PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN

Spent some time this weekend having a play with a pumpkin stamp as a background.  Wasn't thinking about what exactly where I was going with it, so just stamped it on white 110# cs and embossed in black.  Not a very good choice when I decided to use it with watercolor and ink smooshing.

Used TH watercolor pencils for the first card and DI inks for the other two.  Spatter and sequins were added for a little glitz.  Since I had so much warping from the water, I backed them with a few layers of cardstock and then ran thru my Gemini to flatten - worked really well.

I am entering two of them in LaVon's LOVE Challenge for this month.

Thanks for stopping by.

MUM'S THE WORD

This week's TicTacToe board #256 was created for you by Karen.  I chose down the left side with fall, embossing and layers.

I used HoneyBee's mum layered flower with Altenew's brick wall as the embossed background.  My flower was die cut from various yellow papers and added shading with yellow inks.  For the leaves I used some patterned paper from Crafter's Companion and also added some shading with ink blending.

Hope to see your card at TTT this week - you have until 26 September to enter!  Crafty Hugs,

ANEMONE

Here's my card for this week's TicTacToeChallenge#254 designed my Linda.  I went down the right side with patterned paper, dry embossing and blue.

I diecut the card base using an arch die and then cut a smaller arch and embossed.  For the flowers I used some patterned paper.  Arranged it all, added a little sentiment, a few clear enamel dots and done!

Hope to see your card in our gallery these next two weeks - challenge closes at noon on 29 August.  Crafty Hugs,

 

BASKETFUL OF SUNFLOWERS

I was recently asked to be the guest designer for the TImeOut Challenge and gladly accepted.  This go around is "Inspired by Words" and the specific words are a quote by Lilly Pulizer - "It's Always Summer Somewhere".  One summer, while driving across northern North Dakota, the fields of sunflowers were as far as the eye could see - a truly glorious sight.  The memory of that was my summer inspiration for my card.

My flowers and the basket  are both from The Greetery and the brick wall embossing is from Alternew.  After putting it all together, I spattered with some white acrylic and added the little birthday sentiment.

There is a $25.00 gift certificate and an opportunity to be a guest designer awaiting the winner.  You have from August 1 - August 14 to enter.  Hope to see your card in the gallery! 

Crafty Hugs,

BUTTERFLY GARDEN

Here's my card for the current TicTacToe Challenge #252. I designed the board and I went down the left side with foliage, layers and butterfly.

I did some shading around the wreath leaves on the embossed background.  The background of the butterfly was a piece of blue that I found in my scrap box - it was from when I did whole bunch of backgrounds with the bubble watercoloring techinque. The lacy part of the butterfly is a piece of shiny vellum.  Added some clear "dew drops" to the leaves and done.  Will add a sentiment when I need a card for whatever occasion.  All of the dies I used are no longer available - the wreath was from Alexandra Renke and the background was from SSS.  The dewdrops are from Amazon.

Please join us for our challenge - you have until Thursday, 1 August at 12pm to enter.  Crafty hugs.

ECLECTIC BOUQUET

Today's card is for Altenew's July Inspiration Challenge.  Recently I bought the Altenew craft kit - Eclectic Bouquet.  Used those flowers colored with Altenew alcohol markers to make a pop-up card.

The background embossed areas are from SSS and Altenew.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

PRICKLY PEAR

I made a card today for the Altenew June Inspiration Challenge (colors) and am also going to enter it in the Creative Creases Challenge #85 (fun fold).

During Altenew's sale last week, I ordered the Prickly Pear dies - thought it was such a pretty flower - so used it in my card today.  I didn't include the cacti leaves from the set - used the leaves from Peony Dream instead.  I made a gate fold card (8.5"x5.5" and scored at 2 1/8 on either side to make an A2 card).  On either side of the folds, I added an embossed piece called Geo Steps. After die cutting the flowers and leaves from scraps, I arranged them and glued down on the left side of the gate fold.  Added a little enamel dot in the center of each flower and the sentiment - done and dusted!!

Thanks for stopping by.

IRIS

Played with an iris layered die cut today for the TicTacToe Challenge #250 designed by Vicky.  I went diagonally from left bottom to top right with ink blending, flowers and layers.

I wanted the iris to be the focal point so just did some simple ink blending for the circle background.  The flower and leaves were ink blended also.  Popped up the sentiment and added a few clear  "raindrops".  The card base is a light navy.  Done and dusted!!

Hope you'll join us for our challenge - you'll have two weeks (challenge closes on 4 July) to create and enter for a chance to be a guest designer.

Crafty Hugs,

 

FUN FOLD CARD

Awhile back I was a winner at the Creative Creases Challenge hosted by Debbie Mageed.  So here I am today as a guest designer.  Tried to find something that was unique as it had to be a fun fold card and scoured the net and found this "column card" that folds flat to be an A2 card.  I used the basic measurements and then just did my own thing.

When my card is folded flat it hides the sentiment.  I die cut a bunch of flowers and leaves and just arranged them on the front of the column fold.  I used a 3D embossing folder (SSS discontinued) for the inside and sides of the column.

I am also entering my card in the current TimeOut Challenge #265.

Hope you can find a fun fold card to create for our challenge.

FLOWER GATE GOLD

Almost out of all my Spellbinders flowers that I cut out a few weeks ago. Wanted to make a vellum gate fold card like Jennifer made a few weeks ago.

 

 

I've had the pale peach vellum for ages so tried it with that. The sentiment will go on the inside underneath those flowers. I put an extra piece of white on the back and an extra note can be added there. Made a twine bow, which will easily slide off without untying.

FLOWERS AND MORE!

 A few weeks ago, when the creativity fairy went AWOL, I spent some time cutting out bunches of Spellbinders flowers.  In this past week, I saw creations from Spellbinders using their new woven lattice background. That inspired me to make my own lattice background and use all the flowers I had previously done.

 

On the first and last cards, I used a background dye that I don't know where it came from. For the middle card I used Altenew's plaid background.  On the first two cards I just cut off the edges and on the last one I left the background as is.  I will add sentiments whenever I need these cards for a special occasion. 

Thanks for stopping by today.

 

FATHER'S DAY

Getting ready for Father's  Day with our TicTacToe #248 with a board designed by Felicita.  I went down the right side with masculine, tools and die cuts.

I used a downloaded image of tools from pngwing and then die cut the name.  Popped up the letters with some foam and added back into the die cut areas (an eclipse card).  Added the little sentiment and done.  

I am sending this to my son who is a great handyman.  Inside I stamped "strong roots produce beautiful leaves".  Will add my own added greeting thanking him and Sarah for raising such beautiful granddaughters for me.

Hope to see your wonderful creations in our challenge this time.  Winner will have an opportunity to be a future guest designer.  Crafty hugs,
 

CARD CLASS

Every month I teach a card class for a group of senior women (like myself).  I usually do two versions of the design and offer choices such as a variety of sentiments.  I make a packet with all the necessary paper supplies and also have good glue (Bearly Art), scissors, clamp tweezers, etc. available.  These are my two cards for May.

I found the background paper at Hobby Lobby, used a "postage stamp" die to give some texture to the patterned paper and put that on some desert storm cs.  Made a little bouquet with a twine bow and added the sentiment.  Done!  Participants will put together the bouquet and also choose their own background paper - there are three each of twenty various sheets in the 6x6 pack.  After each chooses a paper, I will die cut the postage stamp pattern for them (you know how precious patterned paper is:-).  I usually have between 12 and 15 that attend. 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

TULIP TIME

Time for a new challenge at TicTacToe!  For the end of April, Mary has designed this great board!   I used flowers, free and die cuts from the board.

Die cut some tulip buds and leaves in various colors and gave them some shading with blending inks and also alcohol markers.  Used an envelope die which I embossed with polka dots for "basket".  Added my basket to a card base, arranged my flowers with a checkered bow and sentiment - done!!

I hope you'll join us in our TicTacToe #246 beginning today and ending on May 9th.  Crafty hugs,

 

MOTHER'S DAY WREATH

When there's a pile of stuff in the scrapbasket, make a card!  Everything except the card base was picked out of the basket!  Ages ago I die cut a ton of flowers from Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms and am trying to use them up.

The embossed background is from SSS (discontinued I believe).  The wreath is very old and not sure where it came from!  So put it all together with a little twine bow and a sentiment and done!

 

SPRING WREATH

Time for another TicTacToe Challenge#244 with a board designed by Linda.  I went down the left side of the board with wreath, spring colors and twine.

I die cut three layers of leaves and layered together for my wreath.  Used some small flowers in peach and white along with some peach enamel dots to decorate my wreath.  Ink blended a background with speckled egg DO and overlapped it onto the base card.  Added the sentiment and a few more a few more enamel dots and done.  I think I spent more time finding a sentiment to fit the space than I did making the rest of the card!!

Hope you'll join our challenge this week - winner will be a future guest designer.

 

BLUE PEONY

I designed the board for this week's TicTacToe Challenge #242.  I went across the top of board with CAS, Thinking of You and Floral.

Discussion on IG and FB sites have been encouraging us to pull out our neglected older stamps and dies - so I did just that!   Used an old favorite of mine for the floral - discontinued from Altenew.  The thin frame dies are from HoneyBee and also discontinued.  I stamped the flower and leaves in black ink, embossed with clear powder on Bristol paper and watercolored the peony.  Trimmed this piece and added the thin frame to it and also around the edge of the card.   The  sentiment strip finished it off along with a few black enamel dots.

 

I hope you'll find some inspiration from my board and join us in

creating a card for our challenge - winner will be a future guest designer.