Calendar Girls Farewell

It is the 28th of the month and that is the day the Calendar Girls post.  So--I am posting, but I am also sad as this will be the last post for this group. We posted for four years and it has been a blast.  Wonderful Challenges--Great Fun--Sweet Creations--and Awesome Friendships!

We did not have a theme for this month and I am going back and choosing a favorite card from the past.  Yes, I think this group has been "Up to Snow Good" for the past four years.......................  Just kidding

Here is the inside of my card:

Here are a couple of other Christmas or Winter themed cards we have made in the past:

I am also posting the very first card I created in January of 2011 for this group:

 

 

This has been a great run the past four years.  I hope the other Calendar Girls have enjoyed the challenges every month and had fun creating the cards every month!

And, a special thanks to Jeanette for her idea in forming this group and trying to keep us in line all of these months......................

Please check out the blogs of all of the Calendar Girls—there may be some posts today about our group.  Thanks for joining us this month and for the past four years!  I will miss posting for this group!!!!!

The Calendar Girls Shop!

It is the 28th of the month, so I am here to welcome you to another round with the Calendar Girls! We are now well in our fourth year of posting and it has been a blast.  Wonderful Challenges--Great Fun--Sweet Creations--and Awesome Friendships!

Who are the Calendar Girls? We are a group of bloggers who want to have a place where friendships blossom, creativity abounds, and encouragement prevails! In keeping with that dream, this blog group has been created so we will have a place to interact and enjoy being fellow bloggers.  

Jeanette has been gone much of the month of November, so I tossed out an idea if we need a challenge theme for the month.  Jeanette then added some additional information when she came home and we now have a combo theme:

Barb’s IdeaIf we need a theme--can I toss this out? How about Shopping? The 28th is Black Friday--we can make a card about anything dealing with shopping--stamps, shoes, presents, dining, crowds, etc. Just a thought if there is nothing planned.

Jeanette’s Thoughts
Now, that is NOT to say we are to actually buy anything for our November CG project. Instead, we'll create cards (or whatever) that have a shopping type of theme. Tee Hee! I'm seeing all kinds of possibilities - including cards that would hold gift-cards for gift-giving, images of shopping-bag laden women, gifts under a Christmas tree, etc. This is going to be fun!
I have a few stamps related to shopping, so I thought that would be a perfect theme for Black Friday!  I also had some cute designer paper with designer purses in my stash--Bingo!  I am sure this sentiment will be shared often today!

 
Here is the inside of my card with another shopping sentiment!

 

I hope the other Calendar Girls like my card!  AND--they enjoyed a challenge or choice of challenges this month !

Image/Sentiment:  Too Much Fun Rubber Stamps-Busy Shopping; Inside of card Inky Antics-Credit Card and Too Much Fun Rubber Stamps-Shopping Bag

Cardstock/Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up Black, Blue Bijou; Gina K White, Red Hot; Imaginisce Purses

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Cherry Cobbler

Accessories:  White and Black Glitter Brads; Black Button with White Floss


Please check out the blogs of all of the Calendar Girls—there are 10 of us.  I am sure you will enjoy all the wonderful creations!  All of the blogs are listed on my left sidebar. Thanks for joining us this month.

Calendar Girls ~ Black Plus One!

It is the 28th of the month, so I am here to welcome you to another round with the Calendar Girls! We are now well in our fourth year of posting and it has been a blast.  Wonderful Challenges--Great Fun--Sweet Creations--and Awesome Friendships!

Who are the Calendar Girls? We are a group of bloggers who want to have a place where friendships blossom, creativity abounds, and encouragement prevails! In keeping with that dream, this blog group has been created so we will have a place to interact and enjoy being fellow bloggers.  I get to be the hostess this month and this was my challenge:

This month we are going to do a color challenge. Since this card will be posted a few days before Halloween, I challenge you to make a card using just two colors--Black and One Other Color. I also challenge you to try to not use white or ivory as a base for your image. If you do, it does not need to count as your second color--or it can...... Your card does not need to be a Halloween card--it can be for any occasion. Get your thinking caps on and limit your colors to just two!

Then--I also added a bit of clarification............. There was a question about the limit of two colors. Does that mean just the image, or does it include card base, paper, embellishments, etc.?

Yes--it means everything on your card can only be one of two colors--Black and something else. Your image can be stamped or printed on white or ivory if you want and that base does not count as one of the two colors--unless you wanted to go Black and White only. So all of your cardstock and any designer paper and any/all embellishments need to be one of the two colors you choose. Yes, this is thinking out of the box and I am guessing our markers will not be used this month! That is why it is called a "Challenge"!

I knew I wanted to do a Halloween card and I wanted black to be the main color.  I originally stamped and embossed the image on white cardstock, but it was to stark.  So, I tried stamped and embossed on Basic Gray and I liked the look.  So--my two colors are Black and Gray--just like the colors Jeanette posted in the directions I gave her when I sent the challenge.  I did not highlight the colors--she did and I followed her lead!  Yes, I did obey Jeanette........... shhhhhhh--do not tell her!

 

 
Here is the inside of my card, still saying with the black and gray colors only!

 

I hope the other Calendar Girls like my card!  AND--they enjoyed a challenge this month to stay true to two!

Image/Sentiment:  Stampabilities Flying Witch/Whipper Snapper Designs Good/Bad Witch Sentiment

Cardstock/Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up Basic Gray; Gina K White

Ink: Versamark; Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories:  SU Basic Gray Striped Satin Ribbon, Gray Brads, Black Embossing Folder; Cuttlebug Spider web Embossing Folder


Please check out the blogs of all of the Calendar Girls—there are 10 of us.  I am sure you will enjoy all the wonderful creations!  All of the blogs are listed on my left sidebar. Thanks for joining us this month.

Calendar Girls Challenge

It is the 28th of the month, so I am here to welcome you to another round with the Calendar Girls! We are now in our fourth year of posting and it has been a blast.  Wonderful Challenges--Great Fun--Sweet Creations--and Awesome Friendships!

Who are the Calendar Girls? We are a group of bloggers who want to have a place where friendships blossom, creativity abounds, and encouragement prevails! In keeping with that dream, this blog group has been created so we will have a place to interact and enjoy being fellow bloggers.  Terry is the hostess this month and she posted the following challenge:

I have recently (within 2 weeks time) had 3 friends lose parents. Very sad situations for all of them.

With that and the anniversary of 9-11 coming up I would like you all to create a Sympathy card.

Unfortunately, we will all need them at some point. It's a sad thought, but reality.

As an added challenge, I would like you all to share a memory of someone you lost and what that person did to change your life.

I inked up a couple older Gina K stamps that I have and they have never been used.  I really like the sentiment and know who I will send it to yet this year!

 
Here is the inside of my card: 

I hope Terry and the other Calendar Girls like my card!

Image/Sentiment—Gina K Not Forgotten-Flowers for Daisy

Cardstock/Patterned Paper—Stampin' Up So Saffron, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Tall Tales Designer Series Paper

Ink—Palette Burnt Umber; SU Old Olive

Accessories—SU Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Chocolate Chip Brads; Nestabilities Labels 4; Copic Markers

Please check out the blogs of all of the Calendar Girls—there are 10 of us.  I am sure you will enjoy all the wonderful creations!  All of the blogs are listed on my left sidebar. Thanks for joining us this month.

Punch Art Birthday Present

It is the 28th of the month, so I am here to welcome you to another round with the Calendar Girls! We are now in our fourth year of posting and it has been a blast.  Wonderful Challenges--Great Fun--Sweet Creations--and Awesome Friendships!

Who are the Calendar Girls? We are a group of bloggers who want to have a place where friendships blossom, creativity abounds, and encouragement prevails! In keeping with that dream, this blog group has been created so we will have a place to interact and enjoy being fellow bloggers.  Paola is the hostess this month and she posted the following challenge:

For the month of August, I would like to challenge everyone to embrace the PUNCH ART tecnique...yup, dust off your punches Ladies!
PLease feel free to use a stamped sentiment of your choice , but the main focus is being creative, using punches .

Have FUN creating Girls, can't wait to see what inspired you...

I went with a familiar punch art project I did a few years ago.  I love this birthday card, shaped as a present, with all of the loops of "ribbon" on the top!

 
Here is the inside of my card: 

 

I hope Paola and the other Calendar Girls like my Punch Art card!

Image/Sentiment—Stampin' Up--Birthdays

Cardstock/Patterned Paper—SU Rose Red, Pink Pirouette

Ink—SU Rose Red

Accessories—SU Rose Red Satin Ribbon, Oval Punches, Tag Punch, Polka Dot and Stripes Embossing Folder

Please check out the blogs of all of the Calendar Girls—there are 10 of us.  I am sure you will enjoy all the wonderful creations!  All of the blogs are listed on my left sidebar. Thanks for joining us this month.

Flight of the Butterfly

It is the 28th of the month, so I am here to welcome you to another round with the Calendar Girls! We are now in our fourth year of posting and it has been a blast.  Wonderful Challenges--Great Fun--Sweet Creations--and Awesome Friendships!

Who are the Calendar Girls? We are a group of bloggers who want to have a place where friendships blossom, creativity abounds, and encouragement prevails! In keeping with that dream, this blog group has been created so we will have a place to interact and enjoy being fellow bloggers.  Linda is the hostess this month and she posted the following challenge

For the July theme--let's make it Butterflies!

Anything with a butterfly. Any Theme.  They are so beautiful for every occasion and mean so much to me.  Thanks!

I used a few butterflies--a favorite Stampin' Up stamp and some cute patterned paper.  
 
Here is the inside of my card: 

 

I hope Linda and the other Calendar Girls like my card!

Image/Sentiment—Stampin' Up Flight of the Butterfly

Cardstock/Patterned Paper—Gina K Ivory; SU Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz; Echo Park Paper Flutter Patterned Paper 

Ink—SU Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight

Accessories—SU Flower Brad, Daffodil Delight 1/2" Seam Binding, Butterfly Punch, Polka Dot Embossing Folder

Please check out the blogs of all of the Calendar Girls—there are 10 of us.  I am sure you will enjoy all the wonderful creations!  All of the blogs are listed on my left sidebar. Thanks for joining us this month.

Calendar Girls "Calendar" Card

It is the 28th of the month, so I am here to welcome you to another round with the Calendar Girls! We are now in our fourth year of posting and it has been a blast.  Wonderful Challenges--Great Fun--Sweet Creations--and Awesome Friendships!

Who are the Calendar Girls? We are a group of bloggers who want to have a place where friendships blossom, creativity abounds, and encouragement prevails! In keeping with that dream, this blog group has been created so we will have a place to interact and enjoy being fellow bloggers.  Deb is the hostess this month and she posted the following challenge

Since we are the CALENDAR Girls I was thinking we should make cards that reflect the months of the year or days of the week.

I found these sayings about a few of the months:

Slow as Molasses in January
January Brings a New Year
Beware the Ides of March (William Shakespeare "Julius Caesar")
March, In Like a Lion Out Like a Lamb
April Showers Bring May Flowers
June is Bustin' Out All Over (Oscar Hammerstein)
July Fireflies Bring August Skies
September Leaves Gives Chance for October Scares

And here are some yearly days of the week.:

Fat Tuesday
Black Friday
Good Friday
Palm Sunday

So the challenge is to make a card that reflects your interpretation of one of the above sayings about the months or one of the four listed days. (Maybe you know another saying about months of the year you like. You can use that saying.)

In your blog post let us know what saying or day your card reflects.

I went with Fat Tuesday and grabbed a Penny Black stamp that puts a smile on my face every time I see it!  Yes, this cow is a bit fat, but she is trying to see how much weight she has gained this summer, grazing in the pasture.

 

 
Here is the inside of my card: 

Now, I am not sure I would send this card to anyone who is actually on a diet or working hard to lose weight--but I might think about it!

I hope Deb and the other Calendar Girls like my "Calendar" card!

Image/Sentiment—Penny Black Utterly Fabulous/Stampin' Up Express Yourself

Cardstock—Gina K White and Black; Reminisce Cow Print Patterned Paper 

Ink—Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories—Copic Markers; White Button Brads; Black Grosgrain Ribbon

Please check out the blogs of all of the Calendar Girls—there are 10 of us.  I am sure you will enjoy all the wonderful creations!  All of the blogs are listed on my left sidebar. Thanks for joining us this month.

Gone Fishing

It is the 28th of the month, so I am here to welcome you to another round with the Calendar Girls! We are now in our fourth year of posting and it has been a blast.  Wonderful Challenges--Great Fun--Sweet Creations--and Awesome Friendships!

Who are the Calendar Girls? We are a group of bloggers who want to have a place where friendships blossom, creativity abounds, and encouragement prevails! In keeping with that dream, this blog group has been created so we will have a place to interact and enjoy being fellow bloggers.  April is the hostess this month and she posted the following challenge

Well, it is May and I always like to honor my father this month.  So, to celebrate him (and fathers every where) let us make a masculine celebratory card with any SCS sketch that ends in 25 (the year he was born).  Please let us know which sketch you used and a memory of a special man in your life!


I checked out the four sketches on SCS that end in the number 25.  I went with the first one, #25

 

I then decided to check out my favorite stamp company, Whipper Snapper, to see what might work with this.  I found the perfect image and the idea was born.  I think all of the elements go well together--from the embossing folder, to the brad & ribbon and finally the sentiment in the inside.

 
Here is the inside of my card: 

The special man in my life would be my dad or my brother.  My dad loved to fish, but as a farmer, he never really retired as he lived and worked on his farm until the day he died.  But--he promised to take us fishing if we finished whatever chores were current when I was growing up on the farm--picking stones, baling hay, etc.  My two nephews still remember those promises and we laugh about them as we rarely did go fishing!  My brother is a retired teacher and spent many summer vacations fishing in northern Wisconsin.  He is the dad of those two nephews, so he too had some of those same days working on the farm............ Great Memories of times with a rod and real with both of them!

I hope April and the other Calendar Girls like my Masculine Sketch!

Image/Sentiment—Whipper Snapper Fishing Chicken/Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes

Cardstock—Gina K White; SU Old Olive, So Saffron and Sahara Sand

Ink—Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories—Copic Markers; Cuttlebug Chicken Wire Embossing Folder; Gone Fishing Brad; Fishing Ribbon; SU Punches

Please check out the blogs of all of the Calendar Girls—there are 10 of us.  I am sure you will enjoy all the wonderful creations!  All of the blogs are listed on my left sidebar. Thanks for joining us this month.

Calendar Girls Flowers

If you are looking for my Melonheadz Challenge card, please scroll up.

 

It is the 28th of the month, so I am here to welcome you to another round with the Calendar Girls! We are now in our fourth year of posting and it has been a blast.  Wonderful Challenges--Great Fun--Sweet Creations--and Awesome Friendships!

Who are the Calendar Girls? We are a group of bloggers who want to have a place where friendships blossom, creativity abounds, and encouragement prevails! In keeping with that dream, this blog group has been created so we will have a place to interact and enjoy being fellow bloggers.  Carol is the hostess this month and she posted the following challenge

For the challenge this month, I thought quite a bit about the challenge. As you know, we will be posting after Easter so with that in mind I thought I'd do a Mothers Day challenge. When I was a child my mom would encourage my dad to get little carnation corsages in pink or red for each of us girls and mom to wear to church on Mothers Day. According to her (and the intranet), if a woman's mother was alive the females in the family would don a red or pink flower (mostly carnations, but not a rule) and if her mom had passed, the female would wear a white flower, and would visit the grave of her mom and place a white carnation on her grave. My mom's dad would do this when she was a child and mom loved the tradition. What I would like you to do this month is create a card or project using the color that would describe your mom. As an extra I would like for you to share a special memory of your mom from when you were little (if you are comfortable with that) so we can learn a bit about the wonderful ladies who raised such beautiful paper crafters... 

I do have quite a few stamps with flowers and debated between two.  One had Iris flowers on it and this one with Lily of the Valley.  My mom had both of those flowers around the house  where I was raised and I loved and still enjoy both of them.  However, I went with this image as we have some Lily of the Valley growing at our house that came from my mom's garden. It is one of the spring flowers I look forward to seeing pop through the ground and bloom.  Plus, they are white, which reflect back on Carol's challenge.  I also added some glimmer glitter in the middle of the embossed flowers honor of Carol--our glitter queen!  I used my yellow Wink of Stella glitter pen, which has been used very little since I bought them a few months ago.  I also fussy cut the image, which I rarely do--though I admire it on many of the cards that my Calendar Girls create!

 
Here is the inside of my card: 

Image/Sentiment—Sparkle 'n Sprinkle Lily of the Valley

Cardstock—Gina K White; Stampin' Up Old Olive, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Petals & Paisley Designer Series Paper

Ink—Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories—Yellow Brads; Copic Markers; SU Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder; Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Pen

Please check out the blogs of all of the Calendar Girls—there are 10 of us.  I am sure you will enjoy all the wonderful creations!  All of the blogs are listed on my left sidebar. Thanks for joining us this month.

Calendar Girls Challenge!

If you are looking for my Christmas Stamping All Year Long card, please scroll up--thanks!

 

It is the 28th of the month, so I am here to welcome you to another round with the Calendar Girls! We are now in our fourth year of posting and it has been a blast.  Wonderful Challenges--Great Fun--Sweet Creations--and Awesome Friendships!

Who are the Calendar Girls? We are a group of bloggers who want to have a place where friendships blossom, creativity abounds, and encouragement prevails! In keeping with that dream, this blog group has been created so we will have a place to interact and enjoy being fellow bloggers.  Tami is the hostess this month and she posted the following challenge

Oh girls, we are going to create a card this month! I thought of a few things that might keep us busy for March.

Did you know that March used to be the first month of the year on the Roman calendar? It was changed to the third month by Julius Caesar. The calendar we use today is refined from the Julius to the Gregorian. Sadly, we only gained like the wee bit of a percentage of more time to craft with the change! In theme of the original first month, let's use one button on your card.

Let's make a card based on a sketch. I saw this sketch:

and wanted to use it at some point. It's time!

Speaking of Romans, purple is the color of the day. Please use the color purple on your card somewhere. Purple was worn by Roman Emperors and magistrates. It is also the color worn by those cute little ladies you see out lunching together, wearing purple and red and a bunch of hats!

Since history was after lunch for me in high school, I really had to put my 'dig deep to remember' thinking cap on for this one! Here are the CliffsNotes: one button, use the sketch and purple somewhere on your card.

Hope you have fun! I cannot wait to see what you create!

OK--so I went with a Melonheadz image that I thought was perfect for all components of the challenge--one button, purple and the sketch!

 

 
Here is the inside of my card: 

Image/Sentiment—Melonheadz Easter Egg Hunt Girl; Stampin' Up Warm Words

Cardstock—Gina K White; SU So Saffron, Elegant Eggplant; TPC Studio Happy Spring-Multi Dot Patterned Paper

Ink—SU Elegant Eggplant

Accessories—Button with Floss
 

I am entering this card in the Deconstructed Sketch Challenge.

Please check out the blogs of all of the Calendar Girls—there are 10 of us.  I am sure you will enjoy all the wonderful creations!  All of the blogs are listed on my left sidebar. Thanks for joining us this month.

Calendar Girls ~ I love Hawaii

It is the 28th of the month, so I am here to welcome you to another round with the Calendar Girls! We are now in our fourth year of posting and it has been a blast.  Wonderful Challenges--Great Fun--Sweet Creations--and Awesome Friendships!

Who are the Calendar Girls? We are a group of bloggers who want to have a place where friendships blossom, creativity abounds, and encouragement prevails! In keeping with that dream, this blog group has been created so we will have a place to interact and enjoy being fellow bloggers.  Kelly is the hostess this month and she posted our challenge---and quite a challenge it was.... .

This is what Kelly wrote:
February's Challenge is Fancy Schmancy Fabulous Fabric!

That’s right – we’re getting fancy this month with .... Fabric!  I thought we’d shake things up a bit and try something we haven’t done before and create with fabric – fabric scraps – fabric flowers, panels, and/or the whole card! Think flowers, trees, houses, even holiday ornaments, etc –  the choice is yours BUT ....
You cannot stamp your cards this month!

You may use a sentiment as a compliment to your card but the fabric (or fabric ‘element’) must be the focal point of your card.

You can do this, ladies! No sewing required! Glue, glue dots, Aileens, etc ...
show us your fancy, your schmancy, your fabulous fabric cards!

I thought of this challenge before and during our trip to Hawaii earlier this month.  While we were on the Big Island, we were shopping in the stores in Captain Cook, a few miles from our rental house.  We stopped in a fabric store as we admired the bolts of wonderful fabric from the window.  While browsing, we (well--Rebecca) thought that we would get some fabric to take home so I (remember, that was Rebecca's thought) can make a table runner and placemats as an island memory.  We did get fabric--and that is a plan for a future project!  However, I spied a basket of fat quarters sitting on the counter when I was waiting to check out.  This month's challenge came back to me and I thought maybe I could create a card using some of the wonderful tropical fabrics, direct from Hawaii.  I picked five different fabrics and used 4 of them to create bright banners on my card. 

 

 
Here is the inside of my card: 

Sentiment—Stampin' Up Wonderful Words

Cardstock—SU Basic Black, Island Indigo, Certainly Celery, Whisper White; Pebbles Waterfront-Party Patterned Paper

Ink—SU Island Indigo

Accessories—Sunglasses Brad

Please check out the blogs of all of the Calendar Girls—there are 10 of us.  I am sure you will enjoy all the Fancy Fabric Creations!  All of the blogs are listed on my left sidebar. Thanks for joining us this month