Double D Challenge: Easter

 

Hello friends!  Thoughts are turning to Easter at Double D so Darlene has put together a most inspiring board for us.

Several stamps in my collection came to mind when I looked at the board, and then I remembered this ages old Whipper Snapper stamp.  It's unmarked and now the name is forgotten so I just call it Easter Lilies.  No matter.  It reminded me of the yellow tulips on the inspiration board, and the scattered flowers at the base represent the jelly beans.

I pulled a leftover frame from my spare parts and wrapped it in Easter-y plaid, then colored the image to match using Tombow markers.  A few punched flowers and a glittery sentiment add a little something extra.

Put your mad crafting skills to work and play along with us.  The team votes for creative winners, and there's a prize for a random winner:

At the Double D blog you can learn more and see the fabulously creative team samples.  Have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Easter Lilies  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor, Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80#, green glitter cardstock for sentiment, Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid designer paper  Ink:  Palette Noir  Coloring:  Tombow markers  Other:  Cottage Cutz Greetings, flower punch, one green gem, Stickles Stardust glitter glue

Polar Joy

Hi!  Just having fun with a favorite oldie Whipper Snapper today.  This guy is called Bear Delivery.  I've had him for years, used him many times, and he is still available here.  I stamped him in Versamark and embossed in black, then watercolored and cut out and placed him on the background.

The swirly arch behind him is a large snowflake circle frame die cut which was sent by a friend.  Too big for the kind of card I make for Christmas, so I cut it in half and used it like a stylized snow mound.  The card base was embossed with a Snowfall folder, then the sentiment and some extra snowflakes added.

After the parts were adhered to the card I started with the dressing up -- Wink of Stella on the Joy and snowflakes, Stickles Stardust glitter glue on the starry gift bag, pearl pen and microfine glitter on his hat trim.  I colored the snowflakes with a B00 Copic so they would stand out from the background.

I always have such fun with this guy!  Chances are I'll send him to someone I've sent him to before, but each time the card is different.  He's always sent with a grin and a giggle and I hope he's received that way, too.  Today the grins are for you!  Take care!

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Bear Delivery  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor, Neenah Classic Cress Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb, other white for snowy mound, scrap red  Ink:  Versamark  Coloring:  Watercolor with Tombow markers, Copic B00 for snowflakes, grays for grounding  Dies:  Precious Marieke Snowflake Circle, Cottage Cutz Joy, Impression Obsession Small Snowflake Set  Other:  Black embossing powder, Sizzix Snowfall embossing folder, Wink of Stella, Viva Decor Ice White Pearlen Pen, Elizabeth Craft  Warm Diamond microfine glitter, Stickles Stardust glitter glue, foam mounting tape

Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge -- September

Note:  At the first of the month my few challenge posts sort of pile up on each other, so you may want to scroll down or click to see CAS Mix Up and Four Seasons posts.  Thank you!

Hello!  It's time again for Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge where it's all about the fun.  You're given an inspiration board which you can use if you want, or you can go in entirely your own direction.  I like using the board as a self-challenge.  First, a look at my silly sample:

Pictured below is the inspiration board.  Hmmm... lots of scary stuff on there this month, but that doesn't mean my card has to be particularly scary.  I saw the big spider and went with that.

The idea for using circles for the body and head came from Pinterest.  So easy and so cute!  I drew the legs -- now you can see how I can't even draw a stick figure, so thank goodness for stamping.  The head is popped up.  The smile is part of a stamp from the same set that gave me the small smiling spiders.  The eyes are circle punches.  I slid paper into the punch, flipped it over and traced inside the circle, then punched.  Pupils are Black Diamond Stickles glitter.

The two Whipper Snapper stamp sets I used are my all-time favorite Halloween sets.  I've had them for many years and I figured they were retired, but just for kicks I looked them up.  I'm excited to say they're still on the site:

Spooky Expressions
Hocus Pocus

If you enjoy making Halloween cards I hope you'll join us at Two Old Bats.  Have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Hocus Pocus (hat & big smile) and Spooky Expressions (small spider)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, orange Bazzill, black, purple glitter cardstock, Reverse Confetti This & That designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Sequins, fine tip black marker, Black Diamond Stickles (eyes), Scotch brand foam mounting tape, 1/2" & 5/8" circle punches, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, Impression Obsession Trick or Treat, Impression Obsession Balloons (string die)

Bentley's Joyous Wishes

Hello on a Monday, friends!  You're probably doing way better than me, but I feel as though I can't get another single thing done until I finish my Christmas cards.  By day I create, by night I address and write up cards for the mail.  Actually, I don't spend all day and all night on cards, but it's on my mind a lot.

Today's card is Bentley by Whipper Snapper.  I made four of these, all the same, inspired by two challenges which I'll list at the end.

Super easy and quick coloring with Tombow markers, no water.  These markers blend so easily when using marker on marker.  Much easier than Copics and just the ticket when I'm in a hurry.  Bentley's hat is trimmed with Viva Decor Ice White Pearlen Pen (similar to Liquid Pearls), then sprinkled with microfine glitter.  The one gold glittery star completes my nod to holiday sparkle.

It was Double D's Santa Hats Challenge and their cute mood board that made me think of Bentley, so he's heading over there to spread holiday cheer.

Bentley and I are also playing along with Retro Rubber Challenge #149.  Older stamps are required, and Bentley and the sentiment are both several years old.  For the current challenge we are to use the photo for inspiration (see below).  I made sure to include red and green as well as pine boughs, plaid stars, and a stitched mat. 

  

I'm listing card ingredients below, but a lot of these things are no longer available.  We're all just having fun, playing with our stuff, right?

That's all for today!  I'll be back with more Christmas cards this week.  Happy holidays!

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Bentley, Hero Arts Wishing You a Joyous Christmas  Paper:  Neenah Super Smooth white, Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, textured green, SU Real Red, gold glitter, Memory Box Christmas Plaid designer paper  Ink:  Palette Noir for Bentley, Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment  Coloring:  Tombow Markers no water  Other:  Viva Decor Ice White Pearlen Pen, Elizabeth Craft Warm Diamonds microfine glitter, Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets and Ric Rac Borders, Sizzix Primitive Stars, Impression Obsession Pine Pair

Brand New -- Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge

Hi, there!  Here's something I've never seen before -- a Halloween challenge.  Call me crazy, but I thought it sounded like the most fun, so I applied to the design team and now here I am to help kick things off for the October Jumpstart.

It's the Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge (tee hee, love the name), conceived by Darlene and Diane who also own the Double D challenge blog.  After this month the challenges will start on the 2nd of each month and run till the 28th...  just go to the challenge blog to read what the Two Old Bats have to say about it.

We have an inspiration board for fun and creative spark , but the challenges are always anything goes.

This is what I did:

Halloween isn't for everyone, but for me it's all about the memories.  I don't have grandkids, so now the card making is my way of carrying on the fun.  When our son was young there were a lot of good times with school parties and carnivals, costume parades, trick-or-treating.  We made quite a spectacle of it at work, too, and afternoons the place just about shut down as what seemed like every kid in town came for candy.  They were so cute!

My card today uses all oldie-but-goodie stamps and papers... still just as cute as ever, I think.  Coloring was done with Copic markers.  Apparently something went wrong with the witch's hocus pocus -- oops!  Does it look to you like the cat and the spider are laughing at her?  Just wait till she gets out from under that hat!

You know... I retired from the challenge teams I was on, seeing as how we expected to be road tripping most of the summer, but COVID happened and now we're home.  You know the sentiment, "Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we might as well dance".  Well, let's dance!

Enjoy your day!

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Hocus Pocus and Spooky Expressions, D.O.T.S. (CTMH) Spider Web, SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, SU Lovely Lilac, BasicGrey Eerie designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black and London Fog, SU Almost Amethyst and Lovely Lilac  Coloring:  Copics

Haunted Halloween

Welcome to Wednesday, friends.  I can't not make a few Halloween cards this year, even though I have several left from last year.  Today I have two, and they actually started with the Cloudy Skies stenciled background made with Distress Oxide inks Scattered Straw, Dried Marigold, Victorian Velvet.  Splattered with water just a little bit.

I've used a Plum Purdy cat and Whipper Snapper bats, both of which are years old.  Tee hee!  Love those bats!

Hillside edges were swiped with white ink.  Die cut sentiment.  Coloring was done with Copics.  This slimline card measures 9" x 3 3/4".

The next card is made with Impression Obsession dies and another Cloudy Skies background.  Same inks, different cloud layers, no splatters.  The little ghosts are sequins.  I added Wink of Stella to the sentiment.

I'm sending my slimline card over to the Shopping Our Stash Challenge #430 - On Trend - Slimline.  Between the awesome DT and the players' gallery there are some fabulous cards and great slimline ideas!

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope to see you again soon.  Take care!

Card #1 -- Stamps:  Plum Purdy Black Magic (cat), Whipper Snapper Spooky Expressions (bats)  Paper:  Neenah white 80 & 110 lb, black  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, white pigment ink, DOX Scattered Straw, Dried Marigold, Victorian Velvet  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Heffy Doodle Cloudy Skies Stencil, Poppy Stamps Stitched Landscapes, Impression Obsession Trick or Treat

Card #2 -- No stamps.  Ink and paper same as above with the addition of SU Apricot Appeal for die cut sentiment.  Other:  Wink of Stella, ghost sequins, Impression Obsession dies Halloween Hill and Happy Halloween

Long Time No See

Hello!  It's been a while.  We were away on vacation and getting back in the stamping groove has been difficult.  I've started sorting through the 200+ pictures I took and now I'm finally coloring again, but today I have a card I made before vacation.  I wanted it to be received before I posted it.  My friend was having cataract surgery and I felt this Whipper Snapper Get Well Dog with his bandaged eye would be fun to send.

Isn't that eye chart paper the most perfect thing?  It's actually a reminder postcard sent by our ophthalmologist.  I saved it a while back just in case I could upcycle it for a card, and then the ideal occasion came along.  I didn't want to cover up too much and lose the effect, but it needed something so I made the skinny oval frame to define the dog's space.

Coloring is Copics on X-Press It Blending Card.  A minimal color palette and the frame popped up helps set it apart from the busy background.  It was a happy time creating this card!

I'll be back again on Wednesday.  Take care till we meet again!

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Get Well Dog  Paper:  X-Press It Blending card for dog, Neenah 110 lb white (colored with Copics) for hearts, SU Cool Caribbean for frame and card base, postcard from ophthalmologist for eye chart background  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Cameo Coral for sentiment, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Spellbinders Grand Ovals, Paper Smooches Hearts, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Get Well Dog Two Ways

Hi there!  Eclipse day is here at last and soon all the craziness in Oregon will settle down.  Have you seen the traffic on the news?  Sure glad I'm not out there!  We've got our glasses and will walk a few steps to a break in the trees to watch it.  We're just a little bit south of the direct line, so it should still be pretty impressive.

Today's stamping is with a not yet used Whipper Snapper stamp called Get Well Dog.  I've had this one for a while, but just never got around to making a get well card with it.  One day I was looking through my birthday sentiments and saw this quote -- Fiskars Make a Wish Quotes -- and, well, you can see where I went with that:

Giggle!  It's for a guy friend's September birthday.  Watercolored with Gansai Tambi paints on 140 lb hot press watercolor paper.

Since it was a first time use and really such a cute image I went ahead and made a second card with the sentiment that comes with the set.  I watercolored again, but this time put spots on the dog using the picture on the stamp package as a guide.

Way too much fun!  I'll list all ingredients in the recipe below.  Thanks for looking!  Stay safe and happy!

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Gel Well Dog, Fiskars Make a Wish Quotes (card #2)  Paper:  Fluid 100 140 lb hot press watercolor, white card base, SU brilliant Blue (#1) and So Saffron (#2), Bo Bunny Very Vintage Double Dot designer paper (#1) and Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid designer paper (#2)  Ink:  Palette Noir  Coloring medium:  Gansai Tambi watercolor paints  Accessories:  Signo Uni-ball white gel pen (dots on bandage, both cards),  SU Candy Dots (#1), Memory Box Banner Parade (#1), Memory Box Cross Stitched Frame Borders (#2), Paper Smooches Dog Icons (#2), Scotch brand foam mounting tape (#2)

Bear'ing Gifts

Ho ho hello!  If I was going to get my monthly Christmas card done it had to be less involved than some of the cards I've been making lately, so I just watercolored and stitched onto a mat which was then adhered to a designer paper-covered card front.  This 2010 Whipper Snapper Bear'ing Gifts was next on my list.  Love him.  So cute and friendly... and generous!

Honestly, when I purged and redesigned my stamp room I had in mind to spend more time coloring in front of the big window and less time on the other side of the room designing the card, which takes as much time as coloring, yet old habits are hard to break.  And, let's face it, it can be a lot of fun.  Just depends upon my mood.  My options are open as I kept plenty of supplies for both coloring and designing.  But, I digress... rambling again.

I added glitter and some white gel pen accents and an old PSX sentiment which seemed right for my jolly fellow.  Tombow markers were used for watercoloring on Arches 140 lb hot press watercolor paper.

Hope he makes you smile.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Bear'ing Gifts, old PSX sentiment  Paper:  Arches 140 lb hot press watercolor, SU Riding Hood Red, white card base, Whimsy Stamps Winter Blues designer paper  Ink:  Palette Noir for outline, Versafine Onyx Black for sentiment, Tombow markers for watercoloring  Accessories:  Stickles Stardust and Goldenrod glitter glue, Signo uniball white gel pen

Life Without Coffee

Happy Friday and happy September, folks!  Weren't we just starting summer yesterday?  I love when the seasons change, but if it could do it without the years flying by so fast I would appreciate it.  Such is life, though.  On to the matter at hand...

 

It doesn't get much simpler than this when it comes to card making, but sometimes it doesn't take much to make exactly the right card for the person you have in mind.  This was sent to a friend at my former workplace along with a coffee card from the in-house shop.  A recent email from her sounded like she could use a pick-me-up.

 

 

 

 

I combined a Whipper Snapper sentiment with an Art Impressions Bird Brains image.  It gave me a giggle and I hope it gives her a giggle, too.  Since I have so much designer paper to use up I did what I so frequently do -- covered the card base with it.  I've been wondering if I could get by with only white and ivory cardstock.  Probably not, but I'm ruthlessly clearing out my stamp room and I have way too much cardstock.  How is it that the volume never seems to go down even though it's been ages since I bought a pack of colored cardstock?

 

Let's all go have a good weekend now, okay?  We're staying home with Wally (he's doing great!), but company's coming so I suppose I should clean something.  See you soon!

 

 

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Life Without Coffee (WSD#JR792), Art Impressions Bird Brains (UMD1878)  Paper:  Neenah Classic White, Snap Color Vibe designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers for coloring as pictured above  Accessories:  Memory Box Cross Stitched Frames,  Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Happy Bird-Day!

Hey, there!  Friday seems like a good day for a fun card, and this was surely a fun card to make.  Easy, relaxing, carefree, and colorful.  Very colorful.

 

  

I combined a Whipper Snapper "The Flock" image with an old SU! "Love Ya Bunches" sentiment.  Took my color cue from the picture on the stamp package, but intensified the color by about a million percent.  It's watercolored with the Tombow markers you see in the photo, plus some blue ink for the background.

 

Finished up the inside with matching paper and die, as well as a favorite old Hero Arts zigzag stamp.

 

 

That's it!  Very simple.  Hope you have a great weekend.  Love ya bunches!

 

 

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper "The Flock" (image), SU! "Love Ya Bunches" (sentiment)  Paper:  Neenah classic white card base, 140 lb hot press watercolor, Bazzill lime green, Memory Box Key Lime (leaf), Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid designer paper  Ink:  Palette Noir, SU! Bashful Blue (background), Tombow markers for watercoloring  Accessories:  Paper Smooches Foliage 1 die