My Creative Chaos: 2017

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Winter Wonderland ...

It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it. ~John Burroughs, "Winter Sunshine"

Good morning!

I’m here to share my card for the new color challenge which started today at The Outlawz Challenges!

Our sponsor this month is Scrap N'Dipity with a prize of 3 images from the store.

This week’s challenge uses a lovely inspiration pictures for a winter wonderland in shades of blues.

Here is my A2 size card …

Supplies

Card stock from The Paper Studio (Base) and Stampin Up!
Winter Wishes die from Sizzix
Rhinestones from my stash

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to stop by The Outlawz Challenges where a new challenge starts every day of the week!

(Hugs) Cara

Christmas sweets ...

When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate.

When life is bitter, say thank you and grow.

--- Power of Positivity ---

Good morning!

Today we start a new Anything Goes Challenge at Through the Craft Room Door!

Our sponsor this week is Bugaboo Stamps with a prize of a $12.00 store voucher

For my card I am using this cute image “ChristmasJar”

5 x 7 card

Bugaboo Image Christimas Jar” printed in Stampin Up! Whisper White Card stock
Card stock (American Craft, Stampin Up & The Paper Studio)
Confetti embossing folder (CTMH)
Holiday words die (Sizzix)
Pearl Smooch (Tsuneko)
ProMarkers
Rhinestones
Sharpies to color the rhinestones
Stickles (Ranger)

Thanks for stopping by!

(Hugs) Cara

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Christmas Flowers ...

Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844

Good morning!

I’m here to share my card for the new color challenge which started yesterday (I'm running late!) at The Outlawz Challenges!

Our sponsor this month is Scrap N'Dipity with a prize of 3 images from the store ...

This week’s challenge features a tic tac toe board from Sharon!

I used the middle row, vertical

Card size 4.25 x 5.50

Card stock Stampin Up!
Die “Holiday Words” (Sizzix)
Die “Tattered Poinsettia” (Sizzix)
Glitter (Sulyn)
Glitter card stock (Recollections)
Pearls (Recollections)

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to stop by The Outlawz Challenges where a new challenge starts every day of the week!

(Hugs) Cara

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Winter fun - Let it Snow ...

The Winter’s cheek flushed as if he had drained Spring, Summer, and Autumn at a draught...

~Edward Thomas (1878-1917), "The Manor Farm"

Good morning!

I’m here to share my card for the new color challenge which started today at The Outlawz Challenges!

Our sponsor this month is Scrap N'Dipity with a prize of 3 images from the store ...

This week’s challenge features these fun colors and a option Winter fun Twist!

What could be more fun than building a snowman?

Card size 5 x 7

Card stock from Stampin Up! and The Paper Studio
Extra fine glitter from Sulyn
Glitter paper from Recollections, The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
Nuvo Crystal drops
Paper mini snowflakes die from Sizzix
Rhinestones from stash
Winter Snowflakes embossing folder from Sizzix

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to stop by TheOutlawz Challenges where a new challenge starts every day of the week!

(Hugs) Cara

Sweet Bliss ...

The essence of pleasure is spontaneity. ~Germaine Greer

Hi everyone!

I’m here this morning to let you all know that a new Anything Goes Challenge has started today at Through the Craft Room Door!

Our Sponsor this week is Little Blue Button Stamps with a $10.00 store voucher

For my card, I am using the cute Miss lilly with Hoopla

I think she is quite versatile and could be used for anything from a birthday card to a baby card. I chose to make a card that I can use for any occasion.

Card size 4.25 x 5.50

Image “Miss Lilly with a hoopla” colored with Promarkers
Bliss die (Heidi Swapp)
Card stock (The Paper Studio, Stampin Up! and American Craft)
Design paper (Stash)
Glitter glue (Studio G)
Ink (Stampin Up!)
Sentiment stamp (Unity Stamp Co)

So come check out the challenge HERE and play along!

Thanks for stopping by!

(Hugs) Cara

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Christmas Blessings ...

Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. ~Calvin Coolidge, 1927

Good morning!

I’m here to share my card for the new color challenge which started today at The Outlawz Challenges!

Our sponsor this month is Scrap N'Dipity with a prize of 3 images from the store

This week’s challenge is this inspirational picture selected by Jeanie!

I chose to use the golden baubles and greenery as a base for my Christmas card

Card size 5 x 7

Bling – Art-C/Momenta
Card stock - The Paper Studio
Design Paper - DCWV
Gold Card stock - The Paper Temptress
Gold corners, set one – Spellbinders
Sentiment die – Crafters Companion

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to stop by TheOutlawz Challenges where a new challenge starts every day of the week!

(Hugs) Cara

Friday, December 1, 2017

Sparkle & Shine ...

The little Plumpuppets are fairies of beds;

They have nothing to do but watch sleepyheads;

They turn down the sheets and they tuck you in tight,

And dance on your pillow to wish you good night!

~Christopher Morley

Hi there!

Today starts a new monthly challenge at SheepSki Designs. This month our challenge theme is “Sparkle & Shine” and the image I am using this month is Breena and Bear – image 35

Card Size 4.25 x .5.50

Image Breen and Bear – Image 35 colored with Promarkers
Card stock (Stampin Up! & The Paper Studio)
Glitter card stock (Recollections)
Glitter pens (Cra-Z-Art)
Label Collection die (Stampin Up!)
Rhinestones (Studio His & Hers)
White Gel Pen

Now ... You have two ways to play along with SheepSki Designs!

BLOG ... Where you can use any hand colored image for a chance to win 3 images ... BUT, if you use a SheepSki Designs image and are the winner, you get an additional image choice

FACEBOOK ... Where you must use a SheepSki Designs Image for a chance to win 3 images

As a bonus, when you are done shopping in the STORE, if you use my code SKICARA10 at check out you will receive a 10% discount off your purchased! So, come along and play one or both! Can't wait to see what you create!

Looking forward to seeing your lovely creations!

(Hugs) Cara

Blog

Facebook

Etsy

Blog Candy Winner!

“Unexpected kindness is the most powerful and least costly way to make someone’s day.”

~ Author Unknown

Good Morning!

Many thanks for all the lovely comments on my cards for the 3^rd Annual Celebration Blog Hop for Through the Craft Room Door! I enjoyed reading them all!

Make sure you check out the TTCRD blog for the winner announcement later this afternoon to see if you won a prize for one of our awesome Sponsors!

I had a blog candy offer for the month and the winner is Karthikha!

Karthikha … please email me at cdmalmrose@gmail.com with your address so I can make arrangements to get your little bag of goodies mailed out!

(Hugs) Cara

Baubles ...

I can understand people simply fleeing the mountainous effort Christmas has become... but there are always a few saving graces and finally they make up for all the bother and distress. ~May Sarton

Good morning!

Today is the 1^st of December and the start of a new Progressive Freebie Challenge at The Outlawz Challenges.

Each month we will send you a free digital image to use in the Freebie/Progressive challenge. Once your creation is completed, upload it into the freebie challenge and you will automatically receive the next month free digi. We will have one image per month so you have plenty of time to create a project using the image.

If you would like to participate, please register with your name and email address to: outlawzprogressivechallenge@gmx.com

This month our image “Baubles” come from our very own Sandra van Blaricum

http://cardsandcreativity.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/fam.van.blaricum

Card size 4.25 x 5.50

Image “Baubles” colored with Promarkers
Card stock (The Paper Studio, American Craft & Stampin Up!)
Glitter card stock (Recollections)
Glitter pen (Cra-Z-Art)
Silver sharpie

Thanks for stopping by!

(Hugs) Cara

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Christmas gifts ...

Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect. ~Oren Arnold

Good morning!

I’m here to share my card for the new color challenge which started today at The Outlawz Challenges!

Our sponsor this month is DiDigisStamps with a $12.00 gift card to her STORE.

This week’s challenge comes from Jacqui. We are to use these 3 colors. Optional twist is anything but a square.

Here's my card!

4.25 x 5.50 card

Card stock (The Paper Studio & Stampin Up!)
Sentiment unknown

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to stop by TheOutlawz Challenges where a new challenge starts every day of the week!

(Hugs) Cara

Happy Birthday to my Daughter ...

Suddenly, through birthing a daughter, a woman finds herself face to face not only with an infant, a little girl, a woman-to-be, but also with her own unresolved conflicts from the past and her hopes and dreams for the future.... As though experiencing an earthquake, mothers of daughters may find their lives shifted, their deep feelings unearthed, the balance struck in all relationships once again off kilter. ~Elizabeth Debold and Idelisse Malave

Hi everyone!

I’m here this morning to let you all know that a new Anything Goes Challenge has started today at Through the Craft Room Door!

Our Sponsor this week is DigiStamps4Joy with a prize of a $10.00 store voucher!

The card I am sharing is the card I made for my daughter's birthday earlier this month. I feel truly blessed that we have a close relationship and I wish her the best of days in the year to come!

For her card, I am using a lovely image called Bo Bubbles created by Jen Leeflang. Besides trying a different color combo for the hair, I decided to have some fun with the bubbles by trying out some Nuvo crystal drops … something new I picked up at a craft fair a couple months ago.

Card size 5 x 7

Image “Bo Bubbles” colored with Promarkers
Card stock (The Paper Studio & Stampin Up!)
Confetti embossing folder (Close to My Heart)
Fancy nested pierced labels die (Gina Marie Designs)
Liquid Pearls
Noel Noel embossing border folder (Cuttlebug)
Nuvo Crystal drops in two colors
White Gel Pen

So come check out the challenge HERE and play along!

Hugs, Cara

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Happy Holidays ...

We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers. ~Senec

Hello

Today I am sharing I created using a Progressive Freebie image from Simply Betty Stamps.

The twist to this challenge is that we can not use traditional Christmas colors of red & green and we must use two designer papers.

Here is my 5 x 7 card

The image is colored with ProMarkers and Studio G Glitter glue. The Purple striped design paper is from The Angel Company and pretty much everything else is from my stash.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

2017 Cards for Little Hearts Card Drive ...

The heart is the perfection of the whole organism. Therefore the principles of the power of perception and the soul’s ability to nourish itself must lie in the heart. ~Aristotle

Hello! Today I am sharing information regarding the new Cards for Little Hearts Blog (HERE). Cards for Little Hearts is a global card drive, comprised of crafters dedicated to bringing smiles, hope and encouragement to as many children with congenital heart disease as possible by providing heart center staff with handmade cards that are given to patients during their hospitalization.

The next scheduled card drive will run from January 1st - February 1^st with Heart-Themed (non Valentines Day) "Thinking of You" cards to celebrate the patients during February's Heart Month. Please read the guideline page located on the Cards for Little Hearts' website (HERE) for important guidelines prior to making and sending in your cards. You can also find additional helpful resources on the FAQs page (HERE) and a Sentiments List (HERE). There is also a Gallery (HERE) page if you need some inspiration. If you have any questions about the guidelines or the card drive itself, please contact Christina Hor directly (HERE), founder of Cards for Little Hearts.

Here is a group of cards I made with the boys and older teens in mind. With the exception of the cardbases, these were made using leftovers from my scrap bin.

Please consider participating!

Even one card will make a difference

Thanks for stopping by!

(Hugs) Cara

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Blessed ...

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. ~W.T. Purkiser

Good morning!

I’m here to share my card for the new color challenge which started today at The Outlawz Challenges! Our sponsor this month is DiDigisStamps with a $12.00 gift card to her store.

This week’s challenge comes from Jeanie. We are to use the color pumpkin, and then pick two more colors from the picture below. The twist, if you care to use it is thankful or Thanksgiving.

A while back a friend came over for crafting day. Shortly after she arrived, she handed me small stack of DP she had left from a project telling me she knew I liked fall colors and thought I would like them to play with. I managed to finish 4 cards, a 5^th one needs to be finished and I have enough left to probably make another 2-3 cards depending on what I do … I plan on finishing that paper up this next week since I need Thanksgiving cards.

This card happens to be one I had started from those papers, but didn’t complete that day … However, it works perfectly with this challenge so I pulled it out and finished it up.

Card size 5 x 7

Card stock (The Paper Studio, Bazzill & Stampin Up!)
Design Paper (unknown as they were scraps given to me)
Pumpkin #2 die (Sizzix)
Sentiment die is from Fall Botanicals (Spellbinders)

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to stop by TheOutlawz Challenges where a new challenge starts every day of the week!

(Hugs) Cara

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Chocolate Understands ...

That life is to my liking which is made up of little deeds, little sacrifices, little kindnesses. ~Birthday letter quoted in J.R. Macduff, Birthdays, 1893

Good morning!

I’m here to share my project for the new color challenge which started today at The Outlawz Challenges!

Our sponsor this month is DiDigisStamps with a $12.00 gift card to her store.

This week’s challenge comes from Ursula, to create anything but a card using the colors below.

I made candy bar covers! And the tags are long enough to be bookmarks --- so bonus!

Supplies

Card Candy (Stash)
Card stock (Bazzill and Stampin Up!)
Fancy Labels 3 die (Sizzix)
Glitter (Oriental Trading Company)
Ink (Close to My Heart)
Sentiment “Chocolate understands” (Rubbernecker Stamps)
Sentiment “For Someone Special” (The Angel Company)
Twine (American Craft)

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to stop by The Outlawz Challenges where a new challenge starts every day of the week!

(Hugs) Cara

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Through the Craft Room Door 3rd Annual Celebration Blog hop!

Ever felt an angel's breath in the gentle breeze? A teardrop in the falling rain? Hear a whisper amongst the rustle of leaves? Or been kissed by a lone snowflake? Nature is an angel's favorite hiding place. ~Terri Guillemet

Good morning all my Crafty Peeps!

This is going to be a long post because this month is our Celebration Month and today we are starting our 3^rd Annual Celebration Blog Hop filled with awesome inspiration from the Designers of TTCRD!

We have 9 sponsors this year offering some great prizes!

Bugaboo Stamps / Crafty Sentiment / DigiStamps4Joy

Lacy Sunshine / Wink Wink Ink / MHKDesigns

SheepSki Designs / Unity Stamps / TTCRD Magazine

You should have come here from another one of my posts, if not you can start from the beginning by clicking HERE.

For my card, I am using a new image I recently fell in love with and purchased from Unity Stamp Co. (Who is one of our sponsors and offering three prizes of a $20.00 gift voucher to their shop!) called Arianna Girl. You can find her HERE, if you are interested in purchasing her.

Card size is 5.5 x 5.5

Image/Sentiment “Arianna Girl” from Unity Stamp Co.
Card base from The Paper Studio
Design Paper from Colorbok
India Ink from Memories
Ink from Close to My Heart
Pro-Markers
Rhinestones from Say it with Bling
Studio G glitter glue
Sulyn Crystal Diamonds Glitter used to create background

I am also giving away some blog candy (picture pending!). One person will be drawn from all of those people who comment on my post BUT to get a chance for one of the awesome prizes from our sponsors, you MUST comment on every post in the bloghop.

Since the hop is going to run from today, November 8th through November 22nd, if you miss one, you can always go back and comment when you have time! Winners will be announced on the main blog December 1st, 2017.

Now, you are nearing the end of the line .. only 4 more to go, so head on over to Jeanies place to see what wonderful project she has to share with you!

TTCRD

You are here --> Cara

Jeanie

Joi

Deonna

Hayley

Thanks for stopping by & good luck!

(Hugs) Cara

This card has been entered into the following challenge(s)

A Snowflakes Promise, challenge 45, Anything Goes

Unicorn Challenge 27, Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiments Designs, Anything Goes

QKRStampede 268, Angels

Through the Craft Room Door 3rd Annual Celebration Blog hop!

Hugging has no unpleasant side effects and is all natural. There are no batteries to replace, it's inflation-proof and non-fattening with no monthly payments. It's non-taxable, non-polluting, and is, of course, fully refundable. ~Author Unknown

Hi! This month is our Celebration Month and today we are starting our 3^rd Annual Celebration Blog Hop filled with awesome inspiration and sponsor prizes.

BugabooStamps / CraftySentiment / DigiStamps4Joy

Lacy Sunshine / Wink Wink Ink / MHKDesigns

SheepSkiDesigns / Unity Stamps / TTCRD Magazine

The image I am using is “Stardusts Christmas Star” and is one of the prizes from our Sponsor Lacy Sunshine. You can find the image HERE if you wish to purchase for yourself.