Saturday, August 29, 2020

Chalkboard Halloween



Time for a new challenge at 
Less Is More - Chalkboard Technique.


Here are some links to show you what the technique is about

I must say that this technique was not an easy one for me to embrace. It was hard for me to find a combination of stamps and design that was pleasing to me. I made a totally different card at first, but I was very unhappy with it. I went fishing in my stash and came up with this stamp set called Subway Series Holidays from Freshly Squeezed Stamps (no longer in business) that is perfect for the  technique. The picture does not show the white ink that I swiped across the black panel, but trust me, it is there. I made 2 other cards with the same set and the same design with different patterned paper scraps. You can see the "chalk" more easily on them. The design was just too plain, so I added that stitched line from Paper Smooches Stitched Wise Dies on the left. That did the trick for me!



Please head over to the Less Is More Blog and see what the Design Team has created for your inspiration. I hope you'll play along with us to share your creations and for a chance to win. Remember to keep your design Clean And Simple.

To be eligible for showCASe and PRIZE WINNER choices you will need to carefully follow the guidance on our GLOSSARY OF TERMS and our HOW TO PLAY pages. Your design should feature lots of clean / white / blank / non patterned / non textured space. All challenge details are on the Less Is More blog. Good Luck!

I'm also playing at:





My NBUS item is the Paper Smooches Stitched Wise Die. I have the dies for years and never opened the package.

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Hey, Wasabi?

 


It's time for a new challenge at Time Out!!! Time Out Challenge #169 is a theme challenge in which the theme is "Season" with an optional twist of coloring. Many of us will immediately think of the four seasons of the year, but we can also season our food with herbs and spices, or become a seasoned (experienced) player or professional... there are many ways to go with this. It's always fun to see how artists interpret a theme.

We are generously sponsored by Poppystamps.

I really wanted to go in a different direction than seasons of the year with this one. I looked through my entire stash for something in the herbs and spices category, but did't really have anything like that. They I thought about the Essentials by Ellen Wasabi set and decided what I was going to do.

I combined the sketch from CAS(e) This Sketch #386 and the theme from Inspired By Challenge #IB138, and came up with my card. The idea is that sushi can be "seasoned" with soy sauce and wasabi and ginger, etc. That might be a little far out of the box, but that is the way I went. I was too late to enter my card in the Inspired By Challenge, but it was definitely part of my inspiration. I stamped, colored and die cut the images from Wasabi and arranged them on the diagonal on a panel that is embossed with the SU Tasteful Textile embossing folder. Some of the die cuts are popped up and some are not. I am so happy with the way it came out.

Please hop on over to the Time Out Challenge Blog to see the wonderful creations that the Design Team came up with to inspire you. Come play with us!

I'm also playing with:



Friday, August 21, 2020

The Tide Will Turn



Time for a new challenge at Festive Friday where every challenge is an inspiration list based on a selected holiday/festivity from the traditional to the unusual. Challenge projects must include at least three items from the festivity inspiration list.


Since the Inspiration List is a mix of elements related to the festivity, the creator has the choice to make something for that actual festivity, or to ignore the festivity all together and create something using just the elements selected.

I created my project to go with the theme and used bright colors, heart(s), and an uplifting sentiment. Watercoloring is done with Zigs and Inktense Pencils.

FF0066 is a celebration of National Day Of Encouragement. See the Inspiration List above. It has lots of wonderful elements to choose from. You can visit the Festive Friday blog to see the awesome inspiration that the Design Team has created to spark your imagination, or you can link to their blogs here by clicking each designer's name:


Supplies used:
Stamps~Wilson Designs Teeny Bikini, SSS Simple Sentiments No. 01 - CA Design
Ink~VersaFine Clair Nocturne, VersaMark
Accessories~Inktense pencils, Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens, Paper Smooches Clouds Dies, Lawn Fawn Scalloped Rectangle Dies.

I'm also playing at:

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

I Can't Even...

 



This simple card was made with EBE Voices In My Head by Julie Ebersole. I LOVE this set and the others that go with it. I am a teacher. It perfectly sums up my feelings about going back to in-person learning. I will graduate from face mask to face shield. Oy!

My face shield is cut with and Pink Fresh Essentials Basic Label Frames, and the white panel is cut with Lawn Fawn Scalloped Rectangle Stackables.

This card was inspired by these challenges:




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Saturday, August 15, 2020

Doodlie Doo


Time for a new challenge at Less Is More.

I must say that for some reason, this one threw me. Like so many, I have doodled my way through many a business or faculty meeting. I find it relaxing. But doodling on a DT card just scared me a little. So I went with the safety doodle above. Yep, my big doodle creation was a string for Christmas Lights. The rest of the card was perfectly die cut and stamped. Done. I used  Paper Smooches Holiday Lights Dies, and Joyful Greetings Stamps. I was not completely happy with my doodled light string because my hand shook a little, but doodle I did.

~~THEN~~


I was commenting on Challenge entries, and I came upon THIS post by Billie A. She made these wonderful cards and entered them at Time Out. I was intrigued with the technique she used. Billie referenced Creations Cee Cee. I went to You Tube and looked her up. Guess what?? Cee Cee is a major doodler!!! She is also an incredible watercolor artist. So I watched THIS video and followed along to create my own CASEd design using many of her tips and details. The final result was the card above. I LOVE this doodle thing. I can see many more doodles in my future! Thanks Billie, and thank you Cee Cee. I will be watching and learning more soon!

Please head over to the Less Is More Blog and see what the Design Team has created for your inspiration. I hope you'll play along with us to share your creations and for a chance to win. Remember to keep your design Clean And Simple.

To be eligible for showCASe and PRIZE WINNER choices you will need to carefully follow the guidance on our GLOSSARY OF TERMS and our HOW TO PLAY pages. Your design should feature lots of clean / white / blank / non patterned / non textured space. All challenge details are on the Less Is More blog. Good Luck!

I'm also playing Card #1 at:



I'm playing Card #2 at:


Thursday, August 13, 2020

Sending Thoughts And Smiles

 


I dug out this Wilson Designs stamp set that I have had in my stash of favorites for many years and created this fun CAS card to play at several challenges that I ran across today. I used my MISTI to stamp the itsy bitsy polka dot bikinis, and colored them with Copics in rainbow colors. The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp Tiny Words Encouragement.

I'm playing at:





Aloha

 

It's time for a new challenge at Time Out!!! Time Out Challenge #168 is an inspiration photo, and it is right up my alley! See the enlarged pic below for all of the wonderful details to choose from.


We are generously sponsored by Uniko, a wonderful partner and supporter of Time Out. Our Guest Designer is Enna, winner of Time Out Challenge #164. Enna is an incredibly talented card artist with mad coloring skills. Check her out on Instagram for some major inspiration!

The surfboard really caught my eye in the photo. I pulled out a dear old friend from my stash - Verve's Relax stamp set (2008). I used 2 of the 5 surf board images from the set to create a pattern for my background, colored them with Copics, and added a coat of Glossy Accents to make them shine. I then stamped, colored and fussy cut the wave and palm tree, mounted them on a rectangle along with the sentiment, and my card was complete.

Please hop on over to the Time Out Challenge Blog to see the wonderful creations that Enna and our Design Team came up with to inspire you. Come play with us!

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Verve stamp set, circa 2008




Friday, August 7, 2020

It's Your Birthday





I am thrilled to be here with my first DT creation for Festive Friday where every challenge is an inspiration list based on a selected holiday/festivity from the traditional to the unusual. Challenge projects must include at least three items from the festivity inspiration list. 

Since the Inspiration List is a mix of elements related to the festivity, the creator has the choice to make something for that actual festivity, or to ignore the festivity all together and create something using just the elements selected.

For example, an Inspiration List for the festivity “Talk Like A Pirate Day” could include pirates, birds, water, boats, black, etc... A more literal submission would probably use pirates and maybe a parrot with a fun pirate pun sentiment. But, a project with a sailboat on the water with birds in the sky and a “happy birthday, husband” sentiment would also qualify for the challenge. It is important to note that, though the list is based on a holiday or festivity, the final creation does not need to reflect that holiday.

I love the concept and format of this challenge, and I am pleased and proud to be joining this wonderful team of designers.

My project includes red, black, baker's twine, stripes. heart, dog and embossing. My skateboarding birthday dog is from Julie Ebersole's Clever Sausage (Essentials By Ellen). Balloon heart dies are from Poppystamps.

FF0065 is a celebration of National Dog Day. See the Inspiration List above. Lots of fun things to choose from! You can visit the Festive Friday blog to see the "pawsome" inspiration that the Design Team has created to spark your imagination, or you can link to their blogs here by clicking each designer's name:


Come play with us!

I'm also playing at:

I was inspired by the adorable dog having fun! My Dachshund is having fun as well in this Clean and Layered design.