Happy Voodoo Birthday ...

And thank you for a house full of people I love. Amen. ~Terri Guillemets

Today I am sharing a birthday card I made for a close friend of my daughters. We have pretty much adopted her into the family fold. Earlier this month, we threw a fun birthday pool party for her and it was nice having a house full of young people cavorting in the pool and listening to loud music!

Supplies: 5 x 7 card

Cardstock from Stampin up!
Crayola Color markers
Design Paper from Stampin Up! (Halloween Night) & stash
Die from Gina Marie Designs (Nested Pierced Fancy Labels)
Image from Unity Stamps (Voodoo Vibes)
Ink from Stampin Up! & Versafine Clair
Judikins Liquid Diamonds
Sentiment from Close to My Heart (Short & Sweet Sentiments)

Sketch: My sketch #12
Stencil from Stampers Anonymous (Speckles)
Tag punch from Stampin Up!



Thanks for stopping by!

(Hugs) Cara

It's Owl good! ...

It's not about finding fun things to do. It's about finding someone in whose company, it's all fun. ~Robert Brault, rbrault.blogspot.com, 2018

Good morning!

We have a new Challenge at The Outlawz Greeting Challenge located HERE. This round is sponsored by Wink Wink Ink and will run through September 11

Our Challenge this round is Sweet Greetings with an option twist of using leaves so I opted to try my hand at another shaker card.

Supplies, 5 x 7 card
Sponsor pre-colored image, Night Owl printed on Hammermill Color Card
Cardstock from Pen + Gear (base) and Stampin Up!
Design Paper from Unty Stamps (Rusted Wood) and Stampin Up!
Iridescent glitter from my stash
Sentiment from Close to My Heart (For Every Occasion)
Shaker dies from Close to My Heart, Leaf die unknown
Versafine Clair ink

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to check out the main blog located HERE to see the other challenges!

(Hugs) Cara

Snowflake Wonder ...

Brick: Isn't it amazing how each snowflake is different?

Sue: I know. It took me, like, three hours to cut out ten, and God has to do, like, fifty billion. You can't tell me that's not a miracle.

~The Middle, "A Christmas Gift," 2011, written by Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter [S3, E11]

Good morning,

I finally went through a box of old Christmas cards I had from last Christmas as well as some a friend gave me and proceeded to repurpose into new Christmas cards.

I had planned to take pictures of the cards before I start dismantling them but totally spaced so I have no before pictures. I also didn’t keep great track of what I used on all the cards I made so it could be hit or miss there!

Today I am sharing 3 cards I got from one old Christmas card which had beautiful iridescent snowflakes on it. I had a old 6x6 paper pack from DCWV that had some iridenscent paper that work womderfully with the snowflakes pattern.

Supplies

Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base)
Gold card stock from scrap bin
Iridescent White cardstock from DCWV
Ink from Stampin Up!
Sentiment from Stampin Up! (Wishing you Cheer)

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Christmas Blessings ...

A man is known by the Christmas he keeps. ~"Poor Richard Junior's Philosophy," The Saturday Evening Post, 1904, George Horace Lorimer, editor

Good morning,

I finally went through a box of old Christmas cards I had from last Christmas as well as some a friend gave and proceeded to repurpose into new Christmas cards.

I had planned to take pictures of the cards before I start dismantling them but totally spaced so I have no before pictures. I also didn’t keep great track of what I used on all the cards I made so it could be hit or miss there!

This is pretty simple, I just trimmed off the card front, added a layer and attached to the card base.

Supplies
Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base) and Stampin up!

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Penguin love ...

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, 1971

Good morning, today I am sharing some more Christmas cards I made using some penguin stickers I received as a gift from someone and a layout from Sheetload of Cards by Call me Crafty Al…

These are so much cuter in person and the penguins are bright and glittery and I just wasn’t able to capture that in the photos. :O(

I also now noticed that I probably need to straighten out my penguins! LOL

Supplies: 4.25 x 5.50 (A2)

• Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base) and Stampin Up!
• Design Paper from Pebbles (Holly Jolly)
• Penguin stickers unknown
• Snowflake Punch from Marvy
• Sheetload of Cards #SUYSApr2020 #Showusyoursheetloads

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Friend of Mine ...

Among these kinds of beauty the eye takes most delight in colours. ~Joseph Addison, The Spectator, June 23rd 1712 (Nº 412) [Quoted Addison by Maturin M. Ballou, 1886: "In the recognition of beauty the eye takes the most delight in color." —tεᖇᖇ¡·g]

Hi everyone!

Today I am sharing a card I created for the Outlawz Color Challenge located HERE. This challenge will run for 2 weeks, ending on September 5th and is Sponsored by Beccys Place.

This round we are using 3 colors and a twist of Friends and I am using a free pre-colored image Beccy offers on her site.

Supplies 5 x7 card

Digital pre-colored image (Birdhouse with Bow) printed on Hammermill color copy
Embossing folder from Stampin up! (Old World Paper)
Rhinestones from my stash
Sentiment from Unity Stamps
Stencil from Creative Expressions (Scattered diamonds mini)

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to stop by The Outlawz Challenges HERE for more challenges and Inspiration! 

Autumn Comes ...

No spring nor summer's beauty hath such grace

As I have seen in one Autumnal face....

~John Donne, "Elegy IX: The Autumnal"

Good morning!

This morning I am sharing a card I made for the new Sunday Song & Rhyme Challenge which just started. You can find the challenge HERE

Our poem this fortnight is

Summer days are here at last,

Days of school are in the past,

Summer skies will turn to grey,

And summer's warmth will fade away,

Autumn comes and leaves fall down,

Winter comes, snow covers the ground,

Spring comes and brings new life,

And ends all of the winter's strife,

All the seasons come and go,

From the summer's heat to the winter's snow...

--- Katherine Knight ---

Our sponsor this challenge is Alex Syberia Design and I am always thrilled to use one of her gorgeous images! For my challenge card I am using her Autumn Leaves Frame. Although the title says Autumn, I do believe this image can be used for spring as well … just use bright greens instead of the autumnal colors like I used.

I colored my image using my distress markers, a bit of water and the smooshed ink method. I love how it turned out! Once everything was dry, I did a bit of fussy cutting of the center to create a window, added acrylic sheeting and made a fun shaker card using some random leaf confetti and sequins I had in my stash.

Supplies, 5.5 x 7 card
Image Autumn Leaves Frame printed in Hammermill Card Stock
Cardstock from The Paper Studio (base) and scrap box
Die from Spellbinders (Fall Botanicals)
Judikins Diamond Glaze
Leaf confetti and seed beads from my stash
Ranger Distress Markers

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to check out the main blog located HERE to see the other challenges we offer!

(Hugs) Cara

Vintage Angel ...

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love! ~Hamilton Wright Mabie, "Christmas Eve," 1885

Good morning,

I finally went through a box of old Christmas cards I had from last Christmas as well as some a friend gave and proceeded to repurpose into new Christmas cards.

I had planned to take pictures of the cards before I start dismantling them but totally spaced so I have no before pictures. I also didn’t keep great track of what I used on all the cards I made so it could be hit or miss there!

This is a wonderful vintage Christmas card! Not that I don’t love and appreciate the art of modern-day Christmas cards, but I think the old vintage one just seems to convey a whole different level of Holiday feelings… Just me, I guess …

Anyway …

This card was actually one was among items that belonged to my grandmother that I found when cleaning out my moms’ house. I actually found a whole stack of vintage all occasion cards. I’m just trying to figure out what I want to do with them, but this was the only Christmas card I saw and it was a used one, so it got made over.

Not a lot going on with this one. I just let the wonderful image speak for itself! It wasn’t quite long enough for a full size slimline; I just trimmed at the bottom and covered the space with the banner sentiment and added some sequins. What you can’t pick up in the photo is that the a touch of gold glitter on her wings, the ornament and the stars around her. More bling would have been overwhelming.

Supplies
Cardstock from Stampin Up!
Sentiment from Inkahootz!
Sequins from my stash
Versafine Claire ink

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Poinsettia Pretty ...

Christmas is a guest that always comes a month before arriving. ~20,000 Quips & Quotes by Evan Esar, 1968 [And now it's two or three! —tg]

Good morning,

I finally went through a box of old Christmas cards I had from last Christmas as well as some a friend gave and proceeded to repurpose into new Christmas cards.

I had planned to take pictures of the cards before I start dismantling them but totally spaced so I have no before pictures. I also didn’t keep great track of what I used on all the cards I made so it could be hit or miss there!

The original card was already a slimline but too large to work well as a mini and not long enough to work out as a full size so I just figured out the best place to cut the piece and then covered the gap with the glitter paper.

Supplies
Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base) and Stampin up!
Glitter paper from scrap bin

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Bottlebrush memories ...

A man is known by the Christmas he keeps. ~"Poor Richard Junior's Philosophy," The Saturday Evening Post, 1904, George Horace Lorimer, editor

Good morning, today I am sharing some more Christmas cards I made using some old Christmas cards and a layout from Sheetload of Card by Call me Crafty Al…

In this case, I used the old cards to cut out the flat back pieces of the bottlebrush trees then layered over them with gold and green cardstock. I know the colors are not traditional for Christmas but I really love how they turned out.

I love these bottlebrush trees and they bring back many memories from my childhood.

Supplies: 4.25 x 5.50 (A2)

• Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base) and Stampin Up!
• Design Paper from American Crafts (Christmas)
• Dies from Spellbinders (Bottlebrush trees)
• Gold cardstock from my scrap bin
• Gold pearls from Close to My Heart
• Ink from Stampin Up! & Versa fine Clair
• Old Christmas Cards
• Sentiment from Hampton Art (Holiday Sentiments)
• Sheetload of Cards #SUYSAug2020 #Showusyoursheetloads

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Afternoon Birthday Ride ...

It is not down in any map; true places never are. ~Herman Melville

Good morning!
A new Monday Greetings Challenge as begun at The Outlawz Challenges! Our sponsor this fortnight is Fred She Said with a $10.00 gift card.

Check out their great images HERE 

Our Challenge this round is Birthday Greetings with an Optional Twist of using Candles. SO here is my card using one of FFS great pre colored motorcycle images! Which is great because I am running low on masculine birthday cards!

Supplies, 5 x 7 card

• Sponsor pre-colored Afternoon Ride, Motorcycle digi printed in Hammermill Card Stock
• Candle border punch from EK Success
• Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base) and Stampin Up!
• Die from Stampers Anonymous (Pierced curly frame/tag nesting)
• Embossing folder from Cuttlebug (Diamond Plate)
• Sentiment from Unity Stamps (Hugs, Kisses & Birthday Wishes set)
• Sequins from my stash
• Versa Claire ink from Tsukineko
• Sketch by Me CCBC22

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to check out the main blog located HERE to see the other challenges!

(Hugs) Cara
https://theoutlawzchallenges-monday.blogspot.com/
https://outlawzchallenges.blogspot.com/

Crash your Stash: Chip board

After all the shattering discoveries of science and conclusions of philosophy, mankind has still to live with dignity amid hostile nature, and in the presence of an unknowable power, and mankind can only succeed in this tremendous feat by the exercise of faith and of that mutual goodwill which is based in sincerity and charity. ~Arnold Bennett (1867–1931)

Good morning!

Today we re-start Crash your Stash on our new blog home located HERE! The challenges will run through September 14th so come play along.

Our sponsor this month is Alex Serbia Designs with a $10.00 prize to her etsy shop!

The challenge for this month is to use chip board.

For my slim line card I used a fun floral image called Happy flowers.

The leaves are cut from some chipboard sheets that I have had forever. They already have a layer of card stock on them but I never think of using them ... until now.

I cut two sets of leaves using a Sizzix bigz die (Love these dies as they cut through practically anything). I then sponged one of the sets to darken the leaves for contrast.

Supplies for slimline card

• Sponsor image Happy Flowers printed on Hammermill Color Copy
• Banner punch from Stampin Up!
• Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base)
• Chipboard for leaves, stash
• Die from Sizzix (Leaves)
• Ink from Stampin Up! & Tsukineko
• ProMarkers
• Sentiment from Unity Stamps

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to join our Facebook Fan Page located HERE!

(Hugs) Cara

Winter Birds ...

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love! ~Hamilton Wright Mabie, "Christmas Eve," 1885

Good morning,

I finally went through a box of old Christmas cards I had from last Christmas as well as some a friend gave and proceeded to repurpose into new Christmas cards.

I had planned to take pictures of the cards before I start dismantling them but totally spaced so I have no before pictures. I also didn’t keep great track of what I used on all the cards I made so it could be hit or miss there!

I absolutely love the picture on this card! A bit of a trim, some layering and a stacked sentiment and it’s ready for its next adventure!

Supplies

Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base) and Stampin Up!

Pearls from Jot/The Dollar Tree

Sentiment from Lisa Horton (Festive Sentiments)

Thanks for stopping by!

(Hugs) Cara

Sweet Birthday

To be remembered on one's birthday is a thrill — to know others are saying with cakes, cards, and good wishes thanks for being born into our lives! ~Terri Guillemets, "Keepsake," 2013

Good morning,
I keep things like unfinished cards and projects in a binder then take with me to crops to work on. Today I am sharing a birthday card I started to make quite a long time ago and finally pulled out the pieces and finished during a crop I did a while back

After all this time I don't have the list of what all I used but I can tell you that all I really started with was just the diecut cupcake base and insert. It's been so long I don' even remember where I got the base from now. Anyway, I dug around in my scraps and found the printed design paper which I thought would make super cute decorated 'frosting'. I added the scallop border (Stampin Up!). Used a coupe more scraps to stamp the tag and punch out (Stampin Up!).

I think it turned out super cute and the recipient of this card loved it too.

Thansk for stopping by!

(Hugs) Cara

From our home to yours

Holly in December, an' violets in May—

An' Christmas came to our house — an' never went away.

~Wilbur D. Nesbit, "Always Christmas," 1910

I like to recycle Christmas cards and make new cards or gift tags, depending on the card.

Today I am sharing a card I make… Very clean and simple but the image is a gorgeous foil.

Supplies: 5 x 7 card

• Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base)
• Ink is Versafine Clair
• Sentiment from Close to My Heart (Love with all the Trimmings)

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Floating by to say hi ...

Smell the Sea and fell the Sky. - Van Morrison

Hi everyone!

Today I am sharing a card I created for our Color Challenge at The Outlawz Challenges using an image from our Sponsor, Beccys Place

This fortnight we are using a Tic Tac Toe board for our challenge. I have chosen to work with the middle row, vertical

I absolutely squeed when I saw this image and sentiment! I do have a bit of a twisted sense of humor and usually do amazingly well keeping it under control but seriously – this image is perfect for this challenge! And that expression on her face really made it more awesome!

As you can see she is 'floating' along in the innertube, her bathing suit mimics the ball (so appropriate don’t you think) and her hair is the colors of the starfish. the cloud background was inspired by the water background in the bottom photo, but I used clouds as a play on the sentiment.

Supplies used (5x7 card)

• Digital image (Floating by) printed on Hammermill Color Copy
• Birds are from a stencil I created myself using dies
• Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base)
• Ink from Stampin Up! and Tsukineko
• Judikins diamond glaze
• ProMarkers
• Random stamps from Stamps by Judy
• Stencil (Cloud, moon & Stars) from Stampin Up!

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to Don’t forget to join our Facebook Fan Page
(Hugs) Cara

Sunday Song & Rhyme: Have yourself a merry little Christmas

In prickly green of Christmas wreaths

The holly berries glow,

The Christmas trees will sparkle soon,

With Christmas fruit bent low...

~Hannah G. Fernald, "Outside," 1906

Good morning!

Sunday Song & Rhyme Challenge has re-started on our new blog HERE

Our sponsor this challenge is: Our sponsor for this month is LeighSBDesigns Digi Stamps & SVG Cutz with a prize of one Digi Stamp set or one SVG Cutz set (excludes Print & Cutz sets) of winner’s choice with a max value of $5.

Please show a little love and visit her shop HERE

Now on to the challenge!

Our Song/Rhyme this fortnight is from Margaret

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Song by Sam Smith

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Let your heart be light

From now on

Your troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Make the Yule-tide gay

From now on

Your troubles will be miles away

Here we are as in olden days

Happy golden days of yore

Faithful friends who I dear to us

They gather near to us once more

Through the years

We'll always be together

If the Fates allow

Hang a shining star upon the highest bough

So have yourself a merry little Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

So have yourself a merry little Christmas now

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Blane Ralph / Martin Hugh

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas lyrics © Emi Feist Catalog Inc.

I took my inspiration from the lines “Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Make the Yule-tide gay”

And what better way to make for a gay Christmas than with a fun image of a frog with a Santa cap?! I think I smiled the whole time I was coloring this image. So stinking cute!

I will be honest and say I am not realy happy with the coloring on my leaves but the darker green pen was a new on and I had some issues controlling the ink.  

Supplies, 5 x 7 card

• Image CHRISTMAS CHORUS FROG printed in Hammermill Card Stock
• ProMarkers
• Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base) and Stampin Up!
• Design paper from Pebbles (Home for Christmas)
• Embossing folder from Crafters Companion (Holly & Ivory Frame)
• Judikins Diamond Glaze
• Memento Ink
• Sentiment from Hampton Art (Holiday Sentiments)
• Sequins from my Stash
• Wink of Stella

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to check out the main blog located HERE to see the other challenges!

(Hugs) Cara

Fa-boo-lous Hallween!

Never let your kids buy an off-the-shelf Halloween costume. Forbid it, no matter how close you may be to the witching hour. Instead, help them make their own. Encourage them to use their imaginations and their ingenuity. Show them that what can be created is often better than what can be bought. And besides, don't the darkest, most frightening things live inside us anyway? ~Joe Kita, "What I Know" (The Best Halloween Costume), Wisdom of Our Fathers, 1999

Hello!

Today I am sharing a set of Halloween cards I made. I am really working to use my design paper and the the Sheetload of cards from Call me Crafty Al are really helping me with that!

Supplies: 4.25 x 5.50 (A2)

Black rhinestones from Scrapbook.com
Sheet load of Cards #SUYSMar2022 #Showusyoursheetloads
Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base) and Stampin Up!
Cat Punch from Stampin Up!
Design Paper from Stampin Up! (Spooky Nights)
Sentiment from Stampingbella (Oddball Vampire girl)

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Monday Greetings: Happy Hellos!

Tea is so tame. A cocktail is lots more naughty. ~Richard Florance, "It: The Usual Play with an Unusual Ending," in The Smart Set: A Magazine of Cleverness, December 1915

Good morning!

Monday Greetings Challenge has re-started on our new blog HERE

Our sponsor this fortnight is Hetty Clare Art with a prize of 2 images from her shop HERE

So please show a little love and visit her shop

Our Challenge this fortnight is Happy Hellos!

Supplies, 5 x 7 card

• Image Happy Hour printed in Hammermill Card Stock
• Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base)
• Design paper from my stash
• Ink from Stampin up! & Tsukineko
• Judikins diamond glaze
• ProMarkers
• Sentiment tag from Unity Stamps
• Stamp from Inkahootz! (Sand)
• Stencil from Stampers Anonymous (Wood Grain)
• Stencil from Stampin Up! (Cloud, moon & stars)
• Studio G Glitter Glue

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to check out the main blog located HERE to see the other challenges!

(Hugs) Cara

Progressive Freebie Challenge: August 2022

How stunning are the changes which age makes in a man while he sleeps! ~Mark Twain, letter to William Dean Howells, 1887 August 22nd

Good morning!

A new Progressive Freebie Challenge has started at The Outlawz Challenges on our new blog home located HERE.

If you are not playing along and wish to join the rules are very simple:

You need to be a member of The Outlawz Challenge Facebook Fan Page and you will need to send us an email to outlawzprogressivechallenge@gmx.com and we’ll send you the image.

All you have to do is enter a card/project made with the image supplied before the challenges closes on the last day of the month and you will automatically get the next image. If for any reason you don’t get your project made and you would like to rejoin us, contact us and we will let you know how to jump back in. And as long as you enter before the end of the month you will get the next one free and you will then get them automatically each month you enter a project.

This month’s adorable image comes from Dr. Digis House of Stamps

Stacy the Stegosaurus

Supplies for 5 x 7 card

• Image (Stacy the Stegosaurus) printed on Hammermill Color Copy
• Cardstock from The Paper Studio
• Die from Gina Marie Designs (Labels, nested pierced fancy)
• Embossing folder from Cuttlebug (Diamond pane)
• Ink from Versafine
• ProMarkers
• Sentiment from Unity Stamps (Coolest Birthday Penguin)
• Based on Mojo Monday sketch 101

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to join our Facebook Fan Page
(Hugs) Cara