HAPPY HALLOWEEN

 Cindy designed our board for us today for TicTacToe Challenge #304 and I went across the top with stitching, heat embossing and orange.

I first stenciled the pumpkin background very heavily with Versamark and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder on desert storm cs.  Next die cut the piece with a stitched rectangle die and mounted on an A2 card base.  The twig wreath, leaves and pumpkin were all leftovers from other cards I had been working on.  Added the little gingham bow and sentiment (also heat embossed) and done!

 

Join in our challenge and have a Halloween card to send to a friend - challenge ends in two weeks (5 November)!!

Crafty Hugs,

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

 A fun board designed by moi is up today on the TicTacToe challenge #302.  I wanted to do something with pink and orange for a little different look and not the scary stuff.  It doesn't matter which way you go on the board - all the elements are in there!!

My card is side folding and die cut the doors (fun fold element) from the front.  Then I cut a 4"x5 1/2" piece of lighter black and spattered with metallic white ink and glued this to the inside front of the card.  Die cut a bunch of leaves and a few pumpkins from checked and plain cardstock - arranged all this around the door.  Added the little sentiment (white embossed) inside the doors and done!!

Hope you'll join us sometime in the next two weeks with your entry - the winner will be asked to join us as our guest designer!

Crafty hugs,

 

BEST WITCHES

The challenge this week at the Just Us Girls Challenge is the word "bold".  I'm making my Halloween cards and I think this witch's hat is pretty bold with orange and purple and black colors!!

I kind of went overboard with the sequins but think my easel card turned out pretty cute.  I bought this die set last year and the sentiment is no longer available.  My card class is doing a version of this for October - only I'm not using this as the sample - I might run out of sequins (haha) and it's not going to be an easel card!!

 I am also entering my card at the Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge. 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!

Dawn Turley's post today for the Divas that DieCut Challenge inspired me to enter my card that I just had designed for my card class to do next week.  The challenge is white on white with a splash of color. I used my new Concord&9th pumpkin for a focal point. The participants in the class will have a choice of color for the background of their pumpkin. I have a wide variety of gingham and polka dot ribbons and also sequins for decoration.  

The bundle included some cute sentiments so I stamped out a bunch (one is at the bottom of the photo).  This would be a cute card for a fall birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving etc.  For the time being mine will have no sentiment.

Happy Fall Y'All!

 

BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY

It's time for #300 TicToeToe Challenge!  I went across the bottom with die cuts, patterned paper and bright colors on this  board designed by Roseanne.

The whole background is a piece from Altenew's Recollections from probably 10 years ago.  You all know about that "it's too pretty to use" syndrome!!  The piece had a lot of white space so I lightly inked it with some DO spun sugar. I cut it down to 5 1/14" x 4" and then die cut from the center of that piece a 3 3/4" by 3" piece.  Next I die cut the butterfly from the center piece.  Attached the bottom layer to the card base and then popped up the center piece with some foam tape.  Then I glued about 4 layers of small pieces of cardstock to the center of the butterfly so it could be popped up.  Added the vellum lacy butterfly on top with the gold body and popped the butterfly in the spot from where it was cut.  Finally decided to add some greenery and some tiny pinkish sequins as it all looked rather bland.  The butterfly's wings aren't glued down so will pop up when on display.   No sentiment - maybe one inside.

I hope you'll join our challenge - it runs from today until September 10th!

Crafty Hugs,

 

SKETCHY FLORAL

It is Stencil Week at the Just Us Girls Challenge and my last week of being their guest designer for August.  I have never done very much with stencils but went through my stash and found a very old (maybe about 2019) Altenew stamp and stencil.  It's a very large stamp and you can easily make two cards from it. I embossed the stamped image and using the stencil, ink blended with DO iced spruce and worn lipstick.  Sponged a bit of DO pumice stone for some shadows around the flower.

I used a stitched frame die to cut out the center and added four layers of die cut frames to raise up the center part for some dimension.  Sequins in several sizes were used for the flower centers.
 

Create a card using a stencil and enter by 6PM Wednesday, September 2 - Just Us Girls Challenge.

Crafty hugs,

 

 

SUNFLOWER

 I probably spent more time on my card as guest designer on the JUGS Challenge Mood #837 than ever before!!  I was being pretty literal in creating my card - colors and design following the photo pretty exactly and that's probably why.

I cut two circles in the lighter green, trimmed a bit off and made little flaps to fold over the sides of the single layer of dark green.  On the back I covered the flaps with a piece of white cardstock slightly smaller than 5.5" x 4.25".  With the flaps and the sunflower, I didn't want too thick a card.  Under the flaps is a small birthday wish.  Recipient will have to prop this card up to display.

The dark green background is subtly embossed with Altenew's Geo Steps and the side flaps with Curving Leaves.  The sunflower is from Honey Bee, the butterfly and smaller leaves from Altenew.

 

 

You have until Wednesday, 6PM 26 August to enter your card here - https://justusgirlschallenge.blogspot.com/.

Crafty hugs,

 

  

 

JUGS CHALLENGE

This week the challenge at JUGS is "WATER" - stamp, die cut or use water are all fine.  Have you ever done blowing bubbles on paper??? I've used watercolor paper and Bristol paper and both work well - you just need a heavy weight cardstock.  Here is a short video demo - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/opZK-szVjXM.  I used acrylic paints, a few drops of Dawn and not very much water - I've also used tube liquid watercolor, but acrylic is much cheaper.  Deep colors work best.  I've done this technique with my card class several times and it's always popular.

These are my two bubble colored pieces before I cut them out. 

I made a Z fold card using side panels embossed with Altenew's Curving Leaves folder and then Grand Dahlia flowers and leaves dies.  Will wait until I need a special card for someone before adding a sentiment.

I hope you like my inspiration card and will join in the challenge this week.  You have a week to design and enter. 

Crafty Hugs,

 

 

 

 

 

BOOKMARK CARD

On the second Tuesday of every month, I teach a card class at a senior living apartment complex.  Today we did a really easy card and with a little help everyone went back to their apartment with a pretty card to mail.

When I have a class, I precut everything so there's usually just gluing to do.  Today was really easy.  I had the base, polka dot piece, black piece for holding the bookmark and bookmarks precut.  The bookmarks were made from used greeting cards that I have collected.  I had 20 in the class (2 men and 18 women!!} so had about 40-50 bookmarks for them from which to choose.  Every bookmark was different.  Had a variety of narrow ribbons out also with scissors so everyone chose a bookmark and cut ribbon of color choice.  Measurements for the polka dot piece is 4" x 5 1/4", black piece is a little under 2 3/4" x 5 1/2" and the bookmark is 1 3/4" x 5" and all on a topfold A2 card base.

 

During National Library Week this past April, a group of us made just the bookmarks for about 350 kids at a nearby elementary school - used old greeting cards cut to size for this project too.

Crafty hugs,

 

 

WHITE ON WHITE

Vicki Dutcher from Just Us Girls Challenge contacted me recently and asked me to be the weekly guest designer for the month of August.  WOW!! What an honor and challenge!  I really have had to get those creative juices flowing!

The first week's challenge is Dies and Anything Goes.  Since flowers are my "go to" for creating, I went through my favorite Altenew florals and chose their Cape Marguerite dies. I intended to ink blend on them but couldn't decide on a color.  Put the flowers aside and did the background by die cutting a side fold card with Spellbinder's Essential Arches layered up with a smaller arched piece and all embossed with Altenew's Geo Steps.  Put this base together and began arranging the flowers (still not colored) and liked the white on white look.  Die cut some white leaves, put it all together and had my first ever white on white card.  Added white enamel dots and done!  I think this might be a future wedding card when needed.

I hope you like my inspiration card and will join in the challenge this week.  You have a week to design and enter.

Crafty Hugs,

 

 

ECLECTIC BLOOMS

A large set of Olo markers was given to me for my birthday and I put them to good use for today's card for the TicTacToe Challenge #298.  I went across the bottom with border, yellow and markers.  There's also a little sparkle in the flowers with tiny black gems and you might consider the arched card a fun fold.  I like to try and find ways of using multiple elements from the board in my cards.

 

I used Altenew's Eclectic Bouquet for my flowers and the embossed background. Spellbinder's Essential Arches dies were used to cut the card and the background piece. 

Hope you'll join in our challenge for the next two weeks!

Crafty Hugs,

 

SUMMER BLOOM

Rosanne has a great challenge for us today on the TicTacToe Challenge #296!  I went down the center with patterned paper, die cuts and 3D.  Those layering flowers dies from Altenew certainly made it easy to do the 3D and dies elements from the board.  I went thru my patterned papers and tried out a few before deciding on this one for my card.  I think it turned out to be a fun way for creating a flower.

I embossed the black background with leaves and mounted it on a piece of A2 cardstock desert storm.  The flowers and leaves are from Altenew - Grand Dahlia and Curving Leaves.  I'll add a sentiment when needed or maybe not at all!!
 

Hope to see your card in this fun challenge from Roseanne!

Crafty Hugs,

 

ANOTHER BUTTERFLY

Today's card is for Cindy's TicTacToe #294.  I went across the center with patterned paper, free and twine.  Included black,  gold and vellum which are also on her board.

I embossed a black background with Altenew's Curving Leaves and used their Fluttering Fantasies butterfly die.  The patterned paper is flowered and just added a smaller vellum butterfly and a gold body.  Finally made a nest of some gold thread and glued it all down with the butterfly on top.  I'll wait until I need a card for a special occasion to add a sentiment. 

You have until June 18th to enter - so many varied choices on Cindy's board so have fun creating a card and entering our challenge!

I am also entering my card at Just Us Girls Challenge where the theme is butterflies and die cutting. 

Crafty hugs,

 

 

 

 

FLUTTERBYS!

I live in senior independent living - it's great way to live - have a large apartment, meals, tons of activities from which to choose - besides I am now living 15 minutes from my daughter - best perk of all.  I teach a card class every month - usually have about 15-20 of the residents in every class - so it's a challenge to think up a card and then do all the prep of the materials for the class. 

I made several sample cards for ideas for the group.  I cut out tons of various colored butterflies from Altenew Fluttering Fantasies - also leaves from Itty Bitty Branches.  Had three trays of a mixture of sizes and colors of butterflies on the tables - other supplies were in their packets - card base, sequins. leaves.  As everyone finished, I spattered their card with gold metallic ink. 

 

 

That's me in the back row on the right!

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

PINK FLOWERS

I am the designer for #292 TicTacToe Challenge board this go around.  I chose across the middle with floral, free and white - pretty easy and fast choice for me.

My flowers are from Altenew - Fresh Flowers and the greenery is also from Altenew - Itty Bitty Branches.  I embossed a circle in the background for some texture.  The greeting is from an old Memory Box set of sentiments.

Hope you'll find some inspiration from my board and join us in our challenge this time.

Crafty hugs,

 

  

BUTTERFLY

I was rummaging thru my box of half finished cards, embossed card fronts, and other bits and bobs and found this card with only the base and embossed front.  It went perfectly with the butterfly I had just been playing with and here's the finished product.

I embossed the butterfly in gold and then smooshed broken china distress ink on it.  Did the same with the leaves using rainforest ink.  I did the embossed piece so long ago I don't know what colors I used.  Added the little sentiment and done!

Crafty hugs,

CARDS FOR CRAFT BAZAAR

I am going to participate in a small craft bazaar this coming weekend so have been in kind of a crunch to have enough cards to put out on my table for sale.  I don't like to have exact duplicates so try to do a variation of color or design on every card.  I usually have about a third of cards that have a sentiment on them and rest I leave blank.  Then I have a variety of sentiments from which to choose if someone wants to add a sentiment to a blank card.

My first card was inspired by Therese Calvird where she added some butterflies to a black and white background.

I didn't have the butterflies she had so used some from Spellbinders.  Same went for the flower - mine is from when Hero Arts and Altenew did a collaboration ages ago.  I blended some darker pink on the butterflies and gave them a gold body.  Added the leaf sprigs, added some gold spatter and put it all together.  Made another card with yellow butterflies and different colored leaves.

 

My second card was inspired by Carrie Sheridan - she called it a panel bridge card and had five strips across her card.  I simplified my version by only using three strips and I think her card was larger also.  Mine is an A2 and folds flat in A2 envelope.

 

I used Honey Bee's coneflower die and blended on the flowers petals and leaves.  Embossed the center strip with a leafy folder.  Added a simple sentiment and done.  Pretty fast and easy after I figured it out.  I am entering this card in the Creative Creases Challenge.

 

Thanks for stopping by today.