one unicorn, bitte

Funny how life is sometimes. Just commented on IG that although I'm not a unicorn fan, I really like the new one from Concord and 9th. The same day, DD asks me if I can make a card for her girlfriend who's turning 20. With a unicorn, bitte! Whaaaaaaatttt?

Thank goodness for clip art.

I used Winnie and Walter's Color challenge for July. And while I was over there I saw that this month's Rerun is Kindness. So I used that too for some tree and mini heart stamping on my cardbase. (I must apologize. This was the only photo in focus, so it'll have to do. I'm still getting the hang of flatlay photography. You can barely see the tree in the lower right corner.) I'm hooking up at:
Happy Little Stampers - Anything goes with Dies too

Added some gold striped washi, a gold striped horn and a flower sequin for some shine. Because unicorn.

Other products I used were Audrey Cutaways, Big Bold Party Cutaways, MFT Bottlecap Numbers and digi paper from Melstampz.

sketched and unexpected patterns (WW, Seize the Birthday)

So can you tell from the photo where I'm going with this card???

Playing along with three more of the challenges for WCMD (or week) over at Winnie and Walter. Kelly G. is on the design team and I just love how that girl's brain works. She is hosting one of the challenges called "Unexpected Stamping."

I had a card published where I used tiny alpha stamps to stamp a "pattern" inside the negative of the Simon Says Big Hello, thereby creating the word "hello" on my card front. Kinda like Jennifer M. stamped through a stencil here.

Well I did something similar now, but more along the lines of masking. Cuz I decided to combine Kelly's challenge with Julie's - which was a sketch. Check it.

And cuz I couldn't leave well enough alone, I tried to make my result be very graphic. Cuz Shay's challenge over at W&W is called "Pattern Play." Whew. Here she is. Actually, he cuz I also tried to give it a masculine feel ...

Die cut the smaller circle from copy paper and stamped the heart from Clear and Simple through it, then heat embossed blue. Masked it. Die cut the larger circle and stamped "happy" with Hero Arts Soft Granite (love that gray!) through it. Masked it and used Post Its to mask for the banner which I stamped with Artemio polka dots and heat embossed green. That was about all the masking my non-spatial-thinking brain could handle.

TIP: When using this technique, it's wise to use solid-ish stamps to fill in the openings so that you get maximum coverage around the edges/outlines. This helps the eye see the intended shapes better. Notice the lower part of the "happy" circle? That tiny bit of a tail of a"y" barely defines the edge of that larger circle between the banner and blue circle.

Moving along...Added the "birthday" sentiment along the curved bottom edge and a teensy die cut heart and strip to the inside.

And cuz it's a birthday card, I'm hooking up at Seize the Birthday where there's no specific topping.

Now if this were going to my Dad, I'd be in trouble. The card doesn't stand up! Either I send it to someone who does not display birthday cards on their mantle, or I better put a piece of acetate inside the front flap ;)

There's still time to play at W&W. The challenges are open until Saturday. Thanks for looking.

Supplies:

Paper:  Bringmann, digi PP Melstampz

Stamps: Artemio, Clear and Simple, Winnie and Walter

Ink : Versamark, Hero Arts

Tools: circle die MFT, heart die Amuse

Other: embossing powder

STAMPlorations sketch #19

Time for another one. No, not a drink, a sketch! Sketch Challenge #19 over at STAMPlorations.

Pretty generic. I kept it generic, used up some PP and even matted my focal panel. Wow, that's pretty mainstream for me!

Wanted to keep it masculine again. Stamped the wonky cake from Sketched: Birthday Cake in gray and then the sentiment from Sketched: Simple Gift in black over it. Five times. Added a black mat under it. And a die cut "you" per the sketch since I'd already included a few sentiments ;)

I covered the front of my cardbase with digi PP from Melstampz and a strip of chartreuse digi PP from All About Scrapping.

Join us. The challenge is open until September 12. The winner of the sketch challenge gets to pick three digi products from All About Scrapping and a guest designer spot too. And if you enter both sketch challenges  and the monthly challenge in September, you're in the running for a random extra prize too!

Supplies for happy birthday you:

Paper:  CS Bringmann, star PP Melstampz, grunge paper PP All About Scrapping

Stamps: STAMPlorations

Ink : Hero Arts, Versafine

Tools: you die Simon Says Stamp

Other: 

so what does it say?

So do we finally know what the fox says? Who cares, right?

You may remember I used a leftover tidbit on this card which I told you was from a fox card that wasn't selected for publication. Well here it is for you.

I had decided that the square-ish speech bubble worked better here, so the round one was left lying on my desk and caught my eye for that "vintage" card.

For this card I used digi PPs from Melstampz and a fox image from meinlilapark. Notice I fussy cut the fox leaving some white behind him to mimic snow drifts. PC generated the lunch sentiment. Toughest part was aligning the die cut alphas!

Hope you enjoyed.

Supplies for what do you say:

Paper:  CS Bringmann, digi PP melstampz, fox meinlilapark

Stamps: 

Ink : 

Tools: dies PTI

Other: 

my card and my 'hood (RIC, SSS)

There's a cardmaker out there whose every card makes my jaw drop.  She doesn't post often, good thing for my chin.  Do you know Aga M. of Runway Inspired and Jane's Doodles fame?  She recently added "mommy" to her resume and RIC is having an extrra special challenge to honor new baby Helena.

Here's my creation -absolutely and totally Aga-CASEd.  And I love it!

Inspired by:  tailored look of the little one's dress, the brown tights, the gold metallic edging.  Aga inspired by:  woodgrain panels, label stickers, wispy threads (mine turned into gold wire).  Maybe you remember these beauties from Gallery Idol.  And I wanted to make it personal for baby Helena cuz I hope somebody can email me Aga's snail mail....  (That's why I'm also hooking up to Simon Says Stamp's Happy Mail challenge.)  Congrats Aga!  Here's wishing you sleep-filled nights...

You can leave now or stick around for a couple more photos.  I've mentioned before that life pretty much revolves around wine in our neck of the woods.  The leaves are just ready to appear on the vines.  This is what it looked like on our May Day hike.

And this is what it looked like in our valley Fall 2012 (Flat Stanley visited and went on a tour!)

There are three watch towers positioned around the hills on both sides of the valley and if you walk to all of them it's about a 10 km hike, including a great view of the Rhine.

Our 'hood sports this ruin.

And if you turn and look to the left to the other side of the valley you see the church tower and a Memory Box Modern Landscape in the distance!

Cheers! And happy weekend.

Supplies LOVE:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, brown CS Coredinations, digi PP Mel Stampz 

Stamps: 

Ink : 

Tools: embossing folder Craft Concepts, heart die Amuse

Other: gold wire, metal leaf, letter sticker KI memories, sentiment sticker Pebbles, pearl