This is another card I started for a challenge. This time, a sketch from CPS (CPS110). I knew what I wanted to do with this card from the beginning, I just ended up taking a couple weeks to do some programing before I finished it. I even did the inside on this one

I originally wanted to put some “texting” message in the oval. So I headed over to netlingo to look up some of the latest acronyms. I must say, that I am not looking forward to having my daughter start texting!

Today’s pondering had me trying to figure out which challenges to follow. There are SO MANY challenges out there – and most of them are very good. I think I haven’t been stamping much lately because I am overwhelmed with trying to do them all. I need to pick a few and just look at the others. How did you decide what challenges to do?

I made this card for my BIL. I don’t know many other techy people, so I definitely wanted to use this computer image. When I looked at the latest CAS challenge over at SCS (CAS08) and thought it would work perfectly.

The font for the binary lines isn’t very tech looking, but I thought it went with the whimsical lines of the computer. I was just glad that stamping all those was very easy!

This card turned out soooo much better than I thought it would! The challenge areas for this months’ PTI Guest Star Stamper were limited to scrapbook or project, use of Friends ‘Til the End, and use of a previous set. I didn’t bring any of my scrapping stuff with me to Hawaii (I figured space would be limited and I hadn’t scrapped in two years already, so what is another two) and projects are hard for me – I enjoy doing them, but I never have a reason to make them and I like making stuff for a purpose. I’ve already made a couple cards that I entered with previous stamp sets. That just left Friends ‘Til the End. Thankfully I ordered that one

I know lots of people use this image (just like SU’s Fifth Avenue) to make those uber cool mod cards, and while I do want to try that myself, I wanted to watercolor this baby. I really love watercoloring. Have you ever watercolored with Palette inks before? It is hard! They dry on whatever surface you use (I normally squish my cube onto a plastic plate that I use) and they don’t take to water too well. But I’ve found if I work fast and try hard, I can do it.

The layout of this card is from Karen Giron’s sketch (SSSC08). I’ve been wanting to participate in her challenges, but this is the first one I’ve managed…and not I’m not really sure it “qualifies” as I didn’t do the layering in the background. I hope that I can go back and do her others too.

I didn’t take a picture of the inside, but I did stamp the same flower image with white pigment ink.

This card is for Kristina’s Color Inspiration (#45). I’ve been letting the color combo stew in my head all day. The inspiration for this card came as I was trying to put together other cards. I had to stop what I was doing and go after this one so I didn’t loose it!

I had the layout almost immediately and knew what I wanted in each section. My task then was to figure out what stamp image to use. I found a good combo of paper and image, but I didn’t have the right ribbon…so I searched some more. Once I got a little further in my index I found the right stamp set and then the right paper and the right ribbon – woohoo!

The card base is textured white cardstock, but you can’t tell in the photo. I actually had the card together before I decided to watercolor the image – it just needed that little bit. The ribbon is velvet ribbon I kept from a present a year or so ago.

The inside is simple – the image is from the same set and the paper is from the same pack – I like that it looks sorta like ribbon.

This card uses a CPS sketch (#106). Um, we could say that I rotated the sketch, but really, I just wasn’t paying attention and I stamped while the card was upside down *oops* Thankfully it looks good this way too

I wanted a cheery card – as this is another birthday card. I enjoyed working with the new Melon Berry ink from Papertrey Ink the other day – it is such a rich color – so I had to pull it out again. This time I added some bright yellow and blue touches.

This card was quick – just simple stamping! I even did the inside. I don’t normally stamp a sentiment on the inside – I prefer handwritten notes; but the sentiment on the front sorta felt incomplete without something on the inside as well.

This card was created for the Clean & Simple challenge at SCS (CAS04). The challenge was to accent with dots – pierced or markered. I’ve always wanted to do a card like this – with piercings delineating the “focal area”. Unfrogettable is one of my favorite sets and since I haven’t used it in awhile, I thought he would be a cute addition to the card.

Last week I stumbled upon a (new to me) blog – Clean and Simple Stamping. They host challenges that encourage clean and simple cards. I love the look of clean and simple, but struggle sometimes to really do it…so I definitely wanted to watch this blog and participate.

This card was made for challenge #FTL31 (sketch challenge). I have an anniversary card to make. I’m not sure how/why, but the sofa image from Stampin’Up! jumped into my head immediately. I am learning that I like fun and cute more than elegant. After I selected my images, I checked out my paper stash and found this fun pattern that reminded me of buttons (and the color scheme was perfect for the recipients). I really really wanted to add a button to the paper, but it needed a bit a twine, and then I just felt that was too much. I really like how this card turned out!

I really enjoy using Kraft when I make Christmas cards. So, knowing that, but not wanting to repeat my previous country-style cards, I went with the typical red/green color combination. Since red/green isn’t a favorite of mine, I kept the red as an accent color and used it sparingly.

This is not a stamp set I would have chosen for my own collection, but it was fun to create this card! Though coloring the letters was a bit of a pain After coloring the image the word “holidays” felt bare, so I outlined it with the thin tip of the yellow marker – it balances the yellow star nicely. I then added white dots to the tree and that made me think of the Polka Dot background for the accent panel. When that was done it still needed something, so I broke out my Photo Corner punch and that did it for me. Very quick and easy card.