Boxer birthday card

Is it Thursday already?  This week seems to be flying by (not that I'm complaining!)  I really like the card I have to share today, so let's get to it.

Since the end of the year is looming and I'm trying to make a real effort to only make cards I'm really going to use, I decided to start using some of the challenges going on to get a head start on next year's family birthdays.  First up in January is the oldest of my husband's sisters, who has a boxer-bulldog mix that is her baby.  When I saw this file from SVG Cutting Files, I knew she would love it, so I bought it and I've been saving it for her birthday card. Luckily, none of my family members follow my blog, so I can go ahead and share it here and she'll still be surprised come January.

The papers are from a MME 6x6 pad that I picked up on sale at Michaels one time.  I like using pads, because you know your colors are going to coordinate.  I stamped the sentiment from Jaded Blossom's Puppy Love stamp set.  I also used that set for the inside sentiment (it says "in dog years, you're still a pup.")

So there it is.  One 2015 family birthday card down...8 million to go.  ;)

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
SVG Cutting Files- Birthday card
Simon Says Stamp, Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes

Birthday tag

I love when there are tag challenges, like this one at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog.  It gives me something a little different to try, which is always fun.

Usually I start with a white tag, but this time I thought I'd try something different and I used blue cardstock.  I inked the background on with different colors of Distress Ink and a mask that I cut using my Cameo.  

Next, I stamped the sentiment on using the Stamps of Life's birthday4Cookie stamp set.  I cut the birthday hat using the Doodlecharms Cricut Cartridge and put a gold asterisk from a set of Thickers on top.  Next, I glued on some of the awesome etsy enamel dots that I talked about in my last post, and the popped the whole thing up on foam adhesive.  Too bad the next family birthday isn't until November!  ;)

Shop til you drop

I hope you're all having a happy Friday in your neck of the woods!  I had a chance to get into the craft room and make a card yesterday, when three of my four appointments for the day cancelled, leaving me not having to go to work until 4!

Although this card looks A2, it's actually a couple of inches smaller.  It's a card base I got from the Target dollar spot a long time ago.  I'm trying to work on using up my stash a little.  :)  I stamped the background myself, using Distress Inks on a craft mat that I sprayed with water and a Heidi Swapp arrow stamp.  Next, I stamped the image of the girl holding gifts onto another piece of white cardstock and colored it with my Bic pens.  The image and sentiment that I stamped are both from a Pink by Design stamp set called Black Friday.

See that cute little purple enamel dot up in the corner? It's a homemade enamel dot that I bought from a shop on Etsy.  For only $1.20, you can order a pack of 50 of any color.  I got blues, greens, and pinks, and the owner of the shop threw in a small sample of other colors for me to try- thus the cute purple!  I'd really been wanting to try homemade enamel dots, but with a *very* sensitive smoke detector and a dog that goes bonkers when the smoke detector goes off, this was a wonderful alternative.

I'll be entering this card into the following challenge:
Simon Says Stamp, Wednesday Challenge- Make your own background

First attempt at vinyl!

One of the things I've been saying I was going to try for a long time now was cutting vinyl, but it always seemed kind of complicated and I was afraid to try it. I even got a bunch of vinyl for Christmas and let it sit around in my craft room for months.  Finally, I worked up the nerve to try it- and it was super easy!

I made this in the Silhouette Studio.  The font is just from my computer, and the dog paws are ones that came from another file but I altered to fit my needs here.  We keep all of Sophie's dog food in an air tight container, and it was so plain and boring.  Not any more!

Here's a picture of Sophie's food holder now:

Here's a close-up of the vinyl:

And for your viewing pleasure: