Christmas Card Challenge # 43 - Christmas Cakes.

Welcome to a new Christmas Card Challenge!

 

We have an inspiration photo for you today:

 

 

In detail: Christmas Cakes!

 

I was more inspired by the theme than by the photo and made this card:

 

Aren't they lovely? My daughter and I try to make a new cake or type of cookie every week so this card is inspired by the two of us.

 

These adorable digi stamp is Baked with Love from 2CuteInk: I used my Copics to color it and a paper background from Papermania.

The lollipop is made with a stamp from Purple Onion while the sentiment is from a stamp kit I found in a magazine.

 

Have a look here to see the lovely card we made for this challenge, to check last week's winners and don't forget the DT call!

 

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

ABC Christmas Challenge: T is for Two (two gingerbread)

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge # 213: Holiday

CCC Digi Creations Challenge # 58: Anything Goes

Digi Choosday Crafting Challenge # 39: Anything Goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge # 43: Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks 250-251: Anything Goes

 



A Mother's Day Card.

Good morning!

 

I have a new card to share with you today, for Mother's Day this time!

 

 

I already have a Father's Day card with giraffes (you can see it here) but I couldn't resist to this Mommy and Baby Giraffe digi stamp from Drawn with Character.

 

I colored with Copics and used a paper from Lawn Fawn as background, together with lots of butterlies.

They are sweet, aren't they?

 

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge # 182: Make Your Mark

Crafting from the Heart Challenge # 100: Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

Suzy Bee's Bloomin Challenge #118: Anything Goes + Mother's Day

The Cat's Pajamas Tuesday Challenge # 308: Animals

The Ribbon Girl Challenge: Use Any Image

 

 

This card is for sale in my Etsy shop. If you are interested and cannot find it in the shop, fell free to contact me and I'll be able to help!



Sweet Owls.

Hello!

 

Spring is full of occasions to send cards and one of the most important is Mother's Day.

My mom loves receiving cards and every time I make a card for Mother's day, I think of her.

 

Today, I'd like to show you one of my latest cards:

 

 

I've had this digi from the Merlin and Blinky set from DigiStamps Boutique for ages. I've finally found some time to make a very simple card, not too big so it's perfect to be added to a bunch of flowers or to a chocolate box.

 

Aren't they sweet?

 

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge # 349: Clean and Simple

Bunny Zoe's Crafts February Challenge: Things with Wings

CCC Digi Creations Challenge # 42: Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart Challenge # 98: Anything Goes

DigiStamp Boutique February Customer Competition: Anything Goes

 

 

This card will be available in my Etsy shop later today. If you can't find it, contact me, I'll be pleased to help!

 



How Sweet!

Good afternoon!

Today I'd like to show you something a bit different from my usual cards: a little plaque with key hooks.

 

 

I bought this wood key hanger some time ago and I decided to decorate it with paper instead of painting it.

 

Paper is from Echo Park while the Mommy and Baby Bird digi stamp is from Drawn with Character, colored with Copics and just a touch of glitter in the flower. The banner is a stamp from Paper Smooches.

 

Aren't they sweet?

 

 



C.R.A.F.T. Challenge # 303 - Mother's Day/Female.

Good morning!

Ready for a new C.R.A.F.T. Challenge?

 

We have a very sweet theme for you this week: Mother's Day or Female.

 

Today it's Father's Day here in Italy and there are a couple of months before Mother's Day so there's plenty of time to create cards for our mums!

 

This is mine for today:

 

 

This cute bear is Kiki Bloom from Little Miss Muffet, colored with Copics and mounted on a dotted card from Ikea.

My mum loves flowers, she has just bought me some pansies and I'm can't wait to bring them home!

 

Have a look here to see the winners and Top 3 for challenge # 302 and don't forget to have a look at all the beautiful cards from the DT!

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge # 301 - Recipe.

Good morning and welcome to this week's C.R.A.F.T. Challenge!

 

We have a recipe for you this week and I'm sure you'll love it!

 

 

And this is my card:

 

The digi is Cat from Kenny K's which I resized and duplicated to make a Mother's Day card.

Backgrounds papers are from First Edition (Floral Pavillion): I LOVE this paper pad and I've had it for quite a long while. This time I had to use it instead of keeping it tucked away...

I intended three different types of embellishments so I added pearls, ribbon and rhinestones.

 

We have winners from last week's challenge, check them here!

 

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Clear It Out Challenge: Anything Goes (I've finally used these papers I've had for 1+ years!)

Crafting from the Heart Challenge # 49: Anything Goes

Inspiration Destination Challenge # 23: Anything Goes

Melonheadz Friends Challenge: Use Green

Papertake Weekly Challenge: Anything Goes

 

 



Not Just Card Challenge # 12.

Good morning and welcome to a new Not Just Cards Challenge!

 

Thank you to all participants who entered our challenge #11: have a look here to see if yo're one of the lucky winners!

 

This week I have a sweet creation to show you:

 

 

She is Baker Arie from A Random Fan colored with Copics and mounted on a round chipboard plaque.

A quick and easy way to brighten mom's kitchen!

 

A Random Fan is one of our fabulous sponsors this week.

Check the other great sponsors here and be inspired by the DT creations!

I always love to see your projects!

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge # 290 - New.

Hello!

Are you ready for a new C.R.A.F.T. Challenge?

 

This week the theme is very exciting: let's celebrate something NEW!

A new baby, a new job, a new home and, of course, the new year if you're still in the holidays mode!

For me it was healthy to make something different from a Christmas card and I opted to celebrate a new baby:

 

 

My image comes from Inky Impressions and is called Lizzie's Bundle of Joy.

Papers are from First Edition.

Aren't they cute?

 

Click here to check all the fab cards made by the DT this week!

I can't wait to see what you create!

 

I'd like to enter the following challenge:

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge # 208: Anything Goes

Sentimental Sundays Challenge # 237: Anything Goes



C.R.A.F.T. Challenge # 269 - Inspiration Picture.

Welcome to a new C.R.A.F.T. Challenge!

 

Again, I've something holiday related to show you today. In fact, the theme of our challenge is given by this:

 

 

Be inspired by this camping scene!

I've never camped in my life but I bet that, so close to nature, there's time for a little mom-daughter time sitting on the grass:

 

This digi stamp is from Sami Stamps and is called Sunshine Love.I colored it with Copics and used a paper from Echo Park (Country Drive).

 

I'm really looking forward some time to hold my daughter sitting somewhere among the flowers!

 

Have a look here at our challenge blog to discover the fabulous sponsors for this week (Sami Stamps is one of them) and be inspired by our creations!

 

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Fan-Tastic Tuesday Challenge # 45: Anything Goes

Handmade Harbour Papercraft Challenge: Summer Fun

Love To Create Challenge # 125: Bright and Sunny

Nutcrafters Challenge # 73: Summer Celebrations

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge # 187: Anything Goes

 



C.R.A.F.T. Challenge # 260 - Colour Combo

Hello!

Welcome to a new C.R.A.F.T. Challenge!

 

This week we have a colour combo for you:

 

 

And I have two cards to show you:

 

 

For both cards I used stamps from Flonzcraft: they come from a 4" x 7" (10 x 18 cm) sheet of clear stamps (7 in total) called Cat Mommy Walking.

The first thing that came into my mind when I saw the little rabbit mending a sock was my mom: I Always give her the few things I need to mend! I should make a "Thank you" card for her too!

 

Papers are from Trimgym and belong to the "Here Comes the Sun" set.

 

They are both sponsors this week so you may have the chance to win one of their prizes!

 

Have a look here at our Challenge blog to check the beautiful creations from the DT and the fabulous sponosrs we have this week!

 

I'd like to enter my cards into the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly Challenge: Ohhh so Cute!

Ruby's Rainbow Challenge # 79: Animals

Love to Scrap! Challenge # 30: Anything Goes

Divas by Design Challenge: Anything Goes

CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper May Challenge: Anything Goes

A Birthday Challenge.

The other day I was reading Purple Onion Designs blog and I found out that they are having a challenge.

The theme is "Birthday" and I decided to make a card.

I treated myself with a few of their stamps back in January but the biggest ones were all Christmas-themed.

I added two tiny stamps to my order and I wanted to make my card with them

Think, think, think... and I made this:

The stamps are "Sign" and "Star & Sky" from the Stacey Yacula Studio Collection available at Purple Onion Designs. I colored them with my Copics and mounted them on a long card made with an old ivory card front from Lasting Impressions.

I loved the idea that, starting from tiny stamps, I was able to make a big card!

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge # 249 - Mother's Day/Female

It's Thursday again and this means a new C.R.A.F.T. Challenge!

This week the theme is very sweet: make a card or project for a female or for Mother's Day.

I chose to make a card for Mother's Day with a super cute image from A Day for Daisies:

This adorable digi stamp is Just like Mom Duck and I thought it was perfect (and very sweet) for a Mother's Day card.

I colored the ducks with my Copics and mounted them on papers from the Bunny Love collection from Best Creations.

A Day for Daisies is one of the fabulous sponsors of this week's challenge so let's start working on your projects, we can't wait to see them all!

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

ABC Challenge: G is for Girls

Hobbybook Designer Challenge: Make it Girly

Crafting by Designs Challenge: Anything Goes

Fan-Tastic Tuesday Challenge # 25: Anything Goes

Digi Makeover Challenge # 130: Anything Goes

Another Card for the Kraftin' Kimmie Guest Contest

I don't know how but yesterday I managed to finish another card to enter the Kraftin' Kimmie Guest Contest.

I had been working on it for a few days, adding details here and there without being able to put them all together. Finally, I decided that my Saturday chores could be postponed for at least 30 minutes and I finished it.

She is Diana from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps which I mounted on a big square card by Dovecraft. I added a flower border cut from an old Heidi Grace patterned cardstock. The two striped pieces of paper are the back of the Heidi Grace cardstock.

There's also the version for baby boys but I still have to finish it.

After a few years, I finally managed to put my Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps into good use! I have two more, hope to use them soon!

This card is for the following challenges:

Crafts 4 Eternity Challenge # R129: Spots and Stripes

The Lollipop Ladies Challenge # 71: Musks with Spots

ABC Challenge: P for Pretty in Pink

Happy Mother's Day at Broken Box Stock!

It's time to celebrate our moms at Broken Box Stock!

The challenge theme this week is Mother's Day so don't hesitate to enter your cards and paper creations for this very special occasion!

This is the card I've made for this challenge:

I've used Mom & Kids digi stamp (it's a freebie! You can find it here.) and mounted it as if it were an old photograph. I've used a bold striped paper I found in a scrapbooking kit at Ikea last Christmas and just two colors, red and white.

There are many stamps suitable to celebrate Mother's Day in the Broken Box Stock shop: I've already used most of them for my projects and they are all SO lovely!

Challenge Directions:
Make a card or papercraft for Mother's Day! 

Broken Box Stock Digital Stamps:

You don't have to use our stamps but we love it when you do! We have hundreds of digital stamps, click here to check them out! 

FREEbies:

View our entire freebie collection here.

Deadline: Thursday, May 9th, 2013 @ 3:00pm

Prize: 1 FREE digital stamp from our shop at www.BrokenBoxStock.com (your choice!)

Challenge Rules: 

1) Follow the challenge's specific design criteria above.

2) To enter your card in the challenge, use our "inlinkz" link tool here.

3) No back linking.

4) Up to 3 entries per person.

5) Subscribe to our blog so you know if you win (winners must claim their prizes by emailing Broken Box Stock, we will not reach out to you)!

6) We must have at least 5 entries to award a prize.

 

Don't forget to have a look at all the amazing creations from the DT! They are very inspiring!

And you'll also find all the links to the digi stamps we have used for our cards!

A Button Challenge

I love buttons.

I have tons of them in tiny acrylic boxes, in bigger glass jars... I kept the ones I found in my grandmothers' cupboards when they passed away, I save them from clothes I throw away...

And it's difficult for me to part with most of them.

That's why I rarely enter a challenge with buttons as theme... but this week I've made an exception with this card:

The image is a lovely digi stamp from Jellypark which I colored with Copics and glitter and mounted on a pink cardstock panel with a punched border.

These mice are so sweet, aren't they?

I'm entering the card into the following challenges:

Jellypark Challenge: Button Up!

Crafty Catz Challenge # 167: Cute as a Button

Whimsy Stamps Challenge # 55: Fancy Edges

Party Time Tuesday Challenge # 105: Anything Goes

A Bit Sad...

After watching her stamps for a while, last February I decided to treat myself with one of her images. Last week, I finally had an idea on how to use this stamp on a card and I created this:

I am talking about Dearie Dolls digi stamps: lovely dolls, bunnies, girls...

Just after Easter Sunday, I decided I had some time to spend browsing through her store and treat myself with some new digis...

But...

Both shops were disapeared from the web.

I contacted Mary Ellen, the creator, and she confirmed that her shops are closed now but hopefully they'll re-open soon.

The girl on the card reminds me of my daughter and I chose it with her. She loves to cook with me or with her dad and this image is just perfect for her.

When I bought it I already had in mind the way I'd have colored her dress: red and white! Then I decided to go for a new kraft paper in order to be able to enter my card in a Challenge I love but I had never entered before, That's Crafty Challenge # 60 down at The Spotted Chick blog.

I used a Doodlebug paper from the Sweet Cakes Collection (I love it, it's been terrible to use it for my card but I can't keep it forever without purpose, right?), a red ribbon and a fork charm I bought the other day for this card (I also wanted a spoon charm but I couldn't find it!).

Well, I love it and I hope Dearie Dolls will be back soon!

Meljen's Designs Challenge # 80 and some updates...

Well, I know... I promised to post more often than in the summer but somehow three weeks have passed since my last post. I'm sorry.

But...

I was not on holiday... I am working on new cards and paper goods, I've tried new techniques, I've made cards in more than one sample... I'm really a busy bee!

I love fall: I love changing colors, I love that we're back on routine, I love thinking about Christmas which is really just around the corner. This fall we've been blessed with such a wonderful weather: we wore T-shirts until last week. Well, now we are freezing and I don't like it at all... The funny thing about this fall is that it seems we've missed... fall! From summer temperatures we dropped to winter temperatures...

This to say that in this period of the year I'm usually full of energies, inspiration and things to make.

I made several Christmas cards and tags, often in more than one copy, lots of notebooks, girly things and this card:

I know that Mother's Day is so far away (and this is the reason why you probably won't see this card up in the shop now) but I wanted to take part in Meljen's Designs Challenge # 80 and I wanted to use this digi stamp. The request is to "Use a Ribbon" and it wasn't difficult since I love ribbons and bows and I often use them in my cards.

For probably the first time I've decorated the inside of the card too:

I printed several small and bigger whales on two dotted papers: then, I simply had to cut them and decorate them with some glitter.

This little whale is one of my first digis and still one of my favorite, I made several different cards with it and this time I wanted to use the full potential of digi stamps and create two digis from just one image.

My daughter and I use to go to see a dolphin show every summer and she loves it and she loves dolphins so I thought about celebrating this event we do together with this card. They are whales and not dolphins but they remind me of our happy trip.

As for my other "achievements" I can anticipate I made a card with a movable image, discovered the magic of Copics, made tons of Christmas tags and little notebooks...

I'll post about them soon!

I Love Hedgehogs!

I must admit I love hedgehogs!

It started with a couple of stamps I bought to make some charity cards for a girl who asked for some donations for a "Save the Hedgehogs" cause.

A year + later, I must admit I'm addicted to them!

I remember many years ago when I was still living with my parents I met a hedgehog (the only one in my life) and tried to save it from the road: it was difficult to raise it and put it on the grass!

Living in town means these meetings are pretty rare but I still remember that not-so-little hedgehog!

Among my favorites, there are Little Claire's and I'm happy to tell you that they've just started selling digi stamps next to their clear stamp line and so I took the chance to buy a hedgehog digi with which I made this card:

It's a small card I made for Mother's Day: I colored the digi with watercolor pencils and added two light blue rhinestones and a yellow pearl as flower centre. A heart is a must-have in a Mother's Day card!

This card is being entered in Little Claire # 1 Challenge: for their very first monthly challenge the theme is "Anything Goes".

Mother's Day in Italy is mid-May so there's still plenty of time to think about it!

A Pretty Handbag.

Those who know me very well know that I have an affair with handbags.

Most women buy shoes I buy bags and totes.

I love shoes but I prefer to walk comfortably and safe and without pain in my feet so I buy them of course but not so many.

But I buy bags. Especially in summer, I have lots of them with stripes, flowers, spots...

In winter I prefer to wear an old messenger bag because it's more practical and with those heavy jackets and scarves and hats at least the bag is not in my hands but in summer it's another story...

I even bought a couple of bags (one made to order) in a lovely Esty shop in Australia!

For this reason, when last June I saw a set of cards made like a pretty feminine handbag I had to buy it. I actually didn't know how to decorate them until a couple of days ago.

This week Bugaboo Catch the Bug Challenge asked for a different kind of fold and I started thinking about my handbag card and yesterday I made it:

I even managed to add a paper doily, which seems to be the latest trend, and a lovely red flower. And of course I used a lot of glitter, rhinestones for the earrings and pearls for the bracelet.

Such a trendy girl!

I could never wear those shoes the heel being too high for me but I COULD wear all those shopping bags...!

Time Well Spent...

When I saw this digi in Bugaboo shop I thought it was The Stamp.

I've always spent hours reading books to my little daughter: in the afternoon, at night, while waiting for the doctor... She has always loved to sit down next to me and listen to a story, old or new, short or long, every moment was perfect to enter the magic world of tales.

And I've always loved to read, trying to make different voices for the different characters, to sound happy when the characters was happy or sad or angry or astonished or frightened...

They have always been really precious moments I'll treasure forever.

I still read tales to my daughter even if now she sometimes reads something to me: she practises and I enjoy the story as much as I do when I read for her. So this card is meant for children who want to thank their mothers but also for those mothers who want to thank their babies for the joy they bring in our lives.

When I read the requirements of a few challenges I thought this stamp was perfect for three of them.

Here's my card:

I used a card from Lasting Impressions with embossed dots and I glued the Bugaboo Reading Time digi - which I painted with watercolor pencils - and a light yellow ribbon which matches the color of the envelope.

I'm entering these three challenges:

Catch the Bug Challenge Blog: Emboss It! They ask for a card with dry or wet embossing.

http://catchthebugblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-challenge-time-again.html

Incy Wincy Designs Challenge # 76: Go Dotty. They ask to use dots and this card has a lot! Moreover, this challenge is sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps, so that's perfect!

http://incywincydesigns.blogspot.com/2011/01/76-go-dotty.html

A Spoonful of Sugar Challenge #134: Thank You. This card has become a Thank You card for every mum but also for every baby who sit down and listen to what we tell, with enthusiasm, love, tenderness and curiosity.

http://aspoonfullofsugarchallenge.blogspot.com/2011/01/challenge-134-thank-you.html

It's the first time I enter these last two Challenges, so I'm pretty excited!