Lucky Green

March has finally arrived. Although we are still covered with snow here in Chicago, the weatherman is promising warmer temperatures in a couple of days. I sure hope he's right.
My card today, created with the Mojo Monday sketch in mind, celebrates St. Patrick's day. My card base uses kraft cardstock. The white background is dry embossed using a Tim Holtz background texture fade. The green panel and shamrocks are cut from glittery cardstock. The sentiment is one of the Tim Holtz stamps and is framed with glossy gold. The card is finished with a pearl embellishment that I have hoarded for a long, long time.
I am entering this card in these challenges: Mojo Monday -- sketch challenge; Simon Says Monday challenge -- just a hint of clover; Kraft Journal --St. Patrick's Day; Great Impressions -- go green; Art With Heart Challenge -- go green.

If I Had a Star...

It was love at first sight for this die from Heartfelt Creations (Spellbinders). I cut two of the diecuts from glossy red cardstock to use as my frame for the sentiment (Quietfire). This is my Valentine for my Sweetie. Even though the frame is quite ornate, it is really a CAS card. I love the bright glossy red against the white cardbase.
I am entering my card into these challenges: Bloggers Challenge -- love is in the air; Tuesday Throwdown -- love is in the air; City Crafter --you matter; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes; Fashionable Stamping -- black, white, hint of red; Great Impressions - love, love, love; V's Sweet Ideas -- red, white, or pink; Dies R Us -- hearts.

Snowmen

This card is quite appropriate for today. Although the snow isn't really deep here in Chicago, it has covered everything outside. It's the time that snowmen start to appear.
It's also the time of year where many challenges want to see something "new" for the New Year. Since I didn't receive any new art products over the holidays, I decided to take this opportunity to try out a couple of my never-before-used products (ie. new to me). The background panel was done on a gelli plate. Not too long ago I ordered the smallest gelli plates, but I never got a chance to use them. For this card I used the 5"x 7" plate. I love the fact that it fits nicely in the tiny space I have on my table for working. The other new item is the snowflake border die (Cheery Lynn). There's also a little something old on the card. The snowflakes on the background were stenciled with Ranger's metallic pearl dabber paint. That's been around (and unused) for quite a while. The snowman stamp (Tim Holtz) and the sentiment stamp (can't remember) have been in my collection for a long time.
My card layout is based on the sketch challenge from Mojo Monday. I am also entering my card in these challenges: Kraft Journal--take your pick (die cut, white, snowman); Simon Says Wednesday -- something new; Frilly & Funkie -- anything goes; Dies R Us -- something new; Artistic Stamper -- new beginnings; Great Impressions -- snow friends; Mixed Media -- something new for the New Year; V's Sweet Ideas -- something new; Ink on My Fingers -- anything goes; Cheery Lynn Designs -- snowflakes.

Thankful

Today's card uses one of my favorite Cornish Heritage Farms stamps. I stamped the stamp on watercolor paper and used the distress marker watercolor technique (a Tim Holtz technique) to color it. I adhered the image to the stamp die cut from Tim Holtz and adhered the panel to a kraft base card. I die cut the wheat stalks and added them to the front as well as the numeral 4 at the top corner.
I am entering this card into these challenges: Cornish Heritage Farms -- show a pumpkin; A Vintage Journey -- bountiful harvest; Dies R Us -- thankful; Great Impressions -- thankful thoughts; V's Sweet Ideas -- anything goes.

Golden Autumn Days

My card today is based on the Mojo Monday challenge sketch layout.  My image and sentiment are brand new stamps (to me) from Serendipity stamps. I was really happy to be able to use them. I stamped my image on watercolor paper. I used the distress marker watercolor technique to watercolor the pheasants. The top layering panel was perfect for the sentiment. My background was made by layering leaves which were die cut  (Tim Holtz/Sizix) from an old book page onto a cardstock panel. The leaves were edged with distress ink. I think that the leaves, colors, and image make a wonderful autumn card.
I am also entering my card into these challenges: Ink on my Fingers Sunday Challenge -- add leaves; City Crafter -- leaves; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- use watercoloring; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes; Fashionable Stamping -- anything goes; Frilly and Funkie --autumn colors; Great Impressions -- autumnal elegance; Serendipity Stamps -- fall.

Pumpkin Jack Goes Steampunk

Today I am sharing a wall hanging depicting Pumpkin Jack dressed in his Halloween costume. It seems that Jack is a great fan of steampunkery and chose his costume accordingly. I'll bet that he and his friends will have fun at all of the parties coming up.
I decided that I wanted to make a dimensional project. To create this piece, I started with one of the burlap panels. I then sprayed Dylusions over the panel in Halloween colors. The face was cut from Graphic 45 design paper, edged in spiced marmalade distress ink, and adhered to a matching piece of grungeboard for strength. The hat was a wooden embellishment that I had picked up at a craft store. I painted it with black soot distress paint. To make the eyes and monacle, nose and moustache, and goggles, I die cut the gears and moustache and followed the effect powders technique (p. 52 of Tim Holtz's book) from the current Compendium of Curiosities Challenge. I love how it adds texture to the items. The raven and owl and die cut using some of Tim's dies and colored using distress paints. The mouth is part of a Cheery Lynn Designs die cut.
I really enjoyed working on this project for the Compendium of Curiosities 3 challenge. This month the challenge is being sponsored by the generous Inspiration Emporium. There is also a great prize package from Tim and Mario. (See, even Jack has a big smile.)
This wall hanging works well with several other challenges: Take a word -- steampunkery; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- anything goes; Frilly & Funkie -- haunting Halloween; Great Impressions -- get your spook on; SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk Challenges -- steampunk stories.

Dragonfly Birthday

Happy birthday to my beautiful daughter, Kerry. Enjoy your special day!

This is the card I made for Kerry. I used a print red cardstock for the cardbase. The background panel is cut from Kodomo paper. The sentiment is a Club Scrap stamp. (Inside I used a similar style stamp that says "Happiness".) The dragonfly is  the Tim Holtz layered dragonfly. I used some perfect pearls on the wings to add a little shimmer and sparkle. The red gems were added for some bling embellishment. 

I am entering this card into these challenges: SweetStamps -- bling; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- Make it sparkle; MFP Simple Salutations -- oriental paper; Dies R Us -- birthday; Inspiration Journal -- everything goes; Great Inspirations -- birthday bash.

Spring Flowers

This week the SweetStamps blog had an inspiration theme. When I saw this image, the word "spring" immediately popped into my head and off I went. I love the SweetStamps flower stamps. I've used parts of  the stamp, blossoms, in the past, but I've never used the whole stamp before. It fit perfectly with the Sizzix pot die cut. The result made me smile. I colored the flowers with distress markers and fussy cut them so I could plant them in the pot. The background panel is a piece of designer paper which is light gray with white polka dots.Since I wanted to show the happiness spring brings, I added a bow and the sentiment adorned with glitter.

I am entering my card into these challenges: Tuesday Throwdown --recipe challenge (1 image, 1 design paper, and purple); Great Impressions -- pink, polka dots, and glitter; and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- anything goes. 

Magic Happens

No more snowflakes please; I want to see some spring flowers! To make my card I used a piece of newspaper as my background panel. I then added swipes of gesso. Over the dried gesso I added antique paper distress stain. My floral stamp (Serendipity Stamps) is a form of watercolor using direct to stamp watercolor crayons. The sentiment is also from Serendipity.
My card is being entered into these challenges: Serendipity Stamps challenge -- sheet music or news print ; and Great Impressions -- spring celebration.

Love is a Promise That Lasts Forever

It seems like Christmas was just yesterday, and now we're days away from Valentine's Day.  So many challenges are looking for Valentine's Day type themes. Here's another Valentine with red, pink, white and hearts and love for you to see.
For my image I used a larger SweetStamps stamp which I die cut into a heart shape. I then overlaid the sentiment (rub-on). The background is a fun red with white polka dot design paper. I used the Club Scrap Love stencil painted with white distress paint across the bottom of the card and added a little heart and bling..
I am entering my card in these challenges: SweetStamps -- pink, white, and red; Three Muses -- love; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge -- have a heart; Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge -- red and love; Great Impressions -- floral image; and Mark's Finest Papers Sketch with a Twist -- sketch and hearts.

Friends

This week the Bloggers Challenge is friendship. This theme gave me a chance to use one of my Tim Holtz dies for the first time...the friends cut-out die. What better set of friends is there to use than Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer (Artistic Outpost stamps). I decided to keep my card CAS. To a background panel of designer paper with the word "Friends" cut out, I added Tom and Huck over a die cut from Spellbinders. The boys are colored using distress markers.
I am also entering my card into the Addicted to CAS challenge which is die cuts, into the Great Impressions challenge which is something new; and into the Artistic Outpost referral challenge which is anything goes using Artistic Outpost stamps.

Autumn Leaves

It's been a long time since I've been able to blog. My computer hard drive crashed. Yes, the dreaded crash. Fortunately, I did have a lot of my stuff backed up, but of course, not everything was saved. I got a new computer, but it has Windows 8. Now, there's a whole new learning curve! I really wish that Microsoft would stop trying to tell me what I want and need, instead of me telling the computer. 
But now, back to my challenge card. This week the Blogger's Challenge is backgrounds (one of my favorite challenges). My layout is based on the Mojo Monday challenge sketch. To make my background, I started with a brown panel. I used one of my recently received stencils with yellow pan pastels. The leaves were die cut using paper from one of Tim's paper stash pads with a Tim Holtz/Sizzix die  and then inked with distress ink. I thought that the sentiment (Club Scrap) was so cool and very appropriate.
I am also entering my card into these challenges: Tuesday Throwdown has an anything goes challenge. Word Art Wednesday is always anything goes with an appropriate sentiment. Creative Belli is a color challenge looking for red, yellow, and orange. The Frilly and Funkie challenge  is also anything goes. The Artistic Stamper challenge has an autumn theme. Great Impressions is asking for fall colors.

Lighthearted

I love to challenge myself by combining challenges. This card represents how I spent my afternoon trying to complete these three challenges.. At Cornish Heritage Farms, the challenge was a sketch challenge. The monthly challenge at Great Impressions is to make a square card. The SweetStamps monthly challenge is to use the dryer sheet technique.

I started with designer paper from My Mind's Eye to make the border. I added a sweet little stamp from SweetStamps to enhance the border. The clown fish image is a Cornish Heritage Farms stamp. The second fish is from Great Impressions. The bubbles bling has been in my stash for a long time. The slightly hazy look to the image is from the dryer sheet technique.

Shabby Chic Midge

I just shared a card with a designer paper background using the sketch from the current Rogue Redhead Designs Rebel Challenge. The background on this card was hand created. First I stamped the bubblewrap background stamp from the RRD Behind the Scenes stamp set with embossing ink. I then heat embossed it using clear powder. I masked the embossed sections. Using a brayer, I brayered distress stains over the sections and wiped a damp paper towel over the embossing. Using Cheery Lynn dies, I cut the oval and frame. First I stamped Midge (This 'n That). Then I masked her and stamped the hand writing background stamp. (RRD Behind the Scenes) I think the distress and embossed background gives a very shabby chic feeling to the card.
I am entering this card into the SweetStamps challenge and the Great Impressions challenge. Both sites have an anything goes challenge.

Way 2 Go

It's that time of year again -- graduation, and that's the theme of this week's Bloggers Challenge.

The layout of my card is based on this week's Mojo Monday sketch challenge. Great Impressions has a monthly challenge of celebrations.

I used stamps from Club Scrap. The world was cut using one of the Tim Holtz/Sizzix dies. My flags are made from Washi tape. (I have so much, but always forget to use it). I like the combination of colors. I think this would be an excellent card for a male graduate.

Wisdom

March is an exciting month for Our Daily Bread Designs as it celebrates it's fifth year anniversary!! Kelley so appreciates the customers of Our Daily Bread Designs and is excited for the opportunity to celebrate with them today with the ODBD Anniversary Linky Party celebration!!! Below are the links of several fans and customers that have created cards or projects using stamps from Our Daily Bread Designs.

1.	Brigita -- GDT	6.	Sarah Nelson GDT	11.	Lisa Somerville
2.	Mary Marsh - GDT	7.	Barbara Washington GDT	12.	Gerrie Johnnic GDT
3.	Karen Wallace GDT	8.	Chris Olsen	13.	Sandee
4.	Lee Ann Barrett- GDT	9.	Grace N	14.	Sabrina Jackson
5.	Connie Griffin GDT	10.	Angie Crockett	15.	Jennipher GDT

Congratulations to ODBD and Kelley on five great years of stamps. I love ODBD stamps so, of course, I had to participate.

The background panel of my card is watercolor paper. I splashed distress stains on my non-stick surface, spritzed with a little water, and laid the panel in the stains. The stains and watercolor paper make a wonderful background for these beautiful flower corners and sentiment (all ODBD stamps of course).
I am also sharing this card at a few other challenge spots. SweetStamps wants to see green. Simon Says Stamp wants a bit of green. Great Impressions is going green (either use green or recycle). Don't tell anyone, but my watercolor panel is recycled. I had made a mistake on the other side and couldn't use the image, so I turned the panel over and a new card front could be made.

Love is in the Air

I can't believe it...this is my 1000th post! What better topic to celebrate this milestone than LOVE! I'm actually going to make this a double post. I have 2 cards to share on the theme, but I'll be linking each to different challenges.

My first card is done all in pink except for the sentiment. Cheery Lynn Designs challenge is tickled pink. I used both the tropical flourish and the daisy strip dies on my card. The card just designed itself when I realized by accident that two tropical flourishes  put together made a beautiful heart especially when flowers were added to the tip. The background paper is very glittery. I've had it in my stash for quite a while waiting for the perfect time to use it. Well, here it is. I am also entering this card into the Great Impressions challenge which is have a heart.

For this card I used an image from Stampendous and stamped it on my card front panel. I then stamped it on a piece of flowery design paper and paper pieced the clothing.  The side border is the mesh strip from Cheery Lynn cut down to fit. The red hearts are stickers that just showed up on my work table. I guess my muse was working overtime today. The letters are die cut..  I'm entering this card into the Stampendous Impressions challenge which is love is in the air; into the Artistic Stamper challenge which is hearts and flowers; into the Fashionable Stamping challenge which is show some love; and into Mark's Finest Papers Speedy Fox & Friends challenge which is paper piecing.

Joy to the World

Since Tim Holtz started the 12 Tags of 2012 in February, he promised an extra tag for January somewhere along the way. Well, here it is. The music tissue paper over the grungeboard pointsettia is so cool, and so Tim! I love the dimension and texture of this tag. I even got to use one of my grungeboard flourishes that I had bought back when grungeboard was a new item. I'm so happy that I was able to complete all 12 tags--and on time too!
I'm also entering this tag in a few other challenges: Creative Belli has a Christmas theme; Artistic Stamper has a home for Christmas theme; and Great Impressions has an anything goes theme.

Christmas Cardinal

I know I've been MIA from my blog and from challenges lately. I have been trying to keep up with my 2 year old granddaughter more than usual, but on the art front I have a great announcement. I was invited to join the Scrapbook News Review team as a staffer. I've been spending a bit of time trying to get up to speed with them. It's exciting that my cards and art will be published on a regular basis and I'll be doing a few tutorials too.
Now back to my card. I had a peaceful day today, so I finally was able to catch up with my Blogger's Challenge card. The theme this week is birds of a feather. I'll also be able to share my card in a number of other challenges. Hels at Ink on my Fingers also had a bird challenge. Three Muses is looking for animals. Marks Finest Papers Speedy Fox and Friends challenge is pop it up (use pop dots). Both the bow and the cardinal are popped.  Artistic Stamper has an anything goes challenge. Great Impressions wants to see holiday creativity.
To create my card I used design paper from My Mind's Eye for the background panel. The cardinal is from Heartfelt Creations. I stamped and embossed him on red cardstock. The wreath and bow are die cut using Tim Holtz's die. The sentiment is an Outlines Sticker and was placed on a label die cut using a Spellbinders die.

Autumn Colors

There is an autumn breeze in the air. The fall colors are starting to show, and both Great Impressions and Fashionable Stamping  challenged us to use fall colors.
I started by stamping the oak leaf in sepia on a piece of glossy cardstock. I then stamped these lovely ladies from Rogue Redhead on the leaf. I used Tombow markers to color them. The sentiment is also a RRD stamp. The background was stippled using dye inks in fall colors. The image panel was layered on a designer paper from Club Scrap and three fall color rhinestones were added. The base card is kraft.