Things with wings

I found a new technique at SCS this week.  I think they called it a bridge card, and some of you have probably already tired it, but it's new to me. This is a fun card because it's an easy fold, it uses up snippets of patterned paper, and you are left with a relatively small area to decorate, so it's pretty fast.
For this card, I used several coordinating snippets from an old Cosmos Cricket stack.  The bird is a Tim Holtz die, which I cut from a snippet of light blue and sponged to suggest an Eastern Bluebird. The sentiment is embossed and from The Alley Way stamps.

The bird card is for these challenges:
Pixie's Snippet Playground #313 -- use snippets
SweetPea Mix It Up #38 -- anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #314 -- anything goes
CRAFT #447  -- anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned paper Challenge -- use patterned paper.

 

I also made a card for Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge. She lets the butterflies have the month of December off and invites the fairies and sprites to visit.  My fairy stamps are kind of old, and this card does have a hint of yesteryear going on. The stamp is from Fairie Song, colored in pencils. The background is white-core paper I embossed and sanded (or actually scraped since I didn't have any sandpaper handy). Yellow grosgrain ribbon and some felt flowers finish it off.

Cattitude

I just think this image is so fun. (I have had cats that attacked the Christmas tree or the ornaments hanging on it before, and I realize it's not fun when it's happening...)
The image is a digi from Sami Stamps. It is colored with pencils, with white Wink of Stella adding some sparkle to the Christmas bauble.  The image is cut with a Nesties oval, which was edged in SU Forest Foliage ink by running the edge of the oval over the ink pad. The sentiment is from Hampton Arts.

This card is entering these challenges:
Craftyhazelnut Christmas Challenge #364 -- anything Christmas
Craftyhazelnut Christmas Challenge Extra -- anything Christmas
Kraftin Kimmie #411  -- critters
Cuttlebug Mania -- Christmas
Simon Says Monday -- Christmas
CRAFT #446 -- Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #313-- anything goes
Winter Wonderland -- anything Christmas

Snowflakes

It's time for another challenge at If You Give a Crafter a Cookie (our last challenge for the year).  The prize this time is digi images from Fabrika Fantasy. 
To play along, just create a project inspired by the cookies and link it up.
For my card, I used the technique that goes by names such as Triple Play. (I like this technique because it's quick and easy but looks impressive.)  I used a variety of different snowflake stamps and topped it off with a little baker's twine.

My card is entered in this challenges:
Crafty Sentiments -- snowflakes
Catch the Bug -- naked stamping/no coloring
Winter Wonderland - - anything Christmas
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #363 -- anything Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra -- anything Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #312 -- anything goes
CRAFT #446 -- Christmas

Stockings were hung

No pressure, but Christmas is just 2 weeks off, you know.
Here's a card using very traditional colors. I took a stamp that is an image of four stockings in a row (pretty sure it's an old Stampendous image) and stamped it repeatedly to create a design for the background.  I used lots of snippets to create red and  green letters. The glittery stocking came from the Dollar Store -- I got a whole  bag of them .... I think they are supposed to be table confetti but there are perfect for cards.  The sentiment is from an Hampton Arts set.

Entering these challenges:
Time Out #98-- stocking inspiration photo
Winter Wonderland -- anything Christmas
Pattie's Creations  #141 red glitter
Pixie's Snippet Workshop -- use snippets
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #363-- a touch of sparkle
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra/December -- anything Christmas
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- anything Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #312 -- anything goes
Catch the Bug -- no coloring

Snowy Fun

There are so many cute snowman images, and this one from From The Heart is one of my favorites. I wanted lots of sparkle in this one, so I added Spica pen to the snowflakes, Wink of Stella on the snowman, and some microbeads to the little heart. There's more sparkle from the silver metallic paper, snowflake sequin, and acrylic dots.  Way more embellies than is typical for me, but lots of sparkle.
I got the die-cut snowflake panel beneath the snowman from a friend, so I'm not sure of the maker.  (I did a Google image search and nothing like it popped up.)

I used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday for this card.

Entering these challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday #126
Cuttlebug Mania -- Snow
Die Cut Divas -- winter
The Paper Shelter -- Use 3 different kinds of embellies (microbeads, large sequins, acrylic dots)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes
Word Art Wednesday  #310 -- anything goes

Santa

There's another challenge up at If You Give a Crafter a Cookie, and if you're still making Christmas cards, there's inspiration for you here. This fortnight's challenge has two prizes available -- gift certificates for digis from Scribbles Designs and Fred She Said. To be in the draw, just make and link a project inspired by the cookies.

My project uses the Forest Santa digi from Scribbles. I did a tent-topper style card and incorporated some tree patterned paper to fit the theme. Santa is colored in pencils with some Wink of Stella on the furry white parts of his suit.The star on the  tree is embossed with glittery gold EP.

This care is for these challenges:
Scribbles Designs -- Tree-mendous Time of the Year
Winter Wonderland -- Red and Green
Simon Says Monday -- starlight
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- Anything Goes
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #361 -- anything Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra -- anything Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge/November -- anything with patterned paper
Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes
Kraftin Kimmie #409 -- Christmas

Spirelli Christmas

I haven't used spirelli for a while, so I trotted it out for this card. The green piece with the ornament was actually a leftover snippet. I had stamped/embossed the ornament two times, and when I centered the other for the diecut, there wasn't  enough left to center this one, too. So, I filled the space with some white twine and the spirelli technique.  The sentiment is stamped and matted on snippets as well.

Enteriing this card in these challenges:
Winter Wonderland --Red and Green
ABC Christmas -- X marks the spot
Rudolph Days -- November
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #361 -- anything Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra -- anything Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper
Pixie's Snippet Playground -- use snippets
Word Art Wednesday#310 -- Anything Goes
Kraftin Kimmie #409 -- Christmas
The Paper Shelter #319 -- A Christmas Card

Another tag

Here's another tag inspired by the 25 Days of Christmas Tags at Tracey McNeely's blog.  This particular one was inspired by Lindsey Larsen's bold graphic HO Ho HO tag on Day 14.  (Lindsey is with the Concord & Ninth DT)

Tags and More Tags

I am having a lot of fun playing along with Tracey McNeely's 25 Days of Christmas Tags. I like the fact that I can make a tag any size and shape I feel like, and add as much or as little detail as the mood strikes.

This tag features a Tim Holtz stamp, and the tag was  inspired Audrey Tokach of the Reverse Confetti DT  on day 4.  She used a lovely pastel palette that inspired the colors I used for this tag.

I am entering this tag in several challenges.
25 Days of Christmas Tags
Winter Wonderland -- tags
STAMPlorations -- November theme stamps and tags
Happy Little Stampers Christmas -- tags
Catch the Bug -- house
CRAFT #442-- Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge -- anything goes

Coffee and Cookies

It's time for another challenge at If You Give a Crafter a Cookie. Two prizes are up for grabs -- from Cute as a Button and Sasayaki Glitter. To be in the draw, just make a card inspired by the cookies. With all the great coffee images out there, it should be easy.


For my card, I used a little masking to create a scene of three cups of coffee, using a single stamp of a coffee cup.  For embellies, I added tiny red gems to the sentiment and a nice gingham ribbon to complement the dots.

The card is for these challenges:
The Ribbon Girl -- November Card challenge
Word Art Wednesday #309 -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper.

And a Tag....

I'm still being inspired by the ongoing 25 Days of Christmas Tags at Tracey McNeely's blog. This tag was inspired by a white and pink tag Carol Mayne from SSS showed on Day 1.

More Christmas stuff

The theme at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge this week is food or drink. I used a candy cane image from Scribbles. Truth in packaging disclosure: I do not like candy canes and think the best fate that can happen to one is to be ground up and added to cookies or brownies. They do make a festive image, however.
Entering these challenges:
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #358 -- food and drink
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra -- anything Christmas 
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper
Word Art Wednesday #309 -- anything goes

 ... and another tag inspired by the 25 days of Christmas tags at Tracey McNeely's blog. This one was inspired by a tag of a stocking by Ellen Hart of the Newton's Nook DT, which was posted on Day 2 of the event. I loved the simplicity of the bright stocking on the gray background.

Thanksgiving and Christmas

Eek. This is way more scary than Halloween. Did you realize we are two weeks away from Thanksgiving and what, maybe six weeks from Christmas.  Time to get to work here.

My card is a Thanksgiving card, featuring a technique I highlighted about two months  ago. The leaves were diecut (using a Memory Box die) from some more paper I made with that technique. The sentiment is from Mark's Finest Paper. 
The card is for these challenge:

Sum More Fun -- mood board 14 (inspired by the theme)
Die Cut Divas -- thankful/thanksgiving
Double D -- feeling fallish
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- Thanksgiving
Word Art Wednesday #306 -- anything goes

Also, Tracey McNeely has started her 25 Days of Christmas Tags. Every year I get inspired, but I've never taken the time before to actually put that inspiration in action. This year, I am making tags, and here's the first. It was inspired by Debby Yates of the Simon Says Stamp DT on Day 1 of Tracy's event.
Look for more tags in coming days.

News flash -- babies are cute

It's time for another challenge at If You Give a Crafter a Cookie, and this was perfect since I needed a baby card. Two prizes are available this time -- from Pattie's Creations and Becky's Place -- and all you have to do to enter the draw is create and link to a project inspired by these adorable cookies.

For my card, I used a digi from Pattie's Creations, which I paper-pieced with some snippets of pink patterned paper. The sentiment is a very old one from SU, which I bought second-hand and am not sure I've ever used before.

Entering these challenges
The Paper Shelter #316, digital delight
Pixie's Snippet Playground #305, use snippets
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge, use patterned paper
Word Art Wednesday #306, anything goes
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wednesday, anything goes

acrylic block technique

I tried the acrylic block technique -- just take an acrylic block, apply some ink, spritz with water, and apply to paper.  It creates an interesting background that's sort of pre-framed.  I added an NBUS stamp from Kaisercraft, which I black embossed. The rest of the card was based on the current Sweet Sketch Wednesday sketch. 

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Entering these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday: Monochromatic
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: anything goes
Rudolph Days: anything Christmas
ABC Christmas -- U is for unlimited
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #356: anything Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas ChallengeExtra: anything Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #306: Anyting Goes
Crafty Sentiments: anything goes
Sweet Sketch Wednesday #124

Easy Christmas

I'm starting to work in earnest on holiday cards. This one features a background made from alcohol inks, basically treated like watercolors (substituing rubbing alcohol for water). Basically, wet glossy paper with rubbing alchohol, put some alcohol on brush, dip in ink and apply.  To finish it off, I found some matching fibers, added a sentiment and a couple of snowflakes.

Entering these challenges:
CRAFT #438 -- Christmas
ABC Christmas -- V is for Vibrant
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #355 -- anything Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra -- anything Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #304 -- anything goes

Monstrously fun

 

It's time for another challenge at If you Give a Crafter a Cookie, and this one promises a monster of a good time. How cute are these? All you have to do is make a project inspired by the cookies, and you'll be in a random draw for a prize from Limited Runs digital stamps.

My card features an image from Bugaboo. I printed it on the designer paper intending to do some paper piecing, but I decided I liked the look as is. Used gel pens to add a little detail, and the bat is a rub-on.

Entering these challenges:

Victorine Originals #13 -- Halloween
Pattie's Creations #139 --colors of autumn
Creative Inspirations #282 -- Halloween/fall
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- Halloween/fall
Word Art Wednesday #304 -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper
Kraftin'  Kimmie Wonderful Wednesday -- anything goes

Purple snow

I went super CAS with this card, which was inspired by the Sugar Pea Mix It Up challenge.
In fact, it's so CAS, there's really nothing else to say.

Entering these challenges:
Sugar Pea Mix It UP #36 -- photo inspiration and sketch
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #353 -- Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra -- Christmas
ABC Christmas -- U is for unlimited
Winter Wonderland -- anythhing Christmas
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #302 -- anything goes 

The night has eyes

Halloween is in the air, and in the cookies with the latest challenge for If You Give a Crafter a Cookie. This challenge is sponsored by All Dressed Up, which has some free digis for the winner of the random draw.  Just create a project inspired by the cookies.

For the background for my card, I used the Darice goggly eye EF on black paper and sanded down some of the embossing. The tag is actually an incredibly real looking sticker. The ghost was cut from some Halloween-themed cardd-stock, and the Boo is a cool brad.

This card is for these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- A Walk on the Dark Side
Double D -- Fright Night
Die-Cut Divas -- fall mood board
Kraftin' Kimmie #401  -- holiday
Word Art Wednesday #302
-- Anything Goes

Beautiful leaves

It will be weeks before we start seeing fall colors here in the south, but that doesn't stop me from making fall cards. I love colorful leaves. These leaves were made using the same process I described in this post, then die-cut with the Memory Box maple leaf die.  Personally, I think they look gorgeous.

The quote stamp is an old one from Club Stamp, inked up in some brown distress ink.

This card is heading out to these challenges:
Victorine Originals #12 --   mood board inspiration (at right)
The Paper Shelter #311 -- colors of fall
Double D -- feature a sentiment/quote
Cuttlebug Mania -- harvest
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #302 -- anything goes

Interesting sky

I don't normally do a lot of techniques, but I saw some gorgeous cards with this technique when it was featured on SCS, so I tried my hand at it.  I think it's called watercolor tissue embossing, but basically, you put ink on a craft sheet (or if you don't have one, use aluminum foil), spritz with water, then press a piece of giftwrap tissue paper into it to soak up the color. Let tissue dry, crumple up, then glue on white card stock with wrinkles emphasized.  When it drives, apply versamark to wrinkles, sprinkle on metallic EP, and heat.  The technique looks good as a background, like here, and also makes really pretty diecuts.

I just pulled out a bunch of inks and used different combinations, resulted in several different tissues, so I'm not exactly sure what inks were used in this particular piece.

For this card, the tissue was matted on a coordinating snippet. The reindeer die is from Whimsy.

This card is for these challenges:
Rudolph Days -- anything Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #352 -- Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra -- Christmas
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- metal (silver metallic EP)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #302 -- anything goes

Let's go camping

After all the fun of house moves, we have gotten back into the habit of camping. It's fun to get a way for a few days (usually no cell service), and to just hike and read and enjoy ourselves. We have a small pop-up camper. (I'm not sure what they are called, or if they exist, in Europe, Here's a photo).

So, inspired by my camping and the Sweet Pea Mix It Up Challenge this month, I made this card.  The camper image is from Scribbles Designs, with paper-piecing and colored pencils.  The somewhat playful sentiment was stamped on a snippet and cut into a flag. Also used a border punch along the bottom of the green snippet panel. A bunch of coordinating ribbon flags finish it off.

This card is for these challenges:
Sweet Pea Mix It Up Challenge #35 -- photo inspiration
NBUS Challenge #12 -- both stamps and all the ribbons are NBUS
Pixie's Snippet Playground -#299/300- everything but the card base was a snippet
Word Art Wednesday #300-- anything goes
Crafty Sentiments -- anything goes

Self portrait

It's time for another challenge at It You Give a Crafter a Cookie. All you need to do to play along is to create a project inspired by the cookies -- whether your inspiration is the theme, a particular image, or the colors.  There will be a random draw for a prize from Digital Delights.

I have to admit the image on my card (a digi from Wags and Whispers) captures me as a kid perfectly, aside from the fact I never had braids.  Me and book, inseparable. The image is colored with pencils. That ABC ribbon fits the theme so well and also shares many of the colors from the DP.

I am entering this card in these challenges:
Pattie's Creations #138 -- Back to School
Crafty Girlz -- Back to School
The Paper Shelter #310 -- Make it Digital
The Ribbon Girl -- use any image
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper
Word Art Wednesday #300 -- anything goes

Flip-flop butterfly

I think this fold is called a flip-flop card, and it probably has other names as well. One of the stamping groups I'm on has this fold as a theme this month, and I watched a video on how to do it, then totally did my own thing. 
The main butterfly dies are from Simon Says, and they are cut from some gorgeous paper I have been holding onto forever. (No reason to keep it, might as well share the beauty, right?) There are also butterfly silhouettes(from Stamplorations)  stamped on both sides of the front panel in Versamark.
The inside sentiment reads "The time to be happy is now, the place to be happy is here" and I'm pretty sure it's from SU.
The paper on the inside is actually cut from a grocery store flyer because it looks like some sort of cool technique and adds some real interest to that part of the card.

This card is for these challenges:
Butterfly Challenge #85 -- indigo and sihlouette
Catch the Bug -- theme: chin up buttercup (sentiment)
Cuttlebug Mania -- Anything Goes
HLS Dies -- Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Monday -- Stamp it (no digis)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- Stamp it (no digis)
Word Art Wednesday #298 -- anything goes

A rockin' Cookie Challenge

The newest Cookie Challenge has a rock'n'roll twist. How fun is that?  To play along, just create a project inspired by the cookies. There are two prizes up for grabs this time, digis from Imagine That! and Kitty Bee Designs. 
My card features an image from Imagine That! -- an Elvis Bear, which I think is a hoot. The image is colored with pencils, and a few sequins add that rock'n'roll sparkle. The paper has been in my stash for ages,but the pattern reminded me of good old vinyl records, so it sort of fit. 
My card is for these challenges:
Word Art Wednesday #298 -- anything goes
Kraftin' Kimmie Wonderful Wednesday -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper

Embossed Angels

I dug deep into the stash for this card. The angels are one of the first Christmas stamps I ever purchased; the swirl stamp on the watercolored strip is equally as old, and the acrylic blocks with the letters on them can't be much newer.  (Yes, they do look a little yellowed, though I feel like they always had that look.)

The angels are gold embossed and colored with pencils (robes) and Wink of Stella (wings), with a little gold glitter on the stars. For the strip, the swirls were white-embossed, and  then I did a watercolor wash using the same three colors as the robes. (the angels and their colors were inspired by the Victorine Originals mood board.)

This card is for these challenges:

Rudolph Days -- Christmas

Winter Wonderland -- embossing

Victorine Stamps #9 -- on wings

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #348 -- something old

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra --Christmas

ABC Christmas -- P is for people (I hope angels qualify) 

Word Art Wednesday #296 -- anything goes

Cookie Challenge #76

It's time for another challenge at If You Give a Crafter A Cookie. There are two chances to win by random draw this time.  Prizes are sponsored by Sherri Baldy/My Besties and by Oddball Art. To play along, just create something inspired by the cookies.

For me, the inspiration was those bold black and white stripes. To set them off, I went with a purple die cut.  The panel behind the diecut is patterned paper with "friendship words"  on it, and it's covered with a piece of white vellum just to make it a little more subtle.  The panel extends up over the top of the card (the base is shorter than normal so it still fits in a regular envelope). 

The sentiment is from Purple Onion, and the die is from Memory Box.

My card is entered in these challenges:
Catch the Bug -- Bingo (Stripes/flowers/sentiment)
Word Art Wednesday #296 -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned papers

Christmas carolers

I am so behind on Christmas cards, but I finally found time to make one. This one features an image of little carolers, which I decided to pair with a  sentiment "spirit of Christmas."  It just seemed a good match. That white strip down the middle is stamped with a sheet music stamp, but I covered up most of it along the way (not good planning).
I went with a very non-traditional Christmas color scheme here, as well, with purple and a bit of tan and gray.  The colors were inspired by the purple challenge mood board from Victorine Original stamps, specifically the coffee photo.

This card is for these challenges:
Catch the Bug -- Stella sketch #513
Victorine Original Stamps #8 - purple
ABC Christmas -- P is for People
Winter Wonderland -- use ribbon
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #346-- anything Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra -- anything Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #294 -- anything goes