If I Had a Star...

It was love at first sight for this die from Heartfelt Creations (Spellbinders). I cut two of the diecuts from glossy red cardstock to use as my frame for the sentiment (Quietfire). This is my Valentine for my Sweetie. Even though the frame is quite ornate, it is really a CAS card. I love the bright glossy red against the white cardbase.
I am entering my card into these challenges: Bloggers Challenge -- love is in the air; Tuesday Throwdown -- love is in the air; City Crafter --you matter; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes; Fashionable Stamping -- black, white, hint of red; Great Impressions - love, love, love; V's Sweet Ideas -- red, white, or pink; Dies R Us -- hearts.

Thanks

This will be my last post today. It's been a while since I had time in my studio, so I kept working. As I look back, it seems that there were quite a few sketch challenges. This card follows the Kraft Journal sketch challenge. I used a different color palette for me -- grays and kraft/brown. My stamp is from Quietfire Designs. The background uses 2 shaded of gray and the banner is a dark shade of gray. The oval and the card base is kraft cardstock.
I am also entering this card in these challenges: City Crafter -- one word sentiment; SweetStamps -- Thanks; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- thanks/ Thanksgiving; Marks Finest Papers Simple Salutations --at least two shades of gray.

Season's Greetings

Today's project was a Christmas. I started by cutting my tag from kraft cardstock. I die cut the Season's Greetins ornament (Cheery Lynn Designs) twice once in green and once in gold so I could layer the gold season's greetings over the green. I die cut an oval (Cheery Lynn Designs) to use as a background panel. The sentiment (Artistic Outpost) was stamped in green pigment ink and heat embossed. It's a simple design, but sends the Christmas message.
I am entering my tag in these challenges: Cheery Lynn Designs -- tag, you're it; City Crafter -- Christmas CAS; Fashionable  Stamping -- Christmas tag; Dies R Us -- Christmas; Artistic Outpost -- anything goes using Artistic Outpost stamps; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes.

Woodsy Thinking of You

Today's card uses a die and stamp set from Sweet and Sassy. I've been looking for an excuse to use it.  It worked in so well with several of the current challenges, so I quickly grabbed it and went to work. I started with a blue background panel . I then stamped and die cut the trees, deer, and birds. For the lower background I tore a piece of shimmery cardstock, added a little glue, and sprinkled some distress glitter. The sentiment and frame is from Tim Holtz.
I am entering this card in these challenges: City Crafter -- my deer; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge -- thinking of you; Marks Finest Papers Color challenge -- rust, blue, green; and Fashionable Stamping -- animals.

Stripped Gears

My dear sister is recuperating from a recent knee operation, so I wanted to make a card for her. (Sorry, Diane, you'll see the card before it arrives, but it's on its way.) I thought that this bouquet of Steampunk flowers along with the sentiment (both Heartfelt Creations) was the perfect combination.
I'll be entering this card in several challenges. At SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk Challenge the challenge is Steampunk couture. Flowers play such a big part of fashion and  couture. I also added a few metallic stitches to complete the effect. Kraft Journal challenged us to use ugly paper. I actually thought the red paper was not the prettiest, but cut into flowers and highlighted with silver color, the result is just what I needed. City Crafter wanted to see stripes, and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday wants us to use kraft paper (base card and sentiment.)

Golden Autumn Days

My card today is based on the Mojo Monday challenge sketch layout.  My image and sentiment are brand new stamps (to me) from Serendipity stamps. I was really happy to be able to use them. I stamped my image on watercolor paper. I used the distress marker watercolor technique to watercolor the pheasants. The top layering panel was perfect for the sentiment. My background was made by layering leaves which were die cut  (Tim Holtz/Sizix) from an old book page onto a cardstock panel. The leaves were edged with distress ink. I think that the leaves, colors, and image make a wonderful autumn card.
I am also entering my card into these challenges: Ink on my Fingers Sunday Challenge -- add leaves; City Crafter -- leaves; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- use watercoloring; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes; Fashionable Stamping -- anything goes; Frilly and Funkie --autumn colors; Great Impressions -- autumnal elegance; Serendipity Stamps -- fall.

Crazy Enough

"Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do" What a fun truism expressed by this Artistic Outpost stamp! This week the Bloggers Challenge is black, white and a splash of color. It was the perfect challenge to use an unused Sizzix die which I had in my stash for a long time. What better technique is there to use for this kind of challenge than the chalkboard technique. You can't get much more black and white than that.
Besides Bloggers challenge, I am entering my card into these challenges: City Crafter -- focus on sentiment; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes; SweetStamps Monthly Challenge -- chalkboard technique; Artistic Outpost -- anything goes using Artistic Outpost stamps.

Autumn

The first official day of Autumn 2014 is just around the corner, so why not a card celebrating autumn. My card layout is based on the Mojo Monday challenge sketch. My colors were all chosen to represent autumn. My background is a more current take on a technique I learned at my first stamp show, years ago. Then it was Versamark and chalk. For this card I pulled out my Pan Pastels. The colors are so much richer than any chalk I have in my stash and they work in a similar way. I stamped the background  on watercolor paper (for the tooth) with Versamark ink. Then I added the Pan Pastels. The technique is easy to do, and quite effective. All of the sunflower stamps are from the latest Heartfelt Creations release. I do love sunflowers! All of the die cuts were cut with Spellbinder dies.) All of the coloring was done with my Pan Pastels. The sentiment is a Club Scrap stamp.The diagonal design paper is from my stash.
I am also entering my card in these challenges: Bloggers Challenge -- fall colors; Simon Says Monday Challenge -- techniques; City Crafter -- diagonals; Dies R Us -- fall festival; Inspiration Journal -- fall is in the air; E-Play -- fall; Art With Heart -- fall back.

Again be Children for a Day

Today's card celebrates the fun of Halloween. Last year I missed all of the fall stamping since I was in the hospital, so I decided to start on Halloween a  little early. My card layout is based on the Mojo Monday tall and skinny sketch challenge. My card base is kraft cardstock. The background design papers come from Tim Holtz's Seasonal Stash. I used a kraft panel to back my image and sentiment.  The Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge was witch-kraft. I decided to use both kraft cardstock and the adorable witch from Artistic Outpost. In fact, all of the stamps used are Artistic Outpost stamps. Artistic Outpost has a monthly challenge. The August challenge is anything goes using Artistic Outpost stamps. At City Crafter the challenge was to create a shaker card. I think the little owl makes a great shaker.

Two Together

Those of you who know me know that I love to make ATC's. I don't make them a lot anymore, but when A Vintage Journey challenged us to make an ATC Tim style, I was thrilled. For those who don't know, an ATC (artist trading card) is a piece of art that is 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches in size. It can not be sold, only traded or given away.

Enough background... My theme is based on the inspiration photo challenge (left) at City Crafter. The technique I used for my ATC  is based on Tim's August tag of the month. Tissue tape is used to create an area for the stamp image. My image is from an old Tim Holtz stamp cube that I have had since the beginning of time. The background is embossing paste and stencils with distress stains for color. The sentiment is from Tim's alphaparts framed which I grunged up with distress paints.

I am also entering my ATC in these other challenges: Tuesday Throwdown -- furry friends (love that adorable puppy);Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge -- anything goes; and Artistic Stamper -- anything goes.

Birthday Rose

One always has need of birthday cards. This particular card was made with someone special in mind. Hopefully, she won't see it before I give it to her, but it's prettier in real life, so it will be ok. This week the challenge at Bloggers Challenge is birthday cards.
My background is an example of Tim Holtz's Faded Layers technique. I can't describe the process, but you can find Tim's directions in his Compendium of Curiosities book on page 58. This is the current challenge at Compendium of Curiosities 3 which, by the way is being sponsored by the Funkie Junkie Boutique.
The birthday banner is a Cheery Lynn die cut as is the border band. The rose is a Sizzix die. The bee and the letters are Sizzix/Tim Holtz dies. The stencils used are from Ranger (Dina Wakley and Tim Holtz).  The stamped rosebuds are from SweetStamps.
I am also entering my card into these challenges: Cheery Lynn Designs -- fun with letters; City Crafter -- roses; SweetStamps -- in the garden; Sweet n Sassy -- summery with die cut; Marks Finest Papers Colors challenge -- yellow, green, blue.

Summertime

simon

This card is a definite celebration of summer. I had a chance to use a  lot of my little Cheery Lynn dies and lots of bright colors. I started with a bright summer sky blue card base. I then stamped it with the music Behind the Scenes from Rogue Redhead Designs. The lattice was then added. I added the fringe for grass, flowers and the insects -- dragonfly, butterfly, bee, and ladybug. All of the dies are from Cheery Lynn Designs. The sentiment is a Club Scrap stamp.
I am entering my card into these challenges: Cheery Lynn Designs --hot time in the summer; City Crafter -- animal magic; Simon Says Wednesday challenge -- anything goes; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes; Marks Finest Papers Speedy Fox and Friends -- music.

Noel in July

Today marks exactly six months until Christmas. I'm really enjoying the current Christmas in July challenges. I missed the Christmas card season last year since I spent 2 1/2 months in the hospital, so I'm ready to play with my Christmas dies and stamps. On my card today I tried something that I had wanted to try ever since I got the tree line on the edge die. I cut the trees three times and layered them to make a forest background. I dabbed a little picket fence distress paint on the trees and sprinkled them with a little clear rock candy glitter I cut the sentiment "Noel" from sparkly cardstock. The poinsettia was cut from Tim Holtz Christmas paper and then tinted using distress ink. (All of the dies used are from Tim Holtz.)
I created this card for these challenges: Bloggers Challenge-- Christmas in July; City Crafter -- Christmas in July; Tuesday Throwdown -- handmade flowers; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes.

More Christmas in July

This week the challenge at Marks Finest Papers Sketch with a Twist is this sketch with the twist being to create a Christmas card.  City Crafter has the challenge to use chipboard. Sweet and Sassy's theme is Christmas in July.
To make my card I started with a white base card. The layering panel is red cardstock. I stamped the Silent Night music (MFP stamps) on sage green cardstock and cut it in three panels. The deer (Sweet and Sassy stamps) were stamped on white cardstock which was cut into squares with rounded corners. The sentiment was die cut (TH Sizzix) from chipboard. The letters were highlighted with gold Stickles.

Celebrate With a Friend

The 4th of July is next week. It's time to celebrate the red, white, and blue. It's also time to bring out my flag background stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs. I thought I'd try something a slight bit different. I colored the sections with distress stains and then stamped on watercolor paper. I used the textured side of the paper to achieve a textured look. Since the 4th is the birthday of our country, I added a birthday sentiment. I wanted a star frame for my little friends (ODBD), but wouldn't you know, with the hundreds of dies I own, I didn't have a star that was the right size. So, I turned to something that I never thought I'd use again -- my Coluzzle. I'll bet many of the paper crafters out there never heard of the Coluzzle. Briefly it is a bunch of plastic templates with a special cutting pad and a swivel blade knife that you can use to cut out shapes. I had the perfect sized star with a background panel sized star. I cut out my friends on the smaller star using the outside the box technique and layered it on the larger star. I used red cardstock as my base card.
I am entering this card into these challenges: Our Daily Bread Designs -- birthday with ODBD stamps; City Crafter -- red, white, and blue; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge -- you gotta have friends; and Artistic Stamper -- color it red.

Paint the Sky

This afternoon I had a little time to play. I just received the two new smaller Gelli plates. I like the 5x7" plate because it is the perfect size for a card background. I had this bird stamp from Club Scrap that I wanted to use. The Gelli plate background (acrylic paint) was perfect to use with the stamp. My sentiment is from the Cosmo Cricket Tiny Text stickers.
I am entering this card into these challenges: City Crafter -- for the birds; Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge -- paint.

Bon Voyage

Another fun afternoon playing in my art journal! My background started with two shades of blue distress paints. Next came stencils of clouds and distressed stripes. These were added using Dylusions sprays for the clouds and Glimmer mist for the stripes. I then stamped the ship and the sentiment. Once I finished stamping I added more bits and pieces of stenciling. The clocks were done using reverse stenciling and paints. The rest of the stencils were added with distress markers and distress ink.
I am entering my page in these challenges: Fashionable Stamping -- clockwork; Tuesday Throwdown -- paint or mist; City Crafter -- Nautical; Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge -- paint.

Birthday Celebration

Today I created a birthday card. I used the sketch from the Mojo Monday challenge. It's a tall and skinny card (3 1/2 x 5 1/2"). The base card is actually  a bright pink cardstock, but that color always scans purple. Hmmm? The background panel is a piece of design paper which I stamped with a background "Happy Birthday" stamp from Hero Arts. Instead of the plain center panel, I used pennants die cut using a Tim Holtz edger die. The bird is a Sizzix die cut. The flower parts are cut from several Spellbinder dies and combined together. to make one flower.
I am also entering my card into these challenges: City Crafter -- birthday banners; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge -- anything goes.

12 Tags of 2014 -- April

April is quickly coming to a close. That means it's time to share another tag inspired by the wonderful Tim Holtz in his 12 Tags of 2014 challenge. I really like the way Tim used  tissue tape and paint to make the background collage. I ventured away from my comfort zone a little with my color choices. Mustard seed and persimmon seemed to work as the background and embellishing ribbon for the roses.  I did have to improvise a little with the trellis. I haven't received my frameworks dies yet, so I used a similar die from Cheery Lynn. The shape worked fine, but the thin die doesn't cut through grungepaper totally (I knew I couldn't use grungeboard.) , so I had to use a scissors to finish the cut. The pinecone die really makes  pretty roses, doesn't it?
 I am also entering my tag into these challenges: Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge -- inspired by yellow and City Crafter --paint it.

Spring is Here

Today is the first full day of spring and for one day we are scheduled to actually have spring temperatures in Chicago. Today's Bloggers Challenge -- celebrates the coming of spring by wanting us to think spring.
My card starts with a spring green background on which I stenciled alphabet letters for interest. I then added the French Lattice Cheery Lynn die cut. the flower packet, stamped flowers, and sentiment are all stamps from Artistic Outpost. The die cut butterfly and flower are from Cheery Lynn.
My card is also being entered into these challenges:Cheery Lynn Designs -- think spring; Classy Cards 'n Such --flutterbys (Classy Cards 'n Such is a great place to order Cheery Lynn Design dies); City Crafter -- spring in the garden; Three Muses -- spring; Marks Finest Papers Simple Salutations -- things with wings; Artistic Outpost monthly referral challenge -- anything goes with Artistic Outpost stamps; and The Artistic Stamper --letters, words, numbers (background alphabet letters, sentiment and seed packet words, and 15 cents).