Use It Tuesday Challenge #54: Flowers for Mom

Use It Tuesday time!! Are you excited? Because I AM!!

This week, we’re celebrating two things: 1) May flowers and 2) Mothers, with a challenge we’re calling “Flowers for Mom”. You can see from our DT inspiration that we want you to make a project with ONE OR BOTH of these elements.

I have a couple of Mother’s Day cards already to go from last year, so I chose to focus on the flowers portion of our challenge this week. These fun and glittery flower stickers have been in my stash for a long while. It was a pretty big package and while I’ve used them on and off over the years, now I’m ready to finish the package and move on to new things. I also used paper and ribbon from a card kit that had been partially used.

Now, show us your “Flowers for Mom”. Remember, you don’t have to use both elements, but at least one must be there. As well, don’t forget to tell us what part of your beautiful creation has come from your hoarded supplies.

Projects can be linked up to the Use It Tuesday website by noon (PST) on Friday May 3, 2013. No blog? No problem! Just use the keyword USE054 when uploading your project to an online gallery and leave us a direct link so that we can find your creation.

**Don’t forget, we ask that you please mention you’re playing along with us and tell us all about project supplies that come from your hoarded stash.**

Have fun!

Finishing Up the Card Kit

I mentioned in my Use It Tuesday post that I used a card kit for my project this week. Since I hate having scraps and unfinished things on my craft desk, I needed to finish up with the kit before I moved onto something else.

I used the last two images from the kit to make two cards. The first one uses this fun glittery truck paper from the kit. I paired it with a fairly neutral blue pattern from my scrap stash and cut the image out. I love the red knot on the side.

The next card I went for darker colors. Found a embossed background in my stash that I thought matched the patterned paper. The blue rick rack I was going to fold around the patterned piece, but it wouldn’t co-operate and then I decided I kind of liked it the way it was.

This card kit was from my friend Imke in my SCS Secret Sisters swap. She was my secret sis a couple of rounds ago and sent me this kit. I had a corresponding “girl” kit, so I’ll have to dig it out and use it next. Thanks, Imke!!

I have a number of craft projects I need to finish this month, so hopefully you’ll see more of me. See you soon, friends.

Use It Tuesday #51: Diecuts, Punches and Cut-outs

I hope you had a great time with our last Use It Tuesday challenge, the un-inked stamp challenge. It always seems to be a favorite. Now that challenge 50 is out of the way, we begin our ascent towards challenge #100. Remember, any time you want you can “like” our Facebook page and see what’s going on there!

This week’s Use It Tuesday challenge is Diecuts, Punches and Cut-outs. Perhaps you have an un-used diecut, an often forgotten punch, a cut-out shape that was wrong for one project but you keep it around “just in case”…pull it out today and USE IT!

This week, I decided to use some new diecuts. I purchased these Fishtail Flags and Rounded Banners from My Favorite Things  at the end of December in a Boxing Day sale (along with a few other dies). I couldn’t wait for them to arrive and then have barely cracked the packages. Both of these sets were unopened before this project.

I also used my SU Rounded Tab punch. I’m so glad I bought this before it retired. I often forget I have it, but it’s sure fun to use when I remember! Lastly, the papers, embellishments and image come from a card kit I received last year.

Link up your die-cuts, punches and cut-outs project to the Use It Tuesday website by noon (PST) on Friday March 22, 2013. No blog? No problem! Just use the keyword USE051 when uploading your project to an online gallery and leave us a direct link so that we can find your creation.

**Don’t forget, we ask that you please mention you’re playing along with us and tell us all about project supplies that come from your hoarded stash.**

Before you go, here’s a quick view of the inside of my card.

See you again soon, friends!

Crafty Gals January Challenge

1st post of 2013!! I probably should have been here a couple of days ago with my 2013 crafty resolutions, but I don’t know what they are yet, so there wasn’t much to post!!

The last few days I’ve been feeling low on the craftiness, but it seems to have come back today. Which is great, because it’s just in time (or perhaps a touch late) for the Crafty Gals challenge, which is posted on the 5th of every month.

We’ve had some changes in our Crafty Gals group. Athina, Patty and Jackie felt that 2013 were bringing them new challenges and they decided to leave our happy bloggy family. Sob! I’m going to miss them.

But, Melina put a call out for new members and we have FIVE new Crafty Gals. Joan, Sharon, Zella, Monica and Laura are joining us and I’ve updated my Crafty Gals blog roll with their blogs.

With all the changes, it’s been pretty busy, so Melina decided to make our January challenge an “Anything Goes” challenge! Her exact words, “show us what’s on your desk right now”.

Okay, so here’s my desk:

Pretty messy. Yup, I need to clean up. So, that’s why today you get two Thanksgiving/Fall cards. Way out of season, I know. But, I had this REALLY great card kit with awesome images and papers. I don’t want to put it away and forget about it, so I needed to clean it up. I colored the images just after Christmas and today I sat down to make them into something pretty. Here are the two cards I created:

I have to thank Claire, who happily played with her toys in my room for awhile and let me play with my toys.

I’ll see you next month for the next Crafty Gals challenge!!

ABC Challenges

My talented SCS friend and fellow Crafty Gal, Patty has started a new challenge blog called ABC Challenges. ABC stands for All Beautiful Cards. I’ve been meaning to play along and it’s taken me until challenge #4 to finally find the time.

The challenge this week was a pretty sketch. I was still working with that card kit I mentioned in my last post, so pulled some more of the gorgeous papers out and came up with this:

I love the blue with the brown tones. I was hoping that the trees would be a little darker, but I think I used the wrong ink color. Next time.

I’m also entering this challenge over at Twisted Tuesday (also started by a fellow Crafty Gal). This week’s challenge was to stamp on patterned paper and use teal or turquoise. I’m not sure that blue is quite teal, but I like it so I’m letting it be!

Fall Thank You

We’ve been chatting challenges in one of my groups over at SCS. We decided that it’s nice when you get to play with a friend, so I suggested we pick a challenge occasionally and all play along.  A couple of people thought it was a great idea, so I got to pick the first challenge.

I wanted something that everyone could do, whether you were experienced with challenges or not, so I picked the SCS Sketch Challenge (#411). It was  a pretty cool sketch anyway, so that worked out. Here is my card:

I used pieces from a card kit I opened a few weeks ago. This kit had so many beautiful fall papers in it! I almost felt sad using them up tonight.

I’m also entering this card in the Shopping Our Stash challenge, which was a Thanks or Thanksgiving theme and a couple of “Anything Goes” challenges, at Tuesday Alchemy and Forever Friends.

Use It Tuesday #43: Thankful Thoughts

Welcome back, Users!

Before we get started today, I interrupt this crafty moment for an important announcement….it’s a Use It Tuesday DESIGN TEAM CALL!!

We are looking for a new team of fun, collaborative and creative crafters to inspire us to new stash-using levels. This will be Use It Tuesday’s 4th Design Team call and, as usual, we are looking for people with all experience levels.

Term: Jan 1 to June 30, 2013

Requirements:
- have an online gallery and/or a blog
- if you have a blog, you need to be a follower of Use It Tuesday to apply
- have a Facebook account or a willingness to make one
- be able to work with deadlines
- make and post 2 inspiration projects per month
- comment on players’ projects
- be a team player and have a positive attitude

Interested? Please email the following completed application to UseItTuesday@gmail.com by November 30th.

1. Name
2. Links to your online galleries and/or blog
3. Your previous DT experience, if any.
4. Please tell us a little about yourself.
5. How did you hear about our DT Call?
6. Have you played with us previously?
7. Please tell us why you would like to be on our team.
8. Please share one fun fact about yourself.

Thanks in advance to everyone who applies!!

Now, onto our challenge this week….

Have I taken the time lately to tell you, my dear readers, how much I appreciate your comments, suggestions and general presence here on my blog? Well, I do!

Which brings me to the theme of this week’s Use It Tuesday challenge.We want you to “Show Us Your Thankful” side.

For some of you, located in the United States, this theme will probably bring out your Thanksgiving side. For others, like me, who may have celebrated Thanksgiving earlier in the fall (or perhaps don’t celebrate it at all), you may interpret our challenge in other ways. We can’t wait to see what you do!

For me, I did think of Thanksgiving, but our holiday had already passed. So, I chose to make a Thanksgiving themed card, without the appropriate sentiment. Hopefully that works for you.

What’s hoarded in this beauty? Well, now that’s a story. I actually started this card a few weeks ago for another Use It Tuesday challenge, All About Fall. But, we took a Fall family trip and preparations meant I didn’t get my card done in time. So, I pulled it out of my stash when I returned and finished it up for this challenge. Besides that, all the materials (image, paper, bow, rhinestones) came from a card kit, which I tend to hoard in large quantities (truthfully, you should see them all).

Well, THANKS for reading. Now it’s your turn.

Link up your project on the Use It Tuesday website using Inlinkz before November 23, 2012. No blog? No problem! Just use the keyword USE043 when uploading your project to an online gallery and leave us a direct link so that we can find your creation.

**Once again, please remember that we ask you to mention you’re playing along with us and tell us what part of your project comes from your hoarded stash.**

Come on back November 26th while we give thanks to three lucky entries. One will be randomly chosen as our winner and asked to be a guest designer on a future challenge. Two others will be shown our appreciation with the honor of Top 2 Design Team picks!

Have fun, Users!!

Viva la Verve – September Week 4

Time for the last September Viva la Verve challenge!

This week, I decided to play with one of my card kits. Okay, so it’s not a Verve stamp, but I only have a few and sometimes I have to share the stamping love amongst other companies, right?

I spent a day at a scrapbooking retreat last weekend. I didn’t pack alot to do, since my daughter was out there with me, but I took a few card kits hoping I could do something while she entertained herself. She actually did pretty good and I managed to color a few of these Riley images. One, I used on my scrapling a few days ago. Then I made this one from the rest of the card kit contents and I have one more of this image colored and ready for a creation. I’ll get to that soon!

Here’s this week’s Viva la Verve sketch card:

100 Card Count: 99/100 (Only 1 more!!!!)

Riley Challenge: Scraplings

I haven’t played along with a Riley challenge in quite awhile. I always stop by to check out the theme, but it just never seems to hit my craft desk!

Their theme right now is to make a scrapling, which is basically a small, narrow card. It can’t be any more than 2.5 inches wide. I’ve never made one before. But, today I was sorting some of my cardstock scraps and came across the perfect scrapling piece, so I decided to give it a try.

I actually think these scraplings are super cute and I might try to make a few more!

This makes card number 97 in my hundred day challenge. Painfully slow, but I’m getting ‘em done!!

100 Card Count: 97/100

Viva la Verve – August 2012, Week 4

My last Verve card of the month. This one came together pretty quickly, which was nice. Love these papers!

Back again soon!

100 Card Count: 69/100