If I Had a Star...

It was love at first sight for this die from Heartfelt Creations (Spellbinders). I cut two of the diecuts from glossy red cardstock to use as my frame for the sentiment (Quietfire). This is my Valentine for my Sweetie. Even though the frame is quite ornate, it is really a CAS card. I love the bright glossy red against the white cardbase.
I am entering my card into these challenges: Bloggers Challenge -- love is in the air; Tuesday Throwdown -- love is in the air; City Crafter --you matter; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes; Fashionable Stamping -- black, white, hint of red; Great Impressions - love, love, love; V's Sweet Ideas -- red, white, or pink; Dies R Us -- hearts.

Snowmen

This card is quite appropriate for today. Although the snow isn't really deep here in Chicago, it has covered everything outside. It's the time that snowmen start to appear.
It's also the time of year where many challenges want to see something "new" for the New Year. Since I didn't receive any new art products over the holidays, I decided to take this opportunity to try out a couple of my never-before-used products (ie. new to me). The background panel was done on a gelli plate. Not too long ago I ordered the smallest gelli plates, but I never got a chance to use them. For this card I used the 5"x 7" plate. I love the fact that it fits nicely in the tiny space I have on my table for working. The other new item is the snowflake border die (Cheery Lynn). There's also a little something old on the card. The snowflakes on the background were stenciled with Ranger's metallic pearl dabber paint. That's been around (and unused) for quite a while. The snowman stamp (Tim Holtz) and the sentiment stamp (can't remember) have been in my collection for a long time.
My card layout is based on the sketch challenge from Mojo Monday. I am also entering my card in these challenges: Kraft Journal--take your pick (die cut, white, snowman); Simon Says Wednesday -- something new; Frilly & Funkie -- anything goes; Dies R Us -- something new; Artistic Stamper -- new beginnings; Great Impressions -- snow friends; Mixed Media -- something new for the New Year; V's Sweet Ideas -- something new; Ink on My Fingers -- anything goes; Cheery Lynn Designs -- snowflakes.

Joy to the World

It's been quite a while since I was able to post on my blog. I've been rather busy around the house since my daughter had surgery on her arm. She's fine, but it was her right arm and she is right handed. I've had to drive her and the grandkids and do other stuff she would normally do. I did get a chance to work in my studio for a little while. Here's a non-traditional Christmas card I was able to finish.My base card is yellow cardstock. The background is designer paper from Club Scrap. The carolers are Tim Holtz/Sizzix dies as is the sentiment.
I am entering this card into these challenges: Tuesday Throwdown -- family Christmas; Artistic Stamper -- anything goes; Inspiration Journal -- Sing It Loud; V's Sweet Ideas --Holiday theme; Art With Heart --holiday traditions (caroling).        

Thankful

Today's card uses one of my favorite Cornish Heritage Farms stamps. I stamped the stamp on watercolor paper and used the distress marker watercolor technique (a Tim Holtz technique) to color it. I adhered the image to the stamp die cut from Tim Holtz and adhered the panel to a kraft base card. I die cut the wheat stalks and added them to the front as well as the numeral 4 at the top corner.
I am entering this card into these challenges: Cornish Heritage Farms -- show a pumpkin; A Vintage Journey -- bountiful harvest; Dies R Us -- thankful; Great Impressions -- thankful thoughts; V's Sweet Ideas -- anything goes.

Daily Life

Although I like to post  my card for bloggers Challenge early on Friday morning, I'm late but still managed to post on Friday. I have a good excuse for being late; my two daughters took me out for lunch yesterday (just because) and I didn't get a chance to finish my card.
My background was made using a chevron stencil and lipstick pink and faded jeans distress ink. The quote from Quietfire was stamped on woodgrain paper. I used a leafy sticker which a good friend of mine gave me because she knows I love to do papercrafts. I added a twine bow along the side to finish the look. I used a white card base.
I am entering my card into these challenges: Bloggers Challenge -- pink, green, and blue; V's Sweet Ideas -- anything goes; and CAS-ual Fridays -- a tic tac toe challenge. I chose the diagonal -chevrons, white, twine.

Happy 4th of July

  

Hoping everyone is having a wonderful 4th of July today! 

this week's Blogger's Challenge is red, white, and blue. My card is a bit non-traditional for a 4th of July card, but it certainly fits in with the red, white, and blue. I started with a red base card and added the blue panel. I stamped the sentiment (Artistic Outpost) along the fold edge of the card. The face (Prima) was stamped on a piece of Tim Holtz watercolor paper. I then masked her and stamped (Hero Arts) the background. I used the distress watercolor technique from Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities 3 Book, p. 39. This just happens to be the  current CCC3 challenge. (A special thanks to Inspiration Emporium for their generous sponsorship.)
My card is being entered into these challenges: Blogger's Challenge -- red, white, and blue; Classy Cards 'n Such -- red, white, and blue (Tim Holtz's distress markers can be purchased there.); Tuesday Throwdown -- anything goes; Compendium of Curiosities 3 challenge -- distress watercoloring; Mark's Finest Papers Simple Salutations -- patriotic; Art With Heart -- red, white, and beautiful; V's Sweet Ideas -- red, white, and blue.

Down By the Sea

I was in my element as I was making this card. Add lots of texture and some vintage images and I'm happy. This week there were several beach/water challenge themes and a couple challenges calling for texture. I started with a piece of kraft cardstock and embossed it using one of Tim Holtz's texture fades. I then added distress embossing powder to the bottom of the panel to represent sand. I used Tim's Chevron die to die cut the waves. I added distress glitter to the waves like white caps. Texture fades, distress embossing powder, and distress glitter are all texture techniques that Tim Holtz uses to add texture to his art. The beach house and bathing beauties are stamps from Artistic Outpost as is the sentiment.
 I will be adding my card to these challenges: Kraft Journal -- water, water everywhere; Marks Finest Papers Friends of Speedy --beach theme; A Vintage Journey -- texture; Addicted to CAS -- texture; V's Sweet Ideas --Summer fun; Art With Heart -- summer celebration.

Perspective

I started my card off with an experiment. I decided to try distress paint marbling on a piece of kraft cardstock. The result was a very subtle background since the paint tended to soak into the kraft. However, it worked great for what came next. I then took Tim's doily stencil, laid it over my background and sprayed with Dylusions white linen spray. It really showed up well. I also added a little ink over the chevron stencil. Since the current challenge for Compendium of Curiosities III is to try Tim Holtz's glitter technique from p. 56 of his book, I die cut the frame and flowers from grungepaper and used  Tim's distress glitter. Oh yes, I also added a drop of stickles to each of the flowers. The stamped image is from SweetStamps. Distress markers were used to color the image. The sentiment stamp from Tim Holtz was die cut using a Cheery Lynn Die. Also I'd like to give a shout out to The Funkie Junkie for sponsoring the CCC3 challenge this time around.
I am also entering this card into these challenges:  Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge -- botannical; Kraft Journal -- flowers; Sweet Stamps -- anything goes; Marks Finest Papers Speedy Fox and Friends -- no designer paper; and V's Sweet Ideas challenge -- distress.

Rose Garden

I am finally back to blogging after being off for a couple of weeks. My Dad passed and I needed a little time for family and myself. I miss him terribly, but it's time to go on. Art is a wonderful way to help healing.

My card today is based on the Rogue Stampers sketch posted on Facebook. The background was done using a favorite technique from the current Technique Junkies newsletter, pearly gelatos. I then stamped over the color using a Rogue Redhead Designs script background stamp. The focal flowers, ferns, and sentiment are also RRD stamps. I stamped and masked the roses and then stamped the ferns. I love how the roses come to the front.  The lace came from my stash.
I am entering this card in the following challenges: Design Junkies Try That Technique --pearly gelatos; Mark's Finest Papers Simple Salutations -- use lace, ribbon, or twine, Vintage Journey -- spring flowers; and V's Sweet Ideas -- favorite technique.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

Today's Bloggers Challenge is animals. What represents animals better than Noah's Ark? This adorable image and the accompanying sentiment are both stamps from Our Daily Bread Designs. The layout design is the sketch challenge from Mojo Monday. The image was colored using distress markers. Kraft cardstock was used for the base card.
 My card is also being entered into these challenges: Mojo Monday --  sketch; Kraft Journal -- color challenge; Our Daily Bread Designs -- all ODBD stamps; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes; and V's Sweet Ideas -- kid's theme.

Another Steampunk Valentine

I'm not sure how it happened, but another steampunk Valentine just rolled out of my studio. The layout of my

card is based on a turned version of the Kraft Journal sketch challenge this week. All of my die cuts are from Cheery Lynn Designs. I especially love the corset. It's a great image. I used Core'dinations paper embossed with Valentine hearts (Cuttlebug) and sanded for the background. Behind the corset is an oval of embossed (Sizzix) vellum. The design paper is from Club Scrap. Kraft cardstock was used for the card base.
My card is being entered into these challenges: Cheery Lynn Designs --  tickled pink; Kraft Journal -- sketch; Mark's Finest Papers Friends of Speedy challenge -- dry embossing; V's Sweet Ideas blog challenge -- red, white, and pink; and finally (only a day late) Bloggers Challenge -- embossing.

Winter Whtes

I had a wonderful day today working in my studio. My card here is layered in whites. I always have difficulty with the white on white challenges because of the scanning. I cheated a little here since I used a silver layer (silver is a white metallic). That and a few strategically placed pop dots gave me enough shadow so that my card scanned. All of the die cuts are from Cheery Lynn (Mexican tile, ivy corner flourish, vase).
I am entering my card into the following challenges: Cheery Lynn Designs -- winter whites; V's Sweet Ideas challenge -- anything goes.

Wicked Me

SB Designs has some really fun images. On this card I used Skeleton Key Samantha. To make my card I started by dry embossing a piece of Core'dinations kraft core cardstock with a brick design and then sanded it for highlight. I printed the image three times. I colored the images with Pan Pastels. The results was a little more streak than I expected, but it does give the card a distressed look . I cut out Samantha with the door twice -- once to layer directly on my card and the second to layer popped up on the first. From the third printed image, I cut out Samantha and popped  her on the other images for an additional layer. the sentiment come from Tim Holtz' Chit Chat words. I layered the background/image panel to a kraft base card. I finished the card by spraying it with Diamond Dazzle Glimmer Mist to give the card a tiny bit of mysterious glimmer.
I made my card for these challenges: Simply Steampunk with the challenge of layers and V's Sweet Ideas Blog challenge with the theme of Halloween.

Grin & Bear It

Hopefully my card today will bring a smile to your face. I decided to have a little fun in my studio, so I brought out my Getting Grizzly set of stamps from Rogue Redhead Designs. My card meets the challenges at Marks Finest Papers Inspiration Thursday which is looks like a lodge. The background and images say rustic, just as you might expect in a lodge in the woods. I am also entering my card in V's Sweet Challenge which is something twine and in MFP Simple Salutations challenge which is wild animals. Well, even cute bears are wild animals.

Summer Yum

Here's a fun summer card. Bandana and popsicles--how much more summer can you get?
The bandana stamp is from Stampendous. The bandana technique is an old one from Technique Junkies. The popsicles were die cut using the Tim Holtz arches die. The sentiment stamp is from Serendipity. Pan Pastels were used for the background color with Viva Decor ice white used for the bandana dots and lines. The popsicles are really sparkly due to a covering of distress glitter.
This card is being entered into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge -- summer food/drink and into V's Sweet Challenge -- summer fun.