12 Tags of 2013 -- September

I was able to finally finish my September Tag for the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2013 Challenge. I am really upset with the US Post Office. I waited to work on my tag until my stencils order (and more) arrived. Well, they had my package on Thursday, but didn't leave it in the door like they usually do. I filled out their card as the card directed to have them re-deliver. Well, I'm still waiting. Grrrrrrr.
This was a fun tag. I love all the different ways Tim used the stencils. I used stencils from Dylusions and other Ranger stencils. I'm really happy with the colors too.
I'm also entering this tag into Hels' Ink on my Fingers Sunday challenge which is lock and key.

Whatever You Are

For my card I chose to use the faux silk technique from Technique Junkies for my background. Artistic Outpost has so many great sentiment stamps. I thought that this sentiment from AO Typography and a little bling  complemented the elegant background.
I am submitting my card to the following challenges: Artistic Outpost September referral challenge which is anything goes; Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge which is say it with stamps. and Inspiration Journal which is falling for faux.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I'm last minute as usual, but I made it. Stampsmith has the monthly challenge theme inspired by a song. I love the Wizard of Oz, so that's the Stampsmith stamp set I used. The song, Over the Rainbow, is a favorite of mine. It was fun working in my art journal again.

Thank You

Bling it on is this weeks Bloggers Challenge. Creative Belli is looking to see ribbon and pearls. The layout of my card is based on the sketch challenge at Mojo Monday. My base card is kraft cardstock with a layering panel of deep brown. The sentiment on the center panel is from Our Daily Bread Designs. The stamped pumpkin is from Club Scrap. The pearls are from Zva.
Both Kraft Journal and  Fashionable Stamping are looking for Autumn or fall  colors. ODBD has an anything goes theme.

Isn't Life Beautiful?

For a change of pace, I decided to do something other than a card. Several challenges have a flower theme and an altered frame seemed like the perfect canvas for flowers. I had this wood frame from Michael's sitting in my stash. I used my walnut stain to stain the wood. My die cut flowers are from Cheery Lynn Designs--gardenia strip (makes a great rose) and large rose strip. They are layered on Cheery Lynn Designs ivy corner flourish. The sentiment oval is also Cheery Lynn. The framed image is done using the parchment craft technique. The stamp is from SweetStamps. The sentiment (Club Scrap) makes me smile.
I am entering my project into these challenges: SweetStamps challenge is roses; Cheery Lynn Designs has the challenge of die cut flowers; City Crafter is looking for flower power; Three Muses wants to see altered art; and Word Art Wednesday has an anything goes challenge.

Steampunk Maiden

SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk challenge this month is dolls 'n robots. To make it even more interesting, they have divided the challenge into 2D and 3D. I'm going with the 2D challenge, as you can see; although, there is some dimension on my tag. To create this tag, I started by covering a large tag with Graphic 45 paper. I used several stencils with distress paint, distress ink, and Dylusions spray. My Steampunk lady is part fussy cut from a Graphic 45 image (Steampunk Debutante) with a skirt made from a die cut bird cage (Tim Holtz Caged Bird) over another piece of Graphic 45 paper. The skirt is decorated with Tim Holtz washers and jump rings. I added a Tim Holtz light bulb and a die cut bird for added embellishment. I used a Tim Holtz word band (dream as if you'll live forever) as my sentiment.
I am also entering my tag into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge which is anything goes.

Time is the Best Doctor

I guess I should have scanned my card with a background behind it. The ivory card base kind of blends into the white background. Oops!
Oh well, my card is a CAS get well card.  The background is a scribble of gelatos overstamped with some apothecary bottles (Club Scrap). My sentiment is also from Club Scrap.

I am entering my card into the Addicted to CAS challenge which is get well and into the Tuesday Throwdown challenge which is CAS.

In My Thoughts

The Oriental Sketch challenge at Mark's finest Papers is a fairly new challenge. I thought I'd join this week. This is my card created from bits and pieces of Oriental paper I have in my stash and an image and sentiment from Mark's Finest Papers. I tried to enhance my background paper with my new metallic pan pastels. Unfortunately, the shine and glimmer was lost in the scan.

Yee Haw!

This week the challenge at SweetStamps is western. I had to give this challenge a little thought since I don't have any western SweetStamps stamps. So I went to a collection of stamps I haven't used in ages, my Kitchen Sink Stamps, for the cowboy hat and sentiment. Once I stamped the hat, I masked it and then stamped the beautiful SweetStamps flower bouquet. I think the flowers with the hat make a great Western card. The flowers were colored using my distress markers. To complete the card, I sponged butterscotch ink on the background. Yee Haw!

Believe in Who You Are

This card layout was based on this week's sketch challenge at Mojo Monday. I did take a little liberty with the sketch. I was excited at the Wednesday challenge at Simon Says Stamp this week. The challenge is to celebrate STAMPtember and use a product from the Simon Says Stamp store. Recently I won the challenge on the Tim Holtz blog and my prize was a gift certificate from Simon Says Stamp. I used the prize to get the Tim Holtz Classic Stamp Set # 5 which includes this beautiful face. I've been wanting to use her and this was a perfect opportunity. My sentiment is a Wendy Vecchi stamp.

That's What Friends Are For

Today I had a free day, so with a little help from my muse, I spent a productive day in my studio. My first card is a CAS card in fall colors. (My base card came out a somewhat strange color when I scanned it. I couldn't fix the color without losing the color of the leaves. It is kraft cardstock, not the violet color it looks here.) The large leaf is a Stampland stamp which I stamped on design paper and then fussy cut out. The sentiment is from Our Daily Bread Designs. The small leaf is die cut from the same dp. The card design is done with the simple frames technique from Technique Junkies.

This card meets the challenges of several sites. The Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge is stamp on anything but plain paper. Kraft Journal has a song or book challenge. Try That Technique at Technique Junkies is the simple frame technique. The Our Daily Bread Designs challenge is fall colors. The Word Art Wednesday challenge is anything goes. Mark's Finest Papers Simple Salutations challenge is autumn. The Speedy Fox and Friends challenge is a recipe challenge [1 die cut (small leaf), 2 images (large leaf and sentiment), 3 colors (yellow, orange, and green)]. CAS-ual Fridays wants fall colors and at least 1 leaf.

Autumn Angels or Fall Hanging

 

 

I'm a little late in posting my Bloggers Challenge project. I had it done in plenty of time, but I'm still in the learning curve with handling pictures on my new computer. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

This weeks Bloggers Challenge is Welcome Fall. I thought that it would be fun to change off from a card and make a hanging. Keeping with fall colors, I used my lacey angel die (Cheery Lynn) in gold against a rust pinwheel doily (Cheery Lynn). I cut three of each, layered the angel on the doily, and folded then in half. I adhered the halves of the doilies to each other to create a tri-section ball. I attached die cut leaves (Cheery Lynn Build a Flower 3) in various fall colors to each angel and hung leaves from the bottom of the ball.

I'm also playing in the Ink on my Fingers Sunday Challenge which is make a hanging and in Cheery Lynn Designs and Tuesday Throwdown who both had the theme things with wings.

Dare

Today I am sharing an ATC. I love this size (2 1/2 " by 3 1/2 ") format. I used to create so many ATC's, but I've kind of gotten away from making them. So, today's project was a lot of fun. I decided to give it a masculine flair. My background uses the wrinkle free distress stains technique. I highlighted the background with a stencil using distress ink. The dapper gentleman is a stamp from SweetStamps. The sentiments are from Tim Holtz as is the moustache.
I am entering my ATC into two challenges. SweetStamps has an ATC challenge. Frilly and Funkie has an anything goes challenge.

Autumn Leaves

It's been a long time since I've been able to blog. My computer hard drive crashed. Yes, the dreaded crash. Fortunately, I did have a lot of my stuff backed up, but of course, not everything was saved. I got a new computer, but it has Windows 8. Now, there's a whole new learning curve! I really wish that Microsoft would stop trying to tell me what I want and need, instead of me telling the computer. 
But now, back to my challenge card. This week the Blogger's Challenge is backgrounds (one of my favorite challenges). My layout is based on the Mojo Monday challenge sketch. To make my background, I started with a brown panel. I used one of my recently received stencils with yellow pan pastels. The leaves were die cut using paper from one of Tim's paper stash pads with a Tim Holtz/Sizzix die  and then inked with distress ink. I thought that the sentiment (Club Scrap) was so cool and very appropriate.
I am also entering my card into these challenges: Tuesday Throwdown has an anything goes challenge. Word Art Wednesday is always anything goes with an appropriate sentiment. Creative Belli is a color challenge looking for red, yellow, and orange. The Frilly and Funkie challenge  is also anything goes. The Artistic Stamper challenge has an autumn theme. Great Impressions is asking for fall colors.