Speak the Truth

Hi Friends! I'm so excited! I'll have another badge in my sidebar soon!!! I won the Gilded Lily Award over at Lily Pad Cards for Kathy’s Lily Pad Palette Challenge sponsored by Tiffany Doodles! Actually, I've been on a winning streak lately. I won a judged challenge at Tuesday Morning Sketches on October 17, then the following week, I won a random drawing at TMS, then this morning I found out that I also won the TMS Think Pink blog candy for having participated in all the Think Pink challenges for the month of October (they had a few extra rules this month, besides just following the sketches). Whew! Isn't that amazing! Fun, too!!! :~D

I finished another challenge card, so I thought I'd just go ahead and post it now since, between dance lessons, homework, supper, and trick or treating tonight, I might not get back to my craft room again until sometime tomorrow. This one is the Viva la Verve October 2011 Week 5 sketch.

I have no idea how I ended up with this color combination, and at first I wasn't too sure about it, but it grew on me as I worked on it, and now I like it a lot. It's a simple card, with just a couple of things to share about it that might not be obvious.

First of all, the silver die cut behind the sentiment panel is cut using a die from the Ironwork Motifs Spellbinders set. I taped silver duct tape onto cardstock, then ran it through my Big Shot. It cut like butter. I was so surprised, and extremely happy with how it looked when it came out. I punched two small holes at either end and used silver brads that have clear rhinestones in them.

Secondly, the sentiment panel is just white cardstock with a Hero Arts leaf stamp in a pale blue color stamped randomly. I don't remember what color I used because I've had this for some time and found it in my scraps.

Here's the inside. I almost threw it out because of the little bump in the stitching to the left of the words, but it does say, "be you," so I decided to let it go and call it my "signature" mark. I'm just being me! :D 

  

And, finally, I have a little tip to share with you. It may be old news to those of you who have been papercrafting for awhile, but just in case there is even one person out there with the same die cutting problem I was having, here it is:

If you are having trouble getting the cs out of your dies, particularly the detailed, scrolly-type dies, just sandwich a piece of wax paper between the die and the cs before cutting. It should pop out easily, with no tears or creases. Works for me every time.

And, I'm outta here. Thanks for stopping by. Have fun tonight and come back to visit me again soon!

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Words of Wisdom (Verve); Delicate Leaf Clusters (Hero Arts)
Paper: Stella & Rose (My Mind's Eye); Welcome to the Wood-digital (BSH Papers); Happy Go Lucky Blue-digital (Shabby Princess); Que Sera Sera (K&Co)
Ink: Colorbox; Tim Holtz Distress Ink
Dies: Curvy Bookplate Die (Verve); Ironworks Motifs, Labels Fourteen (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Gem Brads (Making Memories); Stickles; Duct Tape; Memory Thread (DMC); button; foam dots
Size: 4.25" square

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Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps: Owls and Cats

BOO! Did that scare you? :D

Hello Friends, and a Happy Halloween to you! Are you dressing up tonight? I'm not, but my daughter is going trick or treating as the Greek goddess, Pandora. If you're not familiar with the story, Pandora is given a box with evils in it and she accidentally opens it, releasing the evils into the human world. By the time she slams the box shut, the only thing left inside is Hope. There are lots of versions of that story, but my DD wanted to base her costume on a series of books she read by Carolyn Hennesy. Here's my little goddess all decked out. 

And, here are closeups of her box of evils. Inside are seven "evils" written on tags and attached to the bottom of the box with springs. (Thanks to Linda at The Paper Boutique for the wobble springs tutorial). When the box is opened, the evils jump out of the box. "Hope" is stamped onto a piece of cardstock and glued inside the lid of the box, since it is supposed to remain in there.

Now on to my card. In keeping with the day, I decided to squeeze in one last Halloween card this year because I wanted to use this super cute Owl and Cat Tree stamp from Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps. I love those sneaky looking cats and a tree full of owls is just cool (although I wouldn't want to see something like that in my backyard--owls freak me out with their giant staring eyes). 

I created the "Happy Haunting" words on the computer, printed them in mirror image onto a transparency and rubbed them onto the cardstock.

Here's a look at the inside.

Well, I hope you get more treats than tricks tonight! Thanks for stopping by, and Happy Halloween!!!

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Owl and Cat Tree (Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps)
Paper: Midnight Magic (Recollections)
Ink: Memento; Tim Holtz Distress Ink
Dies: Curved Rectangles (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Glitter ribbon (Wyla); seam binding (Hug Snug); Scary Fence border punch (Martha Stewart); rhinestones; flower (Recollections); Stickles; transparency (for computer generated rub on words)
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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Under the Mistletoe

Hi, Friends! Well, Halloween is almost behind us and this is the time of year when it seems like the days really start to fly by, with lots of preparations for get-togethers with family and friends. Busy, busy! So, I'll be working on Christmas cards more often for awhile, so they'll be ready on time.

Today's card is made using the Viva la Verve October 2011 Week 3 sketch and Flourishes' Timeless Tuesday challenge #141, to use trees or leaves as a focal point. I received the Under the Mistletoe stamp set from Flourishes just in time for the leaf challenge. What a fabulous set--beautiful images and lots of sentiments!

I had so much fun making the front of the card, I wanted to do a little bit extra on the inside, too.

Viva la Verve has five sketches for this month's challenge, and I've got two more to go, so I'm off to make more cards!

Thanks for visiting today, and have a good one!

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Under the Mistletoe (Flourishes)
Paper: Lost & Found Christmas (My Mind's Eye); Welcome to the Wood (BSH Papers-digital)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Memento; Copic markers; Staz-On
Dies: Ironwork Motifs, Std Circles Lg, Holly Accents, Lacy Squares (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Ribbon (Michaels); Corner Chomper; Pearls; Glossy Accents; Liquid Pearls; sewing thread; button; twine (Twinery)
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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CR84FN41, Week 2: Birdcage Birthday

Hello Friends! I can't believe how fast this month has come and gone, and that this is my last post as the October Guest Designer for CR84FN Color Challenge. I have had so much fun being a part of this amazing team, creating cards based on Mona's beautiful color palettes, and seeing and commenting on all the spectacular entries in the challenges. Wow, you guys are talented! A huge THANK YOU to Mona and the entire DT at CR84FN Color Challenge for inviting me to play along and for giving me such a warm welcome. Ladies, it has been an honor and a pleasure! :D 

We are in Week 2 of the fabulous CR84FN41 colors of steel blue, gray, and yellow, and for this week's card, I used the Viva La Verve October 2011 Week 4 sketch.

I made this card for a good friend whose birthday is coming up soon. I went with a typewriter image because we met about seven years ago in a writer's workshop, and our friendship initially grew out of our love of creative writing. Does the Beaded Circle die cut look like a typewriter daisy wheel to you? Do you even know what a daisy wheel is, or have I seriously dated myself here??? LOL! I've included a photo, for those of you who were born post-typewriter days. Wow, I remember thinking how cool it was to be able to change fonts and font sizes by just snapping one of these babies in. It was the wave of the future!

Anyway, I thought the die cut did resemble a daisy wheel, so I stamped letters on each of the "petals." The paper in the typewriter was paper pieced and only glued at the bottom edge of the paper. This particular stamp has the words "Old School" showing on the paper in the typewriter, but I masked that out and used my Word program to create the Happy Birthday sentiment.

I colored the teeny little heart on the typewriter image with a red Copic and covered that with Glossy Accents. I like that one tiny touch of red on the card! :)

I love that itty bitty blue bird on the birdcage. It's from Verve's Making a Statement stamp set. I stamped her on dp, fussy cut, and added a drop of yellow Liquid Pearls to her beak. There is another, smaller one, on the inside of the card.

Inside the card, grey cs is embossed with the same Paper Lace II embossing folder and I sponged Mustard Seed and Tea Dye inks around the edges of the "friends" panel, before stamping the sentiment and adhering the little bird.

So, now that you've seen my take on this gorgeous color combo, check out the rest of the design team's awesome creations, then show off your style by playing along with us at CR84FN41 Color Challenge!

Mona

Suzanne

Deborah

Stephanie

Heather

Sue

Andrea

Lisa  

Thanks for stopping by, and have a fantastic, colorful day!

 

Stamps: Making a Statement (Verve); Objects (Heidi Grace Designs); Alphabet (Studio G)
Paper: Stella & Rose (My Mind's Eye); Happily Lost (Lily Bee Designs)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Staz-on; Copic markers
Dies: Beaded Circles; Large Labels (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Paper Lace II embossing folder (Cuttlebug); lace (Joann's); seam binding-dyed with reinker (Hug Snug); sewing thread; flower (Recollections); Mini Round Gems (Recollections); Stickles; Liquid Pearls; Foam Dots
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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Copics in a Can, Purple

I'm still working on those cans for my Copic markers. Here's purple. One more to go!!!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you again soon! Have a fantastic day!

~Hugs,

 

For a materials list, see my Blue Copic Can post. 

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On Its Way!

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you have a fun weekend planned. We'll probably go to the annual fall festival at my DD's school. I was afraid I'd be spending this weekend in a frantic rush to finish her Halloween costume (Pandora), but I finally finished the box last night, so I can rest easy on that one. In a few days I'll post a photo of her in costume. It turned out cute.

For now, I've got another Christmas card to share with you. This one is for two challenges: Tuesday Morning Sketches #117 (the last week of their think pink challenge), and Lily Pad's Texture Challenge. Here's my card:

This card definitely has some texture going on. LOL! In fact, it has a little bit of everything: stamping, embossing, glitter (both Stickles and homemade Mod Podge glitter glue), die cuts, sewing, ribbon, a button, and paper piercing--not to mention some pretty wild colors for a Christmas card. One thing that is missing is Distress Ink. I very seldom make a card without at least sponging an edge or two, but I refrained this time. I wanted the card to be crisp and vivid. 

I did use my Copic airbrush system for the inside. I left the die in the paper (at the bottom where the Stickles dots are) and sprayed a light blue color just along the bottom and lower sides to coordinate it a little better with all that is going on on the front of the card.

And, that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful weekend!
 

 

Stamps: Warm Holiday Wishes (Inkadinkadoo); Distressing stamp (Glitz)
Paper: 12 Days of Chriatmas (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Colorbox; Copic marker
Dies: Holly Accents, Classic Ric Rac Edgeabilities, Labels Fourteen, Labels Sixteen, Std Circles Lg (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Paper Lace II embossing folder, Polka Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); gold opaque paint marker (Marvy); ribbon (Michaels); glitter (Martha Stewart); Stickles; Enamel Accents (Inkssentials); sewing thread; Mod Podge; victorian mini button (Dress It Up); paper piercer
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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Wicked Honey

Hi Friends! I hope this is a great Tuesday for you! I've got what will probably be my last Halloween card of the year to share with you, and it's a cute one. I recently won a Tuesday Morning Sketch challenge (TMS115) that was sponsored by Sassy Studio Designs. The digital image on this card is one I chose as part of my prize. It's called Wicked Honey. Isn't she the cutest!

I'm still learning to use Copics, so I worked on coloring this for a really long time. By the time I had it the way I wanted it, I suddenly realized that the ink had bled out quite far beyond the lines in several places. Copics are amazing. It took awhile, but eventually, I got most of the ink back where it belonged and the drawing was saved!
I used Diamond Stickles on the spiderwebs and just a tiny dot in each of Honey's eyes. Glossy Accents gave her lips some shine.

The gold embossed swirl is from an Inkadinkadoo stamp set called Gem Stone Birds. The swirl is actually the tail of one of the birds in the set. I taped over what I didn't want to stamp before inking the stamp, then removed the tape before I stamped onto the cs.

I used the sketch from the current Lily Pad challenge sponsored by Nina B Designs.

  

The letters were cut in purple cs for the words on the front of the card using Sizzix's The Ginchiest alphabet font. They are glued onto an embossed panel. After adhering the letters, I covered them with Glossy Accents for shine and dimension. The dark olive panel behind the stamped layer is embossed, but it's difficult to see. In person, it looks pretty cool.

I typed the inside sentiment in Word, made the letters a dark olive color and gave them a shadow. Then, I printed it's mirror image onto a transparency and rubbed it onto the cs.

Almost all my cards are A2 size, but I wanted Honey to be big enough to be able to color without constantly going outside the lines, so I bumped this card up to an A7 (5" x 7").

This was a blast to make. Hope it inspires you in some way!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Wicked Honey (Sassy Studio Designs); Gem Stone Birds (Inkadinkadoo)

Paper: Sweet Nectar (K&Co); Bazzill Basics

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Memento; Copic markers

Dies: Lacy Squares, Curved Rectangles (Spellbinders); The Ginchiest Alphabet Sizzlets (Sizzix)

Accessories: D'Vine Swirls embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Damask embossing folder (Sizzix); gold glitter embossing powder (Zing); ribbon (Michaels); rhinestones; Stickles; Liquid Pearls; Glossy Accents; buttons; transparency (to make rub on for inside sentiment)

Size: A7 (5" x 7")

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Nicest Thoughts

Hi Friends! I'm down to the wire on the Mojo Monday Challenge this week (MOJO211), so I will be very brief.

Here's my card: 

Here's the inside:

Here's a close up of the "bracket" I put in the corner. I love trying to make these look like old metal hardware.

And, that's it. Betcha didn't think I could really be short, did ya!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a spectacular week!!!

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Nicest Thoughts (Verve)
Paper: Green grid paper-Sweet Nectar (K&Co); the other papers are from my scraps
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Staz-on 
Dies: Ironwork Motifs (Spellbinders); Rounded Scallop Frame Die, Rounded Rectangle (Verve)
Accessories: Double Loops corner punch (Martha Stewart); Ribbon (Offray); Enamel Accents (Inkssentials); Perfect Pearls Mist; Liquid Pearls; flower (Recollections); sewing thread
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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CR84FN41--Life...

Hello, and Happy Mole Day!

Are you scratching your head yet, wondering why moles have their own day? I was, too. So let me clear that up for you (as best I can, anyway), by giving you Wikipedia's explanation: Mole Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated among chemists on October 23, between 6:02 AM and 6:02 PM, making the date 6:02 10/23 in the American style of writing dates. The time and date are derived from Avogadro's number, which is approximately 6.02×1023, defining the number of particles (atoms or molecules) in one mole of substance, one of the seven base SI units.

Okay, now that that's clear, if you're a chemist, Whoo Hoo!, continue the celebration! For the rest of us, let's talk cards. :D  It's time for a new CR84FN color challenge!

Steel Blue, Gray, and Yellow--isn't this a beautiful color combo! I don't know about you, but lately, almost everything I've made has been in rich, warm, fall or Christmas colors. Not that I don't like those colors, mind you, but this cooler palette is a nice change. I love the inspiration photos, too--flowers, pottery, and soft textiles. Or maybe you'll be inspired by the lovely quote. [Hmmm. Maybe I should celebrate Mole Day, after all. ;) ] Anyway, you've got two weeks to enter the challenge. I hope you'll play along with us!

I used the Viva la Verve October 2011 Week 1 sketch for this card, but I flipped it upside down. I suppose it would have worked just as well the other way, but the dress form and cameo both face right and I wanted them looking into the card, rather than out of it. I know, picky, picky. ;)

The dress form was stamped with Distress Ink, then I embossed the "experience" sentiment with white embossing powder. I dyed the lace awhile back with reinkers. I didn't like it much back then and thought I'd never use it, but it was perfect here.

Originally, the tape measure ribbon was a bright yellow. I was just going to stain it a little with Tea Dye Distress Ink, but didn't realize that there was a drop of red ink in the plastic bag I was using, so I had to dye the entire thing to get the red out (maybe I should have just tried Visine :D --I crack myself up sometimes!). Since it turned out a golden color, it worked fine. I also used my heat gun to melt it just a little bit in a few places to give it a wrinkled texture.

I love this stamp of an old thread spool label. I guess plastic spools have their place, but I kind of miss the old wooden spools. I stamped the label, then distressed it with Antique Linen and Old Paper Distress Inks. I put a little Walnut Stain around the edge, then popped it up with foam dots.

Doesn't this Verve sentiment, from the Words of Wisdom set, speak the truth! That sentiment, including "life" from the front of the card, is actually one stamp. I inked up only the parts I wanted to stamp so I could split it up. And, the zig zag is from the same stamp set as the spool label, dress form, and "experience" sentiment (a Tim Holtz set).

Okay! Now, you'll want to check out the rest of the Design Team's inspiring creations, and then head over to the CR84FN41 Color Challenge for details on the challenge and play along with us! 

Mona

Suzanne

Deborah

Stephanie

Heather

Sue

Andrea

Lisa  

Thanks for stopping by, and whatever you do today, I hope it's filled with joy and happiness.

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Seamless Experience (Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous); Words of Wisdom (Verve)
Paper: This & That (Lilybee Design); Stella & Rose (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Memento; Colorbox; Sharpie
Dies: Labels One (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Embossing Powder (Ranger); 1-1/2" Circle Punch (Fiskars); Gridlock embossing folder (Sizzix); lace (dyed with reinker); measuring tape ribbon (dyed with reinker); cameo button (Dress It Up); pearls; sewing thread; flowers (Recollections); foam dots
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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Christmas Snow

Hi Friends! Well, I have to tell you, it's been so nice to make this card I have to share with you. It was a fun card, and I love the way it turned out, but best of all..it's NOT a bag topper!!! Yippee!

I used the Tuesday Morning Sketch #116, designed by my sweet friend, Theresa, and it is a fabulous sketch. I love that wide panel down the center of the card. I opted to use shapes other than squares and rectangles, added ribbon down the center, and a few pearls, but other than that, I stuck with the sketch. Because there are two sponsors this week, there will be two drawings, so if you haven't entered yet, get busy! You have until tomorrow night (Sunday) at 8PM EST to get your entry in. Oh, and don't forget to add some pink in there somewhere, for Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Here's a close up of the blue embossed layer. I started with a blue cs, embossed it with a Paper Lace II embossing folder, brushed a thin layer of white acrylic paint over it, then mixed Mod Podge and purple glitter and brushed that over the white paint. I think it turned out really pretty.

 

Those snowflakes in the top center panel gave me a bit of trouble. I really wanted to stamp them with glue, then sprinkle glitter on, but I tried several times, and all I ever got were blobs of glitter--no detail. So, I finally gave up on that route and heat embossed the snowflakes with white embossing powder, then used Stickles to add a little glitter.

 

I colored the little snowman with Copics, making his scarf pink for Breast Cancer Awareness, then used a Snow Marker to create puffy snow.

Here's a look at the inside.

I think that's it for me today. I'll have another post for you around midnight for the new CR84FN Color Challenge and I think you're going to really like it, so be sure to check back in tomorrow to see how I used the inspiration photo and colors.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a nice evening!

 

Stamps: Christmas Characters (Inkadinkadoo)
Paper: Best of K&Co; Love Nest (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Memento; Staz-on; Copic Markers
Dies: Beaded Circles; Labels Four (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Scallop Dot Edge Punch (Martha Stewart); Paper Lace II embossing folder (Cuttlebug); embossing powder (Zing); organza ribbon (Berwick); velvet ribbon (Fancy Pants Designs); acrylic paint (Ceramcoat); Mod Podge; Snow Marker (Marvy); Enamel Accents (Inkssentials); glitter (Martha Stewart); Corner Chomper; pearls; foam dots
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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