Challenge Cards Again!

I really like doing "challenges" . . . challenges over on SCS, blog hop challenges . . . pretty much anything that helps me to get my creative juices flowing in a direction I may not otherwise have gone. These two cards are both from challenges over on SCS . . . one was last Friday, and the other was yesterday's Featured Stamper challenge.

I have been having way too much fun with my Cricut the last few weeks. I figure it is about time to start using my investment (and NO, I'm not EVEN gonna tell ya how many Cricut cartridges I own!!). I gathered dust for a little too long, but I am trying to get back into the swing of things with it! This card was for last Friday's LSC - LSC233, which I combined with last week's sketch challenge - SC241 (and we KNOW that I LOVE the LSC, since I get to hostess it every fourth or fifth week!). I made a card with this little crabby dude wearing shades waaayyy back in the day. The theme was to do a card that was a "goodbye to summer" sort of a deal. My fam spends several weekends every summer up at the family condo by Bear Lake (Utah/Idaho border). We have not known a summer in 25 years without the lake. We love it there. And while I have NEVER seen a crabby dude with shades (okay, well, maybe that guy who was sleeping on the beach and awakened when we shook off our sandy towels . . . HE was a crabby dude!! Can't remember if he was wearin' shades, though), we do spend many-an-hour building sand monsters, castles, creatures AND the Bear Lake Monster himself!! Good times!

Stamps: Crab and Company, Shore Thing, Summer Fun
Paper: Kraft (PTI ad Provo Craft), True Thyme, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Bermuda Bay, Ruby Red, Very Vanilla
Ink: Basic Black, Soft Suede, Dusty Durango
Accessories: Cricut Life is a Beach Cartridge, modern label punch, word window punch, 1" circle punch, soft suede polka dot ribbon, paper distressing tool, clear embossing powder, versamark pen, pop-up glue dots

I was stopped DEAD in my TRACKS by Emily's (aka Stamp Muse - FS132) butterfly card that inspired my recreation here:

Butterfly Medallion by Emily

I used one of my fave butterfly dies on this one, too! I love how BIG and GORGEOUS it is!! And I would know about butterfly dies . . . and stamps . . . and doo-dahs, right???

Stamps: Medallion, Small Script
Paper: Basic Black, Summer Sun, glittery black, vellum, whisper white
Ink: Basic Black, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Quickutz Monarch Butterfly Die, Interlaced Corner Adorner punch by EK Success, shimmery white organza ribbon, white polka dot Organza ribbon by May Arts, large oval punch, white embossing powder, brayer, dimensionals

STAY TUNED LATER THIS WEEK. THE FREAKS BLOG HOP IS COMING ON THURSDAY AND YOU WON'T WANNA MISS IT!! (Okay, sorry for shouting . . . I'm just excited, can't you tell???)