Free Digi Fruits!

Hello, friends!  Well, I have gone a bit fruity over the current challenge at CASology in which the cue word is FRUIT.

I made three cards using digi images from Kim Hughes at Paper Smooches and Jane at Jane's Doodles.  Such cute images at both websites...and they are FREE!

So I broke out some of my favorite patterned paper 6x6 pads and started printing, cutting, mixing and matching.  A little dry embossing, a little twine here and there, and voila!  Three quick and easy cards.

I'm also entering these cards into the Simon Says Stamp! Anything Goes Challenge.

My first card uses a free digi image and sentiment found at Kim Hughes' Paper Smooches.  I printed the berries on patterned paper by My Mind's Eye (Lime Twist, Happy Go Lucky) and I printed her sentiment directly onto the kraft card stock.  (As an aside, I have to say that I am loving THIS embossing folder!)

My next card uses Kim's berry image (printed on another pp from the MME Lime Twist Happy Go Lucky pad), this time paired with a computer-generated sentiment and some dry embossing and twine.  Super simple!

Finally, a simple white card base paired with a sweet strawberry image found HERE at Jane's Doodles.  So CUTE!  I printed the berry twice, once on MME Ooh La La for Her  (for the berry) and again on MME Lime Twist Life of the Party (for the stem).  The sentiment is computer generated and printed directly onto the card stock.

Here are all three cards together...

I am really enjoying the fact that these sweet digi images are so easy to print onto patterned paper.  And, you guessed it, I printed a whole bunch and cut them out for future card use.  I LOVE doing that!

Thanks for stopping by...have a great day!
Judy

So Sweet of You!

Hello friends!  Today's card is a clean and simple card for the current CASology Challenge for Week #3.

The lovely ladies at CASology remind us that cards for these challenges should follow these guidelines...

I think this card meets the above requirements.  It didn't take long to make, it uses two simple apple images, there are no layers and minimal embellishments, and it has lots of white space. 

The sentiment is Papertrey Ink, the apples and chalk inks are Hero Arts, the twine is We R Memory Keepers, and the embossing folder is Cuttlebug. 

I will also be entering this card into the current "ANYTHING GOES" challenge at the Simon Says Stamp! Blog.  I love it when it's anything goes!

Thanks for stopping by!
Judy

LIM #77 Sewing...Sort Of?

Hello friends!  You know I love to participate in the challenges at Less Is More but I must admit that I cringed when I saw the theme for this week...SEWING.  Oh, drat!  I'd love to know how to sew, I'd love to have the patience to hand-stitch, I have all the tools to do so, but I guess I lack the drive and the skills!

Then I read the challenge requirements closer:  "For this it could be machine or hand sewing... faux or stamped... you could even use sewing related images... just let your imagination roam!" 

I immediately thought of two particular stamps I have from Hero Arts that resemble stitching...and off I went!

So I inked up my "Stitched Rectangles" and my "Swirl Pot And Flowers," stamped and colored in with colored pencils, added some Antique Linen distress ink inside the stitched rectangle, and finished off with three black pearls.  The birthday sentiment is also an older Hero Arts stamp.

Here is a close-up of the pearls and the "stitched" stamp images...

So, there you have it.  This challenge IS possible, even if you don't sew a stitch!  Be sure to check it out, there are some wonderful entries at the Less Is More Week 77 Theme challenge!

Have a great day,
Judy

Inspired by Sally Traidman

Hello friends!  While I was cruisin' around the "Ideas" section of the Hero Arts  website the other day, I came across several clean and simple cards made by the very talented Sally Traidman.  So, as another contribution to the contest at A Blog Named Hero, I made a shameless CASE card inspired by THIS one-layer beauty:

I used similar stamps but not identical...I have a smaller script (Long Writing Background), I added the Harlequin Pattern Block inked in soft vanilla shadow ink in the background, and I used the woodblock Wild Flowers instead of the cling.  I inked up the flowers with Marvy markers, spritzed with water, and stamped. 

Actually, after all that coloring I figured I'd try to re-spritz the stamp and re-stamp it onto watercolor paper; I'm glad I did because I can definitely use this...

If you haven't checked it out yet, there is still time (and lots of inspiration) over at A Blog Named Hero.  I know I am inspired by ALL the Hero Arts artists...it's hard to choose a favorite!

Have a great day!
Judy

Happy...Birthday, that is!

Hello, friends!  I have three cards to share today, all HAPPY birthday cards using a paper-pieced digital image available for free at Jane's Doodles blog. 

I am entering these cards into the current CASology Challenge since the cue word is "HAPPY."

I am also entering them into the Play Date Cafe challenge to use these gorgeous colors:

Here are the three clean and simple birthday cards I made...

OK, so here's how I did this.  It was quick and easy-peasy!  First I printed the bird image onto three white cards and again onto three different patterned papers from the Cosmo Cricket "Odds & Ends" 6x6 mini deck.

Next, I cut out the patterned images, lining the edges with a Marvy black marker... 

then I rearranged the pieces, mixing and matching them...

and then I adhered the images on the cards.  For final touches, I added black enamel accents to the eyes and glitter pen around the gift bow (hard to see here).  Here they are together again...

Here is my favorite happy birthday card of the bunch...I am so partial to the little roses!

And here are the other two...

and

Thanks for stopping by...I do appreciate it!

Have a good one,
Judy

Inspired By Shari Carroll

Hello friends!  I'm playing along with the current challenge at A Blog Named Hero to make a card inspired by the work of one of the fabulous Hero Arts artists. 

Since I made a birthday card using mainly stamped images (and only a small strip of dotted swiss paper), I am also entering it into the Stamp It! Cards Birthday Challenge in the Moxie Fab World.

My card was inspired by two specific cards made by Shari Carroll.  First is THIS awesome big-eyed fella, and next is THIS sweet bird.  Check them out here:

Isn't the patchwork effect on the owl cool?  And I love the newspaper print background behind the bird.  So, for my card I combined the owl and the text background! 

I stamped the owl in black on white card stock, drew the lines with a black Sharpie, then colored with colored pencils.  I added black rhinestones on the eyes, then cut it out and popped it up on the card.  On the card itself I masked the bottom, stamped the Friend Definition cling in Wet Cement ink, and stamped an older Hero Arts sentiment in Poppy chalk ink.

I had a really nice time scrolling through the IDEAS section of the Hero Arts website...I was reminded of how many inspiring cards there are to recharge you when the mojo is lacking!  Be sure to check it out if you need a jump start for this challenge.  THIS LINK will take you directly there!

Thanks for stopping by...have a great day!
Judy

LIM#76 One Layer Challenge: Style Is Eternal

Hello, friends!  Today's card is inspired by the current Less Is More One Layer Challenge to make a card using THREE of anything (e.g., three colors, three images, three stamps, three words, the number three.... it's up to you!). 

[Funny story.  I originally made three cards using a free digi image from Jane's Doodles in which I used three-word sentiments and three different patterned papers to paper-piece three parts of the image.  Then, after getting ready to upload them, I realized that they wouldn't qualify for this challenge because paper-pieced cards are not actually one layer!  OOPS!  So, they will be a post for another day.]

So back to the drawing board...and I must say I am pleased with where this all went.  I started thinking about 3-word sentiments I have in my stash (e.g., "Thinking of You," "Get Well Soon," etc.) and I suddenly remembered an oldie from Hero Arts that states -- three times, no less -- "Style is eternal."  Here is what I ended up with:

I actually did three techniques to this My Mother's Dress stamp, too: I embossed, water colored and glittered (sections).  You can see it better here:

So there you have it.  Three word sentiment, three times, with three techniques on the dress.  AND it's a one-layer card with lots of white space. 

Thanks for stopping by!
Judy