I like big books

 The Double Trouble Challenge is to mix patterns.  Here I mixed a couple different dotted patterns of snippets with a larger plaid snippet, using the Try Stampin' On Tuesday sketch.  The image and sentiment are from Bugaboo (RIP, miss you) colored in pencil. I created the pink dotted panel by stenciling pink dots onto a white snippet. The green dotted panel (a snippet that fit perfectly with no trimming) picks up the green from the pink plaid, a patterned paper I have had for ever. (Funnily enough, it came from a very "Big book" pad of patterned papers, and I will probably not use up the last of the snippets in my lifetime.)

This card seemed to be calling for rounded edges, so the corner punch got a big workout.

Entering these challenges:

Double Trouble #126 -- Mix patterns

Try Stampin' on Tuesday -- sketch 584

Snippets Playground #442 -- use snippets

Word Art Wednesday #571 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2247 -- anything goes

Pattie's Creations #200 -- anything goes

Crafts Galore Encore -- anything goes

Foiled ornaments

 

I made some cards earlier this year where I used alcohol ink on embossed foil, and I decided to try it again. To make these ornaments, I glued aluminum foil on some snippets of cardstock, embossed them, then used alcohol inks and blender solution to color them. (Some of the areas that look silvery are actually a soft pink, so the colors aren't as stark as in the photo). I then die-cut the ornaments, and used embroidery floss to "hang them" from the top of a white snippet panel. However, before adhering the ornaments to the white panel, I ran all four edges along a Versamark pad and then applied silver EP to the edges. The sentiment is also silver embossed. That panel is mounted on a pinkish snippet, and then on a pale green card.

I do think the embossing on the ornaments got a bit flattened when I die-cut them. I think it might have been better to do the process in a different order -- glue aluminum foil to snippets, die-cut, emboss, then apply the alchol ink. (I guess you could apply the alcohol ink earlier in the process, but I think the highs and lows of the embossing can cause cool patterns with the AI). Hope that's not too confusing.

This card is for these challenges:

Simon Say Stamp Monday: Fun with foil

Rudolph Days -- Christmas

CRAFT #659 -- Christmas

Snippets Playground #441 -- use snippets

Word  Art Wednesday #571-- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2247 -- anything goes

Hot Cocoa Cuteness

 Oh my gosh, has it been hot chocolate weather where I live lately. It's been unusually cold for at least a week, and my office and craft spaces are in the basement, where it's cool even in warm weather. 

Today's card features a super cute die-cut image from STAMPlorations -- it's part of a set that has all sorts of cuties with mugs of cocoa.  I realized I had some patterned paper that would go nicely with the die-cut, and I used the SCS sketch that called for trimming the edge off a square set on point. The sentiment is an oldie from Purple Onion, stamped in a similar green.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Double D  Challenge -- hot beverages

Word Art Wednesday #569 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2247 -- anything goes

STAMPlorations Never-Ending Challenge -- feature their product

 

Sunflower for the fall

 

Well, our fall color didn't last long. We had a couple of very windy days, some rain, and the leaves were gone. But we can still celebrate them with cards, right?

This will be a Thanksgiving card for my in-laws.  The sunflower image (maybe from Studio G?) is colored in pencils. Then I used a Stamplorations brick pattern stencil with a couple of brown Distress inks, and finally used a Spellbinder's framelit die.  The sentiment (Studio Katia) is on a thin snippet of yellow, with a leaf-shaped brad. The background panel is embossed with an old Sizzix folder.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Double Trouble #125 -- orange/yellow/brown with sunflower option

Inspiration Station #41 --photo inspiration (golden fields)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes

CRAFT # 657 -- anything goes

Crazy is Our Name, Stencils are our Game -- fall colors

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2245 -- anything goes

Die Cut Divas -- anything goes

Pattie's Creations #200 -- anything goes

Word ARt Wednesday #569 -- anything goes

Hanging Window Box Card

 

Today's card is a fun fold I've never seen before until Mrs. A, hostess of the Butterfly Challenge, posted it, a hanging window box card. The card is indeed a shallow box with a window in it, and the window overhangs the edge of the box. Check out the instructions here if that's not clear. It is a very easy card to make, unless you like to create problems for yourself, like I do. I decided I wanted to use patterned paper on the front, leaving a small edge to reveal the blue card underneath. So I made the card, cut the aperture, and set about cutting a hole in the patterned paper in the same place there's a hole in the box.

 After cutting, and having to discard, two versions (using the last two snippets of my first choice for patterned paper), I had to discard the original card I'd cut and folded because I'd ripped it when removing the ill-fitting patterned paper. So, I scored and folded another card, cut the window aperture, and very carefully cut and adjusted the patterned paper multiple times, and was able to successfully complete the card. Hours -- yes it took me hours to see the error of my ways -- I realized I could have put the patterned paper on first, then cut the aperture and everything would have fit with no agony! 

I used snippets for the scalloped edge around the window, the dies in the window and the sentiment panel. Dies used include Spellbinders circle and scallop circle, SSS butterfly, and various vines and leaves.

This card is entered in these challenges:

The Butterfly Challenge #175 -- Level 2: hanging window box card, heat embossing, butterfly, and two colors (3 actually, honeysuckle, hydrangea, and han blue).

Snippets Playground #440  -- use snippets (everything on the card; even the base was left over from my previous attempt)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- thanks

Crafts Galore -- anything goes

Die-cut Divas -- anything with die-cuts

Double Trouble #124 -- something/anything plus twist of featuring wildlife (butterfly)

Creative Creases #44 -- anything with a fun fold

Word Art Wednesday #567 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2244 -- anything goes