My Sheri Crafts Challenge #156: Birthday Bash

I chose this theme for our challenge @ My Sheri Crafts, asking that you create a birthday card and coordinating envelope. You may either decorate an envelope you already have or create your own -- then stamp, emboss, add a frame for the address, or whatever you think of to 'dress it up' to coordinate with your card and create a 'hint' for the recipient as to what awaits them inside!  ;)

For my first project, I made my DD a card for her birthday, using Spellbinders' Die D-Lites: Asters and Poppies and Frame One, as well as in'spire dies: Birds on a Wire and Celebration (sentiment). Again, no stamping on this card! ;)  I then used the Birds' dies as a decorative cut on my envelope's flap. DD is a florist, so she loves flowers and nature and that's what inspired me to create her card.

My second card was for a 9-year-old's birthday.  She wanted to have a tea party with just a couple friends her age, adult family members/friends. Her gift set had to be special, so I used Spellbinders' Tea Service as well as Nested Tea Cup dies for her card front, the front/flap of her envelope (created with WRMK's Envelope Punch Board) and her gift bag.  A sentiment from JustRite's Birthday Floral Vintage Labels Eight and Nine seemed fitting.  These metallic papers were difficult to capture in a photo, but very pretty IRL! ;)  Think she liked her card/envelope, but it was totally trumped by the handmade tea party-themed Footie Jammies I made for her 18" doll & her friends' dolls!  I had sooo much fun creating her card/envelope/gift bag and sewing jams and other items for the 3 girls -- felt almost like being a 'Grandma'!  ;'}

Hope these inspire you to create a birthday card and coordinating envelope for someone you love and post it @ My Sheri Crafts for us to enjoy too!

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #155: Mother's Day

With Mother's Day just around the corner, we're asking you to create "something girly" for this go-round @ My Sheri Crafts!  I'm glad we're able to do something feminine, but not specifically for a Mother.

My inspiration began with a couple Spellbinders' dies today, quickly followed by three MORE Spellbinders' dies and NO stamping -- LOL!  I began by cutting poppies from Asters and Poppies Die D-Lites in Papertrey Ink's Spring Moss, then in Pure Poppy and using a bit of creative cutting to add them for my buds/flowers.  Next up I used Labels Fourteen for my sentiment, cut from Spellbinders' in'spire word die IN-012, and adding Want2Scrap's Labels Fourteen Lime Green gem border.

Then my PTI Vintage Cream card base seemed too plain, so I took my A-2 Fancy Ribbon Threader and did partial cutting twice, first cutting out the top, then reversing to cut the top again for my bottom edge by matching some of my previous cut-outs. To get a perfect border, I then lined up my A2 Matting Basics A die #5 (#1 being the smallest) and cut out the middle.  I'd not done partial die cutting in awhile, but it was just what my card needed today!

I'll be anxious to see your 'girly' creations posted over @ My Sheri Crafts!  ;~)

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #154: April is National Humor Month

In honor of National Humor Month, we'd like to see something funny for your project this go-round @ My Sheri Crafts!
Pondering what to do for this challenge, I recalled a Fiskars' stamp set (Make A Wish Quotes) I'd purchased.  Since I always need birthday cards, it fit my needs perfectly.

I had a punched strip of off-white striped/embossed Bazzill paper sitting on my craft table so I layered two shades of purple CS on solid Bazzill CS that matches my embossed piece.  My JustRite (Birthday Wishes for You) greeting was stamped onto a Spellbinders' Labels Ten die cut and accented with purple sequins.  A simple bow tied with embroidery floss finishes off the front of my card.

Inside I used a larger Labels Ten die for my humorous quote from Lucille Ball -- what woman would ever lie about her age???  Ha-Ha!

Hope to see some humorous inspiration from all of you @ My Sheri Crafts these next two weeks!

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #153: Easter Wishes!

For our current challenge @ My Sheri Crafts we're asking that you create an Easter card including EITHER a bunnies, eggs or a cross.

I seldom send many Easter cards any more, but in my 'spring' stamps and embellishments I discovered some Studio G stamps, as well as a tiny bunny from Inkadinkado. Looking at them, I decided to re-create one of those plastic eggs used for an egg hunt -- it's supposed to look like the itty-bitty bunny and some small eggs spilled out when the child opened the large plastic egg -- at least that was my hope?!

I embellished the top with a banner from JustRite's Buntings and Banners Clear Stamps and cut/Copic colored my lower edge with Spellbinders' Curved Borders Two and rounded my corners with the WRMK Corner Chomper. 

Can't wait to see your Easter Wishes cards @ MSC!!!

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #152: Happy St. Patrick's Day

Hard to believe that we're nearly to the middle of March, 2015 already, but we are and that means that St. Patrick's Day is closing in on us!  Our My Sheri Crafts Challenge for you this go-round is to create a project that includes a pot of gold, four-leaf clover or a leprechaun -- pretty simple, huh?

For my card I went with a chipboard pot o' gold to which I added a rainbow fashioned with gems in five colors.  My A2 card is made using Papertrey Ink's Vintage Cream CS and I added 3 folds for dimension just beyond the folded edge.  Next I added a piece of October Afternoon;s Cakewalk designer paper with a cream and green ric-rac design and a fun Irish sentiment to accompany that lucky pot of gold.  The Inkadinkado stamp has been in  my stash for many years and was stamped using Memento's Bamboo Leaves, a good match with my DP also.  Finishing off this CAS card is a shamrock bow cut from shoe strings that I found for $1, so I have plenty for my St. Patrick's Day needs to come!

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #151: Welcome, Spring!

Our new challenge at My Sheri Crafts is: Welcome, Spring!  We're simply asking you to welcome spring with a spring-themed project!   Hopefully it is SOON going to be spring for so many of you who've already had way more than your share of winter/cold/snow this year!

For my CAS card, I started with a 5" square card of Stamper's Select White CS and a layer of New Leaf from Papertrey Ink.  I then cut another piece of white CS with Spellbinders' Labels Three die and filled that in with a Grate Works die cut -- love how pretty it is!

Finishing off my card is a Les Papillions butterfly in pink and my Just Rite sentiment from Buntings and Banners in True Black on a Spellbinders' banner backed with a New Leaf banner.

My Sheri Crafts #150: Cherry Pie Day!

In honor of Cherry Pie Day, coming up on February 20th, our latest challenge @ My Sheri Crafts is to create a project featuring EITHER a cherry or a pie.

I created a very CAS card for this challenge by stamping my cherry stamp onto watercolor paper in Papertrey Ink's Ripe Avocado and Pure Poppy inks (yes, my two FAV colors).  I then fussy cut and mounted them onto a Spellbinders' Petite Oval in Ripe Avocado and white Petite Scalloped Oval die cuts.  My base card is PTI's Stampers Select White layered with Pure Poppy CS and rounded @ the bottom corners.  A strip of cheery cherry plaid ribbon finishes off this fun little top-fold A2 card.

Please consider joining us with your cherry or pie project @ My Sheri Crafts for a chance to be our next Guest Designer!

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #149: Valentine's Day

For our challenge: Valentine's Day "include a heart" starting today @ My Sheri Crafts my card began with a piece of designer paper from Pink Paislee's Secret Crush 6x6" paper pack.

To my DP I added the required heart as my focal image die cut from Lace Hearts by Samantha Walker for Spellbinders. Topping off my hearts is the key from this same die set tied on with a silver cord bow.

Next I stamped February in Papertrey Ink's Pure Poppy using Winter Words and date using Autumn Words, both clear stamp sets by JustRite onto an edge piece cut from my DP and backed by red to make it pop.  A couple of extra hearts and a lattice border from Spellbinders' A2 Bracket Borders One completes this card.

Thanks for your comments and I look forward to seeing your heart creations over @ My Sheri Crafts! ;)

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #148: Let it Snow!

Sheri chose the theme for our challenge @ My Sheri Crafts, asking that we use a snowflake on our project! Normally, this wouldn't be hard, but after having 'cold' weather by my 'desert-dwelling' standards, we had a record-breaking high of 81 in Phoenix Wednesday, so creating a card with snow was a bit difficult!  I so dislike being cold that I'll honestly take 110 degrees over cold any day!

Today I'm sharing a CAS card and envelope.  I began with an A2-size card base of blue Bazzill CS, then a layer of DP to which I added a foil snowflake. My sentiment is from Our Craft Lounge, a clear acrylic set from many years ago that I love still!  I stamped it in Papertrey Ink's Enchanted Evening onto a Spellbinders' Ribbon Tag die (retired) and tied with a silver ribbon.

I guess my post today is 'a blast from the past' as everything on this card is from awhile ago, but still perfectly relevant for our Let It Snow challenge, so let's see what you can find in your craft room for your snowflake project to post @ My Sheri Crafts! ;)

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #147: Oh Christmas Tree

For our final challenge before taking a holiday break, we're asking you to create a Christmas card which MUST include a tree!

In my never-ending attempts to create pretty, but simple-to-mail cards for the holiday that are Post Office friendly, I created a card for this challenge! You see, most of my cards make my husband fret and worry that they'll never arrive or instead arrive in a plastic bag containing torn shreds of a formerly lovingly hand-made, signed and addressed personal card -- because that's happened once or twice. One dear friend saved his lovingly handmade birthday card and brought it from several states away to share w/us on a trip to AZ -- all contained in a plastic bag after being painstakingly put back together as best his wife could so that they could even begin to tell what it had possibly once actually looked like -- LOL!!!

Sooo, today's clean and simple card is one of those basically flat, unobstructed and easy-to-mail cards that my Hubby prefers and will likely go to one of our children.  I used Rubber Stampede's
"Evergreen" from 2001 stamped in Papertrey Ink's Ripe Avacado.  After first coloring just the trunk with a Tombow Mocha marker, I used a stamp positioner to stamp it onto my oval die cut. Then I inked it up in green and stamped again, following that with gold Stickles.  A piece of ribbon from Target's $1 bin ties through my Spellbinders' Grommet Tag, which I stamped with Papertrey Ink's Painted Poinsettias stamp set.

Sooo, create your very own simple or not-so-simple Christmas tree card and join in @ My Sheri Crafts Challenge!  ;)

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #145: Black Magic

Our newest challenge:  'Black Magic' requires we create a Halloween project -- simple & timely, huh?!!!  ;)

For my entry, I chose an altered book cover, as I wanted to do something other than a card.  Luckily, I stumbled upon Lindsey's Altered Halloween Books here and followed her directions -- sooo fun!!!

I also luckily found my RIP metal piece at the local 99-cent store, meant to be a necklace originally.  I removed the plastic chain and hot glued my grave marker down to the book cover.  My letters were some from many years ago in a pack of unfinished chipboard pieces, so I added those at top & bottom for my 'title' and two decorative pieces from cut from Spellbinders' Twisted Metal Tags and Accents to add to each side of my grave marker.

Once my Mod Podge had dried, I painted on Adirondack Pitch Black Acrylic Paint and once that dried used Viva Decor's Inka Gold to run over my pieces. The red eyes were part of the piece when purchased, so I simply scraped the paper towel away and left them there in all their gory 'glory' -- Hee!

My second book started out as an inexpensive journal with lightweight cardboard covers. I simply covered it first in a layer of paper towel and then painted & scrunched it up a bit. When dry, I added my spider web using hot glue, along with more letters mounted onto a Spellbinders' Resplendent Rectangles die. For this one, I kept it simple by adding Inka Gold in Graphite over the web, lettering and label edge.  A felt spider and a small silver moon finish it off.

Hope you'll create a Halloween project and join us this week for my spooky good fun @ My Sheri Crafts! ;)

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #144: Autumn Abundance

My turn to choose the challenge at My Sheri Crafts this time around.  Now that it's finally fall (almost here in AZ too), I chose to focus on autumn, asking you to use Fall items seen in 'abundance':  leaves, acorns, fruits, pumpkins, gourds, etc.

I chose a bright striped fall BG paper from Bo Bunny's Apple Cider collection and ended up using some felt from my stash to cut my leaves and acorns using Spellbinders' dies.  Since I couldn't really emboss the felt very well I used a brown Sharpie to enhance the leaves veins.  My gem sentiment is one more from my stash that I grabbed @ Michaels years ago for a dime!  Gonna miss those great little word stickers when they're all gone -- sigh!  I backed it with a piece of burlap ribbon with gold thread and fringed the edges. Just a simple fall card that can be used for many occasions.

Hope you'll join us for this simple challenge @ My Sheri Crafts!

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #143: Buntings & Banners

Our latest challenge is up @ My Sheri Crafts today asking you to create any card/project featuring any style of buntings or banners -- really fun, I think!


I made a bright and colorful 'celebration' card that I'll likely use for an upcoming birthday.  For my base, I used a striped paper for my BG and small polka dot paper from Echo Park, which I die cut using Spellbinders' A2 Polka Dots.  My sentiment is from Just Rite's Celebrations 'Labels One and Bracket Borders One' and my banner was made using Just Rite's 'Buntings and Banners'.  A sprinkling of sequins sent to me from a dear friend finishes off this CAS card.

Anxiously looking forward to seeing your take on our latest challenge!  ')

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #142: Birthday Celebrations!

Over @ My Sheri Crafts we're celebrating birthdays this time around, so why not get a card or two made ahead for that upcoming birthday and join us!  That's what I did:

First is a CAS feminine card, using My Mind's Eye 'Lost & Found' for my BG strip and at the center of my embellishment.  Spellbinders' Delicate Doilies and Petite Scalloped Circles Large were used to die cut my focal pieces.  My birthday sentiment is from JustRite's Birthday Vintage Labels Four.

I also needed a masculine birthday greeting, so chose to go CAS again, using My Mind's Eye 'On the Bright Side' patterned papers. For my background I chose an orange weathered wood design as I like the roughness and texture it gives a man's card and added it to my white A2 card base.  Next I added rectangles cut with Spellbinders' A2 Matting Basics (as was my BG piece) in textured linen and chevron papers.  For novelty, I offset my die cuts on the left and right and added my birthday greeting to them using foam squares.  Finishing off my card are 3 small metal squares I colored orange with a Copic Marker and a piece of orange twine tied with a simple knot.

I chose a gray envelope for my recipient and used the dark gray linen paper again to line the flap.  Always enjoy doing that when I remember and have time to add this simple finishing touch, so will need to do one for my girly card, but had already taken my photo before thinking of it this time!

Okay, get those birthday cards made and join us over @ My Sheri Crafts this week!

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #141: Celebrate the Piano

We're having a fun challenge @ My Sheri Crafts wherein we're asking you to create a card/project with a musical theme or musical instrument -- preferably a piano.  I really enjoyed creating my simple piano card:

I created white keys by making scoring lines @ 1-inch intervals using my Scor-Pal on a 5 1/2" wide white piece of card stock, beginning in the center. I then cut my four black keys using a retired Spellbinders' rectangle die and popped them on foam tape, centered over my score lines.

Next I hand cut my black piano top piece, using Spellbinders' A2 Curved Borders One to just pencil in part of the desired curve.  My sentiment and music notes are both Papertrey Ink stamps (Autumn Abundance and Birds of a Feather). A piece of music paper, checked ribbon and small pale pink rose complete this card. Best part is I know just who'll enjoy this card!

So, let's see your musical entries now @ My Sheri Crafts!!!

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #140: Be an Angel

Our latest challenge @ My Sheri Crafts is to create a card/project featuring an angel(s).  Since I still need more Christmas cards (who doesn't?), I decided to do a very CAS card using various shades of gold.

This is an A2 card that I die cut using Spellbinders' (retired) Jumbo Scalloped Border Petites along the right edge. I added a darker gold band just along the inside edge of my card for contrast. My sentiment is from JustRite's (retired) Christmas Joy Set stamped in VersaMark and embossed in DeNami's Gold EP and layered onto a larger Spellbinders' Oval die cut in the same dark gold CS.

Finishing off this holiday card are Bazzill gems, my three angels (delicate gold stickers from my stash) and a narrow gold ribbon.

Hope you'll join us by creating your own angelic greeting/project and posting it here!

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #139: Non-Traditional Shaped Cards

We were asked to create non-traditional shaped cards (any shape/fold besides straight-edged standard cards allowed) and I decided to do a sympathy card. Always need to have a couple on hand, sadly. Ever since I received Spellbinders' Arched Windows die set, I felt it would be a good beginning to create this type of card. Using the Cross Collection dies also seemed fitting and my decision was to go simple in keeping with the solemn occasion.

My Papers are Bazzill and Papertrey Ink's Fine Linen and a gold metallic (source unknown) for my cross. My sentiment is from JustRite's stamp set "With Sympathy" stamped in Memento's Tuxedo Black. Decorating the inside arch is Latte tulle and ZVA Creative pearls.

I'll be anxiously watching to see your non-traditional shaped card @ My Sheri Crafts challenge soon!

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #138: Christmas in July

Sue on our My Sheri Crafts DT has asked this go-round that we make a Christmas in July project with lots of layers, so mine has six.

I started with the lightest shade of green for my A2 card base and then stamped three layers on darkest green to lightest with JustRite's Merry Christmas BG Cling Stamp and cut with Spellbinders' A2 Matting Basics. Finishing off this simple card I added the small tree from Spellbinders' Fanciful Holiday set decorated with red gems, sparkly gold star and Stickles snow.

Hope you'll join us with your many-layered Christmas in July project @ My Sheri Crafts challenge -- why not -- you'll have one more crossed off the list for Christmas 2014!  ;-)

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #137: Food, Food & More Food!!!

Raquel has asked us to create a project with food, food and MORE food for our new My Sheri Crafts challenge! It should be fun to see what everyone comes up with!

For my simple summer get-together thank you, I've used some 'old' DCWV paper from my stash and a watermelon rubber stamp from 1999 -- yes, I still have many old paper crafting items, which do get used occasionally -- LOL!!!  My markers are pretty dried out, so I inked the stamp's center in Memento's Lilac Posies, lined it up with a Stamp-a-ma-jig and stamped onto white CS. My rind was then stamped with PTI's Landscape, edged with Hero Arts' Field Greens inks and lined up again to stamp. The blank area was colored with Sugared Almond Pink Copic Marker and hand cut out before adding it to a Spellbinders' Labels Eighteen die cut. I like the shaded effect the two greens gave the rind. Finishing off this bright card I chose a grosgrain striped ribbon I've had for ages to tie across the bottom and tied on a pre-stamped small tag from my stash with twine.

Watermelon is a huge FAV @ our house still, just like it was when I was a child! I'll be anxious to see your food projects @ My Sheri Crafts!!!

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #136: A Star is Born

For My Sheri Crafts Challenge: A Star is Born, wherein our challenge is to use at least 2 stars in your project, I created a simple patriotic card based upon a great Splitcoaststampers tutorial.

I've done partial die cutting before, but Debby's tutorial gives a great written explanation and video, if you prefer a visual method of learning, as well as a great demonstration of water coloring. I decided instead to layer my stars for this go-round. I did my partial die cut and my red/blue layered stars using Spellbinders' star dies, adding Want2Scrap swirl, as well as stars and letters from my stash that I colored with Copics. This card will fit into an A2 envelope as I first cut it on the large side, then measured it to fit my envie after partially die-cutting my star.  As Debby explained in her tutorial, she made her DD a place card using this same technique, which would be fabulous if you were having guests for a 4th of July B-B-Q!!! 

Glad you stopped in today and can't wait to see the results from your "A Star is Born" foray!!!  ;'~)