Happy Halloween!

It was a day full of pirates, witches, Elvis, and a few unidentifiable characters at the nursing home today, but lots of fun.  I made this card last night but didn't get pictures taken until today after work.  I'm squeeking it in for the Ippity Chick's latest challenge and making it just under the wire.  Since it's pumpkin themed, I'm also entering it in the Unity 'All about Pumpkins' challenge.

I used Studio Calico 'Take Note' 6x6 papers, CTMH card stock for the base and circle, really reasonable ribbon, and 2 Unity stamp of the month kits -- Oct. 12 and Sept 12.  Oh, and there's an Authentique word sticker on it, too.

Here's the sketch I followed.

I hope you are having an enjoyable Halloween!

A spoo-oo-oo-ky Friends with Flair!

Boo!  It's almost Halloween, and I've been working on some Halloween cards this week.  I've had something going on after work every night all week, so it literally took me a whole week to finish just 4 cards. One birthday card for my sister-in-law came together very quickly Saturday evening.  The 3 Halloween cards, colored with Copics, took me quite awhile.  But I like how they turned out, so it was worth it.  I have 3 friends I am sending them to and I need to get them in the mail tomorrow, so it was pinch time to get them finished after work today. I'll show you the Halloween cards first.

 

This first card uses an Ippity stamp, "Halloween Greetings".  I am entering it in the Ippity/Unity Opportunity challenge, "things that fly", and Reasonable Ribbon's Halloween challenge (RRR58). Paper is from Making Memories. The purple ribbon behind the border punch is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

The witch on this second card is from Crafty Secrets.  The Sentiment is the same Ippity stamp set used above. Papers are Making Memories (orange), and Echo Park's The Apothecary Emporium 6x6 pad (background).  Ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I am entering this card in RRR's Halloween challenge, also (RRR58).

My last Halloween card features a Stamp Of the Week from Unity called Thanks, Thanks, and Thanks. The sentiment is the one I used again from the Ippity Halloween Greetings.  Papers are from Echo Park's Chillingsworth Manor 6x6 pad. Ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, so I'm entering it in their Halloween challenge with the other 2 (RRR58).  I'm also entering this in Unity's October Challenge, All About Pumpkins.

And, the last card I've got for you today, Friday -- WOOHOO! -- is the card I made for my sister-in-law's birthday.  She's an artist, so I'm always a little nervous making cards for her, and she has a little of that quirky artist personality in her, so this is the card I made.  I entered in a challenge on the CropChocolate.com site.  This past week's challenge was to use a neutral color (like kraft) with at least 3 bright patterned papers.  Here's what I came up with:

The stamp is Unity's "You're Cute" by Simple Stories.  I masked the boy out of the stamp so I could feature the girl with the balloon,  making it into a birthday card.  The papers are Amy Tangerine's Sketchbook 6x6.  The 'celebrate' sentiment is from a Unity grab bag from a Friends With Flair win. I think the little girl is just the cutest!  Love this stamp! 

Thanks for stopping by my little piece of blog land!  Scrap happy and enjoy your weekend!

World Card Making Day, Ippity, and Unity Challenges

It's taken me a week, but I think I have completed the challenges from Unity's World Card Making Day event.  I did the challenges in no particular order, but I'll try to arrange them somewhat numerically here:

Challenge one was to be a shaped card.  No basic shapes like squares or circles were allowed.  My husband's birthday is this week, so I made this banner card to give him for his birthday. I will enter it in the Unity banner challenge also.

 

I used Close To My Heart Typeset papers, the Close To My Heart Art Philosophy cartridge to cut the banner shapes, and Unity's Best Day Ever stamp set.

 

Challenge #2 is a texture challenge and it's in a post done earlier this week.

 

Challenge #3 -- embossing.  I use dry embossing quite often, but I'm not a huge fan of heat embossing.  So, I made myself use the technique on this card:

 

 

I clear embossed this tree from the Sept 2011 Kit of the Month, then sponged Tim Holtz evergreen bough distress ink over the diecut shape.  Red sparkles from CTMH finished off the tree.  Papers are Lily Bee Designs Jingle 6x6.  The sentiment is also from the Sept '11 KOTM.

 

Challenge #4 was a sketch challenge.  I like sketch challenges.  I seem to need that structure, or base, to get me started.  I love how this card turned out.

 

I used the July 2012 SMAK kit for the white doily, and a stamp of the week -- Best Things Just Happen for the flower.  The sentiment was from a Unity grab bag I won with Friends With Flair.
CTMH cardstock, CTMH white daisy ink, Memento tuxedo black ink, various Copic markers, and silk ribbon I won from May Arts completes the card. It is for a friend with a birthday this week.

Here is the sketch I used.

 

The next challenge, #5, was in a previous post.

 

Challenge #6 -- we were to stamp a border out of something that isn't a border stamp.  Again, with my husband's birthday this week, I thought it would be fun to have a card to give him before work and another in the evening, when we really celebrate his day.  So, I made another birthday card, using stars to make my border.

 

 

I used Carta Bella kraft cardstock for the base, Authentique Loyal 6x6 papers for the rest of the card, the July 2009 KOTM for a star, the June 2012 KOTM, the May 2012 SMAK, and a SOTW called Balloons to You. I also used a Spellbinder die.

 

Challenge #7 is a color challenge.  I chose to color a Phyllis Harris Fall image.

 

 

The paper is a retired line from Close To My Heart.  Memento Tuxedo Black ink was used on the stamp, and many Copics on the coloring.  The sentiment -- from the same Phyllis Harris set, was stamped in Memento ink also. And, another Spellbinders die.

 

And, lastly, I completed the Unity Kit of the Month sketch challenge, combining it with the current Ippity Chick Challenge and the Ippity Christmas Challenge.

 

 

First I'll show you the sketches, then the card I made that combined them both.





 

And, here's my final card to show you:

 

I used a Kaisercraft 6x6 Christmas pack, the Aug 2012 Kit of the Month, Copic markers, and CTMH Legacy black pens. Two different circle punches were also used.  Now, to link them all up!  It's been fun creating all these cards.  Thanks, Unity!







Friends With Flair Blog Hop -- Hurray!

For those of you following my story, I'm going to start with a picture.  Last week, I didn't have a chance to comment on many of your great works of art because I traveled 4 hours with some friends to participate in a walk to raise $ for a Golden Retriever Rescue organization.  I brought Sophie, the dog my husband and I recently integrated into our family.  She goes to work with me at the nursing home everyday.  Here's my friends and our dogs. Sophie and I are in the middle, Janelle and Annie Girl are on the left, Sheri and Too on the right.

 

Aren't those dogs beautiful?  I love this picture.

 

I've been trying to catch up on some of the World Cardmaking Day challenges on the Unity site since I missed out last weekend.  However, my work hours have been long this week, so I haven't gotten very far.  I have three made, but only had enough daylight to get good pictures of 2 of them.  They are both quite similar.

 

Here goes:

 

The first card is for the color challenge.  We are to use the colors pumpkin, brown, cream, and olive.  Here's the card I made:

 

 

I used the Unity Jillibean Soup Country Pumpkin Chowder stamp set, Spellbinders dies, American Crafts Autumn cardstock, a Tim Holtz die strip for the foliage.  I colored the leaves and acorns with Tim Holtz distress inks and Liquid Pearls.

 

The second card is for the Fall challenge.  Here it is:

 

 

I used the same papers, leaves, Spellbinders, and technique.  The stamp set is a Stamp of the Week -- Happy Fall.

 

Enjoy your weekend!  I'm hoping to getting crafty, at least part of the time.







Winners! Winners!

The winners have been notified, but I haven't had time to post a blog entry, so here goes...
As my portion of the cropchocolate.com OWH blog hop, I stated I would give away to prizes -- 1 for a comment, 1 for those who entered cards using my sketch.  I was so pleased with the amount of cards made for OWH using my sketch that I chose two winners for that prize, so I'm awarding 3 prizes altogether.

Here's the winners:

Comments winner -- Ma54k  (Mary Anne Kelemen)
Cards winners -- Ruth (Carnes) and Karey2005 (Karen Nofziger)

Congrats, gals!  Prizes heading your way soon!

Unity texture,blog hop and RRR pink challenges

Yesterday was World Card Making Day.  I was at a dog walk and traveling so I missed my chance to scrap, but had a great time with friends -- both 2-legged and 4-legged.  I did make a couple cards before I left on Friday that I'm entering into a couple challenges.  The cards are very similar, but with some subtle differences.

 I used Echo Park papers for the base of the card (it was a grab bag from CropChocolate.com so I don't know which line) and EP For the Record 2 for the squares.  The pink ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon's monthly club.  The sentiment is a Unity stamp. I also used a 2 inch scallop paper punch. I ran ivory colored cardstock through my Big Shot using a script embossing folder, then inked it afterwards with Tim Holtz distress ink.

 Every card maker needs an inspector.  I set both cards on the floor while I got organized to take pictures.  Sammy very carefully arranged himself so he didn't disturb this card.  He gave it a good sniff test, declared it "good enough", then watched for squirrels out the window.

 Further inspection -- another view of Sammy at work.

And here's the second card.  As I said, they look very similar.  The sentiment is different, the squares are reversed, and on this card, I inked the embossing folder before I ran it through the Big Shot, then also inked the script after.

I am entering one of these cards in 3 different cropchocolate.com blog hop challenges -- Amber's sketch challenge, Brenna's tactile challenge, and Jenni's punch and stamp challenge.  I'm also entering it in Thienly's challenge for Unity's WCMD events, and Really Reasonable Ribbon's pink challenge.

More Phyllis Harris

I have 2 Phyllis Harris cards I'm sharing this week.  I'm linking them up with Unity's Friends With Flair blog Hop, Really Reasonable Ribbon's pink challenge, and Ippity's Fall challenge.  If you are looking for the cropchocolate.com blog hop for OWH, it is still going on.  Scroll down a couple posts, please.

I'll show you my Fall card first.  Yesterday, we had 78 degrees here in NW Wisconsin.  Today, we have 48 degrees and 30 mile an hour winds.  The leaves are falling, so my card fits right in!

I used Fancy Pants Summer's End 6x6 paper on this card, two different Spellbinder's dies, Copic markers, Reasonable ribbon, and a Unity Stamp of the Week designed by Phyllis Harris. My first pet ever was a big, white rabbit, so this takes me back to childhood.  That's Sniffer and I, alright, playing in the Autumn leaves! 

The second card, also features a Unity Phyllis Harris stamp.  I had some help while photographing the card.  Since there's a Golden Retriever on the card, I thought I'd show you my helper.

 

Molly thinks I need to make the Golden Retriever's fur a little redder to match hers better.  I'm working on it, girl.  I'm just not that good at coloring with these new Copics yet!

And, here's a close up of the card Molly is critiquing: 

I used Echo Park For the Record II 6x6 papers and Reasonable ribbon on this card, along with a Spellbinders die and Copic markers.  The corners were rounded with a corner chomper.

And, wouldn't you know, there's a new release of Phyllis Harris stamps at Unity starting today.  If there are any with Golden Retrievers, they'll soon be heading to my mailbox, I'm afraid!  Hope you find some time to make cards on National Card Making Day.  I'm driving 4 hours to take my Goldens on a walk to raise $ and awareness for the Golden Retriever Rescue Group of Wisconsin.  No card making for me, but lots of Golden memories -- and pictures.