Halloween Cat Trio

Hi!  I have a fun card today.  I got the idea for the cats from a card on Pinterest, but my card design is different.  When I clicked the Pinterest pic it didn't go anywhere so I can't give credit, but maybe you can see the pin here.  Not sure if that will work for you.  I just love them!

It's plain to see the cats are simply flag die cuts -- I used Sue Wilson Pierced Flags, a group of 3 different sizes.  Googly eyes, brads for noses, dental floss for whiskers.  The white circle separates them from the background and gives the suggestion of a moon.  The background is orange ink brushed through a Visible Image Fibres stencil.  First orange, then a little black swiped down from the top.  It looks like there's a fire in the background, yikes.

I'm playing in two challenges today, as listed and pictured below.  Two Old Bats is celebrating its anniversary this month so there are prizes.  Just sayin'.

Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge
Colorful Options -- Orange or rainbow

 

I hope you're enjoying a nice autumn where you are.  We were 100 degrees on our south deck yesterday and today we're wearing jackets.  That's fall for you.  We're safe and dry and we have our home, and not everyone can say that right now.  I'm reminding myself how fortunate I am.  Thank you for coming to visit.

Stamps:  Hero Arts Halloween Message  Paper:  Black, Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White  Ink:  SU Only Orange, Pumpkin Patch Spectrum pad, Memento Tuxedo Black  Other:  Googly eyes, brads, dental floss, Visible Image Fibres stencil, Sue Wilson Pierced Flags, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, miscellaneous rectangle die for sentiment, foam mounting tape

Deer in the Corner and Update

Hello and welcome!

So many cards to make, so little time.  That's how I feel every autumn when I'd like to make fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving cards, but still need to add to my Christmas card stash as well.  I decided to make progress with a few simple cards.  No coloring or inking... just dies and paper.  I've made nine cards over the last couple of days, but not sure I'll share all.

Today's card represents a group of three.  The others are different colors.  I used an older die that hasn't been out for a while -- Tutti Designs Scrolly Deer Edge.  The sentiment is a combination of two different Cottage Cutz dies.  The tiny snowflakes around the sentiment popped out of the deer body when cut.

I was inspired by all the red and white in the mood board at the Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge #24.

I hope you don't mind if I also share a picture of Wally and LuLu in the garden from July.  I know many of you probably wonder about them since I've been so remiss about updates.  LuLu turned 11 years old this month and she is well.  Our 13 year old Wally still loves life, but he has to take it at an easier pace these days.  It's easy for him to overdo it and suffer the consequences.  He has advanced arthritis in his spine as well as an enlarged spleen which is due to a mass.  It makes breathing difficult.  It was suspected his mass was malignant, but I believe that is not the case as he has had no significant changes since his diagnosis six months ago.

Rich is getting along, still working around the house and yard but, just like Wally, it takes more effort.  They are two peas in a pod.  I don't remember what he was doing in the photo below, but for some reason he's got himself in the thick of things.

I'll leave you to it now.  I hope you're enjoying a lovely fall.  I do adore this season and am not in a hurry for winter or Christmas.  See you again soon, I hope!

Double D Challenge: Things that Fall

Hi all!  It's time for another Double D Challenge.  This time Darlene is asking us for "Things that Fall", and she's given us lots of inspiration with the mood board:

I love everything on the mood board, especially the woodsy scenes, but I picked my brain to think what else falls... and then I thought of acorns because I have this cute squirrel stamp with his acorn stash.

I cut away a portion of my Tutti Acorn Frame to enhance the scene.  Everything was colored with Tombow markers and homemade blender.  It's a 4 3/4" card layered up and full of the things of fall, including a few late blooming flowers.  Supplies listed below.

Join us at Double D with your "things that fall".  We'd love to see what you come up with.  I hope you'll enjoy all the samples the team is sharing, too.  Have fun!

Stamps:  Whimsy Stamps So Nuts About Home  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, kraft wood grain, SU Tangerine Tango, grocer's kraft  Ink:  Palette Noir  Coloring:  Tombow markers and blender, watercolor for background  Dies:  Tutti Designs Acorn Frame, Spellbinders squares

Rose Teacup

Hi!  I'm playing in The Flower Challenge today.  They're asking for sparkle and I had this not-yet-used Rose Teacup set from Stampendous on my table.  What a fun combination.  It's only been in the basket for a year, I believe.  🙄

I white-embossed the stamps and watercolored with Spectrum Noir sparkle pens.  There's lots more sparkle than you can see here.  I love those pens!  The stick-on butterfly has glittery wings and a rhinestone body that refracts the light nicely, too.

White on white for the background with a delicately die cut oval frame.  I don't know the name of the frame die because it was in a package of die cuts sent by a friend.  All the images were hand cut.  The bouquet that fills the cup is popped up.

Two challenges:

The Flower Challenge #72 - Add Sparkle    My sparkle is in the watercoloring with Spectrum Noir sparkle pens, and in the glitter on the butterfly.
NBUS Challenge #42  The Stampendous Rose Teacup is out of the package for the first time.

 

Thank you for coming today.  Take good care and I will hope to see you again soon.

Fall Critters

Hello friends!  I've been having fun again.  Can't help it, as sophisticated as card making gets, I still love to simply play at it.

I opened my box of printed up digis to see what fit the soon-to-be-fall season.  Sure enough there sat these Bugaboo critters, probably one of the last digis I was able to get from Bugaboo.  I don't think there's any place to buy them since the site went down.

This image was printed on watercolor paper after I lightened the outline in Corel.  I colored with Tombow markers and homemade blender.

For additional fun I stamped the sky with blue splatters.  You know I love my designer paper so I added a strip of that with the sentiment.  The sanded card base was already made and sitting in a drawer of cards I've prepared and tucked away.  Finally, the scene is finished with a whole bunch of autumn leaves which were also colored with Tombows and blender.

How can I resist playing along in Four Seasons September Challenge?  It's anything goes Fall, but there is a beautiful mood board for extra inspiration:

It's always fun when the changing seasons bring a change in card making, and fall cards are some of my favorites... until spring comes along.  Have a good day!

Stamps:  Bugaboo fall critters (name?), old Darcie's sentiment, old Ink Splatters (DOTS? - now CTMH), retired SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds splatters  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, CTMH Autumn Terracotta, Bo Bunny Autumn Song designer paper, scrap vanilla for sentiment  Ink:  Printer, Memento Rich Cocoa for sentiment, SU Brocade Blue for splatters  Coloring:  Tombow markers and homemade blender  Other:  Impression Obsession Small Leaf Set

Lovely Letter

Hello again friends!  Before fall officially begins I think it would be nice to finish up the last of the spring and summer flowers I haven't colored yet.  This is a Penny Black stamp called Lovely Letter.  Isn't it the prettiest thing?  The stamp comes with three different sentiments, but for now I'm needing more birthday cards.

I did some very loose and easy watercoloring with Gansai Tambi paints.  Only four colors were used. The beauty of watercolor and this type of image is that it doesn't have to be perfect.  You can even go outside the lines and it will still look good.  In fact, I think that's part of the charm of the finished painting.

I stitched up a border of designer paper which had exactly the right colors and mood for the image.  Seriously quick and easy.

Of course I'll be sharing my Lovely Letter at Darnell's NBUS Challenge #42 (never before used schtuff).  I've been working so diligently on my two baskets of never been used stamps that I'm now down to one basket.  Hooray!  At the same time I'm still enjoying the oldies.  It's all good!

See you again soon!

Stamps:  Penny Black Lovely Letter  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, Neenah white card base, retired SU designer paper  Ink:  Palette Noir  Coloring:  Watercolor with Gansai Tambi paints  Other:  Rhinestones, machine stitching

Double D Challenge: Baa-Cluck-Moo-Neigh-Oink-Quack (Any or All)

Hello everyone!  I'm back with another Double D challenge today, playing along with Diane's theme:  Baa-Cluck-Moo-Neigh-Oink-Quack (Any or All).  I mean, really, how fun is that theme?  I love it!  Check out the mood board:

My card has a baa, an oink, and a couple of quacks.  Also a woof, a squeak, a chirp, and that goofy sound a goat makes when it waggles its tongue at you.  I used an old woodblock Art Impressions stamp which I don't think has a name on it, but I'm going to call it Farm Animals.  I colored with Copics, fussy cut, and used lots of dies, a brick wall stencil, and a bit of designer paper to make a house front and window.

See how the window appears to be lifted open.  Just some cutting and layering of the die at work there.  I wonder what's so interesting inside?  This is a lucky pig to have such good friends helping him out.

The stamp is a two part affair -- one for the back and one for the front -- so you see the following when you open the card:

You can reverse and put the face on the front of the card and the other inside, but after going to all this trouble I definitely wanted most of it on the front.  I don't know if Art Impressions still makes these front and back stamps.

A random prize winner gets the following very fun stamp:

What a deal!  The team also votes for creative favorites.  Be sure to visit the Double D blog and check out how much fun the team had with this theme.  I sure hope we'll see your card in the gallery!

Enjoy your day!

Supplies:  Too numerous to list (sheesh) and mostly retired -- 2 stamps, 6 dies, 1 stencil, decorative edge scissors, designer paper, cardstock, on and on and on...

Merry Christmas Twice

Hi and welcome back!

I have two CAS cards today with sparkle and texture.  You'll have to trust me about the sparkle.  No matter how sparkly these sentiments looked through the camera lens it did not come through in the photos.  They look more gritty than sparkly, but that's just okay.  There are bigger things to worry about, right?

These slimlines are mini -- 3 1/2 x 6.  Very handy for some designs.  The sentiments are layered for dimension.  I cut a frame by nesting a die in a panel of cardstock which was cut to the desired size.  Took out the center section and dry embossed, then returned it to the frame.

The shimmery ivory card is very elegant and actually more sparkly than the red.  Tsk tsk that it doesn't show.

Two challenges helped me make these cards:

Can You Handle the Pressure -- Must use an embossing folder.  Optional twist is sentiment focus.
CAS Christmas Card Challenge -- Sparkle and/or Shine.  Keep it CAS, cards only.

 

Since my Cottage Cutz Merry Christmas with Snowflakes die is being used for the first time I'll also join up at NBUS Challenge #42 -- Never before used schtuff.

Thank you for stopping by.  It's a holiday weekend as I post this and I know you have other things to do.  Since we retired we choose to stay home on holiday weekends and let others have the road.  Take care!

Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar white, shimmery ivory, red and gold glitter cardstock  Other:  Cuttlebug Snowflake Swirl embossing folder, Cottage Cutz Merry Christmas w/Snowflakes, Spellbinders Long Classic Rectangles

Ocean Fish Splishin' Again

Hi friends!  I hope you don't mind if I share more fish cards today.  These two cards are somewhat simple designs that just sort of happened all on their own and they turned out to be my favorites.

Using the Memory Box Ocean Fish 3D embossing folder with matching dies and stencils.

First is a 3 3/4" x 6 3/4" mini-slimline.  These fish were die cut from a stenciled wavy underwater background.  I was struck by how pretty they were with their delicate colors and gentle pattern from the waves stencil so I simply embossed and left all but one as is.  An old Darice Corner Scroll embossing folder added movement to the background.

Just one fish is colored, popped up, and facing the opposite direction... hence the sentiment (Power Poppy).

Inside has more fish, soft wave stenciling and a Hero Arts sentiment.

 

I had three fish left over so I made a 3 1/2 x 6" mini-slimline using the same Darice Corner Scroll embossing folder.  This one is a birthday card with a Stampendous sentiment.  So simple and so much fun!

Wishing you all a happy weekend.  If you're traveling and observing the Labor Day weekend here in the US please stay safe while you enjoy it.  See you again soon!

 

Ocean Fish Waving Hello

Hello and welcome to a new week on the blog!

We'll soon be waving goodbye to August and hello to September.  No matter the season at my house, it's always summer somewhere.  The fishes on my card today are living in a year-round paradise.

I weakened and bought a few things from the previous Memory Box release, but I'm not sorry one bit because these fish are the neatest thing since sliced bread.  They're the Ocean Fish 3D embossing folder with matching dies, and a matching layering stencil set (sold separately).  I brushed inks through the stencils, gave each an eye dot with a gray Copic, then pressed each fish into my Versamark pad and embossed with clear powder.  You know how much fun I had with this, don't you!

Each fish is layered for a bit more dimension and they're swimming in an underwater scene created by brushing inks onto the Memory Box Underwater 3D embossing folder.  The Poppystamps Sylvan Frame seems to work pretty well with the scene.  I added a wavy sentiment from Lawn Fawn, and some Memory Box Fairy Jewels for bubbles.

Inside is a Poppystamps birthday sentiment which I altered with a permanent marker.  I die cut a Poppystamps Sylvan Sprig and used it like a mask to create a soft border along the lower edge.  It's interesting and nice how these Sylvan dies (2016) work for underwater scenes when I've always used them for garden and flowers in the past.

This card does appear to be rather involved, but the frame and background were already made,  I even had a banner cut for the sentiment.  You can lose yourself in this craft... you know what I'm saying.  In fact, I made four cards with my fishes before I put them away.  Some were very clean and simple but turned out to be my favorites of the bunch.  This was my first sit down with the new toys, so thought I'd share in order.  Not that I don't love it, too... well... anyway... each to her/his own.

I'll be back when I can get it all together.  See you then, I hope!

Stamps:  Lawn Fawn Wavy Sayings with matching die, Poppystamps Birthday Blow Out (inside)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb  Ink:  Various Stampin' Up, Memento Tuxedo Black  Other:  Memory Box Ocean Fish 3D embossing folder with matching dies and layering stencils, Memory Box Underwater 3D embossing folder, Poppystamps Sylvan Frame and Sylvan Sprig dies, Memory Box Fairy Jewels, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Birthday Mail

Hi there!  I'm sharing two cards today.  I meant to be here on Wednesday but with too many other things to do I just couldn't manage it.  However, I'm here now because I took a notion to play along in the Seize the Birthday challenge with the optional sketch.  That's the first card pictured.  Both cards use the fairly new to me Stampendous Mailbox Birthday set.

(Retired designer paper and SU Core'dinations-type cardstock, Park Lane Pennants embossing folder, Pink & Main Birthday Girl Glossy Dots, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, punched circle)

I mixed designer paper, an embossed panel, and a sanded card base for the sketch, and arranged a group of fussy cut images with the sentiment for the focal piece.  I colored with Copics and applied a little sparkle and some glossy dots.  I hope you can see the details okay in the photo.  See the sketch below.

Seize the Birthday #245 - Sketch

 

My second card uses the primary image in the set, stamped on watercolor paper and colored with Tombow markers and homemade blender.  This one was made and mailed last month.  I remember how fun it was to color and create.  Supplies are listed below the picture.

(Stamps:  Stampendous Mailbox Bday  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, scrap Bazzill cantaloupe, Park Lane 110 lb printed cardstock base  Ink:  Palette Noir  Coloring:  Tombow markers & homemade blender  Other:  Spellbinders Blossom Nestabilities)

Sending happy wishes to everyone everyday!  Take care of yourselves and enjoy your day!