Farm Fresh

This week the challenge at Mojo Monday is round or square sketch. At Kraft Journal the challenge is farm fresh. For my card I used the multi-step lettuce and the multi-step tomato stamps from Kitchen Sink Stamps. It was fun to pull out Kitchen Sink Stamps again. I love the multi-step stamping. The images always look so real.  For my layering panel strip I used paper from My Mind's Eye cut using Spellbinders edgeabilities dies. The Kraft background panel is dry embossed with a Cuttlebug leaf folder. The flourish in the corner is from a Cheery Lynn die. The letters are from Webster's Pages. On the image I used the wisped frame technique from the Feb/Mar 2010 TJ Newsletter.
Hmmmm, why do I have a craving for a salad right now?
Color Recipes: (all inks are Adirondack unless otherwise specified)
Tomatoes -- 1 watermelon, 2 lady bug [Memento], 3 Wow Red [club Scrap] 4 cranberry
Tomato Stems -- 1 clover, 2 meadow 3 bottle
Lettuce -- 1 citrus, 2 lettuce, 3 olive, 4 meadow

UTEE and Idea-Ology - Wearable Art

Today I had a chance to try several techniques that I've always wanted to try, but never did. Simon Says Stamp and Show challenged us to show an Idea-Ology Bonanza. The Ranger Ink  Link February challenge is UTEE. In the past I've seen jewelry made with Idea-Ology pieces. I've wanted to make a necklace for a long time. I've also seen a lot of talk about using a stamp to put a design on UTEE and also about melting UTEE into an opening of a frame. I think the challenge at Grungy Monday helped pull this whole idea together.About this piece--all of the pieces of the necklace from the clasp and chain down to the crown are pieces from Tim Holtz's Idea-Ology line except the UTEE. I was extremely happy that I had the drill punch from Tim so I could put holes into the regal adornments for the jump rings. The UTEE insert is a combination of Iris blue UTEE marbled with pearl and black. I laid the face plate on a stamp (Lisa Pavelka) and poured in the heated UTEE. I love the textured and marbled look.
Today was a great day and I have a piece of jewelry that I can't wait to wear.

Layers of Life

This week the challenge at Cheery Lynn Designs is layers. I'm not sure just how many layers there are on this card. They come in all shapes and sizes.  It starts with a base card. Then a background layer embossed with the Japanese lace pattern frame die. This is covered with the French lattice large frame. There is a two layer rectangular panel behind the sentiment (Club Scrap) panel which then has  the Country Girl border die cut layered with two layers of ribbon. The rosette is layered on a blue back ground and more ribbon. Topping off the rosette is a two layer flower made with the miniature rose die. You do the math.

The card layout is follows the sketch challenge at Card Patterns. This card also meets the challenge at City Crafters which is extra, extra. Use two or more ribbons and none or more words on a card. Finally, at Ink on my Fingers the Sunday challenge is life. I think the lovely sentiment sums up the theme well.

Wearable Tim Holtz

This weeks challenge at Grungy Monday is to create a piece of Tim Holtz wearable art. My pin is made from paper and embellished Tim Holtz style. The idea for paper jewelry comes from Julia Andrus. The fragment rose, the metallic perfect pearls coloring, and the hanging muse token are thanks to Tim's products and ideas.

Thank You Gift

Here is another project I did for the Cheery Lynn challenge of frames. It is a gift box card based on the Technique Junkie Goodie Box technique (Fancy Folds and Motion Paper Crafts CD). I thought it would make a great hostess gift, but my daughter has already laid claim to it.

Front

Open

On the front I used the Emperor Swan die cut twice -- once in blue for the frame and once in white for the swan. The border is the Cuties 1 die. The flowers are also made from the Cuties 1 die. For the box I cut an oval opening and framed it with the Swedish Spring Oval Frame. On the right side I used the Celtic Heart die to frame the "Thank You" sentiment. All paper is from Club Scrap except the blue print which is from a Tim Holtz paper stack.

Elegantly Framed

Front

Inside

This week the challenge at Cheery Lynn is frame it. I used the Stand-Alone technique from the February/March 2009 Online Bonus Technique of Technique Junkies to make the card base. I did increase the card size for this project. The card is actually dimensional  as can be seen in this next picture.

 The frame die I used for my card is the Dutch Doily Rectangle Frame. I think it is such an elegant look. I actually cut it a second time to use a part of it as embellishment on the side triangular flaps. Note that I used the inner piece from the cutting of the frame for the inside sentiment on my card. The image and sentiment are from Our Daily Bread Designs. For added embellishment for the frame and image I made roses using the miniature rose die. I cut them from yellow paper and edged them with rusty hinge distress ink. All of the paper used is from Club Scrap.
I am also entering this card in the Our Daily Bread Design challenge which is other than a square or rectangle and the Classy Cards 'n Such challenge which is flowers. (Cheery Lynn dies qualify for the CCnS challenge).

Floral in Black, Red, and White

Here is my card for this week's black, red, and white challenge at Bloggers Challenge. Once I knew what the challenge was, I decided that I wanted to use this background paper. My good friend (and, would you believe, college roommate for four years from many years ago) gave me some beautiful handmade paper for Christmas. It was made in Nepal from the Lokta plant by women in small-cottage industry co-operatives. The paper is really gorgeous and this piece was perfect for the black and white part of the challenge. The flower image is an old stamp. I don't even know who made it. However, the openness of the petals and leaves made it a perfect candidate to try out the Zen stamping technique from the current TJ newsletter. I added a red panel and a red cardbase and voila, the challenge was met.

Just Sayin'

Since Rogue Redhead Designs is sponsoring the months challenges at Gingersnap Creations, Shar invited the Rogue Crew and Guest Rogues to share their creations for the challenge. This week the challenge is two colors only. For my card I used stamps from Just Sayin'. My entire card was done in shades of rust and grey. I used the torn window technique from the current TJ newsletter. Hmmm, I wonder what this fellow is "Just Sayin'".

Hey There

I am happy to be able to share this card. I had so much fun making it. Many of you will remember that Tim Holtz's February tag used honeycomb paper on a heart. Since I hadn't received mine, I went with a rosette. Well, my honeycomb paper arrived ; so, of course, I had to try it out. I wish I could take credit for the dress form idea, but I got that from Tim's video also.
To create this card I started with a digital image of Alice from The Octopode factory. I printed her twice, once on white cardstock and once on printed cardstock. I used the printed image to paper piece her dress. I die cut the dress form from grungeboard and also from the honeycomb paper. The background is a piece of pattern paper tissue which I adhered to the background panel and wrinkled ala Tim Holtz. I added a piece of measuring tape, several snaps and a t-pin for embellishment. I stamped the sentiment (Club Scrap) on a piece of kraft paper and bordered it using faux stitching.
I am entering this card into these challenges: The Octopode Factory Friday challenge - fancy dress; Ink on my Fingers Sunday challenge - a stitch in time; and the Kraft Journal challenge - fantastic finds. My fantastic finds were the sewing embellishments found in my old sewing basket from years ago and the new honeycomb paper thanks to Tim Holtz.

CAS CASE

Well, here I am again, just under the wire; but I just had to enter the Stampotique Designers Challenge. We were to CASE one of the Stampotique designers.

Just selecting a designer and then her card was a challenge in itself. I looked for quite a while until I came across this card from Joanne Wardle. You can see several views of the card and the description on Joanne's Blog. I love Joanne's style and I adore this owl. OK, I didn't recreate her card exactly. I changed the color of the card to a light blue and I added a kraft panel behind the front of the card. I got this idea from one of the photos in her posting. I didn't have the "Thank You" stamp so I used an Outlines sticker which said "Happy Birthday". To create a decent circle cut out, I got out my Coluzzle. Every once in a while, I dust off the box and use it. Sometimes it's the perfect answer to a need. Thanks Joanne for the great card to CASE.

The Time is Now

A few weeks ago Blitsy had LaBlanche stamps on special, and I had to have several. I really liked this owl and clock, so when Three Muses challenged us with outside the frame birds, I knew exactly which stamp I wanted to use. I stamped the stamp once on ivory paper in jet black. Then I stamped it again on white paper in coffee. I cut the clock frame and owl. I added a spinner piece where the hand pointed to XII. Then I put foam dots around the frame and behind the owl to raise that part of the image. I adhered all the layers to a kraft card base. I added a twine bow in the fold of the card. Since the challenge at Tuesday Throwdown is entwined, I will enter this card there also.

Chocolate

At Take a Word the challenge is to make an old fashioned atc. I love these chocolate lasses and thought that they would make a wonderful old time atc. I used dark chocolate brown for the base card with a light touch of gold webbing. Both the sentiment and the image are from Club Scrap.

In the Mood for Love

The Stampsmith Challenge this month is love and lace. Cheery Lynn has pretty in pink as its challenge this week. And finally, Classy Cards 'n Such has started biweekly challenges. The first challenge is anything goes, as long as at least one Classy Cards 'n such product is used. (Both the Cheery Lynn dies and Tim Holtz's distress inks qualify)
My image  and sentiment are from Stampsmith's In the Mood for Love stamp sheet. The Cheery Lynn dies used are the French Pastry doily and French Lattice Large.

No Place Like Home

Starting with the sketch challenge at Mojo Monday and the color red for the Artistic Outpost Challenge and the Kraft Journal Challenge, this card was born.
With the color red as the focus, the ruby slippers stamp from Artistic Outpost's Oz Collage was the perfect image. Of course, the sentiment followed accordingly. I stamped the slippers in ruby ink (Club Scrap) and embossed them using the new Deliquesce Clear embossing powder from Creative Inspirations. The layering panels were cut from red Kraft-Core Core'dinations.  The circular panel was edged with Creative Inspirations Fairy Dust paint. The larger panel was dry embossed and then sanded. The card panel is from Graphics45 Oz collection. I painted over the poppies with Fairy Dust paint to add shimmer to the background.
This card also works with the challenge at Fashionable Stamping which is Monochromatic and one other color (kraft).

Seashore

This week the Bloggers Challenge is the seashore. My card uses new stamps from Our Daily Bread Designs and a new technique, Watercolor Reinker, from the Technique Junkies current newsletter. The background colors are from distress reinkers.  The image is done on watercolor paper. The background panel is a wonderful textured cardstock from Club Scrap. Although the scan doesn't show it well, the crests of the waves and the moon have been highlighted using distress stickles. In real life, the water looks really sparkly and bubbly.
I am also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge which is anything goes and to the Stampendous Impressions challenge which is texture. (The background paper is a very textured paper and the stickles on the waves adds a texture in addition to the sparkle.)

Valentine in the style of Tim Holtz

This week Tim Holtz introduced his 12 Tags of 2012 with a February Valentine's tag tutorial. By coincidence, the Challenge at Grungy Monday is Valentines Day, Tim Holtz style. Hels' Sunday Challenge at Ink on my Fingers is love and the challenge at Sweet Stamps is roses. What a wonderful and fun way to meet these challenges.
I will say that for the most part I followed Tim's directions. Whenever Tim does his tags, I always treat his tutorial as if I were in one of his classes. However, if I don't have some product I need, then I will improvise. I had to do that with the heart on this tag. Tim used some cool honeycomb paper for the heart center. Since I don't have any (yet), I used a small rosette with a rose center on the heart. I do have some honeycomb paper on order, but I really like the look of the rosette on the heart.

Good Friends

This week the challenge at Gingersnap Creations is to use a faux technique. Rogue Redhead Design is sponsoring the challenge this month. The Rogue Crew and Guest Rogues are featuring inspiration samples today. For my background and for the frame I used the faux veined marble technique (TJ Newsletter Aug/Sep 2007) using the Walnut Ink Tintz method. I thought it made an elegant background for the lovely Milliner Miss stamp from Rogue Redhead Designs. Both the frame and the layering panel were cut using Spellbinders dies.

Today I'm sharing two more cards I created as Guest Rogue at Rogue Redhead Designs. Both of my cards use images from the newly released Carnival Dreams stamp set.

This first card was made with the current Rebel Challenge in mind which is to use a stamped background. Using the stamp positioner, I took the double bead stamp and created rows of beads. I then sprayed the panel with several colors of Glimmer Mist. I used gold Viva Decor paint to create the little gold spacer beads. I stamped the clown and his girl, colored them with marker, and die cut them using a Spellbinder's die. Then I layered this die cut onto another die cut panel and adhered all of the pieces to the background and base card. I stamped the sentiment and adhered it to the background panel.

For my second card I used a marbled smooch background (TJ newsletter, Oct/Nov 2010). I then framed the Mardi Gras couple with a Cheery Lynn die cut and attached it to the background. The sentiment was stamped directly on the background.
The stamps from Carnival Dreams are so happy and fun.

CHAPTER 12 Challenge: Hearts! Week 2

 "First came ten soldiers carrying clubs; these were all shaped like the three gardeners, oblong and flat, with their hands and feet at the corners: next the ten courtiers; these were ornamented all over with diamonds, and walked two and two, as the soldiers did. After these came the royal children; there were ten of them, and the little dears came jumping merrily along hand in hand, in couples: they were all ornamented with hearts. Next came the guests, mostly Kings and Queens, and among them Alice recognised the White Rabbit: it was talking in a hurried nervous manner, smiling at everything that was said, and went by without noticing her. Then followed the Knave of Hearts, carrying the King's crown on a crimson velvet cushion; and, last of all this grand procession, came THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS."     -- Chapter 8; Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Since February contains Valentine's Day, we are challenging you to show us your HEART (or hearts), in whatever form you'd like to interpret that! Our sponsor this month is The Octopode Factory, who is offering a $30 Etsy shop gift certificate to one randomly selected winner.

The Octopode Factory has amazing and unique images born from the fertile imagination of Lily Chilvers. The Etsy Shop carries her digi stamps and collage sheets, and she has large and small rubber stamps available through her blog. Be sure to check out all the incredible Alice in Wonderland characters and digital stamp sets, and visit! And for fun and inspiration, be sure to visit Lily's blog and The Octopode Factory Friday challenge blog, or TOFF for short!
This is a very short month, so you have only until Friday, Feb. 24 to submit your entry! As always, projects that feature Wonderland will have two chances at the prize instead of one. Multiple entries are fine, but each must be on a separate post. Please join us!

Since the challenge is hearts and Valentine's Day is this week, what better subject than Valentines for my weekly inspiration for you.

Card Closed

Card Open

Since Wonderland is a land of fantasy, what could be more fun than Valentines featuring Alice with the Mad Hatter or the Rocking Horse Fly, or the Queen of Hearts herself. I hope my grandchildren like the little ones. These images from the Octopode factory are so much fun to use.

I am also entering these cards into the Inspiration Emporium challenge which is put a heart on it.
Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

Gatefold Valentine

It's the last Blogger's Challenge before Valentines Day, so I am posting a gatefold Valentine for our in bloom challenge. My blooms are from Cornish Heritage Farms stamps and the die cuts are from Heartfelt Creations/Spellbinders.
I am also entering this card for the Sunday challenge at Ink on My Fingers which is Heart on my Sleeve. The Tuesday Throwdown challenge is Be my Valentine. And the Creative Belli Blog challenge is hearts/Valentine.
Sorry my post is a little on the brief side this week. I have been down with a virus the last couple of days. I'm just glad I finished this card before the bug hit.

Love Defined ATC

It's been a while since I made an atc. This week the challenge at Grungy Monday is to make an atc in the style of Tim Holtz. This challenge worked so well with the challenge at Simon Says Stamp and Show which was a recipe challenge -- show torn edges, distress inks, button, and wings. I started the atc an manila atc card from Ranger. I sprayed it with Perfect Medium and wrinkled it up. I covered it first with vintage photo distress stain and then swiped it with picket fence. I stamped Tim's words stamp on kraft paper and tore the edges. I adhered the strip to the atc. I die cut the heart, inked it up with aged mahogany and stamped it with this wonderful stamp of Tim's. I die cut the wings and painted them with a gold dabber. I added the button in the corner.
At the Kraft Journal blog, the Make It Monday challenge is La-La-Love You. The heart and the sentiment say it all.

Hiking

Today I did a morphed version of the Jenny's Coat technique (Dec 2009/Jan 2010 TJ Newsletter). Instead of patterned paper, I used newspaper. The challenge at Fashionable Stamping is Make it a guy thing. I used a stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms of a man hiking with his dog as my focal image. I stamped it on newspaper using embossing ink and embossed it using clear embossing powder. I used a rainbow pad to brayer the ink over the panel. Of course, the embossed area resisted the ink. The card base front was embossed in a Cuttlebug folder and then highlighted with distress ink. I used a gold outline sticker which I distressed with a black paint dabber for the sentiment and attached faux brads on each side of the image. I think the result is a guy card.
I am also entering my card into the City Crafters challenge which is colors of the rainbow.

Village Scene

A sketch is a fun challenge and Mojo Monday challenge sketches are top notch. I pulled out an old Thomas Kinkade stamp for my focal image today. The oval shape of the stamp worked so well with the sketch. My image was stamped on a very smooth matte cardstock (no longer available) which takes photo type stamps like a glossy cardstock. I tinted the image with Pan Pastels and then sprayed with workable fixative to be sure that the pastels didn't rub off or smear. I used a printed cardstock for the background panel, embossed the dark teal and white panels, and added a yellow glitter paper panel. The yellow panel and yellow flowers help to bring out the yellow of the windows in the image.

Royalty in Love

Here is my card for Grungy Monday, Simon Says Stamp and Show, and Artistic Stamper. The challenge at Grungy Monday is a technique challenge. We are to use Tim Holtz's Crackle Resist technique. I used weathered wood crackle paint and used victorian velvet and chipped sapphire for the background colors. All of the stamps except the king and queen are from Tim's collection, as are the die cuts. At Simon Says Stamp and Show the theme is kings and queens. This stamp of King Arthur and Queen Guenevere from Third Coast Rubber Stamps worked so well with the theme. At Artistic Stamper the February theme is hearts. This royal couple is so obviously in love, it was only right to add the heart (from grungeboard) with the royal crown in sparkle paper.

Mail Art

When I saw that the latest challenge at City Crafters was You've got mail, I knew I had to use this large envelope stamp. I had purchased it at a open-house celebrating the stamp artist Neosho. This is one of her hand carved stamp designs. I just had to have this stamp and the challenge was a perfect time to use it. I stamped the image on designer paper with Versamark and gold embossed it. I cut out the envelope and adhered it to a dark teal card base which I framed with a Cheery Lynn die frame. The little postmark-like circle was given to me this Christmas by a good friend, who doesn't stamp at all, but who appreciates my work. I love both of the sentiments.

Altered Cork Hot Mat

Bloggers Challenge and the Stampotique Designers challenge want to see us "Alter it." I had purchased some cork hot pads at IKEA a while back. I thought it would be fun to alter one for the challenge. I used a morphed smooched cork technique. Instead of smooch paint, I used Creative Inspirations Paint. I stamped my Stampotique images on the cork with Jet Black Archival Ink. Using a water pen and the paints I painted the images. The edge was done by sponging on paint along the sides and edges. The finished piece can be used as a wall hanging or to hold hot dishes.

With Love

Here's another Valentine for you. This one is very dimensional, although the scanner did flatten it somewhat. I started with a stamp from Outlines Rubber Stamps called Whimsical Blossom. I thought is was rather lacey looking and would look great on a Valentines card. I stamped it several times and cut out each layer. I adhered the layers to each other with foam dots. Over the top layer I adhered some die cut hearts which had been covered with glass bead gel. The challenge theme at Outlines Rubber Stamps is Follow Your Heart.
This card follows the sketch challenge at the Critter Sketch Challenge Blog seen at the left. I'd like to say congratulations to Critter Sketch on reaching their 100th challenge posting. There's a blog hop going on now to celebrate.
This card also meets the Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge which is a love recipe -- word love(s) hearts, lace, and the colors red, pink, and white. (I hope my lacey background and flower qualify for the lace.)

Stroll upon the Beach

This week the Chestnut Theme Challenge at Gingersnap Creations is words of wisdom.  Rogue Redhead Designs is this month's challenge sponsor. As a guest designer at Rogue Redhead Designs this month I was invited to participate in the design team Thursday challenge postings on the Gingersnap blog.
All of the stamps on my card are from the Beach Babes stamp set. These stamps are so sweet and I love the sentiment (quote from Thoreau). I guess the long winter was getting to me when I chose the stamps to use. The beach sounds so tempting right now. The background paper is from Club Scrap and yes, those are real sea shells on the card.

Carnival Dreams

Here is another card I created as Guest Designer for Rogue Redhead Designs using the Carnival Dreams stamp set. I stamped this loving couple on kraft and die cut it using a Spellbinders square die turned on an angle to make a diamond to coordinate with the background. I used the wisped frames technique from the February/March 2010 TJ newsletter to highlight around the couple. The frame is also a Spellbinder's die cut. The harlequin diamond background is from the Tim Holtz paper stash, Vintage Shabby. I overstamped with the heart balloon, the crown, and the star from the stamp set. A touch of gold stickles highlights the frame edges.
These fun stamps make me wish that I could hop a plane and fly to New Orleans for the Mardi Gras fun.

Fun News

I'm excited to announce that I was invited to be a guest designer this month at Rogue Redhead Designs for the new stamp release, Carnival Dreams.

This is such a fun set of stamps and they're just in time for Mardi Gras.

All of the stamps used in my card are from Carnival Dreams. I stamped the couple and die cut using a Spellbinders label die. The frame was cut from the next size up. The couple was colored using Copics. I used wisped frames technique from the February/March 2010 TJ newsletter to highlight around the couple. The background uses the cuttlebug highlight technique (Oct/Nov 2008 TJ) on Shimmer Sheetz highlighted with Stazon. I added the cute heart-shaped balloons and the sentiment to finish the card.