Picket-fence Criss-Cross Birthday card

I've been making tons of Christmas cards recently, and probably have many more than I need, so I'm trying to make more Birthday cards. I was really intrigued by the "Criss-Cross Card" Challenge at Birthday Sundaes. I've never made one, but I love all the DT samples and just had to give it a try. It was fun! Instead of included a pull tab for the enclosed card, I secured it with a small clothespin that I colored & stamped.

This card was also largely inspired by this week's Cupcake Inspirations photo. Now, if you look at their photo and then at this card, you might think Really? but it really was. Originally I was going to incorporate bright-colored flowers, but found myself focusing more on the grassy elements. I occurred to me to add a flower onto the the front, but I really liked the clean simplicity of how it is. It's difficult to see in these photos, but the white is a linen-patterned cardstock.

I'm also entering this card into the Birthday theme at the Crazy Challenge.

Inspiration:
Birthday Sundaes #26: Criss-Cross Card
The Crazy Challenge #84: Birthdays
Cupcake Inspirations #127: Photo Inspiration

Stamps: Raisin Boat, Stampendous
Paper: DCWV, Recolections, stash
Tools: Martha Stewart punches & scissors, Fiskars papercutter, Cricut & SCAL, stamp block
Other: ZipDry glue, Recollections embossing powder, Versamark inks, Copic (for edging), stash wooden clip

Update: This card was a chosen for the "Super Sundaes" for this challenge. Thank you!

A very, very late Wedding card

I was having trouble deciding what to make for the Crazy Challenge Weddings theme, but then I received some gorgeous handmade paper from Mom and was inspired to make this card for my grandparents-in-law's 61st anniversary.

Inspiration:
CCH #72: Weddings
Mojo Monday Sketch #196

Stamps by Stampin' Up!: cake stamp from Together Forever, sentiment from For the Two of You, flower & branch from Sweet Summer set
Paper: Recollections, DCWV, handmade paper from Mom's stash
Tools: Marvy heat tool, plastic templates from stash, Fiskars papercutter, MS detail scissors & border/corner punch set (for inside card)
Other: ZipDry glue, ZING embossing powders, Versamark ink

One-color wonder

First off, Crafters Digital Art Center (CDAC) is celebrating its One Year Anniversary. Wow, they've accomplished a lot in a year! They're having contests and prizes, including a big giveaway of ready-to-color flowers by Petaloo. You need to be a CDAC member to be eligible, but who isn't‽

Wow, I was really motivated yesterday and made several cards. I just kept getting inspired! I was intrigued by the Crazy Challenge of "white + 1 other color", and thought it would be a perfect excuse to use my new blue embossing powder.

When I grabbed this freebie image from TLC Creations, I commented that I wanted to heat-emboss it...and I'm finally getting around to it. It worked really well: embossing with digi images is all about the paper, and I have a lot of luck printing at highest quality on glossy photo paper. You need to work fast, but as you can see it provides really full coverage, even on fine details.

To sort of match the photo paper, I made the card base from lightweight brochure paper, basically a thin, matte-coated double-sided photo paper. It doesn't work for heat-embossing, oddly enough. It worked beautifully in the paper embossing machine, and has a lovely weight. I heat-embossed the flourishes onto the card before running it through my Sizzix.

Inspiration:
CCH #71: Monochromatic

"Joy Fold" tutorial: ABC Christmas Challenge blog

Stamps: Vintage Lady and Birds Silhouette digi by TLC Creations, sentiment & flourishes by Stampendous

Paper: HP photo paper & brochure paper, Brazzill

Tools: HP printer & ink, Marvy heat tool & corner punch, Sizzix Texture Boutique

Other: ZipDry, Stampendous embossing powder, Versamark watermark ink

A little grass for the chicks

I simply can't get enough of Sliding Treat Holders...they are just so precious and Spring-y.

I know I could have made these just because I wanted to, but I do love sharing my work with others via challenges, like these great ones going on now:

Paper Issues Challenge: Show Us Your Grass
Creative Friday Challenge #51: Easter
Crazy Challenge #62: Easter

At least one of these challenge blogs is based in Germany, so I found myself thinking of some German friends when making these... Hope we can visit soon! But I've been saying that for over a decade now...

I cut pieces from the lattice border to make a grass-like border. It's a little difficult to see in these photos, but there's a lot of texture on these. After I colored the stamps with Copics, I used a glue stick to supply adhesive and covered them with Flocking. I treated the digi stamp sentiment similarly, except that I heat-embossed with transparent-yellow powder.

Sentiment digi stamp: TLC Creations
Bunny stamp: Inkadinkado
Decorated Egg stamp: CraftSmart

Copic markers:
Chick & details on rabbit: Y000, Y02, Y06, YR12, YR09, YR04, Y08
Bunny: RV23, E000, YR01, RV21
Eggs: BG10, B32, B05, B23