deck the halls...

... which reminds me of a card I made for a submission call for bows. My card became "deck the walls with bows and holly". Gotta find that and share it with you.

But back to business at hand. Motivated by the Deck the Halls hop over at Hero Arts, I headed to the basement and created a few more shaker tags to adorn the cellophane bags of Christmas cookies for neighbors which should get distributed tomorrow. I'm thinking the neighbors might find them so cute they want to either hang them on their trees or pass them on to someone else on a gift. And I even gave a 3D ornament a try (did you see the ones in the hop?) Figured it can function as a bag decoration first and an ornament afterwards.

I used images from Hero Arts Jolly Christmas and Holiday Sayings and Spellbinders dies. Here's the lineup:

Off to see who the Voice of Germany winner will be...

hey there birdie (Paper Players, SSS)

Oopsy daisy.  (On a tangent... I actually say that.  As does Hugh Grant in Notting Hill (LOVE THAT MOVIE). And I think Nichole H. must follow my blog (HA!) and liked this card way back when enough to create a new stamp set based on it. Of course, right? (HA HA HA HA HA HA))

Anyhoo, I guess in the excitement of the blog hop for it I forgot to post a card from the Card Creations Volume 12 that came out back in March.  It truly is a great (and still paper, folks) issue. Martha will second me on that - she was lucky to win a copy on my blog back in the hop.

Well I want to share this card with you cuz of how I was inspired.  Got a circular in the mailbox and there was a set of sheets with lotsa white and a branch and leaves in citrusy colors.  So I pulled out a NBUS, Bird die from Lifestyle Crafts and set about to create this card.

Moral of the story... inspiration abounds.  Just gotta keep your eyes open, like this birdie here. Thanks for looking.

I'm joining the fun over at Paper Players where the colors are Coral, Saffron and Pear.  Close enough, I hope. And this week at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge it's all about Die Cuts.  Can do.

Supplies hey there:

Paper: cardbase Bringmann, PP Bringmann

Stamps: W Plus 9

Ink:  Versafine

Tools: rectangle die Lil Inker, bird die Lifestyle Crafts, branch die Sizzix, leaves die MFT

Other 

STAMPlorations sketch #6

There's a new bi-weekly sketch over at STAMPlorations.  Lovin' this one.

I got pretty stuck on the literal.  Give me a circle and I'll nearly always take a circle ;) Here's my take.

Tried my hand at a variation on spotlight stamping.  First I pencilled roughly where I wanted to die cut the circle, then I stamped and embossed the graphic images from VIGNETTE: Chevrons and Arrows on the black panel. Die cut it then made some pencil marks to line up where I needed to stamp the black images on the cardbase.  TIP: Don't cut your panel until after the stamping is done.  You may need to tweak here or there.  See the angled panel?  It was born after I ended up having to angle the black panel a bit to make both stampings line up. So I angled it a lot :)

While you're here, take a gander at the sneak peek of the next sets scheduled for March release at STAMPlorations.  The new line is called SUBWAY ART BUILDERS.

There are two stamp sets up for grabs over at the STAMPlorations blog.  Check it out here.

Would love to see what you come up with for STAMPlorations Sketch #6.  Give it a shot.  Thanks for coming by.

Supplies for hello:

Paper:  CS Bringmann

Stamps: STAMPlorations

Ink : Versamark, Versafine

Tools: die MFT

Other: Zing embossing powder

furry (CASology)

Know how I'm always complaining that challenges should be open longer?  Not this time.  Thanks for creating a challenge just for me, ladies ;)  On a fluke I happened to see this at CASology four minutes after it was posted! 

and have leftovers from this card still on my workspace (read:  ironing board).  Know where I'm headed?

The challenge is sponsored by Paper Smooches - such cheeky stamps.  Love 'em.  And this set, A little Lovin', is fabby.  When I bought it I thought I would only use the mama/baby elephant image in it for baby cards - it's precious - but no, this froggy has seen his share of ink too!  Just realized you can't see his gold crown :(

Happy CASing folks.  And thanks to all of my followers out there.  So nice to see your cheery faces every day.  Maybe I'll have to giveaway some furry pink hearts soon!

Supplies kiss me:

Paper: CS Bringmann

Stamps: Paper Smooches

Ink: Versamark, Versafine

Tools: heart die Sizzix

Other: gold embossing powder, furry fabric

giving gallery idol a go! . one (PC, ATCAS, ABNH)

Morning.  Broke my heart to hear about the tornado victims in Oklahoma.   Cars and horses flying through the air???  Are we responsible for the crazy changes in weather recently???  Even got an email from Mom saying that in MI last night they had crazy storms and then a "totally pink sky" like she's never seen before...

Well, maybe it was the holiday weekend in Germany (the third this month already... can you say lucky?) but something moved me to create cards for this year's Gallery Idol competition over at Paper Crafts.  I'm not expecting anything out of it, but it's kinda like the challenge of all challenges in my book.  And as a wise man once said, it's all about the journey, not the destination.  Get your thinking cap on and give it a go too!

The theme for the Open Auditions is "Birthday Cards for Teens and Kids".  Now that is truly challenging for me.  Introducing "for-a-four-year-old-in-primary-colors":

The mug in the mirror - moi!  Just add a "9" to the "4" and it'd be true.  Playing in the Birthday challenge #13 at Addicted to CAS and the Clean Up Your Act challenge over at A Blog Named Hero.

Thanks for visiting and stay safe.

Supplies look who's 4:

Paper: CS Bringmann, mirror card

Stamps: Stampendous

Ink: J Versafine

Tools: square punch EKS, die Memory Box

Other: sticker Lego

sign her letters with x's and o's (WPlus9, CFC, Retro Sketches)

Have I told you I love country music?  Yep, yep.  Remember Trisha Yearwood?  "An American Girl - She used to tie her hair up in ribbons and bows (not me), sign her letters with x's and o's (so me)..."  I actually saw Trisha perform in the Detroit area a few years back.  I digress.  But - I think there may be more to it than just its wonderful graphic nature that moved me to purchase the XOXO die from WPlus9...

Well I've got black and white on the brain of late.  I've been hanging out in the B/W column of the CASual Friday Tic Tac Toe Challenge (this time die, "text" and B/W).   And now I'm combining it with the Monday Mood Board #11 at WPlus9.  And the sketch at Retro Sketches #62.

See that little black tag with the white heart next to the twine?  That's what inspired me.  Went with black on black but used some dry embossing and heat embossing gold around the edges to add some interest.

Appreciate your visit.

Supplies xoxo:

Paper: black Bringmann, white Neenah, red American Crafts

Stamps: 

Ink: Versamark

Tools:circle die MFT, heart die Amuse, embossing plate Sizzix

Other: gold embossing powder, twine

hope is pink (TAWS, CASology)

Combined two challenges.  TAWS Be Inspired #25 which is all about pink and polka dots and also CASology where the word is Hope.  Hope reminds me of the HYCCT challenges I played in last October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month so I combined pink and polka dots with hope.

Die cut some blooms from pink fabric and punched some centers from CS.  Snipped some green stems and put the blooms into a vase which I stamped on the reverse, dry embossed and then fussy cut.  A heat embossed sentiment with some hearts just for fun and voila.

Thanks for visiting.

Supplies bunches of love:

Paper: CS and PP Bringmann

Stamps:TAWS

Ink : Versamark

Tools: scissors, die PTI, sewing machine, embossing folder Sizzix, sunburst punch

Other: glue dots

i'm a water girl (AEIU, SSS)

Give me a body of water and I'm a happy camper.  That's why the inspiration photo at Avery Elle inspires me - rainy weather and all.  Add a weatherbeaten whitewashed dock... I wanna be there.

Still don't own AE stamps (did you see they now have some matching dies - created by the queen of die cutting herself, JJ Bolton) but I've used a free digi stamp again for this challenge.

So much fun making the BG with Distress Inks and water splotches.  Cut the frame out of woodgrain PP and whitewashed it with some white and aqua acrylic paint and a dry brush.  Printed the sentiment in gray onto vellum and added some ink to it.  TIP:  Brads are another option when it comes to adhering vellum!

Also playing at Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge.

Have a nice day.

Supplies Best Wishes:

Paper: CS & PP Bringmann, vellum Ursus

Stamps: digi Avery Elle

Ink : Distress Inks

Tools: die Spellbinders

Other: brads, acrylic paint, water

Pattern Play Day 1

Been kinda crazy here - DH off skiing, horse that DD rides sick, multiple birthdays and publication call deadlines.  Yep, been bit by that bug...  I figure it's not such a bad deal to spend lotsa time making cards for calls cuz when they don't make it I can use them for challenges ;)

Back to today's business.  I was a lucky winner of a spot in the current Pattern Play class (thanks Jen R.)  Monday was Day 1 and of course the message is "use more patterned paper."  I've got lots.  I use it sparsely.  So, wetting my feet here, I used a wallpaper sample to mimic grass instead of coloring or stamping it like I usually would!  Hooray for me ;)

I stamped the eggs and then went over them with a wet paintbrush, trying to achieve the beloved watercolor look.  Well, it works for the PTI gals, but not for me and Jenny Bowlin dye inks.  Hmmm.  So I grabbed some watercolors and helped.

Thanks for visiting.  Tomorrow is the last day to take part in my bloggiversary giveaway if you haven't and would like to...

Happy day folks.

Supplies happy easter:

Paper:pearl white Bringmann, wallpaper scrap

Stamps: Studio g, bunny and sentiment The Paper Studio

Ink :Distress Ink, Jenny Bowlin, Versacolor

Tools: die MFT

tag a la maile b., sorta (Ellen Hutson, Artful Delight, PDC, SSS)

If you haven't jumped on, you should.  The chalkboard bandwagon, that is.  I jumped on, thanks to some motivation from Betsy V. here.  And boy is it fun.  But I twisted it into a tag based on Maile B.'s tag for Day 10 of 12 Tags with a Feminine Twist over at Ellen Hutson's Classroom.


Now maybe not everyone gets into chalkboards.  Created by me, on a card, I'm a fan.  But let me tell you, in my stint as a teacher, chalk became my number one enemy.  First off, there's never a good sized piece at the board.  Second, some kids take pleasure in throwing it across the room.  Third, no matter how often you rubs your hands to get the chalk dust off, you always end up with chalk dust on your clothes.  And when you're fighting dry, chapped hands in the winter it's the last thing you need.  Nuff said.

May I say, however, that making a card with this technique is FUN.  Inky fingers are OK.

At first glance you might not "see" Maile's tag.

But it's there - the BG stamped with white images, the washi strip, the pink/green sentiment panel, the white ribbon.  My additions - a touch of bling and a gift card pocket on the back.  Again.

Playing at the Cafe again:

And at Artful Delight:

And at Simon Says Stamp - What's Your Favorite? cuz I love me some heat embossing.
Have a wonderful week before Christmas.

Supplies for You better not pout:

Paper: manila tag, black paper Bringmann, book page

Stamps: 7 Gypsies

Ink :  Versamark, Adirondack pigment, white pencil

Tools:

Other:  embossing powder, twine, washi, ribbon, bling

wa shi doin? (Three Cool Chicks, SSS)

Yeah, what AM I doing?  This is so much fun.  Be crazy.  Think outside the box.  Join in.

I'm playing with Three Cool Chicks this Trendy 2 week and one topic is WASHI.  (How could you have a "trendy" week without washi, eh?)  Another is STENCILS.  Read:  achieving the effect even without a stencil...

This was one of those cards that materialized out of some crannies of my noggin.  No clue.  Just the creative process at work, I guess.  Start with a piece of cardstock.  Lay some strips (the ones you'd usually throw away after trimming) in a haphazard pattern.  Give a couple squirts of yummy Dylusions spray ink.

Remove the strips and give it one squirt of Bubblegum Dylusions.  Oh how cool.  I really feel like an artist when this happens!

Attach washi tails to paper clips, put the paper clips onto a die cut circle - notice that adorable KITSCHY PP I got at Aldi - and attach that to the card.

Glue panel to card base.  I put a little strip of tape along the bottom edge of my card.  BTW this is actually cello tape with a pattern.  It's shiny but still transparent.  Permanent when you put it on the paper.

I stamped my sentiment and attached it with some more washi.  Figured this would be a fun thank you card since the recipient would get some fun paper clips to keep.

Never ever would have come up with this on my own.  Thanks Three Cool Chicks, especially Julie T.W.
Joining the masses over at Simon Says Stamp's "Anything Goes" challenge cuz this definitely fits the ticket.  Those ladies are so nice.  They make it around the hundreds (thousands?) of entries they get and leave comments.  Then again, with a whopper prize like that, you're askin' for it ;)

Thanks for looking.

Supplies thanks:

Paper: card base Buttinette, CS Neenah, PP Bringmann

Stamps: sentiment Jane's Doodles

Ink:Dylusions ink spray, Adirondack

Tools: die MFT, corner rounder EKS

Other: paper clips, washi