12 Tags of 2013--April

Another month and another wonderful tag thanks to Tim Holtz. This is the April tag from his 12 tags of 2013. This time we did a patina technique using distress paints. I love the color results. He used one of my all time favorite stamps. I bought this stamp years ago. It's wood mounted and is from a time before unmounted stamps were the way for stampers to go. It's now available unmounted in the release of the classic stamps. The dragonfly's wings were made from a piece of clearly for art. It's so cool the way it holds shape after being heated. I knew there was a reason I bought clearly for art a few years ago. I forgot I had it.

Full of Blessings

I had a lot of fun playing around with this card. It worked into several challenges this week. As a base I used the sketch from the Mojo Monday challenge. All of the stamps, including sentiment, are from the Artistic Outpost Flower Market stamp set. Therefore, I am entering the card into the Artistic Outpost April referral program challenge. City Crafters wants to see clouds. On the upper background panel, you can see clouds which I stenciled onto the design paper.Simon Says Stamp has an anything goes theme. SweetStamps wants to see three of any item. (I used 3 different design papers. There are three panels of images. I used the same small butterfly three times.) Mark's Finest Papers Friends of Speedyhttp://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/friends-of-speedy-tv-challenge-69-04-22-13-1-2-3had a recipe challenge: 1 ribbon, 2 buttons, 3 different design papers. Great Impressions wants to see pastels and polka dots. Both MFP Simple Salutations and Creative Belli are looking for spring.

My Soul Listens

It's time for Blogger's Challenge. This week the challenge is one of my favorite, black and white and a splash of color. As a coincidence, Stampsmith also has black and white and a splash of color as the monthly challenge. For my card I chose Serena, a Stampsmith stamp as my focal stamp. She is so pretty, surrounded by pretty little flowers. I chose a beautiful handmade paper as my background. My splash of color is orange which I used for the flowers and frame. A few orange buttons framing the sentiment finish off the look.
I am also entering my card in the Sunday challenge at Ink on My Fingers which was paper and at Critter Sketch with a challenge of buttons.

New Rogue Redhead Design Stamps Release

It's time to announce a little "This 'n That". Yes, today is the release of a new Rogue Redhead Designs stamp set.

Rogue Redhead Designs is delighted to announce its newest release, This N That, a half plate of unmounted rubber stamps with a lot of personality.  This eclectic collection of vintage focal images and bold sentiments is sure to enchant.  With our fashionable flapper Midge and our adoring lovebirds along with our newest set of sentiments, you’ll be inspired to create many unique papercrafting projects.  This half plate also features its own mini background, a charming checkboard, ideal for ATCs and smaller creations. 

The This N That plate will be on sale for an introductory price of US$12.00 until May 30, 2013 when it will return to its regular retail price of US$15.00.  RRD will also be offering this plate in our Rogue’s Choice Bundle along with our popular Milliner Misses mini collection from April 17, 2013 through May 30, 2013 for the sale price of US$18.00(reg. US$22.50). 

Rogue Redhead Designs also offers mounting supplies.  Purchase your mounting supplies with individual plates to save money!   Just click on the “More Options” link below each plate on our Ranges page at the RRD store.  Download our EZ-Mount Instruction Sheet for how-tos on mounting unmounted rubber stamps!

Come back to the Rogue Redhead Designs blog all through this month to see a variety of samples using this new collection! 

Here are two cards i created with the new stamps. I love the stamp of Midge with the checkerboard background, and, aren't the two birds adorable!  I know I'll be using these stamps a lot. The sentiments are great too. Isn't the "you only live once" stamp fun? Check back on the RRD blog for more inspiration and a chance to get these stamps while they are on sale.

Happy Stamping!

When It Rains, It Pours!

This month the Rebel Challenge at Rogue Redhead Designs is April Showers. How appropriate considering the amount of rain we've gotten around Chicago this past week. My card uses stamps from the RRD Just Sayin' stamp sheet. These stamps are so much fun. I stamped the old woman and the old man next to each other. The umbrella comes from the Tim Holtz Umbrella Man die. It was just the perfect size.

Let you in on a little secret--come back on Wednesday, the 24th to see new RRD stamps.

As Long as the Earth Endures

Closed

Open

Mark's Finest Papers Simple Salutations challenge is to create a one layer card. Tuesday Throwdown wants us to focus on a sentiment. Fashionable Stamping want to see sentimental (use a sentiment). SweetStamps asks for a rainbow of color. I think my card meets all of these challenges. I used my Sizzix flip-it die for my card. There are no layers, only one piece of watercolor cardstock. The background was colored with gelatos and then gone over with my water pen. I used a whitewash of picket fence distress stain to tone down the colors a little bit. I stamped over the colors using a SweetStamps stamp. The sentiment on the front is from Our Daily Bread Designs. The flower on the reverse of the circle is from SweetStamps.

Classic Beauty and Blooms

I'm back in the challenge arena. This week's Bloggers Challenge has the theme, In Bloom. Cheery Lynn wants to see pretty in purple. Simon Says Stamp and Show is looking at backgrounds. Ink on My fingers Sunday challenge is to use paints. Finally, Take a Word is looking for vintage beauty.
The background of my card was created on sticky back canvas. I put distress paints on my non-stick craft sheet, sprayed a little water, and pulled the canvas panel through the paint. I added a little silver metallic distress paint to the panel. All of the flower and doily die cuts are from Cheery Lynn. I used the following dies: spring flower burst doily, miniature rose, daisy strip,  Build a flower 1 & 2, and cutie fringe 2. The center image is from Chapel Road Stamps. I thought her face qualified as a vintage beauty. All of the cardstock used is in shades of purple.

Spring Fashion

Today I am sharing a birthday card I made for a wonderful friend of mine who is celebrating a birthday in a couple of days. I used the triple the fun technique from the Feb/Mar 2013 Technique Junkies newsletter. It's actually an easy technique of layering, but it looks more involved. I used my three ladies stamp from Rogue Redhead Designs Milliner Misses. Every woman deserves flowers, so I added stamps from RRD Floriculture.
I'm entering this card into the Simon Says Stamp challenge which is happy birthday and the Mark's Finest Papers Simple Salutations challenge which is anything goes.
Happy Birthday, Pat!

Dragonfly

Whew! It's Sunday afternoon and challenge deadlines are closing in. I have had a fantastic week with my grandson while he was on spring break, so I'm even further behind than usual with my challenges. But here I am with my challenge card for the Mojo Monday sketch challenge, for the Cheery Lynn back to nature challenge, and the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge of anything goes.
The background is a kraft panel on a white card base. All of the die cuts are from Cheery Lynn. I love the little dragonfly.

CHAPTER 26: For the Love of Wonderland

"So she sat on, with closed eyes, and half believed herself in Wonderland, though she knew she had but to open them again, and all would change to dull reality--the grass would be only rustling in the wind, and the pool rippling to the waving of the reeds--the rattling teacups would change to tinkling sheep- bells, and the Queen's shrill cries to the voice of the shepherd boy--and the sneeze of the baby, the shriek of the Gryphon, and all thy other queer noises, would change (she knew) to the confused clamour of the busy farm-yard--while the lowing of the cattle in the distance would take the place of the Mock Turtle's heavy sobs." -- Chapter 12, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Changes are coming for The Altered Alice. Due to pressures of work and other pesky distractions, next month will be our last regularly scheduled challenge. So this month we are sponsor-free and the design team members are sharing any projects they like that show their love of Alice.

You are invited to do the same and show us your love of Wonderland. Go to The Altered Alice blog to enter.  You may enter older projects for this challenge only. Enter by April 27 to share the best of your Wonderland creations with our community. 

We will of course have honorable mentions and a challenge winner, but you will be playing for the glory this month as we do not have a sponsor. We will try to organize some kind of prize although no promises!

Next month, we will be sponsored by Stampotique, who took a chance on us and sponsored our very first challenge. I like the symmetry, alpha and omega, closing the circle.

We may have challenges in the future, but they will be more spontaneously scheduled, and in the meantime we will share "Alice sightings" and miscellaneous Alice projects with you, so stay tuned!

My project this month was fun for me. I decided to use a lot of my Alice related stamps in my art journal. I'm still new at art journaling, but I sure enjoy playing. Above you see the double page layout I did. For background color I used distress paints and Dylusions sprays with stencils.

Left page

On this page we see Alice (Rogue Redhead Designs) sitting under the tree with her school book. In her dreams she sees the Cheshire cat (Stamp Francisco) and the White Rabbit (Alpha Stamps).

Right page

On the right side we see Alice (Stamp Francisco)  falling down the rabbit hole. The Mad Hatter (Indigo Blu) is running past with the watch. The caterpillar (Alpha Stamps) sits atop his mushroom. And the king and queen of hearts (Nature's Blessings) are arguing as usual.
To finish off my pages, I used handwritten sayings from the story. Then I added bits and pieces of Tim Holtz filler stamps and a hand drawn border.
Well, playtime is over for me for now. I can't wait to see what you create.

Celebrating

This is what I call a birthday celebration. My friend of many, many years (actually my college roommate for 4 years) took me out for my birthday yesterday to a nice Italian restaurant. This was the birthday dessert. As you can see, only one "candle" was needed to celebrate all of my years. (No, I'm not telling!) Since today is actually my birthday, I thought I would share the picture.