Paper Smooches Dies Play

Hello!

It's a gray Saturday morning here. Yuck. Is it bad that I'm already over winter? hahahaha. Got a ways to go, don't I? Our realtor is having an Open House here tomorrow and I feel the need to do a little more clean up on our back patio (it looks like summer just up and died out there) and it's hard to get motivated to do outside work in this kind of weather. That's hard for me because I love outside work. I'll get a little more coffee down me and put on a big sweatshirt and knock it out. I've got the kiddos to run around all day. Joy. :)

I played pretty much all day yesterday in my crafty space. The house was all clean and only a few loads of laundry to do - I enjoyed having a "day off". It's been almost eerily quiet here with the holidays behind us. NOTE: I am not complaining.

I tested out a new die I just ordered from Paper Smooches - the Single Rose die.

 

 

I'm playing along with this month's Paper Smooches challenge - use 4 colors (red, pink, coral, green). I die cut the rose from Kraft cardstock to make the neutral out line then I pulled out four different pattern papers to complete the inside of my rose. I loved doing this. I had a relaxing day. 8-) (Nerd alert) I layered my rose using foam tape over a watercolor panel I washed over with a red and green ink to match with my rose. I also added a harlequin pattern with spackle by rubbing it over a stencil (MFT). I stamped a sentiment from Sentiment Sampler on a die cut flag and attached it with foam tape, as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm also playing along with Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Something New (new die), Jade's Sparkling Butteryfly Creations Anything Goes - All Things Bright & Beautiful Challenge, and Die Cut Divas - NEW Technique/Die/Stamp/Colors Challenge (new die).  

    

 

 

 

I also experimented with some stripes in my die cutting and REALLY liked how this turned out. It's not a new idea, just new for me to try. I've seen it done a lot and think it would be intimidating to tackle but I tried it out and now I'm hooked. I'm trying to get more use out of my dies and papers lately and it's been a fun little kick I'm on. :)

 

 

For this card, again using four different colors, I pulled out my Paper Smooches Curly Clouds dies.

 

 

 

I made this fun little "silver lining clouds" card and kept cackling with glee at how it came out. (Nerd Alert #2) I die cut my clouds from my cardstock strips and then die cut again with Silver Glitter CTMH Cardstock. I layered them together over a solid white card base that I sponged a purple and blue ink on for a little more depth. I added the sentiment from Spiritual Sampler and a few sequins to finish it off.

 

Since I broke up my die cuts, I was able to get another card from this same exercise and I'll share it in a later post. I'm never good at making two similar cards while I've got everything out, but I did it this time and have to admit I can see the appeal. I normally would let the scraps hang out on my desk for ages and get annoyed at them in my way, but still not be able to throw them away because they are perfectly good - I'm just not in the mood to use them. Eck. That's how I roll.

 

This card is to play along with the current Paper Smooches challenge, as well, Four Colors. (Silver, Purple, Blue, Green)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm also playing along with Cards In Envy - Shiny New Year challenge (shiny - silver glittery lined clouds), CASology's SIMPLE challenge,  AAA Cards - Glitter challenge, and Die Cut Divas- NEW Technique/Die/Stamps/Color Challenge (new technique - die cutting stripes).

 

                      

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today and indulging me and my die cuts and my rambling! I hope you liked everything and will come back to visit again. :)

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

Phillipians 4:6  NKJV (New King James Version)

      "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;"

 

 



 



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2 Creative Chicks Showcase #1

Hello!

I'm sharing my first post as a DT Member over at 2 Creative Chicks challenge blog. :) It's a monthly Anything Goes showcase, so it's easy to play along each time. Please come over and check it out - join in the fun.

For my first project, I've made a card for my sister-in-law. Lord willing, we will be getting another niece or nephew this July. ;) The Piglets are quite excited, but I'm not sure The Sultan realizes just yet that he really won't have a new playmate (9 year age gap probably won't work.) :) It's all super sweet.

I used my Taylored Expressions Wash. Dry. Repeat. stamp set and MFT Square Grid stencil.

I lightly sponged MFT Limelight ink over the stencil on my card base. The stove/oven was stamped on another piece of paper, colored, and hand trimmed. I popped it up on foam tape and added the little heart from the set and colored it, as well. I then just stamped the sentiment in Onyx Black VersaFine ink and that was it. Super simple and fun to make. :)

That's all for me this time. Thanks SO much for stopping by to visit. I hope you come back again soon! And, don't forget to check out 2 Creative Chicks and play along. 

 

Challenge#1

Starts Jan. 1, 2016

Ends Jan. 31, 2016

Click HERE to link up!

God Bless, 

Mandy

Luke 2:14   NKJV  (New King James Version)

     "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

 

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ABC Christmas Challenge - A: Anything Goes

Hello!

It's time for another challenge over at ABC Christmas Challenge. I hope that you will come over and play with us - this week is easy - A for Anything Goes. No excuse not to play, right? Share your creations and join in the fun of preparing for next year's mayhem. Make things a little bit easier and reduce the chaos during the mad dash of the Christmas season. My late nights in my craft room over the past few months are still fresh in my mind and I'm promising myself I won't let it creep up on me again. (And, yes, I always say that - I don't need a reminder!)

This week's sponsor is Sami Stamps and I made a fun little shaker card using one of these sweet images!

Hello! I'm so happy to be here as a Sponsor for ABC Christmas challenge! Sami Stamps provides a variety of high quality Digital Stamps in both JPEG and PNG formats.  I hope you enjoy crafting with Sami Stamps images as much as I enjoy illustrating them!

If you’re having fun here, please feel free to come check us out!

Blog: www.samistamp.blogspot.com

Blog Shop: http://samistampsshop.blogspot.com/

Etsy Shop:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/SamiStamps

 

 

Here is my card using the "Winter Cocoa" digital stamp. 

 

 

I printed her on Neenah Solar White cardstock and colored her with PrismaColor Pencils. I die cut the frame for my shaker using MFT Cozy Chevron paper, MFT Scalloped Stitched Rectangle Die, and MFT Double Stitched Rectangle Die. "Good Cheer" is stamping in After Midnight ink with the Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler stamp set. The card base is PTI's Soft Stone cardstock embossed with the MFT Jumbo Polka Dot Cover Plate.

 

I'm also playing along with the fun challenge over at the Sami Stamps blog!

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! Please come back again -- and please check out the fun over at ABC Christmas Challenge. 8-)

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

Isaiah 5:20   NKJV (New King James Version)

    "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Addicted To Stamps & More Challenge #175 - Photo Inspiration

Hello!

I'm excited to be joining the fun Design Team over at Addicted To Stamps & More! I'm having so much fun with my blog so far this year and I'm looking forward to the months to come. :)

This challenge is to create a project based on the photo inspiration.

I LOVED staring at this springy, happy photo. The gray skies of winter are wearing me down already! Not a good sign, since we are just a few days into January and Middle TN has had seriously mild winter weather. I can deal with the cold fairly well, but I struggle with a lack of sunshine. Yuck.


I used the Simon Says Stamp Hi Lovely stamp and die set for my card.

 

 

I die cut the blooms before stamping and layered them over a background lightly stenciled with MFT's Large Circle Burst and PTI Hibiscus Burst ink. The sentiment is from MFT's Feel Better stamp set and stamped on a paper strip cut using Blueprints 25. I added a few scrap strips of My Mind's Eye wood grain patterned paper.

 

 

I'm also playing along with As You Like It Challenge - Anything Goes and Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes.

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! Please come again soon - and please remember to stop by Addicted to Stamps & More Challenge blog to join in the fun!

 

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

 

Judges 21:25   NKJV  (New King James Version)

    "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes."

 

 

   

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Polka Dotted Daisy

Hello and Happy New Year! :)

I know I can't be the only one who is shocked that the New Year is here already. Really - today is the 4th so it's old news by now. Ugh - I feel like I'm getting old! :)

I have been "out of sorts" today with the mad holiday dash over, the housework done, closets already cleaned out, and kids not going to school. The sky was gray all morning (Thank the Lord it is shining now and I have perked up!) and I just didn't know what I wanted to do. (Well, that's not 100% true, I would have been perfectly happy to take a cat nap OR read a book, but it doesn't feel like a very adult thing to do on a Monday morning. Ha!) So, after one failed attempt at a crafty idea I wanted to try out, I took a little break to tidy the house and fix the kids lunch. Once I got back to my room, I had a another idea pop up and it worked out well. Kept me occupied for a good while, too. Win-win. 8-)

I wanted to play along with the MFT sketch over at their Challenge & Inspiration blog.

 

 

I did some "double die-cutting", as I call it, to create the large red/white polka dotted daisy by using my Gerbera Daisy dies (my all time favorite flower) and Jumbo Dot Cover Up plate.

 

 

 

I first die cut red and white cardstocks using the Jumbo Polka Dot coverup. I placed the white dots inside the frame of the red cardstock and used this combined piece (taped to plain printer paper) to die cut the daisies. I used the same technique to cut the center of the flower with other colors cardstock.

 

The Kraft panel is die cut using MFT Double Stitched Rectangle and stamped with Versa Mark ink and the Bold Diagonal Stripes. The sentiment is white embossed on a black cardstock strip using MFT Get Well Wishes stamp set.

 

 

I'm also playing along with a few other challenges:

 

Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes with  a Die

Glitter N Sparkle - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Something New.

 

   

 

 

 Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! Hope you enjoyed my card and will come again soon. :)


God Bless,
Mandy


Philippians 2:10  NKJV  (New King James Version)
   "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth," 



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Christmas Card Challenges #5

*This is my second post of the day. To see my ATSC #117 Labels/Tags post, click here.*


Good morning!

It's time for another challenge over at Christmas Card Challenges. Play along with us each week to get a great leaping start on your Christmas cards for 2016. Not that we even want to think about that yet. But, the sting of this past year's mad dash is fresh enough to motivate me to be even more prepared. And, yes, I say that every year.

For this week's color challenge, I went back to my MFT Hug in a Mug set. I'm kinda, sorta obsessed with this set! It is very rare for me to get a set and want to use it over and over, different colors, different designs - you name it, but it's all on my agenda with this one. It makes me want to go hunt another that I will fall in love with just as much, but it probably wouldn't happen. That's what makes it so unique (for me). So, that was a precursor for saying that you may get tired of seeing cards with these mugs on them on my blog. I just love it.

I got the inspiration to make the cup a shaker from this card. It's swoon worthy. :) I finally broke down and bought a big roll of the GOOD foam tape, so I'm excited to make more shakers. I was too stingy with my foam tape before, then got fast and loose with it once a friend gave me an enormous roll she had leftover from work. It's so heavy duty that it's not good for shaker cards, but it did get me spoiled on having such a large roll that I don't have to hoard it. (I've said before, it's really a struggle to be a miser AND an obsessed crafter. I should be the president of that support group.)

I've layered this on a PTI Soft Stone card base and used the same color ink to stencil in the subtle (Tim Holtz) Fair Isle pattern in the background. The mug and coffee oval is die cut from DCWV Basics 6x6 pad and the chevron background is MFT patterned paper. The adorable plaid strip is from Basic Grey's Juniper Berry 6x6 pad. I'm also in love with this paper and can't quite get enough. I'm trying to be a good girl and not hoard it, but it's hard.

I'm playing along with the current CASology challenge and Simon Says Monday Challenge, Winter Wonderland.

    

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! Please stop on over at Christmas Card Challenges to play along with the color challenge and to visit the wonderful inspiration.

God Bless,
Mandy

I John 3:23  NKJV (New King James Version)
    "And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us."



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Addicted To Stamps Challenge - #117 Labels/Tags

Hello!

It's time for another challenge at the Addicted To Stamps Challenge blog. The theme this time is Labels or Tags.

I used my Altenew set, Label Love, to make this fun little birthday card. 

I began by die cutting a circle from plain printer paper to mask off a portion for the background of my card. I stamped the "Cool!" repeatedly and then sponged the same MFT Daffodil ink over the edges before removing the mask. The ice cream cone is die cut using MFT's LJD Sweet Treats Die-namics and popped up on foam tape for dimension. The Happy Birthday was stamped from the Label Love set in WPlus9's Coconut Husk ink. I sponged Tim Holtz Gathered Twig Distress Ink around the edges of the panel die cut using MFT Blueprints 13. 

I'm also playing along with Seize The Birthday "Anything Goes" challenge and Freshly Made Sketches. 

   

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! Please don't forget to stop by at ATSC to play along with the current Labels/Tags challenge. The more the merrier! 

God Bless, 

Mandy

Phillipians 2:3-4  NKJV  (New King James Version)

     "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

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