Repurposing and Keeping it Simple

365 Cards Challenge for Day 11 - Repurposed.  We were challenged to find a paper in our stash that was designed for one season or occasion - and use it for something completely different.  I chose to work with Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses line - used a Penny Black sentiment, buttons, lace and WOC paper flowers for a card that is not at all Christmas-y.

Day 12 -  Ah, the old KISS principal.  Keep It Simple.   3 basic ingredients... Design Paper, Sentiment + 1 (ONE!) embellishment.   I started with some jungley themed DP by Doodlebug  & DCWV, printed up a computer generated sentiment and topped it off with an adorable Hippo feltie from Cosmo Cricket. (I'm a sucker for googly eyes!)

It's been a good day.  Crafting, reading, relaxing... but now it's time for bed (after I move my clocks forward an hour)    Thanks for looking.  

I always enjoy your comments, so if you've got time - say hello 

3 Challenges - one card

Today's challenge over at 365 Cards (Day 10)  was to be inspired by the latest trends in scrapping and cardmaking.  I don't know if these are the latest trends...they've been around for a while, but they seem to be going strong:  Stitching & Pearl swirls...  I love 'em both!  They add texture and interest to any project.

I'm also entering this for the following:  Wild Orchid Challenges - Anything Goes & Annabelle Stamps - Blue, White & Red.... 'cuz if the card fits, submit it!  LOL

Dollar Store Card Blank; DP:  October Afternoon

Sentiment: Fiskars "Make a Wish Quotes"

Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts; Pearls: Zva Creative

Thanks for looking!  Hope you're having a great day!

- Carolyn

I'm Up for a Challenge!

Well, I am!  I just haven't had time to post, and so here are 3 challenge cards for the past 3 days of 365 Cards:

Day 7 - Feeling Fierce.  In my mind, fierce is not fashion... but then I'm old and Tyra Banks annoys me.  To me the word 'fierce' evokes wild and fun, which is why I was inspired to make a kids birthday critter card.

Incredibly simple... this was some DCWV design paper on which I popped some Doodlebug Design stickers.  I made up my own sentiment and glued it under my big ol' gorilla.

Inside the card is a wee fun surprise.  These stickers were just too cute, so I popped one inside, too.

Day 8 - Arch Card.  I've never made a card with this shape before, but to me 'arch' brings to mind gothic architecture, stained glass windows and McDonald's fries.  I both love and hate McDonald's fries, but that's neither here nor there.  Here's my arch card:

This arch with vines was cut on my Silhouette, and the flowers were punched and placed randomly around the card (and over the nesties tag)  Ruby red Stickles add a bit o' glitz.  Sentiment by Fiskars.

Day 9 - Do that Decade - the '90s.  I'd also like to submit this one for the Simon Says Challenge - Anything Goes.

 I'm a bit of a movie buff, and some of my  favourite movies were released in the 1990s  (93 - Jurassic Park; 94 - Shawshank Redemption; 95 - Usual Suspects & Toy Story; 97 - Good Will Hunting; 99 - The Matrix & The Sixth Sense)  Well, I took my inspiration from a rather famous scene in the Sixth Sense.... only, I changed it up a little...

I found this free clip art online, and I couldn't resist.  

I typed up the sentiments using free fonts 

The font on the front is called "Goofball"

 - and the on the inside is "Chiller"

That luscious design paper is October Afternoon - from their Night Light line.  Love it!

Thanks for poppin' by!  Time to catch a few zzzzz's.  That alarm clock goes off kinda early around here (dang alarm!)

- Carolyn

365 Cards - Day 2

Today's Challenge over at 365 Cards is Pick 5.  We were challenged to use the answers to 5 questions to design our cards:

1. Favorite color (blue, more specifically, turquoise)

2. Favorite design technique (Copic colouring, I keep practicing!)

3. Favorite embellie (Stickles!  I really, really loove Stickles)

4. Least favorite color  (pink - yeah, crazy right... I use it all the time, but it's really not 'me')

5. Favorite card size (dollar store card blanks - 4¼ x 5¾ - yup, weird size... but I use these things all the time.  saves time and $ which are both in short supply these days)

Well, that's it for now.  Wonder what tomorrow's challenge will be?  :D

- Carolyn

365 Cards - It's a Whole New Year!!

Congratulations to Pam are due for 2 years of excellent blogging - her 365 Cards daily card challenges are often difficult, sometimes wacky, and always, always enjoyable!  I love playing along.   I think congratulations are due to Linda B as well - for she has completed EVERY SINGLE ONE of those challenges FOR TWO YEARS!!  Wow!  Am I in awe of her dedication... and attention span.

So Year 3 begins with Day 1 - a white space challenge.  I find these, well, challenging... when someone tells me 'don't embellish there' I find it hard to resist the urge to overflow those embellishments exactly where I'm not supposed to.  I belong to the Gloria Stengel School of Cardmaking!  LOL

But I adhered pretty well to the rules today.   Here's my entry for this challenge:

Hope you're having a great day!  I sure appreciate you droppin' in to my little place in blogland.

-Carolyn

365 Cards - Super Sketchy Sunday

365 Cards is almost done their second year - it's day 364, and it's Super Sketchy Sunday.  Love the sketch... not so crazy about my card, and I'm not sure why.  I think it's the big fabric flower behind the roses... it's too much.  Maybe it's the off-white roses (Wild Orchid was out of white) Anyhoo - I'm posting it anyways!

I've made a discovery of sorts.  I was looking for an affordable source of Copic-safe paper  (my local craft store charges 50¢ a sheet for the stuff!  Yowza!  Regular card stock bleeds like the dickens and is therefore useless for this application.  I thought... photo paper?  I had a big pack of Costco's Kirkland glossy photo paper, and I thought I'd give it a shot, so I printed these floral clip arts and got my Copics out.  

I love the result!  So bright and crisp.  The black lines didn't smudge one iota with the application of colour, and the gloss shines through the Copic colouring - the entire picture looks as if it is a photo print.   The blending doesn't work in quite the same way as matte card, but this will be an effective alternative for some cards - and definitely cost effective!!  

What do you think?   What's your cost-cutting alternative?

- Carolyn

S.L.S.

Ahhhh, sleeping in, breakfast with the hubster, and crafting in my pajamas!  Seriously.  Love.  Saturdays.

Thought I should get caught up on those 365 Cards challenges.  I am lovin' sketch week, I gotta tell you.  I am so inspired by the DT's examples + seeing what the other participants have done.  It's like the creative juices are just a'flowin in my craft room, and my seriously depleted fund-raising card stock is getting replenished at an unforeseen rate!  Yay!  

Anyhooo, without further adieu, here are my submissions for the 365 challenges to date:

Day 364 - a challenging sketch by Hannah.  I don't know why this one was so difficult for me, but I gotta tell you that my first card ended up in the dustbin (and shall never see the light of day again).  I am happy with this one though...

Done on a dollar store card blank like most of my cards

(I sell my cards for $5 each, and $4 of that goes to charity - this strategy helps keep my costs down)  

DP - 7Gypsies & the tag is cut from October Afternoon (Thrift Shop)

Day 355 - I am so inspired by Sophie's clean and simple style, but I've figured out that simple isn't simple.  It takes an expert eye to take three components and arrange them for the best effect.  I haven't mastered it, but I sure do admire it...

Dollar store card blank; Card Stock is Paper Source (Melon)

Image - Sugar Nellie (Anime);  Sentiment - Stampendous;  Ribbon is stash...

Day 356 - When I saw Heidi's great sketch this morning, I knew just what I wanted to do - a window.  I had another pre-coloured Sugar Nellie, so I popped her in the window and voila!  Quick card, but I think she turned out kinda cute...

Dollar Store card blank; DP is Cosmo Cricket (clouds)

Image - Sugar Nellie (Anime); Sentiment - Kaiser Craft; dollar store pearls

Hope your Saturday is turning out to be as wonderful as  mine is!  Gonna go get dressed now.  The sun is peeking out, and I don't want to miss it.  Gonna take my ol' dog for a saunter  (he doesn't walk any more, he meanders).    - Carolyn

365 Cards - Day 353 + a Couple More

Love Kim's adorable example card on 365 Cards' Challenge blog - isn't that fold a clever way to interpret the sketch?   Yeah, well I'm not that clever...  LOL   I did have some fun with that sketch, though.

I kinda turned that middle square into a funky circle, and no frilly hearts in the top corner - my Skull Boy would not stand for that!   Here's submission for Day 353 + Simply Create's "It's Bright in Here" challenge:

I had such fun with that Skull Boy that I did up a couple more just for a laugh!  Gosh, those dudes are cute, and my hubby loves 'em, too - especially the little handstand dude! (he's set aside for Harv's brother)

All images are Sugar Nellie's Skull Boyz; DP - October Afternoon (Nightlight), Metallic from stash & Basic Grey (Recess); Versamark ink + CTMH Black embossing powder + Sakura white gel pen = fun.   Embellies are all from my ridiculously massive stash...I don't keep packaging, so I have no idea who they're from any more.   

Have a great day!

- Carolyn

365 Cards - Super Sketchy WEEK!!

I quite enjoy working from card sketches.  I also quite enjoy seeing how many interpretations there are for a single sketch... it's inspiring, really.

Here are my submissions for Days 350-352 at 365 Cards:

 Day 350 was an amazing sketch from Wendi.  I opted to go 'landscape' with the card, and move the image more to the centre  (it was so small in comparison to the rest of the card, that it got lost in the bottom corner).

Image- Penny Black; Sentiment - Fiskars; Card Stock - Paper Source (Night); 

Design Papers - October Afternoon (Nightlight); 

Metallic Paper - from the ol' stashola (don't remember whose it was)

Day 351 - a luscious layered look from Gloria (seriously, does Gloria do anything that isn't luscious?  I think not!)  Here's my take...

Image - Penny Black; Card Stock - Bazzill Basics (black)

Design Paper - My Mind's Eye & The Paper Studio

Copics & Stickles & Dollar Store pearls

Day 352 Audrey's sketch is a classic.  Simple lines, with plenty of room left for interpretation.  I'm loving the result I got from this sketch - and I may just simplify more often!  I wanted the focal point of this card to be the incredible image  (first time I've inked this puppy up, and it won't be the last!).  I wish the picture showed the 'blinginess' of this card.  I Stickled the living daylights out of it....

This one will also be entered into Paper Cutz Challenge # 78 - Ladybugs, Bees or Butterflies

Image: Sweet Pea Stamps (ching-chou kuik's Fantasy Art image... isn't she stunning?!!)

Design Paper - nameless in the stash; Butterfly punch - Martha Stewart

Copics & copious Stickles & dollar store rhinestones.

Well, if you made it down here, you've seen all there is to see... for today.  :)   You're welcome, of course, to keep browsing my other posts - and I always love to hear from you.  Leave a comment if you've got the time.

- Carolyn

Jerome the Giraffe... and Friends

I've been busy.  Seriously busy... the Valentine's card sale went extremely well - I sold about 60 cards and made $244 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation!!   My card supply is now very low... so it's time to re-stock, and that means getting busy.  I'm trying to do a couple a night so I've got enough for every day cards (birthday, get well, thank you, wedding, baby, sympathy) and get some Mother's day cards started - because in a couple months I'll do it all again!

I completed these last night:

(The giraffe with attitude above will be entered into 

Annabelle Stamps challenge - Say it with Polka Dots 

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge # 21 Stamped Flower Image)
Our Creative Corner "Cut it Out"  -  well, I did.  3 times... and layered)

Images:  Dog Gone Stamps (giraffe); Penny Black (puppy);  DP: October Afternoon (Thrift Shop), dollar store embossed mauve & the green geometric is from the stash... no idea who makes it any more...

That giraffe (who've I've affectionately named Jerome) is one of my favourites.  You've seen him here before, and you'll likely see him again.  I just love his expression.   I'm amused by the birthday card where it looks like he's popped up in front of the sentiment.  How rude, Jerome!!  (yeah, I'm easily amused)

As well as the cards above, I've done a bunch of stamping and 'copicking' of some images - and you'll soon see these babies on some upcoming cards (365 Cards has a week of sketches that I'm dying to dive into!)    

  Images:  Sweet Pea (ching-choi kuik's Fantasy Art), Penny Black, Sugar Nellie (Gorjuss & Anime)

Thanks for popping by my little place in blogland!   Hope you're having a GREAT day!!

- Carolyn

Flowers and Birthdays...

The dust is still abounding in my household because I spent the entire two days crafting and spending time with friends!  My kinda weekend!!  Betty Crocker, I am... NOT!

Started Friday with a bit of a craft room tidy and have come to the realization that my paper stash is ridiculous.  Two drawers full of 12 x 12 sheets + a box of books + a box of scraps (both rather big boxes).  I love paper... seriously, I do.  Colours, texture, pattern = heaven in my mind.  But still, things are getting out of hand with this obsession.  So I hereby swear not to buy any more paper until I've used up half of what I already have!  (except for the staple black and white card stock if I should run out of it... a girl's gotta be realistic)

I started my purge by making use of my scrap box and my Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die cut.   Flower time!!   Making these is the perfect activity to do while visiting with a friend or, in my case on Saturday, watching hockey...   I cut out two of each (for a total of 8 flat paper flowers) of 12 different papers, packed and brought them along to my brother's house ...and started crumpling and layering when the hockey game started.   They're a bit time consuming, but I love the way these look:

Here are some of the cards I made from these luscious paper flowers this weekend:

I also made some simple birthday cards using the Cuttlebug birthday plate, and some giant brads that I found on clearance a year ago (stash cleansing is good!).   The balloon bows are kind of fun, too, I think:

My stamp stash is pretty major, too.   I have so many stamps that hadn't even been inked yet, so I thought I'd get to working with those...   This little dude is from Sugar Nellie - from a set called "Skull Boyz"  (don't think it's available any more)  I used Versamark and black heat embossing, then coloured him with a white gel pen.   LOVE IT!!  Why did I wait so long to stamp these guys, they are sooooo cute!    

Crafty weekends rock!  Craft on, my friends, craft on....

- Carolyn

Challenging Challenges...

I've been away from the world of card challenges for a while.  Life has gotten in the way... there was always something to do (or someone staying in my craft room / office / guest room)  Life happens.

I've been getting creative lately with Valentines - but I was itching to stretch my creative muscles, and the best way that I know how to do that is to enter a 365 Card challenge.  Seriously.  I love 'em!  So here they are...

365 Cards - Day 340  White Space

OK, my first day back, and I'm cheating already.  I didn't mean to... my intention was to stick the dude on the centre of the card and call it a day, but little Rockin' Roger had other ideas.  He clearly has star attitude, and demanded a back up band of 'heavy metal' and stars.  I contend that, as a rocker, he's supposed to be a rebel, and the addition of embellishments behind him is too natural to be blamed on me.  Blame Roger.

Yeah, that's a real CD behind the dude...  I work for a software company, and we had some old releases that they were going to junk.   Heck no!  Card material!!  I've got a ton of 'em!

Stamp is Sugar Nellie (coloured with Copics); DP is Basic Grey (Obscure);  Metal mesh - dollar store  (I'm the dollar store queen)

365 Cards - Let's Celebrate   Use at least one sticker (check) & make it a birthday theme (check)

Simple dimple card, but for some reason it took me an age.  I'm rusty...  (too much rain in Vancouver)

Cuttlebug folder & dollar store dimensional sticker (did I mention that I'm the dollar store queen?)  Cardstock is moldy oldie from the stash.  I no longer remember who or where it came from.

Well, it is late, and I'm tired.  Soooo glad it's the weekend!  I will sleep 'til 8  (that's a luxurious sleep-in in my world), then I've got to make more Valentines.  Seriously, those things are selling like hotcakes!!  Yay!  More money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.   I freakin' HATE cancer!!

G'night!

- Carolyn

4 More Valentines & a Birthday Card for Santos

I'm on a roll...  so here's some more valentines for the sale...

 ...and my husband came in to the craft room tonight and made a special request for a custom guy card for a friend, coworker and all-around great guy.  Santos, I hope you like this one  :)

Well, I'm going to go watch the last little bit of "Wipeout" with Harvey, and then it's nighty-night time for me!

Good night...   Carolyn

More Valentines...

Another creative evening, and some more valentine greetings.  I went a little non-traditional with these - no pink or red.  I was feelin' the lavender, turquoise and salmon ...  I hope you like them:

Well.... hi-ho-hi-ho, it's off to work I go!  Hope you're having a great day...

- Carolyn

Valentines - CBCF Fundraiser

Do you remember me?  It has been soooo long since I made any cards.  I've even committed the cardinal cardmakers sin... I didn't make or send even one Christmas card!  I know, I know...excommunication from the card club for that one!

Alas, the creative itch has hit once again... and I've gone a little nuts with Valentines cards.  It's a good thing they're part of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation fundraising that I do - or I'd have to pick up 30 or so boyfriends to send them to in the next two weeks...  and somehow I think my husband might frown on that idea!

In order to be more efficient, I've actually done something that I don't usually do - I made them in bulk.  OK, not really bulk... I don't have the attention span for assembly line card making.  I made two at a time, with slight variations in colour or paper.

I hope you like them...
I hope my customers like them... and we make a lot of money for CBCF!  I HATE cancer!!

Hey, you made it all the way down here!  Wow!  That's impressive...  Thanks for looking, and have a GREAT day!!    :)

- Carolyn V