of the card.

Be sure to check out the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! You may be one of the lucky winners.

Materials

Stamp set: Pink and Main "Mermazing Coffee"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; Copic Alcohol Markers; Stampin' Up! Flirty Flamingo, Pool Party & Granny Apple Green

Cardstock: SU! Basic White & unknown green

Die: Gina Marie Designs

Misc.: Enamel dots & foam tape from stash

Happy Coffee!

Thank you for visiting my blog!

I have another card for the Coffee Lovers Fall/Winter Blog Hop. Today is the seventh day of the challenge and I was surprised to learn that I won a prize on Wednesday from Stamplorations. Yay! Thanks to the sponsors of this Blog Hop.

I am such a fan of colors in the green to blue-green family and enjoy mixing an unexpected color with them. I die-cut a large oval in soft lavender and backed it with white cardstock then added it directly to the green panel and the white card base. Then I die-cut a smaller oval in white, backed it with thin foam tape, adhering it to the lavender oval. The image of the coffee cup was stamped, colored, and fussy-cut then added with thin foam tape. A few enamel dots were added.

If you haven't been playing along, it's not too late because the Blog Hop runs through Friday, November 19, 2021. (My card is entry #847.)

Materials

Stamp: Impression Obsession "Happy Coffee"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black and Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Just Jade & Wisteria Wonder

Dies: Pinkfresh "Braided Ovals"

Misc.: SU! Enamel Dots & foam tape from stash

The Way I Look at Coffee

It's the fifth day of the 2021 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop and I am truly astonished that I've made it this far. A friend gave me this A2-sized coffee cup in white cardstock. It was cut from her Cricut along with the sleeve and lid. Using patterned paper and glittered cardstock, I decorated the cup and chose to use it as a shaped card that stands on its own (like a tent card). My card is entry #551.

In addition, I die-cut the ovals, stamping the sentiment and adhering to the cup with foam tape. The inside of the shaped card was decorated with coordinating paper.

I hope you're having as much fun creating your projects as I am. Click HERE to return to the Blog Hop.

Materials

Stamps: Stampendous "Coffee Frame" (sentiment)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: CTMH White Daisy, Stampin' Up! Glimmer (silver) & WRMK Glitter (pink)

Paper: Apple Blossom "Fireworks Flowers"

Dies: Jeanine's mini-ovals 

Coffee - Sloffee Break

A sloth is such a unique animal! The sloth on my coffee card has the right idea. He's deep in the forest where he makes a home in a tree. He has emerged from his sleep to peek out from his hiding place. 

Inspired by Double Trouble Challenge #97-B in partnership with Try Stampin' on Tuesday Sketch Challenge #533, I decided to add a coffee element with this cute sloth image and enter my card at the 2021 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. My card is entry #461.

Panels of cardstock and paper were trimmed to size and layered using double-stacked foam tape. The image was stamped and colored with Copic markers. After fussy cutting the image, it was added to the card with thin foam tape. In keeping with the sketch, I added two thin strips to the left side of the "circle" and instead of a bow, I added two leaves. The inside was lined with a panel of white cardstock and decorated with a few die-cut leaves.

The Double Trouble Challenge #97-B is a biweekly challenge, ending on Sunday evening, November 28, 2021. Try Stampin' on Tuesday #533 is also a biweekly challenge and closes on the same date. Because I used a "coffee stamp" this card was entered at the 2021 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. The Blog Hop will close on Friday, November 19, 2021. Click on the highlighted challenge names to visit the blogs and review their specific guidelines. 

Materials

Stamp: Art Impressions "Sloth-Some"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black & Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Cajun Craze, Garden Green & Hello Honey

Paper: SU! DSP "In Good Taste" & "Botanical Garden"

Dies: Whimsy (Wavy Frames) & Spellbinders (leaves)

Misc.: Foam tape - regular and thin

Coffee - Stay Grounded

It's Sunday and the third day to play along with the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. The theme is, of course, coffee! 

The image was stamped with gray ink and then colored with alcohol markers. Using an oval die, I cut the image at an angle so it would fit on the gray A2 card base. I added a few shapes for color and interest, then adhered the image to the card. A few enamel dots finished it off. I decorated the inside with coordinating cardstock and paper.

This card was also submitted to Coffee Loving Cardmakers for the Caffeine-Fueled Paper Play Challenge.

Be sure to visit the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - you could win a prize! My card is entry #304.

Materials

Stamp set: Stampendous "Coffee Frame"

Inks: Stampin' Up! Smoky Slate & Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: SU! Basic White, Smoky Slate,

Dies: Hero Arts (infinity ovals), RCD (scalloped rectangles), Rubbernecker (dotted squares)

Misc.: Enamel dots & foam tape

Coffee Is My Spirit Animal

Welcome to Stitches and Smudges! 

Playing along with the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop is a new experience for me. I have crafty friends who have been encouraging me to play along since the beginning. This is my second card (entry #215) for this blog hop and it's been fun to develop ideas when not having a big supply of coffee stamps. This Blog Hop runs from Friday, November 12, through Friday, November 19, 2021. Here is my entry for Saturday, November 13.

I have also submitted this card to Coffee Loving Cardmakers for the Caffeine-Fueled Paper Play Challenge.

I went through my paper stash and found this paper with a few cute images of girls. This girl appeared to be meditating and I had a coffee stamp that suited the image. I cut a few panels of cardstock based on colors from the image and layered them onto a black card base. The sentiment was stamped in two parts and added with foam tape for dimension. I also stamped the coffee mug directly to the image. The inside was lined with a die-cut scalloped rectangle.

I look forward to continuing throughout the week with the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

Materials

Stamp set: Altenew "Coffee Talk" (sentiment) & Newton's Nook "Newton Loves Coffee" (black mug)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black & Just Jade

Patterned Paper: Making Cards Magazine

Dies: Jeanine's (oval mini-frames), Waffle Flower (scalloped rectangles) & Frantic Stamper (deckle edge rectangles)

Misc.: Foam tape and enamel heart