Life and Times of a Busy Mom

Day 11 - Add some texture!!!

Well after a busy weekend, I am finally ready to posting another challenge.  Today I challenge everyone to use or put texture on your cards.  Use felt, use velvet ribbons, use fabrics, add brads, add buttons, dry emboss your papers, sew on your card.  All these are ways to add texture to your cards.  Hopefully Canada Post won't charge you more postage to see these but it will be worth it if they do.

Here are a couple of my cards:

I used dollar store felt flowers to make a tree shape and then used corrugated card stock for the truck.  On the other card, I simply added a beautiful velvet ribbon to some fun Basic Grey papers.

Can't wait to see your cards.

Day 10 - Favourite Sketch

Today's challenge is to use a sketch. There are sssssssoooooo many out there, I want you to post both the sketch and the card.

I love the sketches on Beate's Fresh & Fun Blog - Weekend challenges.  Her sketches are classic and easy to use.  And she has great designers who always make up samples and then everyone post to splitcoaststampers - so you get so many variations on the sketch.

Here is the link to her Weekend sketch challenge

http://beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/category/weekend-sketch-challenge/ 

I used sketch #24 http://beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2007/10/19/weekend-sketch-challenge-24/   Following the link the gallery and there are many great cards based on this sketch.

Here is mine. 

Day 9 - Criss Cross

What is kind of strange about this challenge is that I don't actually send cards - I send letters.  So when I saw this card fold, I loved it because I can tuck my letter or photos inside a cute little pocket.  So you can complete it like you like or use the idea of criss cross to make a more traditional looking card but you choose.

here are two great tutorials

http://stampinwithkaren.blogspot.com/2007/10/halloween-criss-cross-card.html  I like this one because it is based on 12X12 CS

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com//resources/crisscrosscard.php  This tutorial is great. It uses an entire 8 1/2 X 11 to make one card.

Here are my holders.  I didn't make an inside card like tutorials because I will tucking letters into these. 

Day 8 - Bifold Gate Card

Today's challenge is to use the bifold gate technique to make your card. 

Here is another tutorial by a designer from Splitcoaststampers.  She does THE best tutorials.

http://beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2007/06/10/gate-fold-card-tutorial/

I used the new basic grey for my card.  Here it is:

Day 7 - Gift Tags

Well gift tags are kind of like cards.  So for something simple this Sunday night, the challenge is to make a tag.  It doesn't have to be a classic tag shape.  Mine are actually mini-cards.  All are less than 3X3" .  Here is a sample of what I did today.  I made about 25 of these.   The cards in the first photos are based on a splitcoaststampers card sketch (#98).  Here is a link.  http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=199303

For this size (3X3) I cut a 3X6 piece of CS.  Scored it in half.  Then cut 3/4" of one edge.  Then using a common mark on my trimmer, I cut the angle.  The actual degree of the angle doesn't matter, just trim from the fold to about 3/4" down the edge on the other side.  Check out the SCS link, there is a photo of what I am talking about.

Have fun with these.  They are fast to whip up and make great gift tags.

Day 6 - Layers

They say to stay warm in the winter you need to dress in layers.  So today's challenge is use as many layers as possible on your card.

Here is mine:

I used some PP, embossed wonderful words stamp and snowflake cut from a silhouette download (it's WWFlakes font)   

Day 5 - the Z fold!

This won't be too exciting for some of you, but I like how the fold allows you to use PPs in a bit of a different way.  There are instructions for this fold with great ideas on a couple of blogs and SCS gallery.

Try these out for inspiration:

Tutorial http://beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2007/10/26/z-fold-tutorial-and-weekend-sketch-sample/

Samples in SCS gallery

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?si=wsc25&limit=&thumbsonly=0&perpage=48&cat=all&ppuser=&thumbcheck=0&page=1&sortby=&sorttime=&way=&cat=all

our very own Michelle's - which I love

http://comestampwithme.blogspot.com/2007/11/new-month.html

And Carla's 5 step, 5 minute card challenge at Scrapshotz

http://www.scrapshotz.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13683

Here are mine (my photos and scans are great but you get the idea)

Day 4 - Oh Christmas Tree . . .

For Day 4 the theme is trees.  They can be in all shapes and sizes.  This one is a bit tricky in the fold but simple and very folksy.

Day 3 (late but not so bad)

This challenge is to think outside the Christmas box and use nontraditional colors.    Use bright colors, be a bit whimsical and just have FUN with Christmas.  I will be

Day 2 (a little late!)

This challenge is to use those gorgeous flourish stamps you might have to make winter winds on your cards.  I stumbled on this but love how it turned out.  Mix it up with some PP (this is double sided - guaranteed to match) and voila!  A cute little card.