Have an a"maze"ing Halloween

I had some spare time so I made up a few Halloween cards for Send a Smile 4 Kids. I think these will be quite popular based on my own kids' reactions - they totally tried to snag a card each! I can't imagine anything more boring for a child than being in the hospital so I hope these mazes give them even a couple of minutes of amusement.

I picked up the mazes at the Dollar Store for 4/$1. The images inside the mazes were pretty lame so I used an exacto knife to cut open the maze and then replaced the images with pre-coloured digis from Doodle Dragon Studio. A little dab of glue sealed the maze back up no problem. For the purple cards I embossed plain cardstock and then lightly ran black ink to pick up the pattern. It gives a nice distressed look and also coordinates well with all the blacks in the patterned papers (from Basic Grey). I used sketches from 2 sources:

 

I also have to thank Kimber McGray for the idea of using mazes on cards. I picked up the idea at one of her classes at the Burnaby Crop & Create. Happy Halloween (1 month early) to you all!


Challenges:

• Card a Day - kid cards
• City Crafter Challenge - Halloween colours
• Creative Card Crew - Purple
• D.L. Art - Halloween for a kid
• Heck of a Challenge - anything goes
• Hiding in my Craft Room - Halloween
• Love to Create - anything goes
• Paper Play - choose a holiday
• Partytime Tuesdays - anything goes
• Send a Smile 4 Kids - anything goes for kids
• Sketch Saturday - sketch
• Sweet Shop - sketch
• Totally Papercrafts - for a child

The word is out ...

I was totally inspired by the cover of the latest Simply Cards and Papercrafts magazine to make this batch of cards for the BC Childrens Hospital. They often request cards that can be given to kids when they go home and the balloons and sentiment just seemed ideal.

To duplicate the look of the balloons, I first printed off a digi of an old dictionary page (from The Graphics Fairy), then I put the printed paper back in the printer and printed off a bunch of balloon digis (from Dustin Pike). After colouring and cutting out the balloons, I added pop dots and string (actually cross-stitch floss left over from another project). The polka dot paper was scrap so I'm not sure who makes it. The final cards are quite dimensional and because I didn't adhere the string except in a few spots, they also have some movement. I made a batch of these and will include them in the next Send A Smile 4 Kids (Canada) card delivery.

Challenges:
Crazy Challenge - seeing spots
Fashionista Challenge - for a child

I {heart} to stamp - sketch
Moving Along with the Times - flying high
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp & Show - read all about it

Thanksgiving cards already?

OK, I know it makes no sense that today I'm sharing 3 cards that are suitable for Thanksgiving but there is actually some logic behind the choice. Earlier this week I visited my LSS (Cherish the Thought) and as usual Jessie had some great grab bags of scraps for sale. I purchased one bag that held an assortment of fall-themed papers (apples, trees, lots of oranges & browns) along with embellishments (flowers, chipboard, die cuts) and I just couldn't wait to make something. I figure I'll put the cards away and donate them in the Fall to Send A Smile 4 Kids - I've already started collecting Halloween and Christmas cards but Thanksgiving often seems to be the forgotten holiday.

I used the current sketch at Sweet Sketch Wednesday for all 3 cards. The fronts are a digi stamp (Pollycraft), colouring page (a freebie off the Dover newsletter) and a die cut (part of the grab bag). The digi and colouring page image have been sitting in my drawer coloured for months so it's good to use them up. Every layer is popped up so these cards have lots of dimension.

Challenges:
Crafts and Me - anything goes
Crafty Creations - buttons
Fab 'n Funky - no stamped images (3rd card only)
Shopping Our Stash - use something new (all the papers & embellies)
Simply Create Too - use it at least twice (I've used the same sketch 3 times
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch  (rotated to the left)

Oh happy day

Here is another card that started out with the Bo Bunny "Cambridge" card kit that I mentioned in an earlier post. I got a great deal on the card kit but it's been sitting in my stash for way too long waiting for me to actually do something! I've also had this Stampotique stamp that hasn't seen ink so I decided to merge the two by using the card kit design and recommended papers but switching out the suggested chipboard piece (which looked like a shield or coat of arms) for the Stampotique image which is coloured with Copic markers. The sentiment is a Bo Bunny rub-on and honestly, it's just perfect for this stamp - can you hear the sarcasm in her voice?

I'll be donating this card to Send A Smile 4 Kids (which provides handmade greeting cards to children ages 0-19 who are hospitalized). I'm hoping there will be a teenager who will appreciate the attitude.

Challenges:
ATC's & Cards with Attitude - anything goes
Pile it On - all about "S" (Stampotique, sarcasm, spots)
Use it Tuesdays - anything goes using hoarded supplies (card kit papers)

Bo Bunny (kind of) Card Kit

I picked up Bo Bunny's card kit "Cambridge" during my LSS' Boxing Day sales and finally got around to using the contents. My original plan was to break the kit apart and use the elements but I had a request from the Childrens Hospital for some birthday cards for older boys (as in teenagers). I loved a couple of the birthday designs in the kit and so decided to make them right away with only a few minor alterations.

Both of these cards are very close to the card kit designs, with the primary exception being that I changed one of the patterned papers in each. The paper in the kit was quite nice (and I'm actually using it on other cards that are in progress) but I love this striped paper from my stash and the colours are just so perfect! I also lightened the look of card #2 by adding a white border.

Challenges:

• Aud Sentiments - "happy birthday" sentiment
• Crafty Creations - stripes
• Creative Craft Challenges - boys will be boys
• Cupcake Crafts - going dotty (note the distressed dots on the large star in card #1 and I love the yellow dotted paper in card #2)
• Send A Smile 4 Kids - CAS for kids
• Simon Says Stamp & Show - anything goes
• The Outlawz Greeting Card Challenge - anything goes with a sentiment

Finally unpacked ... sort of

Update: This card was chosen as one of the top 3 at Simply Create! Yay!

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I have finally completed my move, unpacked the majority of my boxes, and set up my crafting supplies. It's been so long since I've done anything creative (does arranging pots & pans in the cupboards count as creative? I think not) that I decided to start back with something simple.

I used one of my favourite digital stamps - "Follow the leader" from Pollycraft - which I coloured using Copic markers. The papers are from We R Memory Keepers. I needed a boost for my creativity so I chose this sketch from Scrapbook Essentials BC.

Now that I've broken the crafting drought, I'm going to get working on more Easter cards so that I can donate a bunch (including this one, of course) to BC Childrens Hospital (via Send A Smile 4 Kids Canada).  

Challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - winged things

iCopic Challenge - animal

Moving Along With the Times - lots of layers (I used 4)

Papercrafting Journey - make it cute (what's cuter than duckies)

Simon Says Stamp - 3 different papers

Simply Create Too - add sunshine to your day

Sisterhood of Crafters - use a digi

Stamp Man - colours of Spring/Easter

Truly Scrumptious - all creatures great & small

Valentine's Day for SAS4K

I'm moving houses next week and almost all of my crafting supplies have been packed but I still managed to make a few Valentine's Day cards to donate to Send A Smile 4 Kids (Canada). I created these cards using free papers out of a crafting magazine, Spellbinders shapeabilities and some clipart printed off the internet.

Challenges:

• Card Positioning Systems - sketch
• Paper Creations Ink - die cuts/punches
• Send A Smile 4 Kids - Valentine's for kids
• The Pink Elephant - hearts (all the clipart images are hearts)

Out of this world

I am particularly pleased with today's 2 cards. First off, the images from Bugaboo are just such fun. Second, I went pretty wild with the colouring, using my favourite bold Copic colours that so rarely see the light. Next, I got to use patterned paper from my newest Basic Grey paper pack (and I luv my BG). I was pretty surprised, too, when I saw that the grey PP matched the grey coloured background of the stamps since I coloured these before picking my papers. But what really makes these cards special is that they are headed for the BC Children's Hospital via Send A Smile 4 Kids (Canada). The hospital is always looking for cards to use for their kids - these will be great to celebrate an achievement such as going home or making it through a tough procedure.

Challenges:

• Basic Grey - Anything goes
• Cupcake Craftroom - Anything goes
• Magical Mondays - Anything goes with a magical creature (I think monsters and aliens would count?)
• Partytime Tuesdays - Something new (papers)
• Pile It On - Anything goes
• Stella Says Sketch - Sketch
• Top Tip Tuesday - Anything goes
• Totally Gorjuss - Something happy

Send A Smile 4 Kids Challenge

I'm really excited today because I get to share a couple of cards that I created as a guest dt member for Send A Smile 4 Kids Challenge. I've recently entered into a partnership with SAS4K and now am running the Canadian arm - SAS4K (Canada). Being an occasional guest designer is probably the most fun perk!

The challenge is called Fall Color- Anything Goes for Kids and runs for two weeks. The sponsors are Bee Crafty (3 digital stamps of the winners choice) and Prairie Fairy ($15 gift certificate). I've chosen an image from each of the sponsors because I just couldn't decide between them. Both cards will be donated to Send A Smile 4 Kids (Canada).

This card uses an image from Prairie Fairy - isn't she just the cutest? I've been spotting this girl all over blogland lately and have been wanting to get my hands on a few. I frame the image using a Spellbinders die and then added some felt flowers and silk leaves that I touched up with glitter (because everything is better with glitter). I've left the inside of the card blank thinking that the sentiment on the front "Swinging by to say" could be finished off in so many ways ("happy birthday", "congratulations", "good luck"). I used this week's Midnight Madness sketch.

The card uses a Bee Crafty image - I love how simple the lines are. I didn't want the embellishments or papers to complete, so I kept the background papers subtle and just added a sheer ribbon and some tulle flowers. Again, no sentiment so that it can be used for a variety of purposes. For this card, I used this week's Skipping Stones sketch.

Challenges:

• 4 Crafty Chicks - anything goes
• Crafting for all Seasons - fall colours
• Paper Crafting Journey - die cuts/punches
• Rainbow Ladies - Fall/Autumn flowers
• Scrapbook Sisters - leaves
• Simon Says Stamp - anything goes