June Calendar Page

It's June 1st, time to change the calendar.  My friend Sue Small-Krieder and I are halfway through our calendar challenge.  

May and June are graduation months, so I decided to have a graduating bookworm on my June calendar page.  Karen Burniston has a cute little Bookworm die set that I used on my page, along with several of the books from that same set.  The background graduation caps are a Creek Bank Creations stencil.

I must say that I have been having fun with this challenge.  I'm glad Sue asked me to join her.

CCEE2222 World Oceans Day

Lynn's challenge for the CCEE Stampers this week is based on the fact that yesterday was World Oceans Day.  She asked us to celebrate the oceans of the world with a nautical-themed project of our choice.  Winds, waves, boats, birds:  anything related to oceans will do. 

I recently watched a youtube video that Julie Creek (of Creek Bank Creations) did in which she made a stand-up mermaid card.  Although I didn't have many of the items she used on her card, I was able to recreate a similar one using supplies I had in my craft room.  The only Creek Bank Creations item I had was the ocean edges die.  My mermaids are from Paper Nest Dolls; the fish are from LDRS, the sentiment is from Mama Elephant, and the seaweed & coral are dies from CottageCutz.  Everything did come together quite well.

As you can see from the next photo, it is a 3-dimentional stand-up card.

Be sure to check out the CCEE Stampers blog for more ocean fun.

Karen Burniston Designer Challenge -- Shaker Cards

The Karen Burniston Designer Challenge this month has a really fun theme -- shaker cards!  As it happens, I recently purchased some supplies from Creek Bank Creations made specifically for shaker cards -- foam tape A2 frames and "shaker satchels", clear bags made specifically to hold shaker pieces.

This card was made for my great-granddaughter's 5th birthday.

I made the frame by using two of the Karen Burniston Crosshatch Rectangles.  I added the "Happy Birthday" from Word Set 2 - Birthday, the cupcake from the Cupcake Pop-Up, and the "5" from the Numbers set.  BTW, the "5" is adhered inside the shaker satchel on foam tape.

On the inside of the card, I used the Flower Pivot Panels as well as the Big Birthday Charms and Fast Food Charms to complete the birthday theme.  One of the Border Blends finishes off the inside

I'm sure the rest of the team had just as much fun with this challenge as I did.

C4C613 - Christmas Flowers/Foliage

Frances' Crazy4Challenges challenge this week is all about Christmas Flowers/Foliage.  She said:  "One of the ways people decorate for Christmas is with flowers and/or foliage -- the most popular being Poinsettias, Holly, Ivy, and Mistletoe.  For our challenge this week create a card using something flower or foliage related."

Another way to decorate for Christmas is with wreaths, so I pulled out my Wreath Builder and created a wreath using Creek Bank Creations' A Thrill of Hope stamp set.  I made my card using their Angel Side Circle die.

The plaid from the front is carried through to the inside as well.

Check out the Crazy4Challenges blog for some more Christmas florals.

C4C607 - See Through

The challenge for the Crazy4Challenges team this week was to use vellum or acetate on our cards.  Easy challenge!  My project, however, is not a card; it's a Halloween treat box, made with the Creek Bank Creations Tunnel Card die.  After cutting out the "wrap around" panel using the die, a piece of acetate is glued in the opening.  

They also have a die for the drawer part, but I was able to create it without using a die.

Check out the Crazy4Challenges blog for some more "see through" projects.

C4C600 - Blue for September

Karen Ostergard starts her month as hostess for the Crazies by telling us that her birthday is in September (as is mine as well).  To start our birthday month celebration Karen asked us to make a birthday card with some dark blue -- as the birthstone for September is sapphire!

I recently purchased this Diagonal Gatefold Card die from Creek Bank Creations and have wanted to make a card using it.  Today is the day!

I used some old DSP from Stampin' Up and a couple of nautical images for my birthday card.

Be sure to check out the Crazy4Challenges blog for some more blue cards.

C4C594 - Thread the Needle Day

Frances told the Crazies that tomorrow will be Thread the Needle Day.  For our challenge this week, we were to incorporate the theme "Sewing" into our cards.  We could use sewing theme images/words: sewing-themed patterned papers, or actually sewing of any type on our cards.  I actually did a little of each one on my card.  The images and sentiments on the front and inside are from a stamp set I've had for quite a while, and I pierced holes around the circle and used some red thread to sew the trim.

And you can see the sewing elements on the blue paper on the front and inside of my card.  That Creek Bank Creations card base (Angel Side Circle Card) is a fun one with which to play.

Check out the Crazy4Challenges blog for some more sewing items.

Scor-Pal "More Than One Score"

Father's Day is this month, so my card for the Scor-Pal "More Than One Score" challenge is quite masculine -- and is also an experiment.  I took one of the tutorials on the Scor-Pal website, Pockets & More Pockets, and made a tool box for Father's Day.  It didn't turn out exactly like I imagined it, but it works nonetheless.  That photo in the right-hand bottom corner is the back of the card.  That cool metallic-looking paper is part of a photo paper pad I've had for a very long time.

The tools in the "drawers" are from both Karen Burniston and Creek Bank Creations.

C4C584 Sketch Challenge

I'm pleased to say that Frances Byrne asked me to guest design for the Crazy4Challenges blog again for the summer.  It was a fun gig last year so, of course, I said "yes."  The first challenge I'm participating in is a sketch challenge.  This is the layout for the challenge.

I decided that the large circle on the front was the perfect way to experiment with my recently purchased Wreath Builder template from Creek Bank Creations.  I know I'm late to the wreath building party, but it was fun giving it a try.  Here's my card in various shades of purple.  The large sentiment is one of the new Honey Bee Stamps' Bitty Buzzwords.

Visit the Crazy4Challenges blog to see some more cards using this layout.

CCEE2106 - Love is in the Air

 Manal continues as hostess for the CCEE Stampers.  This week she said, "Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, let's make a project featuring love!  You decide your own colors.  Maybe your valentine loves blue color, who knows."

I just purchased a cool Snow Globe/Gumball Machine die from Creek Bank Creations.  This seemed like the perfect time to use it for a gumball machine with conversation hearts in it.  I went with the traditional red/pink color combination for Valentine's Day.

Check out the CCEE Stampers blog for some more Love.

CCEE2048 - Tie One on Day

 Kelly finishes up her month as hostess for the CCEE Stampers with an interesting challenge.  She told us that today is Tie One on Day and asked us to create a card using something that's tied -- apron strings, shoelaces, bow tie, ribbons in the hair, etc.

I've got another slimline card this week.  I used a bow (although it's a die-cut bow) tying on some Christmas jingle bells from Creek Bank Creations.  The big Merry Christmas sentiment is from Karen Burniston.

Check out the CCEE Stampers blog to see how the rest of the team met today's challenge.

CCEE2047 - Sunflowers

 Kelly continues as hostess for the CCEE Stampers this week, telling us that the flower of the day is Sunflower and asking that we make a card of thankfulness/gratitude and include a sunflower on our card.  

I recently bought this cool die from Creek Bank Creations.  It's called the Angel Side Circle, and I wanted to try a technique that I've seen before but never did it myself -- wreath building.  Julie Creek showed how to make a sunflower using one of their stamp sets.  I think it sort of looks like a sunflower.

Just to make sure that I had a "real" sunflower on my card, I stamped one on the inside.

Be sure to check out the CCEE Stampers blog for some more sunflowers and gratitude.

CCEE2032 Lighthouse Day

Liz starts off her month as hostess for the CCEE Stampers today.  She tells us that she has lived most of her life near the Gulf of Mexico, so salt water seems to run in her veins.  Since August 7th is Lighthouse Day, she asked us to use a lighthouse on our card and use a scripture or encouraging verse to add to it, letting words be a way to light someone on their path of life.  My encouraging words are on the inside of the card with an additional lighthouse.

Be sure to check out the CCEE Stampers blog for some more encouragement.