CrAzY for Words - C4C374

Hello there!  I’m back today hosting the last challenge for February on the Crazy 4 Challenges team!  I’m challenging everyone today to Use Your Words… make the sentiment the focal point of your card.  This is something I LOVE to do, and don’t do often enough anymore.  Years ago I used to design work for Verses Rubber Stamps, and always enjoyed pairing embellishments and other items with the wonderful sentiments they carried at Verses.  Check out my Verses cards HERE for some ideas.

Another thing I love to do is use a big die-cut word for my sentiment, just like this…

I’ve used the new Twice the Hugs Die-Namics from My Favorite Things for my large focal sentiment die-cut from Blu Raspberry card stock, and added the word “Sending” from the matching Lots of Hugs stamp set.  I sponged a little bit of Summer Splash dye ink on the base of my card front panel, then stamped this tulip from the new Sketched Blooms 2 stamp set, using Sour Apple, Razzle Berry, Pink Lemonade and Cotton Candy hybrid inks.  I embellished with a few clear sequins.

Be sure to stop by the C4C blog for all the challenge details today, and be inspired by the rest of the CrAzY girls…

Lisa Henke, February Guest Designer
Anja de Regt
Barbara Anders
Caz Counsell
Frances Byrne
Jessie Rone
Joanne Grzelak
Karen Aicken
Maryann Einem
Raquel Mason
Rebecca Ednie

Thanks for stopping by today!

CrAzY for Sketches - C4C373

Hello friends!  It’s the third Saturday of the month which can only mean one thing… it’s time for a Crazy 4 Challenges sketch!  Here we go…

And here’s my card…

I got inspiration for my card from the current Color Challenge #63 at My Favorite Things, and used the Beautiful Blooms stamp set and matching Die-Namics for my design.  I stamped my blooms and leaves with Spearmint, Green-Eyed Monster, Coral Crush and Chocolate Brown hybrid inks.  I die-cut “hugs” from two layers of Coral Crush card stock using the Sending Hugs Die-Namics, and gave it a layer of Glossy Accents.  Then I added “sending” from the Essential Sentiments stamp set.  I also used Blueprints 12 for the Spearmint banner behind the sentiments, the Stitched Mini Scallop Circle STAX die-cut from Peach Bellini card stock behind the flowers, and the Pierced Rectangle STAX Die-Namics to die-cut the gingham paper that was from the Tiny Check 6x6 paper pack.

Be sure to stop by the C4C blog for all the challenge details today, and be inspired by the rest of the CrAzY girls…

Lisa Henke, February Guest Designer
Anja de Regt
Barbara Anders
Caz Counsell
Frances Byrne
Jessie Rone
Joanne Grzelak
Karen Aicken
Maryann Einem
Raquel Mason
Rebecca Ednie

Thanks for stopping by today!

CrAzY for Red - C4C372

Hey there!  Guess who forgot to do her blog post today?  Yep, that’s me! 

I’m the hostess-with-the-mostest for February at Crazy 4 Challenges, and this week I’ve got an interesting twist for you!  With Valentine’s Day approaching, many people have a date night that involves dining out, amiright?  So for today’s challenge, I want you to include a food/dining/dish theme on your card, AND include the color red!  Maybe some romantic chocolate with red hearts?  Or some red wine!  Or chocolate AND wine (that’s MY favorite, but a big no-no in my current eating plan!)

For me, I HAD to turn to my beloved Pyrex-like stamps from My Favorite Things…

Inspired by the current sketch #319 at MFT, I pulled out my Kitschy Kitchen stamp set, and got to work!  I die-cut the bowls from the matching Die-Namics, and stamped them using my MISTI with Razzle Berry and Wild Cherry hybrid inks, and added the whisk stamped in Steel Grey hybrid ink.  For the circle element, I used the Stitched Mini Scallop Circle STAX Die-Namics and added an insert to the circle with pink polka dot paper.  I added the sentiment on a strip of Wild Cherry card stock, and a piece of pink patterned paper in the background die-cut with the Pierced Rectangle STAX Die-Namics.  Then on the background piece, die-cut with a large stitched rectangle from Blueprints 13, I stamped the BG Distressed Stripes background with Versamark ink and heat set it with white embossing powder.  A few black enamel dots for embellishment, and I was done.  This will be a perfect Valentine’s Day card for my hubby, who gets into the Pyrex collecting as much as I do!

Be sure to stop by the C4C blog for all the challenge details today, and be inspired by the rest of the CrAzY girls…

Lisa Henke, February Guest Designer
Anja de Regt
Barbara Anders
Caz Counsell
Frances Byrne
Jessie Rone
Joanne Grzelak
Karen Aicken
Maryann Einem
Raquel Mason
Rebecca Ednie

Thanks for stopping by today!

CrAzY about Animals - C4C371

Hello friends!  It’s time for a new challenge with the Crazy 4 Challenges team, and also a new month.  And I am the challenge hostess for February, so I want to see you all joining in, because I have some fun challenges lined up!

AND I’ve got a FABULOUS Guest Designer joining us this month, too!  None other than the highly talented and super-sweet, Lisa Henke!  I know you’re going to love her darling creations all month long!

The challenge for this week is centered around my daughter, Kelsey.  Today is Kelsey’s 20th birthday!  How did my BABY get to be 20 already???  None only is it her birthday, but she’s 19 days away from graduating from Bradford Vet Tech in Columbus, Ohio… she loves her animals!  In fact, I often joke (but am honestly quite serious!) that the only grandchildren I will get from her someday will be the four-legged kind!  So, to honor Kelsey’s birthday today I’m challenging everyone to make a card with animals on it!

So, here’s Kelsey’s birthday card for today…

Kelsey is also a purple-fanatic so this background paper from My Favorite Things was perfect for her card, along with this sweet Lili of the Valley dog/cat/bunny image. (I think it’s retired… can’t find it on their site.)  I colored with Copics, then put these cuties in a die-cut Polaroid frame, and added the birthday sentiment.  I’m hoping Kelsey will love it!

Be sure to stop by the C4C blog for all the challenge details today, and be inspired by the rest of the CrAzY girls…

Lisa Henke, February Guest Designer
Anja de Regt
Barbara Anders
Caz Counsell
Frances Byrne
Jessie Rone
Joanne Grzelak
Karen Aicken
Maryann Einem
Raquel Mason
Rebecca Ednie

Thanks for stopping by today!

Sending You X’s and O’s

Hello everyone!  It’s February 1st, so you know what that means… time for a new Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge!  Here’s our inspiration photo for this round…

I was immediately drawn to the X’s and O’s in the photo, and thought it’d be fun to create the whole card background with the letters.  So I turned to some retired Die-Namics from My Favorite Things to create my card…

Yes… if you’re wondering, that DID take me some time, to glue all those letters down!  LOL  But I’m happy with the final result.  I added a Stitched Fishtail Flags STAX Die-Namics banner across the center, with a sentiment stamped from the Essential Sentiments stamp set from MFT, and behind that I added a die-cut vellum heart.  My colors were inspired by the new Color Throwdown challenge, which I spotted as a sneak peek on Facebook last night!

Please be sure to stop over at the Curtain Call blog for all the challenge details, and join us!  You could be in the running to be chosen as the “Lead” and be our guest designer for the next challenge!  And be sure to visit the Crew for plenty of inspiration…

Betty Wright
Kim Singdahlsen
Leigh Penner
Lisa Henke
Lori Tecler
Lynn Mangan
Marisa Ritzen
Maureen Plut
Melody Rupple
Monika Davis
Sheri Gilson
Silke Ledlow
Stacey Schafer
Tara Godfrey

Thanks for stopping by!