Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you all the best of days.

Give Thanks

I love these little pilgrim mice from Lawn Fawn.

More Holiday Style homework

After getting the wild idea to reorganize my craft space last Friday, its been nothing but emptying, sorting, discarding, cleaning, putting away, building, putting away, and I am tired!  I had to take a break finally I was even glad to do LAUNDRY...can you imagine?   So tonight I am putting it on hold and catching up my homework for the latest offering over at Online Card Classes.   I have 3 cards for two more lesson days.

I had no "Santa" stamps until I picked up this set by Clearly Besotted, and all the images are adorable. Copic coloring  a bit of drifty inking and I put white flower soft on his had and coat, gossy accents on his boots and belt.  This card should be fun to hold for the recipient.

The next two cards are glittery...traditional and paste.

I have had trouble in the past die cutting using the double sided tape, but this time I put it on copier paper and die cut down through the release paper, since I wanted to add glitter, worked like a charm cut clean easily.  I used the fabulous glitter ritz micro-fine glitter for the greeting, some wink of stella and glossy accents on the holly berries and mounted it all on a woodgrained cardstock panel.  There is a bit of grey and white dotted paper as a grounding element. The die is from Avery Elle.

This is the second time I have gotten out the gold bo bunny glitter paste. I love the look of it using the Tim Holtz stencil.  I mounted the panel on a white card base and added the black sentiment strip, sentiment by CTMH.

That's it I am caught up on homework.  Have a fabulous day, and thanks for stopping by.

Celebrate

I started with the Retrosketches #155 challenge for the layout of this card.

 

I knew it would be one of the few St. Patrick's Day cards I would make this year. I used a scrap of shamrock paper, and a shamrock embossing folder for my panels. The die cut circle is a scrap that was in my round dies pocket.  I had a bit of the glitter paper left from another project and I cut the sentiment and a shamrock from that bit (the dies were from Cottage Cutz and Paper Smooches). I thought the card also needed a few bits of sequins (Pretty Pink Posh 4mm in Shamrock).

Since it is green I am also submitting this to Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge - Just a hint of Clover.

Thanks for stopping by!

Easter Wishes

I have a couple of posts today, for two challenges.  First up CASology Week 136 - Basket.

There is absolutely no basket anywhere in sight on this card...but if you look closely you can see the wonderful basket weave embossing on the card panel.  I don't know the name of the folder or the brand-the sheet was part of a blog candy win; and I have been saving it for the perfect card.  I think this is it.

My sentiment comes from A Muse Studios, and the jelly beans are cut from DCWV glitter paper with a Paper Smooches die. The vellum and the card base are both from Stampin Up.

You can reach the casology challenge page by clicking the link in the first paragraph, or the cue card above.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Red and green glitter markers all on one layer

I ran across another Christmas Card challenge that is new to me, the 53Christmas Card Throwdown.

This will be entered to Merry Monday Christmas Challenge-Red and Green, One Layer Christmas Card Challenge-Glitter, and 52 (Christmas) Card Throwdown-Markers. 

My card is stamped with WPlus9's Festive Greetings. I extended the light strand to fit across the card front.  I colored in the bulbs and bulb bases with Wink of Stella Glitter markers in Red, Green and the bases in Black.  I added some glossy accents on top of the bulbs to really make them shine.

                                                               Close up of the bulbs

You can find these challenges by clicking the links above or the challenge badges below.

       

Its Green

I am getting this card in under the wire for Muse #106. I used the muse card as a sketch.  I line the vertical row of hearts, it looks like those hearts might be on the inside of the card, but tough for me to tell.  I went with a more straight forward version.

Here is the Muse Card by Shona Chambers


I am not making a lot of St. Patrick's Day cards as I have in years passed, but I am going to make a few.

I used a Stamps for Life set that I have had for ages. It has a few sayings and several sizes and styles of shamrocks.  The ink was from Simon Says Stamp in green leaf, and some Onyx Black from Versafine.  The cardstock is from Stampin up.

Thanks for stopping by!

February CCC Card

My February Card Chain Challenge card goes to Betty.  The March sign up is going on until March 7th and you can sign up here.  I opted to go with the theme of St. Patrick's Day.

I inked up three Paper Smooches die cut shamrocks with Brilliance Galaxy Gold then heat embossed them with clear embossing powder. The bit of notebook paper was cut using a PTI die.  My card base is Very Vanilla from Stampin Up embossed with St Pats Day background embossing folder by Darice.  I looped a long piece of gold thread (manufacturer unknown) and placed it under my shamrocks and my vellum greeting piece. The greeting is from Stampin Up Teeny Tiny Wishes.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scrambling and a couple of challenges

Today's Hero Arts Scramble was hosted by Barb, and her theme was white on white. A neutral/mettalic was allowed for the sentiment.  I love the look of white on white...but wow was it difficult to get  a good photograph.

I used Hero Arts Stamps - Butterflies for the main image, Sat it all for the sentiment- and heat embossed them with white powder on vellum. I dry embossed the card base with a Cuttlebug embossing folder Victoria.  To the panel with the embossed vellum pieces I added some pearls, and ribbon and then took 8 photos before I was okay with the picture.  I am submitting this one to A2Z's February Challenge - Embossing.

Since I still had this stamp out, I wanted to try it for CAS-ology's cue card Monochrome. These clean and simple cards are so hard for me.

 I started with some Dove Grey cardstock by WPlus9, and inked up the dogwoods from the butterflies set with Versafine Smokey Grey, I also stamped and embossed the set's smallest butterfly in smokey grey on vellum, then heat embossed with clear powder.  I kinda like the very delicate look that gives the butterfly.  The same thanks from Say it all was added.  It is difficult to see but there are 5 embossed lines under the sentiment for a touch of texture along with an outline debossing around the main image.

 My last card is the third of three that I need for a swap in early March. I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches for inspiration. 

My first task was to mask off that diagonal stripe area, I added Tiny Leaves with embossing paste colored with lime green glimmer mist over the Gormet Rubber Stamps stencil. I added some Distress Glitter in White Rock Candy over the stenciled leaves.

While that dried, I stamped and colored with Copic's my main image from Newton's Nook Basket of Wishes stamp set.  I put together several words from that set, and Newton's Nook set Simply Sentimental to get my sentiment. I die cut my main image circle using MFT's stitched circles. 

I wanted to tie in the yellow just a bit more so I added a bit of yellow ric rac over the embossing paste leaves,  The panel when complete was mounted on some Certainly Celery Stampin Up cardstock. I added just a bit of clear Wink of stella to the bow and the eggs, and then covered that with glossy accents.

St Patrick's Day

I have such good intentions at the beginning of the week with challenges...and yet here it is Friday and I have a page full of challenge icons waiting to be used as card making inspiration.

I started with this sketch from Retro Sketches #153.  And I am adding it to the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge to add a little texture.

I need a St. Patrick's Day card for an upcoming swap.  I started with a Stampin Up Certianly Celery card base, I dry embossed 2/3's of it with Darice's St. Pats Background folder.  I added some striped paper, some glitter paper, a touch of green ribbon just off the center.  For my elements of 3 I dic cut then gold embossed shamrocks on vellum.  I added a sentiment on vellum as well.

Thanks for stopping by!

Two more for the Stash

Hi!  It was snowing here in Maryland while I made cards, so I decided to work on the Christmas card challenges that I am participating in.  And as luck would have it one card also was inspired by a third challenge.

So here we go, first up is my card with the layout design is inspired by Muse #101's card by Marion Vagg.  I stamped and embossed my sentiment, then masked off the top and bottom so I could randomly stamp snowflakes - the optional twist for One Layer Christmas Cards.  Each snowflake was heat embossed and then flakes which showed their centers got a rhinestone. I rounded only the top corners for my card.

 

Supplies:
Cardstock - Simon Says Stamp
Stamps - Hero Arts Swirl Christmas
Embossing powders - Stampendous Winter Wonderland, Hero Arts - Silver
Rhinestones - Stampin Up

Next up, I made a card for Merry Monday #142 House(s).

I love teal and red together.  I scrambled through my stamps and found a house.  I first die cut my tag, then stamped it, then dry embossed it.  There was no hole in the die cut tag so I used a small round punch.  I added ribbon, twine and  a  Merry die cut before adding red Wink of Stella to the door and light bulbs.  I put down a very pale shake of pink on the house front so it wasn't just a bunch of white. Then I popped it up with foam tape on a teal and white dotted card base.

Supplies:
Cardstock - Stampin Up Whisper White,  A Muse Petite Dotted, a scrap of red
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Red Wink of Stella
Colored Pencils - Artist's Loft
Embossing Folder - Provo Craft Swiss Dots
Stamp - Hero Arts Wishes Come True
Die - Simon Says Stamp Merry Christmas, Pretty Pink Posh - Stitched Duo 3
Ribbon - A Muse , Twine - Lawn Fawn

Thanks for stopping by.  Click on the picture to go to the challenge!

Muse #101, Marion Vagg

One Layer Christmas Card Challenge

Merry Monday Challege #142

Merry CHristmas

The last two Christmas cards for this year.

Merry Christmas!

Insomnia Crafting

Now that the weather has tuned cooler I had hoped that I would sleep better.   Several nights ago I actually went to bed around 11:30 which is about 2 hours early for me.  I woke up at 1 and was wide awake. I usually watch some tv or read trying to get to sleep again.  This time I made some cards. I pulled out a pack of Stampin Up papers - I loved the soft subtle colors and went to work.  Crafting when you can't sleep is infinitely better than reading or watching tv til you drop off...

Stamps from Hero Arts, Stampin Up; dies from Lawn Fawn, My Favorite Things, Sizzix; Embossing powders from Hero Arts; Gems from Stampin Up; Stencil from Simon Says Stamp.


Thanks for stopping by!

Touches of gold

A simple card. I used Darice's Ornaments on Side embossing folder and used a versamark pen to add gold embossing powder to selected portions of the dry embossed shapes.  I finished the card with a beautifully simple Merry Christmas sentiment from Simon Says Stamp's set Be Joyful.  Every now and then, I can make a clean and simple card without freaking from all the white space!

Thanks for stopping by.

Tis the Season

While trying to decide on my next holiday card, I found the left over bit from die cutting a snowman and circle frame on a previous card.  I inked the left over piece with Distress ink in Stormy Sky.  After that dried, I added some snow using embossing paste and the Simon Says Stencil Falling Snow(love this!).

I stamped the snowman and sentiment on a card base using Majestic Blue Versafine ink. The nose and the scarf were colored with an orange sharpie.  I used 1/8 inch foam tape to mount the inked and snowy piece as a frame around the snowman.  The die and stamp are Hero Arts 657781 and the sentiment is CL691. To add a bit of holiday sparkle, I cut the front of the card by a quarter inch, and on the inside portion I added a strip of DCWV glitter paper.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Die Cut Diva's December Challenge - Snow and Christmas/Hollidays

Simon's Monday Challenge - Holiday Cards

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!
 I made just a few cards for Thanksgiving, this year. 

 Thanks for stopping by!

My last scramble til the new year

I was so glad I was able to play in this scramble today.  I was working on a mail project for hubs and wasn't sure I would get to scramble, but I joined the scramble about 20 minutes in.  For the first time ever in a scramble my card came together with out any major glitches. Whoo Hoo! Tesa's theme was SNOW.

I first stamped, heat embossed and die cut my snow flakes. Next I pulled a white panel and partially die cut my snow man. I taped the die down, and taped the paper down---this saved me a lot of time.  After cutting my snowman partially out, I laid down the circle die around him, and did not move the paper a bit because I was hurrying- I didn't take it off the cutting plate to inspect it ---Guess what --- a perfect cut, I didn't have to do any clean up with craft knife to get the circle edges to line up with the snowman's body.

Since all was going so well, next I stamped the snowman, using a Stamp-a-ma-jig.  The stamp is a cling stamp and would be difficult to position otherwise.  I could have stamped it first then made my die cuts, but this worked out so much better for me. I colored in the scarf, nose, and added some shading to the snowman with Copic markers. 

Next I added some distress inks around the snowman, using Tumbled Glass and Stormy Skiy to get a swirly feel. I wanted it darker around the edges of the circle.  My sentiment was from Stampin Up, and the banner stitching from Simon Says Stamp both were heat embossed. I fussy cut the sentiment, because the die is solid, and I can't see where I would be cutting. Normally I would cut it out first, then stamp and emboss.

Lastly, a quick little red bow tied and stuck on with a glue dot. I then adhered the front panel to a black card base with foam adhesive. Was about an hour from start to finish, to get this card made.

Thanks for stopping by!

Another Go at Holly Berries

My last post almost a week ago featured this same stamp set.  I was a little mind blocked using the Holly stamp.  Several readers offered some suggestions, so I took another run at the stamp. One stamp of the holly branch was just too bare, so I tried 2 stamps, then die cut the image leaving only 2 partial branch stampings.  I am much happier with this configuration.

I created a mat frame around it, used some distress inks to add some blue color, and red stickles to enhance the berries. Before adding the stickles, I heat embossed with clear the entire front panel. It gives a nice effect IRL.  I placed this panel on a dry embossed panel of holly leaves before placing on the card base, and lastly  added the SSS Merry Christmas die stacked 3 times. It is a definite improvement over my last try with this set.

Thanks for stopping by!

Season's Greetings

I did a  bad thing, I bought this stamp purely for the pine branch and pine cones. One should not do that...I can't  think of a thing to do with the holly branch, I even googled...no inspiration.  But I do love the pine branch. The stamp set is an exclusive from Simon Says Stamp with Clearly Besotted.  It was part of their Stamptember release. I used Leaf Green and Lipstick red Simon inks for the first card, and Hero Arts Field Greens and Cup O Joe for the second and third cards. I also used versa mark for embossing the sentiments.

 I tried with this one, added some red stickles to the stamped berries...

I love this stamp, the pine cones are separate from the branch and come as a single and as a cluster of two.

This one is the favorite of the three for hubs, I am not sure why...must be a balance thing. He is a Libra.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Coloring

We had a bonus day at Online Card Classes' Holiday Card Workshop 2014 last Saturday, and the topic was coloring.  I had a new stamp from WPlus9 which I thought was perfect for coloring, and just looking at the stamp makes me smile. The set is called Festive Greetings... As a child I would get so excited for the holidays as soon as my parents pulled out the decorations.  I loved those (now-a-days) fat light bulbs in blue, green, red and an orange-y yellow. 

I felt giddy as I stamped them out and colored them with colored pencils...just generic ones I bought at Michaels and a blending pen made for wax based pencils.  Some were additionally gilded with clear wink of stella and glossy accents.  Others only were embellished with glossy accents alone - depending on my perception of them being lit or unlit.

And I have to say I love the "sketchy" font in this set.  The first card I added a piece of paper from Lawn Fawn's Snow Day paper pad, but the rest are pretty much just this stamp set. I had fun with these cards...and leaving white space is so not my comfort zone.

Thanks for stopping by!