Lantern Waste

Hello All,

Today I am playing along with The Library Challenge. Their theme this last fortnight is one of my favorite books as a child and as an adult; The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I am also entering Make My Monday which focuses on winter foliage. Here is my card for today, enjoy!

Lantern Waste is a scene in the book where a
lamppost was seeded and then sprouted out of the ground. I am going to spare you the details and send you off to a website that explains the symbolism and reason why a lamppost is randomly sitting in the middle of a forest. So click here to find out more.

First I stamped the lantern using Archival Ink by Ranger. I wanted this image to be crisp, clean, and have no doubt it is in the foreground. As in any snow shower or storm visibility can be hazy or foggy at best. Even when things are close the scene seems to be layered with a hazy film. I wanted to achieve that result with my backdrop. I stamped the large pines using Distress Ink on watercolor paper. I took the aqua pen spreading out the color. I applied white multisurface acrylic paint to the branches and lamp-post to imply snow- making sure some of the color on the tree was visible.

I used the same technique for the smaller trees behind and made sure more white paint was applied to create a foggy effect. According to the story, the lantern was consistently lit- not from their traditional oil but from the fertile ground where the post was planted.

The sentiment was die cut using leftover velvet paper I had in my stash.
It creates such warmth and texture to the card.

 I read this story as a child and was just as captivated then as I was when I was an adult reading it to my daughter. The book is full of magic, an adventure that sucks you into the story. So much so, you don't want to leave. Thank goodness there are seven volumes! If you have not read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe please take the time to read it. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Challenges Entered:
The Library Challenge: Challenge #19- The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (Narnia)
Make My Monday Challenge: Challenge #84- Winter Foliage

Thank you so much for stopping by and do appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to spend time with me. I hope you all have a fantastic day and lots of good crafting vibes headed your way.

Winter Snowflakes

Hello Everyone,

Creative with Stamps have graciously invited me to their guest designer from mid-October to mid-January. So, for now, I say goodbye and thank you to my lovely hosts. That said, this is my last inspiration post for Creative with Stamps. Here is my card for today, enjoy!

Snowflakes is the name of the game at Creative with Stamps.
The frosty ombre blue is so pretty in contrast with the black background snowflakes.

______________________

Creative with Stamps

Challenge #22

______________________

The snowflake border on top of the card is from SU; isn't it beautiful?
 The other die-cut snowflakes were also done using the ombre effect. I wanted contrast. I used the light area of the snowflake in the dark sky and vice versa.

The banner comes from the same die set as the snowflake border die.
I used a small portion of the die to create the stitched scallop banner.
The stamp is a find from Salvation Army for sixty-nine cents!
The sentiment is so well done and so true to its word.

 Entering Challenges:
Cupcake Inspirations: Challenge #437 
Make My Monday: Challenge #62- Blue and White
Stamping Sensations: January Challenge- Cold and    Frosty Colours
Cardz 4 Guys- Challenge #186- January Blues
 
 

I also want to thank you for taking time out of your busy life to visit me. I am always touched by your visits. I will be back with more from TheGrandStampede. So until next take care and happy stamping.

Kinetic Leaf

Hello Y'all!!

Another week another challenge at PINspirational! The pin will tell all but first I would like to share my card with you, enjoy!

The little fox seemed confused what is happening.
Lemon Shortbread kindly provided this image and I think it is adorable.

_________________________

Challenge #201

The sponsors are:

~Cute As A Button~

Prize-2 digis

and

~Lemon Shortbread~

Prize-3 digis

 _________________________

Like the title of this post, this card's leaf moves down a track; looking like it is falling. I have shown a trio of shots to illustrate the effect. 

Above: I decided to focus on the leaves in the inspiration photo.
The patterned paper has a lot of movement and hides the leaf track so nicely. Below/Left: The large leaf was die cut using a retired SU die. Masking the sentiment then stamped and sponged on some color using Potters Clay: Memento Ink with some black on the edges. Bottom/Right: A close-up shot of the track allowing the leaf to 'fall'. I think it is camouflaged very nicely.  

Challenges Entered:
Stamping Sensations: Autumn Glory
Make My Monday: Animal Antics- #56

 
Well, that should do it for me. I hope you have a great day and thank you so much for stopping by my little byte of the internet. I do hope you will join us at PINspirational. It should be fun! Until then take care and happy crafting.

All the best,
Shawna

'Zentangle' Thanks

Hello Friends!!!

For today I am playing along with Make It Monday. Their challenge this week is all about dangles. I decided to go the Zentangle route. Here is my card for today, enjoy!

I have tried my hand at Zentangle. click here If you are not familiar with Zentangles. 
It will explain in much more detail how it works. 
This is my first shot at it, so laugh too hard. 

I used a stamp from the 'What the Doodle'
series from PTI called Waves Mini Stamp Set.
This wave stamp made a perfect starting point for the dangles.

The dangles were stamped using a motley of tiny stamps from my stash.
All the black you see was stamped and then traced for different line weights.  

Challenges Entered:

Make It Monday: #275- Stamped Dangles

I think this card turned out well. I did have inspiration, of course, from Pinterest. I wanted to see some examples of Zentangles and WOW! was I inspired. Click here to see which Zentangle inspired this project. What made this design so pretty was using the wave stamp by PTI. It provided separation of space and gave an opportunity to color the top white. 

Well, that should do it for me!! Thank you so much for stopping by and do appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to spend time with me. We will see you soon, but until then take care and happy stamping.

All the best,
Shawna

Birdy Christmas Tree

Hello All,

UGH!! Monday is here but cheer up because Make My Monday has a new challenge for you! Before we get to the challenge here is my card for today, enjoy!

The birds are congregating on branches that gradually end
up in the shape of a Christmas Tree.
I really enjoy the splatters that were added to the card.

_____________________________________________

Challenge for the next two weeks:

Challenge #35

CAS Christmas

______________________________

Nothing like a little research to see the true colors of a bird.
I decided to break up our birds with the a sentiment strip.
It seemed like a good way to balance the card.

The bird tree was actually a lot longer then I liked so I cut off the bottom part
of the tree and then added it to the inside of the card.
It seemed like a waste since they were already colored why not use them up.


Below: Detailed photo of the birds. I colored them by layering various colors and then blending them together to achieve the correct balance of color.

Challenges Entered:

Creative with Stamps: Challenge #8- Use a bird stamp

Well that should do it for me. I hope you have a great day and thank you so much for stopping by my little byte of the internet. I do hope you will join us at Make My Monday. It should be fun! Until then take care and happy crafting.

All the best,
Shawna

Healing Wishes

Hello All,

Today marks another Monday and another challenge at Make My Monday. Before I get to the challenge I am going to share my card, enjoy!

I do enjoy the emboss/resist technique
which is what I used for this card. Distress Markers
and a bit a of water does wonders.

_________________________________________________

Challenge #34
Get Well Soon

 _________________________________________

Very simple sentiment from PTI seems to a wonderful fit
for this soft looking card. Its soft colors is sure to make anyone feel a bit better.

Top/Left: I thought the vellum behind the sentiment added to its beauty. 

Bottom/Right: The white border reminded me of lattice which is a perfect fit the garden.

Well that should do it for me. I hope you have a great day and thank you so much for stopping by my little byte of the internet. I do hope you will join us at Make My Monday. It should be fun! Until then take care and happy crafting.

All the best,
Shawna

Wobbly Witch

Hello All,

UGH!! Monday is here but cheer up because Make My Monday has a new challenge for you! Before we get to the challenge here is my card for today, enjoy!

The purple background was done digitally. I inserted the sentiment with stars (source unknown) on top of the deep purple gradient sky. Printed out the background and set it aside for a bit later.
______________________________________

Challenge #33

____________________________________

After printing the background and sentiment out, I sponged around where the moon should be using white pigment ink. I stamped the moon (from Altenew) on a separate sheet of cardstock, die cut, and adhered to the center of the white sponged background. Giving the effect of glow.

Now for the cool part! Our Halloween creature is popped off the card and is made to move. I made my own action wobbler; it added a bit fun and whimsy to the design.

Check out the clip below and watch it move. 

Challenges Entered:

Cards in Envy: Purple and Green Challenge

Addicted to Stamps and More: Anything Goes

Shopping our Stash: SOS#274- Hey Ghoulfriend!

    

Mark Twain, one of our most influential literary authors, and pretty bright I must say. He is quoted saying 'Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.'.  Words from a man who knows there seems to be something, no matter how small, that is dark and telling about us. I guess that is why this quote is so creepy. Creepy in the fact that we never really know who anybody is, really. {shutter}

Well on that bright note, it is time for me to go. I do hope you enjoyed your stay and thank you so much for stopping in. I would encourage you to stop on over to Make My Monday and have a go at our challenge. It is a fabulous prompt and am sure it will spur some fantastic cards! So until then, take care and happy stamping, y'all!! 

All the best,

Shawna

I See You

Hello All,

Today is a new challenge for Make My Monday challenge blog. For the next two weeks we have provided photo inspiration for you to interpret. Before we get to the challenge here is my card for today, enjoy.

I used the inspiration photo by trying
to achieve the 'feel' of an ominous spooky environment.

_______________________________________________

Challenge #33
Photo Inspiration:

Source
_______________________

The whites of her eyes is very creepy and seem to glow against the red spooky night.
I layered up all the Distress red inks I had on hand then added some gray and black for the clouds.

Look closely at the sentiment. 'Hello Sweet Friend'.
Pretty creepy if you ask me.
I first saw this two toned sentiment technique over at Make It Monday
I just modified it a bit but the idea is the same.

Challenges Entered:
Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies
Happy Little Stampers: Mixed Media Challenge- Nature
Creative with Stamps: Sentiment
CASology: Week 219- Spooky

    

This sentiment was actually my daughter's idea! She loved the 'sweet friend' sentiment but it couldn't stand alone. She recommended to have another sentiment across the 'sweet friend'. A lightbulb went off in my head. And the result is what you see here. I wanted the 'hello' die cut to blend into its surroundings and (hopefully) wouldn't be discovered until later. I guess I wanted it to hide until you found it. But first your attention goes to those creepy eyes peering out at you from well.... somewhere. I just love this card and will probably remain in my collection for a time. 

Well that should do it for me. I hope you have a great day and thank you so much for stopping by my little byte of the internet. I do hope you will join us at Make My Monday. It should be fun! Until then take care and happy crafting.

All the best,
Shawna

P.S. I have seen a lot of you wanted to know where this stamp came from. It is from Stampendous here is the link. Happy Stamping!!