Winter Hello

It's time to ring in a new year of challenges at the Time Out Challenge Blog. Time Out Challenge #74 is a Theme Challenge: Winter with the Optional Technique Twist of "White on White". Use only different shades of white. Black and other neutral colours can be used for the sentiment.

Uniko is generously sponsoring the challenge with a gift voucher for a random winner drawn from those participants who twist.

The awesome and talented Claire of Life On The Scrap Heap is Guest Designer. You should treat yourself to a wonderful stroll around her blog. You are sure to be very inspired!

Here is my take on the challenge:

The Winnie & Walter wreath from their In Boom: Paulina's Greenery Cutaways is inlaid on Tim Holtz's Distressed Wood grain Card stock. The inner parts of the leaves are colored with clear Wink Of Stella for a little sparkle. "Winter" is cut from copper colored glitter card stock, and "hello" is embossed in copper on a little banner die from Concord & 9th's In Bloom: Paulina's Greenery Cutaways.

Please head over to the Time Out Challenge Blog to see what the wonderful Design Team has created for your inspiration. Then think Winter and White, and play with us!

I am also linking up to:

 

City Crafter Challenge Blog Week #343 ~ Hello 2017

The City Crafter Challenge Blog where the first challenge of the year is to create a project that includes the word "hello". I mistakenly posted a new year's card prior. I work in a school and always tell the students to read ALL of the directions... This is a reminder to myself to practice what I preach and read the directions thoroughly!

Masked and Inlaid Thanks

Game #74 is up at the AAA Cards Challenge Blog! The theme is Masking. 

Our wonderful sponsor this week is Stampendous.

Our Guest Designer for this challenge is the very talented Rahmat. You can see her wonderful work on her blog here.

Here is my take. I used Designs by Ryn Flowers stamp set and Winnie & Walter Big Bold You dies for this creation. Masked flowers and leaves are colored with Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens.

Please head over the the AAA Cards Challenge Blog and see what our Guest Designer, Rahmat and my wonderful teammates have created for your inspiration. Leave them some love, then create your own masked project to link up to our challenge. Thanks so much for stopping in today!

Hope Endures

Challenge #65

The current Time Out Challenge is "Inspired By Words". I really love this type of challenge as it leaves so much to the imagination. Here is the quote:

“Love the trees until their leaves fall off, then encourage them to try again next year.” 

You can be inspired of the whole sentiment or just choose one or two words as a starting point for your project.

Here is my take:

I love Autumn. I love the change in weather. Where I live, there are four very distinct seasons. I love the change in foods, clothes, decor... When the leaves die off so much in nature goes to sleep, there is always the promise of spring and rebirth. So there's hope, and that was my thought process in pondering the quote and putting this card together.

Everything on this card is new except the Kraft card base. I used Brushos to make a water color background from which I cut the solid wreath. I sprayed it with Ranger Buttercup Mica Spray to give it a golden sheen. It's gorgeous IRL. All stamps, dies and the sentiment are from Winnie and Walter. The white panel is Tim Holtz Distress Woodgrain Cardstock. It is luscious.

I am also linking this CAS card up to the Stamp Ink Paper Challenge where the current challenge is Clean & Simple.

Thanks so much for stopping in for a visit! Have a wonderful day!!

Peace On Earth

It's time for a new game at AAA Cards. The theme for Game #73 is Upcycling. Use something in creating your card that that you have not purposely bought/saved for crafting, e.g. a clothing tag, a label, part of a paper bag, a magazine picture or any other idea you have.

Our sponsors for this challenge are Happy Little Stampers. The winner will get a $20 gift voucher to spend in their fabulous store.

Here is my take:

I received a Christmas card last year that had this gorgeous metallic and textured earth image with a banner across it. There are gold, blue and copper tones to the earth image, depending on the angle at which you view it. I've been saving it to repurpose for a future project, and this challenge was the perfect impetus to use it. Though I will use this as a Christmas card, I also think that it is quite poignant on this 15th anniversary of September 11, 2001. I live about 45 miles as the crow flies from what was the World Trade Center.

I cut out a stitched rectangle from SU Confetti White card stock for the top panel. I sprayed it with Ranger Antiqued Bronze Mica Spray (this stuff is fantastic) to give it some metallic shine. I fussy cut  out the earth/banner, popped it up on foam tape, adhered it to the top panel, then mounted it on Gina K. Ivory heavyweight card stock. Simple as pie but I just LOVE it. What a fun challenge this one is!

I hope you will head on over to the AAA Cards Challenge blog, see what my wonderful Design Teammates have created and leave them some love.  Then dig through your craft stash and find something to use on your upcycle project. Have a great time with it.  I can't wait to see what you create!!

I am also linking to CAS(E) this Sketch #189:

Have fun, and many thanks for stopping in today!

Color Blooms

There's a fun hop and linky party going on at The STAMPlorations blog. The DT took out their favorite coloring mediums and colored a page from COLOR BLOOMS, Stamplorations first coloring book for grownups -- specially created for the cardmaker, crafter, and mixed media artist in you! Then they took the pages they colored and used it in projects. 

There are lots of prizes for blog hop and linky party participants. For a chance to win a $15 gift certificate plus a copy of Color Blooms, simply print out the sampler from the Stamplorations Blog, color it with your medium(s) of choice, and create a project out if it. Blog about it and link it up to the Color Blooms links party. 

Here is my project using the sample page from COLOR BLOOMS  It is so wonderful to color and endless ways to use it. The sentiment is from SimonSaysStamp Clear Stamps You.

I am also linking this card to:

Inspired By The Little Things #22

Where the challenge is this bight and bold inspiration photo.

ATSAM #209 Clean And Simple Challenge:

Lots of white space and minimal embellishments.

Thank you so very much for coming by. Have a wonderful day!

To Brighten Your Day

I am thrilled to be here today as Guest Designer at the Time Out Challenge Blog for Challenge #62. What an honor to be designing among these talented crafters!!

Here is the Photo inspiration:

And here is my take:

I was very attracted to the group of hanging lamps in the photo. I decided to take that piece of the photo literally using PTI's Lighten Up stamps and dies. To hang the lamps, I used the chain from Joanna Sheen's Hanging Basket Die with SU Brushed Silver card stock. I just got this wonderful black and white Doodle Bug Washi Tape from The Heart Desires Store. It put me in mind of the black frames in the inspiration photo, so I added it across the bottom of my card.

I am so grateful to have this opportunity to GD at Time Out today. Please head over to the Time Out Challenge Blog, check out what the wonderful DT has created and play along. 

Stash Favorite

Hello! Hello! Time for a new game over at AAA Cards, and this time, the theme is "One Stash Favorite". Challenge winner will receive a gift certificate from our generous sponsor, Stampendous.

It's very hard to pick a Stash Fav, but I have to say that PTI and Paper Smooches number dies are high on my fav list. I have made many cards/projects with numbers on them over time. I mentioned in another recent post, that this is the year of the Sweet 16 in my house.  My twin boys are 16. There have been many invitations that have come our way this year, so the "1" and the "6" dies have been getting a workout! 

I wanted to make a card that matched this invitation from a close family friend:

This is what I came up with:

The cascade of gold dots put me in mind of an image from PTI's Grunge Me set. I stamped it repeatedly across the top, die cut the "16" from gold glitter paper with PTI Numbers dies, mounted them on a stitched circle, and added the "sweet" from MFT's Labelmaker Love.

Please head on over the the AAA Cards Challenge Blog and see the wonderful inspiration the DT has created. What's in your stash that you consider a favorite??? Pull it out and give it a go, then link your project to the AAA Gallery. Have fun! And remember to keep it CAS!

Merry & Bright

Hooray! I have been given the awesome opportunity to be on the Design Team for Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge starting with the July 2016 challenge through December 2016. What an honor!! So, let the games begin!

The July Christmas Challenge is:

First place winner will receive a $15.00 gift to the HLS Store.

And here is my take on the challenge:

I used PTI's Rustic Wreath stamps and die to create my card.  I die cut the wreath from Gold glitter paper. I die cut it again on Ninah Solar White Paper, stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black and filled in the leaves with a Zig Painty Gold Marker. I added some tiny red rhinestones and pine sprays made with a Martha Stewart punch.  Please head over to the Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge, and see what my wonderful Design Teamates have created and leave them some love.  Then get your Ho Ho Ho on, and create a Christmas project featuring something GOLD and play with us!

I am also going to play the following challenges:

Muse Christmas Visions #51

CTS #179

Both of the above challenges have circular main images with sentiment in the middle.

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Beautiful Birthday

Stamp ink Paper #54

I came across this new-to-me challenge yesterday, and I was immediately inspired to play. The colors screamed summer flowers to me, so I pulled out a Memory Box Stencil that has been sitting in my stash for a while and inked it. I love the way it came out. But then I decided to tape the stencil down on a fresh piece of watercolor paper, spritz it with lots of water, then blot it with a paper towel. When I lifted the stencil from the paper, this gorgeous panel appeared. The contrast to the first panel is really amazing. The softness of this one is so beautiful. I love it when this kind of wonderful surprise

happens. I used Concord &

 9th's Beautiful Words stamps and Beautiful die for the sentiment. Happy Birthday (from same set) is stamped inside.

I sm also linking my card to :

SOS258 - How Does Your Garden Grow?

Anything garden related - flower, fruits, vegetables, trees, garden tools...

Anything Goes

Thank so much for coming by today.

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Miss You

I really love the simplicity of CTS #178  When I saw it, this little lobster die popped into my head and out of my stash. I cut him from a scrap from a Distress Ink project and set him on a little bit of stenciling that put me in mind of a fishing net. Lobsters remind me of my dear, lifelong friend who lives far from me in northern Vermont.  Last time we visited, we celebrated with a wonderful dinner on Long Beach Island of lobster and scallops. This is a perfect card for her.

CTS #178

This card was also inspired by the following challenges:

It's been far too long since I played the wonderful Less Is More challenge. This week's recipe is USE A STENCIL.

Can You CASE It #126 - Dies

Thanks so much for  coming by today.

Supplies
Paper~Neenah Solar White.
Stamps~MFT Penguins In Paradise.
Ink~VersaFine Onyx Black, and Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch DI's.
Accessories~Memory Box Lobster Die, TH Burlap Layering Stencil.

Bird Crazy Independence Day

AAA Cards Game #67 is up! This time the theme is "Googley Eyes". Please remember that ALL of our challenges are CAS style.
Our first place winner will receive a gift from our generous sponsor, Stampendous.

I pulled out my Bird Crazy stamps and accessories for this challenge because the birds have such great eyes. I decided on a patriotic theme for the coming Independence Day celebration here in the US. I wanted to give this bird a flag AND a sparkler, so I also used Winnie & Walter's Sparkle stamps to have him hold a sparkler as well as the flag. I embossed the sparkler in silver and the sparkles in gold. So fun!

Please head on over the the AAA Cards Challenge Blog, check out the fabulous DT creations, and create a CAS Googley Eye project of your own. Link up your card, mention us in your post, display our challenge image, leave some comments on some of the other players's blogs and remember to keep your card CAS!

I am also linking this card to:

 Time Out Challenge #59 - Theme With A Twist:

'Masculine with optional twist of mixed media'

Defining 'mixed media' as:

Stamps and ink plus 2 other elements that add texture and/or dimension.

My card was made with stamps and ink, with die cuts, embossing, watercolor and of course, google eyes!

CASOLOGY

Thank you for your visit, and have a lovely day today!

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Inlaid Dies - Mother's Day

It's new game day at AAA Cards Challenge Blog!

Challenge #64 - Inlaid Die Cutting

Our Sponsor is Happy Little Stampers. Our first place winner will receive a $20.00 gift certificate. As well as the 1st place prize from our sponsor we're also offering the winner the chance to be a Guest Designer for a future AAA Cards Challenge.

This is my take on the inlaid die cutting challenge. I really loved the process of making this card, and will be using this technique again and again. Please go check out the wonderful creations of the AAA DT and then try your hand at inlaid die cutting, link up and join us at AAA Cards.

...And don't miss our next challenge - AAA's second birthday bash bloghop starting May 22nd!
Deets below:

Let Hope Anchor Your Soul

AAA Cards new game #59 is up. This time, the challenge is EMBOSSING. The winner will receive a $20.00 gift certificate from our wonderful sponsor:

I find that I often look at things with an eye for how I can transform what I see onto a card. Last summer I saw this beach bag behind someone's chair and snapped a pic. (My kids are horrified when I do this, but they are used to it).

It's been on my mind, and I decided to use it for my inspiration for this challenge.  I tried something new (to me) and used a stencil to emboss the red stripes. I masked a square on top of the stencil, on top of the Kraft card base and embossed with red EP.

The stitched square border is popped up to frame the embossed square. I embossed the ocean symbol in aqua EP and placed it on the banner die with the sentiment which is also popped up.  I needed something else in aqua color for balance, so I added the twine to the anchor.

I am linking to the following challenges:

As You See It #125. Highlight a sentiment that speaks to you. This one is so appropriate for so many situations. A message of hope and encouragement. I use it often.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

Materials used:
Paper: PTI Kraft, SU Not Quite Navy, SU Brushed Silver, Neenah Solar White.
Stamps: SSS Sail Away
Accessories: SSS Sail Away Dies, SSS Diagonal Stripe Stencil, WOW Cable Car Red EP, Zing Aqua EP, PTI Square Shaker Shapes, Paper Smooches Anchor Die, Twinery twine, 3M Foam Tape.
Ink: VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black.

Please head on over to the AAA Cards Challenge Blog and check out what my teammates have created to inspire you. Leave them a little love, then join us for our Embossing challenge.

Thank you for stopping by today. As always, your comments are truly appreciated.