Challenge #181 - Fall or Holiday Wishes 4 Kids or Anything Goes

It's the 3rd Saturday of the month and that means it is time for another challenge at the Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge Blog.  The theme for this challenge is Fall or Holiday Wish Cards 4 Kids or Anything Goes 4 Kids.  This challenge no longer has sponsors so you will be participating for pride not prize.

Send a Smile 4 Kids charity is dedicated to collecting and distributing handmade cards to children who are inpatient at Children's Hospitals.  Please send us your handmade kids' cards for holidays, birthdays, and everyday cheer.  Help us put a smile on our kids' faces.

Happy Halloween Card Recipe

Since Halloween is right around the corner I've been enjoying jack-o-lanterns and purple candles with moons on them I made a Halloween card 4 the kids.  I also made my granddaughter a Halloween quilt with glow in the dark Halloween material.  I used an old hand me down stamp set from a company I don't know.  I actually have all my Halloween stamps and card stock in one case so I pulled some of the paper from my stash for the background.  I hadn't played with my Tim Holtz oxide inks lately so I pulled those out to make a background for my swirly witch and Happy Halloween sentiment.  Sparkly enamel dots from Doodlebug were used to top it all off.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Consider donated hand made cards to our great charity.  Have a great day and enjoy the journey and some chocolate.

Have a great day and enjoy the journey and some chocolate.

April

Yay - It's Your Birth-YAY

This weeks cards are all rainbow inspired.  I used Tim Holtz Oxide Inks in a rainbow of colors to create a rainbow background.  I cut out 3 Yay sentiments from My Favorite Things.  I used one immediately but had 2 left over to use on different cards.  The challenge at Paper Players a few weeks ago was rainbow and some of those cards inspired me to use my Yay sentiments.

Yay HAPPY BIRTH-YAY Card Recipe

The YAY sentiment is Tim Holtz Oxide Ink cut out using the My Favorite Things Yay die set.  The background is splattered with Hero Arts Watercolor mixed with a little bit of water.  The card front is matted with red card stock.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in next time for another paper crafting or t-shirt project.  Have a great day and enjoy the journey and some chocolate.

April

Ruth 3:  13 . Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.”

Yay - Congratulations

I've been playing with creating rainbow sentiments and backgrounds using Tim Holtz Oxide Inks.  I cut out all 3 'yay' die cuts from My Favorite Things from one piece of a watercolor rainbow background I created.  I used one of the yays, but still had 2 left.  I saw some rainbow cards for the Paper Players Challenge and was inspired to make this card.

Yay Congratulations Card Recipe

This is a mixed watercolor card.  I used Tim Holtz Oxide inks to create the sentiment, but I used Hero Arts watercolor paint to create the background.  The congratulations sentiment is from My Favorite Things as is the die that cut out the YAY.  The card was matted with purple cardstock and that's it.  Pretty CAS.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in next time for another paper crafting or t-shirt project.  Have a great day and enjoy the journey and some chocolate.

April

Ruth 3:  11  And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.

Yay, It's Your Birthday

I saw a card on the MFT Instagram feed that used a black ink, the radiating stencil and rainbow colors for the sentiment.  The blog is located here.

So this is what I created using this image as my inspiration.

Yay It's Your Birthday Card Recipe

I started out with watercolor card stock and Tim Holtz Oxide Ink in Black Soot.  I used a sponge dauber to apply the Oxide Ink to the watercolor paper.  I put 2 layers of the black on the paper.  The I put the Radiating Stencil from MFT over the black and put another layer of Oxide Black Soot Ink.  The rays are subtle.  I took white acrylic paint and flicked it on the Black Soot Ink.  I decided it needed a little sparkle so I also spritzed with water containing Perfect Pearls.  On another piece of watercolor card stock, I made a rainbow with Tim Holtz Oxide Inks.  Once I put the colors down I spritzed them with water.  I cut out the MFT Yay sentiment and cut 2 more Yays out of white card stock.  I glued them together to create a dimensional sentiment.  The It's Your Birthday sentiment is from the MFT stamp set that coordinates with the Yay dies.  

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in next time for another paper crafting or t-shirt project.  Have a great day and enjoy the journey and some chocolate.

April

Ruth 3:  5  “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered.

Commencing Happy Dance

I am the official card giver and birthday celebrator on my team at work.  I don't know why.  Maybe it is because I make cards, but it is my job.  Don't get me wrong.  I put myself in charge of it.  Who doesn't want to feel special on their birthday.  We have a team member who lives in California and he always gets the shaft, but not this year.  This year I remembered in time to send his card and some Valentine candy.  I think it was a day late, but better late than never.

Commencing Happy Dance Card Recipe

This is another clean and simple card as I find those are best for the masculine cards.  I bought the new Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks and wanted to give them a try.  I decided to use regular card stock instead of water color card stock.  Sentiment is from a recently purchased birthday sentiments set from My Favorite Things stamped in Versamark ink and heat embossed with Nuvo black embossing powder.  The Oxide inks are Bundled Sage, Peacock Feathers and Shaded Lilac.  I put some color down on a teflon mat and added water;  dipped a really wet brush into the ink on the mat and put it on the paper.  It is that simple.  The mat is a piece of decorated water color card stock that I'd saved from a prior project.  Stamped inside is Happy Birthday.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in next time for another paper crafting or t-shirt project.  Have a great day and enjoy the journey and some chocolate.

April

Ruth 1:  21   I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

Get Well Rainbow Style

A friend from work has requested some Get Well cards and so that was my theme this weekend.  Well you know except for Hugs.  Actually Hugs would work for Get Well, too.  I saw a card on a blog (MASKerade) that gave me the idea.  Here is my Get Well version.

Get Well Card Recipe

One of my latest themes has been the rainbow colors.  Who doesn't love a rainbow?  So, I took my Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks is Candied Apple, Spiced Marmalade, Fossilized Amber, Lucky Clover, Salty Ocean and Wilted Violet and made lines longways on the watercolor paper.  As is also my habit, I spritzed the cardstock lightly with water.  I had some negatives left over from cutting out some get well letters with my Cricut Explore Air 2 that I decided to place on top of this watercolor background using foam tape.  Then I had a revelation, Splatter.  I decided to splatter the white cardstock with some of the rainbow colors for some interest.  And there you have it.

Here is my inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in next time for another paper crafting or t-shirt project.  Have a great day and enjoy the journey and some chocolate.

April

Luke 4:  8  Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

Hedgehog Hugs

I've been doing some tutorial videos on Cricut Design Space and Silhouette Studio, so I've been creating some cards using the designs I've created in the tutorials.  Here is a card I created using the HUGS I cut out on my Cricut Explore Air 2.

Hedgehog Hugs Card Recipe

A hedgehog from Penny Black adorns this alcohol ink laden card.  My tutorial videos on youtube.com for Cricut Design Space and Silhouette Studio are for those peeps who just recently got a new machine and are struggling with where to start.  HUGS was cut out using Cricut Explore Air 2.  I stacked multiple cuts on top of each other for dimension.  Using a sponge dauber - I inked up the hugs with Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks in Peacock Feathers and Wilted Violet.  The background was created using Alcohol Ink and a silver mixative on Yupo Paper.  Purple card stock was used to mat the background of the card front.  The little Hedgehog colored with Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers. 

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in next time for another paper crafting or t-shirt project.  Have a great day and enjoy the journey and some chocolate.

April

Luke 3:  18  And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

Hugs Hugs Hugs

First I want to say Happy Birthday to Martin Luther King Jr.  What a great man who brought about so much change. 

Here is another share of some cards that were lying around my craft desk in pieces and parts.

Hugs Hugs Hugs Card Recipe

Same ole background you've seen for the past week.  I know boring, but hey - I made it so I need to use it.  :-)  Instead of stacking the hugs on top of each other, I stacked them on top of each other.  Separately.  The glittery enamel dots are from the Dollar Tree.  Yep - the Dollar Tree.  You have to love the Dollar Tree.  The same coral used to cut out the sentiment was used to mat the watercolor cardstock that was decorated using Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink and spray starch.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in next time for another paper crafting or t-shirt making project.  Have a great day and enjoy the journey and some chocolate.

April

Luke 3:  12 - 13  Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”  “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

Happy Birthday

The next few paper crafting related posts will be cards that I have created using the pieces and parts that I cut out and backgrounds that I made, but hadn't used to make cards.  These have been sitting on my desktop.....  Wait, that is a lie.  I left them on my desktop, but they have spent an inordinate amount of time on the floor of my craft room.  The culprit is pictured below.

Oliver

Last weekend I made some backgrounds and cut out some sentiments from some watercolor backgrounds of similar colors.  I made some cards, but still had some sentiments and backgrounds that I hadn't used.  So last night I made a stack and set about finishing up some cards.  On these cards I used enamel dots for interest.

Happy Birthday Card Recipe

Simple recipe today.  You can refer back to this post and this post to see the details.  I put together several cards with pieces and parts.  The birthday sentiment is from Concord and 9th.  I am hoping all the rest of the pieces and parts are still sitting on top of my craft desk and not on the floor tomorrow.  Oliver - that is directed towards you.  If you're reading this.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in next time for another paper crafting or t-shirt project.  Have a great day and enjoy the journey and some chocolate.

April

Luke 3:  10 - 11  “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” 

Hi and Hugs

Why did we buy these expensive electronic cutting machines?  I bought mine so I wouldn't have to buy those expensive dies.  Now I don't mean it totally replaced metal dies.  I still like those dies with embossing or stitches or piercing.  So today I used my cutting machine to cut out sentiments for my cards.

Hi and Hugs Card Recipe

Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink sponged on watercolor paper and then spritzed with water has become my go to for card making recently.  Today, I used Abandoned Coral and Peacock Feathers and instead of spritzing with water, I spritzed with spray starch.  I'm not sure there was much of a difference.  I always decorate a whole sheet of watercolor cardstock and then cut it down so I can make multiple cards.  This time I sponged 2 pieces of watercolor cardstock with these colors, but only sprayed one with spray starch.  Using my Cricut Explore Air 2, I cut out the sentiments out of the second piece of sponged cardstock.  Coordinating cardstock was used to create the card base and mat.  Sequins were added for interest.  I stacked the sentiments on top of each other for dimension and even offset them sometimes.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in next time for another paper crafting or t-shirt project.  Have a great day and enjoy the journey and some chocolate.

April

Luke 2:  51 - 52  Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.  And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Yep - It's Time for Sappy Love Cards

Christmas is over and even though I should be making Happy New Year cards - I needed to get my class cards done for the month of January.  Cause we need to make those sappy love cards for February in January.  I guess everyone doesn't work better under pressure like me.  And sappy love cards are not really my thing as I like cards that make people laugh.  However, more people like to express their Valentine's feelings with mushy stuff - so I am going to indulge them.  :-)

In my defense, these aren't terribly sappy.  :-)

Hugs Card Recipe

This card was the result of leftovers from the other cards I made.  These are always my favorites because they just come together without struggle.  The background is made from an envelope included in a sentiment stamp set from Penny Black - Smitten.  Tim Holtz Oxide Distress Ink in Wilted Violet and Picked Raspberries were used to stamp the background and also to create the heart in the background.  The little cut out hearts, also in those colors, were cut out from the left over back ground that the heart was cut out of.  The heart in the foreground was created using Yupo paper and metallic Color Burst.  Hugs is from Elizabeth Crafts.  The mat is Bazzill Bling card stock.  

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in next time for another paper crafting or t-shirt project.  Have a great day and enjoy the journey and some chocolate.

April

Luke 2:  22 - 24  When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord  (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

Bubble Greeting Cards - Hello Friend

It's time for another break from holiday shirts.  I will say I pressed 2 more shirts so there will be more coming.  In the mean time, I have been making some cards with the one of the stamp sets from last months Taylored Expressions release called Bubble Greetings.  Love, love, love these big 'fluffy' sentiments.  So many possibilities.  As a matter of fact, I am doing a class with them at Craft Inn using three different sentiments and three different techniques.

Hello Friend Card Recipe

This card was very simple, but doesn't necessarily look simple.  I stamped the Bubble Sentiment in Versamark ink and heat set it in black embossing powder.  I took Tim Holtz oxide inks in the pastel rainbow colors and rubbed the pad on my craft mat.  I spritzed the ink with water and used that to paint the letters in the word friend.  I made extra purple and flicked it on the water color card stock with my paint brush.  I matted the card front on a piece of purple card stock and put that on a card base.  That was it.  I might have added some enamel dots after I took the picture.  All cards need enamel dots - right?

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in next time for another t-shirt or card project.  Have a great day and enjoy the journey and some chocolate.

April

Luke 2:  1 - 3   In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while[ Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to their own town to register.

Now Freeze!

I'm reliving a moment from the 80's when the song Freeze Frame by J. Geils Band was popular.  Today's project harkens back to when cameras were a piece of equipment that didn't include a phone.

Here is today's project from Dee.  I just LOVE this card.  I could go on and on and on, but I will let you see the card:

Freeze Frame - Crazy Birds Card Recipe

Frame is by Fiskars - Say Cheese, stamped and cut out.  Added picture corners.  Images are Bird Crazy by Time Holtz & Sizzix were stamped and masked, colored with Zig Clean Brush Markers, then spread Glossy Accents over the entire picture.  The sentiment 'Crazy' stamped on My Favorite Things Stitched Border Die.  The Friends sentimnt is a Tim Holtz die.  Picture was put on a ready made card by DCWV.  The stamps and dies were purchased at Craft Inn.  If you're in the Louisville KY area - check them out.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in tomorrow for another Freeze Frame project.

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

Psalm 34:8  Taste and see that the Lord is good;  blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Halloween Wrap Up

The theme this week has turned out to be very popular with my Design Team.  Dee is sharing two uber cute projects from her craft room to wrap up this week's theme.

Happy Halloween Card Recipe

Images - Bird Crazy by Tim Holtz colored with Zig Clean Brush Markers.  Martha Stewart oldie but goodie Drippy Goo punch used to border the card.  Splattered yellow shimmer spray ink by Recollections.  Added small drops of glow in the dark paint (shows really well in the dark).  Added black sequins.  Sentiment - Crazy Talk by Tim Holtz.  Tiny punches were used for the witch and the cat.

Holiday Pinwheel Recipe

The paper is by Doodlebug.  The pinwheel was cut using We R Memory Keepers pinwheel punch board.  This is so easy to do and you will need bunches of them soon.  wa ha ha ha ha (evil laugh)

Thank you for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in tomorrow for a new theme - freeze frame.

Have a great day and enjoy the journey.

April

John 4:42  Now we believe, not because of what you said for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this indeed is the Christ, the Savior of the world.

Forest Friends - Not So Furry, but Feathery

Dee has been busy in her craft room again.  She created this card for this week's theme with some feathery forest creatures.

'Friends' It's Owl Good

Tree background is a Sizzix embossing folder by Tim Holtz, lightly sanded and inked.  Owl images punched out using a punch from Paper Studio.  The owls are colored with Zig Clean Brush Markers (Dee's favorite, too) and then they were flocked.  The white one is a snowy owl and the brown one is a barn owl.  Googly eyes added.  Branch is Sizzix die with leaves added that were punched using a punch by Paper Studio.  The Friends sentiment is from Sizzix by Tim Holtz. 

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in tomorrow for another forest creature card.

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

Zephaniah 3:17  The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.  He will take great delight in you;  in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing

Birthday Wrap Up!

Get it?  Birthday theme wrap up - like you wrap up a birthday present?  Well I thought it was clever.

Today I am going to share with you the last of the birthday themed cards for this week.  I've used several different products from several different companies.  I was very pleased with how each of the turned out.

The first card was made using Ken Oliver's Color Burst, a Tim Holtz Stencil, and a stamp set from Stamps of Life.  I used the Color burst and some water to create a fun t-shirt with a Happy Birthday sentimnt.  Then I used stencil with the leftover Color Burst to create the background for the card.  Check out my video:

I used the Dahlia set from Fun Stampers Journey along with the matching dies to create this birthday card.  I used my Zig Clean Brush Markers to color the flowers.  I gave this card to my daughter for her 21st birthday.

And last, but not least I used the Crazy Birds Stamp set from Tim Holtz to create a fun card for Diane who is turning ?? tomorrow.  I also had to add googly eyes because these birds just scream for googly eyes.  I colored the birds with my Zig Clean Brush Markers - you knew I did!  This card was entered into the challenge at Seize the Birthday.

So that wraps up birthday week.  I hope you got some fun ideas.  Tune in next week for a special thank you card from a special girl.  And next week's theme - thank you.

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

Psalm 103  But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

Happy Birthday - Yes - it's still Birthday theme.......

Yep - we're still celebrating birthdays on the blog.  My youngest daughter turned 21 this week so I decided it was a good week to celebrate birthdays with birthday cards.  One of my design team members has a milestone birthday on Sunday.  I won't tell you which milestone, but I will tell you it's Diane.  :-)

Here is Dee's contribution to this week's theme.  She used Tim Holtz's Crazy Birds stamp set.

Love these birds!  And the colors are perfect.

Thank you for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in tomorrow when we wrap up the Birthday week celebration.

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

1 Peter 3:12 - 13  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.  Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?

Hippity Hoppity Easter's on it's Way.......

I spent this weekend preparing for Easter.  I used an old Tim Holtz set from Archiver's that I hadn't touched and made some cute little cards.

The Easter egg card is pretty Easter specific, but I think the others could be used for other purposes.

I was introduced to a Wink of Stella which you can see on each card.

I couldn't find the envelopes that hold these 3" x 3" card, but thank goodness I could find my envelope punch.  LOVE that thing.

Thank you for stopping by the blog today.  Tune in tomorrow for the last of the Easter projects.

Have a great day and where ever you are - be there.

April

Psalm 84:10  Better is one day in yours courts than a thousand elsewhere;  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.