Therapeutic Besties

Found time to spend in my Bubble! Yea!! I've been noodling over the challenge over at Just Us Girls. Love love love the photo challenge! So thought I'd put something together.

Sadly my colors aren't as rich as the photo... but you get the general idea. Right? I had fun putting this together. That is the important part. Right? This is, after all, my therapy...

Besties
~Base card - gold card stock
~Layer of design paper
~Three strips of reversible ribbon
~Chip board sentiment
~Taylored Expressions Leafy Branch die cut and Cuttlebug
~Two oval die cut using Spellbinders, Cuttlebug, and DCWV Fall Matstock 
Challenges/Inspirations
Just Us Girls - photo
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch
Perfect Sentiments - fall or Halloween
Die Cuttin' Divas - anything goes + die cut
Crafting for All Seasons - autumn colors
Cuttlebug Mania - autumn

Thanks for clicking by. Happy Halloween and All Saints Day!
Nancy in Iowa

Bon Voyage & Burlap

Another {PIN}spirational challenge! Nothing like a design team deadline to have an excuse for "mandatory" time in the Bubble! Here is the photo inspiration.

I really wanted to use this cool printed burlap ribbon and I wanted a vintage look so I attached a page from a weathered and discarded book to plain paper and ran it through the printer so I could have the balloon image directly on the paper. I left the torn edge on the right side, smudged the edges, then ran a row of stitches down the side. I should have used a darker shade of cream thread. (Shoulda/woulda/coulda!)

Flying Farewell
~Base card aqua card stock
~Free digital image from The Graphics Fairy printed directly on old book page (cropped off the steampunk part of the image)
~Button with aqua twine
~Metal sentiment
~Printed burlap ribbon (purchased at Hobby Lobby)
~Four assorted stamps using assorted inks
~Sewing machine stitching down right side of card
Challenges/Inspirational
{PIN}spirational - photo inspiration
Deep Ocean - button it up
Creative Knockouts - favorite twine/ribbon (Because EVERY ribbon is my favorite!)
Crafty Hands - anything goes
Pile it On - embellishment
Sentimental Sundays - monochromatic

Thanks for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Card. Counter-Card.

Just a quick post. Thought I'd show the obsession session I had with the Inlay Technique.  I'm sure I will use this technique more (and more). I feel like I NEED a few more graduated sized dies! Just sayin'!. Love it when something slides from the WANT list to the NEED list...This DOES sound like a need - right? Right? Anybody? Right...?!!

This this counterpoint card to the first Inlay Technique I previously posted. So cool that you get two cards out of this process!

The Season
~Base card - red card stock
~Design paper from Recollections The 12 Days  from Michaels
~Chipboard sentiment
~Three prima flowers with three yellow brads
~Square scallop Spellbinders dies using Cuttlebug
Challenges/Inspirations
Christmas Card Challenges - flowers

These two were my first attempts. I learned the hard way that high contrast is the way to go...these are 'OOPS' cards... Is it okay that I used an 'oops card' for a thank you card and as a sympathy card? These is the "duet set" using design paper We R Memory Keepers Anthologie.

 Thank you card

Sympathy card

These two final cards feature chip board centers and design paper Berry Blast.

Anything Goes Challenges
613 Avenue
Challenges for Everything
My Creative Moments
Jo's Scrap Shack

Thank you for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Corduroy Scallops

The weekend has arrived! Farmers Market in the morning...followed by...who knows? Maybe some time in my Bubble making card after card. Or maybe some house cleaning? Or maybe some yard work? I am so happy to NOT be going to work - doesn't matter much what I do!

I am going to Omaha on Monday. I will get to see sissy Gail and daughter Amy! And get a much overdue haircut! Since I am headed to Omaha I thought I would make a cupcake card for Miss Amy. All cupcake cards go to Miss Amy.

This card is kind of simple - but then when who needs fancy when there are CUPCAKES in the mix?!

Corduroy Cupcake
~Base card - pink card stock
~ Design paper card stock with sparkly cupcakes
~Ribbons
~Corduroy and felt puffed cupcake embellishment
~Round scallop die cut (Spellbinders) using Cuttlebug
Challenges/Inspiration
Creative Romance - pink
Stampin' with the Dragon - circles
Sister Act - anything goes
SweetPea Stampers - sparkle and shine
Crafty Ribbons - anything plus ribbon
Live & Love - pink

Thanks for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Pouting Technique

I love it when there is a technique that I not only consider to attempt, I am able to master it, and it is great fun and versatile! AWESOME! Thank you JUG ladies!

Here is the link to the Die Inlay Technique. It is a BLAST! I actually made 7 different cards using this technique! I did learn the hard way that contrast is key...you will see what I mean when I post my "so so" card later.

Repetitive technique:  I have to keep my mind from wandering...my sissies are have an UNSANCTIONED gathering. I hope they know that any fun they may be having without me is only HALF the fun they would be having if I were with them in Atlanta... just sayin' (in my poutiest voice).

The inset below has a blue tint that the camera doesn't pick up...it does correspond to the blue of the snowman. I guess you'll have to trust me on this one.

COLD!
~Base card Stampin' Up card stock
~Design papers
~Spellbinders Scallop Squares and Cuttlebug
~Chipboard center 'medallion'
Challenges and Inspirations
Just Us Girls - technique
Holly Jolly Christmas - inspired by Christmas song (Baby It's Cold Outside - my favorite version features James Taylor and Natalie Cole)
Deep Ocean - Christmas around the corner
Challenges for Everybody - anything goes
Crafting Cafe - anything goes

Thanks for clicking by
Nancy in Iowa

Wonky Junky!

As of  today I am part of Design Team 2 over at {Pin}spirational Challenges. Whooot! I am a Pinterest JUNKY! I not only "Pin" on my own account I am the official "Pin" administrator for the Briar Cliff University. So....this is a perfect fit!

Here is the card I made for my debut.

The challenge this week at {Pin}spirational Challenges is "Anything Goes". I opted to use a digital image from {PIN} sponsor Fresh Brewed Designs.

Wonky Joy
~Digital images by Fresh Brewed Designs "Wonky Christmas Tree", colored with Copics, red dots colored with embossing powder, tree bases cut from design paper
~Sentiment stamped, cut using Spellbinders die cut, embossed, using Cuttlebug
~Three Dazzlers by Petaloo
~Layers of four design paper by Daisy D's
Challenges/Inspiration
{PIN}spirational - anything goes
Creative Creations - sketch
Inkspirational - anything goes
Digitally Sweet - favorite color (shades of greens)
2 Sisters - anything goes
Craft Hazelnuts - square
Brown Sugar - anything goes

Thanks for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Oh! Deer!

Lucky that I was able to have time in the Bubble - I could have spent time in the hoosegow! The slammer! A dungeon! We found this taped to the door when we got home from work today.

ME????  REALLY? Feed the deer? They might as well arrest me because I have hostas! The deer LOVE those! They nibbled them down to the NUBS! No purple flower spikes for me this year (or last year). Not to mention the potted begonias and my lovely baltonia which they devoured. "Pick up the corn." Sounds like I have a bushel of field corn lying about. In reality it was two ears of corn - tossed out into the mum patch thinking they would biodegrade. I didn't think of them as a 'meal'. Well you will be happy to know that we did in fact pick up the corn and bury it deeply in the trash can. Bad Citizen/Good Citizen!

Enough of my felonious actions... on to the card. I'm stuck on fall colors as you can see.

Thankful for Autumn
~Base card - Kraft card stock
~Layer of green design paper
~Grosgrain ribbon
~Twine
~Orange card stock - die cut with scallop circle Spellbinders/Cuttlebug
~Circular scallop cut - fall leaves design paper
~Sentiment using Spellbinders/Cuttlebug
Challenges/Inspiration
Mojo Monday - sketch
Crafty Sentiment - anything goes
Inky Chicks - use two die cuts
Papertake Weekly - use two (ribbon/twine; die cuts; design paper)
Sweet Stamps - fall

Thanks for clicking by,
Nancy in Iow

Trug'in Along

There are only two more Farmer's Market weekends! Sad! It is the best way to start the weekend. Got inspired by all the fall fruits and veggies at the market yesterday so decided to work on a market/autumn card as my weekend comes to a close.

October is also the month for the Feast of St. Francis. I work at a Franciscan university so to quote one of the students, "it's like a holiday except for not having the day off!" Check out the president of the college being a good sport on the bicycle powered smoothie maker! It was part of the St. Francis celebration on Friday that followed a beautiful mass with dancers and full choir. A couple of the 'sisters' (Franciscan nuns) played along too by putting in some pedal time! It is a lovely school - like us on Facebook! (In an effort of full disclosure - I am one of the two member team who maintain the Briar Cliff University Facebook page...it is SO much fun!)

Please ignore the little clothespins...never sure how to photograph the inside of cards that open vertically... And the rust color of the front side plaid - really did NOT photo as rust at all. Use your imagination...

Farmer's Market End
~Base card - confetti card stock
~Layers of Momenta design papers (gift from sissy Gail)
~Four die cuts using Stampin' Up Framelits Label Collection
~Taylored Expressions sentiment
~Taylored Expressions images (A Bushel & a Peck) colored using Copics, pumpkins topped with SU Crystal Effects
~American Craft glitter ribbon from Archiver's
~Twine bow
Challenges/Inspirations
{Pin}spirational - photo inspiration - garden trug
Allsorts - autumn colors
Sweet Stampin' - autumn
Challenges and Candies - autumn colors
Polkadoodles - autumn
Simply Create Too - autumn

Thanks for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Pennies Well Spent

Kickin' it motivation style! It pays to get up really early on a Sunday morning! I bought a package of plain white cards with the tree die cut on the front last year after Christmas. I paid a whooping twelve cents for the set of cards which included envelopes! Whhhoooooopp!

So here is the set of cards I made with an initial outlay of 12 pennies!

 Believe

Inside Believe

Holly Greetings

Inside Holly Greetings

 Peppermint Greetings

Inside Peppermint Greetings

Chevron Greetings

Inside Chevron Greetings

Holiday Stripes 

Inside Holiday Stripes

Poinsettia Star

Inside Poinsettia Star

Star of Wonder 

Inside Star of Wonder

Trees-A-Plenty 

Inside Trees-A-Plenty

Set of Cards Ingredients

~Chipboard "believe"

~Star rhinestones

~Brads

~Christmas design papers

~Spellbinder die cuts/Cuttlebug

~3D stickers from the Dollar Tree

~Round punches

~Round rhinestones

~Sentiment by Stampabilities from Hobby Lobby

~White and red embossing powder

Challenges and Inspirations

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round - set of cards

Divas by Design - CAS (Holiday Stripes)

CraftyHazelnuts - Christmas in October

Thanks for clicking by,

Nancy in Iowa

One Day - Seriously Not Enough

Best weekend day ever! Fabulous cup of coffee to start the day. Trip to Farmer's Market. Breakfast at  Harvey's, the best diner in the tri-state area. Then worked in the yard. Then time in the Bubble! Now we are watching Alphas on Netflix. All topped off by perfect crisp cool autumn weather! But the kicker is that today is World Card Making Day. (Too bad I didn't realize this while we were out and about! I might have treated myself to a trip to Hobby Lobby or Michael's! I seriously don't think one day is sufficient. I think it should include a day or more off from work too!

Poinsettias Greetings
~Base card: kraft card stock
~Layers of Paper Studio Classic Christmas
~Sewing machine stitches
~Verve images stamped with Versamark and red embossing powder on kraft polka dot card stock
~Sentiment from Verve on Kraft card stock cut and embossed using Spellbinders label and Cuttlebug
Challenges/Inspiration
Ladybug - stitches
Just Us Girls - sketch
Crimbo Crackers - embossing
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - circles (polka dot poinsettias)
Christmas Cards All Year Round - getting ready for Christmas (poinsettias as soon as Thanksgiving is over)

Thanks for clicking by - Enjoy World Card Making Day!

Nancy in Iowa