House of Cards End of Term Blog Hop + Prizes

Hi everyone!  Can you believe we are at the end of another term here at House of Cards?  This will be my last post with the HOC design team.  I am sad to leave, but hope to see you all online in other areas.  On another note, we are having a blog hop and a DT call.  You should have arrived here from Sue T.'s Blog.  Otherwise, you can always start at the

House of Cards Challenge Blog

where the hop starts and where you can find out all the details about how to play along, as well as applying for the design team.  

• This hop will run FROM December 1ST AT 6:00 AM CST THROUGH December 15TH AT NOON CST,  ANY CARD STYLE is welcome and we've got a gorgeous photo inspiration for your crafting enjoyment! 

Here is the photo inspiration~

.

So, are you ready to get hopping?!  Yep, it's time, but first we've got some fabulous sponsors to share with you!  Make sure you leave a comment at each person's blog along the way because the prizes are hidden and we'll be doing random drawings from the blogs where they are hiding! :)  After you're done, make a creation to share with us here, too, for another chance to win!

Here are all of our fabulous sponsors.

Our team will be using a variety of products

from these amazing companies!

Deedee's Digis
Prize: Digital Stamps Prize Package

Great Impressions
Prize: Prize Package

Here are the stamps you could win!

(Three total--ornaments and 2 sentiments)

Inspired By Stamping

Prize: Gift Card to Store

MHKDesigns

Prize: Any three products of your choice!

I made two cards using products from some of our sponsors listed above.  This beautiful cardinal is a digital stamp from Deedee's Digis .  I just love this image, and it is so perfect for a Christmas card.   I used some dies for cutting fancy layers of card stock.

Here is the inside of this card. The sentiment is also from Deedee's Digis.  

My second card is using some fabulous images from MHKDesigns.  I printed papers from Mynn's Beautifully Brocade Patterned Paper Pack, die cut them, and used them as the beautiful layers you see on this card.  The focal point is this gorgeous blossom from her Blossoming Digital Stamp Set.  I printed and colored the image twice with colored pencils.  The first (bottom) image was die cut with the label die.  The second (top) image was fussy cut, shaped with an embossing tool, and layered over the first image to to it dimension.

Here is a view of the two layers, from the side.  Pop dots help lift parts of the flower and leaves from the bottom layer.  Happy Holidays was printed onto scrap card stock from Deedee's Digis Christmas Cardinal set, fussy cut and added to the front.

For the inside of the card, I printed the sentiment again from the Deedee's Digis Christmas Cardinal set and die cut before adhering to the inside.

Supplies Used:

Christmas Blossom Card:
MHKDesigns Beautifully Brocade Patterned Paper Pack (Shabby Brocade Red)(Postcard Brocade Kraft)
MHKDesigns Blossoming Digital Stamp Set
Deedee's Digis Christmas Cardinal (sentiments)
Spellbinders dies:  S4-383 Marvelous Squares; S6-003 5x7 Enchanted Labels 28
Cardstock:  Kraft, ivory, white
Stickles glitter glue - Diamond

Cardinal Card:
Deedee's Digis Christmas Cardinal (cardinal and sentiments)
Spellbinders Dies:  S6-003 5x7 Enchanted Labels 28, S5-127 Labels 28
Cardstock: Kraft, red, ivory, light green
Stickles glitter glue - Stardust

And now, here's your hop order~

House of Cards Challenge Blog

Mynn
Sue T.

You're here -----> Barbara <-----You're here

Cohenna

Daen'Ys

Donna N.

Donna T.

Dotty Jo

Em
Emily

Heather

Jane
Joni

Judy

Karen

Katy

Lilian

Linda

Lisa

Merethe

Michele

Monika

Mrs Duck

Pat

Rocky

Ruza

Shawna

Steph

Sue N.

Tammy
Toni

Now get to hoppin'!  Your next stop is Cohenna's Blog!  Don't forget to to link up a project with us after completing the hop for an extra chance to win a mystery prize from one of our fabulous sponsors, too! 

Good luck, and enjoy the hop!

Barbara

House of Cards November 2015 Monthly Challenge: Stamped Punch Window Technique

Hello everyone, and welcome back to a new monthly challenge here at House of Cards.  I so enjoy seeing all the creations each month, not only from the design team, but also from you, the challenge participants.

This month's challenge is ...

NOVEMBER 2015

Technique Challenge: Stamped Punch Window

I will try to have the video done by October 15th

so you can learn this technique the way

participants will see it done. :)

I have lots of thin dies, and when I saw this one from Marianne Designs, I knew just what I wanted to make.  I'm also thinking fall, and I love the turning of the leaves, so put the two together and you have a card like this.

I started with a 5"x7" burgundy card base, die cut the lacy frame from light peach adhesive card stock, and a thin frame from cream card stock.

After adhering the lacy frame to the center of the card, I aligned and taped the center die cut inside the lacy frame and cut through the card stock front.

Remove the center card stock piece and you now have an opening to place your stamped sentiment.  The aqua color is my mat.

Close the card up, and insert and adhere the adhesive light peach section to the inside panel of the card.

This way will ensure an accurate placement of that piece.

Open card up and stamp "Autumn Leaves" on the peach insert with Versamark ink and emboss with gold embossing powder.

Close card up and now you can see the stamped sentiment through the opening.

Punch a variety of leaves from yellow, green, and red card stocks.  Color the yellow leaves with the distress inks and a blending tool.  On the darker red and green card stock leaves, the distress inks will not show up, so use the distress paints for this task.  Blend the paints before they dry, and dab some colors over each.  

Cut pieces from a Fall beaded garland and adhere around the card opening, as shown.  Add the leaves around and along the garland.  Here are a few closeups.

Supplies:
Burgundy card stock (7" x 10")
Light Peach card stock
Cream card stock
Marianne Design LR0236 die
Autumn Leaves rubber stamp (Serendipity Stamps)
Versamark ink pad
Gold embossing powder
Distress Ink Pads:  Peeled Paint, Vintage Photo, Dried Marigold, Mustard Seed
Distress Paint:  Peeled Paint, Ripe Persimmon, Rusty Hinge, Fired Brick
Fall beaded garland

And check out the other DT members for more inspiration~

Barbara

Cohenna

Cornelia

Daen'Ys

Donna N.

Donna T.

Dotty Jo

Em

Emily

Heather

Jane

Joni

Judy

Karen

Katy

Lilian

Linda

Lisa

Merethe

Michele

Monika

Mrs Duck

Pat

Rocky

Ruza

Shawna

Steph

Sue T.

Sue N.

Tammy

Toni

I hope you enjoyed my card this month and that I have been able to inspire and entice you to play along with us in this month's challenge, which can be seen by clicking here.

Thanks for stopping by, and please come back on the each week for MORE inspiration from this very talented Design Team!  We hope you join in the fun, too--please check out our House Rules HERE before linking up!  I can't wait to see your creations!

Barbara xo

House of Cards October 2015 Monthly Challenge: Add Texture and/or Color

Hello everyone, and welcome back to a new monthly challenge here at House of Cards.  I so enjoy seeing all the creations each month, not only from the design team, but also from you, the challenge participants.

This month's challenge is ...

OCTOBER 2015

Add texture &/or Color Challenge

While I certainly love texture, and I love these gorgeous Fall colors, I had no trouble working with this theme.  I was able to combine a bit of both in my Autumn Splendor card.  

I layered the print paper onto a dark green card base, and fussy cut the apples from the Apple Cider Orchard paper, layering with foam tape.  I adhered a ribbon, some burlap paper (for texture), and some acrylic leaves.  I also punched some leaves from olive green card stock, adding a bit of shimmer by touching them to the Delicate gold ink pad before arranging them around my apples.  Pretty simple, eh?
Supplies used:
Dark Green card stock
Olive Green card stock 
Autumn Splendor papers, ribbon, wooden tag (Making Memories)
Apple Cider Orchard 12x12 paper (Bo Bunny)
Burlap paper scraps
Ink Pads:  Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint, Delicata Gold
Black pen
Acrylic Maple Leaves (Hobby Lobby)
Glossy Accents
Fast Grab Tacky Glue
McGill leaf punch

I hope you enjoyed my card this month and that I have been able to inspire and entice you to play along with us in this month's challenge, which can be seen by clicking here..

Linking up with:

Simon Says Anything Goes
Seize the Birthday: Make Your Own Background
The Pink Elephant Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by, and please come back on the 3rd of the month for MORE inspiration from this very talented Design Team!  We hope you join in the fun, too--please check out our House Rules HERE before linking up!  I can't wait to see your creations!

Barbara xo

House of Cards September 2015 Monthly Challenge: Stitch It Up

Hello everyone, and welcome back to a new monthly challenge here at House of Cards.  I so enjoy seeing all the creations each month, not only from the design team, but also from you, the challenge participants.

This month's challenge is ...

SEPTEMBER 2015

Use Stitching (Faux or Real)

My card is fairly simple this month.  I used to do a lot of cross stitch and needlepoint, so I am familiar with a lot of different stitches. This came in might handy for my card this month.

I stamped the flowers onto white card and colored with markers. Then, I simply laid the card stock onto a soft surface, like fun foam, and pierced my holes for stitching along the stamped image.  

I used a die cut to make a frame (reddish pink paper) to go around my image, and the center part of the same frame was used to cut an opening (in the green print paper) for the stitched card to show through.  You can use any dies you may have that will fit around your stamped and stitched image.  

You can use whatever stitches you are familiar with.  I used a long stitch for the flower, and I made tiny french knots at the ends.  The green stems were done with a "stem" stitch.  

Now, do you remember these rub on dispensers from years ago?  If you don't have one somewhere in your stash that you've been hoarding, then you can make the faux stitches with a pen, making zig zag or broken straight lines.

But I had fun using this and, as you can see, the stitches did not always print out onto the paper, so I got broken stitches, which I actually liked.  I just thought it would be fun to show you this in case any of you still have one of these laying around, waiting for just the right moment, like NOW!  

I hope you enjoyed my card this month and that I have been able to inspire and entice you to play along with us in this month's challenge, which can be seen by clicking here.

Thanks for stopping by, and please come back on the September 3rd for MORE inspiration from this very talented Design Team!  We hope you join in the fun, too--please check out our House Rules HERE before linking up!  I can't wait to see your creations!

Barbara xo

House of Cards August 2015 Challenge: Metallics

Hello everyone, and welcome back to a new monthly challenge here at House of Cards.  I so enjoy seeing all the creations each month, not only from the design team, but also from you, the challenge participants.

This month's challenge is ...

AUGUST 2015

Word Cue Challenge

Here is my interpretation of metallics.  I decided to go with gold metallic card stock for the wings, and a shimmery white metallic card stock for the hearts.  I used the two colors of alcohol inks on the hearts because they are translucent and I knew they would keep the paper shimmery and metallic looking.  I also edged the print layer with silver embossing powder for some extra shine.

Here are the bits and pieces I used to make this simple, yet effective card.

Supplies used:

Kaisercraft Storyteller paper pad

Wheat card stock (to make A2 size card)

Sizzix Tipsy Hearts Originals die

McGill Angel Wings punch

White shimmer card stock (Paper Studio)

Gold metallic card stock

Adirondack alcohol inks:  Mountain Rose, Sunset Orange

Blending tool with felt

Brilliance Platinum Planet ink pad

Silver embossing powder

Cosmo Cricket Tiny Text Stickers

And check out the other DT members for more inspiration~

Barbara

Cohenna

Cornelia

Daen'Ys

Donna N.

Donna T.

Dotty Jo

Em
Emily

Gracie

Heather

Jane
Joni

Judy

Karen

Katy

Lilian

Linda

Lisa

Merethe

Michele

Monika

Mrs Duck

Pat

Rocky

Ruza

Shawna

Steph

Sue T.

Sue N.

Tammy
Toni

The DT cards will be showcased on the House of Cards blog throughout the month!

I hope you enjoyed my card this month and that I have been able to inspire and entice you to play along with us in this month's challenge, which can be seen by clicking here.

Thanks for stopping by, and please come back on the 3rd for MORE inspiration from this very talented Design Team!  We hope you join in the fun, too--please check out our House Rules HERE before linking up!  I can't wait to see your creations!

Barbara xo

House of Cards July 2015 Challenge - Food and/or Colors Challenge

Hello everyone, and welcome back to a new monthly challenge here at House of Cards.  I so enjoy seeing all the creations each month, not only from the design team, but also from you, the challenge participants.  

This month's challenge is ...

JULY 2015

Use a food image and/or Colors

I chose to use the color palette instead of foods for my card today.  

I love center step style cards because they stand up on their own for display, plus you get extra spaces for embellishing.  

I used a peach color card stock for my base, and a yellow card stock for the second layer.  The print paper I chose seemed to contain all of the colors shown in the palette, making it easy peasy to work with.  

The tag is a cut out from the paper pad, and the rest of the embellishments are from a set of pearlescent on clear acetate stickers.  I left the sticker liner on the two butterflies in the center, and adhered them to a couple strips of acetate before glueing them to the center portion, giving the impression they are in flight.

I stamped "Happiness Always" onto another yellow print scrap from the pad with Black Stazon.  Each of the print paper pieces were edged with the Chestnut Roan chalk ink before layering.  

And here is a closeup of each individual section.

  

Supplies used:

Kaisercraft 6.5"x6.5" Be-YOU-tiful paper pad

Cardstock: Peach, Yellow

Pearlescent butterfly/border stickers (Recollections)

Pearls and Gems (Hero Arts)

Chestnut Roan chalk ink

StazOn black ink

Happiness Always rubber stamp (Stampin' Up)

And check out the other DT members for more inspiration~

Barbara

Cohenna

Cornelia

Daen'Ys

Donna N.

Donna T.

Dotty Jo*

Em*

Emily

Gracie

Heather*

Jane*

Joni*

Judy

Karen*

Katy

Lilian

Linda

Lisa*

Merethe

Michele

Monika

Mrs Duck

Pat

Rocky

Ruza

Shawna*

Steph*

Sue T.

Sue N.*

Tammy

Toni

I hope you enjoyed my card this month and that I have been able to inspire and entice you to play along with us in this month's challenge, which can be seen by clicking here.

The DT cards will be showcased here throughout the month, 

PLUS WE ARE ADDING MORE TUTORIALS EACH MONTH,

 so stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by, and please come back on the 3rd for MORE inspiration from this very talented Design Team!  We hope you join in the fun, too--please check out our House Rules HERE before linking up!  I can't wait to see your creations!

Barbara xo