No Squares Allowed

Hello everyone, it's time already for a new theme at Allsorts challenge and Lorraine's turn to host. She would like to see "Anything but square" for her theme but it is an optional theme so all of your new creations are welcome and will be entered into the prize drawing! By the way the next two challenges will run for two weeks to cover some of the busy summer season so there is plenty of time for everyone to join in!

When I was working on this card I thought the optional theme was "shaped cards" so I made a Teepee shaped card, it still is "anything but a square" but I might have gone an easier route had I known the correct theme :) However I'm happy I tried this card fold to step out of my comfort zone a bit, as it's super easy to do and I love how it turned out. 

The stamp above is Penny Black's Poppy Field, I used it a few weeks ago but found this image already colored in my box of extras and decided it would make a cute card front for this teepee card. 

Sharing several pictures in today's post to show each side.

The patterned paper is from my stash. Border die cut and butterflies are also from my box of extras. Sentiments are from Penny Black (the large sentiment below) and Stampers Anonymous (small sentiment above). 

The teepee card folds completely flat so it can be mailed. A small velcro dot is used for standing it up, so it opens and closes easily. The only issue I saw was that the corners it's standing on are bending easily, maybe they need some sort of re-inforcement, but I haven't thought of anything yet. 

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You can find the tutorial for this card shape HERE. As mentioned it's super easy to do. 

Below is a photo of the prizes for this fortnight (since there are only 2 challenges ending in August (including this one) we will have a separate prize bundle for each fortnight. This fortnight it's a wonderful Christmas bundle from Craft Stash, it will be split between 3 winners which will be announed at the end of August. 

This post may include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog!

I plan on linking up with Penny Black Saturday challenge.

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Summer Blues with Brushos and a Boat

It's time already for a new theme at Allsorts challenge and Mervi's turn to host this week. Her optional theme is ......... Summer Blues but as always all of your new crafty makes are welcome for the "Anything Goes" option so come join us for your chance to win or to be selected as one of Mervi's top 5. 

Here is what I made:

I knew I wanted to make something boat themed and my thrift store finds  (boat and bon voyage stamps) were my inspiration. I found them quite a while ago for maybe 50 cents each (what a great find!!) but this is my first time using them. 

The background was done with blue Brusho powder sprinkled onto a background that I had spritzed with water. After the background was dry, I stamped the boat and ship's wheel (wheel from a retired Whimsy stamp set) and Bon Voyage. A tile stencil was then used to fill in some empty spaces here and there. "Oh Happy Days" and "Summer Lovin'" are from another retired Whimsy Stamp set (Summer Letter Seals). Something else was needed I thought, so I added one of Tim Holtz sentiment stickers from a Quotations set. I inked and distressed the edges, layered onto white card stock, then onto a turquoise card base. 

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Another view below..

As a reminder our prizes this month come from from Oakwood, Sizzix, AALL and Create and Craft Stash and winners will be selected from each weekly challenge, then all announced on the last Friday of the month. Hope you'll join us for your chance to win!

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This post may include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog!

Girly Seventeen

It's Saturday again and that means it's time for a new theme at Allsorts challenge. Brenda is hosting this week and she created a wonderful mood board for your inspiration. It's an optional theme with Anything Goes as the other option so hopefully you'll join in with us for your chance to be entered into the prize drawing or to be selected as a top pick.

The mood board is below and I was inspired by the pretty dress in the top corner to use this image and by the shades of pink. Plus I thought it would make a perfect birthday card for my baby girl who recently turned 17! Time really does fly!!

The stamp is Penny Black's Patisserie, perfect for feminine cards. I colored her with Stampin Up and Distress inks and added a dotted stencil design to the background. A retired stitched die from Whimsy Stamps was used to cut it out. 

On the right side of the card I used a birthday background stamp from My Favorite Things. The heart die is by Penny Black, I used some natural jute twine behind the 17 which I generated on the computer. I do have a number stamp set but found them to be too large so I used the computer instead. Sentiment is from the Penny Black set Sprinkles and Smiles.

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Another look below....

As a reminder, our prizes this month come from  Oakwood, Sizzix, AALL and Create and Craft Stash. Winners are selected from the weekly entries and announced on the last Friday of the month. Hope you'll join in with us for your chance to win!

 >>>>>>>>>Christmas in July Sale at Scrapbook.com/Ad

This post may include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog!

I plan on linking up with Penny Black Saturday challenge.

You may also like:

When you click on the cards above you will be directed to the original post.

Allsorts Challenge: Embossing Folders

It's time for a new challenge already at Allsorts and Liz is hosting this week with her optional theme of Embossing Folders. Hope you'll join us for your chance to win. We have prizes from Oakwood, Sizzix, AALL and Create and Craft Stash so don't miss your chance!! As mentioned it's an optional theme so all of your new creations are welcome. 

I used the Penny Black stamp Dancing Daisies although they look like Black Eyed Susans to me and therefore I tried to ink up the stamp in the colors of those flowers. It's an older stamp so I don't have a link but Penny Black does have many other beautiful floral cling stamps. The stamping platform always comes in handy when using these brushstroke stamps as I get to add layers of colors. Maybe I added a bit too much Rusty Hinge here but my distress markers are barely working anymore so I had to use a full sized ink pad instead. I thought about investing in a full set of mini distress ink pads now that the markers are no longer available and those would be easier to control than a full size ink pad. 

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Sentiment is from the Penny Black set Blooming Sentiments. I layered the image/sentiment panel onto some mustard colored cardstock (a retired Stampin Up color) and added green jute twine by May Arts. I've had this argyle style embossing folder for a long time probably from Cuttlebug. I'm not too creative with my embossing folders so I simply used the folder with white card stock and layered the image panel onto it for a CAS style card.

This post may include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>Christmas in July Sale at Scrapbook.com/Ad

I'd like to share my card with these challenges:

• Penny Black Saturday - use PB stamps
• Stamping Sensations - Summer Flowers
• We Love Stamping - Fabulous Florals
• Krafty Chicks - use stamps
• Through the Purple Haze - AG
• Tic Tac Toe Challenge (I chose Layers, CAS and Stamping)

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - July Challenge

Hello everyone and welcome to Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday July challenge taking place right here on my blog! I'm so glad you stopped by today and hope you will join in this month too! There were lots of fabulous entries last month, always so nice to see many of you joining in so be sure to scroll down to the end to see who made the "top picks with a twist".

As always at Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday the theme is now.....................

Anything Goes,

and instead of a challenge theme there will be a "Top Pick Twist" but nobody knows what the twist will be (not even me) until the challenge closes as it will be inspired by YOUR creations. So do link up all your new or recently created projects for a chance to be featured. Remember, you may share anything crafty, handmade by you. It doesn't have to be a card.

And here is what I made:

The image is from the Penny Black set "U R The Gift", this time I colored with my Copic markers. I layered several die cuts on the top part of the card in coordinating colors. These were already previously cut out and from my box of extras. Then I used a script stamp from Just For Fun Rubberstamps (no longer in business I think) and added the die cut stars. The circle sentiment is from a retired set by Whimsy Stamps. Happy Birthday sentiment is part of a newer Colorado Craft Company set. 

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Another view below.

This post may include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog!

I am sharing this card with the following challenges:

• Penny Black Saturday - use PB stamps
• Unicorn Challenge - No Designer Paper
• Dream Valley Challenges - Dies or Punches
• Make My Monday - Birthday

June Top Picks with a Twist:

As mentioned previously, there is now a Top Pick Twist when it comes to my selection of Top Picks. Nobody knows what the twist will be - not even me - until the end of the month as the twist will be totally inspired by YOUR creations. This means the top picks will all have something in common.

The twist from the June entries is......... Forms of Transportation.

Choosing just 3 wasn't easy as there were several fabulous creations showcasing Transportation, but I finally was able to narrow it down and here they are in the order of entry:

No. 25 Yvonne

No. 33 Mariann Scrap

No. 44 Maria

Congrats everyone, well deserved recognition! Your top pick logo is below. Feel free to post it to your own blogs if you like to :)

I will continue to pin the top picks to the dedicated Pinterest board, but will also include photo and link back to the original blogs/sites here. These will be removed at the start of the new challenge to stay in compliance with GDPR.

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To join in this month's challenge please use the linky tool below. You have until Sunday, July 30th 11:59 CST to play along!

A few things to remember:

• You may combine with any other challenges.
• You may use any brand of stamps/digis/products (no company restriction).
• Please try to limit your linked up cards to 3 entries per month - it's ok if you end up with more than 3.
• Please do include a link back here to my blog in your blog post.
• Backlinking to a recent post IS allowed.
• Digital products are allowed and very welcome but the final piece has to be a physical handmade creation, not just digital

Summer Days are Moments to Treasure

Busy day on the blog today as this is my second post for today sharing my card for the new Allsorts challenge. This week's optional theme is "Summertime" so we would love to see anything summer related, but all of your new creations are welcome and hopefully you'll join in with us!

There are some fabulous prizes up for grabs for the July challenges. As always winners will be selected from the weekly challenges but announced just once a month. This month we have prizes fro Oakwood, Sizzix, AALL and Create and Craft Stash. Speaking of prizes, don't forget to check the challenge blog for the June prize winners which was posted on Friday!

Does anyone else have a box full of  images stamped or printed years ago and collecting dust or is it just me? Well, this little cutie I found in that box, it's an image from Cuddly Buddly I colored him with my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils then used a circle die to cut it out. Paper is from my stash, one of my favorites also from years ago, no wonder I've been hoarding it and this might be the last piece big enough for a card front. I'm sure there are still some smaller snippets left.

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Originally I wanted a yellow background paper and tried making my own using Squeezes Lemonade Distress ink and a Lavinia stencil but I didn't like the brightness of the yellow so I used just 2 strips of it on the card.

Continuing with the oldies on this card, both sentiments are from Whimsy Stamps also from many years ago, so fun to rediscover some old stuff from my stash! 

The die cut flowers are part of Penny Black's Frame Die Set. I applied stickles glitter to the flower centers and bee's wings.

 >>>>>>>>>>>>>Christmas in July Sale at Scrapbook.com/Ad

Challenge I'd like to share the above card with:

• Alphabet Challenge - G is for Green
• Cut It Up - Hello Sunshine (plus a die cut)
• Krafty Chicks - AG
• Paper Shelter - Furry Friends
• Simon Says Stamp - AG
• Paper Minutes - Leaves

If you would like to read my first post from today (for the July Four Seasons challenge) you can simply click on the image below.

This post may include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog!

Lemonade with Smiles and Sunshine - Four Seasons July Challenge

July is here and we are in the midst of Summer at the Four Seasons challenge blog. A new challenge starts today so come join us with all your summer creations! As always we have a fun mood board to inspire you but it is totally optional as Anything Summer Goes!!

Here is what I made for this month:

And here is our moodboard that inspired this creation. I'm sure you all know by now that I absolutely love being inspired by a mood board. 

The image is an oldie wood mounted stamp by Penny Black ...Making Lemonade and is hard to find, but there is a clear set available which includes this stamp at a smaller scale - Homemade. I stamped the image on Bristol Vellum paper, colored with Zig Clean Color brush pens and then fussy cut. The background was done using the Faux Shiplap technique. The floor and trim were made with a die set by Penny Black. Sentiment and lemon slice die are oldies from Whimsy Stamps and no longer available. And I used Martha Stewart punches, also old, to make the flowers and leaves.  A little Stickles glitter glue finishes off the card. 

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This challenge runs until July 25th so there is plenty of time to join us with a summer themed creation! Hope to see you there!

 >>>>>>>>>>>>>Christmas in July Sale at Scrapbook.com/Ad

This post may include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog!

I'd also like to share with these challengese:

• Penny Black Saturday - Use PB Stamps
• Addicted to Stamps and More - Any Occasion
• Fab n Funky - Four Legged Animals
• Simon Says Stamp - AG
• Paper Minutes - Leaves
• Paper Craft Crew - Fruity
• Double D Challenges - Moodboard