Friends are Treasures

I had some 5x7 cards to use up, so I made a set of these thinking of you / friendship cards.  For the embossed background, I inked a Cuttlebug embossing folder with Antique Linen Distress Ink before putting in the paper and running it thru the Big Shot.  I wanted a "mat" for the Thinking of you sentiment, but didn't have a scalloped oval that graduated up from the Stampin' Up scalloped oval punch.  So I used that punch and cut the oval in the middle, to add the pieces behind the sentiment.  The scalloped oval pieces didn't provide full background, so that's why the sentiment mat overlaps the mat for the little girl image.

Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge #27

Doodle Pantry makes tons of great digital images for card-makers.  Their challenge this month is to use a Doodle Pantry image (not too hard)!  Here's a dino-mite card I started in June, but never got around to finishing it until now.

Here's the link if you'd like to see cards other folks made: 
http://doodlepantryblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/doodle-pantry-digital-challenge-27.html

(P.S.  Can you tell what day I get to "play" most?  LOL!)

Our Daily Bread Designs Shining Light Challenge #123

Well, I just realized I've missed the deadline for this challenge.  Dog gone timezones!  My card probably wouldn't "count" anyway, because after doing it I realized the challenge was to STAMP your own background.  Mine was a new technique to me, but it didn't use stamps!

The gears are from a package by Petaloo, Color Me Crazy chipboard Gears.  I placed them on white paper, then sprayed on Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist "Tattered Leather" -- but you can't see the "glimmer" in the photo.  Oh well, maybe next time.

Joan's Gardens Weekly Challenge #34

 The challenge was to use blue and white, have a tree, a snowman, and a corner embellishment.

The white paper is by Astrobrights, maybe "Stardust White", and the blue papers are from my stash.
  Northwoods Rubber Stamps made the Think Snow stamp.  It was stamped using the second-darkest blue in the Kaleidacolor "Blue Breeze" rainbow dye ink-pad, then I "stamped off" to get the shadow words.
  The tree is by Stampin' Up (maybe Lovely as a Tree set), and the snowman is from Stampin' Up in 2000.  The tree was stamped in Vivid! "Sky Blue" ink, with some VersaMark Dazzle in the background.The snowman was inked in Hero Arts Shadow "Soft Grey," then his snowflakes and strings were colored with the Stampin' Up "Pool Party" marker before stamping.  The stamped image was then colored-in using a variety of materials.  Stampin' Up markers for his carrot nose "Peach Parfait", his eyes & mouth "Pacific Point", and "So Saffron" for the yellow in his hat and scarf.  The blue in the hat and scarf, as well as his buttons were water-color painted using the same Kaleidacolor ink as the sentiment.  Copic markers were used for his stick arms E25 "Caribe Cocoa" and the shadows around him BG10 "Cool Shadow" (good thing it wasn't warm shadow - LOL!).
   The corner embellishment is a Stampin' Up snowflake punch.  You probably can't tell, but I used the matching stamp with VersaMark Dazzle and embossed the snowflake with an iridescent embossing powder before punching it out.   
    Play along at:  http://www.atjoansgardens.com/2012/09/this-weeks-challenge_20.html
P.S.  After I had posted the card and linked it to the challenge site, I decided the tree needed snow to tie it into the rest of the card. 

Red & Green - OWH Mid-week Throwdown

Operation Write Home (OWH) has a weekly sketch challenge on Sundays, and then a "mid-week throw-down" challenge.   This week the throw-down is to do red & green cards for our heroes to send home to their families.  Naturally, that said Christmas to me.

I may have to try some non-Christmas ones, too!  If you'd like to play along, here's the link:
   http://operationwritehome.org/stampers-best-giveaway/