I really enjoyed Bunny Zoe Craft's sketch.

Bunny Zoe Craft's challenge is to use the sketch above, and this is what I did with it:

I don't often like everything about a card I've made, but this one I adore. Believe me, it's prettier in person. :)

I folded the paper to create the three "panels" in the sketch. The flower is my image, and I cut it so the petals lay on each respective layer created by a fold. (I assume it's okay for them not to be exactly as outlined in the sketch. I've seen people interpret sketches differently than the sketch itself as long as the main components remained, and that's what I did. If I strayed too far from the sketch to qualify for the challenge,then I owe Bunny Zoe Craft's an apology for wasting their time. But I think it's okay.)

I intentionally made it a 4.25" x 5.5" card so I can send it to Operation Write Home. I'm also entering it in Paper Sundaes -- Things with Wings challenge.

Recipe:

"Bohemian Summer" digital papers from Little Dreamer Designs (My absolute FAVORITE digital paper!)
flower cut on my Cricut, George cartridge
butterfly from SVG Cuts
white opaque embossing powder
blue embossing powder I made by mixing white opaque powder and blue PearlEx. (The color is beautiful.)
"Missing You," tag and sentiment stamp
bling and ribbon from my stash
butterfly flourish rubber stamp from Hampton Art

Christmas Card

This is the first Christmas card I've ever made. I'm not sure who to send it to, but I love the sentiment (which I found free on the web months ago, so I don't know who to give credit to.) I went way out of my comfort zone on this one, and one minute I love it--the next I think OMG!!! Tacky!!! :)

I used "Alpine" digital papers from SEI and "Urban Grunge" from Little Dreamer Designs, chipboard flourishes from Maya, and the high heel digital image from Sketching Stamper Digi Stamps. I made the flowers using SVG.cuts 3D Begonia flowers and Ranger Red Tinsel embossing powder. I also made the corners using Provo Crafts formal corners. I used Sakura's Glaze pens and glitter pens to color the digistamp.

I also dry embossed the tag with a Provo Craft folder, and used a green Pearlex to color the tag. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a photo to show the beautiful color of the tag. It really is much prettier than the photo shows--it's one of the few parts of the card I'm absolutely satisfied with.

I am trying to get the knack of designing a card to meet more challenges. I've just got to remember which challenges I chose, because I can't find one of them now (it used holly and berries--if anyone knows of it will you please let me know!)

The challenges I'm entering this card in are:

Aimee's Challenge Blog--Christmas wishes
Totally Gorjuss -- Christmas
Weekly Christmas Card Challenges -- tags
Sew Many Cards -- Christmas
Create 4Fun Challenge -- Sketch
Sentimental Sunday -- Dimension
Incy Wincy Designs -- anything goes
Christmas Inspirations -- Digital or Rubber Stamp
Moving along with the Times (glitter, embossing powder, two different patterned papers
Crazy4Challenges -- bling

Whew!

Some new challenges.

I made this card to enter a few challenges. I intentionally made this card 4.5" x 5.5" so I could send it in my pack to Operation Write Home. The challenges I entere dare:

Create4Fun Challenge
Crafty Calendar Challenge's "Blue & Flowers" challenge. 
Dutch Dare Card Challenge.

I sure wish I could color like all the amazing artists out there.

Operation Write Home Challenges

I'm entering this card in a number of challenges that are participating in a campaign to send cards to Operation Write Home. I've been wanting to make cards for this cause for a while now, so I've comitted myself to participating in these specific challenges.

My card is not nearly as fancy or creative or unique as those I see on the net, but I'm not an artist like so many of these people are. It took me forever to come up with just this simple card--especially since it's only 4.25" x 5.5".

The challenges I'm entering are:

Dutch Dare Card Challenges
The Sisterhood of Crafters
Mark's Finest Papers
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturdays
Paper Romance
Sparkle Creations

I'm also entering it in the Basic Grey Challenges as my second entry, as all of the papers are from Basic Grey's Phunky Phlorals, and I used Tara G's sketch as my template.

Change of subject: I've been very pleasantly surprised to see people visiting my blog. I had no idea that would happen! I just created it so I could enter challenges and such, with no intention of telling anyone I had done so.

To those who have stopped by and left a comment, I want you to know that means the world to me! It's very thoughtful of you, and I am really touched by your kind words.

Reva

Ying is celebrating her birthday with amazing blog candy!

Ying at Ying and Magnolia is giving away some amazing blog candy (you can see a picture of it on my sidebar). Her contest ends September 28, 2010, so there's not much time left. Of course, it's probably a good thing I have such a new blog, as no one reads it and that means a better chance for ME to win it. hehe

Craftalicious Challenge -- Thanks

I'm entering this card in Craftalicious Challenge's contest where the them is "Thanks."

Recipe:
Suzanne Nicoll flower stamp
Basic Grey Kioshi paper
Inkadinkado Thank you stamp and frame
glitter glue

generic butterfly rubber stamp

navy blue foil paper

Scrappy Frog Challenge

I'm entering this card into Scrappy Frog's challenge. The instructions are to use a hand-made paper flower.

The colors in this picture are not true; for example, the butterfly is not really that horrid blue. It really does match the entire color scheme.

Recipe:

SVGcuts 3D flowers--begonia cut file
SVGcuts Breezy Meadow Butterflies cut file
VersaMark Watermark stamp pad
Stampendous pearlized blue embossing powder
Stampendous Kaleidoscope embossing powder
flat-back pearl
flat-back rhinestone
"Thinking of You" from George cartridge, Cricut
"Formal Squares" Cuttlebug embossig folder

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge -- Grid

I'm entering this card in Stamptacular's Sunday Challenge. I created all of the elements except for the flower stamp. That is a design of Suzanne Nicoll, but I don't know the name of it.

 

D.

I'm entering this card into Basic Grey Challenge's Challenge 29 -- A Sketch by Tara G. All of the paper is from BG's digital collection Phunky Phlorals. I think the stamps are from Inkadinkado.

Challenges at Stamp Something and The Wild Flower Patch

I'm entering this card in the challenge at Stamp Something where the instructions are to use digital images of some sort. In this card the background papers are digital. I wish I knew where I found them because I LOVE them, but I'm afraid I don't remember. I do know they were free, as I have only a few papers that I have actually paid for.

I'm also entering it into The Wild Flower Patch's challenge, where the instructions are to use stripes.

Anything Goes Challenge--Oriental

These are pictures of the card I made for Anything Goes' Challenge--Oriental.  The front is a flower stamp on vellum, and it resembles an oriental screen. If you open the "screen", there is a minimalist dry embossed "picture" of leaves. The "screen" is mounted on a silver card that is blank in the middle so it will suit any occasion.

Materials used:
"Orient Express" charms by Blue Moon Beads.
Rubber Stamp by Suzanne Nicole, I don't know the name.
Coredinations Whitewash Collection, pink
Silver foil paper
Sakura Glaze pens for flowers
Cuttlebug "Leaves" folder
Cuttlebug "Formal Squares" folder
ColorBox black ink
Marvy Brush Marker black
emery board
vellum

D

Blog candy!

Feline Playful has two of the most amazing blog candy contests I've ever seen. She is celebrating her blog reaching 200 followers, and then 300 followers. This is the blog candy for the 200 followers:

And this is the candy for the 300 followers:

I'd give one of my big toes to win either of these AMAZING prizes.

Therapeutic Self-Indulgence

Life has not been kind to me, and in my journey to find ways to cope I discovered paper crafting--specifically making cards. Although I'm physically limited in the amount of time I can devote to it, when I'm in the zone and making something pretty, it just plain makes me feel good.  So I very selfishly spend as much time as I can making pretty things, as it is extremely therapeutic for me.

Eventually, I decided to go ahead and enter some of the numerous card challenges out there on the web, but I soon realized that while I could enter them without a blog, it woul be much easier if I had a blog to link them to, and thus . . .  my blog.

I'm not a blogger kind of person. Having to be quick and clever overwhelms me. Additionally, I have come to the conclusion that life's questions are unanswerable for some. So, you won't find any great wisdom here.

What you will find are links to the challenges I have entered, and my gratitude towards those who think them up and sponsor them, as it's very therapeutic to me to be able to create something when certain guidelines have been established. In other words, I don't have to think so hard, and I LOVE not having to think hard.

I warn you in advance, I'm a total amateur when it comes to making cards. They are nothing like the amazing creations I find online, nor will they ever be. In fact, everything I post will probably either be a stolen idea or a happy accident.

So, with that, welcome to my blog.