shiny baubles (Moxie Fab, ATCAS, JayGees)

Remember those shiny baubles... in the wine... make me feel happy... make me feel fine... What was his name - the singer???  Anyhoo, this makes me happy:

Including this pretty little guy, aparently called a European Robin when translated (Rotkehlchen):

It's what I saw when I looked out my window while photographing today's card.  Happy winter!  Just in time for our Christmas tree cutting tomorrow.

Now back to our regular programming.  And the card on the chair in front of me.  Here she is.

Love of my life - negative die cutting with inlays.  Notice I didn't remove all the little pieces from the gold piece.  And I backed it with black (notice the black star in Jay Gee's inspiration photo).  A piece of washi, a piece of gold twine and a heat embossed sentiment with bling.  Voila.

Entering these challenges:

Tuesday Trigger - Shimmer and Shine

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #2

Jay Gee's Nook - Challenge #26

Happy weekend all!

Supplies for Celebrate the Season:

Paper: CS PTI, gold and black scrap

Stamps:  sentiment Hero Arts

Ink : Versamark

Tools: star Sizzix, Memory Box

Other: cord, washi, bling

thankful (CAS(E), ATCAS, JayGees, Caring Hearts)

Although today I'm really missing my family in the US, I've got plenty to be thankful for.  My family here.  Our health.  Good eats to come our way when we celebrate on Sunday.  And on the cardmaking side... stamps sets won from generous online stores.  And that oh-so-teensy-Christmas-light-stamp-nestled-in-between-others on one of the zillion stamp sets in my stash.  Whuddathunkit?

What the heck am I talking about?  Meet this CAS-color-me-happy Christmas card.

Wanted to use this stamp from the set I won at JayGee's Nook to send Judith G. holiday wishes.  Wanted to stick to B/W and just color the string of lights on the house.  Also wanted to use this sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch #6:

Feared that using PP behind the focal image would be too much for the outline image.  Thought about a dry embossed panel.  Then something (who knows what) made me peruse my holiday stamps and sure enough, there on that tiny Hero Arts robot stamp there was this single light.  Problem solved!  Hand drew the strings, stamped the lights and colored them in.   Just a bit of glitter on the snowcovered roof and a touch of twine... I'm likin' the result.  Here's a second version.

Also playing at the new CAS challenge blog, Addicted to CAS #1:

Enjoy your holiday with your family.  Actually, let me use the past tense cuz you shouldn't be online on Thanksgiving!!!.  Hope your enjoyed your time with your family.

Hmm.  Just rethought that.  What better way to spend the three hours when the kitchen is cleaned up and the guys are doin' the football thing...  Go girl!

Supplies for Holiday Wishes:

Paper: cardbase Papermania, CS Neenah

Stamps: Hero Arts

Ink : Memento

Tools: 

Other: Sharpie markers, twine, glitter

crazy weekend part 2 (Caring Hearts, JayGees)

At least (except for the modern maruschkas) when I, procrastinator, was cardmaking like a maniac,  I had the sense to make two of each - one for my neighbor and one for Vera Y.'s card drive.

Here are three models using the same design... card front covered with a piece of Doodlebug PP, pierced around the edges with my Cutter Bee piercer and embellished lightly!

Love this PP with the foil holly berries.  Embellished with washi tape and die cuts.

And this embossed PP embellished with felt and buttons.

With felt and die cuts.

Want to give a shout out to Judith at Jay Gee's Nookhttp://jgsnook.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/jay-gees-nook-challenge-25.html.  Won a Hero Arts stamp set in her challenge and used it for the sentiment on card #2.  And I got some inspiration from the current challenge board:

 And the sentiment on card #1 was from a Penny Black prize pack I won from Simon Says Stamp.  Thanks for looking.

Supplies for peace and joy:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, PP Doodlebug

Stamps:   sentiment Penny Black

Ink : Versafine

Tools: ornaments die MFT,  branch die Marianne Creatables, punch Martha Stewart

Other: washi Rayher

Supplies for merry Christmas:

Paper:   cardbase Buttinette, PP Doodlebug

Stamps: sentiment Hero Arts

Ink :  Distress Ink, Versafine

Tools: label Spellbinders, ric rac Cottage Cutz

Other:  buttons and felt Sew Sweet

Supplies for frohes fest:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, PP Doodlebug, glitter CS DCWV

Stamps: sentiment Inkystamp

Ink :Versamark

Tools: branch die Marianne Creatables, ric rac Cottage Cutz

Other: embossing powder, felt Sew Sweet

scandanavian goes russian (JayGee, CAS(E), Hero)

As in... start with the JayGee's Nook inspiration board #25 and pick the nordic photo in the lower right hand corner.

Knowing you are going to use the CAS(E) This Sketch #5, opt for the ornaments hanging from a bough look.

Get lost somewhere in translation... Can't really say what came first, the idea to use the maruschka dolls or the idea to check out this month's Hero Arts contest.

Bling. Well, that's Russian isn't it?  The result, nordic maruschkas with bling.

I heat embossed the dolls and then colored with water-based markers.  Not thrilled with the result.  I think the images are too small to use this technique.  But I wanted a little more texture than just stamped with ink.  Added a few extra dots of color with colored pencils - on the cheeks and bellies.

СПАСИБО (that's thank you in Russian if my source is right) for visiting.

Supplies for frohes fest:

Paper: CS Neenah

Stamps: Hero Arts, sentiment Inkystamp

Ink :Versamagic, Versamark

Tools:

Other: white embossing powder, bling, markers, colored pencils

happiness is... distress ink (Ranger, JayGee, Ellen Hutson)

Remember the "love is..." comic? Well for me I get that hearts-fluttering-around-over-my-head feeling when I play with my distress inks.  Didn't really have a plan for this card.  Wanted to be trendy, thus the chevron strips.  Wanted to be ombre, thus the distress inks.

Inked up a length of Neenah CS with the various colors, then die cut chevrons.  Finally selected the ones I wanted to use together.  Went from landscape to portrait.  Got frustrated at how the chevrons had lives of their own as I was trying different layouts (afterthought - could have used some non-permanent adhesive...), thus the "offset" and "raised" discovery.  Chevrons with a twist.

Just love this PTI sentiment.  Another bday card for my stash.

I'm playing with Ranger's Distress Ink Celebration - used Squeezed Lemonade among others.

And with JayGee's Nook Challenge #24 and this fabby inspiration photo:

Notice the texture on that shower curtain?  Thus my lightbulb moment to raise some of the chevrons for more texture/depth.

And over at the Classroom at Ellen Hutson there are 5 great challenges from 5 big names in cardmaking in honor of WCMD.  Check them out if you haven't.  This is for the the Trend Watch Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies happy happy:

Paper: CS Neenah 

Stamps: PTI

Ink: Distress Ink, Versafine

Tools: die MFT

Other: 

soft and lovely (CPT, I am Doe, Jay Gee's Nook)

Another quick post to show you a card I made based on the sketch/image over at I am Doe.  Couldn't get this out of my mind.  So many elements I love.  The softness, the typography, the squares and washi.

I used the colors from the color challenge at Creative Paper Trade cuz this photo is just so lovely.  And I used a bit of my scraps from this card I made using a digi notecard from CPT.

And the inspiration board from JayGee's Nook (those pastel "nail polish" dots) has stuck in my head since I first saw it.

Here's my card.  One layer and lovely.

Know how I achieved that soft and lovely look?  Stamping off before stamping the images on the card.  And then I gave the entire card a light layer of white acrylic paint.  Ta da.  Applied the circle and washi over that.

I'm parking this over at Simon Says Stamp's blog because I'm in love with this little stamp set from American Crafts.

Thanks for looking.

Supplies thanks so much:

Paper: card base Papermania, digi paper Creative Paper Trade

Stamps: American Crafts, triple square and bracket sentiment Hero ARts

Ink:Jenny Bowlin, Versafine

Tools: punch EKS

Other: washi Rayher., acrylic paint

creative thinking required (TAWS, JayGee, SSS)

Both of these inspiration photos totally spoke to my Marimekko heart.  The first is the current challenge at The Alley Way Stamps, the second JayGee's Nook.

See the pillows?  See that "ric rac" one?  I have a ric rac die.  But, having no Alley Way Stamps in my stash, I perused the freebies on their site and found a great sentiment that fit the ric-rac-turned-water motif.  Add a stamp from my stash and this is the result.

Pretty self-explanatory.  Printed the digi image.  Stamped.  Added die cut strips.  Thanks for checking it out.

Entering this to Simon Says Stamp's challenge to Stamp.  Cuz I did.  Digitally and with inky fingers.

Supplies just keep swimming:

Paper: card base Papermania, CS Coredinations

Stamps: digi The Alley WayStamps, EKS

Ink: Adirondack

Tools: die Cottage Cutz

Other:   

it's a shaker card (JayGee, SSS)

When I first saw the story board at JayGee's Nook, I was taken with the polka dots.  Especially when I saw how fun the randomly stamped dots are on this card from Ange.

I remembered a party PP I have with random dots.  And I decided to make a shaker card with some birthday confetti.  Used recycled acetate and a stamped card base that I had intended to use for my lady Wanda, but didn't.  Added an outer ring of the dot PP to the front and some polka dot washi to hold the sentiment tag and voila.

Could be for a child, but I'm thinkin' a fun lovin' adult might likey too!  Cuz the quatrefoil and sentiment are stamped, and I even put a piece of washi on it  I'm entering this in Simon Says Stamp's Stamp It challenge.  Big celebration going on over there.  If you love stamping, check it out.  Happy weekend.

Supplies happy birthday to you:

Paper: card base Papermania, PP K&Co, recycled acetate

Stamps: BG Clean and Simple Stamps, sentiment PTI

Ink: Versafine

Tools:  die MFT

Other:  washi tape, tag, dimensional adhesive

lace wedding (heat and dry embossing)

Yep, another silver and white wedding card.  Figured I could give my friend a couple to choose from.  And give the Moxie Fab challenges a go.  I actually love these Card Creation challenges - Damask, Lace, Gingham.  And Spatter.  Hmmm still no good idea for that one.

Anyway, here's my card.  This one's going to the Doilies and Lace Challenge.

Cut my front panel from CS, figured out where I wanted the dry embossed flutterbys to go and then where the die cut should be among them.  Die cut.  Dry embossed.  Then I figured out where the  lacy looking pattern needed to be on my card base in order to peek through the butterfly window.  Stamped and embossed.  (TIP: Better to stamp a bigger area than too small. Ask me how I know.)

I went with the beautiful "Love" sentiment and rounded it out with a pop of red heart and grounded it on a base of lace which I stitched on.  Adhered the panel with dimensional adhesive.

I'm wondering...  the wedding couple is German and Mexican, hope English is OK...
I sure love the Hero Arts wedding set CL360 - good for various styles.

Also going over to the "Punchy" challenge at CASual Fridays this week.



And to Jay Gee's Nook Challenge #19 cuz my choice of "Love" sentiment came right out of the inspiration pic.  Check out the owl on the chair.



Now I'm going out to plant some leaf lettuce in the garden.  Do you like to dig in the dirt too?

Supplies Love:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, CS American Crafts
Stamps: lace Prima, sentiment Hero Arts
Ink: Versamark, black Versafine, red Versamagic
Tools: die Memory Box, embossing folder Craft Concepts, sewing machine
Other: embossing powder, lace

happy bird-day to U

As they say in German, this was a "schwere Geburt".  Had a completely different idea in mind.  Wanted to use my pretty new digi papers from Pink Petticoat.  Not really like this.  But...

This was the photo inspiration.  There is always so much yumminess in Jay Gee's photo collages.

Maybe that was my dilemma.  Too much on the buffet to choose from.  Was going to stack the birdies (again) like the cake.  Was too boring.  Added a couple brighter colors like the mobiles.  Naa.  Briefly considered the chevrons then realized that I didn't buy any!

Picking up on the rolls of polka dot paper I stamped and embossed a distressed circle BG but couldn't make that work either. Note to self:  make it work for another card.

So, I figured out that I really liked the purpley hydrangea paper and the pink bird I had die cut from hydrangea paper too.  Decided I wanted to do the partial circle negative and let the paper peek through.  Deciding to stick with a good thing, I printed out some yellow and cut another birdie.  (Tip:  Don't let DH catch whiff of digi papers.  He can "handle" the packages arriving at the house, but he ain't so happy about empty printer cartridges.)

 The plain white CS wasn't doing it.  Grabbed my embossing folders and lo and behold this one looks like what, hydrangeas, if you look at it right!

Knew I wanted this "birdy" sentiment, but where?  And what to do about balance?  My solution.

Don't have the showers here, but lots of April flowers.  Therefore this is parking in the huge lot of entries for the current Simon Says Stamp Challenge.

Thanks for coming by today.  Quite wordy, wasn't I?  Happy Sunday.

Supplies happy bird-day:

Paper: card Buttinette, CS American Crafts, PP Pink Petticoat

Stamps: sentiment Basic Grey

Ink: pigment Colorbox

Tools: dies Memory Box, circle punches EKS, embossing folder Cart-Us

Other: bling Hero Arts

find the feather (home decor)

Been wanting to play in the Moxie Fab Fascination with Feathers challenge.  Knew what I wanted to do.  One problem.  Had to wash my windows first.  Why, you ask?

Can you spot the feather(s)?  I was actually fascinated with these quail eggs I picked up at the discount store.  Wanted to use them for a natural window decoration to go with the vellumy eggs cuz they have an artistic feel to them.

So I carefully punched holes in the top and bottom of the eggs and used hot glue to attach the feather and "anchor" each to the fishing line (TIP:  one of your best friends for home decorating).  Strung a pearl on the top of each little bundle.

There are six of these bundles hanging on one piece of fishing line.  This is hung from a branch which hangs across the top of my window.  Brought it back from a walk in the woods years ago and painted it white.  You can barely see it up next to the recessed lights in the above photo.   I love to decorate it seasonally.  (Just took down the sequin hearts from Valentines Day - thus the necessary window washing :)

I'm also entering this over at Jay Gee's Nook cuz I was also inspired by her wonderful photo for challenge 17 - check out the egg wreath and branch display in the middle.  How lovely.

Thanks for visiting.  Have an idea for a feathery card so see ya soon.

sending Easter love (upcycled packaging)

Jay Gee's Nook has this incredible inspiration photo for challenge #17:



How wonderfully springy is this. It was on my mind as I was straightening up my crafting area.  Found chipboard packaging from choco bunny lollies.  Saved last year thinking "I could do something with this".  So I did.

The result is not fabulous.  I managed to keep the watercoloring of the image to a minimum.  But I way overdid it with the glitter.  Oops.

Used Vicky's idea for the shaped card.  After watercoloring I added a satin ribbon and a little tag sentiment tied on with cotton twine.  Stamped the inside.

In the large photo you cannot see this, but the image is actually printed with gold ink.  The only "cool" factor to this card.

Chalk this one up to experience.

Thanks for looking.

Supplies sending Easter love:
Paper: recycled, CS DCWV

Stamps: tag butterfly Martha Steward, tag sentiment Hero Arts, inside sentiment TPC

Ink: watercolor paints, Versamagic chalk, black Versafine

Tools: paintbrush, die Spellbinders

Other: tag, satin ribbon, cotton twine