Embossed daisy

Do you remember the first time you saw someone heat embossing? Wasn't it like magic?  It still feels that way to me.

I stamped the silhouette stamp from SU's Upsy Daisy set in Versamark and embossed with black detail embossing powder on glossy paper. I then sponged on red and pink ink for an ombre effect. I repeated the ombre on the sentiment panel.

I put a pink gem in the corner and added a little piercing.

I'm entering this card in these challenges:

CAS-ology #61: Silhouettes
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Embossed
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Emboss It
365 Cards: Day 245, Word Wednesday "Pretty"

Happy Crocs

This is a quicky card, inspired by the current challenge from {The Lollipop Ladies}.  Their challenge #75 has as its inspiration piece some crocodile shaped candy. In addition, the card had to have washi tape on it.

I combined that challenge with a VSN "Opposites Attract" challenge to use rough and smooth textures on a card.  I found I had some crocodiles ready to go  -- they are from a mat stack by DCWV called "Safari Kids," and they are glittery and fun.  The glittery images have a rough texture, like sandpaper  almost, so the rough part was taken care of.  The washi tape was an easy way to incorporate the smooth element.

All the papers on the card are from the same Safari kids pack.  Sentiment is by CTMH, done in red Colorbox chalk ink.

"His and Her" Christmas tags

This is VSN weekend at Splitcoast, and the theme is "Opposites Attract."  One of the challenges called for us to make mini tags showing both a masculine and feminine side.  Since I wanted to make Christmas tags anyway, I made little gift tags.

My "masculine" tags are done on manila shipping tags. I sponged the edges with brown ink to give them more of a vintage look, and used simple, nature-inspired images on them. (I couldn't decide for sure it that Stampin' Up image was holly or mistletoe, so one tag has red berries and the other white).  I used the white string that came with the shipping tags.

The "feminine" tags are bright white with images of the more "commercial" side of Christmas -- candy canes and stockings. These images are both parts of larger stamps, so I ended up coloring the stamps with markers so that only the part I wanted to use would be inked up, and I didn't have to worry about stray partial images. I used coordinating ribbon and fibers on these tags.

I made all eight tags in the 45-minute time limit imposed by VSN, so I feel like I did well. Personally, I prefer the so-called masculine tags.

I am  entering these tags in the Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge "Anything But a Card."  The are also for the CRAFT challenge #223 "Christmas."

All-star ink

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge is to feature your "stamping all-star," the item you couldn't stamp without.  For me, it's the Colorbox fluid chalk ink in the color Chestnut Roan, which is a dark brown. This has been my go-to brown for years, both because it's a great color and because the chalk ink seems to work better than die ink on a lot of surfaces. 

I'm anxiously awaiting fall, and the cooler temperatures it brings, so I made a fall-themed card.  The brown panel is actually part of a paint sample card (this one is a Martha Stewart, I noticed). I'd have to say that paint chips are another favorite supply of mine -- maybe not quite "all-star" status, but super fun to play with. The leaves are gold-embossed.  The larger leaf is Stampin Up; the smaller is All-Night Media. The sentiment (stamped in that all-star ink!)  is from Purple Onion Designs.

Vintage collage bookplate

It's no secret that I'm somewhat collage-challenged, and I don't do vintage very well either. But when I saw the antique bookplate technique in the Technique Junkies Newsletter two years ago (Oct 2011), I really liked it. Well, I finally got around to trying it, and it was incredibly easy. It probably really helped that the Stampin Up Botanicals set turned out to be the perfect choice, because it had everything I needed -- script stamp, good sized image and lots of small detail stamps to work with.

I don't usually like distressed edges, either (boy, I'm sounding opinionated here, aren't I?), but I made one without the distressed edges, and I think it works better with a little distressing.

Supplies
Stamps:  Stampin Up Botanicals set
Ink:  SU Creamy Caramel (DTP to age paper) and Memento black
Other items: Colored pencils, flat-back gems, fine-tipped black marker, distressing tool.

I'm entering this card in these challenges:

Simply Create Too #45, Vintage
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, Anything Goes.
 

Batty and Dotty

Here's a CAS card I hope makes someone smile.  It is inspired by The Alley Way Stamp Be-Inspired Challenge #35 and features TAWS images as well.

The bat is paper-pieced and has micro-beads on his dots.  He's also popped up popdots for added
dimension.

I was going to sew around the edges, but that didn't quite seem to fit the goofiness of the bat, so I decided hand-drawn dots would be a good border element. They were done with white gel pen.

Since there are dots everywhere in this card, I am also entering it for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, "dotty."

Girly birds

A tiny young bird landed on my deck yesterday. I was really worried it was injured because it was all fluffed up and had its wings extended, but I guess it was just catching some sunshine during what I think might have been its first flight.

These girly birds are for a couple of sisters. The image is from The Alley Way Stamps, and it's paper-pieced.  The sentiment is computer-generated.  I added piercing both around the main image panel and the sentiment. I used printed paper for the bottom layer of flag and a ribbon with a print that echoes the pink plaid on top of that.  I've never liked that pink stripe before, but I cut it on the diagonal and that really improves it.


The sketch is Freshly Made #97.

I am also entering this card in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes
C.R.A.F.T. #218: Monochromatic cards