What is an Inukshuk?

I created this card for the VSN Challenge of Splitcoast Stampers - What is an Inukshuk? I love listening to people try to pronounce the word when they aren't familiar with it. My aunt just calls them the directional statues. My brothers and I used to build little ones on the beach. We only smashed our toes a couple of times. Inukshuks are used for many purposes by the Inuit people for navigation, as a point of reference, a marker for hunting grounds, or a food storage.

There was a big local Olympic controversy over why an Inuit symbol was chosen over a symbol used by our local nations since we don't have Inuit here in BC but we do have over 100 hundred different Aboriginal Nations and the Olympics are held on the traditional territories of four local nations.

Okay, back to my card. I've submitted it in the following challenges:

Lexi's Creations - Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday - Ribbon-tastic
Quixiotic Challenge - One for the Boys. A baby boy card hopefully counts.
Marianne Design - Baby Card

Thanks, Eh!

This card was made for the Splitcoast Stampers VSN - FEB10VSNB. The topic is the Olympics and this particular challenge is to make a card based on the Olympic Cowichan Sweater from the Bay, as we call the Hudson Bay Company here. At first I was completely stumped since I don't have any cariboo stamps or anything with argyle. I also have no grey paper. It wasn't until I went to the gallery and saw all the Maple Leaves on cards that I even went back to the picture and noticed the maple leaves on the base of the sweater.

I am actually really happy with the way this card turned out. It was very quick - under 10 minutes and the embossing of the Maple Leaf gives it a nice texture. I may make a set of them to give to my sister when she goes travelling abroad this summer. They would make great Canadian, thank you cards.

Challenges this card fits:
The CCEE Stampers challenge - use Red, Black and Creamy Caramel. I don't have Caramel so I substituted Very Vanilla since it's the closest I have.
The Colour Create Challenge - Red, Black and Off White.
Cute Card Thursday - Ribbon-Tastic

Recipe:

Stamps: Inkadoo's Fall Season

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Real Red

Techniques: Embossing

Accessories: Nestabilities Labels 2, red grosgrain ribbon from Michaels

Friends Forever

I really enjoyed colouring these images from my Grab Bag this month. Each month we get six copies of an image, some DP, ribbon, and embellishments. We then create four different cards and send them to our group members. This is my second card for the month.

I really enjoyed this week's sketch for Sweet Sketch Wednesday.
This also fits the Cute Card Thursday Challenge: Ribbon-tastic

Recipe:


Stamps: House Mouse


Cardstock: SU - So Saffron & DP


Accessories: So Saffron Ribbon from last year's Sale-abration

A Friend Indeed

I am really enjoying these square cards. I'm going to have to break down and buy more square envelopes. There's just something about the slightly larger canvas that I like. This card is for my March Grab Bag Swap. I haven't done my cards for February but I was stressed this week and really wanted to colour these images to relax. The designer paper also came in my package. I goofed and lost the sentiments that were stamped in the package. Luckily, I have Wonderful Words and was able to stamp them directly onto the card.

The flowers are my attempt at recycling. They were donated to my school by a store that had used them in a window display. However, they hadn't been used for art projects for a couple of years so I recycled them for my cards. The brads had been a gift.

Challenges Entered:
The Sketch comes from Friday Sketchers - Challenge #90.
The distressing around the edges of the image is for the Saturday Spotlight Challenge: Messing Around.
Cupcake Challenge: Friendship Card
Cute Daisy May: Flowers


Recipe:

Stamps: SU - Wonderful Words, House Mouse - Unknown

Cardstock: So Saffron, Whisper White, SU Designer Paper

Ink: Black Memento, Distressing done in Brocade Blue

Techniques: Distressed Edges, Prismacolouring

Accessories: Nesties Label 2, Silk Flowers, Brads

Glittery Thanks

I made this card for a Thank You swap in which I'm participating. I used the Burnished Velvet technique to cover the DP with glitter. I'm not sure that it was such a good idea. I made this card over a week ago and the baby is still getting the occasional glitter on his face from my clothes. Thankfully DH finds this amusing. I was originally trying for a clean and simple look but somehow the card got away from me.

This card definitely fits with the Paper Sundae's Challenge of "A Glittery Spring". You couldn't get more glittery than this. "Dazzle Us" is the topic at Fussy and Fancy Challenges. My flowers will also meet the "Springtime" is the challenge for A Spoonful of Sugar. The Cute Daisy May Challenge is "Bright and Cheery Colours" this week - orange and pink are definately bright and cheery!

Recipe

Stamps: All Year Cheer

Cardstock: Whisper White, DP from Costco

Accessories: Dimensionals (to pop up the sentiment), pale pink rhinestones, white prisma flowers, dazzling diamonds glitter, pink ribbon from Michaels

Techniques: Burnished Velvet

Cuddle Monster

New Baby is in cuddle mode. He's my little cuddle monster. Right now this stamp is reminding me of him. He just wants lots of hugs from Mommy and only Mommy right now. I'm getting good at blogging one handed!

I'm submitting this for the Sketch and Stash Challenge. For this you're to use your newest addition to your stash. For me, that's the Changito image and red DP, which I received in my Grab Bag Swap from Angila. I'm really enjoying my birthday medallion that I found on sale on Boxing Day. The ribbon is another Grab Bag piece from a previous month.

I Think I'll Hang on to You

I'm still working on my cards for my Grab Bag Swap from Angila. I can't help it. I really like this combo of brown, denim and yellow.

The sketch comes from the Everybody Art Challenge #78. This card took forever. I really struggle with multi-layer cards. I'm still trying to decide if I need add something. I want to keep it masculine so flowers are out. Any suggestions? In keeping with my Masculine theme, this card fits the Charisma Card Challenge for the week.


While Valentine's Day is over, "Love" is the challenge for Simon Says, Cute Card Thursday and Delightful Sketches & Challenges so I will be submitting it for all three this week.

Recipe

Stamps: Changito Knee Hugger & Matching Sentiment

Paper: Buckaroo Blue, Whisper White, Brazzil Yellow, Unknown Brown and Blue DP

Techniques: Prismacolours with baby oil

Accessories: Brown ribbon from a previous swap

Baby Booties

I'm still making baby cards like crazy. I have another shower to go to which means I need three more cards; one each for my mother, my sister and I to give. I going to have to get creative since I'm running out of baby stamps...

I love how this turned out and can't wait to try this technique again. I think it would also make fabulous wedding or Christmas cards. I cut out a circle of acetate so that I could see where I was positioning the mask. I used the acetate frame then and sponged YoYo Yellow, Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery in my circle. Once I was finished I used my embossing buddy over it so my embossing powder would not stick. I then stamped my booties with Versamark and heat set my Dazzling Diamond glitter.

I know that this isn't technically a "spring" card but the colours remind me of new growth and spring flowers. It also seems to be baby season! For that reason, I'm including this in the springtime challenge at A Spoonful of Sugar. The Paper Sundae Challenge is also "Glittery Spring." I'm hoping my CAS card is not to simple for the Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge of "Dazzle Us". However, the card will definitely fit for the "Keep It Simple" topic for the Cupcake Card Challenge.

Recipe

Stamps: Stamping Up - All Year Cheer (retired), A New Little Someone (retired)

Cardstock: Whisper White, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Bashful Blue

Ink: Certainly Celery, YoYo Yellow, Bashful Blue

Techniques: Masking, Sponging, heat embossing

Accessories: Dazzling Diamond glitter

Masculine Birthday

Charisma Cardz Challenge, Cute Card Thursday, Delightful Sketches and Challenges, Grab Bag Swap, Masculine, Simon Says ChallengeI really enjoyed making this card. DS sat on my knee and coloured his own version of this image while I did mine. He coloured all around the edges and left the image completely alone. He loves it when he can play with Mommy's tools. He even peeled all the backings off my adhesives for me. That's always his favourite part.

This card is also part of my Grab Bag Swap for the month. Angila had included the blue paper, the image and a couple of the brads. I added a few more of my own. I did change the sentiment that she had sent because I'm always looking for great masculine birthday cards. The sentiment is popped up on dimensionals to give the card some depth.

While this is not a Valentine's Day card, it does express "Love", which is the challenge for Simon Says, Cute Card Thursday and Delightful Sketches & Challenges so I will be submitting it for all three this week. This will also be my second submission for Charisma Cardz Male Challenge.

Recipe

Cardstock: SU's Close to Cocoa, Brazzil's yellow, Unknown denim blue

Stamps: Changito Knee Hugger, Stampendous Birthday

Accessories: Scalloped Circle Nesties, circle brads

Techniques: Prismacolouring with baby oil

Love You

The next few posts will all be of this cute Changito stamp. Angila sent me the blue paper and image as part of my monthly grab bag swap. She had also included some beautiful brown ribbon with flowers on it and some lovely prismas which I never buy myself. I wanted to go with a masculine look however, so I'm hoping she'll forgive my hording...

The sketch is one I took from this weeks One Stop Craft Challenge. I normally really struggle with sketch challenges but I really like this layout and will definitely use it again.

For the Saturday Spotlight challenge, we are to use a household item that is not a craft item. I'm hoping that the patch that I normally use on the DS's jeans knees will count.

The Stamp Something Challenge was to make something cute. I always think Changito fits! And bonus points for me for making a masculine cute card!

Finally, my male card also fits this weeks challenge for Charisma Cards.


Cardstock: Apple Green Brazzil, SU Basic Black, unkown denim blue

Stamps: Changito Knee Hugger

Accessories: Black buttons (stash from my grandmother), black ribbon from Michaels, star patch from Michaels (normally used on DS jeans!)

Techniques: Prismacolouring with baby oil

Will You Be Mine?

I love making cards for a purpose. This one was super simple but I think very important. I want give DS a Valentine for when he opened his little mailbox at daycare on the 14th. Since he's 2 and can't read words, I wanted it to be something he could "read" by himself, "Mamma loves DS."
I know the purple shiny background seems like an odd choice but purple is his favourite colour. The hardest part was finding a picture of me!

Just for fun, here's some challenges that it meets:
Pile it On - To the One I love
Stamp Something - Love Something
Daring Cardmakers - February's Birthstone; Amethyst
Lily of the Valley Challenge - Valentine
Charisma Cardz Challenge - I Love You!
La-La Land Challenge - Use Hearts
ABC Challenge - N is for New (My new heart Nesties)
Papertake Weekly - Love Actually

Hidden Valentines

I got heart sequence stuck in the keyboard and can't get them out. I knew that stuff was dangerous! The keys still work so I've pushed them so DH won't see them - hence "Hidden Valentines"

On to my card.

Since the card does not lie flat, I've been experimenting with my tripod. Unfortunately, it's late so I don't have any natural light. The colours are all off. The card does not have any brown in it. The background colour is a lovely deep rose colour. All the DP is from a Costco pack my DH bought me for Christmas. The flower is chipboard that was given to my by a parent at my school who knew I papercraft. The organdy ribbon is Michaels. I used my heart Nesties and then stamped them with SU snowflakes to make them look lacy. This was serendipitous. I was using up scraps that had pink snowflakes on one side and loved the look. The sentiment comes from SU's Wonderful words and the confetti that has already gotten me in trouble has been floating around the house for years.

I am submitting this card to the following challenges:
Mojo Monday Week 124
Ildi Co's Creative Challenge #8 - Colour Challenge to use Pink, Red and White
Paper Sundae Challenge #3 - Valentines
Cute Daisy May Challenge - Pink and Neutral Valentine
The Pink Elephant Challenge #52 - All About Pink
Creative Card Crew Challenge #44 - Valentines