Love Joy Peace

 

It's 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 festivity, or to ignore the festivity all together and create something using just the three (or more) elements selected.

For my Christmas-themed project, I used: red, green, stars and peace from the inspo list. The poinsettias image is from Jillian Vance's Elegant Christmas. I water colored it with Zigs, then fussy cut it and popped it up with foam tape on top of the same image stamped on the top panel which is cut with the Twirling Flurries by Julie Ebersole, Essentials By Ellen Designer Die. That layer is backed with a layer of silver mirror paper and mounted on a Neenah Solar White 110# white card base.

For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the Festive Friday Challenge Design team.

Ann Schach

Beth McCullough

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert

Melanie Hungerford

Helen Jennings

Melva Peters

Judy Rozema

Come play with us!

I'm also playing at:

Krafty Chicks Challenge #537 - Christmas

Watercooler Wednesday #301 - All About Occasions

You Are A Blessing

I've been playing with and enjoying STAMPlorations Bloom Happy Stamp Set. For this card, I used one of the wonderful sentiments from the stamp set, but for the floral image, I used a portion of a downloadable freebie that was available from STAMPlorations when Shery released her Color Blooms Coloring Book For Card Makers. Today is the first day of Spring, and this image and colors are quite fitting for the day.

Supplies

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bloom Happy Stamps

Paper: Neenah Solar White, Water Color Paper, Gray linen finish card stock

Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, Ranger Salty Ocean Distress Ink 

Accessories: STAMPlorations Bloom Happy Coordinating Dies, Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers, Foam Tape

I'm sharing at:

STAMPlorations March CUTplorations Challenge - Garden Party 

STAMPlorations March Theme Challenge - Stamps & Spring 

STAMPlorations March CAS Challenge - Anything Goes with optional twist of sky blue

CAS Watercolor Challenge - Spring

The Flower Challenge #6 - Anything Goes

Happy Birthday

Time for a new game at AAA Cards Clean & Simple Challenge Blog. For Game #86, We'd like to see diecuts as the main focus on your cards.

Our Guest Designer is  Judy from judyscardcorner.blogspot.co.uk/ Judy is a wonderful and talented designer and you are sure to be inspired by her work. Treat yourself to a visit to her blog and you will see what I mean.

Our wonderful sponsor is Stamplorations. Check out the AAA Challenge Blog for deatilas.

Here is my take using sponsor stamps and dies:

I'm also playing at:

STAMPlorations CAS Card Challenge

STAMPlorations March Theme - Stamps & Spring

The Flower Challenge - Anything Goes

Seize The Birthday Anything Goes

Please head on over to the AAA Cards Challenge Blog and see what the design team has create for your inspiration. Then get out your dies and start creating. Link up and play with us at AAA Cards.

A Kind Word

Time for a new challenge at Time Out. This time we are CASEing the wonderful and talented Jenny Mullens of Crafting In The Country. Jenny is such an imaginative artist. I have often told her that I wish my mind's eye would see things the way hers does! I strongly suggest that  you take a stroll through her blog. You will see what I mean. I guarantee that you will be WOW'ed, inspired, amused, and so glad you went for a visit. Here is Jenny's card for us to CASE...

 Izzy of Izzyscrap is Guest Designer at Time Out for Challenge #79. Izzy is a regular player at TIME OUT and we are so delighted she is joining us as guest designer! Izzy's cards are always so artistic, yet CAS, and this time is no exception! Ceck out Izzy's card on the Time Out Challenge Blog.

Here is my take.

It's really quite a literal interpretation, but I loved Jenny's hanging birdhouses, and decided to do the same with these wonderful flowers from our sponsor Verve's New Beginnings Stamp Set. Spring is around the corner, though here in the northeastern US, we've gone from 70 degrees last week to a possible 12"+ snowstorm coming through this week!

Please head over to the Time Out Challenge Blog, see how the marvelous Design Team has been inspired by Jenny's card, and leave them some love. Then see how Jenny's card inspires you, link up and play with us at Time Out.

Supplies

Stamps: Verve-New Beginnings.

Ink: Ranger Archival Ink Jet Black, VersaFine Onyx Black. Various green Ranger Distress Ink shades

Paper: PTI Limeade Ice, SU Early Espresso, Tim Holtz Distress Wood grain Card stock. Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Card stock.

Accessories: MISTI,  Memory Box Grove Branch Die, Paper Smooches Botanicals 3 Icons, Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers, Ranger Yellow Stickles, SU Linen twine, Dimensionals.

Aloha

Game #84 is up at AAA Clean & Simple Card Challenge, the theme is Watercolor.

Uniko is sponsoring the challenge. Challenge winner will receive their choice of an in-stock stamp set.

Michelle Bala of My Passion For Crafting is Guest Designer. Michelle's work is delightful. You really should treat yourself to a stroll through her gorgeous blog.

Here is my take (using Uniko Paradise and Paradise Leaves stamps):

I inked up this wonderful Toucan with Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink and colored it with Zigs. I used my MISTI to make sure I got full coverage with the ink. At first I thought those lighter spots were not getting the ink so I stamped it many times. Suddenly it dawned on me that those spots are supposed to be there! I painted them with a little dark gray and I love the effect. I wanted my bird to be perched  on something, so I dug out the wonderful Memory Box branch, and added some leaves and a sentiment. I think tropical is a good way to go in February.

Please head on over to the AAA Challenge Blog and see when the Design Team has created for your inspiration, take out your water coloring supplies and play! Remember to keep it Clean & Simple!

I'm playing at:

Use Your Favorite Tool - It's MISTI, hands down!

A Holly Jolly Christmas

It's time for a new Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge. The theme for February is Anything Goes With An Optional Twist Of Holly. 

Challenge winner will receive a $15.00 discount at the Happy Little Stampers Store.

Here is my take:

I brushed various shades of green watercolor onto a piece of watercolor paper. I die cut 8 holly shapes using Paper Smooches Warm Hearts Icons, and stamped them with the holly image from Paper Smooches Warm Hearts stamp set. I added the holly berries using Gloss Red Nuvo Drops, then arranged and popped up the holly die cuts. I added sponging with red ink on the edges, and added twine to the top. The sentiment is from Happy Little Stampers Christmas Joy stamp set.

Playing the HLS Christmas Challenge every month helps you to get a good handle on next year's Christmas cards, plus helps you to remember and use all of those Christmas goodies you added to your stash over time.  Head on over the the Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge and see what the Design Team has created for your inspiration, get your Holly Jolly on, link up your creation, and play.

Simple Joys

Time Out Challenge #71 is now live, with the theme of:
 CHRISTMAS with the optional Technique Twist of using glitter and/or shimmer.

Our generous sponsored is Uniko Studios. Uniko is offering a prize for the winner and also a random draw from amongst those entries who include the twist. 

We are very pleased that Valentyna of Flourishtina will be joining us as Guest Designer for this challenge, and she will also be back next week for our reminder post.  Valentyna is a wonderfully talented papercraft artist. Please head on over to her blog for some wonderful inspiration.

Here is my take:

This beautiful image and sentiment is from a gorgeous set of Christmas stamps by Marcella Hawley of Power Poppy. Marcella is a lovely person, and an incredible artist. You really are in for a treat when you visit her store and her blog. 

I water colored Marcella's wonderful image with my Zigs, then added lots of clear Wink Of Stella to give it sparkle and shine. I could not, for the life of me, capture that sparkle and shine on camera. I even tried a closeup photo from a different angle. No twinkle to be seen.  Please take my word for it! LOL. Any and all suggestions on a technique that works for this are welcome! 

To finish, I distressed the edged of the water colored panel, and mounted it on SU Brushed Silver card stock (retired).

The Time Out Design Team members have created some awesome pieces for your inspiration.  Please head over to the Time Out Challenge Blog, take a look and leave the DT some love. Then take some Time Out to play with us!

Deck The Halls

It's time for a new challenge at Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge Blog where the theme for November is WATERCOLOR.

This challenge is sponsored by

I used 2 water color techniques for this challenge. I sprinkled Brushos in 2 shades of green on water color paper, and misted. I die cut the water colored ornament base and the copper glitter paper top piece with Memory Box's Swirl Ornament die. I wet brushed the background panel with red and a touch of green Kuretake Gansai Tambi water colors. I added a bit of HLS Christmas Bakers Twine to "hang" the ornament, and adhered it to the water colored card base. The sentiment is from HLS Mixed Christmas Sentiments.

Please head on over the the Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge Blog, and check out what the wonderful DT has made for your inspiration. Then get your Fa La La La La on and create a water colored Christmas project to link up and play us at Happy Little Stampers November Christmas Challenge.

Thank You

I am so pleased and proud to say that I have joined the Time Out Challenges Design Team. Pinch me!! Such an incredible group of talented designers with hearts of gold. I am thrilled to be a part of this team!

My first challenge with Time Out Challenge #68 - a CASE of the wonderful Ardyth

of Masquerade. This is her beautiful card:

We also have a great guest designer with us this week - Marina from My Perfect Life is sharing her inspiration so please stop by her blog.

This is my take on Ardyth's beautiful inspiration piece:

The hibiscus images are from Uniko Studio colored with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers. Sentiment is Concord & Ninth.

Now it's your turn to take TIME OUT and craft. Head on over to the Time Out Challenge Blog and see what the Design Team has created for your inspiration, play with us, and link up your creation. 

I am also linking my card to Aileen Ryan's new challenge: The Flower Challenge. This challenge celebrates cards using floral images.  Challenge #1 this month is:

Anything Goes with Florals. Check it out!

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a lovely one.

Let's Celebrate!

It's time for an new challenge at AAA Cards CAS Challenge Blog! Our theme for Game #75 is a photo inspiration.

Our wonderful sponsor is Happy Little Stampers. 

Our first place winner will receive a $20 Gift Certificate from the HLS Store.

Our Guest Designer is Katerina from Make A Wish. Her challenge card is fantastic, as are the creations of the AAA design team. Please head on over to the AAA CAS Challenge Blog and take a look!

Here is my take:

I had a rainbow watercolored panel in my "snippets box". I die cut it with this wonderful Star Garland Confetti Cuts die from Reverse Confetti. After gluing it onto the white linen cardstock panel, I added clear WOS to the stars. You can't see it in the pic, but it gives it a wonderful little sparkle.  The sentiment is from Winnie & Walter's The Party.

I hope you'll join in on this fun challenge at AAA Cards. Remember to keep it CAS!!!!

I am also linking up to Happy Little Stampers October Anything Goes With Dies Challenge.

Thanks for your visit 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!!

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!

Bokeh Hello

AAA Game #72 is up and running with the theme of Try a "New To You" Technique.

First place winner will receive a gift certificate from our generous sponsor, Stampendous.

I have been wanting to try the Bokeh Technique for a while, so this challenge was perfect for making me seize the day. I used SSS Bokeh Lights Stencil to apply the circles with PTI Fresh Snow Ink and a sponge dauber over a watercolored panel. I decided to add small shiny gold stenciled circles as an accent on the card base using Nuvo Gold Embellishment Mousse. The sentient is die cut from Winnie & Walter's The Big The Bold & The Happy using PTI's Luxe Gold Adhesive Paper.

What technique have you been itching to try? I am so excited to see what CAS beauties appear in the gallery. Please go on over th the AAA Cards Blog and see what our wonderful Design Team Members have to share. Then try something new and link up to the Try A New Technique gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!!!