On My Mind

The Male Room Challenge #70

I tend to avoid making specifically male cards except when I need them, and when I need them, it is often too late to just whip something together. Then I goto the store and buy a stupidly expensive card and promise myself I will make more male oriented cards, and I don't... you know the drill. SO - I have decided to try to play at The Male Room as often as I can. With that said, when I saw the theme of the current challenge, the first time that came to mind was MFT's "Just My Type" vintage typewriter stamp and die set that I have had for a very long time. I just love the image, and well, albeit ancient, the typewriter was once a new-fangled invention that changed the world in many ways, right?? So I went hunting for some patterned paper that would work, die cut it with a stitched wonky rectangle, added some twine and a crystal heart, and there you have it!

Enjoy The Season Of Color

The October Happy Little Stampers October Anything Goes With Dies Challenge is up and Running. As always, the theme is Anything Goes as long as you use dies on your project. Winner for this challenge will receive a $20 coupon to spend at the Happy Little Stampers Shop! Check out all the details HERE.

The leaves are die cut and stamped with PTI's Leaf Prints stamps and dies and fastened with a piece of linen twine. I distressed the edges of a panel of SU Confetti Cream paper, adhered the bunch of leaves to it, and stamped the sentiment from Paper Smooches Fall Sampler using VersaFine Vintage Sepia Ink. The word "autumn" from Winnie & Walter's Big, Bold Seasons was die cut from a watercolored panel from another project. I placed it across the bunch of leaves and added some Clear Nuvo Drops to simulate autumn dew.

Please head over the the Happy Little Stampers October Anything Goes With Dies Challenge and check out the awesome projects created for your inspiration by the HLS AGWD Designers. Get out your die cutting device and play along to share your creativity and for a chance to win!

I'm also playing at:

Less Is More #349 - Hot and Spicy

The colors I used put me in mind of Cayenne and Turmeric and Mustard and Wasabi...

Allsorts #436 - Trees and Leaves

CAS On Friday #118 - Fall/Halloween

Blowing in the Wind (Fall Leaves) Card Challenge

Peace

It's time for a new game at Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge. As usual, it's all Christmas all of the time with a twist. This time, the twist is to to include a "Silhouette" in your project. 

This crazy world in which we live is crying for peace and I feel compelled to use that theme frequently for my cards. I used my "Tree Silhouette" wood-mounted stamp from Memory Box - one of my most favorite stamps. It always evokes thoughts of cool, quiet, peaceful, snowy terrain. 

I inked up an acrylic block with Distress Oxide Inks in 3 shades of blue, spritzed the block with water, and then smooshed a piece of Bristol paper onto the block and twisted it a little. I then sprayed it with shimmer mist. The word "peace" is die cut from black glitter paper, and "on earth" was stamped with VersaFine Onyx Black ink. The smooshed panel is raised with foam tape and mounted on a panel of white linen paper, which is mounted on Neenah Solar White  110 lb card stock.

Please head over to the Happy Little Stampers October Christmas Challenge and see what the awesome Design Team has created for your inspiration. Christmas is not far off, so craft something Christmas-y and play with us.

I'm also playing at:

SSS Wednesday Challenge - Christmas

Stamp Ink Paper #119 - Cardmaker's choice

Use your favorite stamp(s), Ink, Paper

My favs - Memory Box Tree Silhouette Stamp and DOX Inks.

ATCAS #121 - Favorite Stamp

Memory Box Tree Silhouette Stamp

JUG #413 - Use Word Die Cuts

"peace"

Merry Christmas Challenge #37 - Anything Goes + Christmas

You Are Loved

Time Out Challenge #93 is up and running. It is a special Breast Cancer Awareness and/or Friendship Challenge with a twist of pink sponsored by CASual Friday Stamps. Michelle Gross, owner of CAS-ual Fridays Stamps, is a Breast Cancer survivor herself, and this is a cause near and dear to her heart. You can read about all the ways she supports the cause of Breast Cancer Awareness on the CAS-ual Fridays Blog. Michelle also sponsors a wonderful monthly Encouragement Challenge - check it out HERE.

For Time Out #93, a $25 gift voucher to the CAS-ual Friday Store will be awarded to the winner, and there will be a special randomly drawn prize for those who use the pink twist.

Yulia of Scrap Horse Blog is Guest Designer for the challenge. Yulia is a very talented card maker and scrapbooker. She joins us for both the challenge and the reminder post.

Please head on over to the Time Out Challenge Blog, see what the Yulia and the Design Team have created for your inspiration, and play along for a chance to win. 

Peace On Earth

I am so excited to say that I was invited to be Guest Designer for Muse: Christmas Visions MCV85! Today is the day! The Challenge is now open on the Muse: Christmas Visions Blog. Woot!! Thank you Cornelia and Ardyth!

As I was pondering my creation, I put my hand on this wonderful Hero Arts wood mounted stamp that I love so much. Thinking about the state of affairs in this crazy world in which we live, I decided to go with a theme of peace.

For the background panel, I pounced my Versa Mark pad on the SSS Falling Stars stencil and heat embossed with Ranger Liquid Platinum EP.

I embossed the earth image on watercolor paper with the same EP, and watercolored it with Jane Davenport Mermaid Markers. The sentiment is done with Winnie & Walter's The Big, The Bold and The Merry Cutaways and stamps. I mounted the earth and the word "peace" with foam tape, and finished it off using a paperclip for the ornament hanger.

As of this posting, there are 96 days until Christmas. Wouldn't it be lovely to have a stash of handmade cards to send? Please join me and the Muse: Christmas Visions Designers and get your Christmas Card making groove on! You can find all the details on how to play HERE. I am so looking forward to seeing how my card inspires. Have fun!!

I'm aslo playing at:

SSS Wednesday Challenge - Pop It Up

Stamp Ink Paper #117 - Watercolor

SSS Monday Challenge - Shimmer and Shine

Birthday Smooches

I made this card for my Grand Nephew's 2nd birthday. He is so stinkin' adorable and sweet. Happy smooch-filled birthday, T-Baby!!!

I'm playing at:

CAS Mix It Up September - My choice is die cut.

Watercooler Wednesday - Birthday

Seize the Birthday with Toppings of Balloons.

SSS Wednesday Challenge - Clean & Simple.

Challenge #116 Color me Pretty, use Pencils or Markers

Cards In Envy - Cheers To You!

Just Fly

Today, Time Out Challenges presents a wonderful new challenge. It is an "Inspired By Words" challenge spotlighting a quote by Robert Henri ~ 

“Paint the flying spirit of the bird rather than its feathers.”

This quote that was chosen for this particular challenge is in homage to a worldwide celebration that takes place on or about September 15th every year - International Dot Day. Have your heard about it?

I have the great pleasure and privilege of working as a librarian in a PreK-8 school. What a fun and adventurous way to journey through my work days! I love books, and I especially love children's books. A couple of years ago, my awesome art teacher friend introduced me to a book called The Dot by Peter C. Reynolds. It is the story of a little girl named Vashti, who believes that she cannot draw, but her art teacher's encouragement leads her to change her mind.

I fell immediately in love with the book, and then I came to find out that since it's publication, a worldwide movement of sorts has grown with the intent to celebrate the power and potential that creativity can inspire. Imagine the power and potential of millions of people around the world connecting, collaborating, creating and celebrating all that creativity inspires and invites. This challenge is the Time Out Team's way of celebrating creativity. We here at Time Out hope you will let your creative flag fly, play and celebrate with us!

The lovely and talented Carol Mayne of Just Me: c is joining us as Guest Designer for this challenge. Woot! Woot! Carol is a lovely person, a wonderful and dear bloggy, arty friend of mine, and she is a wickedly talented card maker. Go visit her blog and be prepared to be awed and inspired!!!!

Please head over to the Time Out Challenge Blog and check out the creations that Carol Mayne and the Design Team have created for your inspiraion. Unleash your creative soul and join us in honoring the spirit of creativity! I can't wait to see where the inspiration takes you!!!