Hello, Friend!

Good afternoon!  I am participating in a challenge over @ Time Out challenges.  I am looking forward to the opportunity to send this card out to a dear friend, and am grateful for the challenge to create it!  

" A colored card base" is such a fun challenge because normally I like to begin with white and then blend and add colors and layers from there.  I took the challenge to mean using a colored cardstock base instead of white, so I opted not to blend to achieve the look.  (It could be that blending would've been perfectly fine, but I wasn't sure, so I challenged myself to use cardstock.  But, I did decide I could blend blocks of the frame for the scenes for the pups.)  I also used one of my favorite puppy sets from Newton's Nook: Puppy Friends.

Hello, Friend! card

Thank you so much for the challenge and visit!  

Inspired By IB185 Scrappy September

   paper hugs from the heart ♥ week thirty

         We are back with a new challenge over @ Inspired By Card Challenges.  This week we are digging into our SCRAP bins.  I love to create a card that uses up scraps, I have a hard time throwing away scraps and when I challenge myself to actually start with the scrap bin before creating, I truly feel even more accomplished when I am done.  I hope that someone else can relate...I really can't wait to see what/how this challenge will inspire the amazing DT and the talented members.

I am not sure if this is true of your supplies, but I have cardstock scraps, patterned paper scraps, die-cut scraps, and embellishment stashes (like buttons, oh do I have so many buttons still to use, and they are perfect for cards that will be hand-delivered).  So this week, when seeing the photo inspiration, I challenged myself to use my scraps but also USE THOSE BUTTONS (on my Christmas card)...smile.

Here are the scraps of patterned paper and cardstock I decided to use and then decided I would tape them to a background die. After gluing them to the cardstock, I stitched the background.  

Hello Card

The diecut flowers and stems are from my diecut bins and it felt good to use them on this card!

And I am loving the Christmas photo challenges because I am actually making my Christmas cards like I SAY I'll do every year, and can't make time to do so...wink.

I chose to use these scraps from my bins: some Christmas pp, scraps of scalloped diecuts, a piece of embossed cardstock, and some buttons.

Wonderful Winter card

To create the border, I glued the stitched scalloped diecuts to a thin piece of cardstock and then adhered the frame to the embossed piece of cardstock.  I stitched a border to layer my scraps of leaf diecuts and buttons.

I cut one of the sentiment blocks from the pp to be the sentiment for this card.

And here is this week's sketch

 Thank you so much for visiting and make sure to

 check what the amazing team created on THE BLOG! 

Tic Tac Toe 128

Good afternoon!  I came across this fun birthday challenge this week after visiting LeAnne's blog.  I was inspired to play in this week's Tic Tac Toe challenge 128. 

Have a Great Birthday card

I chose the left column down: stencil, any color ink, and birthday.

It was fun to use the stencil and some bright colors, thinking of someone celebrating on their special day.

Thank you for visiting!

 

Inspired By...IB184 Penguin Love

   paper hugs from the heart ♥ week twenty nine

         We are back with a new challenge over @ Inspired By Card Challenges.  This week we are breaking the penguins out.  Why penguins you ask?  Well, because they are so cute, it's been so hot, there are fires raging, and the thought of some penguins, some winter, some moisture, and yes even the holidays is comforting.  So we hope you'll humor us, and break out the penguins with us.  

Penguins are perfect for winter birthdays, thinking of you, cute baby cards, and of course holiday cards.

I had a lot of fun playing with these cute little guys, and the minute I saw the inspiration, thought of the penguins in Happy Feet, I love that movie, the kids watched it frequently and the songs and the joy are contagious.

Isn't that the cutest nursery rug?  

Winter Birthday Card 

(any prayers for moisture soon!)

Can't you just picture his little feet tapping?  We have quite a few winter birthdays, so if there won't be moisture, at least some winter birthdays will be kinda cool ;)

And here is the Holiday version of the challenge

How cute is this book cover?

I embossed the Penguin (black embossing powder),  Merry sentiment, and holly leaves with white embossing powder to bring the shine and gloss to this fun celebration.

And here's the sketch this week

 Thank you so much for visiting and make sure to

 check what the amazing team created on THE BLOG! 

Inspired By Flower Me In...IB183

  paper hugs from the heart ♥ week twenty eight

         We are back with a new challenge over @ Inspired By Card Challenges.  This week we are playing with cheerful flowers and flower containers.      

                      Thinking of You card IB183    

                                           

For my container, I die cut a beach sand pail, cut the bottom off, and rounded the corners. 

         

Special Delivery Card IB183C

                

               

      And here's the sketch this week, inspired by the photo inspiration.

 Thank you so much for visiting and make sure to

 check what the amazing team created on THE BLOG! 

Inspired By IB182 MIC.KEY m.o.u.s.e

                                       paper hugs from the heart ♥ week twenty seven

         We are back with a new challenge over @ Inspired By Card Challenges.  This week we are playing with "The" mouse, or any mouse, or circles, dots, or fun colors, you pick how you are inspired!

I was inspired by the theme: "The mouse" and the black canister. 

 To create my card, I began by cutting 3 wire basket inserts using The Greetery Market Baskets die. I turned them sideways to begin my design and highlight the elements and sentiment.

A very special 2 year old needed a very special Mickey card to celebrate!
 

And I was also inspired to create a card for the Christmas theme this week, keep the Christmas cards coming!

 To create my card, I began by ink blending a stencil and then began layering branches behind a sheet of vellum.  I ink-blended the lights and heat-embossed them with clear embossing powder. I die-cut an ornament and heat-embossed it with white powder. I die-cut a Mickey die-cut, ink-blended it with black ink, and heat-embossed it with clear embossing powder.

And here's the sketch this week, inspired by the photo inspiration.

 Thank you so much for visiting and make sure to

 check what the amazing team created on THE BLOG! 

Inspired By IB181 Fintastic Birthday

                                      paper hugs from the heart ♥ week twenty six

          We are back with challenges and a twist over @ IB card challenges.  The DT had a wonderful July and appreciated the time to travel and visit family.  We are ready to create and can't wait to see what the new challenges will inspire be!

I was inspired to create a card for the PHOTO challenge and Christmas PHOTO challenge (I do need to get started on Christmas cards, so this is exciting).

Happy 20th Birthday card

I was excited to create a card for my daughter's 20th birthday. Her birthday is in July and the summery theme of the photo inspired me to create a card she could "drive off with"....smile.

                                                          And here is the photo inspiration for the Christmas card challenge

It Only Happens Once a Year card

(Santa on his paddleboard, vacationing in his favorite tropical spot)

         

I masked off the Santa die-cut to create his striped swim shirt and trunks, inspired by the photo.  

And here's the sketch this week, inspired by the photo inspiration.

 Thank you so much for visiting and make sure to

 check what the amazing team created on THE BLOG!