JAMSquared

This week’s All That Scraps Weekly Wednesday Challenge was to make anything but a card. I browsed the resources at Splitcoast Stampers and decided to make this hanging treat box. I decided I would go Christmas even though Christmas is five months away, because it might get busy then. And I’ll be ready for a last-minute party. I think this would be great to hang on a bottle of flavoring syrup and stick a packet or two of hot chocolate in it also. However, I did have some wine and candy canes in my pantry. Who knows how long either of those have been there. I always forget to open up the wine when people bring it to our annual Christmas party and James and I don’t really drink wine. I think the treat box might need a little something like a tag, but I couldn’t make up my mind. What do you think?

Hanging Treat Box

Close-up of the Hanging Treat Box

Stamps: C.C. Designs Sugarplums Angel Emma
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Real Red, Whisper White
Designer Paper: Stampin’ Up Christmas Cocoa
Ink: Stazon Jet Black
Tools: Xyron 5″ Creative Station; Stampin’ Up 1-3/8″ circle and scallop circle punch; Nestabilities Classic Ovals Large and Classic Scalloped Ovals Large; dimensionals

My friend Adriana’s birthday is coming up and I needed to make her a card. I looked at my favorite challenge blog and decided All That Scraps Weekly Wednesday Challenge #36, which is a sketch this week, would be perfect for a birthday card. I then decided to pair it with this week’s Anyone for Anya challenge to use black, white and pink on your card. I don’t think Adriana reads my blog, but Adriana if you do, don’t scroll down. At least not until you’ve seen the card in person.

ATS Challenge #36 Sketch

Adriana's Birthday Card

Stamps: C.C. Designs Shy Kiki La Rue; Stampin’ Up On Your Birthday (sentiment)
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Basic Black, Rose Red, Regal Rose
Designer Paper: Stampin’ Up Paper Prints Rose Red
Ink: Stazon Jet Black
Accessories: Stampin’ Up Basic Black 5/8″ grosgrain ribbon, Basic Black eyelets; dimensionals; Inkessentials Glossy Accents (on shoes, buttons and hair clips)
Markers: Stampin’ Up Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Basic Black, Regal Rose, Rose Red

I always enjoy joining the ATS challenges. They have a nice mix of challenges: some easy and some that put me outside my stamping comfort zone. This week’s challenge, ATS Weekly Wednesday Challenge #29, was to use dry embossing. I also used the sketch from Crazy 4 Challenges Challenge #38.

I wish I hadn’t colored her socks red, but initially I hadn’t planned on cutting her out. I like that it is a clean and simple card and that the dry embossing gives the sentiment.

Have a Birthday Ice Cream Cone!

Stamps: C.C. Designs Sweet Kiki La Rue
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Real Red, Always Artichoke
Designer Paper: Stampin’ Up Summer Picnic
Ink: Stazon Jet Black
Markers: Stampin’ Up Real Red, Blush Blossom, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Regal Rose, Barely Banana
Tools: Cuttlebug Happy Birthday embossing folder; Xyron 5″ Creative Station

Here are two cards I finished up yesterday and today.

The first card was made for two challenges: All That Scraps Weekly Wednesday Challenge #26 and Anyone for Anya Sketch #9. The ATS challenge was to use sewing on your card. I’ve never used sewing on my card because a) my sewing machine is in Jessica’s closet and I usually crafty during her naptime and b) punching holes and then sewing seems time consuming. And yes, it was a little time consuming, but not too bad. However, I ended up punching twice as many holes as I needed. Oh well, I kinda like how it turned out. I ended up flipping the sketch on its side to work with the image and shrinking it so it could be an A2 card, the preferred size for Operation Write Home. I’m not completely sold on the sentiment I chose, but hopefully the soldier finds it perfect for his recipient.

Anyone for Anya Sketch #9

Take Care of Yourself Card

Stamps: C.C. Designs Coffee Kiki La Rue; Stampin’ Up Sweet Little Sentiments
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Barely Banana
Designer Paper:
Ink: Stazon Jet Black; Stampin’ Up Wild Wasabi
Accessories: DMS floss 469; Inkessentials Glossy Accents (on mug)
Tools: colored pencils; Fiskars All A-Fleur Embossing Border Punch

The second card (actually the card I started first, but finished second) was made for the Our Creative Corner Sketch Challenge #12. I had to modify it a little to fit in a sentiment. I’m not completely satisfied with how the embossing powder made the wings look, although it might be more from the Versamark marker muddying up the colored pencil.

Our Creative Corner Sketch Challenge #12

Heart to Heart, Hand in Hand

Stamps: C.C. Designs Swiss Pixies Heidi Among the Flowers; Stampin’ Up Sweet Little Sentiments
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Ballet Blue
Designer Paper:
Ink: Stazon Jet Black; Stampin’ Up Wild Wasabi
Accessories: A*Muse grosgrain stitched ribbon Popsicle Pink; Stampin’ Up Iridescent Ice embossing powder (wings, flower centers)
Tools: colored pencils; Nestabilites Standard Circles Large, Classic Scalloped Circles Large

I’ve now got another eight cards ready to go for OWH, bringing me up to 14 for the year. They currently have a challenge going on to ship anytime cards. I’m going to try to get a few more cards made by the end of week before I ship them off.

I came across an awesome organization recently, Operation Write Home. OWH sends homemade cards to troops serving away from home so they can send missives to their loved ones. I recently put six cards from my stash in the mail to them. I’m going to make some more cards for OWH, but in the meantime, I found out about an image swap on the OWH Facebook Fan Page. Since the deadline for Erica to get our 10 stamped images is April 10th, it will be a while before I can make any cards with the stamped images I receive. However, I decided since I had this little bear out (he’s my stamped image), I might as well make a card with him.

I made this card for two challenges. The first challenge is for the Anyone for Anya Challenge #8, which happens to be a sketch challenge, one of my favorite type of challenges.

Anyone for Anya Challenge #8 - Sketch

The second challenge is for the All That Scraps Weekly Wednesday Challenge #23, which is to make a card with spring bling. Ice cream definitely makes me think of spring, since it’s starting to be warm enough to want some ice cream (although we eat ice cream year round). For bling, I used the atYou Spica clear marker, to trace the flowers and doodles in the patterned paper. Unfortunately as it is very subtle bling, it is hard to see in the photo, even in the close-up. However, the glossy accents I used on the ice cream, which I decided should be mint-chocolate chip, and the bear’s nose show up well and really make it look the ice cream is melting.

Life's Too Short Eat One Scoop

Stamps: C.C. Designs Sweet Treats; Stampin’ Up Weathered
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery
Designer Paper: Stampin’ Up Paper Prints Certainly Celery
Ink: Stazon Jet Black; Stampin’ Up Baja Breeze
Accessories: Michael’s Basic ribbon; Stampin’ Up Certainly Celery brads; dimensionals; Inkssentials Glossy Accents; atYou Spica Clear

Close-up