December 26, 2018 - Anything Goes

Well this is the last post of 2018  over at The House that Cards Built - and what a fun year it has been - so many ideas, so many beautiful cards and so much inspiration.  For three months I was "compromised" as I had a right shoulder replacement in May.  But I worked ahead and got all my posts done and scheduled for the three months that I was unable to stamp effectively.  I am "back" although I never really left - and have loved using new ideas, techniques, and colors from my Rock Star Design Team members. 

For my Anything goes challenge I choose to use 2012H Large Poinsettia and used it to make two cards using a modified negative technique.  I got two cards out of one stamping.  I choose to leave my flowers open and not colored and for my sentiment I used 428G Joy to the World.  Added a crinkle bow to one and some enamel dots to another. 

Sending best wishes for a Happy New Year in 2019 and Happy Stamping. 

    Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge of  anything goes  -  and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther 

December 19, 2018 Photo Inspiration

Oh my gosh - Christmas is less that a week away - hope every one is doing their last minute cards, gifts, baking, etc.  I set my goal to be done on the 12th of December and I almost was!!!  I still have to run out and get a couple more little gifts.  

Our challenge over at The House that Stamps Built is to use the inspiration photo - and I went with the poinsettia as my focal image.  I choose to color just three - using 2015D Tiny Poinsettia, 2012H Large Poinsettia, and my sentiment using

428G  Joy to the World.  I colored two large and 1 small poinsettias using copic markers and left the remaining ones just as stamped images. I stamped my sentiment on a separate piece of card stock using a bit of gold cording popped up on pop dots.  I am pleased with the way this turned out.  

   Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge inspiration photo  -  and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther 

December 17, 2018 POTW Helpful Hints and my favorites

This week my Pick of the Week, over at The House that Stamps Built,  is just a few helpful hints that I use often when I make my cards.

P.S. this post may be a bit heavy in pictures.

Do you ever have small pieces of card stock that you need to cut - like for a sentiment or a thin slice, put a post it note on it to use as your anchor and cut away with your trimmer.  

Clean your acrylic blocks with a paper towel and alcohol - or use an alcohol wipe if you have one.  Clean and shiny and your stamps will stick much better to your clean block. 

If you go to a crop, friends house or stamp club like I do mark your blocks, and other tools with a sticker such as I use a smiley face on all of my blocks and tools.  Yes even ink pads.  

Do you try and pour your left over embossing powder back into that small bottle, using a folded piece of paper???  Well my embossing powder that I use often such as silver, gold, black etc. I pour in a large container with a nice tight fitting lid - then when I emboss my image I do it over a regular coffee filter, works like a charm. 

I am thinking that several designers use a stamp platform - especially to stamp multiples or to make sure you get a good image on your card stock.  BUT - have your every gotten your bar/circle magnets stuck???  Or have them stuck together with a finger in the way?  I use some pretty duck tape on my bar magnets with a nice long tail so I can handle them without any problem and on my circle one I use washi tape.  Saves a lot of hassle getting the magnets apart. 

Make your own pick-up stick to grab those pesky little sequins or gems that are so hard to pick up especially if you have no fingernails.  I used an orange stock (available in nail polish/tool section at the store), and Loctite mounting putty.  When the sticky no longer picks up - just take it off and put on new putty.  Saves a few $$$$.

I am lucky to have plenty of shelves in my craft room - and I have several ribbon holders.  I applied a tape measure to one of the cross bars so I could measure my ribbon instead of just guessing.  

I keep a small trash container right next to my trimmer on my cutting desk so I can trim and throw away any scraps I am not going to keep.  I found this cute aluminum can at Dollar Tree so you know how much it cost!!!

Below you will see three of my "favorite" cards - that I have made for challenges in the past.  I love dogs (we have 3 of our own) so Ruff Day using 8101L Bull Dog.  Colored him with copics, fussy cut him and ready to go.  My next selection I choose because of the multiple uses you can get from this set.  I would recommend getting the whole plate 10600 Holy Crap  which has more than 35 stamps in the collection.  This way you can mix and match so many combinations to make a bit "edgy" card.  I have had so much fun using this set.  You can also order the stamps individually - in my "married" card I used 10632I

Toilet Tissue, 10609F Married, 10602E You're 10618K Heard you are taking the plunge, using only the word "heard", and on the outhouse card I used 10634I

Outhouse,  and 10630J Crappy Day.  

I have given you quite a few little hints and suggestions for your paper crafting fun.  Everything I used was stuff I had in my collection so didn't have to buy anything.  

  

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December 12, 2018 Tic-Tac-Toe

This week our challenge over at The House that Stamps Built is Tic-Tac-Toe one of my favorite challenge.  I choose to go with pattern paper, Red and Silver - and I have to say this is one of my favorite of the dog images.  I used 1022L Sweet Dream Puppy - does he not look like he is waiting for Santa to come down the chimney?  Paper pieced his hat - colored puppy with copics, did a fancy frame die cut out of silver (yes it is silver IRL) This is a 5 1/2 inch square card so it  will either need to be  delivered in person or add extra postage.  

Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge of  Tic Tac Toe  -  and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther 

December 5, 2018 Designer Choice Challenge

Over at The House that Stamps Built this month our designer challenge was picked by Donna - "anything but a card" and preferably Christmas theme. 

I did a class "many" years ago like at least 12 years ago in how to make this gift box our of "penny" matchboxes.  Well needless they are not pennies anymore and not quite as big as the original ones way back when. So I hot glued  4 boxes together.  I had this matting board (yes at least 12 years old) but still readily available and cut the mat board into 4 inch squares.  Again you can hot glue or use tear tape to but the top and bottom mat boards on the square formed by the match boxes.  

For the focal point of this box I use Christmas 2218-I as my main image - I die cut it out with a Spellbinder die - well it really needed something more so I

stamped 2  2012H Poinsettia and fussy cut them out - stacking them on top of each other.  Just a couple of yellow bling in the center well added a  bow with a small gem and then found a Christmas die in my stash that reminded me of snowflakes on a thin chain so I added one on each side of the die cut.  

I am a Chemo angel so I had bought (on sale clearance) several packages of Christmas earrings.  I lined each match box with some sparkle tissue and set a pair of earrings in each box.  For the "knob" to open each box I used a gold square brad which makes it easy to grab and open.

  

Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge of  anything but a card preferably using a holiday theme  -  and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther 

November 28, 2018 Anything Goes

This week at The House that Stamps Built our theme is Anything Goes sowe have an open palette to use our imagination.  

We had a wedding and I needed a card SO...this is what I came up with - I used 101-P Rose Heart Wreath as my focal image - coloring the flowers and leaves with                               .  They had just the right amount of sparkle.  I used some shimmer blue cardstock that matched very well and then did some splattering of dk. blue splatters using watercolors and a paint brush.  I have had this die for a while - and I cut out Mr. and Mrs. out of the same cardstock as the base card.  I didn't use any additional bling as I thought the sparkle of the colors and the sheen of the cardstock were perfect.  

 Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge of  Anything Goes -  and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther  

November 21, 2018 Photo Inspiration

This week over at The House that Stamps Built our challenge was the photo shown below my card.  This was a fun one even if I don't color birds real well, I still had fun with this darling bird family 309N Winter Birds, colored with copic markers and then some fun dimensional snow for the pine branches and the stocking hats on the birdies.  I die cut the word joy three times and glued them together.  My mats some one had given me some packing material which I used for the layer under the birds, then I had some polka dot green/gold that I thought looked good with the scene.  A little gold/white ribbon and the card was complete.  

 Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge of  Photo Inspiration -  and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther 

November 14, 2018 Tic Tac Toe

This week over at The House that Stamps Built our challenge is Tic Tac Toe which is my favorite challenge of the month.  This moth I choose to go with the top line across - nature colors, moose, and twine.  I have a little gentleman that I am "senior buddies" with and he lives in the town of MooseJaw Saskatchewan so I have been eyeing this darling moose stamp for a while.  I knew that was going to be his Christmas card this year.  

I used Merry Christmoose 1016I and the sentiment 2215H Christmoose   which goes with the image so perfectly.  I colored the moose with copic markers as well as the light bulbs - added a bit of glow around the light bulbs and then a bit of glitter as well.  I thought it needed just a bit of "something" else so I used a holly die and cut two holly leaves and adorned them with red berries which I htought completed my card.   I was happy with the end result - except for one bulb which did not photograph well.  

Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge of  Tic Tac Toe  -  and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther 

November 7, 2018 Designer Choice Challenge

First Wednesday of the month and that means Designers Choice over at 

The House that Stamps Built- and this month Cheri's choice was Teddy Bears.  Well Repeat Imperssions has a very nice selection of Teddy Bears, I choose to use 1603K Bouquet Bear and the sentiment I choose to go with 7205W from Hugs Flip Set.  

I paper pieced my Teddy and with a scrap of velvet paper did his feet and ears - I cut a circle in the front of the card and made a ppframe with a pretty shimmery rose paper I had in my stash.  The Teddy Bear is then actually stamped on the inside of the card.  So -  I have had these 3-D flowers forever and I decided to go out of the box a bit for me and make a bouquet with a small white ribbon bow. Had some petite  floral paper again in my never ending stash that I used for a background.  

Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge of  Designer Choice - Teddy Bears -  and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther 

October 31, 2018 Happy Halloween - Sketch Challenge

This week over at The House that Stamps Built our challenge is a sketch challenge.  When I first started stamping - well ok up until about a year ago I was really challenged with sketches but I've gotten to where I really enjoy working with them.  For my sketch Challenge I went with my LAST Halloween card for this year.  I used 2330-G Witch Face  2307-E Trick or Treat Ghost
2306-D Candy Corn and  2302-G Trick or Treat 

I stamped my three focal images on the white card stock and colored with copic markers -  the witch was a lot of fun to color.  I used a piece of more neutral design paper for my first layer that would go with my focal images - then a piece of yellow/orange designer paper and finally popping up the Trick or Treat on pop dots. 

This card has already gone out in the mail to my 16+ year old grand daughter who still enjoys getting cards from grandma. There might have been a gift card to Starbucks in the card as well.  LOL

Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge of  Sketch and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther 

October 24, 2018 Anything Goes

Anything Goes week over at The House that Stamps Built so that means you can use any image you wish on this challenge.  I was still in the Halloween mode so I made another Halloween card using 2319-I  Haunted Tree  2308-E Bats
and 2314-G Happy Haunting.  I stamped on kraft cardstock in brown ink - over stamping the Happy Hunting in black ink as well.  The bats were stamped in brown as well.  I used some festive black/orange gingham ribbon to tie around the left side then die cut a little bat and used a tiny black clothes pen to hold him in place.  I think this one will go to my adult grandson-in-law as he loves Halloween especially with his kids 

Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge of  Anything Goes and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther 

October 22, 2018 POTW Inexpensive Cute Little Magnets

This is my week over at The House that Stamps Built to do my Pick of the Week which is a weekly feature of our design team.

I have 3 great grands (little ones) and a senior buddy and a chemo buddy and I am always looking for cute inexpensive little gifties that I can put in a little padded envelope or include in a box that I might be sending to them.  I used glass page pebbles - which I have had in my stash for a while but was at Dollar Tree last week and saw them there in the house deco aisle, as well as Hobby Lobby.  They come in a few different sizes and for this project I used the larger size.  I also used a scrap of orange thick cardstock, white thick cardstock, Memento black ink, ModPodge, and an 1 1/4 inch circle punch.

The stamps I used are:  2324-C Satisfied  2327-C Thoughtful  2328-C Happy and 2005-D Holiday Penguin.

After stamping and Jac-O-Lattern faces on my orange/yellow designer paper and the penquin on white (colored his cute little hat), I centered each image and punched each out with the 1 1/4 inch circle punch as seen below.

Using an older paint brush I applied mod podge on each circle completely covering with a thin layer.  I put my glass pebble on top and yes you do have a bit of wiggle room to adjust and get in the center  Set aside to dry.

Using glossy accents or clear glue of your choice apply a round magnet to the back of the glass pebble.  again set aside and let dry.  I have tried the strip magnets that you just cut off to size and they are not strong enough to hold the magnet up.

You can use any smaller image as I did with the penguin for this project, would be fun to get the kids involved in and makes a cute little "extra" to tuck inside your gift.

My grand daughter doesn't really like for her kiddos to have a lot of candy so this is perfect in their Halloween/holiday package.  One of the great grands (pictured above)is in kindergarten this year and loves to hang her art work on the refrigerator so this works perfect.

October 17, 2018 Inspiration Photo

Can't believe that we are in the middle of October already and our leaves in south east MO. are so pretty this year.  How perfect for our challenge this week over at  The  House that Stamps Built  .  I went with not only the colors but the picture as well.  I used 3313E Oak Leaf and the sentiment is 6512E Everyday Blessings.  I had a leaf stencil that I had yet to ink up and use so I had fun with different colors for the background.  Then I added some "coffee" splatters.  I used a branch die for my leaves to be hung - which I stamped on vellum and again used some oxide inks to color each leaf.  I made a little tag for my sentiment - tied it with some leaf ribbon and bakers twine and put it in my left corner.  I'm happy with the way it turned out and it was fun to arrange my leaves on the branch.  This one has already been mailed out last week to one of my chemo buddies.  

 Now it is your turn to make a card using the  Inspiration Challenge and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther 

October 10, 2018 Tic Tac Toe

October is upon us although we had temps in the 80's last week.  Time to make a couple of Halloween cards - I sent them to the grands, and to my chemo buddies, with a few goodies for their sweet tooth. 
This week over at The House that Stamps Built  is one of my favorite challenges - Tic-Tac-Toe.  I went from top left corner diagonal to bottom left, perfect for my kiddos.   I used 2307E Trick or Treat Ghost and 2316G BOO for my stamps.  I used a stitched frame that my friend die cut for me and it worked perfect for this card.  The three little ghosts in the bottom frames just fit the space and in the upper opening I stamped three BOO's.  Added a little pop to not only the BOO's but the ghosts as well with some little google eyes.  When the challenge said black and one other color I really wasn't sure if white is classified as a color so I used 4 enamel dots one on each corner for my one other color. 

Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge of Tic-Tac-Toe and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther 

October 3, 2018 Designer Choice

This week over at The House that Stamps Built  it is my turn for Designer Choice and I choose "It's up in the Air - anything that flies.  Lots of possibilities for this challenge.

When I choose this challenge I already had something in mind BUT - totally changed my mind and went with this darling stork 4218-K Stork and for the sentiment I went with 4116-F New Arrival.

I "borrowed" my friends city scape die - and that is where the stork is going to make the deliver.  I colored the stork with copic markers, then die cut some clouds for the sky.  I really like the way this turned out.  The stork recently paid a visit to our family - grand daughter had our third great grand baby a precious boy named Mason James.  So their family of three children is now complete and of course Grandma Hotop loves them all.

   Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge of  It's Up in the Air and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther 

September 26, 2018 Anything Goes

This week over at The House that Stamps Built our challenge is Anything Goes - anything you want to make.

I have been surfing Pinterest and found a couple of new designs and this one is the impossible card - which is really a fun "twist" card.  Easy to make if you follow the direction.  I had this pretty DP with the purple flowers so I decided to build my card around the purple.

I used 1706-I Wild Violets    1113-D Birthday  and 3916-F CelebratingYou

This card folds flat for mailing but the center focal point stands up when taken out and can be sat on the table, shelf for viewing.  These are so much fun to make and can be adapted to any size card.  (May have to do a tutorial my next POTW).  There is room on the back of the folded pop up center to write a short message and sign your name. 

Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge of Anything Goes and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther 

September 19, 2018 Inspiration Chalenge

This weeks challenge over at The House that Stamps Built  was the inspiration photo which is fallish, and friendship so I combined the two themes.  The stamps I used:  9303-P Thanks a Latte  9311-E Bean a Friend  5130-FSunflower Sil. Layer and as a little fill in 8726-I Swirl background.

I'm not sure what this design is called but saw it on Pinterest and copied the design.  Below you will see the inside of the card.

I embossed the sunflower on the coffee cup, and colored in the coffee.  Used some green twine and some pretty little green pearls to bling it up a bit. 
Now it is your turn to make a card using the challenge of  Inspiration Photo and  as you can see there are a lot of possibilities for this challenge.  You have a full month to enter our challenge to win.  You do not have to use Repeat Impressions stamps but if you do you will be entered twice for the drawing of a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions. 

If you look on my right side bar I also have a discounted coupon for you to use when you go shopping at Repeat Impressions.
Now why not take a look at our DT Rock Stars for inspiration and to get you started. 

Cheri    Joy   Donna   Heather   Laurie  and  Esther