A DT Call and my Top 5 for 2013

What a great year for Christmas cards!

I started making cards for this Christmas back in January, entering a few challenges.

Then, I had the chance to be chosen in Christmas Card Challenges DT and made Christmas cards weekly. I often managed to make more than one copy and found myself in September with a good number of cards for my Etsy shop.

I also had to make copies of existing cards for my Customers and all this has made me very happy.

Now that Christmas is just around the corner I'd like to sit down and make a list of my favorite cards for 2013.

I also take this chance to enter a new DT call for C.R.A.F.T. Challenge where I've been gently invited by Trimgym.

So, here's my fav cards for 2013 (in no particular order):

Hope you like them as much as I do!

I'm already working on new cards for 2014 so stay tuned!

Christmas 2013 - Cards # 12 & 13

Yes... you will probably think I'm a bit boring to show you projects with the same image but... I LOVE HER!!!!!

I had actually planned another image for this card but I was not convinced at all it could work (in fact I'm absolutely late for Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 106 this week). When I saw the challenge theme at ABC Christmas Challenge - Less is More - I decided to use my favourite stamp, Poinsettia Charlotte and the card came out so easily!

Well, let's start from the beginning...

This is the challenge them for Sparkle Creations Challenge # 106, a sketch:

And I made this card:

I had to use one of my favourite Christmas papers from the Make It Merry Collection (October Afternoon)... it's always so difficult to use pretty papers... I'm afraid they finish!!!

But the card came out so easily that it was worth the risk!

I simply added matching a light blue card, paper and ribbon and some red details.

Red and light blue give me a sense of freshness and cleanness!

This card is for the following challenges:

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 106: sketch

ABC Christmas Challenge: L is for Less is More

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra: Anything Goes

I loved it so much that I made two copies!

191 to Christmas and 13 cards are made!

K is for Kept Safe

A super-quick post today to show you what I created for the ABC Christmas Challenge.

The theme is K is for Kept Safe: use something you have tucked away to keep safe.

I bought this pretty notebook in Milan a while ago while visiting my sister. I love the color, the size, the dots, the elastic band... everything!

And, as I usually do when I love something, I tuck it away because I want to keep it forever!

Inspired by the challenge, last week I made this:

You know how I love Poinsettia Charlotte rubber stamp from Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps! She's so elegant! And she's perfect for this notebook!

My favourite embellishments are pearls: I love to put these little details in the corners of my cards or near the image!

Luckily enough, I've just spent a few days at my sister's and I managed to find more notebooks so I was rewarded of being able to use a precious thing tucked away!
And I also managed to find my favourite pearls which were no more available: I bought 10 packets with 80 pearls each... 800 pearls! Do you think I'll have enough for the next 10 years?

This project is for the following challenges:

ABC Christmas Challenge: K is for Kept Safe
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge # 127: Use Your Favourite Embellishment

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra for June: Anything Goes

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 105

Edit: I'm a bit late linking this card to your challenge but there was no linky tool and I did not manage to leave a comment.

I must admit that color combos that are given over at Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge are always quite challenging for me.

This fortnight it makes no exception:

Orange, turquoise, green and dark grey... well, a bit out of my color schemes!

But I'm stubborn and I like to try something different so I decided I had to try and finally I made this:

I inked my Surfing Oliver stamp which I won from Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps a while ago, cut it and assembled it on a turquoise card.

Turquoise being the main color of the cardstock, I colored Oliver with the other three colors (even if

the swimsuit looks a bit lighter in the picture than on the paper) with my Copics.

It's a clean and simple boy-ish card which makes me think of beaches and summer!

This card is obviously for the following challenge:

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 105

Fresh as a Lemonade.

This week the theme at Sparkle Creations is LEMONADE and this is the photo to be inspired by:

and this is my card:

She is Cruisin' Chloe from Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps, a stamp I won a while ago which I hadn't inked it.

I chose an old patterned paper (sorry, no brand or name on it) with fresh colors and an orange ribbon.

I love the way she drives with wind in her hair! Spring is still a bit uncertain here, we have warm sunny days but suddenly they become dark and rain appears!

I hope for a sunnier and warmer summer!

I'll enter this card in the following challenges:

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 104: Lemonade

Papertake Weekly Challenge: Anything Goes

Fussy and Fancy Challenge # 88: Anything Goes

Divas by Design Challenge: Anything Goes

Yellow.

I know, I know, I've been a lazy blogger recently and a lazy crafter too!

I'm trying to update a little box with some painting and découpage but it seems I'm not good at it because the first attempt was a disaster...

I don't have Mod Podge and I've tried with another glue I bought years ago which should be specific for découpage but it hasn't worked well so far.

Yesterday, frustrated from my failure, I decided to put glue and paper on one side of the table and make the card for this fortnight challenge at Sparkle Creations.

The theme is this sketch:

I loved it at first sight and it took only a little time to make this card:

I used Cupcake Ruby from Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps and decided to color her dress in an unusual yellow.

Then, it was easy to choose a plain yellow card and a lovely paper with roses and a lighter yellow background.

Then I added a little yellow flower with baker's twine tied in it and a sweet message.

I really love how it's turned out, so fresh and so spring-y!

This card is for the following challenges:

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 103: Sketch

Crafts and Me Challenge # 131: Floral Frenzy

One Crazy Stamper Challenge: May Flowers

Paper Crafting Journey Challenge: Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations Challenge # 212: Birthdays

I Love Washi Tape!

It's been a while since washi tape is on the craft tables but here in Italy it's starting to arrive now.

Well, not in my area but, thanks to some UK mags and to Ikea, I've collected a few tapes.

I've recently visited a craft fair but washi tape was either extremely expensive or not so pretty so I couldn't add any new piece to my collection.

That's why it took a while for me to make a card for the challenge at Sparkle Creations: the theme is washi tape!

My tapes are in a very narrow range of colors: red & white or in pink tones so I have limits while making my cards. Sooner or later, I'll buy some new tapes from the internet...

Well, this is my card:

She is Café Lucy mounted on a turquoise card with a paper from Toga.

Instead of using stripes of washi tape, I made some little flags for my bunting: I love them!

This card is for the following challenges:

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 102: Washi Tape

Crafts and Me Challenge # 129: Bling It Up

Papertake Weekly Challenge: One Paper Taker

Christmas 2013 - Card # 9

While checking Christmas Challenges earlier this week, I noticed that at Christmas Card Challenges the theme was perfect for a card I've had in mind for ages: VINTAGE.

First, this is the card:

I've already told you how much I love Poinsettia Charlotte from Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps and, back at the end of last year, I bought a paper pad from First Edition called Stocking Fillers mainly for I loved a paper with a vintage feel which was perfect for that stamp.

Now that I finally have my Poinsettia Charlotte I've made my card.

I had these pretty cards out for another project I'm working on so I decided one was perfect for this project too.

I love its fresh simple look with a touch of vintage!

I'm entering this card in the following challenge:

Christmas Card Challenge # 19: Vintage

256 Dyas to Christmas and 9 cards are done!

Can a Poinsettia Become a Daisy?

There's an interesting challenge at Sparkle Creations this fortnight, a photo inspiration:

Blue skies, white daisies and a butterfly... SPRING!

I actually have no stamp that inspires me to make something for this challenge but one, Poinsettia Charlotte. Weather being still rainy and cold (yes, we had just one lovely sunny morning yesterday...) I decided to turn red poinsettias into white ones (are they similar to daisies?) and go with a light blue color scheme to follow the challenge inspiration.

Tiny butterflies here and there and a simple elegant card is ready!

I've loved so much this stamp and this color combo that I decided to make something else with it so stay tuned!!

This card is for the following challenges:

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 101: Photo Inspiration

Creative Moments Challenge # 14: Things with Wings

The Shabby Tea Romm Challenge Week # 160: Beautiful Blues

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 100!

This week, the challenge at Sparkle Creations was about a sketch, this one:

As I usually do when I see a sketch, I started to be afraid I couldn't make a card out of it. I'm waiting for my new stamps from Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps to arrive and I hoped to receive them to get some inspiration.

Yesterday, I decided it was time to make the card and it came out very smoothly! My Traveling Josh stamp was still to be colored that the card was already made!

I must admit that, although I started with the stamp I wanted to use, everything ran smooth when I saw an old paper in my stash...

But let's see the card first:

The paper is from Autumn Leaves and I loved the idea of trains as starting point for a traveling young boy. I loved the colors and decided to color my stamp accordingly. Then, I added a journaling card from SMASH and a few other details to follow the challenge requirements and to finish the card.

I'm really proud of my card, being something a bit unusual for me!

I'm entering the card into the following challenges:

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 100: Sketch

Here Come The Boys Challenge # 48: Picture Inspiration

The ABC Challenge: J for Just As You Like

Christmas 2013 - Card # 5

I'm a bit busy with Custom orders, so I have little time to make new cards and, of course, Christmas cards are the most neglected.

But I did want to enter the ABC Christmas Challenge and I did want to make a card for the new challenge at Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps (I won last week!!) so I've found the time to make a card suitable for both challenges.

Here's my card:

I've used Christmas Tree Ruby from Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps (well, yes! I've finally treated myself with some new stamps from them so I can work with new images!! I really look forward to receiving them!).

Papers are from the Stocking Fillers collection from First Edition Paper. I added a vintage lace ribbon which I stole from my mom's sewing basket a while ago and had the awful idea to thread a satin ribbon in it. It was a hard work (because I did not want to get up and take a wool needle to make the job easier...) but it was worth the effort!

Lots of glitter, a little shiny bell, some rhinestones and a pearl on the sentiment give special touches!

I love pink and this card is so pink and girly!!! Ruby is for sure my favorite character at Sparkle Creations!

I'm entering it in the following challenges:
Saprkle Creations Challenge # 99: Lace
ABC Christmas Challenge: D for Designer Paper
Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge: Use Lace
Christmas Card Challenge # 14: Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge # 114: Ribbons
In The pink Challenge # 14: Pink and Bling

295 days until Christmas and 5 cards are done!

Light Pink, Bright Pink, Brown and... Yellow!

Again this week, when I saw the challenge at Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps I was a bit perplexed. Okay for pinks and brown together but that touch of yellow... well, I was not sure it could work...

But I like challenges and wanted to enter a card this week too so, a few days ago, I started by coloring my Swimming Lucy rubber stamp.

Next, I had to make the card and looked for papers with pinks and browns. Once I put my colored Lucy on a brown patterned paper from DCWV... bang! It was perfect!

I already had the idea to add pink ribbons and it was easy to add a touch of yellow... I couldn't believe my eyes... I love how it turned out!

Isn't she cute?

I love her relaxed attitude, I can't stop using this sweet Lucy for my cards... I wish I were on a beach with a drink!

I'm entering this card into Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 98.

A Sketch Challenge

Last week, when I saw the Challenge over at Sparkle Creations I was a bit scared. It seemed a very complicated sketch to follow.

Yesterday, I decided to print the sketch and keep it in front of me while I was making my card and I managed to follow it easily!

This is the sketch:

And this is my card:

She is Bookworm Ruby from Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps: I stamped her with black ink, colored with Copics and mounted on DCWV papers using foam pads.

I've finally managed to use the alphabet stamps I bought long ago but never been able to use and I love the way the sentiment has turned out!

This card is for the following challenges:

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 97: Sketch

Papertake Weekly Challenge: Anything Goes + lemon/yellow

Moving Along with the Times Challenge: Only Girls Allowed

Crafty Caz Challenge # 168: Anything but Square



A Valentine Card for Boys

In order to participate in this fortnight's challenge at Sparkle Creations Blog, I've created a Valentine card for boys:

I've used Street Corner Josh from Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps which I won last year.

I've used a paper from the Pretty Little Hearts Collection from Pink Petticoat (oh yes, I treated myself with a couple of their digital papers after Christmas and I love them!).

A touch of red and some music notes and the card is done!

This card is for the following Challenges:

Sparkle Creations Challenge # 96: Love Song Challenge

and

Cards Galore Challenge: Anything Goes

A Fresh New Start

I really miss our Christmas tree, the lights and decorations and I'm fighting against lazyness and dark days... I don't love this time of the year! Yesterday I decided I had to react and created a new card with light colors and a definitely summery theme:

This is one of my favorite stamps from Sparkle Creations: she is called Swimming Lucy and I'm really envious she can relax under the sun while I have to stay here in these dark cold town!

Anyway, after coloring her with Copics, I chose an old paper from 3 Bugs in a Rug called Lazy Summer (perfect, isn't it?) and assembled this card which is so clean and fresh!

I wanted to make this card to enter the challenges over at Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 95 where the theme is "Anything Goes" and at Divas by Design where again "Anything Goes".

Unusual Colors

After an indigestion of red last week, I've decided to follow an interesting challenge which asks us to use these colors:

The Challenge is at Sparkle Creations blog and I was inspired by these colors which are pretty unusual for a Christmas card.

I made this:

I used Christmas Tree Ruby from Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps and colored her with Copics in shades of smoky blue and green.

I added touches of glitter, a touch of red and mounted it on a glittered grey/light blue/light green (?) paper from DCWV. I added a grey ribbon, a light green paper rose and a perfectly matching button (which I had just saved from an old t-shirt I was throwing way).

Although a card with these colors is quite unusual for Christmas, I find it quite elegant. But my favorite detail is the necklace: I added three pearls around her neck, isn't she cute? (My daughter immediately noticed it and loved it!).

This card will be entered in the following challenges:

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 92: Color Challenge

Sparkles Christmas Challenge # 22: Contemporary Color Combo

Ladybug Crafts Challenge # 3: Monochrome/Tonal

Bon Voyage

Isn't she cute?

She is Suitcase Ruby from Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps and I love her!

I love to travel and I've always liked to spend my vacations somewhere new and interesting. I often found myself travelling alone, looking up to see some indications (my sight is not particularly good although I'm not compelled to wear glasses every minute) with the same questioning eyes Ruby has.

I'm not as elegant as Ruby when I travel: I never wear high heels and, of course, I couldn't wear them while carrying a suitcase up and down airports and train stations but I like to think that she is my "other self"!

I decided to give this card a vintage look: I inked a white sheet of paper torn from a block notes with Distress Ink, added a cream lace ribbon and colored Ruby with Copics and, of course, a touch of glitter!

I also made a matching Travel Journal:

I want to enter this card in Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 83: they ask to use stamps released during their first year. I'm not sure this stamp was one of their oldest releases, fingers crossed that it is!

Oh! I love this little Ruby!

Orange + Turquoise... It's Summer!

Last week we had a great weather: it was warm, sunny, it seemed like summer!

But...

I was at home with my sick daughter...

When I saw the Challenge theme at Sparkle Creations, I opened the window, took a deep breath and imagined to be here:

Although orange + turquoise are not my favorite colors, they definitely talked about summer and the picture given for inspiration was perfect!

Luckily enough, I treated myself with two stamps from their collection and one of the two fitted all the boxes for this challenge.

This is my card:

I used Swimming Lucy and colored her with Copics. The background paper is from Echo Park Country Drive Collection, plus I added a ric rac found in a magazine, rhinestones and a clock I made from a post-it found at Muji with a brad and two arrows cut from paper.

I will enter this card in: Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge # 76.