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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