* * * World Cardmaking Day * * *

What are you doing this weekend? Come make cards with us on the Fiskateers blog. There will be fun challenges and prizes and a great time. I'll be hosting a couple of the challenges and a game. I think the challenges go up on Saturday morning and we usually get a day or two to finish up the projects we are working on. Check out the blog here: www.fiskateers.com .

Fiskateers Third Annual ORANGE Blog Hop

     Welcome to the Third Annual Fiskateers ORANGE Blog Hop! If you're hopping along, you should have come from Donna #6036 www.scissorsstampsandscrapbooks.blogspot.com/  (If you are joining us in the middle, go to www.fiskateers.com to start from the beginning.) Today we are celebrating Fiskars' signature color, ORANGE. Almost everyone is familiar with Fiskars' famous orange-handled scissors, but Fiskars makes so many other wonderful products for crafting, sewing, gardening, and more. Each stop along our Hop will feature different Fiskars' products with a big helping of ORANGE! There will also be a giveaway from Fiskars for a lucky few who visit all the hops. And, I have a prize to giveaway too! Make sure you read this post all the way to the bottom for info on how to enter.
    
     Orange Christmas? Yes, of course, you can use orange - and turquoise - for Christmas! I'm a bit of a rebel when it comes to expected colors and using stamps and punches for their intended purpose. So, when I was asked to join this blog hop and the rules said I had to use orange I thought why can't I use orange for my Christmas tags. Here's my take on the challenge.

     The rectangle tag measures 2.5" x 5.5" and the circle tag is 4" across. I used four different Fiskars products to make these tags, but you should feel free to change them in any way and make them your own. Let's take a closer look at the round one.

1.  Cut a 4" circle in turquoise cardstock and run it through a crimper. 

2.  Cut a 3.5" circle in orange cardstock.

3.  Line up the two circles and punch holes for the ribbon.

4.  Stamp turquoise snowflakes of your choice on the orange circle making

      sure to stamp one over the hole you just punched. Allow some of the

      snowflakes to fall past the edge of the circle. Also stamp flourishes

      as desired.

5.  Adhere circles together with foam tape.

6.  Stamp sentiment, mat with crimped turquoise and adhere with foam tape.

7.  Apply turquoise gems to snowflake centers and tie on ribbon.

Supply list is at the end of this post.

 

Now for my giveaway! I have a Fiskars border punch to give to a lucky blog-hopper. All you have to do to enter is sign up as a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this blog post. If you are already a follower, you may just leave a comment letting me know you were here and are a follower.

     Thanks so much for hopping with me today. It's always fun to have you stopping by.

    

 For more information about Fiskars and the Fiskateer program, you can go to http://www.fiskateers.com/join/. Now, hop along to the next stop! Shannon #6394 www.scraplady324.blogspot.com

Supply List

Fiskars Simple Stick rubber stamps from the Vintage Christmas collection

Fiskars Simple Stick rubber stamps from the Winter Wishes collection
Fiskars Simple Stick rubber stamps from the Seasons Greetings collection
Fiskars crimping tool
DCWV orange cardstock
Stampin Up turquoise cardstock
Martha Stewart circle cutter
EK Success corner rounder
ColorBox turquoise pigment ink
Studio G gems
Offray ribbon
foam tape

Don't Miss the Fun

   My blog will be a hop along the way! I'll have directions here on how to start at the beginning or you can just visit my site. Looking forward to sharing some fun things with you guys!

Purple Christmas

     Easel cards are so much fun to make! I made this purple and blue Christmas card through a long string of challenges with another Fiskateer. Don't know what a Fiskateer is? Click on that button over there on the left. We have so much fun there!

I used stamps from both Inkadinkado and Fiskars. I stamped the doily and sentiments with white ink. The patterned paper comes from the Paper Studio. Every year I try to choose colors for my Christmas cards that people don't expect like this one that is purple and blue. I've also done turquoise and white which are beautiful together. Thanks for stopping by.

 

Card for a Cause - In Memory of Grandma

Miss You Grandma

 

     Using my computer, I first printed the sentiment on a sheet of white cardstock. I used Edwardian Script ITC at 48 pts in pink. With the same white as the card, I punched the lattice chain with EK  Success' large edge punch then trimmed the edge to a point. I punched a Martha Stewart butterfly also in white. I used clear gems on the butterfly, coloring them to matching pink with a Copic marker - Tender Pink RV13.

     This one is for you, Grandma! I miss you and am so proud of your courageous fight. I'll see you in Heaven.

    I am entering this card in several challenges -

          CAS-ual Fridays CFC73 For the Girls http://cas-ualfridays.blogspot.com/2012/10/cfc73.html

          Paper Smooches Card with Pink Challenge http://papersmooches.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-fun-begins.html

          Fiskateers Card for a Cause http://www.fiskateers.com/message-board/topic/321878/

     Thanks for stopping by!

 



* * * Warm Winter Wishes * * *

One-layer card challenge.

     Here's my first card of the day. I'm entering this card at www.papersmooches.blogspot.com. One of their challenges for World Card Making Day is making a one layer card. So hard for me because I love adding layers, but I came up with this blue and white card. I heat-embossed the snowflakes and sentiment using Fiskars Winter Wishes collection. The cyan pigment is from ColorBox. I used clear embossing powder from Ranger. The blue stripes are 1/4" strips of blue paper.

Minty-Fresh Funky-Folds Card

     Mint green is such a nice color to work with. It is so fresh and lively and always cheers me up. That makes it the perfect color to send a hello to a friend.

     This card stands nicely on a desk or table and easily folds up to fit in a regular size envelope for easy mailing.

     To make this card, cut a piece of cardstock 12" x 5.5". Score at 2", 4", 8" and 10". Then 1.5" from top and bottom of card, cut along the the length between the 2" and 10" score lines.  Using valley and moutain folds, fold along the score lines using the picture above for a guide. Then, cut panels to fit some or all of the flat areas. I added a chipboard flower and some self-adhesive border. Then, I heat-embossed the sentiment. 

     I created this card for the Minty Fresh Challenge in the Moxie Fab World. If you want to play along with us, you can create your own project using mint-green in some way and enter it in the challenge. Here's the address with all the details: http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/08/the-minty-fresh-challenge.html .

    I also entered this card in the Cardmaking Challenges going on among the Fiskateers this week. Not sure what a Fiskateer is? We are ambassadors for Fiskars and we have so much fun creating with each other. You can join in all the fun there too. Just click on the Fiskateer link in my sidebar over there on the left.

Two New Challenges

   I have two new cards to share today. I really love this first one.  I made it for the 2012 Gallery Idol Challenge at Paper Crafts magazine.

* Here for You *

     This card had to have an encouraging theme in order to compete in the challenge.

     First, I made the card base and embossed it with my Spellbinders Grand Calibur (Impressabilities-Flourish).

     I heat-embossed the Floral Flourish (Paper Inspirations) and the encouraging sentiment (Hero Arts) with black pigment and clear embossing powder. I ran the edges of both panels across the black pigment pad and used clear embossing powder to emboss the edges. I almost always do something with the edges of my panels. I think it really makes them pop. I adhered the sentiment and added foam tape to the flourish panel.

     I punched two black butterflies with a Martha Stewart punch. Then, I added two clear gems.



     Want to play along? You can find the rules at www.papercraftsmag.com .

* You're Sew Special *

     I created this next card for Hero Arts May color challenge. We had to use yellow, pool, orange, green and brown. That's a lot of colors - more than are normally required. How do you get all thos colors on a card and still have it look good? I think I came up with a good idea.

     The quilting design is a kind of homage to my mother who loves to quilt. She would have wanted me to use brighter, even neon hues. And, she would insist on red somewhere in the design.

     I made the card base in pool. Then, I cut a yellow panel to fit. 

     I cut 1.25" quilting squares from cardstock in the required colors. I cut them in half corner-to-corner and started laying them out until I liked how they looked.

     I heat embossed the three-spools panel (Hero Arts) and all the stitching in brown.

     I also entered this card in Paper Crafts Gallery Idol Challenge and Fiskateers Spring Stamp Out. You can find all the info for these challenges here:

    www.heroarts.com

    www.fiskateers.com

    www.papercraftsmag.com

 

   

Shaped Bottom-Front Edge Thank-You Card

     Since my first pair of orange-handled Fiskars scissors when I started sewing at 9-years old, I have been a lover of all things Fiskars. So, when I was given the opportunity to become a Fiskateer, I jumped at the chance. Fiskateers are ambassadors for Fiskars.
     I am also a Fiskateer Card-Lifter. Each week the Card Lifters are given a card from which to draw inspiration. The first thing that drew my attention with the card we were shown earlier this month was its shaped bottom-front edge. Here's the card I created from that inspiration.

    After trimming about an inch off the front edge, I used my Spellbinders Grand Calibur and the Assorted Fresh Fruit die collection to die cut the apples, pears and canning jar. I glued them in place and added the sentiment from Fiskars' All Year Cheer collection. I thought it turned out really cute and thought I must share it with you guys.
     If you are interested in becoming a Fiskateer, click on the Fiskateer  button in the left margin or go to www.fiskateers.com .  Thanks so much for stopping by.

Be Still My Blooming Heart

*Welcome to the Fiskateers Spring Blog Hop.*

     You should have come here from  Groovy Deb #2644

http://ifitsgroovy.blogspot.com/

     If you are hopping into the middle of our blog hop and you are a Fiskateer, you can start here www.fiskateers.com.

      If you are thinking a “Fiskawhat?”, you should know that Fiskateers (www.fiskateers.com) is an online community of craftiness (paper crafts, sewing, gardening, etc.) all based around our love and appreciation of Fiskars (think orange-handled scissors to start). There is a blog, gallery, and message board led by four lovely Lead Fiskateers who along with the other Fiskateers are fabulous at getting creativity flowing via chats, challenges, on-line crops, and interviews with other crafty celebrities. If you would like to join you can do so here http://www.fiskateers.com/join/. Then, join in the fun at the beginning, www.kellystarsallthingscrafty.blogspot.com for a complete list of blog hop stops.

     We’ll be hopping all weekend , March 24^th and 25^th to welcome spring! The blog hop officially ends on Sunday March 25^th at 11pm CST.

     Like me, some of the Fiskateers are offering sur-prizes…check their directions carefully to participate.

***** Blooming Hearts *****

     I love using my tools in unexpected ways! I created these coral-colored flowers using my Fiskars medium and large That's Amore heart punches. I'll list all my supplies below. I began by making the base of this card out of a medium-lavender cardstock. Then, I added two panels, one of country-blue and the other of light-lavender.

    To make the flower, you will have to double-punch each petal using the heart punches. First, with textured, coral cardstock punch a heart using the medium punch like this:

     Set aside the heart for use on the card later. You will be using the negative space for these petals. Now, punch a large heart centering the small negative space in the middle of the large heart like this:

     To make the larger flower, you will need four of these petals. For the smaller flower you will need two petals. You will also need one medium-size green heart to add to each flower when you're done.

     Begin the flower by gluing one of the petals over only half of another petal like this:

     Add as many or as few petals as you want to make whatever size flower works for your project. When you have the petals together, add the green heart at the bottom.

    Next, I cut a stem and made leaves using my diecut machine. I cut a country-blue vase free-hand but the decoration on the vase is from my diecutter. I attached the vase with double-stick mounting tape to give some depth to the card. Then, I stamped a sentiment from Fiskars' All Year Cheer collection on medium lavender with VersaMark watermark ink. I attached it to the card like a little stake that comes with real, delivered flowers. Lastly, I added some of the medium hearts that were set aside earlier to add some balance to the card. This may sound like a lot of steps but it was fairly quick to put together once I had the design in my head.

    

     I have a fun Fiskars sur-prize for a lucky someone who stops by here this weekend. To have your name entered in the drawing, leave a comment here. I hope you will also join my blog as a follower. Leave your Fiskateer # and your blog address and I'll follow you too. You have until Sunday, the 25th at 11:00 p.m. CST to enter the drawing.

     Thanks for hopping by…next stop is Donna #6036

 http://www.scissorsstampsandscrapbooks.blogspot.com/

My Supply List

Fiskars That's Amore medium heart squeeze punch

Fiskars That's Amore large heart squeeze punch

Fiskars Simple Stick rubber stamps, All Year Cheer collection

Spellbinders dies, Parisian Accents and Daisy Heads

VersaMark watermark ink pad

Cardstock--

     The Paper Studio, medium lavender, country blue

     DCWV, textured coral, textured green

     ColorBok, textured light lavender

Fiskateer Blog Hop Coming This Weekend

----Fun Weekend Coming Up ---

   I'm participating in a blog hop with some of my fellow Fiskateers this weekend - March 24 & 25. I can't wait for you to see the card I made for it. The blog hop begins at 8 a.m. Saturday. You will be able see my contribution here. You might have to sign up on the Fiskateer website to see everyone else's projects. You can check out the Fiskateers by clicking on the blinkie in the left hand column of my blog.

Red Carpet Challenge

   We were challenged over on the Fiskateers website to create a card inspired by one of the dresses on the red carpet at this year's Academy Award Show. I knew right away that I had to go with Gwyneth Paltrow's white dress and cape. It was just so gorgeous! Here's what I came up with.

I used a Spellbinders die to make the textured 'cape'. I attached the cape with double-stick  mounting tape. Then, I used Fiskar's That's Amore heart punches and Martha Stewart's butterfly punch and a Anna Griffin rub-on sentiment to finish up the card.  This is one of my favorite cards I've made. I'll save it for someone really special.