Summertime-Playball

 

Paper Funday Challenge

June 2022 Challenge #42 - Anything Goes with Optional Twist: Masculine

This is the Father's Day Card that I made to give to my husband along with our adult children, We are giving him a very generous gift card to buy shoes at his favorite Running Store here in our town.  He an our kids are all runners.  He loves all things sports and the kids have gone to all kinds of sporting events over the years.   Sometimes they were praticipants with dad in the stands and sometimes they were all spectators.  Dad nor son either one card for hunting or fishing.  But they do enjoy getting outdoors for a good run, especially when it's not blazing hot, like right now here in SC.   I am playing along at Try Stampin on Tuesday (sketch), Inspiration Station (photo) Double Trouble (masculine and sketch at Try Stampin On Tuesday) and at Paper Funday Challenge (masculine).  And with all this DSP I've used I just have to enter at Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge.   I've never played over at CardzforGuyzs that I recall so since their theme is Father's Day, I'm going to link this card there.  For all of you moms out there and wives as well with husbands often playing on work or church teams, you know how dirty they come home...so I just gave in to the grunge with my image...My Husband has been a lifelong LA Dodger  "FAN" so I used masculine papers and enamels that fell in line with their colors.    I bought the above digital paper set for .99 cent on ETSY and I can see using it for other projects as well.   The Image and top sentiment is from Power Poppy "Baseball vignette"   The Happy Father's Day is from SU Celebrating you...  Thanks for stopping in, Smiles Kathy

You're a classic masculine birthday card...

For some crazy reason I decided I needed to make a guy card.  So I pulled out a very old CTMH set with the vintage car and gas pump.   The sentiment is from a more current set, but I don't think it's available at CTMH right now. I have been trying to think of a way to do the challenge at Try Stampin on Tuesday that ends tomorrow and I decided that I could make this all work.  The CS is SU, the DSP is from a "dad" set in the Sweet Shop Design on Etsy.  The gas pump is stamped with CTMH Sundance and the car is stamped with SU gray granite.  I also met the left vertical column at TicTacToe,  the embossed folder for panel and the deckle die cut for sentiment  are from Tim Holtz.  I'm also participating as a first timer at Addicted to Stamps and More theme any occasion so my birthday card meets that requirement!    I fussy cut everything and as you will see, because of  it's vintage look and the fact it's for a male I wasn't terribly fussy with the cutting!    Thanks for stopping in.    Smiles,   Kathy

 

Bee in the moment...

I haven't felt like "playing" with my "toys" lately...but thankfully I seem to be getting stronger!   I also have been playing around my blog site and uploaded a digital paper "vines" from Etsy to reinforce John 15.5 which is in the blog header.  I've started using some digital papers and images in my artwork.  For me, it's about having fun and continuing to have a measure of success as I age and with my side effects of Myeloma treatment.  When I do challenges I especially enjoy "sketches."  It gives me a starting point!     This one from Try Stampin on Tuesday grabbed my attention because of the all the shapes!  I met both of the challenge goals since I used a die cut as well as followed the sketch.     Simple and sendable were my main goals for today.   For the Can you Handle the Pressure challenge (anything goes with a flower twist), I used one of my favorite folders from a company that no longer exists.  I think since this folder has a couple of flowers on it I met the challenge twist!   It created a serene place for my bees to play.  I didn't have a "Bee" sentiment, but I think Enjoy the simple moments works well.  I love going out and piddling with my flower beds and raised bed garden (squash, tomatoes, and pepper plants.)   Right now they are beautiful plants and I'm excited to think in about one month I will start harvesting vegetables.   Of course, bees are pollinators so while I don't get close to them, they are very helpful!      I always appreciate comments and thanks to all of you who design at these two challenge blogs...Your cards help "jumpstart" my creative thinking!    Stay well,   Kathy

Supplies include:   Dandy Garden Paper (retired SU), Bumble CS (retired SU),  Enamels 2020 Incolor collection, Honey Bee Buzzworthy stamp die set.
 

Health Care Workers and First Responders thank you card...

 

In the fall Heather Haroldt mentioned Divinity Designs.   I had bought stamps when they were under a different name, but can't remember what the name was.   But I visited and purchased two stamp sets with dies and used them on this card,  Great Care and King of my Heart.  Both such versatile sets, so I am so glad today I was able to use and enjoy them.    For some time I felt the need to thank those who work so tirelessly and often in situations where they are short staffed to take care of not just Covid patients (although for the last 2 years Covid has been dominant in ICU and  regular hospital admissions.)   My daughter is a nurse and I am so proud of her and her hospital.   But this card is for all of those who work helping the injured and sick.    I felt like the sketch at Try Stampin on Tuesday was the perfect sketch for what I wanted to make.   I used playing with patterns the purple Posy and Navy to try and not let it be an overly feminine look and to also look professional.    We are blessed with some of the most professional and capable workers in SC.  I wanted this card to reflect how much I respect and appreciate them!   The shower of hearts are tweaked from the arts that came out of the ekg strip.   It is so simple papers, die cuts, Versa Fine Clair Morning Mist Ink and a beautiful Sentiment.  I am going to put the links to all challenge blogs and product used below.    Thats about it, thanks for stopping by and comments are appreciated.     Smiles,   Kathy

Hot Cocoa Christmas card...

This card is based on three specific challenges:  Inspiration Station (photo), Try Stampin on Tuesday (sketch) and My Time to Craft Christmas (anything with the letter S.)   It's just a simple and sweet card (pun intended).  I am also linking to A Perfect Time To Craft as "anything goes."   I've been stamping and making cards since January 2002 when I went to my first Stampin Up party at a friends.  Cardmaking has evolved amazingly over these years and I've aged 20 years and face challenges associated with normal aging along with challenges that accompany the treatment for Multiple Myeloma that I was diagnosed with in January of 2014.     When I first started if there was such a thing as having a blog, I certainly didn't know about them.    A few years ago I decided to try my hand at it and I really enjoy it so much and it is so inspiring to visit your blogs and be inspired by your artwork and learn of new and irresistible products that are available.   Doing challenges is so good for me,  being part of an online community and while sketches make sense to me (put something here--put something there) they are far from easy if you are trying to remain fresh with your work.   Color and photo challenges and a use this use that challenge are areas where I am determined to grow more this year!    I love to read mysteries of all kind and watch British TV mysteries.    I might could even characterize my cardmaking style as a mystery, since very often even I don't know how it's going to turn out.   I often start with something in mind and the finished product is way different.   For this card, looking at the Photo I thought hot cocoa, and then the throw (which looks so soft) set me to thinking about the literal warmth of hot cocoa and Christmas cookies and how could I bring that together on a card.   The sketch at TSOT gave me the perfect place to put all the elements that I came up with in place, it was a double challenge but I chose to not do monochromatic this time.  I can always use it again!   Trying a new challenge "Anything with an S" for sweet cookies and cocoa at My Time to Craft Christmas.    So that's what my gray matter has been up to...I look forward to hearing what you think and visiting your blogs and seeing what you have been up to!     Stay safe and may your weekend be a good one!              Kathy

Supplies:  

SU Painted Christmas DSP

Sentiment-SU Poinsettia Petals

ETSY--Christmas Cookies

ETSY--Christmas Mugs

Penguin Triple Trouble card....

 

This week Double Trouble Challenge and  Try Stampin on Tuesday are combining their challenges.  At Double Trouble Thing 1 wants participants to use 3 pieces of patterned paper on the cards and Thing 3 wants a Penguin to be used.   I guess for this week Thing 2 is TSOT and they are providing the sketch.   This is the first time I have played along at Double Trouble, and I just hope I am doing what is required,  it may take me awhile to get the hang of it!   I used colored pencils on a download stamp from PinkGemDesigns on ETSY.   The Papers are Winter Seamless digital from PaperStarrStudio also ETSY.    I printed the digi papers on a 4 on 1 vertical label program in word on watercolor paper.  I had some left over, I messed up or it would have been enough for 2 cards.   The image I then printed on 4 x 5 watercolor paper in the photo program, next I printed the same image on 4x5 white CS.   I die cute the watercolor image in an oval and fussy cut the CS image.  If I had wanted to water color I would have printed the images twice on watercolor paper.    I also am participating at Paper Players where the challenge is winter animals.   And for one last challenge I am linking to Dare 2B Artzy where the challenge is Winter Fun.  I am trying to branch out and try new challenges this year.  Thanks for stopping by and stay safe!       Kathy

Blue and Gray Birthday Card...

Today has been a fun play day...it has snowed off and on all day and since we don't get much snow here in SC, it  has  been a treat.  We are officially snowed in,  everything was closed for the day.   For many years I worked in Radiology with the local hospital system and we had to report to work snow or no snow, so as you can imagine I am loving being retired.   I kept looking at this Try Stampin on Tuesday sketch trying to come up with a way to use it.   This morning as I was waking up, I remembered the Lovely Day stamp set that came with one of the Paper Pumpkin kits a couple of years ago and thought it would work well with this sketch.  I used retired SU DSP that works well with the challenge at Seize the Birthday use Blue and Gray.  I ended up stamping the cake with crumb cake ink so I decided it was a spice cake!   Since the lovely stamp was a little on the big side I decided to just stamp it on the tag and add a little navy clothes pin.   Thanks for stopping by and have a safe week!    Hugs and Smiles,   Kathy

 

Baby onesie card....

The baby sets and die cuts have been retired from SU for a few years now.    My SU friend actually gave them to me when she ordered some new stuff last year.   When I saw the sketch at Try Stampin on Tuesday, I thought of this, I've done something similar before.   I used the playful penguin papers and seafoam as my predominant colors.  My favorite thing to make is the die cut hanger, so stinkin cute.   It was after I had cut and stamped and got it ready to assemble that I discovered how much it appears that I had copied Valerie's card.   When I hadn't but, after I looked at her card really well, I decided to trim the vertical panel of stripes and show the seafoam on each side more.   I decided to go ahead and  share it, because of the new papers and just all the creative things that can be done with it.   Thanks for looking and have a safe week!    Kathy

Hosea 6.8 card....

There are lots of things I love about fall, the leaves turning colors, the leaves falling, relief from the summer heat, but the days getting shorter is not so good for me.   I chose this verse, because it's a reminder of how God uses the seasons in our lives.   I followed the Color Challenge ctd666 at Color Throwdown and used the sketch at Try Stampin on Tuesday. It isn't the verse for this week at WordArt Wednesday, but I am linking it there also.  My daughter liked the card.  She's visiting and I'm going to let her pick out some cards to take with her.   Since I don't sell for any companies, I am not listing what I used on this card, but just ask if you want to know something!   Thanks for stopping by,   Kathy

 

Black and White Polka Dot Pumpkin?

Behind every card is a story...the photo at Inspiration Station Blog was the beginning of my creative quest to make this card.   The lady in the photo looks perplexed (perhaps I was projecting my perplexity onto her.)  I had made a card with pumpkins for the last challenge, so what to do...while browsing through Etsy's downloadable paper packs for fall paper, I came upon some "interesting and different" paper.  It had polka dot pumpkins fall chrysanthemums in fall colors, but I liked the look of the black and white one.  It was my "great pumpkin."   I was inspired by the Inspiration photo to do a pumpkin again, but the color scheme was inspired by Card Concept challenge and I used a Try Stampin on Tuesday sketch.   I downloaded the paper and in basic Paint cut out the Panel and copied it in a Word program and printed.   Die cuts and Embossing folders added visual interest.   Thanks for looking,   Kathy

PS if you are interested, I made this masculine Card from the TSOT sketch 528...somehow I missed the date to link it by!   Ugh...need to watch that in future!  

 

Reel Deal Birthday Card...

The sketch at Try Stampin on Tuesday baffled me until this weekend.   I was looking thru my Power Poppy Digital stamps and came across the top image and could see this coming together.  I used Cinnamon Cider CS and the panel is an Etsy digital paper download.  I'm also participating at Seize the Birthday "anything goes."  It looked like rusted corrugated metal to me,  I used an SU embossing folder to add some depth.   I used watercolor pencils.  The sentiment is also from an Etsy download.   Since I don't have a dedicated scrap room, but use my guest bedroom, I am moving more to digital.   I plug in my flash drive and store everything there.

Thanks for stopping in.    Kathy

 

Gray with pop of red Christmas Card...

Welcome, thanks for stopping in!    Today's card is made up of three challenges.  I usually always start with a sketch and work from there and today's sketch is from Try Stamping on Tuesday.  One of the things I like about their sketches is that you  have a little over 2 weeks to figure out what you want to do.   The other two challenges are Sparkles Christmas Challenge # 129  Flora or Fauna and CAS Christmas "gray and red" which is one of my favorite combinations and since I bought SU's DSP Peaceful Place, I will be making quite a few gray/color cards this season!    The poinsettia is from Poinsettia Petals, which along with the die cuts is in the current SU catalog.   The leaves from a retired set Amaryllis Abloom provide a tone on tone look behind the wood look oval and the base is smoky gray.   The poinsettia is water colored with Real Red and Cherry Cobbler and Daffodil.   I am trying to kick my pepsi habit, and coffee just doesn't do it for me, so I apologize for how dull this must sound!      Have a safe weekend,   Kathy

 

Dog Hair-Who Knew?

With all that's going on in the world around me, I decided I needed to concentrate on "fun" for awhile.

I bought "Kinda Pawsome" from the bin project (big sale) and it has the cutest little dogs with dies and adorable sayings. I ussd a sketch from Try Stampin on Tuesday  I would send this to the dog lovers in my life just to say hi and encourage them.   Have a great weekend.    Thanks for dropping by,   Kathy

Hebrews 4.16 Floral card

This is the first time I have attempted both challenges over at TSOT..  The verse is Hebrews 4.16 and  I rotated the sketch because of the shape of the verse, a stamp from Verve (no longer in business).   The Dahlia and leaves are from Fun Stampers Journey (I think they are now a part of Spellbinders).   The DSP is from the SU collection Penguin Playmates.  I used SU Markers for the flower and leaves and added the new fresh freesia gems.    Thanks for stopping by, Kathy

 

Vintage Airplane Birthday...

 

As of today, every Monday is officially "Manly Monday."   I am going to post a masculine card each Monday.  Because, creating a masculine look is  very challenging, or at least for me, if I am going to have any cards to send to the guys in my life and  guy cards to share with my sister, I am going to have to be intentional about it.   I am "kicking" things off today using the latest sketch over at TSOT.   All that I used is truly vintage (retired) from CTMH (not in current books but may be on website).   I just love this plane set and used vellum to stamp the clouds (this set came with dies, which was so helpful-I used another birthday stamp set for the sentiment.   I am not sure of the colors but the blue worked for the sky, kind of telescoping the bird's eye view of the plane. The embossing folder   It is always fun participating over at TSOT, it's an opportunity to hone my cardmaking skills...Thanks for stopping by.  Stay healthy and have a great week,    Kathy

Hope changes everything...

 

When I saw the TSOT sketch for this week, I was puzzled, what did I have to use?    Then I was inspired by this card  submitted by Laurie Unger over at Addicted to Case code word LEAF.    I pulled out a current SU set and dies and absolutely one of my favorite,  Loads of leaves and Stitched Leaves Dies.   I followed the sketch and kept it clean.  Using my SU trees folder, I embossed the card base.   The DSP paper was from CTMH (don't recall the name).  To give added texture, I used a pinking shear edging die for the white panel, the leaves came from turning over the striped dsp and using the other side.      I went with Hope Changes everything because of a remarkable truth one of our elders shared in His online teaching of Eph 15-23 this past Sunday.   Paul in writing these verses uses the word hope in verse 18, "that you (Believers) might know the hope of His calling."    The word hope speaks of the certainty of God's promises, not wishful thinking we often say to people such as hope you get well.   So the sentiment "Hope changes everything" is a reminder to me to all believers in Christ as well that my trust in God is where it needs to be despite how things are going on around me and the circumstances of my life, even when especially when I don't understand,  My hope rests in God's promises and His love for me.     An old song but a good one is  On Christ the Solid Rock.    If you have time listen to this Acapella Virtual choir of around 300 voices children 6 to seniors 73 so beautiful and how artistic to bring it all together---it would require more time at the end of the song John Wesley tells about how it came together.

Now back to the card.   I tried adding some enamels, sequins etc and as I looked at possible choices.  I realized the best choice was to put nothing.  It's been a hot summer and I am so happy the weather is cooling where I am, and I love  how beautiful the trees are when they change to the reds, yellows and burnt oranges.  But I get saddened as the days get shorter and winter is approaching and the leaves are falling.   But   "Hope Changes Everything"     Please feel free to comment with tips etc. if you see something I might to think about next time.   I confess, that almost every time just when I get my post completed, I think of something else I could have done to add more interest to my work.   Thanks so much for stopping by,        Have a good week and stay safe!

Kathy