One for CAS Christmas -- Santa's Sleigh

Well, friends, so far this month I have just one Christmas card to add to the box.  I'm not sure why I was dragging my feet.  Summer, I suppose.  I did, however, want to play along in Loll's CAS Christmas Challenge where Julia has chosen the theme of "Santa's Sleigh".

I don't have much in the way of Santa's sleigh stamps or dies.  I came up with three, but only one that I really wanted to use this year.  I combined a Stampendous sentiment with Lavinia's Pippin Mini and The Wishing Tree.  Three stamps and some ink blending on a one layer card... it doesn't get much more simple or quick in my craft room!

I stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and clear embossed with fine detail powder.  Using torn paper I masked the lower edge for snow, then ink blended over everything with Stampin' Up Almost Amethyst and Brocade Blue.  Wiped away excess ink from the embossed sentiment and images, flicked with water, blotted with a paper towel.  The mini-slimline card is 3 1/2" x 6".

Total Christmas cards in the box:  22

You know I'm not very good at CAS so I hope it's okay for the challenge.  I appreciate the inspiration to create this card as I do love it and I was missing my Lavinia stamps.

Sending thanks to the team at the CAS Christmas Challenge for all the inspiration, and thanks to you for stopping by to visit!

Stamps:  Stampendous Christmas Sky, Lavinia Pippin Mini & Wishing Tree  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb  Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Stampin' Up Almost Amethyst and Brocade Blue  Coloring:  Ink blending with brushes  Other:  WOW! clear gloss super fine embossing powder

Joyful Moose

Hi there!  I'm still working on Christmas cards.  It's a time consuming process and delightful, though I won't be sorry when I'm done with them for this year.  I need to simplify, but I have all these new toys yet to use, sigh.  Today I'm playing along in Jo's Christmas Kickstart Challenge:

I wanted to make something fun for the "Just Add Antlers" prompt, and use something from my NBUS basket in the process.  In this case it's the Tim Holtz Forest Shadows set (trees and stars), which made a good background for my previously enjoyed TH Merry Moose.

It's mostly retired Stampin' Up sandable cardstock.  Love that stuff and have a tendency to hoard it, tsk, but it's so fun!  The trees are plain cardstock, SU Basic Gray in the front, black in the back.  I wanted to make the very dark Basic Gray more interesting so I swiped the Basic Gray ink pad directly over the trees, bottom to top.  The darker patches are the ink.  I was pleasantly surprised at the result.

Patches of snow were added with sparkly flocking.  There is Stickles sparkle on the stars and on the moose accessories.  The "joy" is plain cardstock and also TH Sizzix.  I'm gradually adding to my Tim Holtz collection when it's on sale.

Many thanks to Christmas Kickstart for heading me in this direction.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I mustn't forget Darnell's NBUS Challenge #80, either.  She's a cheerleader in our efforts to reduce our piles of never before used schtuff.  As mentioned, my NBUS today is the Forest Shadows die.

I appreciate all of you for stopping by to visit.  It's nice to take a moment now and then.  Be well and stay crafty!

Stamps:  Only inside sentiment  Paper:  Various retired Stampin' Up sandable cardstock, black, other various scraps  Ink:  SU Basic Gray, Copics to color moos accessories  Dies:  Tim Holtz Sizzix Merry Moose, Forest Shadows, Holiday Words Script  Other:  Diamond Stickles, Sparkly Fluff (flocking)

Camping on the Water's Edge

Hello!  I'm back with a reminder card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  It's been a treat to play along as guest designer this month!

  

The theme is always "anything goes", and the optional theme this month is "in or on the water".

*******

The scene-making bug took hold of me for this card.  It just happened.  I combined the Penny Black Camping stamp (💗) with the Immense Enjoyment die and gave her a campsite by the water.  I had help with other dies from my stash, plus managed to work some designer paper into it as well.

The site resembles a few places we've camped in eastern Oregon or Utah.  Fun times!

Maybe you've got a Penny Black stamp or two and you'd like to play along in the challenge.  We'd love to see you there!

Enjoy your day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Camping, retired SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds splatter stamp  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, green scraps, KaiserCraft Hunt & Gather designer paper  Ink:  Various Stampin' Up  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Penny Black Immense Enjoyment, Memory Box Pine Trees, Poppystamps Stitched Landscapes, Impression Obsession Mountains

Blue and Yellow

Hello again!  I have a few cards made... some of them came together quickly, but not necessarily this one.  I made it for the Color Hues Challenge, hosted this time around by my friend, Marcia.  She chose blue and yellow, which I quite like, but typical of a challenge, it took me to an unexpected outcome.

Looking through my NBUS basket I landed on this Unity stamp which is near and dear to my heart.  I first saw it shortly after Wally and LuLu passed in 2023, but I was too heartbroken to think about ever using a dog stamp again.

Then along came Sophie.  There's still a crack in my heart that will never heal, but after 21 months with Sophie life is getting better.  These things take time.

Most of what I used on my card is old(ish), but it's all listed in the recipe.  The image is embossed with WOW black powder, and I made the grassy die cuts glossy by applying clear packing tape to black cardstock before cutting.  The card is actually 4 1/4 x 5", cut down to make all the dies fit together more evenly.

It reminds me of the end of a perfect day -- like this perfect day, just a few days ago.  Even my Rich walked a mile and a half, oxygen pack and all.

The Color Hues Challenge #109 -- Blue and Yellow
NBUS Challenge #74  -- My never before used schtuff is the Unity Oodle & Retriever stamp.

 

A lot has changed since since those long treks with Wally and LuLu (April 2012).

Wishing you a perfect day!

Stamps:  Unity Oodle & Retriever Silhouette  Paper:  Copic X-Press It Blending Card for image, SU Brocade Blue, Cougar Natural, black  Ink:  SU Brocade Blue & Barely Banana, Versamark  Dies:  Spellbinders Scored and Pierced Rectangles, Memory Box Tall Grassy Stem Right Corner and Dragonfly Stems Left Corner, Verve A Cut Above Amazing Adjectives, Creative Expressions Leafy Frame (in the background)  Other:  Black embossing powder, clear packing tape, TH Sizzix Lumber 3D embossing folder

Whittle Reindeer

Hello there!  I took a short blog break over Thanksgiving time and then kicked off December with some scheduled posts.  Our son was visiting, which was very nice, but otherwise it feels like I'm going a lot of different directions, so... break time.  I'm much better now, thank you.

While I was away from the blog I made a few Christmas cards focusing on the not-yet-used Christmas themed deer dies and stamps in my collection.   I have to say I had a lot of fun with it.  Today I'm sharing two cards using the Poppystamps Whittle Forest Reindeer Kit.  It's dated 2021, but please don't tell me it's been in my NBUS basket all this time, sheesh.

Pictured below are deer and trees from the kit.  All other dies, including the sentiment, are Poppystamps as well.  I dressed up the trees with white acrylic paint and microfine glitter.  Put the scene on a plum card base which I embossed with the SU Subtle embossing folder.  The hills and clouds are fit together rather than layered.  Just making sure to keep it under one ounce.

For the next card I framed the scene, but have it spilling out of the frame as well.  The inside is set into the frame, rather than the frame sitting on top.  Again, keeping dimension minimal and weight under an ounce.  Woodgrain cardstock base.  I especially love the Impression Obsession Birch Tree Rectangle (frame).  I'm sorry that Impression Obsession has gone out of business.  They had good dies and stamps.  This frame is new to me.  I can tell it's going to be a favorite.

Challenges today:

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #93 -- If it's Christmassy, link it up!
NBUS Challenge #69 -- My never before used schtuff is the Whittle Forest Reindeer Kit and the Birch Tree Rectangle.

 

That's all for today.  More deer coming soon.  Happy Holidays!

Double D Challenge -- Water Related

 

It's Double D challenge time again, and Darlene has given us a "Water Related" theme -- think ocean, rain, waterfall, any body of water, etc.  Use your fabulous imagination.  Have a look at the inspiration board:

We have creative winners plus a random prize winner.

I've been making a point of working with my never been used supplies, but I was stumped when it came to this challenge until I remembered some beautiful 6x6 designer paper I was gifted.  There are several sheets in the collection that are way too pretty to be chopped up so I had to come up with a plan.

It's easier to show than to explain, so I have lots of photos.  You might get the impression that it's a gatefold, but it's a sort of z-fold/gatefold concoction.  Neither one quite worked on its own so I pieced some ideas together.

At this point it still looks like a gatefold.  The tab fits into a slot between two strips of foam mounting tape.  It still wouldn't stay closed flat enough for my satisfaction so I added a magnet closure.  That's a magnet under the circle of designer paper on the front panel.

The next photo shows it open, but there's one more fold yet to come.

Here it is (below) with the z-fold or accordion fold side of the card completely open.  It utilizes the full 6x6 panel of designer paper.

I thought I might as well decorate the back of the card, too.  And why not a sentiment?  All designer paper parts are from the Ciao Bella (CB) Delta paper pad.

I know it probably doesn't make a lot of sense.  If I had a video to link to I would, but I made it up as I went along and I'm quite sure I'll never make it again.  I breathed a sigh of relief when it was finished.  All the sentiments -- relax, just breathe, enjoy the moment -- come from a discontinued Power Poppy stamp set called Lilac Time.

Still with me?  Come check out the team's inspiration at Double D and then play along with your own water-themed project.  Have fun!

Mooch in the Moment -- A Lavinia Card

Hi there!  Mooch is the cat, in case you were wondering.  I dipped into my Lavinia stamps and endeavored to use some that have not yet seen ink.  In this case it's Mooch and the crows.

When I start adding ink I'm am not always sure where I'll end up.  Maybe this is a big harvest moon, but I can't say that was exactly the plan.  Inks are Memento Tuxedo Black and Stampin' Up.  I didn't do anything special or extra.  It's just plain old stamping and lots and lots of color.  The sentiment is from a retired Power Poppy set.

I'll send my card over to Darnell's NBUS Challenge #59 because I was pleased to use Mooch and the crows for the first time.

All the Lavinia stamps are listed below.  Thank you for coming to visit.  I'll be back when something crafty happens.  Enjoy your weekend!

Lavinia stamps:  Mooch, Bird Collection, Tree Branch, Leaf 1 Mini, Willow

Double D Challenge: Winter/Snow Scene

Snow makes for such a beautiful scene, especially in the countryside.  Just look at the mood board Darlene has prepared for our newest Double D Challenge:  Winter/Snow Scene.

There's a cute stamp set for a lucky random winner, and as always the team votes for the top creative winners.  Be sure to visit the Double D blog for full information.

It was the beginning of Christmas rush time when I made this card with a Cottage Cutz die called Silent Night Forest.  I thought it would be so easy to make multiples with this die.  However, I managed to have everything going every which way due to glue stuck on my fingers, wearing a wrist/thumb brace, and the die cut having too many skinny parts.  So much for that!

I added clear Stickles glitter to the stars, and some dimensional snow glitter to the forest floor, then spritzed all of it with sheer shimmer spray.  It's all so very sparkly, but frustratingly difficult to photograph.

The background is blended inks, gradient blue to deep purple.  You don't even see the deep purple in the first photograph, so here it is again (below) without competition from the blues.  The camera gets so confused with blues and purples.

I do love playing with inks, sigh...

Wait till you see the gorgeousness on the Double D blog.  My teamies really know how to make a snow scene!  I hope to see you there, too!  Happy holidays

A Spooky Night in Lavinia Land

Hi, friends!  For today's crafty offering I had another go with my Lavinia stamps, thanks to inspiration from the Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge.  I saw the board and figured I could possibly do something similar.  I need the practice and I do love a silhouette scene.

Lots of ink blending and repeat stamping and masking for the rolling hills.  I tend to lay on the ink rather heavily.  Hooray for reinkers.  All the inks (except the black) are Stampin' Up.  I have so many SU inks from the old days, still going strong.  The bats are vintage Stampin' Up, and the sentiment is nearly as vintage Whipper Snapper.

When I sat down to type today I saw that The Sisterhood of Crafters has a new challenge up with the theme "Make a Scene" so I'll be sending my card over there, too.

And since the never-before-used baskets are bottomless, I'll also share at Darnell's NBUS Challenge #53.  In this case it's the Lavinia Large Owl that's representing.

 

Thanks for your time today, and happy crafting to you! 

Stamps:  Lavinia Large Owl, Tree Branch, Willow, Skeleton Tree Scene, SU Halloween Backgrounds (2004), Whipper Snapper Spooky Expressions  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card, black card base  Ink:  Various Stampin' Up plus Distress Black Soot