Simple Things in Life

My card layout is based on the sketch challenge from Our Daily Bread Designs. I am also entering it into the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge which is what do you say and the Mark's Finest Papers Simple Salutations challenge which is anything goes.
The panel on the left was made by stamping the crochet lace background (ODBD) with embossing ink and embossing with white embossing powder. Then I used victorian velvet distress stain to color the panel. The white EP acted as a resist. On the right panel I stamped the panel with a pussy willow stamp (MFP a Heinrich Co) and added white using my white gel pen. The focal sentiment is from ODBD. 

Holiday Memories

This will probably be the last Christmas card for a while. It's still in time for Christmas in July.
I'm entering my card in four challenges: Mark's finest Papers Sketch with a twist has given us a sketch to follow and wants to see an animal on it. Third Coast has deck our halls as the challenge. Kraft Journal wants us to use any sketch. Critter Sketch has anything goes as the challenge.
For my image I used the trees stamp from Mark's Finest Papers an Heinrich Company, the reindeer from Third Coast Stamps, and the sentiment (stamped on ribbon) from Club Scrap. The holly leaves are die cut from Tim Holtz's festive greenery. Everything is layered on a green background panel and then on a kraft card base.

On the Beach

This card represents a couple of challenges and a new technique for me. Cornish Heritage Farms challenge has a summer theme and Tuesday Throwdown wants to see a tropical paradise. The new technique for me is rubbed gelatos from the June/July 2012 TJ newsletter.
All of the stamps used are Cornish Heritage Farms stamps. The colors are all gelatos.I used a Spellbinders die as the frame to my scene.

Sail Away

I had a little chance to play today  and here is a card I created. I'll be entering it into several challenges. I created a variation on the sketch at Critter Sketch. City Crafters has bon voyage as its theme. Mark's Finest Papers Tutorial challenge is to create a tent top card. This month ArtisticStamper wants to see circles.
To make the background panel I used the sand background stamp from Rogue Redhead's Beach Babes and then diecut the circles. The boat and anchor stamps, as well as the sentiment, are also from Beach Babes. I used the outside the nestie technique from Technique Junkies for the boat circle..

Birthday Celebration

This week Cheery Lynn had the challenge theme celebration and working hand-in-hand, Classy Cards 'n Such challenged us to use die cuts. (Classy Cards 'n Such has lots of dies available.)
To begin my card, I created the background using the Cheery Lynn Japanese Lace pattern die. The balloons are stamped using the Kitchen Sink Multi-Step balloons stamps and then fussy cut. In the corner I die cut the roses using the Cheery Lynn large rose and miniature rose dies. I die cut them from white cardstock and splashed some red distress stain on the petals. The sentiment is a holographic sticker.
I went with birthday celebration on my card this week because someone special is celebrating a birthday this coming week. Happy birthday, Sandy.

Non-Traditional Christmas Card

This week the challenge at Bloggers Challenge is Christmas in July. At Stampsmith the challenge is Christmas in July, summer colors. The Stampendous challenge is citrus.
I began by stamping my focal image, The Conductor from Stampsmith, on glossy cardstock. I colored the image using dye inks and my coloring nibs. I die cut the image using a Spellbinders ornament die and layered it on some lime green cardstock. The background was made by dividing the cardstock in 4 quarters. Using a cube stamp of pine branches from Stampendous I stamped in opposite corners with Adirondack citrus green ink. The other two corners were colored using squeezed lemonade distress ink. The background panel was layered on a lime green panel and then everything was layered on a yellow card base. The sentiment is an outline sticker. I think the combination makes for a bright and cheery, if non-traditonal Christmas card.

Create Time

I hit the wall when I was working on this card. The challenge for Compendium of Curiosities II was Gilded Kraft Glassine from p. 39 of Tim Holtz's book Compendium of Curiosities 2. The technique was no problem, it was actually a lot of fun. I had a cool piece of gilded glassine and my mojo went on a long coffee break. I must have held and stared at the glassine for over an hour without a clue as to what I was going to do. I kind of knew I wanted to die cut the glassine, but that's as far as I got. Everything clicked into place when I looked at the alarm clock die from Tim and realized that there was no clock face on the die. The clock needed a face and I had just the face for it (from Stampland). I assembled the ckock, stamped some flowers and flourishes (Tim's stamps) on a background panel from one of Tim's paper stacks and added the sentiment using words from Tim's ChitChat. Thanks to the Funkie Junkie Boutique for sponsoring this challenge.
I am also entering my card in the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge which is Hey, Girl and the Kraft Journal challenge which is make me smile.