Salted background Christmas tag - QKR Stampede challenge #220

This week the challenge at QKR Stampede is to create a tag for Christmas.  Since we are now Arizonans, I thought a Christmas cactus would be appropriate.  You may enter your Christmas tags (up to 3) by Thursday, Dec. 8, 6 p.m. EDT.
In order to showcase the Christmas cactus I used the salted background   You might find the tutorial here.  Briefly:  spritz glossy cardstock with water; add reinker as desired (I used an aqua brush); sprinkle with salt.  When dry, brush off the excess salt. The remaining salt adds texture.  I am hoping my colors remind you of the desert sand and sky.   I used a stencil for the stars, and glittery pens to add color.  The edging is done with stickles.  The shape is a Nestabilities die cut.
CHALLENGES ENTERED:
Christmas:   Allsorts
                       Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge2
                       Fab n Funky  
Holiday:        Hiding in my craftroom
Non-traditional:   Stamping Boutique
Different coloring technique:   Julia Spiri
Die or punch:    Jo's Scrapshack
Tag:       Morgans Art World
Any:      Inspiration Destination
               Love to Scrap       

Eureka Stamps DT card for challenge #198 - "Here comes the Bride:

This is a timely challenge as many of you will have weddings to attend in the next few weeks.  I chose this verse and Blessings sentiment - both are digital versions - for the challenge this week at Eureka Stamps . You may enter up to three times before 3pm EDT on Sunday, June 26.  There are 2 digis for the winner - 3 if you win using an image by Eureka.
 Using white embossed layers with a contrasting color has become a favorite style of mine.  I used Swiss Dots and Textile by Cuttlebug.  The circle die is from Spellbinders.  I added ribbon and a bow using a shiny sheer ribbon from the Dollar Tree.
CHALLENGES:  
Sketch:    Live and love Crafts
Wedding:    Cuttlebug Mania
                     Mod Squad
                     The Stamping Boutique 
Love:     Pink Gem Challenge
Die cut:     Chocolate Coffee Cards
Dots:   Crafty Catz
Any:   Classic Design Team 

AI - Masculine birthday

 The AI challenge is to use watercolor and highlight with white gel pen.  I used watercolor pencils and an aqua pen. I did highlight the hat and the arms of the chair as well as the star (it was a purchased die cut) - but they do not show up much on the screen.  (IRL I created a plaid pattern for the lawn chair.)  Embellishments include Washi tape, shiny dark gold gems and die cut grass.
Sketch:                              Stella Says Sketch
Watercolor/white  pen:    Art Impressions Stamps 
Masculine:                        Stamping Boutique
Make us Laugh:               Ikes World  
3+ Layers:                        Vintage Stamping Challenge 
Die:                                    2 Crafty Girls 
Any:                                   Creative Fingers
                                            Avenue 613
                                            Stamped Blessings - Amusing Challenge
                                            Craft Your Passion 
                                          

Arlene is 98!

This is for a friend of a friend - what a milestone!  The DP and sentiment are from a large pack of items from Kanban.  I am still experimenting with the Spellbinder Majestic Elements - I used the same black and shimmery Champagne cs that I used to create the card base.  The name and numbers are die cuts, and I added some sheer ribbon as well as a bit of glitter at both the top and bottom of the oval.
Sketch:              Die Cuttin Divas
Special lady:     Crafty Catz
                           Digichoosday
Ribbon:             The Stamping Boutique
Layers:              Frilly and Funkie
Any:                   Craftin Desert Divas 
                           Creative Fingers Challenge      
                           Simply Papercrafts   

For Evelyn"s partner

Here is another card for a church friend to give to her pre-school prayer partner. 
Image- Dearie Dolls' misc. DP, die cut letters and circles. sentiment on my computer; heart brad; misc. papers.  I printed the image on shimmery silver cs - what a nice soft shimmer IRL.
Sketch:      Your Next Stamp
Love:          Wags n Whiskers
                    C.R.A.F.T.
Pink:           Pink Gem Challenge
Kids:          Crafty Catz
                    QKR
Bling           Allsorts Challenge
Die cuts:     The Stamping Boutique
Any:            Inspiration Destination
                     Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
 

2016 Valentine

I will be making just a few Valentines - our kids and grandkids are grown, but I think they will still appreciate being remembered,  If I have time, I will also make some for Thinking of You cards.
Spellbinder dies for hearts, circles and swirls;   SU Bloomin heart, Petaloo glittery flower, Sizzix embossing folder.  (The hearts are in the middle of this folder, so I embossed half of the panel each time to get the hearts at the top and the bottom.)  I used a marker to highlight the embossing on the two hearts - I colored while the cs was still in the die.
Sketch:       VLV sketches 
Pink:           Pink gem challenge   
Pink - #75   Inkspirational challenges
Valentine:   Allsorts
                     Hiding in my Craftroom
Love:           Cut it up challenges   
Die cuts:      The Stamping Boutique
 Any:            Crafty Friends

Backyard Vacation

For some in our country and elsewhere, spring cannot come too soon!  This vintage Dearie Doll is spending her vacation sprucing up the back yard!  Embossing by Cuttlebug, and grass die cuts by Die-Namics.
Sketch:     http://jwscrapshack.blogspot.ca/
Vintage vacation:   http://frillyandfunkie.blogspot.com/
Yellow, pink, green:  http://www.thehousethatstampsbuilt.com/
All tied up:   http://artimpressionsstamps.blogspot.com/2015/03/challenge-154-tie-it-up-challenge-week.html
"B" - birthday, back yard, blonde:  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/
Layers:    http://thestampingboutiquechallengeblog.blogspot.ca/
Spring     http://wagsnwhiskersrubberstamps.blogspot.com/
Nature:   http://creativecornerchallenges.blogspot.de/

Springtime birthday

I usually color the watering can a silver or grey - I kind of like the yellow!  The image (Our Daily Bread) is colored with a variety of inks, pens and pencils, to get the desired colors - which do not display well on the screen.  The flowers that look shades of lilac are really shades of pink.   Blessings die is by Cheery Lynn.
Sketch:  http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/
Pastels (blue, pink, yellow):http://www.ourdailybreaddesignsblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Shining%20the%20Light%20Challenge
Colored image: http://www.fashionablestampingchallenges.com/?p=9345
Sentiment:    http://cutedaisymay.blogspot.com/
Layers:        http://thestampingboutiquechallengeblog.blogspot.ca/
Spring:        http://2cuteinkchallenges.blogspot.com/
Inspiration (many pink flowers):  http://www.theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/
Inspiration with yellow/green and blue:  http://cupcakeinspirations.blogspot.com/
Doily, with Cheery Lynn die:   http://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.ca/

A little birdie

I need to replenish my stash of "cards on hand".  This image is by CraftSmart, the sentiment Stampin' Up.  The Dp is a piece from DCWV that has been around a long time, and I think it has the colors in the challenge below.  The  punch is Martha Stewart.
Sketch:  http://digisketchchallenge.blogspot.com/
Colors:   http://www.blogquickquotes.com/search?updated-max=2014-12-12T00:30:00-08:00&max-results=10
Spring inspired:   http://thestampingboutiquechallengeblog.blogspot.ca/
Any/cute:  http://cutecardthursday.blogspot.com/  
Any - previous challenge:  August - die cuts:  http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/2014/12/december-challenge-stamps-designers-choice.html
Any:  http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.com/
          http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2014/12/dlart-december-linky-challenge.html 
          http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/
          http://whimsyinspires.blogspot.com.au/
         
         

Easel gift #1

 December 1 and time to get serious about the rest of the cards.  A couple of grandsons are visiting this week so there will be a break in card making.  This is the outside of an easel card - only the second I have made.  I plan to make one for each of our grandchildren - to give them a bit of a memento from each Christmas - so they will be quite similar, with different layouts.  Since I do not have the photography mastered, these will be posted in two different posts.  The stamp is Stampendous, and the sentiment is inside the easel.  I used three different embossing folders - snowflake, leaves, and a geometric pattern.  I added some gold metallic mesh for one of the layers, as well as gold ribbon and a gold star.  Inside (next photo) there is the sentiment by Stampabilities, Cheery Lynn pine branch die cuts, half pearls and glitter on the branches.
Sketch:  http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/
Seasonal sentiment:  http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.com/Sparkle:  http://thestampingboutiquechallengeblog.blogspot.ca/
Any:  http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.com/
Tree (branches added inside):   http://fattastictuesday.blogspot.com/
Tis the season:  http://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.ca/
Easel:  http://inkychicks.blogspot.co.uk/
Pine (branches):  http://www.drsdesignsblog.blogspot.com/
Winter:  http://justinspirationalchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/

Thank you, Kevin

This card is a thank you for the technology instructor at our local library.  I have taken many classes and also received answers to a number of questions - all at no charge to library patrons.  We are enclosing a small gift card for him.
I do not do well with CAS, but I saw the following CAS challenges and decided to try.  (The black mat is only for  contrast for the photo.)  I left the cream base totally plain - gasp!!!  The image is from my file - unfortunately I neglected to add much of a label, but I think it might be clip art.  The Cuttlebug sentiment, chalking and twine complete the look.  The chalk, twine and the die have been in my supplies for a long time.
Sketch:  http://addictedtocas.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/challenge-52-sketch-and-happy-2nd.html
Thanks:  http://thestampingboutiquechallengeblog.blogspot.ca/
               http://qkrstampede.blogspot.co.uk/
              http://sweetstampsblog.blogspot.com/
              http://doubleclickconnections.blogspot.com/
             http://cardsbydorothy.blogspot.com/2014/11/thank-you-kevin.html
Any:   http://sisteractcardchallenge.blogspot.com/
           http://clearitoutchallenge.blogspot.com/
           http://jwscrapshack.blogspot.ca/
Fall colors:  http://freshbreweddesigns.blogspot.com/2014/11/november-challenge-1-fall-colors.html
CAS with twine:   http://cleanandsimpleonsunday.blogspot.com/

Garden fence in turguoise and grey

The bg is dark turquoise, and the embossed layer is a paler shade.  The layered mats are grey, as are the gems. The digital image was a prize from the Stamping Boutique.
Sketch (rotated):  http://sweetsketchwednesday2.blogspot.com/

Congrats to Allison

Our niece is graduating from nursing school - this CC Designs stamp is just right!  The Congrats is a Cuttlebug die.  I used my new Stampers Anonymous stencil for the "rays" - colored with chalk.  The image is on watercolor CS, colored with Twinkling H20's.  DP by Prima.
Sketch:  http://thestampingboutiquechallengeblog.blogspot.ca/
Any:  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/
Chalk (on sunburst):  http://chalknstock.blogspot.com/ 
Rectangular (Not square):  http://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com/
For the ladies:  http://feelingcraftychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/
Any:  http://jwscrapshack.blogspot.ca/ 
          http://sisteractcardchallenge.blogspot.com/ 
Any, with a die (sentiment):  http://diesruschallenge.blogspot.com/ 

For a special friend

 

Once again, this image is not true to life - the shadow that seems to appear on the white layer does not exist IRL!  It is a solid white embossed piece.  The floral image is from Antique Images - they have a lot of lovely images - both pre-colored, like this, and black and white.  The sentiment covers a banner on the image, and it is popped up.  The bg is sea green, and the ribbon a pale version.  The floral strip is a yard sale find - I think maybe the package of strips includes iron on material, but I like the look for this kind of  strip.  The pink one is Basic Grey.
Sketch:  http://jwscrapshack.blogspot.ca/ 
Pastels:  http://corrosivechallengesbyjanet.blogspot.com/
Color inspiration/photo:  http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.com/
For a special lady - a friend who shares my like for the vintage look:  http://paper-craftingjourney.blogspot.com/
For a friend:  http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.com/ 
Birthday:  http://thestampingboutiquechallengeblog.blogspot.com/ 
Embossing:  http://cutedaisymay.blogspot.com/