Curtain Call for The Twofer Challenge.

 Hello everyone: It's been a while since I posted anything on my blog.  I don't know about you guys but for me, having to deal with this virus and the confinement for over a year, has taken a toll on me, and now, we have a new threat, this variant is causing the hospitals to be overwhelmed with new people horribly sick and that is so sad, especially because this could be avoided if more people get vaccinated and wear their masks, this is a small price to pay in exchange for staying healthy and safe.

***********************************************************

As you probably know, The Twofer Challenge will be gone at the end of this month, it's so sad to see it go, this is one of my most favorite challenges, one that truly made us reach deep into the creative corners of our brains and come up with two different cards, for two different occasions using the same stamp.  I must say that, when I participated in the very first challenge, I got this totally wrong, but Darnell, who is one of the sweetest persons I know in blog land, lovingly and with infinite patience, guided me until I got it right, she is a gem.  I'm going to miss this challenge!!!!!

So, here are my Twofer cards to bid farewell to all of the amazing ladies on the Design Team, you guys inspired us for almost 4 wonderful years, this was one of the most creative groups of crafters, ever.

Twofer #1

This is the inside.

Twofer #2

This is the inside

This is what I used:

The first card is a Valentine

Stampin' Up! "Pampered Pets" stamps and dies.

The sentiment in front is from Stampin' Up! " Itty Bitty Banners" (2013)

The sentiment inside is from Flourishes " Tokens of my Affection" (2014)

Card # 2, I gave my little kitty a doggie friend.

Stampin' Up! "Pampered Pets" stamps and dies. 

The sentiment in front is from Power Poppy "Simply Camelias" (2015)

The sentiment inside is from Power Poppy "Feeling Fall" (2016)

The leaves are also from this set.

I want to play with:

The Twofer Challenge

Thank you again dear ladies of the Designer Team, it was a pleasure and amazing fun to play along with you.  I wish you all the best.

Stay healthy and safe.

XO

Maria.

A Slim Card for The Flower Challenge #59.

 Hello Everyone: I'm always hoping you and your families are doing well, staying healthy and safe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think this is the second Slimline card I've made in a while, I really enjoyed creating it, I think they look very sweet and elegant too.

Here's my card.

********************************************************

This is the inside.

******************************************************

And this is what I used.

 Slim Stitched Scalloped Circles Die, from 

Pink Fresh.

All the flowers on this card are from the retired Stampin' Up! 

"Botanical Blooms" die set.

The DSP is from my stash.

I used watercolors from Kuretake Gamsai Tambi for the flowers.

The sentiment inside is from Dynamic Duos, Peonies, and Tulips

from Power Poppy.

I left the inside with no sentiment to use this card for any occasion.

I realized I don't use my dies enough, even if I have a really nice

collection and that is a shame.

I hope you can join my teammates and I over at The Flower Challenge

and play along with this fun challenge.

Till next time, stay healthy and safe.

XO

Maria.

 

Pick a Sketch for SOS.

Hello everyone: I'm always hoping and praying you and your families are doing well, keeping each other safe and healthy.

The SHOPPING OUR STASH for the next 10 days is all about the sketches over at www.craftwithsara.com/card-sketches , so pick one and play along.

This is the sketch I picked.

It might be a little busy for what I'm used to but I'm giving it a try.

Here is the card I created with it.

This is the inside of my card.

And this is what I used.

Stampin' Up! "Take it to Heart" (2012 Mini)

Flourishes "Grab a Cup" for the front sentiment, (2010)

Stampin' Up! "Free as a Bird" for the little flowers on the side. (2019-2020)

Stampin' Up! "Handpenned Holidays" (2011-2012)

Prismacolor pencils.

Gina Marie Enamel Dots.

DSP from my stash.

Thank you for visiting me today and for leaving me a comment, I sure love reading your words.

Till next time, stay healthy and safe.

XO

Maria.

A Fun Box For Retro Rubber #164

Hello everyone: As always, I hope and pray you and your families are doing well, taking care of each other and staying healthy and safe.

***********************************************

This is one very popular challenge, you really can create anything you want.  I've decided to make this little box following the perfectly explained directions of the amazing JULIE DIMATTEO on her blog THE PAPER PIXIE.

Here is my version.

All of the DSP is from my old stash, the leaves are from a retired Stampin' Up!

set called "Vintage Leaves" (2015-2016)

The sentiment is from a Power Poppy set called "Dynamic Duos, Foxglove and Ranunculus".

I used Copper embossing powder to heat emboss the leaves and the sentiment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a picture of the front with the drawer open.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a picture of the side with the drawer open.

I love this little box, you can fit all kinds of goodies in there, like Hershey's Nuggets, Andes Chocolate Candies, etc.

You can change the colors of the DSP and the image on the front to fit any occasion or season of the year.

So I hope you go to Julie's blog, THE PAPER PIXIE and watch her fabulous video, she has a gift of being able to explain her directions in a fun and easy way that just makes you want to follow them. 

Thank you for stopping by today, I appreciate your comments and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Stay healthy and safe.

XO
Maria.

A Darling Ghost for The 2 Old Bats Halloween Challenge.

Hello everyone: As always, I hope and pray you and your families are doing well, taking care of each other, staying healthy and safe.

The 2 old bats Halloween challenge has a new mood board for you to play with in the month of August, here it is.

Here is my card, I went with the ghostly inspiration.

this is the inside.

And this is what I used.

The sweet little ghost is called "Hattie" from Kraftin kimmie.

the little floating ghosts and the bat are also from kraftin kimmie.

I stamped the image, colored it with prismacolor pencils, and painstakingly fussy cut it.

the embossed background trees are from sizzix.

all the images on the inside are from Kraftin kimmie.

the sentiment is from a stampin' up! set called "jar of haunts" 

I hope you visit the 2 old bats Halloween challenge to get more inspiration from my awesome teammates and then, come and play along with us.

Thank you for visiting me today, I appreciate your comments and love to read them, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Stay healthy and safe.

Maria.

PS. how do you like this font? I found it browsing the fonts on top of the blogger draft page, it's called "creepster", Lol!!  I think I will use it from now on for all of my Halloween-themed cards.

 

Let's Play Tic Tac Tow with Retro Rubber!!

 Hello everyone: As always, I pray and hope you and your families are doing well, taking care of each other and staying healthy and safe.

The RETRO RUBBER CHALLENGE has a new Tic Tac Toe grid for you to play with.

I chose the first row going vertical, Masculine, Embossing and Stripes.

Here's my card, which I created for my hubby for his 67th. Birthday💕

coming up in August.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the INSIDE.

And this is what I used.

The image is from Art Impressions, I got it on eBay about a month ago but I think it came out back in 2013 according to some research on Pinterest.

I used a diagonal stripe embossing folder for my background panel.

The sentiment in the front is from Concord & 9th., "Happy Day (2016)

I stamped the cute golfer image on a piece of white card stock and colored it with Prismacolor pencils, then fussy cut it.  I placed a piece of painter's tape behind the golf club to make it a bit more sturdy as I cut it.

The sentiment inside is from Power Poppy's "Short Stacks" (2015)

I punched the "golf ball" with a 1.25 circle punch and embossed it with a dot embossing folder, I'm very happy it looks so real, 👍

My teammates and I over at RETRO RUBBER CHALLENGE hope you will come and play along with us in our gallery. Don't forget to stop by the challenge to get more inspiration from my awesome teammates.

Thank you for visiting me today, I appreciate and read every single comment you leave on my posts.

Stay healthy and safe.

XO
Maria.

I apologize for the comment section being so far below, I just don't know why this happened, I've tried to fix it but I can't.

One Of My Favorite Bugs!!!!!

 Hello everyone: I hope all of you and your families are doing well, keeping each other safe and healthy.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My teammates and I over at shopping our stash have a new theme for you to play with and it's all about bugs!!

My favorite bug is the spider, I have a lot of respect and admiration for this critters and, even if I don't want them inside my house, I never kill them, I trap them with a glass and a piece of cardstock and take them outside to my flower pots, I figure they will have a better chance to find food out there than in here.

Anywho, here is my card and believe me, I used every single spider stamp I own, this was so much fun and, since spiders seem to be associated with Halloween, I made this card using this cute little mummy, who is not to thrilled about all of these spiders showing up at the same time, I hope he's going to get a glass and some cardstock to trap them and take them outside, Lol!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the inside.

This is what I used.

The mummy is from Stampabilities (2006, discontinued)

spiders: 

Stampin' Up! "Best friends" (2006, retired)

Stampin' Up! "Dark and dreary" (2010, retired)

Stampin' up! "bite me" (2013, retired)

 my teammates and I hope you go look for your bug stamps, we're sure you have some, and come and play along with us in our gallery, we can't wait to see what you create.

Thank you for visiting me today.

stay healthy and safe.

xo

Maria.