Time to party

I recently picked up a ton of helpful cardmaking tips and tricks while watching the videos posted in the “Save the Crafty YouTuber” video hop and decided to put some of those suggestions to the test with this card project.

Birthday Flowers

I’m so glad my staycation this year coincided with the 2018 Winter Olympics.  Of course, that did mean that I didn’t accomplish much on my long vacation to-do-list unless I could do it in front of the tv!  The MFT 2018 Creative Olympics Event #4: Speed Cardmaking challenge fit in perfectly with my schedule today and I was able to create the following card:

2018 MVP Series #1: Bonjour

As the day of the big game approaches, I’ve been wondering who will be named the NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year and of course, whether or not Tom Brady will bring home another MVP award.  (I’m rooting for you Drew Brees!!)  This got me to thinking about what were the MVPs — most valuable products — in my crafty stash.   There are a few stamp sets that I find myself reaching for over and over again and I thought it would be fun to do a short card series featuring some of my favorite older stamp sets.

Penguin birthday

I had stamped and colored the penguin image used in the card below last week intending to use it for the current My Favorite Things Color Challenge, but was stumped on how to complete the card.  Luckily I (finally!) had a rush of inspiration and was able to complete the card in time to also submit it to the current My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge:

Mosaic Birthday

In my mind, a masculine card design is one that is clean and simple, has a graphic element, and uses only a few colors.  The current My Favorite Things Color Challenge provided the perfect jumping off point in making a birthday card for one of my male coworkers.

2017 Holiday Card Series #7: There’s Snow One Like You

Even though Christmas has come and gone, it is still *technically* the holiday season until New Year’s Day, right?  I’m going to stick with that mindset and try to get the most out of my holiday stamps while I can… I think the card below could work equally well as a holiday card or for a December birthday:

2017 Holiday Card Series #6: Merry Christmas

I picked up the Hero Arts Leaf and Berries stencil at the end of last year during my local craft store’s Christmas clearance sale.  I knew right away I wanted to use the stencil with sponge daubers to create my own background, but waited until this Christmas season to put that plan into motion.  I think it was worth the wait…

2017 Holiday Card Series #5: Wishing You the Happiest…

I love it when inspiration for a card strikes when you least expect it.  For example, this holiday card came about thanks to a pattern on an Old Navy shopping bag!  I was staring at the bag on the floor thinking about the gifts I had recently purchased and suddenly realized the striped green pattern would like great as a Christmas tree…

2017 Holiday Card Series #4: ho, ho, ho!

I was looking through a small bin of unmounted red rubber stamps the other day and came across this large Purple Onion Designs Santa stamp that I hadn’t yet gotten inky.  The thought of coloring such a large image was initially intimidating, but I decided to give it a go and practice my COPIC coloring and was pleasantly surprised with the end result.

2017 Holiday Card Series #3: Season’s Greetings

I do not consider myself a “rulebreaker.”  I will wait in a line until I am called up. I will eat my vegetables before indulging in dessert.  And I will color images as they appear in real life…Until now! Stamping these Christmas trees in pinks and purples made me feel like such a rebel…