Cuttin' and Stampin' Challenge: Cute Critters

Everything is coming up Spring (well, it is in most areas of the country, anyway).  Spring is when all the cute little forest creatures and baby critters make their appearance, and we're ready to focus on that.
   

This week, our team made projects with the MFT Cute Critters stamp set and Amy Tangerine Stitched collection 6x6 paper pad.   These products and so much more are available at Cuttin and Stampin Scrappy Supplies.

My challenge project focuses on love.  Love can be any time of year, not just Valentine's Day.  Think a note in hubby's briefcase, little card in kid's lunchbox, etc.

All three of the patterned papers I chose were in the Amy Tangerine "Stitched" pad.  I used a Spellbinders label die to cut out the raccoon and sentiment, but the card is only showing about 40% of the whole die shape.  As you can see, the heart is also only showing a portion of the shape.   Your investment in dies is so much more valuable when you flex the creative muscle and realize you don't have to use the entire shape.

I felt the "Love" paper was very bold to the point where it could be overwhelming, so I only used a thin strip.  The card itself is a very dark grey and I used Memento dye ink in Grey Flannel for stamping.

As an aside, this card would be especially funny for me to share with my husband.  He had an epic war with a raccoon a few years back.

Happy Spring & Happy Stamping!

Cuttin' and Stampin' Challenge: Girly

We're showing off our girly side, with projects that feature the Prima clear stamps and the Prima Jodie Lee Butterfly Collection paper pack & embellishments.

        

My project shows the fairy trapped in a jar.  The jar is paper-pieced with a grey lid.  The fairy was stamped with Memento ink in Rhubarb Stalk.  Then, I added some highlights to her with a Rhubarb Stalk marker.  If you look closely, you can see that I colored in her hair, made pleats in the skirt, etc.

   

The flower on the bottom left corner was made from two Prima mulberry flowers and the pearls are Prima, too.  The sentiment is from Unity Stamp Company.  The cute pink bow was made from Light Pink Sea Grass from The Thread Gatherer.

   

 

So, what do you say?   Would you like to join us by making your own "Girly" project?  Remember, "girly" can mean lots of different things -- colors, flowers, bling, etc.  Add yours here.

    

Happy Stamping!

Cuttin' and Stampin' Challenge: Anything Goes

I've got an "Anything Goes" project to share with you.  I went with a graduation theme.  I know it's February, but there are all kinds of graduations and they don't always happen in May or June.  Graduations from boot camp and technical school programs happen at any time of year.
     
I used the Altitude patterned paper on the focal strip with the sentiment.  The other patterned papers and little achievement tab sticker are from Doodlebug's Cap and Gown collection.  The cursive 'congratulations' is from the Avery Elle Oh Happy Day stamp set.

     

   

We can't wait to see your project, too!   Please add your link and be entered to win.

 

Happy Stamping!
  

Cuttin' and Stampin' Challenge: Winter

Merry Christmas, Papercrafters!!  It is my sincere hope that you're all warm & safe, and that you're surrounded by family and friends this holiday.

Our challenge for the next two weeks is winter.  We've been inspired by the All Bundled Up line from Carta Bella and the Yeti, Set, Go stamp set by Lawn Fawn. 

       

For my project, I liked the idea of a wintery scene without having it be Christmas-y or actually saying winter.  I went with the snowman sticker from Carta Bella with his arms outstretched.  It seemed to coordinate perfectly with the "need a hug?" saying from the Lawn Fawn stamp set.  Unfortunately, lots of people get the blues in the winter... this would be a great card to help cheer them up!

        

        

The grey, snowy paper made a great background.  I added a rolling hill which can be cut by hand or, in this case, I used a pair of Paper Smooches dies -- one for the cut and one for the stitches.  And, a little glitter (or Stickles) goes a long way on a card like this by adding some glisten to the snow.

   

I'm more of a CAS (clean & simple) stamper, but this card could be dressed up even further with things like black gems on the eyes & buttons of the snowman, pop dots behind the snowman sticker, bling in the snowflake background... there are a thousand ways to add to it.

 

Whether you like 'em fancy or plain, I encourage you to submit your project!   Please see Tuesday's Cuttin' and Stampin' post to enter yours.

    

Happy Stamping & Merry Christmas!   

  

Cuttin' and Stampin' Challenge: Autumn Flowers

The Cuttin' and Stampin' Design Team is back from our hiatus and ready to roll!   We have some great projects and some drool-worthy products to share with you, so I hope you'll check them all out and keep checking with us regularly.

   

Our challenges are now bi-weekly, so we'll have a new challenge every other week.  You'll have two full weeks to get your projects created and posted for the challenge.
  
Today's project I'm sharing with you is for the Autumn Flowers challenge, and we're featuring the Fancy Pants Burlap & Bouquets collection.
   

 

  
As you can see, the flowers on my card are pretty small.   They appear on both of the patterned papers I chose.  The large burlap bow is part of the collection, and I trimmed off quite a bit of excess fiber from it.
  
Now it's time to head to Cuttin' and Stampin' to see what the other designers have created and get your project linked up!
  
Happy Stamping and Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Weekly Challenge #24 - Birthday

What a giant coincidence!  Or did Tammy somehow plan this?  Today we're kicking off a birthday card challenge, and today is my sister's 40th birthday!  Sometimes things work out so well!

     

        

I had a ton of fun making this card!   The papers and stamps we're featuring today (from the Jillibean Soup Birthday Bisque line) are so colorful, happy, and upbeat.  When I noticed the "Olde Style" root beer embellishment, I decided to edge all of the papers with brown chalk ink.  While it did add some aging, it certainly did not dull the bright colors!

   

My favorite thing about this collection is that there are plenty of other ways to use it besides birthdays.  The balloons can signify any celebration, as can the banner paper.  Many of the embellishments are event-neutral.   And as far as finding paper to match?   There are so many colors in there, you definitely will have something in your stash that matches perfectly!

   

Also submitted for these challenges:
2 Cute Ink Challenges:  Birthday 

Amusing:  Four (or more!) Colors

Cards Galore Encore:  Anything Goes 

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge:  Anything Goes

Createalicious Challenges:  Happy Birthday
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge:  Anything Goes

Sunday Stamper:  Patterned Paper

        

Happy Birthday, sis, and Happy Stamping!

Weekly Challenge #22 - Father's Day

 With Father's Day coming up, I already have my standard plan in place.   I'll make my dad's favorite Strawberry Pie, hope I can find some nice fresh sweet corn & tomatoes for his favorite dinner, and I'll make him some sort of nautical Father's Day card.  

   
My parents honeymooned in Fort Lauderdale and ended up renting an apartment and staying for more than a year.   A few years (and 2 kids) later, they returned to Fort Lauderdale.  Dad's return lasted for 30 years!   I remember our house had lots of jars of seashells and paintings of boats.  We even had a table fashioned like a boat propeller.
   
So when I learned that we'd be featuring the "Anchored" line from Authentique as well as the "Float My Boat" stamp set from Lawn Fawn, I knew this combination would be perfect for my dad.
    

    
For today's card, I used three different patterns of paper from the "Anchored" paper line.  I was going for a vintage look, so I edged all the pieces with Chestnut Roan chalk ink from Clearsnap.   I think my favorite part of the card is the "ahoy" sticker, which also came from the "Anchored" collection.   Dies for the ovals and anchor are from Spellbinders.
  
Also submitted for these challenges:
SCS Sketch SC490
Eureka Stamps Father's Day 
Incy Wincy Designs Something for a Guy 
Squigglefly Father's Day 
Cards Galore Encore Anything Goes 
Ladybug Crafts Boys and/or Dies 
Really Reasonable Ribbon Masculine & Using a Fiber/Ribbon 
Amusing Challenges Father's Day w/o Digi 
Lacy Sunshine Punches or Dies 
Corrosive Challenges Anything Goes 
Pumpkin Spice Blog Summer 
We Do Doobadoo Different Shapes  (ovals & rectangles)

    
Happy Stamping!

Weekly Challenge #20 - Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a time to reflect and remember the sacrifices of all the men and women who lost their lives while serving in our armed forces.   While it is different than Veteran's Day, I think any time is a good time to thank and acknowledge the veterans and their families who make so many sacrifices for our freedom.   In addition to family and friends, there are lots of currently serving service members that don't have anyone to send them care packages or letters.  One card-specific way to honor them is to include cards with care packages via AnySoldier.com.

    

    

My project today includes stamps from the Paper Smooches Circle of Honor stamp set along with patterned paper, air mail washi tape, icon stickers, blue jean sprinkles vellum, silver stars sprinkles stickers, and Simply Put album inserts, all from Doodlebug Designs' Patriotic Parade line.   I layered the fun sprinkles vellum over the fireworks paper on the bottom section of the card.  Unfortunately, the vellum adhesive I used was very visible in the photograph.  I'll try another brand when I plan on posting the project online next time.

  

The larger star paper icon stickers were plenty cute, but I really liked the dimension and sparkle added by placing the silver sparkles stickers centered inside them.

 

Rounding out this project are the words & eagle (stamped in Memento dye ink in Danube Blue) and the eagle's beak colored with Copic markers.

Because this week is an ANYTHING GOES week at Paper Smooches Sparks challenge, I'm submitting this card for that, too! 
         

Happy Stamping!

 

Weekly Challenge #18 - Traditional Mother's Day

Last week, the Green Team featured cards made for Mother's Day with non-traditional colors and themes (i.e. no flowers).   This week, the Orange Team is showing off more traditional Mother's Day cards.  This theme is just perfect for the Bazzill Basics ultra-feminine Vintage Marketplace Line.  The papers are so pretty and shabby-chic!
 

       
On my card, I used the green gingham and roses patterns -- definitely my favorites of the whole pack!   There are also fun polka dots, chevrons, and fun office-style papers in soft Springtime colors.  Coordinating perfectly with the colors on these papers were the Memento dye inks in Bamboo Leaves and Angel Pink.  I used two words stamps and then a portion of the cameo stamp from Paper Smooches' Pretty Momma set.  The crown sticker is also part of the Vintage Marketplace line.
  
Mother's Day is bittersweet for me.   My Mom passed unexpectedly almost 13 years ago, and I still miss her every day.  I spend this day thankful for my own Mom as well as all the other wonderful Moms in my life.  My Mother-in-Law, for example, is an absolute gem.   I love her to pieces!   I always look forward to talking and visiting with her.  We were a great support to each other, sometimes long-distance, during my husband's big open heart & transplant surgeries.  She also taught hubby to cook, clean, and do laundry.  She rocks.
 
Please join us this week to create a traditional Mother's Day card or project.  And if your own Mom is no longer with us, you definitely know a Mom who would appreciate a card.  Your sister, an aunt, a neighbor who has kids, that co-worker that works so hard, a lady at church who brings her little ones every week...  there are lots of Moms out there!   I'm not a Mom, so I don't pretend to know how hard they work and how much they worry, but I bet they'd love to be shown appreciation!  To participate, please link your project HERE.
 
Because this week is an ANYTHING GOES week at Paper Smooches Sparks challenge, I'm submitting this card for that, too! 
         
Happy (early) Mother's Day and Happy Stamping!
   

Weekly Challenge #16 - April Showers

April is more than half over (can you believe how fast time is flying?), and we can't get to the May flowers without the April showers, so that's this week's challenge - April Showers. 

Our team is showcasing the Pink Paislee "Hello Sunshine" collection.  There are such cute umbrellas, raindrops, and flowers in this collection!  They even have a stamp set and a coordinating die.
      

      
I tried a number of colors for my card base.  The lighter colors that matched the patterned papers made the card look too washed out.  The deep, bright blue made things really pop!   The "be the rainbow" focal image is actually one of the pocket cards just cut a little bit to square off the corners.  Also included are ephemera, puffy heart stickers, and the umbrella die (which I cut twice -- once for the yellow handle & tip, and again for the flower canopy).

        
Happy (Spring) Stamping!
    

Weekly Challenge #14 - Rainbows/Easter

Wow, what a gorgeous week it has been here in Idaho so far!  Such mild & sunny weather.  Loving it!  It's in that spirit that we're celebrating rainbows & Easter -- using the Paper Smooches Spectum stamp set and the Doodlebug Springtime line. 
     
The focus on rainbows is pretty evident in my card, especially with the unicorn's mane and tail, which were paper-pieced using one of the very colorful Doodlebug papers.  I also pieced the horn from a different patterned paper.

     

    

This card used quite a few items from the Doodlebug Springtime line: the plaid, baby chicks, & kites papers; flower washi; and the banner is from a Simply Put album insert.  Other items used include dies from QuicKutz (word bubble) and The Cat's Pajamas (grass), and Copic Sketch markers.
   
Because this week is an ANYTHING GOES week at Paper Smooches Sparks challenge, I'm submitting this card for that, too! 

    
Happy Stamping!
  

Weekly Challenge #12 - Paper Piecing

This week, our team is showcasing paper and embellishments from the My Mind's Eye Now & Then Izzy line, which is now available at the Cuttin' and Stampin' Scrappy Supply Store.

    

My project got underway when I saw the bow-tie paper and thought about how it could be used to make a really cute patterned cat.  So the kitty is grey and white, and I paper-pieced his mouth too.  Then, of course, I had to add the mustache enamel shape.  The blue cardstock for the card is actually the darker blue jeans Bazzill cardstock -- and it looks like it was custom-made to match the mustache.

    

     

I chose "thrilled for you" as the sentiment because of the happy & excited look on kitty's face.  I punched out photo corners from another of the patterned papers and then cut out the "smile" and floral pennant shapes from one of the cards from the 3"x4" pack.  Paper Smooches stamp sets used:  Nine Lives & Simply Said.

   

Now it's your turn!  Please join us and submit your paper-pieced creations.  Click HERE to add your project(s).

   

Happy Stamping!

   

Weekly Challenge #10 - St. Patrick's Day

We're celebrating St. Patrick's Day!  Each member of the team created cards using the new A Charmed Life product line by Simple Stories, which is available in the Cuttin' and Stampin' Scrappy Supply Store.  As you'll see, this product line has beautiful, bright colors and is not specific to St. Patrick's Day.  It's great for any time of year.

     

           
My card features quite a few items from the A Charmed Life product line:  The big green "LUCKY" was cut from one of the SN@P Cuts, the "so very lucky" heart strip is from the Border & Title Strip Elements, "#LOVE" ticket and the little blue flower behind the brad is from the Fundamental Cardstock Stickers, the round "Lucky ME" is from the Bits & Pieces pack, and the brad came from the accompanying brad pack.  As you can see, for a change, nothing was stamped.
    
I hope you'll join us and make a St. Patrick's Day-inspired project of your own!  You can enter your project HERE by March 17.
    
Happy Stamping!

Weekly Challenge #8 - All Boy

This week is all about the boys, and this should be easy for me because I'm surrounded by boys -- hubby, dad... even the cat!   I'm in a sea of testosterone at my house, but I have to admit that I still find girly cards much easier to create.    
I found an adorable paper pad from WeRMK called "For the Record".   It had nice, youthful masculine patterns and color palette.   And the "hey buddy" sentiment from Paper Smooches' "Simply Said" stamp set said "boy" to me.
    

         
Thanks so much for checking out my card!  Now it's time to head over to the Cuttin' and Stampin' blog to see the rest of the Design Team's inspiration projects and to learn how to enter your very own creation.
 
Happy Stamping!

Weekly Challenge #6 - Writing Instrument

I took a pretty loose interpretation of a writing instrument for this project...  I was thinking of writers like Hemingway and Tolkien writing their manuscripts -- long before the invention of the IBM Selectric II that we had at home growing up.

    

   

For my project today, I stamped the typewriter on cream cardstock.  I stamped the paper on white cardstock and cut it out.  Then I cut a slit in the typewriter to allow me to slide the paper down into it, making it look like it was coming out of the typewriter.  The typewriter font sentiments in the set were perfect for this!  The "for you" sentiment is from the Paper Smooches "Falling for You" stamp set.

    

Because the typewriter is a solid stamp, you may not get your desired result when stamping it with dye ink.  Because of its water base, dye ink tends to bead up on clear stamps causing either an incomplete image or an unbalanced image.  For the typewriter stamp, I got a perfect image using a pigment ink.  It was VersaFine Onyx black.  It takes a long time to dry, so I highly recommend heat setting it.
   
The ribbon started out as a cream-colored 1/4" silk ribbon from May Arts.  It was too light to match the cream cardstock and I really wanted an embellishment to carry the turquoise color through.  I colored the ribbon with the BG13 Copic Sketch marker, but then it was a bit too bright for the antiqued turquoise pattern.  The next step was to tone the color down and "age" it a bit by dabbing it on the Chestnut Roan chalk ink from ClearSnap.  Perfect!

   

I hope you'll join us for the challenge and submit your project(s) featuring a writing instrument.  Also, check out the main challenge page where the other fabulous group of DT members have created their own creative interpretations. 

   

Happy Stamping!!

   

2014 Cuttin' & Stampin' DT Blog Hop

 

     
Can you believe Cuttin' and Stampin' Challenge Blog has been going for over a year now? It has gone by so fast and we have had so much fun creating and sharing projects with you.  Starting the first of the year we decided to make a few changes.  These changes include bringing you different types of projects, and to do that we needed increase the number of members on the team.  We also decided to split the team in to two.
   
Today's hop features the Orange Team.
   
Be sure to stop by each of them and welcome them to our 2014 Design Team.  We will have a drawing for each day of the hop.  Just leave a comment below and at each stop along the way.  We will announce blog hop winners on Friday along with our regular weekly challenge winners.
      
For my project today, I'm celebrating both C&S and the 3rd Anniversary of Paper Smooches!   If you've been to my blog before, you know that Kim Hughes is my favorite stamp designer.  I'm so excited that she makes stamps and dies for all of us to enjoy!

This card uses the butterflies from the Flap Happy set and the Butterflies 1 die set, and the sentiment comes from the Many Thanks stamp set.   I chose three butterflies to signify the third anniversary.  The cute patterned papers are from My Mind's Eye and the cardstock is a smoothie from Bazzill Basics.  Happy Third Anniversary, Paper Smooches!!
    

             
ORANGE TEAM Line Up
Madge - http://thescrappinlounge.com
Karen - http://karey2005.blogspot.com
JoAnn - http://joboogie.typepad.com
Lynda - http://positive-force.blogspot.com/
Courtney - http://cshorrcreations.blogspot.com/
Cathy - http://cathyplus5.blogspot.com
Kim - http://kimross.blogspot.com  --- you are here ---
Melissa - http://CreatedbySunshineHoneyBee.blogspot.com/
Michelle Kinder - http://michellekinder.blogpost.com
  
If you're doing the full hop, you should have arrived here from Cathy's blog.   If you haven't started but would like to, please start today's hop with Madge.   Remember to leave comments, because there will be a prize drawing among commenters.   Next up is Melissa.
 
Thanks so much for hopping with us and Happy Stamping!
  

Weekly Challenge #2 - Anything Goes Winter

It seems like most of the country is covered in snow right now, so we're having a challenge creating projects relating to winter. We've been working with the Bo Bunny Winter Wonderland collection, as well as stamps from the Paper Smooches "Fresh Snow" stamp set.

 

 
My card uses four different patterns of paper using a technique called "Sunburst". The scallop beneath the Sunburst panel is from the Bo Bunny Noteworthy paper embellishment pack. If you're curious about the "Sunburst" technique, you can search the term on YouTube for lots of video tutorials.  It's surprisingly simple.
 
Now's your change to to create something about winter and enter it in this week's challenge. You can enter here.
 
Happy Stamping!

Weekly Challenge #48 - Red, White, Kraft and Black

#48

Challenge:  Color Challenge
Red, White, Kraft and Black

December 3rd - 9th, 2013

We've got a great color challenge cooked up for you today:  red, white, kraft, and black.
    

My project uses three of these patterned papers and one of the cute journaling cards.  The adorable snowman from the Winter Groves set from Paper Smooches has been paper-pieced to add a plaid scarf.  The sentiment from the Sentiment Sampler set didn't quite fit horizontally on the journaling card, so I stamped the two words separately on different lines.
   

  

We'd love to get your take on this color scheme!  Please make sure your creation post has a link back to Cuttin' and Stampin'.   You can go HERE to link your projects.

    

Also -- Because this week is an ANYTHING GOES week at Paper Smooches Sparks challenge, I'm submitting this card for that, too!

  
Do you have any crafting plans this week?  I've signed up for a two-day crop this weekend.  Hope I'll be able to stay the whole time!

Happy Stamping!

Cuttin’ and Stampin’ DT call 2014

This post is my application to join the Cuttin' and Stampin' Design Team for 2014 as a Challenge Post Design Team Member. I have greatly enjoyed working with the team in 2013 and hope to get the chance to do so again.

I live in a suburb of Boise, Idaho, with my husband, Chris.   We're owned by two senior cats, Digit and Dusty.  I started stamping 10 years ago when Chris fell ill and I needed a quiet hobby to fill my time when I wasn't caring for him.

I like to travel, and have gotten to stop at lots of wonderful stamping stores and stamping events (and, of course, meet lots of terrific stampers) along the way.  It was on one of my trips that I got a chance to meet Tammy and we were like old friends the very first time we met -- and that's how I learned about Cuttin' and Stampin'.

My gallery is at SplitCoastStampers, where I also participate in the forums as "StampingSpud".  My crafting résumé includes information on published projects, past design team work, and stamping television appearances.

Here are a few projects that I think best represent my stamping style:

 

  

  

Thanks so much for your time and your consideration of this application.

Weekly Challenge #44 - Giving Thanks

#44

Challenge:  Giving Thanks

November 5 - 11, 2013

Now that Halloween has passed, we can turn our attention to enjoying the remainder of the fall season and (for Americans) plan for our annual focus on giving thanks.  As papercrafters, we have so much to be thankful for... lots of inspiration, beautiful colors, and a wonderful community of stampers and scrappers to share it all with!

I wanted to share something fairly easy to accomplish and that would be appropriate for either gender to send or receive.  I started with the color scheme from the Bazzill Basics line called "Autumn Harvest".  From that line, I used the plaid paper and the dotted paper is actually from one of their decorated journaling cards.  Then I used the notebook paper die and the thanks word die from Paper Smooches, and finished the sentiment with their Many Thanks stamp set.  To age it a bit, the edges are all inked with Chestnut Roan chalk ink from ClearSnap. 

Even if you can't think of a thank-you card that you need right now, you'll no doubt need one soon.  Why not join us and make one, so you will have one on-hand next time you have someone you need to thank?

Please make sure your creation post has a link back to Cuttin' and Stampin'.

Thanks for playing along.  We will be announcing the winners on November 15, 2013.

Please link your projects here.

Happy Stamping!