Blue Jeans

For this card I was inspired by the Deconstructed Sketch.
I used a chevron embossing folder for my background paper. I used sandpaper to make the pattern more visible and to give it a distressed look, and I inked the edges with Walnut Distress Ink.
The panel with sentiment has a heat embossed sentiment in Norwegian, meaning "Wishing you a day filled with smiles and laughter". I used brown embossing powder, and the bronze colored look of the paper is created with a peach colored mist on kraft.
The jeans pocket I cut out from a DP, as well as the banner with textured pattern. I stamped and heat embossed 2 stars for embellishments.
The small picture shows the inside of the card. A die cut pocket, with golden thread for the stitching and a sentiment. I've used mist also for this paper.
I liked this sketch so much, so I'm working on a female version as well, in between all my confirmation cards for boys.

I'm a bit behind with my commenting, but I will do my best to try and catch up. Between blogger issues, internet issues and all those confirmation cards to make it's been a challenge to keep up with you all:)

This card is for these challenges:
1) Deconstructed Sketch - Sketch #102
2) QKR Stampede - #40 One for the Boys
3) Moving Along With The Times - Embossing
4) My Heart Pieces Digital Stamps Challenge - Be Sentimental
5) Inky Impressions - #109 Distress
6) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Sailboats

This card came together in about 20 minutes. For me that's a record, because I can spend hours choosing papers and moving little bits and pieces around!
I've used a stamp from Stampendous, I heat embossed it with blue embossing powder and left it uncolored. The papers are from Maja Design. The large sailboat metal charm is from Storyteller, and I used twine and buttons from my stash. I haven't added a sentiment - I'd like to keep my options open for this card.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Crafty Sentiments - Buttons
2) Here Come the Boys - Must have Buttons
3) Tuesday Throwdown - #148 Sail Away (Nautical)
4) Artistic Inspirations - Cards for Men
5) Card Mania - Spots and/or Stripes
6) Incy Wincy Designs - Metal Mania
7) Kaboodle Doodles - Stripes and/or Circles
8) That Craft Place - Makes for Men (2nd entry)
9)  Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Confirmation Card with Birds

I've made another confirmation card - I still have 3 or 4 more to do before next weekend!

I just love my new set of Spellbinders dies, and I used the largest die to make the card base. The second largest is used to make a frame for my scene of die cut birds (Memory Box) and fence (Marianne).
I chose a silver paper for my card base and decided to use blue patterned papers from Authentique for my panels. I've got so much paper in my stash, but visiting a craft shop a few weeks back I just couldn't resist buying two different Authentique paper pads.
The sentiment is stamped and heat embossed with white embossing powder on a hand cut banner. No embellishments used!

This card is for these challenges:
1) Allsorts - #207 True Blue
2) Dream Valley Challenges - Animals
3) Crafty Catz - 3+2+1 (3 birds+2 DPs+1 sentiment)
4) Natalie and Amy's Challenge - Things with Wings
5) Charisma Cardz - #19 No Digi's Allowed
6) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Retirement Card

Taking a break from the confirmation cards and made one for retirement. The design is inspired by the CASE over at Inkspirational, but I went for square and circles instead of rectangular with rounded edges. I also used twine instead of ribbon. I've used the white, red and green color scheme, but decided to add black as well, as the image has a black circle frame around the flower. The flower I colored using Promarkers, and I also added Glossy Acent to the rose. The flower is a digi from Bugaboo, the sentiment is from Raindrop Echo Designs.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #20 CASE
2) Crafty Creations - #222 Keep It Simple
3) Creative Moments -#17 Circles
4) I love Promarkers - #168 Simple
5) Without Words - Floral
6) Crafty Ribbons - #45 No designer paper
7) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Black, White and Kraft and a Silhouette Image

I'm still making my confirmation cards for a boy. I haven't decided yet if this is my card no 4 or if I should use this for another occasion...

I've used a sweet vintage digi from Artfire for this card, cut out with a Spellbinders die. I love silhouette images, and I immediately fell for this one. It looks great both uncolored, like on this card, with paper pieced or colored details - so versatile!

My color choice for this card fell on black, white and kraft. The black background paper is shimmery, and I wanted to keep it plain apart from a machine stitched border with white thread.

For more white I chose to heat emboss my sentiment with white embossing powder - it's from a Dylusions stamp set.
I used a MB die to make the white flowers. I added a white pearl and some glitter in the center of each flower.
The leaves have been made with a Spellbinders die. I drew a black line around the edges and added glitter.




This card is for these challenges:
1) CRAFTS AND ME Challenges - #133 Use a Digi
2) Fab 'n' Funky Challenges - #171 Favourite Embellishment (Kraft and Spellbinders die cut leaves)
3) Crafty Bloggers Network - O's & X's Challenge (Flowers+Stamps+Stitching)
4) Make it Monday with Kraft Outlet - Red, White, or Blue
5) Love to Create - Flowers
6) Paulaholifieldcrafts - Kraft It
7) Songbird Challenges - Flowers
8) Tuesday Throwdown W- #147 Smell the Roses
9) That Craft Place - Makes for Men
10) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

I've made a tag!

I haven't made many tags before, but I had so much fun making this one, with inks and mists and embossing powders! And I'm quite proud of having made a tag - at last! It's not my usual style or choice of colors. I started out spraying this the tag with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, color Peach Delight. Then I used a Panduro stamp with script and Old Paper Distress Embossing Powder. I stamped three times using the same swirl stamp and heat embossed with Zing Apricot embossing powder. For the sentiment, made with a Dylusions stamp, I used Zing Purple. I needed to add something white and yellow, so I decided to add the three flowers. To fill out the space I used a metal butterfly and some purple punched ones.

This tag is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #19 Photo
2) Flutterby Wednesdays - #239 Open
3) Crafty Creations - #221 Something old, something new
4) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Black, White and Silver

This is my take on black and white + one, for which I chose silver.

For the image I used a Tim Holtz stamp. I heat embossed it using black embossing powder on white background.

The sentiment is from Dylusions, I heat embossed it with white embossing powder onto black paper.

I also used heat embossing for the die cut key, I added silver embossing powder before I cut it out with a Marianne Design die.

On the top left corner I added a feather and a key silver metal charm and a white ribbon bow. On the bottom I added a white feather and some gems.

I' used a, to me, brand new set of Spellbinders dies for the card base and the frame for the image on the front and for the sentiment on the inside. I added another die cut key on the inside, using white paper. The birthday sentiment is heat embossed in black.




I enter this card in the following challenges:
1) Frosted Designs - Black, White + One
2) Charisma Cardz - #18 Black and White Plus one color
3) The Corrosive Challenge Blog - #174 My sentiments exactly
4) A Gem of a Challenge - #79 Things With Wings
5) Just Us Girls - #188 Use White
6) My Time to Craft - #221 Show Us the Inside
7) Creative Corner - #18 Things with Wings
8) Crafty Sentiments - Use a Sentiment
9) Deep Ocean Challenge - #51 Let's Sparkle
10) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Vintage Sailor Boy - Confirmation Card No 3

It's the season for confirmations, so this is the third confirmation card I've made for a boy.
For this one I chose to use a  vintage image of a sailor boy. I went with blue, white and sand colored papers and embellishments for a nautical feel.
The DPs I've used are from Maja Desgin. To add some feel of texture I embossed a square of paper, I machine stitched around the edges using silver thread, I put cheesecloth behind the image and a bit of jute to make the frame.
The anchor is die cut using a Die-namics die, and I embossed the paper with platinum ultra thick embossing enamel to give it a metallic look.
The embossed square opens up, and on the inside I've made a pocket for a gift card or money and space to write. I added to die cut rounded tags to make the flaps for the square and decorated them with candy. The sentiment I chose to put between the flaps, it's a confirmation greeting and it's been heat embossed with blue embossing powder.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Digi Sketch Challenge - For the Boys
2) Ooh La La Creations - Vintage/Nostalgic
3) Penny's Paper-Crafty - #126 Diecuts/punches
4) Everybody-Art-Challenge - #235 Fabric
5) Stamping Sensations - Embossing and Texture
6) Delicious Doodles - Something for the Boys
7) Fairy Tale - #66 - A Very Special Occasion
8) Paper Creator's Crafts - For the Boys
9) 2 Sisters - #141 Bingo (Embossing+Patterned Paper+Die Cuts/Punches)
10) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Feminine Birthday Card

Color challenges - I both love and hate them! Love them because they make me try out new color schemes, hate them since I often find myself struggling to find what I need for my card. If you're a pink girl you'll have lots of pink stash, If you love blue - like I do - you'll have loads of blue papers and embellishments.

Purple - no problem - I had some purple card stock and used an embossing folder with spots. I also heat embossed my image using purple embossing powder.
Green - don't have loads of green stuff, but found some pearls decorate my image with, as well as green card stock to make the panel for my patterned paper.
But peach? I found loads of papers that were either too yellow, too orange or too pink. I still don't think I've got the color quite right, but I hope the Inkspirational girls will forgive me - it was the closest I could get. I will certainly get some peach papers in the future - it's quite a pleasant color!

I finished off my card by stamping a birthday sentiment with black ink.



This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #18 Colors (Grape+Peach+Olive)
2) Seize The Birthday - #16 Sketch
3) The Crafter's Cafe Challenge - Mother's or for a female
4) Inky Impressions #107 Spots and/or Stripes
5) The Perfect Sentiment - #77 Feminine
6) Everybody-Art-Challenge - #234 Pearls
7) Paper Playtime - Emboss
8) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Joy Fold Card - Confirmation Card No 2

I'm having a bit of a struggle making my confirmation cards for boys, but when I discovered the Joy Fold card tutorial over at Come and Get It Challenges, I though it would be a great idea to make one having a gift money pocket on the inside.
This card is HEAVY! I've put plenty of layers on this card, mixing blue and white printed papers from Maja Design together with blue, white and kraft card stock.
I chose to add a blue ribbon to better be able to close the card. I've machine stitched with blue and white thread, I've heat embossed the sentiments using white embossing powder and I've decorated the card with cut out butterflies, a die cut clock (Marianne die) and some leaves (Spellbinders die).
The paper is dark blue, it comes out lighter in the picture than in real life.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Come and Get It Challenges - Joy Fold Card
2) ALBC - Kraft It
3) Our Creative Corner - Anything Goes
4) Crafty Sentiments - The Letter B (Lots of blue and butterflies)
5) Love to Create - Punches and/or Dies
6) LEJ Designs - #51 Anything Goes
7) Artistic Inspirations - Lots of Layers
8) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Christmas Card with Moose and Trees

I seldom use green colors on my cards - it's a color I find so hard to work with. But sitting down to make my third Christmas card so far this year, using this Panduro stamp of a moose, I wanted to create an outdoor scene and the green color scheme seemed to be the right choice.
The two trees at the bottom left corner are part of a stamp. I stamped them directly onto a green DP and fussy cut them. The tree on the right has been die cut using a Marianne die, and I used a black pen for outlining to make it match better with my stamped ones.
The image has been heat embossed. I used "old paper" distressing powder on white paper before I stamped the image and heat embossed it using brown embossing powder.
I made layers of green and brown papers and texture. I machine stitched around the edges of some of the layers with golden thread.
For embellishments I added a button with a bow of jute, as well as three die cut birds, made using a Memory Box die - I've placed them in the trees. I didn't add a sentiment as the stamped image includes one, saying Merry Christmas (God Jul) in Norwegian.  There's no snow, no red, no Santa - but I think this card still has a Christmas feel to it and I'm planning to give it to a man.


This card is for these challenges:
1) Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - #13 Anything Goes
2) A Gem of a Challenge - #77 Going Green
3) Cut it Up - #17 Arbor Day
4) Cards For Men - Animals
5) Rhedd & Rosie's Challenge Blog - #5 Stitching
6) Tammy's Scrapin Corner - Lots of Layers
7) Pause, Dream, Enjoy - Outdoor Critters
8) Sweet Stampin - Anything but Birthday
9) My Heart Pieces Digital Stamps Challenge - Embossing
10) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

With Sympathy

This card's layout is inspired by the Inkspirational sketch - I've flipped and rotated the sketch since I think that works better with my choice of image. The flower image is part of a Bugaboo set. I colored the image with Promarkers in shades of grey, green and black and fussy cut it.
The sentiment is in Norwegian, meaning "our deepest sympathy and warm thoughts". I often use English sentiments as well, but for such an occasion I think it's more personal somehow to have the sentiment in my own language. I heat embossed it with black embossing powder on silver background. The silver paper is also used as card base and to make the frame around the card. I added a lattice die cut of a white paper with pearlescent shimmer to make the background. I don't know if the use of the lattice is OK for a CAS card, but having used no embellishments and leaving lots of empty space I think the card has a CAS feel to it.

Inkspirational - #17 Sketch (2nd entry)
Addicted to CAS - #11 Flower
Addicted to Stamps and More - #42 Markers
Creative Corner - #16 - Clean & Simple
Shelly's Images - Flowers
Make it Monday - Anything Goes #138

Circle Shaped Card with Paper Pieced Image

My favorite image at the moment is this digi from A Day for Daisies. I just had to have her because I like to paper piece, and she's so perfect for this technique!

I started my card by choosing the paper for her dress, then I planned the design and what other papers and colors to use.
It's been a while since I made a circle shaped card, and I do like circle shaped cards - I don't know why I don't make them more often. I chose the size of the circle die with care as I wanted the die cut square (made with a Spellbinders die) to go over the edge of the card base.

I chose to mount the girl on foam to a glitter paper die cut clock (made with a Marianne Designs die).
For the background I've used a cream colored paper with golden spots from Panduro.
For embellishments I've used some punched butterflies and a flower.






This card is for these challenges:
1) QKR Stampede - #36 Favorite Things (digi and paper piecing)
2) Stampin' for the Weekend - Die cuts and/or punches
3) Party Time Tuesdays - #117 Tic Tac Toe (Glitter+Flower+Die Cuts)
4) Penny's Paper-Crafty - #124 Anything Goes
5) Marianne's Design Divas - Going Girly
6) Love to Scrap - Die Cuts and/or Punches
7) Whoopsi Daisy - Use Circles (2nd entry)
8) Card and Scrap - Use dies
9) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Confirmation Card for a Boy - Card No 1

I need to make several confirmation cards for a boy - this is the first one I've finished so far. I've been trying to make these for quite some time, but sitting down in my craft room, my mind has taken another direction. So I decided that I would make a confirmation card with whatever sketch would be provided by the Inkspirational team this week. I flipped the sketch, and the postmark shape inspired me to make a frame of layered papers. I decided to go for a clean look, with platinum embossing powder against a  white background. The image is made with a North Star Stamp. Each corner of the card has been decorated with a Spellbinder corner die cut.
 
This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #17 Sketch
2) Celebrate the Occasion - #109 Clean & Simple
3) Stamping Sensations - Special Occasions
4) Paper Shelter Challenge - #109 For the boys
5) The Corrosive Challenges - Life`s Special Occasions
6) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Male Vintage Birthday Card

I love making cards for men and I love the vintage style, so I made a card combining male and vintage. The image is from a sheet that I bought some months ago. I stitched around the edges, not too straight, to get a "rougher" look.
The background DP and the one used for the banner are from Maja Designs. I used a Die Namics die to make the banner, and I cut out the fence of kraft using a Marianne Creatables die. The fishtail banner is hand cut, the paper is from Panduro. The word "happy" is stamped and heat embossed, and I've used letter stickers for "birthday". The button I believe has been on one of my aunt's old cardigans - she gave me a bag full of buttons last year, containing buttons from hers and my late grand mother's old clothes. I tied a bow with some jute I got from a wrapped Christmas gift last year.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Craft Room Challenge - So Sentimental
2) Crafty Sentiments - Monochromatic
3) Cards For Men - Anything Goes
4) Crafty Boots - Recycle
5) Make it Monday with Kraft Outlet - Recycle or Re-Use
6) Crafty Catz - One for the Boys
7) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

CASE and Paper Pieced Girl

This is my second card for the Inkspirational CASE challenge - I just love this layout. For this card I've chosen blue and silver as my main colors. The girl is a digi from A Day for Daisies - I think she's perfect for paper piecing. I used a DP from Maja designs for her dress and the rose in her hair, and the rose is mounted on foam. I've used a DP with script for the border and the background is embossed with my cherry blossom embossing folder.
The birthday sentiment in Norwegian is made with pale blue letter stickers. I also added some light blue pearls above the image.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #16 CASE
2) Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - Use Circles
3) Tammy's Scrapin Corner - #59 Bling it up
4) Addicted to Stamps Challenge - Birthday card with Birthday Sentiment
5) Digi Galore - One for the Girls
6) Totally Gorjuss - #180 Embossing
7) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

CASE & Vintage Christmas

I've only made one Christmas card so far this year, so to avoid being too far behind when the season's here I thought I'd make a Christmas card for the Inkspirational CASE challenge.
I took inspiration from the CASE layout and several challenges to make up my card, using a vintage image, a snowflake embossing folder, kraft and two die cut pine branches. The branches have been covered with glitter and decorated with a red brad, pearls and bling. I added a rub-on to the image, saying "Christmas Greetings" in Norwegian.

I enter this card into these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #16 CASE
2) Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - #12 Celebrating Snow
3) Crimbo Crackers - #39 Vintage
4) Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Kraft
5) Crafting for all Seasons - #50 No Stamps Allowed
6) LEJ Designs - #49 Emboss It
7) Make it Monday with Kraft Outlet - Clean & Simple
8) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Paper Pieced Elephants

For this card I was inspired by the sketch over at Feeling Sketchy and wanted to go with a clean look.
I used a digi from A Day for Daisies and chose to paper piece the elephants with a DP with script.
The DPs in blue color tones are from My Mind's Eye. I mounted both the silver background panel and the one with the elephants on foam pads. I machine stitched around the edges, added 2 Spellbinder die cuts, 2 bling and a rub on with a "thank you" sentiment.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Feeling Sketchy - Sketch
2) A Day for Daisies - #67 Your Favorite Technique (paper piecing and stitching)
3) Shopping Our Stash - #97 Text Or Letters
4) Desert Island Crafters - Itinerary (1+3+4)
5) Forever Friends - Paper Piecing
6) Addicted to Stamps and More - #41 Anything Goes
7) The Pink Elephant Monday Card Challenge - Paper Piecing
8) Cutie Pie Challenge - Clean & Simple
9) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Pink Card with Pearls and Birds

Two pink cards in a row! For this one I've used an image from A Day for Daisies. This woman with birds is one of my favorite images. I colored it with Promarkers, then added Old Paper Distress ink on top. For the pearls in her hair I used glossy accent.

The pink background is embossed  with a cherry blossom embossing folder, and the border of kraft with a folder with script. The pink paper with spots came free with a magazine.

I've used quite a few dies too. The corners, decorative leaves and scalloped circle are made with Spellbinder dies, the birds with a Memory Box die and the tag with a Go Kreate die. I've also used some flowers, pearls, jute and pink ribbon as well as 2 punched butterflies.
The sentiment says "Thank You" in Norwegian and is heat embossed with white embossing powder.


This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #15 Photo (2nd entry)
2) Eclectic Ellapu - Put a Tag on it
3) Great Impressions - Pastel Colours and/or Polka Dots
4) Sentimental Sundays - Tag you are It
5) The Squirrel & the Fox - Inspired by a Song/Movie (Movie "The Birds")
6) Allsorts - #202 Letter of Your Name (Pink and Pearls)
7) ABC Challenges - 1-2-3 (1 image+2 punched butterflies+3 die cut birds)
8) Digi Makeover Challenge - Girly
9) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Teddy Bea with Wings

After 4 male cards I thought I'd compensate with a pink and girlie one, inspired by the Inkspirational photo. The layout is also inspired by a previous Inkspirational sketch .
This cards's taken me so long to make, I've been moving all bits and pieces around for hours! Always when I make pink cards I've got mixed feelings about the result. I guess we all experience that, especially when stepping out of our comfort zones...
I've used silver and brown colors in addition to all the pink. The flower patterned paper came free with a magazine. I used an embossing folder for the half circle. The flowers are stamped, I heat embossed them using holographic embossing powder, fussy cut them and added a pink pearl to each center. I wanted to use my silver glitter paper for my punched butterflies but couldn't find it, so I added the holographic embossing powder to scraps of silver and white paper instead - I think it works just as fine as with the real thing. I've used MB dies for the clouds, I added a rub on with a birthday sentiment to the largest one.
I used cork paper for the Marianne Creatables fence. Teddy Bea has been colored with Promarkers, and she's got a touch of glitter glue on her wings. I fussy cut her as well. I've machine stitched with glitter thread around the edges of the top layer.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #15 Photo
2) Card Crafter's Circle - Die Cuts and/or Dry Embossing
3) Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge - Wings
4) Pattie's Creations - Make It Sparkle
5) Creative Moments - #14 Things with Wings
6) Flutterby Wednesdays - #235 Open
7) Whimsy Inspiration - #58 Pretty In Pink
8) Passion For Promarkers Challenge - #193 Cut Out Your Images
9) Stamp and Create - Use at least 1 Die Cut
10) Glitter n Sparkle Challenge Blog - Stitching - Real or faux