Cricketleg Creative

“Favorite Technique” Challenge

Challenge Cards, Handcrafted Cards

Two entries into the Simon Says Stamp Favorite Technique Challenge…but how can I pick favorites?!

Well, hi!

I tell ya, every time a “favorite technique” challenge pops up I find it hard to choose! I love lots of different techniques. But then I remember…oh yeah, I love ink blending backgrounds. Especially skies.

And since I have a few new additions in my stamp collection, I thought it a good time to combine them with ink blending.

So, here you go…

Mahalo Floral Card

The latest card kit from Hero Arts is phenomenol! Lots of images and dies to play with. It’s been so cold and wet here lately in eastern North Carolina and having fun with some tropical whimsy is just what I need right now!

I wasn’t really sure where I was going with this when I started, but I like where I ended up! I stamped the flowers and leaves using masking, and colored them in with Copic markers. Then, I used Copic markers to make the water background.

In hindsight it would have been much easier to stamp, color, and die cut all those images out. But I do like that there’s no white border around them. So it’s fine; just hard to do the background around all that detail.

I used Glossy Accents from Ranger to make wavy lines over the blue ink background and let it dry. I stamped some other leaves from the Hero Arts set and placed those around the sentiment that I stamped. All those images are from that Hero set.

favorite technique challenge
mahalo closeup

You Warm My Heart Card

The stamps that made this very sweet campfire card are from an Avery Elle stamp set. I’m a bit lacking in the cute critter stamp category, so I recently purchased this set. I love campfires so this one was a no brainer.

I stamped the images I wanted to use first, then colored them with Copic markers, being careful to add some yellow glow to the sides facing the fire. (That racoon gave me some trouble, but that’s in their nature I suppose.)

Once those were ready, I placed them on a notecard just to see where I might want my horizon line. I set them aside and masked off that horizon. For this card I used stamp pads and blending brushes for a softer, more subtle blend. I started in the center where I knew the campfire would be, with yellow. Then a light brown around that, and a darker brown on the outer edge. Same basic idea for the sky.

With a few trees stamped at the sides, I was ready to glue my critters in place. After that it was just a matter of adding starts and sentiment.

I have to say, I think my favorite element on this card is the splatterware mug! I couldn’t help myself there!

favorite technique challenge

Both cards have a blended background. One uses Copic blending and the other uses stamp pads with blending brushes. Both are fun!

View my other challenge cards here.

So there you go! Y’all take care!

“Love/Hearts” Challenge

Challenge Cards, Handcrafted Cards

My entries into the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme of Love/Hearts

love hearts challenge

Well, hi!

Welcome to another edition of “Julie Makes Challenge Cards.” I do seriously love doing these Simon Says Stamp challenges because it gives me some direction in what cards to make and experiment with.

And, with the recent release of Simon’s February kit, I’ve got lots to play with! I recently was thinking that I wish I had stamps of chocolate truffles and, lo and behold, they show up in the kit! Awesomeness!

So here we go…

Heart Mail

I used a Hero Arts heart background die to create the pink overlay. This goes over some very cute paper from the Simon February kit. Ranger Stickles glitter glue fills up the center heart. And a “heart mail” image from that Simon paper completes the card.

It’s a little busy, but I’ve been wanting to try out that die. Hmmm, maybe next time I’ll do some ink blending behind it?

love hearts challenge

Sweet Thanks

No stamps or dies in this one! It’s kind of fun to just use paper and accessories to create a cute card sometimes.

The patterned paper is all from the Simon February kit. I used some pink cardstock to back the cupcake image. And some pink metallic tape to edge it. I love my Spectrum Noir glitter brush and used it to add some dazzle to the cupcake sprinkles.

sweet thanks

Bunny Heart

That February kit is packed with awesome stuff, like the heart stencil I used for the background of this card. I used blending brushes to create it. First, I used pink. Then, after off-setting the stencil, I used a basic red. Ranger Gloss Accents on a few select hearts gives the background more dimension and some shine.

The bunny is a Printworks (no longer making stamps) stamp. But I did use a stamp from the Simon February kit for the sentiment in the bunny’s heart. After coloring that image in with Copic markers, I mounted the bunny in the center with double stick foam squares.

Oh, and I also used my Spectrum Noir glitter brush for the bunny’s cheeks and the heart he’s holding.

bunny heart

Oh, Hello There

I think this one is my favorite! I love those truffle/candy stamps. I’ve been so eager to use them.

Background papers are from the Simon February kit as well as the “Oh, Hello There” heart. I mounted that one with foam tape.

The candies are also mounted with foam tape. Each candy has something special about it. Some have Nuvo Crystal Drops for dimension. Some have metallic gold colored in for the wrapper. One of them has both! I think they turned out really cute.

love hearts challenge

And now I’m hungry. If you are now craving sweets, sorry…but why not check out this recent donut post?

So there are my entries into the Love/Hearts Challenge. Another challenge, another blog post. There’s another love themed challenge coming soon. So stay tuned.

Y’all take care!

Simple & Sweet Donut Card

Handcrafted Cards

This simple and sweet donut card uses minimal supplies to make a clean but fun design!

simple and sweet donut card

Well, hi!

Recently I shared a donut card I made and I promised a video to show the basic technique. It’s a little late, but I have delivered nonetheless!

The card design for this video is not exactly that of my recent post, but the basic concept is exactly the same. You can arrange the final card any way you like. I’m pretty much just showing you how to make the donut and the sprinkles!

I think the original inspiration for this card was from something I saw on Pinterest. I see all kinds of ideas on Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for beautiful cards. But, as I explain in the video, I’ve only just recently re-entered the card making world. The supplies I kept from the 90s are not always up to snuff. And I don’t have the budget to run out and get every stamp and die that I want. (Man, would that not be awesome?!)

Anyway, this card is an attempt at making something fun with what I already have. It’s a challenge to make something from the basic supplies that already exist in my little craft studio. I already had the circle dies and the markers and just about everyone who stamps has some kind of sentiment stamp that will work.

I think it turned out great! And it’s a wonderful way to get into card making if you’re new to it.

So watch and enjoy! Y’all take care!

“Anything Goes” Challenge

Challenge Cards, Handcrafted Cards

Anything Goes Challenge entries for Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

anything goes challenge

Well, hi!

Sometimes I love a specific challenge, but the “Anything Goes” Challenge often comes in handy. No rules or guidelines means I can take whatever card needs I have at the moment and have them do double duty for a fun challenge entry!

This week I have four cards to share with you for the “Anything Goes” Challenge. All of them are birthday cards…yep, it’s time to make sure my February cards are done!

Bold Birthday

I’ve used this basic card design before but this time decided to add some enamel dots to brighten it up and add dimension. I also used the Spectrum Noir Glitter Brush to add some dazzle to the inlaid die cut letters.

It’s a clean and simple card but bold!

bold birthday

Birthday Wishes

In a recent order with Simon Says Stamp, I picked up this adorable stamp set. It’s a small set, but so cute and I think it’s going to end up being used a LOT.

I simply stamped it in black and colored it in with Copic markers. I used the chisel tip of the markers to make a custom background for the birthday sentiment strip. I love the color combo!

anything goes challenge

Out of This World Birthday

Here’s a card using a Lawn Fawn stamp and die set I got for Christmas. I love this set! It’s so cute and has a lot of possibilities. In fact, I made another birthday card using it in early January.

This time, though, I decided to use black cardstock and just splatter my stars on with metallic silver watercolor paint. Simple, easy, and effective.

I colored the images with Copic markers and cut them out using dies. They are mounted to the card using double-sided foam tape.

out of this world birthday

Claw-some Birthday

My last entry into the “Anything Goes” Challenge uses this cool retro-vibe stamp set and die set from Lawn Fawn. (I always try to get the coordinating dies at the same time if I can! So handy!)

I stamped the images onto white cardstock and colored them in with Copic markers. I added metallic silver tape on the black cardstock card as a retro background. It reminds me of the 80s! I can say that because I grew up in the 80s. Just sayin’.

anything goes challenge

I love the pixel-y lettering on the sentiments! Oh, and I also used Ranger Glossy Accents to add dimension to the joystick and buttons on the machine.

close up glossy accents

Okay, so that’s it for now y’all. This was a fun challenge!

“We’re On A Roll” Challenge

Challenge Cards, Handcrafted Cards

Cute donut card for the latest Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge with a “We’re On a Roll” theme.

we're on a roll challenge

Well, hi!

Once again I find myself with only enough time to make one challenge into the latest Simon Says Stamp card challenge. I had seven or eight ideas sketched out, but alas, there are other things that need my attention in life. So, here you go.

The basic idea for this challenge is wheels, circles, roundy things, etc. You get the idea.

My card is based on an idea I had to try to make a large donut using my circle die set. It was an experiment, but I think it went well. In fact, I’m planning on making a video for my YouTube channel on how to do it.

Yes, you could probably find a die set for this and it would likely be faster. But here’s the thing….I don’t have the budget currently to be buying all the dies! And I need to make the most of the ones I do have. I know I’m not alone here.

Ever get frustrated when you see someone making a cute card and think, “Well, yeah, of course….when you have that die set!”

Well, that was kind of the inspiration for this. How to get the look I’m imagining in my brain but without the specialty dies.

Since I’ll be doing a video, I won’t go into too much detail on how to do it here. It’ll be easier to understand in the video. My Copic markers, though, came in clutch here and helped achieve the look for the “We’re On A Roll” Challenge. Simple but fun.

So be on the lookout…mmm…probably next week! Until then, here’s a recent post and video I did.

Until then, y’all take care!

“Shake It Up” Challenge

Challenge Cards, Handcrafted Cards

One shaker card for the Simon Says Stamp “Shake It Up” Challenge

shake it up challenge

Well, hi! Welcome to a short challenge post ‘cuz I got some other stuff to work on this week….custom client order!

But, I do love a good shaker challenge so I had to make at least one for the “Shake It Up” Challenge. And I LOVE the way this one turned out.

To create the background I used a stencil from Hero Arts and ink blended with yellow, orange, and deep pink. I used a Hero Arts stamp set to create the center sentiment as well as the “you are awesome” on the card border. The stars are also from that set.

The shaker elements? Well, I’ve collected those from Walmart. Yes, Walmart! I like to check their craft supplies every so often to see what generic types of supplies I can find there. Sequins, glitter, and other such elements are usually there and it’s a surprisingly good selection.

I love the vibe that these warm colors creates. It’s no wonder, then, that I often use those colors and do sunrise/sunset scenes. It’s really my favorite color combo. And I think it’s perfect for this “Shake It Up” Challenge.

Have you ever made a shaker card? You can see a video where I put together my first shaker card (on this blog anyway) here.

4 Simple Valentine Card Designs

Handcrafted Cards

Watch the video to see four simple Valentine card designs you can do with minimal supplies.

Well, hi! Guess who’s back making YouTube videos? Yay, me!

Really though, after a holiday break I’m having a bit of a hard time getting back into routine. So this week I’m bribing myself with little rewards each day. Hopefully this gets my butt back in full swing. It’s been a while since my last video.

Here’s the end result of one of those bribes: my video showing four simple Valentine card ideas. These designs require minimal supplies and come together fairly quickly too. You’re sure to find a design that appeals to you.

My cousin recently asked me how to get started in card making and I’ve been thinking about that a lot. What kinds of cards could be made if you only had a few supplies? Not everyone will have everything in this video, but hopefully there’s a card design that will accommodate what you do have.

Please watch, and comment to let me know which of these four simple valentine card designs is your favorite! Also, if you have a request for techniques to learn or projects you’d like to see, please let me know.

Also, if you are new to card making and are interested in seeing more videos and ideas for beginners, I’d love to hear your thoughts. I’m always looking for new video content ideas. And I’m playing around with the idea of making some instructional videos for those just starting out.

Check out my other YouTube videos here.

Y’all take care!

“Something New” Challenge

Challenge Cards, Handcrafted Cards

Well, hi! And welcome to the entries for the most recent Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge theme of “Something New.”

Fortunately, I have a good amount of “something new” items to choose from as Christmas and my birthday are pretty close on the calendar. I’ve been able to receive and hand pick a few juicy items!

So without further ado, here are my four entries into this “Something New” Challenge. Let’s go!

Sunshine

While it wasn’t a Christmas or birthday gift, it is nonetheless new. What am I talking about? The December Hero Arts kit items used to make this sunshine card. I just barely blogged about this card, so if you’d like to read up on it, you can check it out here.

I love how this card turned out. Very simple and clean and features one of my very favorite subjects to create……SKIES!!!

sunshine card

Snowflakes

Another recent kit treasure is from Simon Says Stamp. It’s the January card kit of the month and it’s sold out! No wonder, as it’s pretty awesome.

It came with all sorts of juicy stuff, as you can see below.

simon says stamp january card kit

For this card I used some of the stamps from the stamp set as well as the snowflake die. I stamped some of the snowflakes with Versamark ink and used white sparkle embossing powder (I believe from Hero Arts) to finish them off.

The background is made using ink blending brushes and blue, pink, and purple ink. To give the background a mottled appearance I sprayed it with a fine water mist. But that didn’t give me quite enough texture. So I sprayed it with Distress Resist Spray and let that dry. I then reapplied some of the ink blending to intensify the color and contrast. Love it.

To give it some interest, I cut up the card and mounted it onto metallic silver paper. The sentiment and the die cut snowflake have that same paper. Kind of fun.

something new challenge

Hello Floral I

My daughter gave me some lovely patterned paper for my birthday the other day, along with some other paper crafting goodies! (Thanks, Audrey!) So I thought for my “Something New” Challenge I could use that paper.

The floral pack of paper is just gorgeous and also has a texture to it. I love black and floral, so I paired some black cardstock with this black and pink floral. Wanting to do something a little different, I decided to use some greenery die cuts and use the negative space left behind as the design.

The “hello” is die cut from the center and then filled back in with a white cardstock die cut. To give it some shimmer, I used my Spectrum Noir glitter brush both on the greeting and on the negative space die cuts.

To finish off the card, I used white and black glitter tapes to create a border around the card. Paired with a lovely pink envelope I think it makes a charming card.

something new challenge

Hello Floral II

After all that die cutting, I didn’t want to waste what came off the above card. So I decided to use those “scraps” to make another card. A sister card to the one above.

After playing around with it for a while, I decided to use that white glitter tape to make horizontal stripes on the card. That scalloped circle makes a nice backdrop for the sentiment from the first card. I mounted that with foam tape so it sits above the paper.

The greenery die cuts from the first card are glued and tucked under that circle. Also charming.

And fast. I love using scraps from one card to make another. It’s a great tip!

something new challenge

Okay, there you have it. Four entries this time for the “Something New” Challenge. And now I’m off to work on a custom client order. I don’t do those often. You can see what premade cards I have for sale in my Etsy shop.

Y’all take care!

“New/Unused Product” Challenge

Challenge Cards, Handcrafted Cards

new/unused product challenge

Well, hi! Welcome to a perfectly timed challenge entry for the new/unused product theme from this Monday’s Simon Says Stamp challenge.

Why is it perfectly timed? Not only do I get to use a Christmas present for today’s card; I also get to use my Hero Arts kit from December. I took a stamping break but I keep thinking about this awesome kit and am so excited to put it to good use today!

The circle/cloud die from the set is cut from an A2 white side-folding card. I also die cut another out of scrap but added a plain circle die to the outer edge so I could glue it on top. The set comes with a single cloud die that I cut twice from white cardstock and glued to the inner scene.

That inner scene is created using the sun and rays stamps from the set. The sky is created with an ink blending brush to create the gradation of color in the sunrise. I added some sparkle I used my new Spectrum Noir glitter brush pen for the sun and the rays. Hard to see in the pic, but it’s there and adds a really nice touch.

The sentiment is from the stamp set and is stamped on a piece of scrap cardstock and adhered with foam tape to the front of the card.

It’s simple but I think it’s stunning!

Only one for this time. I’m still gearing back up after the holidays. To see some of my other challenge projects, visit this link.

Y’all take care!

“Sparkle & Shine” Challenge

Challenge Cards, Handcrafted Cards

Here are a few entries into the Simon Says Stamp “Sparkle & Shine” Challenge.

Well, hi! It’s been a couple of weeks since I last posted. I took a much needed break and now I’m back in the swing of things and ready to start doing challenges again.

Today, I have a few entries into the latest Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

Never Let Anyone Dull Your Sparkle

How fitting!

This striking card is made by using double stick tape and glitter. I just arranged the tape in vertical lines, starting with the wider tape. Then I poured glitter over the entire card. It sticks to the tape! After that, I just repeated the same steps using the narrower tape and a different glitter color.

The sentiment was made in Canva and printed out onto cardstock. I then trimmed the top and bottom of the cut out sentiment with more tape and glitter and attached it to the card.

Easy! And super sparkly. Looks very New Years-y to me too!

Birthday Girl

Although this card is fairly simple in design, I think the impact is high! I love the combination of two papers that have different patterns but the exact same tone on tone colors. The metallic gold paper and Motherlode embossing powder for the sentiment really make this card sparkle and shine!

sparkle and shine challenge

Out of This World

For Christmas I received a fun Lawn Fawn stamp and die set from one of my kids. And I’m so excited to be able to use it now!

I stamped some images from the set onto white cardstock and colored them in with Copic markers. Once they were done, I used the coordinating dies to cut them out.

The background for the images was made using watercolors. It took a while to build up the color, but it was so fun to do! I’d like to keep working on this technique to really get it down. But I’m happy with this first attempt at a watercolor galaxy type background. Once the paint was all dry I splattered the surface with both white goache and a metallic gold paint to get that….sparkle and shine!

out of this world

Party Animal

This card is for my daughter’s 25th birthday. I’ve been itching to use this cute birthday stamp set from My Favorite Things since I bought it a few weeks ago. I love the simple lines of the images. Clean. Fun.

I stamped three of the scenes from the set onto cardstock and colored them in with Copic markers, keeping the color palette fairly small. I wanted the overall effect to be more subtle since I used a metallic gold accented paper background. But I did trim out each scene in gold metallic tape.

sparkle and shine

So, there you go. Four entries all with some kind of sparkle, shine, or both! Fun challenge!

Stay tuned for further posts and challenge entries! To see my last challenge post you can go here.

Y’all take care, and have a Happy New Year!