Trapeze dare

Shelly double dog dared me to make a trapeze card.  I'm thinking that I must have done it wrong, because Shelly's is so much prettier!

Stitching is done with scrapper's floss, so I didn't need a needle, but it was perhaps too thick and stiff for this technique.  The stamp is an old TAC one, and the patterned paper is Tim Holtz Shabby Chic.  The heart is punched and embossed, but you can't see the embossing well in this scan, I'm sorry to say.

Challenges:
Bunny Zoe - celebrations
Crafty Bloggers - shabby chic
Lexi's Creations - monochrome
Scrapper's Delights - love
Penny Black - tuquoise, white, blue

Love is in the Air

I found it curious that theme for a great many challenge blogs is "Love is in the Air". Not just plain Love, but specifically in the air. Why is it is the air? Why not under water? Why not between the sheets (much more interesting challenge, I would think)?

 Here is my interpretation of love in the air:

Why yes, I did buy a lot of that rose paper; thank you for noticing.

Love is in the Air challenges:

Crafting for all Seasons

Fab n Funky

My Mum's Craft Shop

Penny's Papercrafty

Simon Says Stamp

Iris Window card

I found this cool card at CraftsUPrint - a window card with a popup interior that goes through the window.  My print is terrible at printing color (red doesn't print well), so I touched it up a little with my markers, but the basic design is the one in the kit.  This is how it looks folded flat:

I used a nestie die to cut a window and frame, rather than handcut it from the template.  The floral panel is a scrap from a previous printing (I was trying to resize it to fit a standard US card size (most of the cards on that site are bigger).  This is how it looks open:

Lots of fussy cutting, but it is not as hard as it looks.  I'm going to have to buy some duplex paper if I'm going to make more of these.

Challenges:
Clearly Inspired - colors (that blue is really purple)
Delightful Challenges - diecut
Incy Wincy - flowers
Crazy Challenge - flowers
Sparkles Forum - new craft item (digital kit to make the card)

Friend

I was playing around with a CTMH stamp set I had sitting around for almost a year, but never used, and made this card. it's just one layer, plus the flower.  I doublestamped the sentiment on purpose, with the hopes it would give a drop shadow effect.

CTMH stamps don't work well with a lot of dye inks other than their own, but they are very good with Tim Holtz distress inks.

Challenges:
Kreative Stempelfreunde - old-fashioned
Heart Song Inspirations - brad (in flower)
Incy Wincy - flower
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - photo inspiration
Touch Twin - colors

Traditional Valentine

To me, this is the basic traditional valentine.

Two kinds of punches, fussy cutting, folding and a little stamping, embossing and beautiful paper - it really isn't as simple as it looks.

Challenges:
Crafts 4 Eternity - CAS
Lily Pad - patterned paper
Polka Doodle - template (scalloped edge around the heart)
Simply Create Too - Love is in the air
Stempelsonne - Valentine

Valentine treat boxes

A girlfriend of mine who works for Hallmark came over today.  I always tease her that my cards are better than hers.  She brought with her a bunch of leftover envelopes, and we made bag-alopes.

This are made from pink envelopes.  We embossed them with an embossing folder my mother gave me years back, and ran red ink over them.  a heart punch was used to make little tags, and we closed them by folding over the top, punching two holes, and running ribbon through.  These were practically free to make, as we didn't pay for the envelopes, and the tags were punched from scraps (after making so many valentines, I have a few red scraps!)

Challenges:
Fairy Fun Fridays - anything but a card
Mami Doodles - for a loved one
Poodles Parlor - valentine
Stamping for the Weekend - embossing
Crafty Creations - valentine for a kid/not a card

Wiggly eyed cats

The best thing about stamping with friends is the ideas they suggest.  My girlfriend suggested the wiggle eyes and the ball of yarn on this card.

I spent ten minutes after I glued the eyes on just shaking the card to make the eyes move.  I've half a mind to make an animation!

Challenges:
Charisma Cardz - Pretty in Pink
Craft Us Crazy - love + animals
Hanna and Friends - pink and gray
Fab n Funky - eyes
Little Darlings - polka dots

EDIT:

Yes, I love Paint Shop Pro.