golden stamptober

Yep you read that right. I missed Stamptember when it was live but I'm here to share three makes with the Circle Sayings stamp set from Simon Says Stamp Stamptember release in what at least in Germany is a golden October. 

Well they had me at circles. Geometric makes me happy. 

Here's the first.

SSS Circle Sayings stamp

MFT Dienamics circle die

 inks, white embossing powder, pearls

But add an organic touch and my new Pigment Craft luscious autumn colors... be still my happy heart. Look what happens when you use the reverse of the stamp to get those organic circles. A fall birthday card for a guy.

SSS Circle Sayings stamp

Pigment Craft inks

clear embossing powder and washi tape

So I'd been watching some scrapbooking videos and saw this one from Shimelle.  Do you ever try to transfer a scrapbooking layout to a card? I loved her approach to stacks of PP. I gave it a try and topped my stack with a circle die cut, inked and heat embossed with a Circle Sayings sentiment.

SSS Circle Sayings stamp

The Stamp Market Framed Floral stamp

patterned paper, white embossing powder, Pigment Craft Eucalyptus ink

Quite the different approaches. Do you have a favorite? Thanks for coming by. I'm enjoying being back playing with my supplies. I'm hooking up at the SSS Wednesday Challenge where it's about Washi and also the Stamptember Gallery where you can get your fill of Autumn card inspiration!

simon says stamp - creepy crawlers not just for halloween

I've had a play with the Creepy Crawlers background stamp and discovered it doesn't have to be just for Halloween (IMO). I used the spiders to add interest to a November birthday card for a guy.

Here it is.

SSS Creepy Crawlers stamp

Concord and 9th Laceleaf stamp/die

Inkystamp sentiment

Altenew Tranquility inks, distress oxides, silver and bronze embossing powder

There's actually quite a bit happening on this card. I was trying out new-to-me products. First I inked up a panel of Neenah white with the blue grays from Altenew. Decided it made a good night sky so I splattered some water and then some watered-down Black Soot ink. (See what I did with the leftover Black Soot on my next card ;)  Then I opted for some creepy crawlers hanging around in the night forest, first in gray then purple oxides.

Since this card is for a man and not a kid I had to cut the cute so I went with the leaf and an artistic sentiment, both heat embossed onto shimmer gray cardstock in two tones of powder. I love the effect. 

So I mentioned the leftover Black Soot. Did I mention I have a guy friend with a Halloween birthday? Enter more creepy crawlers.

SSS Creepy Crawlers stamp

SSS Alphabet Blocks die

STAMPlorations Number Plate die

I picked up the leftover ink with a panel of Neenah and then stamped the spiders. Used the numbers die cut negative piece which was laying around to back my sentiment and added a few dots of fake Nuvo drops which fit the grungy feel of this card perfectly. There's a belated birthday greeting stamped inside!

Thanks for visiting. I'm enjoying being back playing with my supplies. I'm hooking up at the SSS Monday Challenge where it's about Any Holiday Occasion and also the Stamptember Gallery cuz these creeply crawlers were part of that release.

guest designing at addicted to cas

You all know I'm all over the board when it comes to card styles. But the style that really knocks my socks off tends to be CAS. Or ultra-CAS. As the lady said:

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” 

― Clare Boothe Luce

When I'm creating it's rare that an ultra-CAS sock-knocker-offer comes along, yielding that sophistication. Too often I need to get my own touch of humor or bold color into a design. Like on my card that won the "Harvest" challenge over at Addicted to CAS. But I keep trying ;) Today I've gone with bold color and CAS as I join the lovely and oh-so-talented designers at Addicted to CAS for this fortnight's fun challenge.

One of my favorite watercoloring mediums is still Distress Inks. Their properties and fabulous vivid tones never let me down. So I went back to an oldie but goodie technique. Smooshing. Ripe Persimmon, Spiced Marmelade and Seedless Preserves (how can you now love 'em with those namese?) tapped onto an acrylic block, spritzed with water and pressed onto cardstock.

Then I simply die cut a Spellbinders label 4 shape from the watercolored cardstock, stamped a nice and tall Inkadinkado image  partially onto it and also onto my cardbase (yes, a MISTI would be handy here I suppose). Adhered the die cut to the cardbase, aligning the image. Then I added a sentiment from Papertrey for frazzled kitty to stand on and voila!

Easy to recreate. Easy to mass produce. How about turning this design into a Christmas card? You could even add a touch of gold watercolor to the smooshing to make it festive.

I hope you've enjoyed my card and look forward to your CAS Watercolor projects in the ATCAS gallery!

BTW, have you heard? Loll and Bonnie are starting up a new challenge - CAS Watercolor. Check it out here. I think it's definitely time for you to pull out some watercolors and white cardstock ;)

simply create too 72 (Halloween/orange, SSS)

The witching hour has arrived at Simply Create Too. The theme of challenge #72 is Halloween/Use Orange. I did both.

Used the "emboss resist removed" technique to create my inked panel (and one of my favorite Halloween images from Inkadinkado). Tammy T. has a great picture tutorial for this technique here.

I die cut the panel and raised it with foam adhesive for extra interest. Keeping the color scheme going, I stamped the sentiment multi-colored. A square of PP and two rounded corners later, I was done.

Get out your Halloween supplies (if they aren't already!) or just go orange crazy and Simply Create Too!

I'm joining the fun at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where it's about FALLing in love and I love me some Distress Inks in yummy fall colors!

Supplies:

Paper:  CS PTI, PP American Crafts

Stamps:  Inkadinkado, text Rubbernecker, sentiment Cosmo Cricket

Ink : Distress Inks

Tools: iron, square die Sizzix

Other: embossing powder

Mixed Media Card Challenge #4

(If you're looking for my Exploration STAMPlorations post it's here.)

Happy October! Leaves changing colors and trick-or-treaters. At least in some necks of the woods! It's time for a new Mixed Media Card Challenge and this time it's about "vintage". My mind went to some Halloween stamps from Waltzingmouse and Inkadinkado that have a great vintage-y feel to them and this is what I did.

If you need a refresher, here's the deal on what makes a card a mixed media card. But basically, it's about TEXTURE, DIMENSION and TECHNIQUES.

Texture? I've got distressed edges and heat embossed witch and sentiment.

Dimension? How about a raised die cut and gems?

Techniques? Inked over the embossing which resists ink and splattered with water.

There is an optional element every month, and this month it's a key. But I opted not to use one. (I'm still maintaining that I can create a mixed media card and keep it kinda CAS ;) Check out the DT's fabulous creations and show us what you've got. The challenge runs until October 25th.

Supplies:

Paper:  Bringmann, Coredinations, Neenah, MME

Stamps: BG Hero Arts, witch WMS, sentiment and stars Inkadinado

Ink : Distress Inks, black Memento

Tools: die Spellbinders

Other: black embossing powder, gems

no tricks, just treats (Paper Smooches, SSS, Stampin Royalty)

Hope you have a fun Halloween.  Wonder how many kids will come to our door this evening? Halloween hit Germany a few years back (when Wal-mart hit Germany, actually -  before that I had started it in our neighborhood by sticking notes in mailboxes telling people how it all works ;) but it hasn't really taken off. We are more about Fastnacht here.  Oh, and Wal-mart left too.

Anyhoo, a card.

Love those eyes on the punkin from Paper Smooches Halloweenies stamp set.  Played with Distress Inks.  Again.  On the punkin.  Behind the sentiment.  And on my inked-after-embossed-and-mitred frame.  Gotta love that PP to back it all up.

TIP: Create the mitred look with masking.  I die cut the frame and used a Post-It note at an angle to mask the seams before stamping the woodgrain!  Tricky, eh?

Playing at these fun places today:
Paper Smooches Sparks - Picture Perfect (leaves = fall = Halloween; it's a stretch ;)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Monday - Anything Goes
Stampin Royalty - #200 Anything Goes

Happy Halloween!

Supplies happy halloween:

Paper: cardbase Bringmann, PP American Crafts, recycled cereal box

Stamps: Paper Smooches, Clear and Simple Stamps woodgrain

Ink:  Versamark , Distress

Tools: square die Sizzix, sewing machine, scissors

Other:  embossing powder

bat on a wire (WMS)

Oh my!  It's getting closer.  Halloween.  And the Waltzingmouse October blog hop.  Here is my contribution:

Just got (finally) some square dies and couldn't resist creating a Polaroid feel for this scene.  Stamped the BG design.  Cut the frame and dry embossed it.  Stamped the stars with dye and pigment inks.  Stamped Miss Witch with Versamark and heat embossed.  Pigment ink dries slower than dye ink.  How do I know?  See those partially embossed stars...  But I decided I kinda liked 'em.

Here's another tip.  Don't punch the circle for your moon before you heat emboss.  Why not, you ask?  Cuz your paper may shrink and your moon won't fit into the negative space anymore.  Yeah, ask how I know.

Then I stamped the little bats and sentiment, tied on some baker's twine and adhered the frame.  Last touch was the "bat on a wire".  Stamped, applied glitter glue and fussy cut him.  Wound some wire around my paper piercer to curl it and attached the bat.  I love how he kinda flutters around!

Such a fun  Halloween set - so many cool images.  Thanks for coming by.

I'm also playing in the following challenges:
My Craft Spot #73 - Emboss it!
Ribbon Carousel #73 - Halloween Spirit
Polka Doodles Week 41 - Halloween

Supplies Happy Halloween:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, CS American Crafts and Ursus

Stamps: Waltzingmouse

Ink:Adirondack, Versamark, Versafine, Versacolor

Tools: impression plate Sizzix, die Sizzix,  punch EKS, paper piercer

Other: baker's twine, wire

happy boo day (PS, DYSU)

Take the colored-pencil-on-kraft technique.  Apply the colors from the Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge "Cool Shades" and add a bit of twine (they are looking for kraft + twine over at DYSU).

This is what happens when I do all of the above.

Add a teensy spider - cuz she's just so darn cute - some twinkly stars in the sky and a mint green button and a couple mint green exclamation points.  Then some pearly polka dots for the ghouls and voila.

Not really sure if I would send this off as a Halloween card, I kept my options open by stamping a sentiment on the inside which I would also use for a punny bday.  Used the rock-n-roll technique on the "2" and just love how it turned out.

Thanks for looking.

Supplies boo! you:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, kraft

Stamps: Paper Smooches (except "day" and "2")

Ink: white pigment Adirondack, Versamark

Tools:

Other: colored pencils, twine, button, pearl marker

midnight feast amongst tiny trees (WMS)

Nearly missed this one (something's up with my reader) but I'm playing along with the Waltzingmouse blog party with the theme "Fall".

My mind went to Tiny Trees and great fall colors.  But then I thought that was too easy.  Then I saw the sketch and decided to go with silhouettes in a group of four.  Then it dawned on me.  Halloween silhouettes and Halloweeny colors.

Stamped some watercolor-y squares using the back of an inchie stamp and Distress and Adirondack inks misted with Perfect Pearls water.  You can see the cool sheen a bit on this close up.

Stamped the bat and cut the images using a circle die cut.  Cuz I felt like using circles.  And I don't have square dies.  That made the selection of PP pretty easy when I saw this dot pattern in a My Mind's Eye Halloween pack I have.  Decided to add some heat embossed teeny trees and bats in the background and put the sentiment (Happy Halloween) on the inside.

First Halloween card of the season for me.  Thanks for looking.

Supplies :

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, PP My Mind's Eye

Stamps: Waltzingmouse

Ink: Adirondack, Distress, Versafine, Versamark

Tools: dies MFT

Other: embossing powder