Love You Lara

The new challenge this week at Creative Card Crew is to Use the Colors of Your Country & since I am from Canada, the colours I've used are mainly red & white.  Oh, I was moaning so loud when I read the challenge... the colour red with my Copics has been such an anchor for me & although I have been getting better with it, doing a whole card with red was sorely testing me.  But I pulled out my new Copic Xpress paper & that stuff is fabulous... no smearing outside the lines or the colour running.  I am totally sold on that paper!  Anyway, this week's sponsor is Digital Delights & I chose their Love You Lara image... nothing more red than a ladybug & hearts, right?  The card is a bit of a mixture - I used a Cuttlebug die for the flowers & Martha Stewart's oak leaf punch for the leaves.  The ticket stamp is Tim Holtz's & the sentiment is from a set I bought used & the name is not marked on it.  If this set looks familiar to anyone, let me know because I'll label it properly.  The stamps are a dark blue & the writing is imprinted on the gray of the reverse side (I wish all unmounted used that technique because it works really well).  So, head on over to Creative Card Crew's Challenge to see what the rest of the design team has created & be sure to add your entry.
Challenges:
A Spoonful of Sugar - Valentines
Delightful Challenges - Celebrations
One Crazy Stamper - Love

Duncan the Duck

This week's challenge at Stamps R Us is to create a card with an animal & the sponsor is Sew Many Cards & I am using their image called Duncan Under the Mushroom Umbrella.

The sentiment is computer generated from a saying I found on the internet (I don't know how we lived before the internet!) & I coloured the image with Copics.  Then I added some ribbon & buttons from the stash & used Dew Drops for rain drops.
Challenges:
Fab n Funky - Animal Magic
Stamping Vacation - Animals with Eyebrows

Techno Guy

Today's card is my son's birthday card.  As soon as I saw Kenny K's TechnoGuy, I knew it was a future birthday card.  Not that Clayt is a musician but he does shave his head & I thought this fellow looked a lot like him.
I coloured the image with Copics & the rest of it is from my stash... the papers, the brad & the glitter paper.  The ribbon is new & I bought it at Michael's... it's not really a 'guy' kind of ribbon but I liked it because the silver sparkles matched everything else.  The sentiment is computer generated & the stars cut with Nestabilities.  The layout is Bev's sketch on Kenny K's Krafty Girls Challenge site.
Challenges the card is entered in:
 Kenny K Krafty Girlz - Sketch Challenge
Creative Inspirations - Celebrate
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges - Anything Goes
Stamp Something - Something Cute
Karber Weekly Challenge - Use a Ribbon
Paper Cutz - Anything Goes
Copic Creations - What's New (the ribbon & image)
Cards for Men - Let's Party
PaperPlay - Back to Black

Fairy of Love

Today is the final preview day for Bizzy Bec's Sweet Love digi collection.  This one is called Fairy of Love & she & the other four digi girls will be available at Bizzy Bec's Online Store today.  The image was coloured with Copics & I used Nestabilities for the shapes.  The little hearts are from an old Cuttlebug die cut I've had forever but never used.  The half pearls are from Bec's store & she also has the Stickles & Nestablities available.  The sentiment is from Stampin' Up's Whimsical Words.  Today is your last chance to enter to win the whole collection so blast on over to Bizzy Bec's Blog & also check out what the rest of the design team has been busy with.

Love Letter

This is the fourth day of the Sweet Love Collection of digi stamps & his one is called Love Letter.  The images will be available for purchase on January 19th at Bizzy Bec's Online Store.  And remember, there will be drawings & 5 people will win the complete collection so make sure you enter at Bizzy Becs Online Store Blog.
The paper is some that has been hoarded since I started stamping & this image seemed right for it.  The sentiment is from Tim Holtz's Good Thoughts set & stamped with brown ink & cut with Nestabilities.  The postage stamp in the lower right is from Inkadinkado & the image is coloured with Copics. 

Key to My Heart

Day 3 of Bizzy Bec's Sweet Love Collection is Key to My Heart.  I really like the whole collection, it is so romantic & girly-girl.  There are 5 images in the collection & will be available to purchase as digis on January 19.  The image was coloured with Copics & all paper & brads were from my stash (I am really trying to whittle down that paper stash but I'm still a hoarder with it).  The sentiment is available as a freebie on Bizzy Bec's blog on the right sidebar under the heading 'Digi Freebies' & there's a few more there you can snag.

Love Balloons

Day 2 preview of Bizzy Bec's Sweet Love Collection is called Love Balloons. Be sure to head on over to Bec's Store Blog to see what the rest of the design team have been working on plus remember, she is offering blog candy of the full collection of 5 to 5 lucky people & the draw will be made January 19. These images will only be sold in her store as digis but they are beautiful to work with. I coloured the image with Copics & used distress ink on the outer edges of all the papers plus used Ice Stickles for trim on the paper & the balloons. The hearts were cut with Spellbinder's Heart Nestabilities & then I used Crackle Accents on them & rubbed Walnut distress ink over each when dry. It's the first time I've ever used it but I love that stuff... it's crispy enough to make the edges curl which turned out to be a fabulous effect - hard to see here but I glued the bottom edge down & the top one sort of flips out. I had to find a wee sentiment to fit into the heart & one of them from Stampin Up's Circle of Friendship fit the bill nicely. Challenges:

Do You Stack Up? - Distressing
Paperplay - Cutie Patootie
OLLCB - Bling it On
Crafty Cardmakers - use red & a die cut
Bunny Zoe's - Love is in the Air

Love Cloud

Sweet Love is the name of Bizzy Bec's newest image collection & this little gal is titled "Love Cloud".  These will go on sale only as Digi Images for this collection.  The artist who created this collection of images is Caroline.  There are 5 sweet images & a new one will be released each day, starting today.

Bec is offering a candy prize of a set of 5 Digi Images to 5 lucky people.  Head on over to Bec's Challenge Blog to enter.

Now, not to confuse the issue but she does have another blog candy offer besides this plus there is the January Challenge you can enter, just follow the recipe of 3 flowers, 2 buttons & a ribbon.

For this card, I coloured the image with Copics & added Stickles to the Spellbinder's oval.  The lace is from Bizzy Bec's, the tag sentiments are cut with Spellbinder's Tags & stamped with A Whiff of Joy Sentiments (I did tape over the upper part of the sentiments to get just the bottom line so they would fit), & the 'Wonderful Charm' is Tim Holtz.  The paper is from my stash.  Challenges I've entered this into:  Copic Creations - What's New?  (the digi stamp is brand new)
Stamp Something - Anything Goes
Stampalicious - Use two different stamps sets on your project (mine is Love Cloud from Bizzy Becs &
the sentiments are Whiff of Joy)
Papercutz - use a tag/tags
Mark's Finest Papers - have a heart/hearts on your card

Puppy Paws

The challenge today at Creative Card Crew is to make a card with more than one fold & is sponsored by Robyn's Fetish.  I chose the Puppy Paws digi  image from Robyn's Fetish & have coloured it with Copic markers.

The paper is from Basic Grey's Max & Whiskers paper pad, all the brads are from Bo Bunny's ICandy set called Paradise & the ribbon is a little roll I purchased from Michael's.

The sentiment is a saying by M Aklam I found on the internet & for anyone who has ever had a dog, they know this to be true.

The more than one fold card I decided to do was an easel card... probably 'old hat' for most people but it is the first one I've ever done & it was very easy.
Challenges:
CES - All Creatures Great & Small
If the Shoe Fits - Use Ribbon
Stamp Something - Use a Digi
Scrappy Frogs - use a sentiment
Tip Top Tuesday - Anything Goes

Hero Man

Today's challenge at Stamps R Us is to create a shaped card, anything but a square or rectangle & is sponsored by Gingerloft. 

I decided to go with a circle because it was a good chance for me to try out the Martha Stewart Circle Cutter I received for Christmas.  My Nesties just aren't big enough to do the card &  although I'm wanting some of the Grand Circle Nesties, the MS cutter worked ok.  It's difficult to get nice smooth edges but I was going to distress this anyway so it's all good.  The digi image is Gingerloft's Hero Man & as soon as I saw him, I wanted him.... hmmmm... now I wonder what my next two wishes should be?

I used the cardstock with the core colour which is how I was able to get that white, ragged edge & coloured the image with Copics. The sentiment & all caption clouds are computer generated (those four little pieces of paper took me about 4 hours to get finished!).  For the inside, I did a computer sentiment on Stampin Up's Confetti paper which says 'Happy Birthday to a Super Guy!', cut it with a circle Nestie & plopped it in crooked!  As usual, I've left everything until the last minute & don't have time to take another picture for the inside. 

Challenges:
Creative Craft World - Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday - Out with the Old (all of my papers & brads are from the stash)
Mad for Markers - Red, White & Blue
Fab n Funky - Anything Goes
Craft Your Days Away - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Pear Tree Designs - Circles
Stamp Something - Use a Digi
Paper Cutz - use metal (mine is the brads)
Let's Ink it Up - Anything Goes
Phindy's  Place - Distressing

Bizzy Bec's January Challenge

I hope everyone had a great New Year's & is ready to get back into a routine... I know I sure am.  The January challenge at Bizzy Bec's Store Blog is to create a project with 3 flowers, 2 buttons & 1 ribbon.  The winner of the challenge will receive a complete set of digis from the new image release & it is a prize worth fighting for.  The five images will be released on January 15 & believe me, they are gorgeous.  For my card, I chose Japanese Tilda & coloured her with Copics.  One of my DT buds said she looked like she was pregnant.  It's funny... she does look preggers & I haven't been able to look at her the same since. (Thanks L!).  Anyway... on to the card.   The sentiment is a freebie by Bec & this one plus three more can be found on the right side of Bec's Store Blog.  The flowers, papers & ribbon are from my stash & the Magnolia stamp, little white filler flowers & leaves are all available from Bizzy Bec's Online Store.  Be sure to have a good snoop while there because there's a chance to win a Spellbinder's Grand Calibur machine.

The card has been entered in the following challenges:

7 Kids College Fund - Anything Goes

Just Magnolia - Anything Goes

The Secret Crafter - Buttons & Bows

Catch the Bug - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes

Mad for Markers - Anything Goes

Mark's Finest Papers - Use Something New (new paper, flowers & stamp)