MTTC challenge blog DT project for 8 Jan 2021 with Thank You theme

 Welcome to Becca's Heart for Creativity blog! My artsy-crafty heart has made a decision to do my best to include either heart-shape or word 'love' or 'heart' for every card I make in 2021. 2020 wasn't too overly filled with trauma and drama as compared to the previous 2-3 years prior but with all the government restrictions affecting shopping, eating out, and school attendance related to Covid-19, I believe all my friends and family need a little visual reminder that they are loved this year.

My Time to Craft (MTTC) challenge blog is starting the new year with the theme "Thank You". That's a good one following a week or so of receiving Christmas gifts. MTTC's challenges are for 2 weeks/fortnight, so #448 =January 8-21. The next fortnight challenge starts on January 22. Make sure to participate! Use the link listed below to take you to MTTC blog site and learn about guidelines for submissions and to see what the other DT members have made.

Sketch layout comparisons (refer to 2010 card photo further down in this posting)= brackets and bracketed-frames replace the decorative punching and stenciled flourishes; yellow (sunflower) paper doily holes and texture replace the decorative edging on the lavender focal paper; sentiment is in same location; 

MTTC link= http://mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com/2021/01/challenge-448-thank-you.html

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My personal creative challenge this year is to take a card layout from 2010 or 2011 to copy-cat in 2021. This card was downloaded by me on 3/23/2010 for my sister's anniversary. I used lots of tools and techniques like decorative-edged scissors, decorative punch, stencils for heart and flourishes, date stamper, and word-processing for the sentiment:

A 2nd personal creative challenge in 2021 is to include a heart-shape and/or word(s) 'heart' or 'love' on every card I make this year. After a stressful 2020, all my friends and family need visual reminders that they are loved by me. 

My Thank You card shown up above has some little hearts made with marker and then topped with glitter paint pens.

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other challenge blogs and Facebook groups where the card photo or this posting link will be shared:

a. Use Your Stuff challenge blog; 1st challenge for 2021; use new item; the bracket and frames (stickers) are recent purchase; Webster's Pages products 

link= http://useyourstuff.blogspot.com/2021/01/413-all-about-new.html

b. Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges; 1st challenge for 2021; Anything Goes (using paper); 

link= http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.com/2021/01/pennys-challenge-487.html

c. Mixed Media Creativity group in FB; a sharing group for artists and crafters; mediums used were=

d. Paper, Paper, Paper, and Design Team Calls group in FB; a sharing site for crafting bloggers, DT members, and blog owners

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Crafting in the USA heartland, Becca S

Design Team member for these teams: [1] My Time to Craft; [2] My Time to Craft Christmas; NEW on 1/15/2021; [3] A Place to Start; and [4] Createful Heart Designs

APTS challenge blog DT project Jan 2021 Anything Goes theme

 Welcome to Becca's Heart for Creativity blog! My artsy-craftsy heart craves time to be creative! Doesn't yours? A Place To Start (APTS) challenge blog is starting the new year 2021 with anything goes as the first month's theme. This gives you unlimited possibilities of the type of greeting card or paper-crafting project you would like to submit!--new baby, new home, new year, thanks, birthday, anniversary, and hundreds of others!

APTS challenge blog; January 4, 2021 is start date (first Monday of each month)

Anything Goes theme; look further down the posting to see the card photo from 2010 that I've gone back to copy-cat the layout=

Design notes:

1. square white card base and matching envelope = old; in my stash for many years

2. heart stencil sheet = by Jot; purchased at Dollar Tree

3. purple acrylic paint tube and sponge dauber brush = purchased at Dollar Tree

4. rhinestone style gem dots = old; in my stash for years

5. color-blocked striped washi tape = from a planner stationery set (Pen + Gear=?)

6. cross-hatch hearts, "Thanks", and heart with sentiment = cut from upcycled card purchased in notecard set at Dollar Tree

7. text print cardstock = I think this is My Mind's Eye; available from American Crafts; I obtained in it in an order from Peachy Cheap website/newsletter

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APTS' challenge blog design team (DT) badge=

APTS' link= https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2021/01/january-2021-challenge-1-anything-goes.html

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As a personal challenge, I'm going to go back to 2010 or 2011 and picking out an old card to copy-cat the layout. The download said this was April 5, 2010=

Similarities include: square; lots of text print; arch of shapes; accent lines at bottom left and top right

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other challenges and groups where this card and/or posting will be shared=

a. 613 Avenue to Create challenge blog; month-long; Anything Goes

link= https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2021/01/challenge-1-january-2021-anything-goes.html

b. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends challenge blog; started 1/3/2021; Anything Goes

link= http://lilpatchofcraftyfriends.blogspot.com/2021/01/c149-6th-birthday-celebration.html

d. Mixed Media Creativity group in FB; sharing group of artists and crafters; different mediums included were paint; stenciling; crystal dots; different cardstocks, patterned paper, and paper tape

e. Paper, Paper, Paper & Design Team Calls group in FB; sharing group of crafting bloggers, DT members, and blog owners

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Crafting in the USA heartland, Becca S

Design Team member of [1] A Place To Start; [2] Createful Heart Designs; [3] My Time to Craft; and [4] My Time to Craft Christmas (new in 2021)

Flowers Theme Challenge starting 6 July 2020 for APTS blog

Welcome to Becca's Heart for Creativity blog! I'm very thankful to live in the USA! My parents and grandparents put a strong love bond into me for this country. Our 200+ years have had its ups and downs but overall it has been a wonderful country for me to live in for the past 57 years. I am looking forward to what's ahead.

I was born on Flag Day and even represented Betsy Ross for my 8th grade class during our school's Bicentennial celebrations back in '76. (Yea!!!)

This card is for my high school co-valedictorian niece! Instead of doing school colors, I thought I'd go with a spring floral theme and soft muted pastel colors. She always makes me think of pretty pastel flowers when I hear her name mentioned. {APTS blog= flowers theme for July; floral papers, floral stamping, floral die-cuts, etc.}

Congratulations card for July 2020 APTS blog=

APTS blog July 2020 posting link=
https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2020/07/july-2020-challenge-flowers-flowers.html

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Products for card were part of my kit I collated out my stash to copy cat the June 2020 selected inspiration kit at Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog:

Above: the pale green washi tape, light pink gems, clear gems, and butterflies
Below: the card base w/ background floral paper is waiting to be used; the recycled packaging from My Mind's Eye got shuffled under and isn't seen in this photo

Below: this photo shows the corner of the card base and the left side of the packaging which was partially used on a pretty layout; the 'border' strip for the top area of this card is covered up

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other challenge blogs and Facebook groups

a. CKC Community group on Facebook & blog's link to the the last June challenge:
http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/06/june-2020-killing-kit-series.html

b. Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges;
link: http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.com/2020/06/pennys-challenge-474.html

c. Mixed Media Creativity group on Facebook; cardstocks, floral patterned paper, glossy cardstock recycled packaging used as a border, crystal gems; foil butterflies; word 'dazzle' in white; washi tape
(Dazzles are available from Paper Wishes website; a mixed occasion set is what I have that has different color sheets in the set: white, black, copper, gold, silver)

d. Paper, Paper, Paper & Design Team Calls group on Facebook


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Crafting in the USA heartland,
Becca S

only on 3 design teams (DT) now:
a. APTS blog
b. MTTC blog
c. 52 CCT blog

MTTC blog no 435 Coloring on Kraft Paper technique challenge starts 26 June 2020

Welcome to Becca's Heart for Creativity blog! Oh, mylanta! This new challenge had me a bit stumped and I procrastinated almost too long! ugh...I've printed on kraft paper a few times before but I think it has been for autumn harvest themes. However I'm way overdue to send an anniversary card to my nephew so that started a search before suppertime to look in my saved freebie images folder for something appropriate for a wedding anniversary. #435 Coloring on Kraft Paper technique challenge at My Time To Craft challenge blog starts on June 26 for a fortnight.

Hence this jigsaw puzzle heart filled with coloring pencils in 3 shades of blue, gray, and several variations of pinks and mauve/raspberry tones. The 3 patterned papers were part of scrapbooking kit for June 2020 for CKC as well as some of the embellishments.

I'm debating about personalizing this before I mail it. But enough analysis, here's the debut of:

You two fit together like pieces in a puzzle card:

#435 MTTC blog post link= http://mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/06/challenge-435-colouring-on-kraft.html
*Note: another DT member prepared blog post an hour earlier or so than our deadline; so my card photo should get edited in sometime on June 26th. There are time zone variations within the team. I'm in the central USA and others are in England and elsewhere.....

Isn't this such a lovely card?!!?! It's a one base layer card (sky blue cardstock 5" x 7") and I love the haphazard placement along with the color repetition!!!

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the scrapbooking kit that I put together for CKC blog for this month of June had the 3 patterned paper:
*mosaic tile print and the small text print papers are from My Mind's Eye
*the large love text print paper is from Webster Pages
*the puffy hearts and stars were put into my kit (and I think they are from CTMH) and are visible in the first photo shown here:

The mosaic tile looking patterned paper is just visible in the above photo between the black and white buffalo check paper and a solid mauve/dusty rose paper on the right side.

The small print text patterned paper and large love text patterned paper are very visible in these different views of the papers I selected to be in my copy cat kit. I've made 1 notebook size layout, 2 traveler notebook layouts, and I think at least 4 cards with my June kit! And I've still got papers and embellishments left!!!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog June's Just for the Gist of it posting=
link=
https://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/06/june-2020-just-gist-of-it.html

and CKC's Community group on Facebook

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other blogs and Facebook groups where you will see this card:

a. Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges blog; #474; Anything Goes as long as its paper-based
link= http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.com/2020/06/pennys-challenge-474.html

b. Mixed Media Creativity group on Facebook;

c. Paper, Paper, Paper & Design Team Calls group on Facebook;

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Crafting in the USA heartland,
Becca S

Design Team member:
1. My Time To Craft
2. A Place To Start
3. 52 Christmas Card Throwdown

Guest Designer for Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog for June 2020

TCCC blog no 245 Things with Wings theme challenge starts 15 June 2020

Welcome to Becca's Heart for Creativity blog!! My heart's sad to relay that this will be my last DT commitment for The Crafter's Cafe Challenge Blog!!! It's been a tough decision but personal, professional, and crafting/blogging commitments have been a bit crazy for awhile and I need to free up some time in my weeks ahead. For the last 6-7 months I've been on 5 design teams of challenge blogs and while there were several different deadline commitments sometimes personal issue or teaching assignments/grading collided with those. So I'm actually quitting 2 of the 5...but enough of that. Onto happier stuff...

TCCC blog #245 Things with Wings theme challenge
2 sponsors: Dr. Digi's House of Stamps (I'm using his "Octavia the Ostrich" digital image) and
Scribbles Designs Challenges

Keep Your Head Up! card=

Link= https://crafterscafeblogchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/06/245-june-15th-things-with-wings.html

Prize and DT's digital images sponsors' address links are located on TCCC's blog posting so make sure to check that out. Also take a look to see what images the other DT members are using and how they were inspired to use them.

Some more cropped scanned pics of the card:

The ostrich digital image was printed on a creamy cardstock and then I reduced the circle stencil I had by about 3/8" so that I could get a bit of a margin of base card visible. It's outer edge was distressed and inked bright blue. The circle was lifted up with round adhesive foam tabs.

The alphas are from Webster Pages. I debated about whether or not to use the gray for the word 'head' and then decided to do it but still thought they didn't contrast enough against that checkered paper. So I used a bright blue marker to fill in the openings and then put a gold glitter paint on top which gives a green/teal look.

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Other challenge blogs and/or Facebook groups where this card's photo or posting will be shared=

a. Mixed Media Creativity group in FB; papers/cardstocks; lettering; accents like gem dots and glitter flower; ink/glitter paint; digital technology & printing

b. Paper, Paper, Paper & Design Team Calls group in FB

c. Not Just Cards challenge blog; June 2020 monthly challenge started 11th; anything goes theme
link= http://notjustcardschallenges.blogspot.com/2020/06/june-challenge-please-leave-in-draft.html

d. CKC blog and FB community group; I used several elements from my June copy-cat scrapping kit to make this card (dotted patterned paper; checkered patterned paper; peachy-orange glitter flower accent; the gem dots used as the center of the glitter flower)

CKC blog link/most recent posting: http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/06/june-2020-challenge-1.html

CKC's June inspirational kit came from a curate collection called "Wonderful World" from CLIQUE Kits=

2 snapshots from my copy-cat kit for June 2020 CKC that I titled "Nature's Splendor in Petals and Wings" (I was thinking more butterfly wings rather than Ostrich wings!!!)

Above: the peachy/yellow/orage glitter flowers are next to some blue/teal ones; the gem dots are under the puffy stickers but mostly got cropped out and hidden

Below: several papers with browns and blacks were added in order to help ground the kit's color palette; so I chose to use that dotted paper and the checkerboard paper from the kit to contrast with the vivid blue for the card base and the light creamy off-white cardstock for the image focal

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Crafting in the USA heartland,
Becca S

last DT commitment for TCCC blog...Thanks Cass and Alex along with the other DT members for being a wonderful creative group of encouraging crafter/bloggers!!!

CKC Blog June 2020 Kit Challenge no 1 Wonderful World contribution as a GD

Welcome to Becca's Heart for Creativity blog! My heart is overflowing this month! Not only is it my birthday time but I'm having the honor to be the Guest Designer for Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog!!! As a GD I've had an early alert to the inspiration kit and what this challenge #1 entails.

CKC's Master Forger, Tara, is the hostess this month and she selected CLIQUE Kit's March 2020 "Wonderful World" curated collection for the inspirational kit for participants to copy-cat from their stockpiles! When I think of wonderful world my mind always goes first to God's beautiful earthly creations, especially to flowers and butterflies. These are two of my favorites and are seen in my layouts and cards quite a lot!!! Even my June kit I've titled "Nature's Splendor in Petals and Wings" as a verbal nod to flowers and butterflies.

Luckily CLIQUE also put a lot of floral print papers and gorgeous embellishments into the kit along with lots of butterfly die-cuts.

My Challenge #1 layout is titled "Splendor". It turns out that several of the papers I included in my kit were from My Mind's Eye "Splendor" kit collection from a couple of years ago. I saved the marketing/cover page and their title got fussy cut out to become my title! :) Ingenious!! And then the far left strip on the layout is part of the sample section off that marketing cover page that can be seen in one of my kit photos I'm including in this post. Isn't that brilliant??!!!

The base is one of my forgery pages that started out as a pale yellow cardstock. Since doing the stenciling and outlining, I applied some eye shadow makeup (YES!!) with a sponge dauber to tone down the yellow a smidgen. The multi-shade palette had mica powder/glittery teals, amethysts, and metallic golds and bronzes, so I combined those to fill in some of that open space. Also the inspirational kit had lots of artist watercolor painting like papers, so I was hoping the make-up swirls would give my attempt at a forgery some of that look....

"Splendor" layout from "Nature's Splendor in Petals and Wings"--

Some of my June 2020 copy-cat kit photos (go back a week or so in my blog archives to find the posting about making the kit and see photos of the inspirational kit)=

Above: from some of my embellishments seen in the above photo, I pulled out 2 washi tapes to use, the foil butterflies, used the right half of those cut-apart images (Webster Pages), and the pocket/journal card in black and white is seen above those cut-apart panel.

Below: the marketing cover page from My Mind's Eye's "Splendor" was included in my kit and is seen next to that large "love" text paper ANT the yellow forgery floral paper is seen in the right corner of the photo tucked in between the green and pink versions.

I love re-purposing and recycling so using parts of that marketing cover page is like a huge WIN!

I was anxious to get the layout scanned and forgot to add in any captioning or journaling. But I did a TN layout for this same blog using the same kit for June 4th and the tulips/flowers were photographed  at the same time as the lilacs seen in the TN. Most of these flowers were already part of the landscaping of a foreclosure property we bought in 2005. Due to some structural work needed in the basement, we didn't move in until Summer 2006 and lived there until Fall of 2011. The landscaped beds hadn't been touched for several years, so when my hubs didn't need my assistance at the basement, I spent a lot of hours raking and weeding as well as analyzing what I could identify that was already there. These flower garden photos were probably taken sometime after 2007.

The columns of gems and butterflies are not quite a rainbow but the inspirational kit had several versions of rainbows included so I wanted to get this aspect of the kit onto my layout page. They've almost overwhelmed the cropped snapshots but I'm thinking these just reinforce the meaning of "Splendor" and "Wonderful World"

Oh! What a beautiful world God has given us! I know there is a lot of ugliness in the world but it's not due to the Creator. It's due to the disrespect and abusive actions of some humans. Let's focus on the beauty.

Two different locations for the purple tulips planted on the west side of this featured property we used to own are the focals for this layout. They are the beauty I wanted to share from this Wonderful World's Splendor!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog=

June 12th link: https://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/06/june-2020-challenge-1.html

June 1st link: https://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/06/june-2020-counterfeit-kit-challenge-kit.html


This blog post will also be shared at these:
a. CKC's community group in Facebook

b. Mixed Media Creativity group in Facebook

c. Paper, Paper, Paper, & Design Team Calls group in Facebook

d. additional possibles: Bash Your Scrapbook Stash and/or 100 Pattern Paper Challenge groups in Facebook and/or Scrap Academy

e. The Paper Funday Challenges blog; June anything goes w/ optional twist of masculine; this is just an anything goes paper-crafted creation
link= http://paperfundaychallenges.blogspot.com/2020/06/june-2020-challenge-18-anything-goes.html


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Crafting in the USA heartland,
Becca S

MTTC blog no 434 Summertime Theme challenge DT card

Welcome to Becca's Heart for Creativity blog! My heart's been overflowing with artsy-crafty happiness this month and especially with this project that was made from start to finish in 1 hour!!! Yes! From folding the sheet of bold yellow cardstock to make the base (5" x 7") and trimming a bit off 2 sides of the dotted paper (4.5" x 6.5") to be the background (my pseudo speckled sand!!!) Continue reading to see how I made my DT project for My Time To Craft blog's #434 Summertime theme challenge:

I utilized my June scrapping kit for about half of the items (dotted paper, 2 washi tapes, some of the glittery flowers, and gem dots). The rest were close by so I didn't have to go hunting or anything. The pineapple in the lower left corner started as a pale wood die-cut. I took a brown colored pencil to make some cross-hatch type lines to give some visual textural look and also added a few to the leaves. The leaves did have a few cut lines but I decided to add a few more. Glitter paint pens in Christmas green and Golden yellow help to continue the glitter and shine. The thin script lettering stickers (from Webster Pages) were sage green and a light mauve pink but didn't seem to offer enough contrast. So more glitter paint to the rescue!!! Christmas red is actually over the mauve pink but to me it looks about the same as the bright pinks.

And the scanner doesn't give due justice to the colors of the glitter flowers!!! Above the wooden pineapple, the largest flower closest to the leaves is actually orange!!! On top of it is a pink flower, not lavender!! And the large one next to that is actually a yellow-orange!!! And then next to the pineapple pop-up style stick-on is a little orange glitter flower next to the sage/moss green one....

Summer Wishes

link to #434= http://mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/05/challenge-434-summertime.html

Several recent projects have had one washi tape placed on top of a 2nd patterned one and I repeated that technique here. Why take up more 'real estate' than I have to???!!!? This way, I use more elements from my June scrapping kit (i.e. more of my gigantic stash!) and I get more color and patterns on the card front! Win-Win!!! Oh! more summer tropical accents, too!!!

Oh!, how I love this cheery vibrant card!!! This might be a 'just because' kind thinking of you card. Everyone deserves some happy mail once in awhile!

Too cute! Pineapples have been a trendy motif for a couple of years now. FACS teachers love using the pineapple as a shape motif symbol for decorating their classrooms because it's been the symbol for hospitality since sailing ships' captains from Europe discovered the Caribbean and other tropical islands and brought the highly prized prickly yet deliciously sweet fruit back to their homes. Many of the first captains actually skewered them to their front gate to tell their home townspeople that the captain was home. And then I imagine there must have been a captain who didn't have a gate around his house so his fruit must have gone on the door! European royalty and their wealthy lords and ladies began prizing them because they were proof to their visitors that they were sharing their wealth with them at the dinner table.

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The June scrapping kit was made for CKC blog's prompt/theme to copy-cat their inspirational selected kit (June's is "Wonderful World" from CLIQUE Kits).

Link= https://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/06/june-2020-counterfeit-kit-challenge-kit.html

This link is for their June 1st reveal and blog hop. There were posts on June 4th & 6th & challenge 1 on the 12th. There will be another challenge, a showcase for a follower, and a feature called "Killing It"  that gives ideas for how to use all the remaining bits and pieces from your kit during the last half of June.

CKC has a community group in Facebook and I'll share this card there, too.

Here's 1 photo of the inspirational kit and 2 pics of my June kit:

Above: the dark green washi tape can be seen and the white with teal 'blobs' micro-thin one might be on the edge of the photo. I had lots of embellishments this time!!!

Below: the dotted patterned paper is seen underneath a scrap piece of creamy yellow and white chevron patterned cardstock

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A few more places where this darling card's photo or this blog post will be shared=

a. The Paper Funday Challenges blog; June anything goes w/ optional twist of masculine; mine is sort of gender neutral but will just submit as an anything goes creation
link= http://paperfundaychallenges.blogspot.com/2020/06/june-2020-challenge-18-anything-goes.html

b. Mixed Media Creativity group in Facebook

c. Paper, Paper, Paper & Design Team Calls group in Facebook

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Crafting in the USA heartland,
Becca S

DT member of the following 5 teams with 2 marked * because I'll be stepping down from them in the next 1-2 weeks or so. Life's just been cray-cray and juggling all their deadlines has just gotten stressful. I've loved my time but I need a bit of creative and computer-time break.

1. MTTC blog
2. APTS blog
3. 52 CCT blog
4. S4fC blog *
5. TCCC blog *