Long time no see ...

Hi all, in case you think I dropped off the edge of the world, nope.  I just dropped out of blogland for awhile.  I still have been busy crafting and hope to post what I have been up to for the last 3 months.  Here is a start, I teach cardmaking classes in and around where I live and these are the Christmas cards we made.  Hope you like them!

 

Cheery Wishes

Keeping it simple was the plan with this card and I loved the inspiration I received from Mary Brown.  I changed up the colors a little but this is ideal for a quick and beautiful card.

Challenges I am entering:

Crafty Sentiments - things with wings

Stampin with the Dragon - things with wings

Scrapbookaholic by Abby - anything goes

Phindy's Place - spring

Fabulous Fridays - things with wings

Samuel Taylor's Challenge - butterflies

Paper Crafting Journey - pretty pastels

DRS Designs - clean and simple

Elegant Birthday

I love the elegance of this card.  I was inspired by another crafters website of which I can't read her tagline right now but I changed up the colors a bit.

Challenges I am entering:

Let's Ink It Up - must use rubber stamp - show us your flowers

Crazy 4 Challenges - use spring as your inspiration

Guylou's Inimitability - things with wings

Hotshot Crafts - ribbon

Totally Papercrafts - favorite things

Crafty Bloggers Network - floral

Creative Mondays - anything goes

Colorful Sympathy

I colored this stamp with my Stampin Up markers and then stamped it on my paper.  I then went over it with a Versamarker and put clear embossing powder on it.  After heating up the powder I then ran the sheet through the Big Shot with my Houndstooth EF.  I took sponge daubers and then brushed them across the raised edges of the embossed sheet.

Challenges I am entering:

Glitter Geeks - spring

CCEE - flowers, flowers, flowers

Crop Stop - use at leat 4 different colors

My Mum's Craft Shop - spring colors

Penny's Paper Crafty - anything goes

Stampavie and More - Spring/Easter

Deep Ocean Challenge - spring

Shopping Our Stash - embossing

Peek A Boo Birthday Card

This child's birthday card was inspired by www.darlenedesigns.com card, I changed up the stamps and used Forest Friends and Fox and Friends stamp sets from Stampin' Up.  I thought it was such a cute idea I had to try it out.  Hope you like it!

Inside my card

Challenges I am entering:

Paper Shelter Challenge - anything goes

Penny's Paper Crafty - anything goes

Scrapalicious - anything goes

Craft Your Passion - anything goes

There's Magic in the Air - children's birthday

Amusing Challenges - no digi - die cuts

Birthday Sundaes - must have a birthday sentiment - birthday card

Keeping it Simple - primary colors

The final card from the card class I taught last week.  Kept this child's birthday card very simple.  Very eye catching for the young child with the primary colors.

Challenges I am entering:

Corrosive Challenge - punches or dies
Southern Girls - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - happy birthday
Card Making Mama - punches
Alphabet Challenge - Q is for Quick and Simple
Christmas Stamping All Year Long - clean and simple
Allsorts - clean and simple
Creative CAS - clean and simple

Wisteria Sunset

Yet another card from the card class, this used embossing, masking and sponging.

Challenges I am entering:

Craft us Crazy - goodbye to summer

Southern Girls - anything goes

Drunken Stampers - get well or thinking of you cards

Paper Chrysanthemums

I taught a class last week with 4 different cards, I will be posting one card each day.  I used the Sizzix daisy die cut, a leaf die cut, the Sizzix top note die cut, a tag die cut and a daisy punch.  Using the mat pack, an empressor, a stylus and the palm of my hand I shaped these flowers.  I tried it several different ways and found the most effective way to be the one where you build from the center out.

Challenges I am entering:

Sentimental Sundays - (must have a sentiment) Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Corrosive Challenges - punches or dies

Stamps & Fun = Creativity - shapes and/or die cuts

Ooh La La - punches/dies

Anything Goes - anything goes

Tuesday Throwdown - fall

Crafting for All Seasons - fall colors

Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge - Autumn colors

Simon Says Stamp - dies and/or punches

Digi Stamps 4 Joy - anything goes

The Play Date Cafe - orange, golden yellow, green

Digi Doodle Shop's Best - Autumn colors

4 Crafty Chicks - Fall/Autumn

The Rubber Cafe - elegant fall themed cards

Delightful Sketches - Happy Fall Y'All

Southern Girls - anything goes

The Crafty Purple Frog - fall into fall

Crafty Catz - Autumn

Emerald Fairies - pearls

Stamping with the Dragon - 3D effect or decoupage

Swapping Projects

These doodad holders were inspired by Lisa Young, I took her idea and adapted as I needed.  I have made 10 of them with 2 more to go.  The flowers were inspired by Tammy Howell, I just love making paper flowers and there are so many different ones to make.

Close up of flower

Inside of box, you can put paper clips, buttons, etc. in here and keep them compartamentalized.

I also did a Christmas card front swap, made 20 of these.  Used the Smooch Spritz for the shiny look on the flowers as well as Smooch Accent Ink for the poinsettia dots in the centre.

Challenges I am entering:

One Stitch at a Time - anything goes

Quirky Crafts - anything but a card

Pile It On - lots of layers

I Did It Creations - anything goes

Irish Teddy - anything with rubber stamps

Craft Your Passion - F is for ... floral

Totally Stampalicious - anything goes

Lollipop Crafts - eyelets or brads

Whoopsie Daisy - more than one fold

The Rubber Cafe - create your own backing paper using stamps

Do You Stack Up? - texture

Wags n Whiskers - anything but a card

Stamp Something - anything goes

Pattie's Creations Design Challenge - (must stamp) girlie things

Craft Your Days Away - make your own flowers

Allsorts - flowers and swirls

Speedy Cat's Friends - use a punch

Catch the Bug Challenge - punches or die cuts

2nd Big Project done this summer

Well here I am with a multitude of pictures again, in May I started making 5 Remember the Date calendars, 13 pages each, so a total of 65 pages of stamping, coloring, sponging, embossing, etc.  I used images from Prairie Fairy Designs, Stampin' Up, Elisabeth Bell, Beccy's Place, Mo's Digital Pencil, High Hopes. Hopefully I didn't miss anybody.

Here is my front cover:

January

February

February close ups

March

March close ups

April

April close ups

May

May close ups

June

June close ups

July

July close up

August

August close ups

September

September close ups

October

October close up

November

November close ups

December

December close up

Challenges I am entering:

Pile It On - sweet treats - month of August
Paper Creations Ink - flowers - month of June
Hooked on Crafts - things with wings - month of May
Picture Perfect Creations - summertime fun - month of August
Happileigh Scrappin' - use an image of a girl - months of April and December
Incy Wincy Designs - anything but a card
Pollycraft - autumn colors - months of September and October
Stamp with Fun - (something cute) summer - month of August
Paper Playtime - anything goes
Stamps R Us - anythings goes
Paper Cupcake Magical Monday Challenge - create a scene - month of November
Lollipop Crafts - masculine - month of November
Whoopsie Daisy - summer fun - month of August
Try It On Tuesday - hang it up
The Octopode Factory Friday Challenge - birds of a feather - month of November and June
The Poodle's Parlour - anything goes
Digis with Attitude - anything goes
Sew Many Challenges - summertime - month of August
Wags'n'Whiskers - outdoor fun - months of April and August
Totally Papercrafts - Christmas - month of December