You Are The Author

 It's Time for a new challenge at Time Out. This time, we are inspired by the words: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."

To me, this quote speaks of not wasting time with regret. If you didn't do it before, it's never too late to do it now. With Inspired By Words challenges, you can interpret the quote, or choose words or images for inspiration like "tree" or "plant"... it's up to you. The canvas is yours. 

We are generously sponsored by Varada Sharma. There will be 2 challenge winners - one drawn at random, and one chosen by the Time Out Design Team. Each will get a $15.00 gift voucher to spend at Varada Sharma's store. Our winner chosen by the Design Team will also be invited to Guest Design with us for a future challenge.

We welcome Jennifer K Elliot of LIVE.CRAFT.REPEAT and kraftercises on Instagram as our Guest Designer. Jennifer is a very talented crafter who uses lots of critters in her designs, has fab coloring skills, and loves to play challenges. Click the links above to visit her blog or Instagram. You are sure to be inspired!

Our quote immediately brought the wonderful tree image from the March 2021 Hero Arts My Monthly Hero Kit to mind. I had not yet inked it up (shame on me), so it was a carpe diem opportunity. I thought the sentiment (from the same kit) worked perfectly with the words.

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

Project Details
Stamps/Dies	Hero Arts MMH March 2021 Stamps & Dies Pinkfresh Studio Essentials Stitched Scallop Rectangle Dies
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest Gina K Pure Luxury heavy base weight card stock
Ink	Memento Tuxedo Black Copic markers
Embellishments
Other	A Colorful Life Designs Cloud Edger Stencils My Favorite Things Drifts & Hills Stencil Blending brushes Spellbinders Platinum Plus Die Cutting & Embossing Machine Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer MISTI Stamping Tool Bearly Art Precision Glue Scor-Pal Score Tape-1/8" 3M foam tape

I'm also playing at:

Krafty Chicks #679 - Anything Goes

NBUS #53

My Time To Craft #515 - Use Die Cuts

The Sisterhood of Crafters #515 - Make A Scene

Hot Diggity Dog!

 

Time Out Challenge #227 begins today. This time we have a photo inspiration challenge. Our sponsor for this challenge is one of our very own designers, Kim, of RunningStitchDesign! Challenge winner will receive the handmade bag that is the inspiration for our challenge.

Here is an enlargement of the photo. 

When I saw Kim's bag, I immediately thought of the Clever Sausage stamp set by Julie Ebersole. I was inspired by a card Julie made and took it in another direction for my card. My cityscape is from Kat Scrappiness backed with holographic paper from Sizzix. I paper pieced dog's sweater and set him on his skateboard with his celebratory balloon. This could be a card for a variety of occasions.

Please head 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 at:

My Time To Craft #495 - Transportation

Path Of Positivity Challenge #106

Anything Goes Positive with a twist of

celebrate the simple things in life

BE you TIFUL

Time Out Challenge #183 begins today, and challenge is for us to be DIFFERENT. This could be interpreted in many ways like stepping out of your comfort zone in your card making style, clothing style, food that is different for you to eat, etc. Use your imagination and show us your being different in your creation for this challenge. Have fun!

Our challenge runs from Thursday, March 11th to Wednesday, March 24th. Our wonderful sponsor is Funky Fossil Designs. Challenge winner will receive at $15.00 gift voucher to the Funky Fossil Designs Shop.

Our Guest Designer for this challenge is Lisa Petrella of Paper Mountain Parcels. Lisa is a very talented card maker whose style is largely CAS and often reflects her life as a Coloradan in her creations. Treat yourself to a visit to her wonderful blog, and show her some love. You will be full of inspiration after your visit.

To create my card, I stepped out of my comfort zone once again as I have been trying to do more of lately in my cards. Funky Fossil Designs lends encouragement to me for that purpose. I took one of the gel press backgrounds that I had created with Distress Oxide Inks, stamped an image from Funky Fossil Lotus Reflections stamp set directly onto it with VersaFine Onyx Black ink, and heat embossed it with clear EP. I stamped the lotus flower onto a scrap from a different gel press panel, heat embossed it with clear EP, fussy cut it out and popped it up on top of the lotus flower image on the larger stamped image. I die cut the panel with Spellbinders Hemstitch dies, and added a sentiment from the same stamp set and heat embossed it with Rose Gold EP to go with the rose colored lotus flower. I mounted the top panel on a black card base, and my card was complete.

This one is in honor of women everywhere. I have been enjoying working with my students to raise awareness of the awesome power of women in the world. I asked my Kinder students today to tell the class about a woman in their lives they'd like to honor. One little girl raised her hand, pointed at me and said, "you". Made me a little misty, I must say!

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

I'm also playing at:

Watercooler Wednesday #311 - All Things Feminine

Just Add Ink - Shades Of Green

Fusion Card Challenge - Green

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Use Something Green

My Time To Craft #452 - Make It Feminine

Purple Birthday

It's time for a new challenge at Less Is More - Shades Of Purple.

I love purples, and when I saw this challenge, I immediately know what I would do. To create my card, I stamped the floral image from the Essentials By Ellen You Should Know set by Brandi Kincaid, first with Versa Clair Nocturne Ink, and then again with VersaMark Dazzle embossing ink. I heat embossed it with clear EP, giving the outline of the floral image some sparkle. I love the effect. The sentiment from SimonSaysStamp Messages For Every Day from the Fluttering By collection is heat embossed, die cut with a sentiment strip die from Pink & Main, and popped up.

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:

Watercooler Wednesday #288 - All About Occasions

Allsorts Challenge #589 - "I Love..."

I love the color purple!

Seize The Birthday #199 - Anything Goes

My Time To Craft #440 - Embossing Wet or Dry

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aFuRAym6n4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj1fVfmU5fs

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 Time To Craft #439 - Clean and Simple

SimonSaysStamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Watercooler Wednesday #286 - All About Occasions

Krafty Chicks Challenge #522 - All Occasions

Never Before Used Schtuff #17

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

Mix It Up #40 - Anything Goes + Embossing