CHRISTMAS VILLAGE

The other day Jennifer McGuire used some new dies from Concord & 9th to make 3D fold-out cards.  I had some house dies that I thought would work and figured out how to make my own slimline fold-out cards without any special dies for the fold-out part.

The houses were die cut in various shades of blues and reddish tones - trees just from green cs - then used white pigment ink to add "snow" to the roofs and trees.  Put yellow cs in back of the house die cuts so it would look like the lights were on.  All the snow banks were just hand cut - just like Jennifer did in her video.  The sentiment was die cut three times for stability - also the lamp post.  Added the little stars in the sky and done.  When folded to put into an envelope, my card measures 8.5"x3.5".  Please contact me if you are interested in the measurements I used.

Thanks for stopping by today.

 

AUTUMN BUTTERFLIES

I was trying to think of something different for several challenges - Addicted to CAS (autumn), ModSquad (butterflies) and Day of the Month (thankful) - and came up with a flurry of butterflies in autumnal colors.  Also, have had these butterfly stamps and dies and never used them. 

I stamped and die cut multiple butterflies on several pieces of pp and then played around with placement on the kraft background.  Decided it needed some texture so embossed a smaller piece of kraft.  After putting it together, I spattered with gold and white paint and made the bodies of the butterflies gold too.  My card is a mini slimline - 3.25"x6.25".

 

Thanks for stopping by today.

 

NEUTRALS

Color Throwdown Challenge has neutral colors for its theme this week - designed a little Christmas scene for it.

 

Embossed the front of the pale gray card base with a falling snow ef.  Tore some white cs for the snow and then arranged the house and trees - there's some light tan cs behind some of the windows.  Used a glitter pen on the torn edges of the snow for a little sparkle.  Thought "peace" was an appropriate sentiment to add.

 Thanks for stopping by.

 

TICTACTOE CHALLENGE #132

Time for a new challenge at TicTacToe and this week the board is brought to you by me!!

 

 

I went down the right side with embossing, patterned paper and a fall theme.  The paper I used is from PTI that I've hoarded for years - I know, I know!!  Anyway, I die cut it with two stitched rectangle frames and made a shaker on a kraft card base.  Die cut the maple leaf and spattered with some white gouache, added the sentiment and done.  Sentiment is embossed as is the leaf.

Hope to see your card in our gallery this week and a chance to be our guest designer.

Thanks for visiting.

SUNFLOWERS

I am a procrastinator when it comes to entering challenges - so this may be a famous first - posting an entry of the first day of the challenge.  The Card Concept has a gorgeous photo and color scheme today and I immediately had an idea (also famous first!).

I began with the sunflowers and leaves die cut from yellow and green cs and sponged with darker shades for contrast.  Then I used a stripe stencil and some black soot DO ink to blend a background - did one layer and turned it to make the check.  Put it all together with the sentiment and done.  My card is clean and layered - the colors, sunflowers and checked pattern of the ribbon were my inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by.

PUMPKINS

Two Old Bats challenge is a fun way to create those Halloween cards which will need to be sent out pretty soon.  I made a twofer today with some Hero Arts products.

First I stamped the fronts of my cards with the new buffalo check stamp - had to stamp several times to have a good black impression and even then there were a few gaps.  Then I die cut the pumpkin from orange and also rose gold cs.  Paper pieced them to my fronts, added the rose gold leaves, a sentiment, a few sequins and done.

Thanks for stopping by today.

 

 

MORE PLAID CHRISTMAS

CAS Christmas wants "plaid" as the main theme for their challenge this month and I created another card using a similar design as the one I did the other day. 

This time I made a landscape card with the same plaid overlay for the background.  I had some green and white plaid pp but wanted it to be all green, so sponged rustic wilderness DO over it before die cutting the leaves.  Sponged lots of green on the same paper before cutting out the sentiment.  Shadowed the sentiment with some black and then added the smaller sentiment.  Arranged some gold sequin berries and done.

Thanks for visiting.

PLAID CHRISTMAS

CAS Christmas wants "plaid" as the main theme for their challenge this month.  I have hoarded this gold/kraft cardstock for way too long and so today I broke down and used it.  It's difficult to see the plaid on the cut out leaves so used it in the background of my photo.

First I created a plaid background with a die using the same color card as the base.  I die cut the wreath three times and layered it on the kraft background.  Die cut the large sentiment from some gold and also kraft so I could give it a shadow effect.  Added the black sentiment and a few red enamel berries and done.  I considered not using the plaid background for the wreath, but felt it needed a bit more texture.  Maybe not CAS enough for this challenge, but I'm happy with it.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

CAS CHRISTMAS ROSE

Our challenge this month on A Blog Named Hero is CAS - clean and simple - white space, one focal point, few layers and easy to reproduce.  I made two cards, both same design but with different colors and stamps.

 

I began by taping the edges of my card base with one inch Post-It tape - then blended color.  After making sure all my inking was dry, I stamped the new Christmas Rose on the blue background and the new Holly Berries on the green one.  I used Versamark ink and gold embossing powder on both cards.  Added the sentiments - both from the new Holidays Stamp & Cut - and a few embellishments - done!  Plan on making more of these in different colors - fast and easy!

Join our challenge on Instagram #abnhseptemberchallenge and tag @ablognamedhero. Be sure to enter by 26 September for a chance at one of two gift cards from Hero Arts! 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

TICTACTOE CHALLENGE #130

Wow! so many fun choices on this board created by Vicky for this week's TicTacToe Challenge - I had a hard time choosing which way to go and ended up using just about every element except watercoloring.

 

I went across the bottom - heat embossing (the sentiment), shades of orange/yellow and ink blending.  Began by ink blending a background with DO inks - mustard seed, fossilized amber, orange marmalade and cracklin' campfire.  Then I die cut the leaf piece and adhered it onto a light kraft card base.  Stamped the sentiment in black and embossed with clear powder.  Added the little orange enamel dots and done!

My card is also being entered at the Color Hues challenge where the colors are yellow and orange.

Hope you'll join our TicTacToe challenge this week - you have until Thursday, 16 September to post your card here.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

AUTUMN IS IN THE AIR

It's beginning to feel a bit like fall here in Nebraska even though the weekend is predicted to be quite warm.  Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to leaves turning, cooler days, pumpkins and pumpkins spice coffee!  Have two cards today - one just because and the other for three challenges.

 

I die cut the large leaf from watercolor paper and then just played around with color.  Used a 3D leaf embossing folder on cream cardstock for my background and then lightly blended color around where I wanted my leaf.  Spattered with gold paint, added the sentiment and done.  I am entering my card at CAS Mix-Up (watercolor, autumn colors), AAACards (1/3rd, autumn leaves) and The Card Concept (autumn colors).  My card is just CAS - one focal point, white space, easy to reproduce.

 

My second card was using alcohol inks on acetate as demoed by Jennifer recently.  After making my acetate/AI piece I die cut it with an old large leaf from PTI.  Added the outline in gold metallic cs and put it on a tan background again embossed with the leaf background.  I'll add a sentiment when I need to send.  I love the look of the AI on the acetate but found die cutting very difficult - ended up practically fussy cutting.  My acetate was from HA and very thick so maybe that was the problem.

Thanks for stopping by.

 


 

BLUE CONEFLOWER

The colors at Color Throwdown this week intrigued me and so created this card today.

I die cut the coneflower and using some watercolors randomly painted the petals and left the leaves just white.  Stenciled on a background design, added the little sentiment and done!  This is a mini slimline - 3.25x6.25.

Am also entering my card at DieCut Divas where the theme is "anything goes".

Thanks for stopping by.

CAS HIBISCUS

A Blog Named Hero is now an Instagram challenge - the challenge will begin on the 1st of the month and end on the 26th as usual - and there will still be two great gift cards from Hero Arts - so be sure to check us out over at Instagram (#abnhseptemberchallenge) or on Facebook at A Blog Named Hero.  Our challenge this month is CAS - clean and simple. 

To me CAS has always meant lots of white space, uncluttered and one focal image.  I used the Leaves and Vines background die to impress the front of the card for some texture.  Then I die cut the hibiscus and leaves from the same white and just blended some color on them.  Added the enamel dots and the sentiment and done.  Lots of white, no clutter and your eye goes to the focal point. 

 

Here's another card with the same product, design and colors but much more cluttered - I would put this in the clean and layered category if there is such a thing!

On this card I die cut the leaves and vines and mounted on acetate (attached to a white back).  Did the same flower arrangement and added a circle on the outside and in the same place on the inside white base for a place to write a note.  If you would like to know how I did the acetate part check out Jennifer McGuire's video.

 

Be sure to check out our September Challenge (#abnhseptemberchallnge) and enter your CAS card.

Thanks for stopping by.