365 Cards, Shades of Blue

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I am kind of disappointed how this photo came out, as this card is much better IRL. Just couldn't quite capture it in all its goofy blue glory !

365 Cards continues their theme week with three shades of, oh what color was that again ?? Pam always is so secretive about her upcoming challenges, and I may be slow, but I AM catching on ... I didn't manage two tags today, sigh, but I am still experimenting with all my fiber. I have a boxload of it, and boy, I want to keep every single thread of it - I am trying to give up a little each day.

I see Dom left a {strange} secret coded message on my last post. Spencer and I were watching Little Einsteins, and Big Jet stole Rocket's rocket soup he'd made for his Rocket Grandma.
In Little Red Riding Hood fashion Grandma is saved at the end of the day - and her soup - and Spencer turned to me with all sorts of love and said "that's you, Grandma."

Oddly, now that I think of it, he had stopped by with his mom to bring me some cheesecake she had made - just like the rocket soup came to Grandma Rocket's house.

And now - off to second guess Pam. Will it be purple ? Pink ? Yellow ?

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Papercraft Star #2

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Papercraft Star Challenge #2 is already here !

Your challenge is an Americana and/or red,white,blue card. The challenge is open right now, but submissions close Saturday, 7/3, and voting closes Monday, 7/5. Even if you can't participate, head on over and vote for your favorite !! Cannot think of a better way to support your fellow artists.

I always love doing Americana cards. I was raised in Canada, and didn't know very much about the States until I moved here when I was 14. Wow, what a wakeup call ! I had to learn a lot very quickly.

On the other hand, I was the only one who knew anything about the great white North, which only made me look like a smarty pants.

Anyway, I can slap a star on about anything and call it American !

Supplies:
Cardstock: Recollections
Paper: K&Co, Target, Design Originals
Ink: Ranger Distress tea dye, Colorbox Copper
Brad and clip : Michael's bin
Hemp/fiber : Walmart
Punch : Martha Stewart
Image: Vintage Holiday Crafts
Bingo Card : homemade
Stars: Tim Holtz grunge board

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365 Cards, Shades of Red

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Now a smart woman would have saved those Spencer pictures in his red shirt and shorts, on his red trike, for today !!

365 Cards continues its color challenges, 3 shades of red today. I have a lot of red there, Not sure how many shades but definitely more than 3 !

I am continuing on with my 2 tag experiment. Had a different red tag on there for a bit, but it just wasn't quite right...

Stopped in at my Ben Franklin today, and the buyer came through with some Rock Candy stickles for me - yippee !! If you haven't tried this, watch Tim Holtz's video - really lovely effects and easy to work with. I had bought it from the internet before, so now very happy to have it locally. Check out the little tag on the left.

Challenge opens tomorrow at Papercraft Star - the challenges are posted way ahead so you can make your card any old time, and then post the week of the challenge. Tomorrow's is red/white/blue or Americana (my choice) so check back and see my ideas then !

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365 Cards, Shades of Green, CCCB11

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I can never decide what is TRULY my favorite color - I always say it is purple, but then I see the sea foam green, and wishy-washy me ....

365 Cards is hinting that they will have color challenges all week - today it is at least 3 shades of green. I am experimenting with cards with two tags on them right now, so bear with me for a bit while I try them on for size.

A double entry tonight, as City Crafter is also hosting a green challenge.

Hit that Michael's sale yesterday with major goodies on sale, plus a 15% coupon too. Great time to load up ! Found some lace stamps you will be seeing a lot of, and a new punch, not to mention more paper ! My new mantra - more paper.

Spencer spent most of the weekend with us, and his Pup bought him a new Radio Flyer trike. He is not quite sure about the pedals yet ! He is trying on some three syllable words, FAN-TAS-TIC and DE-LISH-US ! He told me his new bucket hat is a "circle, like a pizza !" What an earnest little guy he is.

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City Crafter 10

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City Crafter always has excellent challenge requirements I think ! This week is pink/purple/pearls - gotta love that !

I have not tried sewing on a card before, that was somewhat of a challenge, but it worked ok.

Probably turned out a little girly for me, but not for the girlfriend I have in mind - we must get out for some chai tea very soon, and this is a good reminder.

Have a great weekend, and don't forget to vote at Papercraft Star !

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365 Cards, 3 cuts

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My post yesterday was an auto post, so it has been a few days since I have made a card !

365 Cards today has a 3 cut requirement, that is, the card needs to be cut three different ways. I used scissors, SCAL (for my scalloped edges), and a trimmer. Not a very difficult assignment today, that is for certain !!

I think I may have cropped it a bit aggressively, getting used to some new software. The Graphics Fairy provided the image, it looks like a very small calendar give away to tuck into a handbag maybe... Nevertheless, A Happy New Year and birthday go together in my book !!

Summer must be here - spent three days in the sun (gasp, yes, no rain) working a couple of golf tournaments. Hard hard work, and I am so tired, not to mention ending up with my eyes swollen closed from my allergies and a very sunburnt nose !! Still, lots of fun and seeing old old friends always makes the work worthwhile. Dom is pampering me for a couple days while I rejuvenate.

Don't forget to stop by Papercraft Star and enter your project for the first official challenge, and/or vote for your favorites !!

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Papercraft Star 1

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Welcome to Papercraft Star's first "official" challenge !

Isn't that visual stunning !! What a lovely inspiration. And it is always amazing to see what creations come out of one image. Can't you just see this as a Christmas card, or even a Valentine's card ?

The challenge opens today at Papercraft Star, submissions close on Saturday 6/26, and voting concludes 6/28. If you haven't already checked it out, do ! Even if you are not participating, support your favorite artist with your vote.
AND check out the forums - there is something for everyone, and if by chance we missed a topic, let us know, and we will add it.


Details:
Cardstock - Recollections
Ribbon - Sheer Creations (Michael's)
Sentiment - DCWV rub-on "Friendship"
Die Cut - Spellbinders
Embossing folder - Cuttlebug
Brads - stash

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365 Cards Love, Play Date Cafe 34

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A couple of very fun challenges today, and I combined them into one !

365 Cards has a wedding card challenge, but nothing that says "wedding", no cakes, no bridal dresses etc. So all that is left is LOVE, which is all we need anyway, right ? I hinted at a wedding with the rose and the tulle, a little lacy border and some silver.

Hey, where was this challenge last week when I was turning out wedding cards like mad ??

Over at the Play Date Cafe they are looking for a black and white card with a shot of blue. I always like their color challenges like this as they make for the most interesting cards I think.

The sentiment is simply die cut silver paper, and a rubon - sure doesn't look like it does it. I can see that is something I am going to have to do again, I really like it.

So, probably no posts for a few days - taking the weekend off, and next week I have three days of dawn to dusk golf tournaments. Pity me in a cold tent, wrapped in blankets, and bent over a computer. Maybe I will step out into the drizzle and write a score up on the board now and then.
Poor poor me....

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Graduation

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Here is a card without a challenge. I had thought someone would have a graduation card challenge, but I never did see one.

The card is for nephew Michael, departing our fair city for Oregon State where he will be playing linebacker for their football team. He was just named senior (boy) athlete of the year by our newspaper, football, basketball, and track.

I made the card very simple just because everyone knows an 18 year guy isn't going to notice anything but the check inside ! We would like to think otherwise, but, sigh, that is the way of it.

On another note, Papercraft Star has its message boards open, and the first challenge begins on Wednesday !! If you haven't stopped there, please do - challenges are posted for weeks ahead, and you should be able to get a great start on some very cool stuff. There are boards for a lot of topics and discussions.

See you there !

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City Crafter 9

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Thank you thank you City Crafter - they gave me another Spotlight Artist last week, I love it !!!

This week they have a very cool challenge, which is "Venice". No gondolas !

Now, I have never been there, but the pictures of this incredible Italian city are so colorful. The homes on the waterfront painted so brightly, the blue of the Adriatic Sea, the golden sunsets - but my personal favorites, the masks !

Now we had some choices about our theme once we got to Venice, and the one I chose was music. The Venetian School was a group of composers during the late 16th century who ushered in the Baroque era of music. They were innovative and brought about dramatic change in music.
So, I have combined color, and music in this card...

I told Tracy I would give her complete credit for the darling treble clef paper clip, which I purchased at Staples.

***Reminder to check out Papercraft Star - the first challenge opens next Wednesday. Also, the message board is up and running, with lots of interesting information and tips, plus some fun !***

My "for fun" for today - Dom had a coupon for a hamburger at a fast food restaurant here in town. The coupon was pretty cute, it was a hamburger on paper, cut out just right. Now being a hater of all things mayo, he asked the girl if the burger came with mayo on it. After looking over the picture on the coupon she said "you know, I can't tell ..."

Ta Da !!

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365 Cards, Heaven

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Today my shout out to 365 Cards who chose my charm card for last week's top trio !! Thank you so very much - there are always so many wonderful cards there. I will be a guest designer there in July, I will let you all know when !

A totally goofy and silly card for my son-in-law, Jason for Father's Day...

365 Cards has the most unique challenge today - use an argyle pattern as "fabric." Well, how is it possible that I own soooo much paper, and only found this one little teeny scrap of argyle paper ??

The tv and wing chair are SCAL files.

The beautiful golfer on tv is my daughter, Brie, mother to the infamous Spencer. She played professional golf for a while, but that was not a life for her, and she got her amateur standing back last year. She has 7 Oregon amateur titles to her credit - yup, I am a very proud mom.

I think Jason will think it is funny - hope so !!

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PARTY at 365 Cards

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This is the first PARTY card I have made for a challenge, and it kinda cracks me up ! Don't know if you can read it down below, but it says 'be there or be square', a party mantra from my misspent youth. Heaven knows the number of can can dances I have actually participated in ...

Ok, just kidding.

This is for 365 Cards, now I must head over there and see what constitutes a party for the younger crowd !!

(Oh, the bingo card I made myself, obviously, the can can dancers are from the Graphics Fairy, the charm/beads are just old, the pretty black glitter paper I bought at Target, 2 for $1, what a deal !!!)

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Papercraft Star Opens !!

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Today Papercraft Star has announced their new design team, and boy, am I excited to be on it!!

If you haven't checked it out yet, do ....

This is not your usual challenge. The public votes on your creation, there are lots of topics in their forum, the challenges are posted weeks and weeks ahead of time, 8 are up there right now... This photo is the inspiration for their first challenge, which begins on 6/23/10.

Way before I tried out for their DT I was captured by the whole idea of this site. I think you will be too !!

Be sure to stop back to see my contribution for this challenge, and I hope to see you there too !

(you know I always tell it like it is ...)

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365 Cards Peek a boo, City crafter 8 (3)

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Goodness. Another wedding card. Well, thanks to Annie, who has been making them all week !!

365 Cards has a peek-a-boo theme today. This was my very first attempt at one of these, and thanks to my SCAL turned out so lovely I will be sure to do lots more of them !! The scalloped heart border on the front is also SCAL. White and gray cardstock, a rubon, a couple of little pearls, and a cuttlebug. That is about it Oh, and a new MS punch - Tracy has been buying them by the cartload, and oh my goodness, I must keep up !!

I had already cut the heart border, and embossed the gray for another card that never came together - so this little fella hatched in about 10 minutes, including holding still for the photo.

Do I dare live dangerously and post one more wedding card at City Crafter ?

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365 Cards, 3 and 3

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365 Cards has a three three challenge, 3 of the same sentiments, 3 of the same image.

There are more than 3 teapots there, though you cannot see them so very well, and three thanks. And three strings, 3 brads, 3 pieces of silverware, 3 tags..... The silverware I cut with SCAL, glued 3 together for some depth and ran them through the cuttlebug for a dimensional handle.

The brain was not working so terribly well yesterday, much better today though !!

I got an email from my ex-sister-in-law last week - she said she still had a photo of the giant fish I had painted on the wall in my house nearly merely 40 years ago. Now one would think one would remember a giant fish painted on the wall of their home, but noooooooooooooo. Not one clue.

Oldy moldy I guess ....

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City Crafter 8, 2nd entry

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I absolutely could not resist another entry into the City Crafter challenge this week, as the theme was weddings.

Once again, I used my SCAL software - honestly, honestly, this is the greatest crafter thing EVER. I have never bought a Cricut cartridge, SCAL allows you to cut on your Cricut with any font, any image you can find. You can use the internet, your own images, or even scan from a magazine. Look here for the software, here for some free (or really really cheap) goodies.

Anyway, not only are weddings happy events, they are all so uniquely different. Themed weddings are big now it seems ... That just gives us the opportunity to try all kinds of cards, huh ! We were invited to a "shotgun" wedding a couple years ago - the reception was at a gun club...
Isn't that funny ?

Hope you like this one - it was easy and fun to make !

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Papercraft Star 0

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Papercraft Star is having a warmup sketch this week, prior to their official start up. You can vote for this at their site, if you are so inclined, but mainly just stop over and see what is happening...

I found the sketch to be particularly difficult (for me) and I did go round and round about it. I love the colors, but they are very very pastel, not shades I work with often. Sooooo, just a struggle all around. OK, don't vote for it, vote for someone else, but do drop in for a visit there.

Aren't the little dragonflies cute though ??

Dom and Spencer were playing his favorite game, Turtle, which consists of Dom carrying him by the nape of his sweatshirt. Don't know how it came to be called Turtle, don't know how the game began, but it generates barrels of laughter as the poor child dangles... Finally Dom said, "whew, enough of Turtle, that is the last one" whereupon the child says, "hey, how about a game of Cat?" Which it seems, has all the same elements, but is called by another name...

Kinda makes one think of politicians for some reason ....

Ok, I will be back with a better effort later on today, I hope, if the rainy day nap doesn't bite me first.

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365 Cards - Straight lines, City Crafter 8

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I would have to say, this is a unique wedding card. Never saw one anything like this, but it is exactly one that I would have appreciated those thirty-la-la years ago. Maybe I am the only one !! lol

No matter, I love it, and love is so much fun you just can't stop, just like the card says...

I did make the bingo card myself. The heart is cut with SCAL, my newest craziness. No bows, no flowers, no buttons, just my little hearts...

Anyway, I am combining two challenges. First, 365 Cards has a straight line challenge, must be at least three of them... Between the stripes and the bingo card, all there !!

City Crafter has a wedding card challenge. I may be tempted to do more than just one entry for that, just because wedding cards are so much fun to make !!

Still raining, sigh ...

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365 Cards - charms

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Paper charms are the order of the day at 365 Cards...

Not a real typical card for me I don't think. However, a JOY card is kinda like a WISH card - you can use it for absolutely anything.

School is out - school is back in - it has stopped raining - it is raining again - your pregnancy test is negative - your pregnancy test is positive... see, just about anything. It is all joyful, isn't it !

We stopped for a kiddie meal yesterday at Target while we had Spencer. He got a hot dog, sliced apples with caramel dip and a blue icy drink (you know, the stuff you never let your kids have, but your grandson can have whatever he wants...) with a crazy straw. The hot dog he ate sideways, that was a new one on me, and of course it divides your sandwich in half over and over again. The caramel sauce left him saying "guys, guys don't even TRY that" - it looked pretty dubious I think. The blue drink he said was "spicy" ... and when we tried to convince him he meant "icy" he said "guys, guys, listen, listen. not icy, spicy." And with all the patience in the world.

A little boy, 2 1/2 calls his grandparents, guys guys. Oh, and with the "stop" hand gestures too. We bought him Disney's Tarzan movie - he did not move one tenth of an inch watching that. AND, in case you didn't know, he told us that DVD spells Tinkerbell. We thought it spelled DVD, but apparently guys guys we are wrong ...

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JUGS 36

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A very very simple card today for JUGS, and their sketch this week.

Not much to say about it, except it took me about 15 minutes from start to finish, including going through my paper. That has to be the quickest I have ever completed a card, so very unlike my usual hours and hours examining everything this way and that, often just staring into space or at my craft table, pawing through boxes of buttons and eyelets, and reams of ribbon, sighing loudly, taking a break to play
Word Racer at Yahoo while I contemplate the card's future, will it fly, or will it die... Yup, that is the nature of my usual card, a lot of angst tied up into each and every one... more sighs...

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City Crafter 7, Shabby Tea Room 12

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Two combined challenges today...

City Crafter wants a bow, and a button. Got 'em !

The Shabby Tea Room wants a heart, and I have that too...

More SCAL stuff today... both the frame and the little doily beneath the flower (with hearts that you can barely see) were free files I downloaded.

I attached the vellum to the frame using vellum tape, which I had no idea about until Tracy told me it existed !! I have some lovely old vellum paper I hope to be able to use now.

Have a great day, and a wonderful weekend !! It is still raining here, and the forecast in the paper showed rain rain rain rain rain for the next 5 days. (Unlike other places, our paper never uses the cute little umbrella with rain clouds, as no Oregonian would be caught dead with anything so sissy....) nooooooooo, we are hardy folk and do not melt in the rain...

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365 Cards - It's soooooo me

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It IS so me, the theme at 365 Cards today...

This was such a difficult challenge, summing up who you are in one card.

Is it my IPOD ? The music I downloaded is there for a reason. What about my age ? What about my history ? I read incessantly, books are a huge part of my life, should I make it a novel ? OR - one of my favorite Jane Austen quotes

*** Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how ***

In the end, I made a picture of my brain, whirling and swirling all the time, growing and learning.

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365 Cards - Combo card

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A combo card is the requirement today at 365 Cards - pick a challenge from March, one from April and one from May and combine them.

I went through all the challenges, and came up with these. THEN, I noticed those were two of the three Kim had picked. Well of course my first thought was "great minds..." then I realized it was probably subconscious pickin's.

So, from March, a new dimension.
April - red, alpha sticker, stamp
May - add something

Well I am callin' cranberry RED, it isn't pink ... The dimension flowers I again cut with SCAL. I "added" the RED brads as flower centers, it didn't look right without them. I had to move the alpha stickers over when I was done with the card as the E blended in with the RED flower, and it looked like it said SMIL. Which I don't know what that means ...

Off for a makeover at the beauty salon, and I don't know why they call it 'beauty' as it really means 'not so scary any more' salon. I need to keep that blonde thing going so I can always say "hey, I am blonde, not my fault..."

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Papercraft Star

Ok - I totally lifted this plug from Tracy's site...

Beth and Kristina are moving right along with getting everything in order for the official launch of Papercraft Star. I told you about their new challenge blog a little while back. The official startup date is June 23. If you haven't checked them out, give it a look. Right now they are trying out their new inlinxz voting system. You can go to the blog and cast a vote for your favorite of the submissions that have been entered. Maybe you have a submission of your own to make. Voting will start at 10:30 a.m. June 2, 2010 and run through the same time on June 4, 2010. There's even a little blog candy to sweeten the deal.

365 Cards - Circus

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365 Cards has a clown theme today, but said, ok circus too would work...

Have a few circus pix I found at Photobucket a while back. They are so campy and funny I just had to use one of them today. I honestly could not find one piece of paper I thought was "big top" in my ginormous stash, so old timey it had to be.

The "frame" was done with SCAL - nice, huh. The other cut out background piece was done with a MS punch, both sides. Aren't those brads funny - there are slot screws and phillips screws in the brad package. I dunno who made them, got them at Michaels.

Now I wish I would have done a circus poster type theme, but oh well.

Hope you had a warm and wonderful Memorial Day - no one here has picnics cause it is still raining ...

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