To Someone Special

I can't believe that today is the last day of September. I finished my challenge piece for Stampsmith just in the nick of time. The challenge this month is Bags 'n Tags, to create any kind of bag or tag. I decided to make a large tag. My background is embossed with an M-Bossibilities folder and highlighted with bundled sage distress ink. My image is from Stampsmith's A Dog's Life. I used pan pastels for coloring. The border is a Spellbinders die with pearls attached all around. My sentiment is an outlines sticker. It says, "To someone Special". The pearl embellishment at the top is from the Tim Holtz collection. The rhinestones at the bottom are from my stash. I received them as a gift. Since they are unusual colors I hadn't used them. They turned out to be the perfect colors for this tag. This tag will be a perfect gift tag in the future.

The Crafter

Combine a sketch challenge from Critter Sketch and a challenge from Stampotique with the theme of squares and this is what I came up with. (I did turn the sketch a quarter turn.)
 I started by embossing my background with an embossing folder. I thought that the background went nicely with the stitching motif. My squares are actually squares of squares. I used faux stitching to give a patchwork appearance. It looks like the crafter has been quite busy. All of the images (crafter, heart, buttons) used are from Stampotique.

ABC's

This card combines the challenges at Mojo Monday (round or square sketch), Ink on My Fingers Sunday Challenge (behind the mask/stencil), and Inspiration Journal (abc124 school time fun).
To create my card, I started with a 5 inch square piece of white cardstock. I first used the Dylusions stencil, dotted flowers, with milled lavendar distress ink and inked the dots. Then I used the Dylusions letter jumble stencil with chipped sapphire distress ink to ink the alphabet letters. I followed the sketch for the layers and used stamps from Rogue Redhead Designs' Relish Reading for my image and sentiment. by the way, check out their current challenge -- use the colors lilac, navy, and white. You might win some great stamps.

Halloween Kisses

It's Friday again and time for another Blogger's Challenge. This week Lisa has challenged us with the theme countdown to Halloween.  Halloween cardmaking is so much fun. My card today is a shaped card. I used the Pumpkin Jack die for the shape of my card. All of my stamps are from Artistic Outpost. That witch is my all time favorite witch image. The background pumpkin was cut from orange paper and then covered with rock candy crackle paint. Join the challenge this week. Have fun and  add your work to the linky below/
I am also entering this card in these challenges: City Crafter -- an early boo; Three Muses -- bird; and the September Artistic Outpost challenge -- anything goes.

Autumn Geese

Autumn has arrived and the geese are flying south for the winter. I love using kraft paper in my work and it seems like the perfect paper to use for an autumn card. With that in mind, here are the challenges I am entering: Cheery Lynn wants us to keep it krafty; Kraft Journal's challenge is clean and simple; Tuesday Throwdown wants fall colors; and for obvious reasons, Artistic Stamper is looking for splatters and speckles.
Now, here's a little detail about this card. The card base is kraft paper which I spritzed with Dylusions chocolate and london blue. The die cut is homeward bound from Cheery Lynn. Even though the die cut is very intricut, the card is really CAS -- one die cut, one sentiment, and a few spritzes of ink. You can't get much simpler than that.

Once Upon a Time

Fairy Tales and sparkles go so well together. That's what I decided when I made my card. Octopode Factory's challenge theme is books. Simon Says Stamp and Show is looking for the love of sparkle. So I created a sparkly background and a book with a fairy tale motif. My background is a piece of beautiful glitter paper. The book and label are cut using Spellbinder dies. The images are from the Octopode Factory. The sentiment is a Club Scrap stamp. In addition to the sparkly background, I also added a few rhinestones for even more bling.
I'm also entering this card in the Simon Says Stamp challenge which is anything goes.
Wishing everyone a "happily ever after!"

Riveted Patchwork

I just love the September tag from Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2012. Of course, I seem to feel that way every month, but this tag got me to use a technique that I've admired a lot, but never got around to trying. In addition, the Compendium of Curiosities II challenge is to try the riveted patchwork technique from p. 57 of Tim's book. By the way, this week's challenge is being generously sponsored by The Funkie Junkie.  Mark's Finest Papers - speedy Fox and Friends challenge is tags. For a change, I did vary the tag a little from Tim's tag. I added an image from Wendy Vecchi's stamps. He went so well with the steampunk feel of the tag. I love the little typewriter with the typed paper. The sentiment is a stamp from Tim Holtz. Well, I guess if I went on naming all of the other embellishments, it would be a litany of Tim Holtz.

Steampunk Birthday Owl

Both Stampendous Impressions and Simon Says Stamp had embossing as the challenge. I chose to use the steampunk owl from Stampendous for my focal image. I heat embossed it with black embossing powder and then colored it with Copics. The background was dry embossed using a Tim Holtz texture fade which I then highlighted with distress ink. I also used a diffuser so that the embossing surrounded the image, but didn't touch the image. It worked like a charm. I layered everything on a blue base card which worked with his hat. Take a Word challenged us to use blue.

Autumn

Autumn is in the air and is the theme of a few challenges. Both SweetStamps and Three Muses have autumn as their theme. I  created my card with autumn in mind. My focal stamp is an autumn bouquet from Sweetstamps. I used the sketch design from Mojo Monday as my layout pattern.  Simon Says Stamp and Show challenged us to tape it up. My background was made by tearing pieces of Tim Holtz's tissue tape and layering it all over a panel of cardstock. I used distress ink to add some autumn orange to the panel.  Happy Autumn to all.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Closed

Open

The current challenge at Third Coast Challenges is Something wicked this fae comes bingo challenge. I went for the center line across, but when all was done, I actually also met the bottom line across and the center line down. The whole coffin top is shades of purple. My fae is the skeleton. There is rock candy distress glitter on the die cut letters. The spider web and bat are blinged and black. There is ribbon embellishing the coffin top. And the winged cat is a Third Coast stamp.
My Halloween decoration is also being entered as a not so typical challenge piece in Hels Ink on My Fingers Sunday challenge which is ribbon. This was a crazy and fun piece to do and my grandchildren loved it.

Only Today

Elements of time is the Bloggers Challenge theme this week. I think this is a very appropriate week for me to be late in posting my challenge card. There just wasn't enough time for me to finish in time.
To create my card I started with a kraft base card. I stamped images of a calendar, a clock (both Tim Holtz), and a flower (ODBD) all over to make a stamped background. Then I die cut a mid-sizd Reflections Boutique Celtic Chain Mega Doily half (Cheery Lynn) from brown cardstock and the next size down Celtic Mega Doily half from burnt sienna cardstock. I created a border by combining the two die cuts. On the smaller die cut I continued the stamped background with the same stamps. I then cut a Notre Dame Cathedral Doily (Cheery Lynn) and cut off the outer edge to create a frame for my sentiment (ODBD). I though that the sentiment was very appropriate for the time theme. In the top corner I made an embellishment using a flattened bottlecap, a clock face, and a dried flower and acrylic sticker.
I'm also entering my card into these challenges: Cheery Lynn -- frame it, Kraft Journal -- lavishly layer, and Our Daily Bread Designs -- stamp your own background.

Journey

Wow, it's only Tuesday and I've finished my Compendium of Curiosities II challenge piece. This week the challenge is blended stains from p. 45 of Tim Holtz's book. This weeks challenge is sponsored by Simon Says Stamp.
For the blended stains technique, Tim gave several technique ideas. I decided to try the technique with canvas (sticky back canvas from Ranger). Once I had finished with the technique I die cut the canvas with the vintage Cabinet Card die. I stamped portions of several of the stamps from Travel Labels, I die cut the movers and shapers globe. Stamped and cut out the airplane. Then I stamped the sentiment on a ticket. The background panel was dry embossed using a texture fade. I like how everything fell together on this card. This technique is one I've used often. It's so easy and effective.

Ideas

The Sentiment on this tag is very appropriate for me today. I have been swamped with things to do for a while. I'm just barely going to make the deadline for the Stampotique Designers challenge which is a color challenge -- mustard, navy, and orange. When I saw this extra large tag, everything just fell into place. all of my stamps are from Stampotique Designs. All of my die cuts are from Tim Holtz. My background is done using distress stains. It was quick, but fun!

Hero

Before I start today's blog, I want to say Happy Birthday to my adorable 2 year old granddaughter. I love you Jayda.

 

 

My card here represents a number of challenges. The layout is based on the sketch from this week's Mojo Monday.
Simon Says Stamp and Show a hero. I dedicated my card to my Dad. He's 92 and going strong. He's got a heart of gold. He's my hero. The Kraft Monday challenge and Mark's Finest Papers Simple Salutations challenge and the Creative Belli challenge all want to see autumn or autumn colors. Simon Says Stamp has the theme of neon, hexagon, or chevron. 
As I was working on this card, I got a chance to use my chevron background stamp which I've been looking at for weeks. My base card and image frame are kraft cardstock.  I used Tim Holtz tissue tape which I colored with my distress stains. I have so many rolls, and never remember to use it. My focal image is from Oxford Impressions. The leaf is a diecut from the Tim Holtz collection. The letters for "Dad" were die cut. The "my hero" are from Tim's Chitchat words, or sort of. It's amazing how a thin black marker and the letter "o" can change so much. "Her" became "hero". Yes, necessity is the mother of invention. Shhh, it's our little secret.

Friendly Silhouettes

 

 

 

Closed

Open

I'm back this week after having to miss last weeks challenge. Life got a little overwhelming, so I took a short break. This week the Bloggers Challenge is silhouettes. My card is featuring the miniature silhouettes new from Tim Holtz The card was diecut using a flip-it die from Sizzix creating a swing card. The topview shows the card in mid swing.

On the left is the closed front view and on the right is the open full view. The base cardstock is from Club Scrap. In the right corners are diecut corners from Cheery Lynn (Lace corner Deco D). Along the right edge is a Cheery Lynn diecut border (Country Girl Border) with a rose (Cheery Lynn large rose). The flower border on the front is cut with a Spellbinders die. The heart border on the reverse of the swing circle is Cheery Lynn's Celtic Heart. Sprinkled over the front and reverse of the card are rhinestone embellishments.

I am entering this card into a few other challenges. Take a Wond is looking for hearts and flowers. Tuesday Throwdown has the theme of gemstones. Cheery Lynn wants to see borders and edgers.

Moment of Magic

This week the Compendium of Curiosities II challenge is enameled stamping from p. 44 of Tim's book. I love working on these challenges. I follow the technique, but I love to add a few challenges of my own. Today I wanted to use a few of my newly acquired stamps.  As I was trying the technique, I decided to use one of my new stamps from Tim's classics collection. I used victorian velvet and wild honey distress inks. I really liked the color combination. I tore around the four edges and adhered my image panel on navy cardstock and layered it on a kraft cardbase with a dry embossed and highlighted (stormy sky) front. I took a small tag and stamped it with a sentiment from the Dylusions collection. Dyan has some fabulous sentiments. Down in the lower left corner I added a grungeboard flourish (from one of the early sets of grungeboard). I used my brass metallic distress stain to color it.  Ooh I love the metallic stains.
As I look at the finished card, I love all the color. I think I'll also enter this card in Hels'   Ink on my Fingers Sunday Challenge which is riot of colour.

Nature's Secret

This card almost didn't make it in time for the challenge. The SweetStamps challenge is acetate. I started with a card base and panel with a center cut oval. I decided to use a favorite technique of mine. I stamped my image using a SweetStamps image on a piece of acetate. Then I painted my image on the reverse side. For this card I used Smooch paints. I dry embossed the front panel using a diffuser to leave room for the sentiment.
Now, some words of warning. Don't leave a card to the last day which uses paint on acetate. I had a lot of trouble getting the Smooch to dry. I let it sit for several hours so it would air dry. No luck. I tried using my heat tool gently so that the acetate didn't buckle. It helped, but didn't dry it totally. I finally took a Viva smooth paper towel and gently blotted the paint. It finally dried enough so that the paint didn't smear. The card turned out quite nicely, but it was a struggle.

Hummingbird

Before I start my challenge post today, I want to wish my wonderful grandson a

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY!

 I love you JR.

 

 

Today's card combines some beautiful die cuts from Cheery Lynn, some faux stitching around the card panel and real stitching in the buttons, stamped lace and sentiment from ODBD, and the color blue all arranged in the sketch layout from Mojo Monday.

My card today matches several challenges. Of course, there is Mojo Monday with its weekly layout sketch challenge. City Crafter wants a monochromatic card. I used all shades of blue.  Cheery Lynn Designs challenged us to stitch it up and Our Daily Bread Designs says You leave me in stitches. The background panel was stamped with the ODBD crochet lace stamp and embossed. The faux stitching holds the real lace to the faux lace. The sentiment is from the ODBD Mother Teresa set of sentiments. The Cheery Lynn dies used are the Japanese Wall Frame and the Lace Hummingbird Flourish. Going along with the theme of stitching, I added the real lace and the buttons.

 

 

Week 2, CHAPTER 19: Lovely Garden and Bright Flowers

"...she tried the little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted! Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains, but she could not even get her head though the doorway; `and even if my head would go through,' thought poor Alice, `it would be of very little use without my shoulders."-- Chapter 1, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Your challenge this month is Garden and/or Flowers! Enter your creations by Friday, September 28, 2012. Multiple entries are allowed, but to count as a separate entry each must be on its own blog post. All entries are welcome, but projects that feature Wonderland will have two chances at the drawing instead of one.

 

The winner will receive 3 digi images from The Stamping Boutique, which has a wonderful Alice in Wonderland line we will be sharing with you! Tracey Malnoski is the owner and illustrator, and she has previously designed stamps for Unity, InStyle, Squigglefly, and The Digi Shack. Her Stamping Boutique has it all: digital images, red rubber stamps, and themes that include fairytale, whimsy, sentimental, and candy. Please visit the Store and their wonderful Challenge Blog!

 

 

My project for this challenge is  a wall plaque depicting Alice in the garden with the talking flowers and the Red Queen in her rose garden.

 

In the corner there is a tag with Alice peeking through the keyhole, looking at the most beautiful gardent she has ever seen.

As we look at the gardens, we see the Cheshire Cat appearing at the top with a sign pointing to the rose garden.

The Red Queen is there in her rose garden. I think she might go after someone's head. There are still white roses to be seen. She does have quite an attitude as you can see.

And here is Alice in the garden with the talking flowers.

A few details about the plaque: All of the images are digis from the Stamping Boutique collection. The coloring was done with distress markers. The background is a flat canvas which has been gessoed and then sprayed with Dylusions sprays. Going up the board between the gardens is a path created with a mixture of Mudd Puddles sticky sand and clear gesso. It made a great place to adhere the sentiment. The talking flower heads are made in molds with air dry clay and then colored using Perfect Pearls. All of the flowers were made with die cuts from both Cheery Lynn and Spellbinders.

The card shown at the top of the blog also uses a Stamping Boutique digi. Although you can't really see in the scan, I added a little fun to the card by cutting a second Alice in the tea cup and attached her with a Wobble spring so she moves when touched or shaken. I am also entering this piece in the I Brake for Challenges digi challenge.

 



Back to School Time

Monday is Labor Day. Many kids are already back in school, and the rest should be heading back next week. Two of the challenges I play in have back to school as their theme. So this card will be entered in the Kraft Journal challenge and the Creative Belli challenge.
I enjoyed working on this card. I was able to pull out several items that I hadn't used in ages, if ever. The background panel is the reverse side of a piece of Graphic45 paper from An ABC Primer. I then dry embossed it with an alphabet Cuttlebug folder and highlighted the letters lightly with sage distress ink. Across the top is a piece of washi tape that came from a numbers collection I had bought a long time ago. The image is from Paper Artsy. I had purchased these stamps back when I first discovered vintage and grunge. The sentiment is from Club Scrap and is stamped with paint on a piece of glossy black cardstock. Hope all of our kids (and us too) have a great school year.

Resists

The Compendium of Curiosities II challenge last week was kraft resist from p. 41 of Tim Holtz's book. Fortunately for me, Linda, the challenge mom, extended the challenge for another week. Hooray, I can play now. Coincidentally, the Frilly and Funkie challenge is resist. At Take a Word, the challenge is clockwork. At Three Muses the challenge is masculine.
The background panel on my card is from Tim's kraft resist paper stash. Check out Tim's book or Tim's blog for lots of ideas on using his kraft resist paper. I used distress inks to color my background and I used picket fence distress stain on the upper left hand corner before the distress inks. I wanted to see how the color varied with and without the picket fence base. The colors are definitely brighter where I placed the picket fence. Also the resist on the paper is much more evident on my card than on the scan. I also used the distress embossing powder resist on my card. The clock was stamped with embossing ink and I used pine needles distress embossing powder to emboss the clock. The embossing resists the distress ink too. My sentiment is from the Dylusions stamp collection. To finish off the look of the card I used Tim's technique of rolling parts of stamps on the paper. (I forget his official title for this technique.) I think everything worked together well. The result is definitely a funkie card fit for a man.