Seize the Birthday - with Fruit, the Calories Don't Count!

 There's a new challenge over at Seize the Birthday today - as I continue my participation as Surprise Party Guest!

The challenge is always Birthday and there is always a design option - which this week is Fruits.

   

And here's my card where I used the option of Fruit!

My charcuterie board is loaded with strawberries, cherries and slices of pineapple along with a round of brie and a few crackers.

And, although my sentiment says "the calories don't count on your birthday" - the fruit on the board is all good for you so you can eat it without guilt!  

But the birthday cake and ice cream for dessert might be an issue??!!

The board and food items are stamps and dies from Avery Elle, the coaster die is from The Greetery and the sentiment is from a retired set from Papertrey Ink. 

So please join in and show us your birthday cards and maybe use the option of Fruits in your design?!  You'll find lots of inspiration from the talented Design Team as well as Mr. Linky over at Seize the Birthday!

Also linking my card to:

Just Us Girls

A fruit charcuterie board for a picnic or lunch on the deck  ends 7/17

Little Red Wagon

Something you love -  I love layering die cut sets   ends 7/17

The Paper Players

inspired by summertime fruits   ends 7/13

Stamps:  Char-cute-rie - Avery Elle, Foodie Fun - Papertrey Ink (retired)

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair.

Paper:  Pure Poppy, New Leaf, Pine Feather, Scarlet Jewel, Fine Linen, Lemon Tart and White - PTI, Water color paper - Canson Cold Press (for the board), striped black/white sticky back vinyl sheet from stash,

Accessories: Char-cute-rie dies - Avery Elle, Coaster Die - The Greetery,  circle punch, Tuxedo Hearts - Honey Bee, Copics YR00, E11, E12.

No One is Charcuter

 Well, I've been waiting to be inspired to get out this fun Char-Cute-Rie stamp and die set from Avery Elle that I purchased quite some time ago -  and today is the day!!

I colored all the charcuterie items with Copics and layered them onto the cutting board.  (Accept for the strawberry that rolled off the board!) 

The background papers are thin vinyl adhesive-backed paper that I received in a card exchange and worked perfectly for my table cloth and wall paper!

The board and sentiment strip are up on foam dots.

I'm linking my card to:

Inspired By  Ends 5/8

NBUS

first time using the charcuterie stamps and dies!

Stamps: Char-Cute-Rie - Altenew
Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair, Espresso - Altenew
Paper: White - PTI, Water Color Paper - Canson Cold Press, adhesive backed thin vinyl card panels - unknown.
Accessories: Char-Cute-Rie Dies - Avery Elle, Simple Strips Straight Edge - Taylored Expression, Tuxedo Hearts - Honey Bee Stamps, Copics E13, E31, E50, YR00, R29, Y02, YG17, foam dots.

Sometimes You Gotta Roll With It

Today I created a card to play along with 3 challenges out there in Blogland and I was excited to get out and use some new-to-me stamps and dies! 

The stamps and dies I used are from two sets by Avery Elle - Peek A Boo: Coaster and Peek a Boo Pals Camp Wanna Stamp.I colored the pieces with Copics.  The roller coaster cars are popped up on foam dots.

I'm linking my card to:

Just Us Girls

The inspiration for my carnival theme

Fab Friday

for colors

Fusion Challenge

I used the sketch

Stamps:  Peek a Boo Coaster, Peek a Boo Pals: Camp Wanna Stamp - Avery Elle
Paper:  White - PTI, Strathmore Bristol Smooth Surface, DP Spring Fling 6"x6" paper pad - Lawn Fawn
Ink:  Obsidian - Altenew
Accessories:  Peek a Boo Coaster die set, Peek a Boo Pals Camp Wanna Stamp die set - Avery Elle, Copics, Sentiment Strip die - Neat and Tangled, foam dots.

Three Giraffes x 2

I am once again attempting to play along with Darnell's Twofer challenge - which this month is Zoo Animals!  These instructions always throw me for a loop!

I used a really funny giraffe stamp from Technique Tuesday called Attitude Giraffes on both cards.

I dropped Glossy Accents on the sunglasses (which you can't see too well here).  The sentiment is from What's Up by Avery Elle.

For my Twofer - I stamped the Attitude Giraffes on patterned paper and die cut it with a Circle Nestability and framed it in a Pinked Edge Nestability.  I added Eerie Eyes from Doodlebug and brushed over all the giraffes with Clear Glitter Wink of Stella (not showing in photo!). The birthday sentiment is from Party Animal by Avery Elle.

Twofer Card Challenge

To be sure I made each card a different design, I enlisted the help of two sketch challenges!

For my It's Been Too Long card I'm linking to:

Freshly Made Sketches

I tweaked the sketch a tad since my image was a long rectangle

For my You Party Animal card I'm linking to:

Fusion Card Challenge

I used the sketch as well as the colors from the photo

 Seize the Birthday

It's Been Too Long
Stamps:  Attitude Giraffes - Technique Junkies, What's Up - Avery Elle.
Paper:  White, Kraft, Dark Chocolate - PTI, DP Enchanted - Authentique.
Ink:  Wendy Vecchi Archival Orange Blossom, True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Pierced Feature Frames: Rectangles - PTI, Glossy Accents.

You Party Animal
Stamps:  Attitude Giraffes - Technique Tuesday, Party Animal - Avery Elle.
Paper:  White, New Leaf - PTI, DP Rainbow Bright - Sunny Studio.
Ink:  Hero Hues Black, True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Nestability Circles and Pinked Circles, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, Eerie Eyes - Doodlebug Designs.

Ornamental Christmas

I'm charging forward in the quest to fill my Christmas card box for next year!
I've got 4 cards to share today using pretty much the same design but with some color and ornament stamp changes.

The pretty ornament stamps are from the retired Waltzingmouse set - 2011 Holiday Ornaments. The ornament die is from 2011 Heirloom Ornaments Nestability set.
The Merry Christmas stamping on all of them is from Inside and Out Holiday by PTI. 

The embossing folder is Beaded Garland from Tim Holtz/Alterations/Sizzix, a new acquisition!  
I used Ranger Distress Inks in Wilted Violet, Barn Door, and Evergreen Bough on the ornaments.

The sentiment strip is from Wonky Stitches Die set from Avery Elle.

I brushed Clear Glitter Wink of Stella over all of the ornaments but it never shows up in photos!

There is a lovely shine to them in the light - hopefully you can see it in the close ups below.

I had the perfect sentiment for the inside of my ornament cards

also from the Inside and Out Holiday set from PTI -   

Like ornaments, 

thoughts of special people 

BRIGHTEN THE SEASON 

and warm our hearts.

I'm linking my red ornament card to:

Merry Monday

I'm linking my purple ornament card to:

CAS Christmas Card Challenge

Just Us Girls

Stamps:  2011 Holiday Ornaments - Waltzingmouse (retired), Inside and Out Holiday - PTI.
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  Her Arts Black, Ranger Distress Wilted Violet, Barn Door and Evergreen Bough.
Accessories:  2011 Ornament Dies - Nestabilities, Wonky Stitches Die - Avery Elle, Beaded Garland Embossing Folder - Tim Holtz/Alterations/Sizzix, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella Brush, foam dots.

April CAS Mix Up Challenge - No Foolin'!

Happy April 1st!   No April Fools jokes from me today -  just happy that there's a new challenge up at The CAS Mix Up Blog!   Bonnie is our hostess this month and here are the three things she would like us to use on our cards.

I used - 1) a sentiment stamp, 2)  inlaid die cut eggs and sentiment, 3) my choice:  a wonky edge die and sequins.

I'm in the midst of making Easter Cards to sell at my church in a few weeks so that's what I made today.

I used a Wonky Stitches Die (Avery Elle) to make the edge on a white card panel.  I die cut the 3 eggs (Nested Eggs/Nestabilities) and the Easter (Waltzingmouse) out of the panel.

At this point, I adhered the panel to my white card base.  I die cut the Easter again out of green card and adhered it into the die cut space on the panel.   I cut the eggs out of patterned paper, and since the PP was thinner than the white card, I adhered the paper to the white card eggs I had cut, and adhered them into the spaces on the panel.

 I stamped the happy over the Easter,  added 3 green sequins and called it done!

So please join us and show us how you use inlaid die cutting!

You'll find the challenge rules and links to video tutorials on inlaid die cutting over at

 the CAS Mix Up challenge blog here.

Stamps:  Simply Said - Avery Elle
Paper:  White, Simply Chartreuse, Textstyle Egg Hunt - PTI
Ink:  True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Dies - Nested Eggs  - Nestabilities, Easter - Waltzingmouse (retired), Wonky Stitches - Avery Elle, green sequins, Tombow Adhesive.

March CAS Mix Up Challenge - Smooshing

We are so excited to announce that March marks one full year of challenges at CAS Mix Up.  In celebration, we will be offering two prizes. 

Prizes

$25 Gift Certificate to Simon Says Stamp for Challenge Winner

&

$25 Gift Certificate to Simon Says Stamp for random draw of all entries

 (must follow rules)

The March CAS Mix up Challenge is up today!   Loll is our host this month and here is her challenge for us.

In celebration of CAS Mix Up one year 'birthday', I made a birthday card!
 I used sentiment stamps, smooshing using Ranger Distress Stains on watercolor , a block die cut, foam dots and tiny rhinestones!

I sprayed Ranger Distress stains - Picked Raspberry, Fossilized Amber and Peacock Feathers onto my craft mat and then spritzed with water.  Then I pressed a panel of Arches Watercolor paper into the colors twisting the paper a bit.

 The stains leave such wonderful vibrant color even when mixed with a little water.  I added Tiny Twinkles to the base of 4 of the balloons for a little sparkle, matching the background colors!

I cut the panel to be just a bit larger than my Text Block Party Time die and layered the die cut over the panel using slightly thicker foam dots to hold it up off the panel.

I used two sentiments -  the It's Your is from Birthday Cheer by PTI and the birthday is from Simply Said Happy by Avery Elle.

 

So please join us this month and show us YOUR smooshing creation!

You'll find lots of inspiration from the Design Team as well as videos of smooshing with different products over at the March CAS Mix Up Challenge blog!

and remember there are One Year Birthday prizes to be won this month!

Stamps:  Birthday Cheer - PTI, Simply Said - Avery Elle
Paper:  White - PTI, Arches Water Color Paper
Ink:  True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Ranger Distress Spray Stains Picked Raspberry, Fossilized Amber and Peacock Feather, Die - Text Block Party Time - PTI, Tiny Twinkles - Taylored Expressions, foam tape.

Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Yikes!  where was I??? I almost missed the Fall Coffee Lovers Blog hop! But luckily saw it two days before it ends!

I was excited to use this wonderful sentiment stamp from Stampendous that I purchased after the last Coffee Lovers blog hop. (I'm always looking for coffee/tea stamps now, aren't you??!!)

I added two die cut leaves using dies from PTI - one out of Kraft Core Coredinations paper that I sanded to expose the kraft.

I die cut the other leaf out of patterned paper from PTI.  I colored the mug and FRIEND in fall colors of Zig Brush pens.

I die cut the panel with a Wonky Stitched die from Avery Elle and popped it up over the leaves with foam dots.  I sponged all the edges with Ranger Distress Vintage Photo ink.

I'm off to the Coffee Lovers Blog to see the plethora of coffee/tea/cocoa cards linked up there!  There are tons of prizes to be won - so get yours linked up too!

I'm also linking my card to:

Freshly Made Sketches

The Male Room
Leaves and/or Trees

Stamps:  Shared Coffee - Stampendous
Paper:  Rustic Cream and Text Style Autumn Abundance - PTI, Kraft Core - Coredinations.
Ink:  Cocoa Bean - PTI, Vintage Photo Ranger Distress.
Accessories:  Leaf dies - PTI, Wonky Stitches dies - Avery Elle, foam dots, enamel dots - Michaels, Zig Clean Color Brush Pens.