Clean & Simple

 The last challenge of the year for Art Impressions is "Clean and Simple".  Seems I'm always trying to add something to my cards to "spoof" them up, but this challenge is letting me keep it simple, so no adding bling and embellishments, etc.  I used the Art Impressions Gingerbread Cubbies and the new Joyful Snowman Set.

First I stamped the sentiment from the Joyful Snowman set onto a piece of white cardstock and cut it with a stitched circle die.  Then I cut another circle die just a tad bigger with red cardstock to make the frame.  I temporarily placed the white circle die cut in the center of a 4 x 5.25 piece of kraft cardstock and using my misti stamping tool, I positioned a variety of gingerbread girls and boys stamps from the Art Impressions Gingerbread Cubbies set around 1/2 of the circle die.  I inked the stamps with white pigment ink and stamped onto the kraft cardstock.  I turned the paper around in my misti and stamped the other 1/2 of the cardstock to finish the circle.

I mounted the kraft cardstock onto a piece of red cardstock and then onto a 4.25 x 5.5 card base.  I glued the sentiment circle onto the red circle frame and popped that up with foam tape onto the kraft cardstock in the center of the gingerbread girls and boys.  I colored one gingerbread boy with copic markers and die cut with the dies included in the set.  I tied a piece of twine into a bow and glued the gingerbread boy in the center and attached to the card.

Ta Da done and it took me less than 45 minutes to create two cards.  

I send about 75 Christmas cards out every year and for some reason I always make them so much more involved.  They take me months to complete.  Why don't I keep it simple?  They are just as cute!!  AND so much easier!!!!  

Enjoy and hope you have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!

Merry & Bright

 This is week #2 of Art Impression's "Making Spirits Bright" challenge.  I don't know about you but my spirits are brightened whenever I receive a handmade card/tag/gift.  I enjoy receiving as much as I enjoy making them.  What happened to the old days where we use to make Xmas gifts vs. bought?  So much more special and meaningful.  I vote to go back to the old ways!  

 

 For this challenge, I decided to make a shape card using the Art Impressions Holly Jolly stamp set.  These little snowmen are so darn cute!  To make the shape card, I used a large shape die that I had in my stash and just scored it in half to make my base.  I then used the next die in that pack and layered on top of the other to make the base layers.  Such a fun way to use your dies and create a cute card.  

 I stamped the image on cryogen white cardstock and colored with my copic markers.  I framed the image with another die from the shaped nesting die set.  The sentiment is from the same Holly Jolly stamp set and I used the smallest die from the Art Impressions double stitch rectangle die.  The flag banners were cut from the Art Impressions flag double stitch die set.

Hope my card gets you in the crafty mode.  

Enjoy your day.

Feeling Blue

 This week's challenge at Art Impressions is "Feeling Blue" although they just want you to use the color blue.  It has nothing to do with being Blue, cuz fall is in the air so how can you be sad.  I used one of the images from the "Born to Ride" stamp set.  Love this guy - he reminds me of my son.  😁 

I stamped the image on Xpress-It cardstock and colored it with my copic markers.  I used a stitched frame die from my stash to give the image some pop.  The saying came from this same stamp set and I stamped it onto a cloud die cut from my stash.  I inked the edges of the cloud and popped it up with foam squares to make it stand off the image.  I finished the card off with a burlap twine bow to give it a masculine touch. 

Hope you enjoy my card.

All Wrapped Up

 New challenge at Art Impression's this week is "All Wrapped Up".  I decided to make an interactive card because those are my favorite.  I used the Art Impression's slider die (an oldie but a goodie) and created my own little twist to it.  The whole inside of the track is suppose to slide to reveal the image underneath but I made it so only a portion slides revealing what is inside the present.  The present is a die from my stash but you can easily make your own or use any other die you may have.  You just need it wider than the track so it hides the image inside.  I also used the Art Impression's Baby Critter set. This set has the cutest images and are the perfect size plus it includes the dies for each image.  Such a fun set!!

I stamped the images on Xpress It cardstock and colored with copic markers.  I inked blended the background and used pattern paper for the grass.  I have been wanting to use my present die for the longest time and since the challenge was "All Wrapped Up", the first thing of thought of was a present. I just love the bow that comes with this die and thought it would make a great pull tab.  Just had to reinforce it with an extra die cut and glued them together to make it stronger.

Hope you enjoy my card and have fun crafting!

Tag you're it!

 Tags are the theme for this week's Art Impression's challenge.  What better way to add fun and flare to your package than with a tag.  You can add them to cards, presents, scrapbook pages, etc.  I chose to make a window tag card using the Art Impression's Tag Stitch Die and the Castle Cubbies stamp set.

  I stamped the images on cryogen white cardstock and colored with my copic markers.  I cut the front of my A2 base and pattern paper with the Tag Stitch Die to make the window.  I then cut another tag from the pink cardstock to make the inside tag base for the castle.  The sentiment came from the Cubbies set and was cut with the banner tag from the Stitch die set.  The unicorns, dragons, princess and knight are part of the Cubbies set which includes the individual stamps and dies.  So much fun to color and arrange within the doors and windows of the castle.  

Hope you enjoy my window card and have a fun day crafting.

Snack Time

 Art Impression's is having a "Midnight Snack" challenge this week.  What better snack then a piece of cake.  I always need a birthday card so I made one with a cake in one hand and a present in the other.  I utilized three stamp sets to create this card, Be Happy Laugh Lines for the gal, Birthday Buggy for the sentiment and the Holiday Mansion Birthday set for the cake and present.

I started out using my scrap strips from a Doodlebug 6x6 paper pad.  I love the bold bright primary colors and can't seem to throw away any leftover pieces of paper.  I stamped all of the images on cryogen white cardstock and colored with copic markers.  The sentiment, along with the cake and present, were cut with the coordinating die cuts provided in the sets.  This makes for great accessory popups on any card.  I placed them in her hands and popped them up using foam tape.  You would think they came together as a set since they fit so perfectly in her hands.  

Hope you enjoy my card for the day. 

May Flowers

 The current challenge at Art Impressions is Fabulous Flowers and what better stamp set to use that will show off May flowers than the Mushroom Cubbie set.  

  I made this interactive card for my daughter's birthday.  She LOVES gnomes.  I mean LOVES gnomes!!  😀  There are so many fun images and dies with this set that can be used with so many other stamp sets.  A very versatile stamp set.  I used the Lawn Fawn pop up platform die set which makes the card three dimensional and interactive.  

  Needless to say, my daughter loved her bday card.  Hope you like it too. 

Swing Image

 Art Impressions is having a new challenge called "Don't Fence Me In".  This challenge only requires you to have a fence in your project.  So I decided to make an interactive birthday card for my bestest friend.  I used several Art Impressions stamp sets and dies for this card starting with the Fairy Spinner.  This lady cracks me up with her birthday hat and fairy wings.  I also used images from the Holiday Mansion Birthday set and the Birthday Buggy set along with the fence die set.  

I stamped all of the images on cryogen white cardstock and colored with my copic markers.  They all fit so well together to make an adorable scene.  The spinner lady comes with the die to cut her out as well as her backside (although I only used the front of her).  I placed her on a piece of acetate and cut a hole in the top of the acetate so she could swing on a foam dot.  To make her swing freely, I popped the big cloud on foam tape and cut a hole at the top.  I matched the hole in the acetate piece over the cloud hole and put the double stacked foam dot in the center of the hole.  Then, I placed foam tape on the back of the blue balloon piece (being careful not to block the swing mechanism) and placed it over the cloud.  The fairy swings from side to side.  

This style of card has been my go-to lately cuz it is so easy and makes such a cute interactive card.

Hope you enjoy!

April Showers

This week's challenge at Art Impressions is "April Showers" - anything rain, rainbows, clouds, etc. 

I used one of the elephants from the Elephant Twist Ties stamp set.   The set comes with a die to make two elephants hook together at the trunks.  For this card, I only utilized the left side elephant and fussy cut the part of him that was attached to the card so that he could stand on his own.  They are soooo darn cute!

I stamped the elephant on cryogen white cardstock and colored him with copic markers.  I made the background with tumbled glass distress oxide ink and a cloud stencil.  I then die cut the rainbow, clouds and the grass using my dies from my stash.

Easy peasy, but so cute!

Hope you enjoy my card!

Easter Wishes

 Happy Easter!!  

 The current challenge at Art Impressions is "Easter Wishes".  Easter is such a great time of year.  Spring weather (or at least if we are lucky).  Today is a gorgeous sunny day but we have had one heck of a snowy winter.  This challenge has gotten me ready to head into spring.  

My card for today is a fun interactive one featuring the Art Impressions Bunny Pop-Up (#5359) and Happy Spring Set (#5504) stamp sets as well as the Rounded Rectangle A2 double stitch (#5062) smallest die.

I stamped the images on cryogen white cardstock and colored with copic markers.  I used a fence die cut I had in my stash and made it a pocket to hide the pop up Bunny.  The interactive piece is fairly easy to create for any pop up image.  I cut a slit in my background piece to fit a small pop dot.  I adhered one side of the pop dot to the bottom of my Bunny and placed the pop dot through the slit to the backside of the background.  I then cut my pull tab and adhered the other side of the pop dot to the pull tab.  I used foam tape to stabilize the pull tab mechanism from sliding around by placing the tape on the back side of the background on both sides of the pull tab.  Before adhering the background to the card base, make sure to adhere foam tape all along the back side of the background piece other than where the pull tab moves.  Now we can decorate the front.  Use double stacked foam tape to adhere both sides and bottom of the 'pocket' but making sure it does not conflict with the moving image.  I had to hide the ear of the Bunny behind the tree so it didn't show while hiding. 😀  

I hope my directions help but if you want to see it in action, youtube "Pull tab card tutorial" and you can find step by step instructions in video form.

Hope you enjoyed my card for the challenge and have a very Happy Easter.

Inside Out

 Fun challenge at Art Impressions this week called "Inside Out".  I decided to make my card an interactive peek a boo card.   When you open the card, the inside has a little bunny that was hiding and the bunny from the front is now hiding.   I used an Art Impressions stamp set called Hoppy Easter.   This is an oldie but a goodie!!  Such cute little bunnies (and one chick) in the set.  

I stamped my images on cryogen white cardstock and colored with copic markers.  I used the Art Impressions stitched circle dies for the windows.  Both of the sentiments also come with the set along with a stack of little Easter eggs.  A very useful little stamp set! 

Hope you enjoy my Inside Out card for the day.

Green Galore

 St. Patty's Day is almost here and Art Impressions is celebrating with a "Green Galore" challenge.  Although it doesn't need to be St. Patrick theme, it is all about the green.  When I think green, I think of frogs, so I used the Frog freebie from Art Impressions.  He is just soooo darn cute!!

I stamped the cute little frog on cryogen white paper and colored him with copic markers.  I then fussy cut him out so I could pop him up and make my 3-D scene.  I used the Art Impressions stitched rectangle die for the yellow mat, then used several other die cuts from my stash.  The stitched window is from My Favorite Things and the little flowers are from a die that I bought from the Dollar Tree (I know, I can't believe it either.  I use that die ALL the time and it cuts great!)  I stamped "Hi" in the center of the sun and I'll add a sentiment of "thinking of you" or "Happy Spring" when I decide the recipient.  Topped off the card with green sequins for the finishing touch.

Hope you have a great week!

Bloom Where You're Planted

 Art Impressions is having a "Bloom Where You're Planted" challenge.  I chose to use the Art Impressions darling Baby Critter set (#5400) for this week's challenge.  I love this set with all the adorable little critters, the dies and the great sayings.  Soooo much included in this set!  What a deal!!

I stamped these images on cryogen white cardstock and colored them with copic markers.  I die cut each of the images so that I could plant (no pun intended 😁) them among the grass and the leaf background.  The leaf and grass die cuts are from my stash but the oval stitch die cuts and the "birthday" word are from Art Impressions.  The "birthday" word is part of the Twist Frame die set.  I just cut the "Happy" off of it.  The inside of the card pops up to make a window.  

This was such a fun card to make and it really turned out cute.  Hope you like it too.

You're My Everything

This week's challenge at Art Impression's is called "You're My Everything".  For this challenge, I used the Lovable Animals Set (#5219) from Art Impressions.  This adorable set consists of four darling animals, with dies included, and each die cuts the paws so that you can slip an item into them.  Items included in this stamp set are a present, flower, cupcake and a sheet of paper, with dies for each and also a heart die.  Great set for so many occasions.

I stamped the elephant on cryogen white paper and colored with my copic markers.  I die cut the elephant and placed the die cut heart into his paws.  I also made a shaker element to make the card interactive.  Love cards with some action.  😁  I stamped the saying (also included with this stamp set) onto a tag and popped it up on the card along with the elephant.  

Hope you enjoy my card.  

Happy Valentines Day to all!