MERRY MONDAY GUEST DESIGNER!!!

Since my entry for Merry Monday's "The words have it" challenge was the winner last week, I was asked to be their guest designer for this week's challenge.  What a fantastic honor to be chosen by fellow stampers - I am thrilled!!  The challenge this week is to use polka dots and/or stripes in a Christmas card.  So here is my card - my first guest design card AND my first shaker card!!!

Recently bought PTI's new circle shaker die so had to use that.  The background paper in the shaker is some gold dot vellum - love how the stripes show through.  I put foam tape just in back of the end of word "merry" so that it would all lie even.  The "merry" is 3 layers of cardstock.   If you are a patterned paper addict, be sure to check out Teresa Collins' new Christmas line - Tinsel & Company - it's gorgeous.

Thanks so much to the Merry Monday blog for inviting me to be their guest designer this week - hop over to their blog and design a Christmas card with polka dots and/or stripes!

Supplies:
Dies: PTI Circle shaker; Hero Arts "Fancy Cuts Christmas"
Paper: Teresa Collins "Tinsel & Company; We R vellum
Other: sequins from Teresa Collins and my stash

Thanks for visiting today and your kind comments.  Betty

GRETA'S SCRAMBLE

Greta hosted a scramble tonite on the Hero Arts discussion page - the challenge was to use an item not normally used for paper crafting.  Be sure to check it out if you'd like to see some really clever, creative ideas all done in 90 minutes or less.  I used a technique I saw Loll Thompson demonstrate in her first video - basically you use cling wrap to dab ink on card to create a resist. 

It was difficult to get the light just right for photographing - I dried the ink with my heat gun and then sponged on distress ink to make the background.

The poinsettia was stamped and die cut, then popped up with leaves inserted underneath.  The sentiment was die cut and then embossed.

Supplies:
Stamp: HA CL796
Die: HA DC116
Other: Ranger distress ink - spun sugar, picked raspberry; PTI dark avocado; Ranger liquid platinum embossing powder; Tsukineko frost white ink

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

SEPTEMBER CCC

Every month Deb Nolan sponsors Card Chain Challenge - sign up, follow a sketch, colors or theme and send your card to the person above you on the list - a fun way to meet new friends all over the world.  This month I sent a card to Joy in Indiana.

Had some Graphic45 paper from several years ago, added a pumpkin and some curled wire and done.  Check out Deb's blog and sign up for the October CCC challenge.

Supplies:
Paper: Graphic45 "Happy Haunting"
Die: Provo

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

DRAGONFLY

The challenge this week at CAS-ology is "flutter" - I guess dragonflies would qualify.   I had been playing around with some watercoloring awhile back and had this little panel on my desk so that became the background.  I embossed some cardstock and then die cut the dragonfly and wings. 

Cards come together quite quickly with little watercolored backgrounds lying around!!

Supplies:
Die: Cheery Lynn dragonfly w/wings
Ink: Ranger distress - iced spruce, peeled paint, shabby shutters
Paper: Artists' Loft watercolor 140# cold press; SU very vanilla
Stamp: PTI "Turning a new leaf"
Other: Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing  powder

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

BUTTERFLY ANNIVERSARY

A friend asked me to create a 70th wedding anniversary card - imagine that!!!! - being married for 70 years!!!  Anyway, I looked up to see what the color for 70 was - platinum - well, no brainer there - use liquid platinum embossing powder.   So die cut the butterfly, happy and numbers 70 - embossed them and composed the card.  Hadn't really planned on putting the "happy" on a slant, but after playing around decided it looked perfect that way.  Had just bought the gold floss at Michael's and added that. 

 (inside)

The sequins were a new purchase also and thought they looked rather platinum also - put tiny champagne colored pearls from Michael's in the center of each one.  I hope she likes the card!
Will enter this in CAS-ology "flutter" challenge.

Supplies:
Dies: PTI "Life is Beautiful" butterfly and Circle background; HA "Happy" DC117; Provo numbers
Other: Ranger liquid platinum embossing powder; HA "anniversary" stamp CL342; Teresa Collins' Tinsel & Company sequins

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

MERRY...

Today I played with some new Hero Arts stamps and dies - and got nothing else done either!!

After stamping the holly leaves, I colored them with copics.  The sentiment is 3 layers of cardstock.

 This card was also colored with copics.  I added some glitter glue to the berries.  I also colored the "merry" with the same copics as the ribbon.

After stamping the poinsettia, I masked it and stamped the leaves.  The "merry" is inlaid and there is glitter glue in the center of the flower.

I am entering these in a2z Scrapbooking Autumn/Christmas challenge and also Merry Monday #126 where the challenge is to make the sentiment the focal point.  Will enter the poinsettia in Festive Friday's challenge where the inspiration photo uses a lot of pink.

Supplies:
Card 1:
Stamp: HA CL795 "Holly Jolly"
Die: HA DC116 "Fancy Cuts Christmas"

Card 2:
Stamp: HA CL797 "Under the Mistletoe"
Die: HA DC116

Card 3:
Stamp: HA CL796 "Peace Poinsettia"
Die: HA DC116

Thanks for stopping by today and your kind comments.   Betty

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

The shop where I sell my cards wanted some Thanksgving/fall cards and this is one that I made for them.  Pretty simple as it's mostly coordinating patterned papers, a little gold ink and embossing.  I outlined the veins of the leaves with a gold metallic pen.  Made the matching dots by punching them out from paper I had embossed - same with the edge strip.  Will enter this in Virginia's View challenge as it's almost all patterned paper, a2z Scrapbooking Autumn challenge and CASology's challenge to use "three".

Supplies:
Paper: PTI
Die: CheeryLynn; PTI

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

BATTY

Another Halloween card which I will enter in Virginia's View challenge as I used patterned paper as the background.  Die cut the circle and added a piece of leftover watercolored paper I had made in back for the moon.  After die-cutting the bats I coated them with glossy accents for a little shine.  The rusty star is from other crafting days.

Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (Michael's);  PTI (green base)
Dies: Memory Box - Swooping Bats;  Spellbinders (circle)

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

LITTLE WITCH

Just another Halloween card.  I fussy cut the little witch from a Graphic45 paper pad from several years ago, added the pumpkin, wire tendrils, etc. and then arranged all inside the frame (also Graphic 45 paper).  Stamped the inside of frame with Versamark to add a little more interest.

I think she's pretty cute.  Will enter this in Virginia's View Challenge.

Supplies:
Paper: Graphic45 "Halloween in Wonderland"; HA "Midnight" for card base
Stamp: HA K5950 "Eek"
Die: ProvoCraft

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

RAINDROPS ON AUTUMN LEAVES

Love to make autumn/fall cards and when I saw Lin's card here, I sort of copied her technique.  I just stamped the leaves in various distress inks on watercolor paper and then used my mini mister to spray it all over with water.  Blotted up some color as I went along and then dried with my heat gun.  When the color was too vibrant in some places,  I sprayed it again and again until I was happy with the results.  I die cut 3 leaves, glued them together, and then heat embossed them for the gold leaf in the center.  I made the "raindrops" by dropping little blobs of glossy accents on a piece of craft mat - takes hardly any time at all to dry clear and then I peeled them off and placed them where I wanted.  Adhered them to the card with a bit more glossy accents.  I found this better than dropping blobs directly onto the card.  Besides I ended up with a whole bunch of raindrops for the future!

I made the gold strip by heat embossing a long strip of paper and then cutting the narrow strips (Jennifer McGuire idea).

This is another one of my "no sentiment" cards, as I like the versatility of adding a sentiment when the card is needed for a particular occasion.

I am entering this in Curtain Call's challenge of "lovely leaves",  a2z scrapbooking's challenge of Autumn/Christmas and The Paper Players fall challenge.

Supplies:
Stamp: Hero Arts E2252 (part of a very old set "Petite Prints")
Die: Provo Craft "Fall Leaves" (also very old)
Inks: Ranger distress - seedless preserves, fired brick, wild honey, rusty hinge, scattered straw
Other: Ranger embossing powder - Liquid Platinum; Ranger Glossy Accents; SU "Sahara Sand" card

Thanks for visiting today and your kind comments.  Betty

 CREATIVE BLOG HOP

Several weeks ago I was asked by Barb to be a part of the Creative Blog Hop – it’s sort of like a chain letter where you answer some questions on your blog and then ask several others to join in the hop – and so it continues. 

I am a retired library media specialist and teacher and have only been blogging since January.  I have 3 grown children - two live near Fargo, ND and one in London, England.  Four grandchildren (ages 21 down to 11) round out my family.   I live in Lincoln, NE and am a big fan of the Husker football team and also go to all the women's basketball games.  Have been making cards since the late 90’s and in the crafting world since the 70’s when I made macramé plant hangers!  About 5 years ago I found some classes from Jennifer McGuire on Two Peas in a Bucket and became totally hooked on cards – all the other crafts have gone by the wayside since then!!!  I sell my cards in a local gift shop and also make them to order for friends – but mostly I just make them for my own enjoyment.  Playing bridge, reading British mysteries, going to water aerobics every day and making cards pretty much keeps me off the streets!!! 

Now to answer the questions:

What am I working on now?

Have been making some Halloween cards for the shop.  I think Halloween cards are my favorite holiday cards to create - even though I’m a bah humbug person on Halloween and don’t answer the door!!  But love sending them to friends, my kids and grandchildren.  One of my good friends has a bat that comes to live by her front door every summer and she always gets a card from her friendly bat!!  Here are two cards that I just finished.

I also just finished making a basket of cards which will be part of a basket raffle at my parish's fall festival.  I made 25 different cards, added some dividers, a pretty pen and a book of stamps and called it "Cards To Go". 

How does my work differ from others?

I really don’t think my cards are that different from many others.  I like to do clean and elegant cards with enough white space so the eye is not drawn all over the place.  Never do cutesy, big-eyed children or animals (only an occasional cat at Halloween or a rabbit for Easter) and bright colors are really hard for me – love vintage if it’s not overdone with “stuff” but rarely create a vintage card.  I don't jump on too many "trend" bandwagons either.

Why do I create what I do?

I love the challenge of creating special cards that will bring enjoyment to the recipient.  The other reason is that I go away to another place when I’m creating and it’s so totally relaxing for me.  It’s “me” time!  I tune into my favorite classical radio station (KVNO-Omaha) and I’m good to go!

How does my creative process work?

Mostly I play around with stamps, a challenge or an idea I saw on Pinterest.  I keep a little notebook with sketches for inspiration and check out Pinterest and my favorite blogs a lot!  I try to have good balance, repetition of colors or some other feature of good design such as texture.  The other day I redid a card about 6 times before I considered it OK.  The only thing that remained of the original card was the copic colored mum.  

Next Monday you will meet Leni who agreed to carry on the blog hop.  I met Leni through Deb Nolan's Card Chain Challenge several years ago.  Visit her blog and check out her post next Monday to see more of her lovely work.  Here is her bio that she sent me:
Hello, my name is Leni. I live in the Netherlands. To be more precise: In a village somewhere between Gouda (cheese) and Rotterdam (harbour). I have a husband who is very supportive and two children: Jessica and Casper. We love to go out for a walk and a bike ride. I am a supply teacher, and at this moment I haven't a job, but that can change quickly. Since I was a child I am making things with my hands, for example Barbie clothes. Later on I was knitting, sewing, decorating photo albums for my children. Finally I saw stamps in an Amsterdam stamp store and from that moment on I was in love with stamping! I learned a lot by visiting Hero Arts Blog very often and from other stampers. Hope you come and visit my blog: Paperandnature. 
Thanks for stopping by today and always love your kind comments.  Betty

HOPE

When I saw the recent Fusion challenge, I immediately thought of an Emily Dickinson quote which is a favorite of mine.  The challenge has the option to use either the photo inspiration or the sketch or both.  My card is a combination of both.  The quote is computer generated because my stamp of that quote didn't fit in the opening very well.

I am sending this to a friend who is having surgery next week for colon cancer.

Supplies:
Dies: MB - Perched Reed Bird & Grove Branch
Inks: Ranger Distress - Fired Brick & Walnut Stain
Paper: SU Crumb Cake; Prima - Fairy Rhymes
Other: TH Sizzix Alterations Embossing Folder - Brick Wall

Thanks for visiting today and as always your kind comments.  Betty