BLUE POINSETTIA

We're counting down to Christmas with Joanne's challenge #234 this week.  I went down the right side with cream, sentiment and navy - what a fun color combo for Christmas!!

supplies: poinsettia; embossing folder; sentiment; patterned paper

My embossed background really is cream although it looks quite white in the photo - you'll just have to believe me!  After embossing the panel, I added it to the navy base.  Then added the blue poinsettia which I die cut from some patterned papers.  Lastly, the little sentiment was adhered and the whole card spattered with gold ink.

Hope you'll join us this week at TicTacToe #234 - you'll have a chance to become a future guest designer.

 

 

 

GINGKO LEAVES

I'm the board designer for this week at TicTacToe Challenge #232.  The idea I had in mind was to include fall and thanksgiving.  For my design, I went with the bottom row across - shape die, rust and leaves.  Hadn't done anything with my gingko leaves die for a long time - so that was my beginning.

supplies: gingko leaves; arch dies

Had some embossed and colored with pigment ink pieces of cardstock on my desk - had been playing with the technique from Jennifer which she showed a few weeks ago.  I had chosen copper metallic pigment ink and some darker pieces of cardstock.  Wasn't over the moon with the color combo or the dark colors.  So they became the leaves for my card. You can see the copper on the leaves a bit.   Used the arch dies for my card shape with a cream color metallic cs which I embossed with a circle impression plate.  Added the little birthday greeting and sequins and done!

 

Here's a closeup of the leaves embossed with copper.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by - join our challenge this week - the winner will be a future guest designer!  Crafty Hugs! 

 

CHRISTMAS POP-UP CARDS

I have had some Graphic45 papers for ages and among them are these large Christmas pictures.  Finally had an idea on how to use them.  These particular papers are no longer available but they have others in their current collections.

I made pop-up frame cards using Jennifer's instructions for the pop-up part.  I made my card an A2 portrait size card.  After folding the back of the card (the pop-up part), I glued in the Christmas scene.  Then I glued my french door front onto the back section.  

I made a little wreath for the door by die cutting a circle base using two dies together.  Die cut a bunch of green sprigs and glued them around the circle and added a few red "berries".  Added an appropriate sentiment and done.  Below is a closeup of the wreath.

The base of the card is white 110lb cardstock as is the front piece and stands up nicely.  A personal message can be written on the back of the card.

Thanks for visiting today.

 

AUTUMN WREATH

Vicky created the board for this week's TicTacToe Challenge #230.  I went across the top with leaves, thank you and plaid.  

 supplies: wreath; plaid background: enamel dots

I embossed the front of the card with a plaid die.  Die cut my wreath from copper embossed cardstock which was in three different colors.  Added the thanks sentiment and the enamel dots and done.

 

Since I layered all my leaf die cuts to make my wreath, I'm entering my card at Die Cut Divas challenge for this month.

Lots of variety from which to choose this week, so hope you join in the fun for a chance to be a future guest designer.  Crafty hugs,

 

HALLOWEEN CAT

Designed a cute Halloween cat for this week's TicTacToe Challenge #228 created by Felicita.  I went down the middle with moon, orange and cat.

I made a shaker card with glittery stars and other bits for my little cat all dressed up in her witch hat.  The cat and the window die cuts are from very old PTI sets.  The bats in the background are from a Kitchen Sink set which is no longer available either.  The night sky was done with blended DO inks - black soot, pumpkin and chipped sapphire.

Hope to see you in our challenge this week - winner will be a future guest designer!

METALLIC LEAVES

Elizabeth has created a great board for us this week at TicTacToe Challenge #226.  I went across with metallic, free and gems.

supplies:  leaves; sentiment

I used Jennifer's embossing technique with copper metallic pigment ink on some light brown cs.  Then I die cut the leaves from that and arranged them on the light gray card base with a vellum overlay.  Added the birthday greeting, some gold sequins and done.

Hope to see your card in our challenge this week.  Crafty hugs, 

 

FALL WREATH AND BABY CARDS

I had an order for a couple of cards this week - each entirely different.  

supplies: olive leaves

 

The top card was for a fall birthday and the person wanted white, black, tan and orange in it.  Obviously, the second card is for a new baby girl.

I used the larger of the two olive leaves dies for the wreath.  I sprayed an orange piece of cardstock with carved pumpkin DO mica spray and cut out the leaves to shape them into a wreath.  I die cut black circles for the berries from a confetti die.  The background was given a little more texture with an impression die.  Put it all together with a little sentiment and done!

The baby carriage die cut was in my box of stuff - probably twenty years old!  I added all the flowers and the sentiment to a textured background and it was ready to go.

Thanks for stopping by today.

 

HALLOWEEN POP-UP

Had such fun making this Halloween pop-up inspired by JM - only I had to modify a bit since I had this idea also to make the front a door.  It all worked out quite easily tho.  I used the measurements from this video.  

 

supplies: arches;

I wanted the inside to be a surprise and so left the front very plain.  I first did the folding for the back piece per Jennifer's instructions.  Then made the front piece using some arch dies for the front door.  Made two hinges to hold the door in place.  Set that aside for the time being.

Used some very old patterned paper for the background, added a die cut cobweb in the upper corner and stamped and embossed the sentiment.  Added this to the center section of the background piece.  Finally added the front to the back.  Lastly the little spider was hung from the inside the front door for a fun surprise when the door is opened.  I added a white piece on the back of the card for writing a note.

Instead of placing something heavy on my card to hold the front to the back when glueing, I used three large binder clips - worked great!!

I am entering my card at the Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge - Anything Goes. 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

VINTAGE BIRD

It's been ages and ages since I created a vintage card, but Joanne's TicTacToe #224 put me in the mood for digging out my vintage papers.  I had a very old, yellowed with age sales slip book (if you look closely it was printed in 1907!!) and that became the basis for my card.  I went across the center with numbers, yellow and free - and also went down the center with books, yellow and bird.

supplies: bird; leaves

Isn't that bird just the cutest ever?!  I die cut him/her out of white cs and then used colors left over on my blending brushes to color.  Used DO vintage photo on the edges of the card for a more aged look.  He's sitting on a die cut branch to which I added some leaves.  When I send the card I will put the person's name and birthday date up in the top blanks (most of my friends were born in the 1900's).  

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you'll join in our TicTacToe Challange this week.  Crafty hugs, 

 

CAT ON THE FENCE

Halloween is on the agenda this week - another card for the Two Old Bats Challenge and also for Die Cut Divas (pop-up card).  Edit: also entered my card at Creative Creases Challenge.

I made a bridge card for my pop-up feature.  The fence is holding it together nicely.  Stamped some barren trees on the background which was sprayed with TH mica spray - sorry the shine doesn't show in the photo!  Added the other bits to complete a cute little Halloween scene.

Thanks for stopping by.

TRICK OR TREAT

Trying to enter more challenges lately - haven't entered The Two Old Bats Challenge since last year. 

I made a large piece of cardstock sprayed with some TH mica sprays - used that for my background.  Added the leafy border, sentiment, moon and bats to complete my design.  Decided it needed more sparkle, so sprayed it all with some glimmer spray.  

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

TIME TO CELEBRATE!!

Time for another TicTacToe Challenge!  I designed the board for the week and hope you will find it a fun one to do!  I went straight down the middle with patterned paper, free and birthday.  Also have other elements included too - die, alphabets and red.

The patterned paper I used is a large rose from a 12x12 sheet from Altenew's Reflections collection - sorry no longer available!  I die cut it with Hero Arts birthday greetings and then popped up the die cut letters with white fun foam. Added the little "time to celebrate" and done.

Hope to see a card from you in my challenge this week - the winner will be a future guest designer!   Crafty Hugs!

FALLING LEAVES

Three challenges are hopefully being met with my card today.  First of all, I have a personal challenge every month to design a card for a class I teach - for me it has to be relatively easy to do, different from any store bought card and an interesting technique.  The second and third challenges are for Addicted to CAS (leaves) and The Paper Players (colors).

I decided the women in my class would enjoy making a picket fence card.  So I watercolored some sheets of paper using my Brushos until I had a wide variety of fall colors and then die cut dozens of various leaves.  They will be able to choose some leaves after the base card is finished - also choose a sentiment and add gold spatter if they wish.  My Brusho colors were the ones from the PP challenge and of course leaves everywhere for Addicted to CAS challenge.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

If you need to add some birthday cards to your stash then this TicTacToe Challenge #220 is for you - "birthday" is right in the middle so practically any which way you go there's inspiration for a birthday card!!  I went diagonally from left to right with flowers, birthday sentiments and gems.

supplies: flowers; leaf border 

I loved the idea of a blue and green card so began with a leafy border on a darker green base.  Then die cut some flowers in blues to fill out the corners.  Before adding the sentiment and enamel dots (my gems as I don't have any sparkly ones!), I spattered it all in white (white acrylic paint and a little water).

 

Be sure to add to your birthday card collection with an entry in this week's TicTacToe Challenge #220 - you will have a chance to become a future guest designer. Crafty Hugs,

 

FLOWERS ON THE FENCE

It's been forever since I entered a challenge and today's the day!!  Freshly Made Sketches has a great CAS inspiration for this week and was playing around with some new (to me) dies and came up with this card.  Just realized DieCutDivas has a birthday theme for this month so will enter there also.

 supplies: flowers and leaves

Recently purchased these floral dies and did a "Jennifer" marathon cutting out a bunch of them and putting them together.  Had this picket fence card base sitting on my desk and VOILA!! the card came together in no time!
 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

SUNFLOWERS

How about some sunflowers for Felicita's TicTacToe Challenge #220 this week!  I went diagonally from left to right with any shape die, free and CAS.

supplies: arched dies; sunflowers

I began with making a shaped card and then popping up the same smaller shape again.  After cutting out my sunflowers and leaves, I added some shading with various inks.  Put some black Nuvo drops in the centers of the flowers and tucked in the little sentiment and done.  I consider a CAS card to be one with lots of white space, one focal point and uncluttered.

Hope to see you in our challenge this week - winner will be a future guest designer!

BUTTERFLY

It's a floral butterfly for this week's TicTacToe Challenge #216 designed by Elizabeth.  Loved the idea of blue and green together so went down the left side with green and blue, layers and die cut.  My card also works for diagonally from left to right with green and blue, CAS and critter and straight down the center with foliage, CAS and gems.

 supplies: butterfly; flowers and leaves

The butterfly base is heavy white cs with a vellum overlay and gold body.   Then did a floral arrangement with flowers in two shades of blue and a variety of green leaves.  Lastly spattered the whole thing with gold metallic paint and added a few sequins.

 

Play along with our challenge this week for a chance to be one of our future guest designers.  Crafty hugs.