For the Dogs

The Kite Flying Fhiona set from Your Next Stamp is still sitting on my desk.  Honestly, there are so many great images in the set and I am full of ideas that I can't wait to share.  Here is one of those ideas, using the cute dog image, which just happens to look like my own pup!

I took the sketch from Paper Player's challenge #43 and kept it CAS.  I also think the images are super cute, which fits with Wee Memories challenge #52, All Things Adorable - and the sponsor is Your Next Stamp!!!

Well, one card was not enough!  Once I had the dogs, of course I needed a card with Fhiona walking a dog :>)

I added lots of texture to this one with embossing, paper grass, and ribbon, which fits in with the Your Next Stamp challenge #40 - "Texture It".  Plus, texture is Paper Sundaes' challenge #65.  The layout is based on Mojo Monday's sketch #187.  I have to give this one a try too in Wee Memories challenge #52, All Things Adorable!!!

Even two cards are not enough, I told you I was having fun with this set.  I actually stamped about 2 dozen of these pups on different PP and have been fussy cutting whenever I was in the car passenger seat the past couple weeks.   Even though this is a "girl" set, the dog is one of those images that would be good for a "boy" card too! 

I still have more dogs that I cut out, so don't be surprised if I sneak in another "walking the dog" card.
Smiles,
Julie
Details:  All Cards - Image - Kite Flying Fhiona (Your Next Stamp),Sentiment - So Happy (Verve) and Ink - Tuxedo Black (Momento)
First Card - PP - Sugar Rush, CS - White (PTI), black embroidery floss (DMC) and scallop punch.
Second Card - CS - Tranquil Blue (Core'dinations) and Kraft (PTI), PP - Sugar Rush (Basic Grey), Embossing - Swirls, Swiss Dots and Circles (Cuttlebug), Scallop Punch, Twine and Ribbon.
Third Card - CS - White and Black (PTI) and PP (Basic Grey)

Sewing Past and Present

A Little Tykes picnic table in the basement is where I started off sewing on my cards.  Okay, it's a finished basement, but the picnic table is really small ;>) Now, I can't stop sewing and the sewing machine is right next to my crafting supplies.  If you do not see sewing on one of my cards it is either because a) I was too tired to change the thread color or b) I made a conscience effort to fight temptation!
Today's card from the present has just a bit of sewing on it.  I really wanted to sew the scallops on and then could not stop, so I added a bit around the edges.

This cute little bunny, Clementine, is from Stamp Fairy.  The latest challenge from Stamp Fairy is "for the girls" and really, how sweet is Clementine with her bows?!
I took sketch #111 from Card Patterns and moved the sentiment.
This card is also for the latest guest designer challenge from Tesa Broman on Yvonne Yams blog "Do More with Less" - this time around it is to color.  You should really just pop over to see Tesa's creations, she makes it look so easy.
Now it is time for a blast from the past.  Flashback Friday's 10.0 challenge is to re-post your first card with sewing on it.  I knew immediately which card was my first, and the title of that post, "Do Not Try This at Home", should be a clue as to why I will never forget that card.  I sewed the card shut!!!  I ended up matting it on a different card base, but I learned my lesson and always sew the layers before putting the card together.

Have a wonderful week and hopefully you find time to play along with these fun challenges!
Smiles,
Julie
Details for first card:  Image - Clementine (Stamp Fairy), Sentiments - Verve and Lawn Fawn, PP - Hopscotch (Basic Grey), CS - Aqua Mist and Kraft (PTI), Buttons (PTI), and copics.

Recycled Buttons

Breakfast foods are my favorite.  Cereal is perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Now I have a use for all those cereal boxes.  Buttons.  One of my favorite embellies!

Challenge #41 over at Paper Players is recycling, so I took a cereal box and used a die cut to create buttons.  Not the most creative recycling, but a first for me.

I love the button card trend, so I used the frame from Verve's Framed Wishes to create my own.  Mojo Monday's sketch #185 was my inspiration.
Smiles,
Julie
P.S. Fortunately my husband is a wonderful chef so my family does not actually eat cereal all day long :>)
Details:  Stamps - Framed Wishes (Verve), CS - Cream (PTI), PP - Modern Homemaker (October Afternoon), Ink - Aqua Mist and Vintage Cream (PTI) & Lady Bug Red (Momento), Ribbon - Aqua Mist Twill (PTI), Punch - Scallop, Die Cut - Button Cutups (TCP), and thread.

April SFYTT -

A new technique for me.  Sanding card stock.  I have always meant to give it a try.  I just needed a little bit of a push :>)

That push came from Guest Designer Debbie Standard's emboss and sand challenge on Yvonne Yams blog - Do More With Less.   I like the results and I am excited that Core'dinations is readily available in the stores near me so I can get more colors to play with. 

My card is based on April's Sketch for You to Try - another fun sketch this month.
The YNS set Kite Flying Fiona was still sitting on my desk and the sweet bird from the set needed to be inked up.  Once I decided on the images, I couldn't help but add some stitching for Your Next Stamp's Challenge #39.  
Smiles,
Julie
Details:  Stamps - Bird and Branch from Kite Flying Fhiona (YNS), musical notes from I Love You  (We R Memory Keepers), CS - Curry (Core'dinations), Cream (PTI), Ink - Chocolate Chip and More Mustard (SU), PP - Salt Air (Cosmo Cricket), Embossing Folder (Sizzix), Sanding Blocks (SU),and Marker - Mellow Moss (SU).

Flying into Spring

It was windy but sunny all weekend in the northeast, the perfect kind of weather for Fhiona to fly a kite!

This card is all courtesy of October Afternoon's "Modern Homemaker" paper, which I received in the mail on Friday from Laurel Seabrook (thank you!).  I won the paper when Laurel was a guest designer on Yvonne Yam's blog and issued a challenge to paper piece.  Well, I could not help but paper piece away on this card too :>)  Such fun paper and with Fhiona from Your Next Stamp I could not resist creating a little scene.  The text PP mat was cut out with the PTI Mat Stack 5 die.  I trimmed off the bottom of the die cut to turn it into a tag. 

I used sketch #109 from Card Patterns and added some stitching, which is the current Your Next Stamp challenge (#39).
Plus, Wee Memories' Challenge #50 is "color inspiration".  Well, Aqua Mist is my color inspiration because it goes with everything!  Add red to it and life is good.  Whenever I am in a crafting slump, pulling out my favorite color just makes creating so much easier.  
Smiles,
Julie
Details:  Stamp:  Kite Flying Fiona (Your Next Stamp), PP - Modern Homemaker (October Afternoon), CS - Ivory (PTI), Twill- Aqua Mist (PTI), Button - Aqua Mist (PTI), Ink - Tuxedo Black and Ladybug Red (Momento), scallop punch, Twine - (PTI), Copics, and die - Mat Stack 5 (PTI).

Quilted Spring Sweetness

A quilt is the perfect way to welcome a baby.  8 years ago I would have been making a quilt out of fabric, but today it is paper!

I made this baby shower card to match the purchased gift, purple quilted bedding, for the sweet little one on the way.  Now I am hoping that it makes it to the shower on time (fingers crossed for the USPS!).

I did not have any purple patterned paper, so I made my own using Verve stamps.  I took the cupcake toppings from "Seize the Cupcake" and the holly branches from "Merry Wishes" and stamped away, then punched out squares to "quilt".  The scallop base is a freebie svg I found HERE, which I re-sized to 5.5" x 5.5".  I took inspiration from this week's CPS sketch (#211) and added the sentiment.  All the soft purple just makes me think of spring with crocuses and lilacs, so I am entering this one in Verve's Diva Dare Color Me Spring challenge.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Smiles,
Julie
Details:  Stamps:  Images - Seize the Cupcake and Merry Wishes (Verve) & sentiment - Baby Button Bits (PTI), CS - SU and PTI, Ink - Certainly Celery (SU), Versamark, Lulu Lavender (Momento), Buttons (PTI), Embossing Folders - (Cuttlebug), Ribbon - (Prairie Bird Boutique), and Square Punch.