Accordion Book Challenge Day 1

 

It is so awesome being retired. I have time to play along with different art challenges and projects. I signed up for the "5 Accordion Books in 5 Days" over at Vintage Page Designs. I have been itching to make some accordion books and would like to teach these in conjunction with my Zentangle.

The above picture is the book closed.

Second picture is the back of the book. I colored the book with distress inks using the smooshing technique.

The next picture is the inside of the book with the pockets and tags. All black and white elements is washi tape.

The last picture are the tags. All colored with distress inks too.

Stay tuned for more books.

Pinkfresh monthly challenge

Pinkfresh Studio is my new fav stamp company. I love all the botanical images that have corresponding dies and stencils. There are so many ways to use them. 

I have collected a few over the last year, enough that I decided to join this month's challenge.

 

The challenges are theme and color based. You can do one or the other or both. the theme is leaves and greenery.

My card features "Folk Garden". I used the stamp, stencil, and die. To create some interest I dry embossed the die for the background on my card.

You have all month to play along at Pinkfresh's monthly challenge. Maybe I will see you there!

 

Polar critters

 

14 weeks till Christmas! I hope you all have been playing along with us at Christmas 24. If you have been, you have a great start on your holiday cards.

Today at Christmas 24 we have an easy sketch to inspire you. You can make it as simple or as complicated as possible. Me for some reason I went complicated and cluttered.

For some reason I decided to try and put as many critters on this card as I can. My BFF gave me this stamp set after she decided to get rid of it when she downsizing her Christmas stamps. I absolutely loved it and couldn't wait to play with it. Unfortunately it seem s to be a retired set. If you look there are a few small craft stores that have it still.

You have till Oct 1 to play along at Christmas 24's easy peasey sketch challenge. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

It's always flip flop weather!

 

The weather is starting to cool off here in southeastern Pennsylvania. We have had such a beastly hot summer that these cooler days are a welcome change. Cooler weather doesn't mean you have to stop wearing your flip flops though does it? 

I actually never wear flip flops. It's the between the toe thing. It really irritates me. I think you are either a toe thong person or you are not. But I just might invest in a pair though. Weight Watchers has started meetings again. My first meeting back after Covid, I found out you have to leave your shoes on to get weighed in. Of course I have my heavy clunky sneakers on! They added at least two pounds!! I need to get a light weight pair of flip flops to get weighed in with!!  My life would be much better in flip flops, not to mention my weight!!

Today starts a new challenge at Cupcake Inspiration. Today we have a color challenge for you. We want you to use green, pink, and lime on your creations.

My colorful flip flops are from Lawn Fawn's the "Celebrate Summer" stamp set and the sentiment is from Newton's Nook's "Flip flop Life". 

You have two weeks to play along with this fun color challenge at Cupcake Inspirations. I can't wait to see what you come up with!!

Yuletide greetings

Happy March! One month closer to Christmas!! LOL!! But it is never to soon to work on your holiday cards. Over at Christmas 24 we have a twice a month Christmas card challenge to help you kick start your holiday cards with a variety of fun challenges.

Today's challenge is a color challenge. We are challenging you to use red, green, and gold.

I notice many of my cards have Christmas trees on them. I must love trees!! 😀

Nothing like gold polka dot snowflakes falling gently down. Are you wondering where my red is? That's a fair question. The balls on my trees are red stickles. This card uses one of my favorite tree stamps from Clearly Besotted- "Joy to the World", which unfortunately is no longer available.

So head over to Christmas 24 and join in the fun and show off those quintessential Christmas colors, red, green, and gold.

Christmas Hugs

Good morning everyone. I am sharing one of the cards I made for my dear hubby this year. He is a sucker for a teddy bear or bears of any kind of actually. When I saw this "Fuzzy Hugs" by Mama Elephant, I had to buy it. It is perfect for Christmas and even Valentine's Day or winter anniversaries.

I always have a theme color for all of his cards that George gets at Christmas. The color theme was the traditional red and green.

I am entering this card over at the  Inspired By challenge. They are looking for a winter theme. 

I am also entering it at Christmas 24. They are hosting a DT call.

Hope all of you have a creative weekend. I am off to work on Valentine cards.

Christmas 24 Challenge

Hey everyone! Is it still OK to be posting holiday cards? I mean Christmas and New Year's is behind  us. Well, it's OK when you are participating at a new Christmas card challenge called Christmas 24. A card challenge that is all things Christmas.

I can not think of a better way to jump start next years cards then by making them all year long. Christmas 24 is also holding a DT call. I am throwing my hat into that ring as well.

This card exemplifies my CAS style. Because it is monochromatic, you can make this card in any color. Green is my favorite color, but I also tried it in pink- my buddy Margarita's fav color. I can hear her saying- "Pink! It is the most beautiful color in the world!"

The trees are from Neat and Tangled- Scandinavian Prints. I also used the new masking stencil set from Taylored Expressions.

Head over to Christmas 24 and get a jump start on next year's cards and share what you created.

I know him! I know Santa!!

While shopping at our local Trader Joe's my husband said- "you have to come around back". I kinda wanted to just get going, we had a lot to do. But I humored him and went to the back parking lot and there is the most gorgeous white draft horse being hooked to a festive white buggy.

A few moments later after petting this big guys nose and wishing I had an apple or a carrot, my husband whispers "look up". I look up and what to my wondering eyes should appear- Santa Claus!!!

I don't know about you, but there is something magical about being around Santa. You immediately become a kid again. 

I am sure my dear husband is telling Santa all about the Martin Dreadnaught D-45 guitar he wants for Christmas.

But behind every great guy there is an even better woman. Santa is no different. Mrs. Claus who is usually behind the scenes baking cookies to keep the big guy-well big, got to get out to visit today.

Like any good wife, she isn't letting her man out in public until he is perfectly put together.

After getting my time with Santa- whispering that I really don't want a lot this year, just the new Altenew inks, he drove off to see all the good little boys and girls.

My cards today are in honor of the big guy himself!! I am entering them in the following challenges.

Just Us Girls, they are having "an anything goes" challenge.

Time out Challenges is having a "merry and Cheerful" challenge.

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge- "quick and easy cards".

Cardz 4 Galz- is looking for a "cute Christmas"

Winter Wonderland Challenge- "anything goes"

Lastly Inkspirational is having a theme challenge and the theme is "naughty". 

I want to end this Santa driven blog post with a scene from "Elf". This very funny scene is how I feel now."I know him! I know Santa and I know his wife!!"

Be sure to check out what all the designers for these various challenges have posted and be inspired to join in!!

Fall daisies

I just spent my last weekend at the beach. I have to accept that fall is here. No more thinking shorts, hot weather and long days. It's all pants, cold weather and short days.

Today at Inky Paws we are having a color challenge that puts me in mind of autumn. We are looking for creations using moss green, orange, chocolate brown, and ivory.

I used Newton's Nook's "Dainty Daisies". Using copic markers I colored them in the challenge colors and put together this quick and simple card.

Head on over to Inky Paws and join in our all color challenge. We will chose a RANDOM entry to win a $20.00 Newton's Nook store gift certificate. Our favorite entries from each challenge will be highlighted the following Monday, so all entries have a chance to be featured on the blog.

The deadline to enter today's challenge is this Friday, October 4, 2019 at MN CST. The winners will be announced on the following Monday at Inky Paws.