SNOWFLAKES

This is one of those cards that started entirely differently in my head - and then the inlaid snowflake was a bit off and had to fix that (couldn't just write it off as another piece of paper!) - but rather like the end result.  Actually, I had wanted to follow the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch and got that turned around too - a whole lot of creative license here!!

Anyway, inlaid the large snowflake and covered up the boo-boo with vellum and glitter snowflakes, added another on the bottom to balance and gave each a nice shiny silver gem and called it a day.  This is also for the Merry Monday challenge which is snowflakes and neutral colors.  I didn't add a sentiment 'cause I thought it would make it too busy for my taste.

Supplies: HA Snowflake D1064; Impression Obsession small snowflake; Neenah metallic cs; SU glitter cs; Teresa Collins "Tinsel & Company" pp; HA silver gemstone; PTI vellum

Thanks for stopping and your kind comments.  Betty

PEACE

Had some background papers that I had made using the "cling wrap method" by Loll and distress inks sitting on my desk...so stamped the holly leaves in Versamark and silver embossed, die cut the sentiment 3 times and put it all together with some silver metallic paper and a white card base.

Entering this in Addicted to Stamps holiday challenge (thanks Barb for the suggestion).

Supplies: HA CL795 "Holly Jolly"; HA silver embossing powder; HA silver gemstones; Neenah metallic cs; Peace Brushstroke die - Essentials by Ellen

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

3 TREES TAGS

Today the scramble on the Hero Arts discussion group was to create a triptych (a work of art, usually a panel painting, that is divided into three sections) in less than 90 minutes.  Well, I was totally befuddled and after one attempt at stamping and cutting it apart I gave up on that.  So went to 3 tags with 3 trees and 3 different sentiments - at least I fulfilled the "3" part of the challenge.

And now I have 3 Christmas tags to boot!!  I think the tree stamps are from a very old Archiver's HA exclusive and with the tag shape it does rather look like a triptych:-D.  Love doing these scrambles because it really does challenge my creativity!!

Supplies: MFT tag die; HA CL797; PTI ink "deep avocado"

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.   Betty

FUSION CHALLENGE

Fusion has a wonderful inspiration photo this week - loved the colors - but... it turned out to be one of those cards that spent hours in my head and about 5 minutes to put together.  I also couldn't find a peachy/orangey color in my inks that I liked for the roses - so finally watercolored a piece of paper so it was the peach color, stamped the flower in a soft pink and then stamped the orange inside the flower - did the same for the leaves.

There were so many things from which to choose for a focus, but knew the roses were first.  Then went with the slant of the staircase and the black and white to keep my card pretty clean and simple.  I tried the sentiment many ways before putting it down curvy and I'm happy with it.

Supplies: PTI "Rosie Posie"; MME "Charmed" pp; SU "Dusty Durango & Tangerine Tango", PTI "Sweet Blush", Ranger "Shabby Shutters" & "Peeled Paint" inks: Essentials by Ellen "Celebrate" die

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

GOLDEN MUMS

While watching the World Series tonight (had to be doing something tho since my Royals weren't doing so well), I created a card for two challenges - Paper Players #218 and CAS(E) This Sketch #96.
It's clean and simple using gold for Paper Players and then followed this sketch.

Supplies: PTI "Mum's the Word"; Technique Tuesday sentiment; Ranger liquid platinum embossing powder; Neenah metallic gold and astroparche cs

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

ONE STAMP - THREE CARDS

Today on Merry Monday, the challenge is to use non-traditional colors on a Christmas card.  So challenged myself to make three with the same stamp and in three different layouts.   For all three, I used a new holiday stamp from Hero Arts.

I did this card in green and grey - first white embossed the poinsettia and then sponged with distress ink.

I had the watercolored background in my stash so started with that piece for a color scheme of pink and turquoise.  Same technique with distress inks for the flower, but used copics on the leaves.  Also colored the pearls in the center with copics to coordinate. 

The pink and copper card was embossed with the solid stamp from the set.  I did two and cut out the center of one for a layered look.  Made my own little copper "berries" by dropping globs of Glossy Accents on my craft mat and then sprinkling with the copper glitter and let dry before adding to the center of the flower.  Just did the copper glittered leaves by putting tape on a piece of card and adding the glitter - then free hand cut.  Pretty messy - don't think I'll do this very often - maybe never again - wish I had had some copper stickles (is there such a thing??).  I had bought the pink embossing powder earlier in the summer - can't say I like it very much - doesn't compare to the "shinyness" of Hero Arts. 

I'll probably send some of the many Christmas cards I've been making lately to Jennifer McGuire's Caring Hearts Drive - it's a wonderful cause and there are even prizes.

Supplies: all three used HA CL796 "Peace Poinsettias"
Card 1: Teresa Collins "Tinsel & Co." pp; HA white embossing powder; MME enamel dots; HA 658286 - Medallion embossing folder; Ranger distress ink - shabby shutters; Ink - Memento London Fog
Card 2: Ranger distress ink - tumbled glass, spun sugar, picked raspberry; Ranger embossing powder - spun sugar; HA white embossing powder; Copics - BG72, BG75
Card 3: Ranger spun sugar embossing powder; MS copper glitter; PTI "Holiday Flourishes pp; SU "Sahara Sand" card base

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments are so appreciated.  Betty

ONE DIE - THREE CARDS

Teresa Collins' Christmas paper was the start for these cards today.  As I leafed through the pad I found the gold and silver star page and decided to use it for the background.  The first tree was cut from silver metallic card and gold embossed along the edges.  The sentiment is three layers of card in the metallic gold.

I'm going to add this to PTI's Make it Monday challenge (use gold embossing on edges) and also Merry Monday's current challenge of "Silent Night".

The next card uses the same elements, except I cut the extra parts of the die twice and added the top and bottom of the tree in gold to a silver base.

The negative parts of the silver were added to a gold base and dry embossed for the third card.  The sentiment is 3 layers of card and I added some glitter pen to it (sorry it didn't photograph very well).
It was fun trying to get 3 different cards with basically the same supplies.

ETA:I am entering the cards in Moxie Fab's Tree-mendous Trees Challenge.

Supplies: PTI "Merry & Bright", Memory Box "Peace" and HA "Merry";  Neenah  metallic paper; Ranger liquid gold embossing powder; Teresa Collins' "Tinsel & Company" 6x6 pad

Thanks for visiting today and your comments are very much appreciated.  Betty

FALLING LEAVES

Die cut some leaves from the same piece of watercolored rice paper I used for the butterfly in my previous post - tipped them in gold and then designed the card.  The center panel is another piece of rice paper that I had watercolored with distress inks.

I am entering this in the Simon Says Stamp color coordinates challenge - my colors are much softer than the challenge colors tho - just find it hard to do those bright colors!!

Supplies: Cheery Lynn leaf and Essentials by Ellen Zipper Panel dies (sentiment only); Distress inks - wild honey, seedless preserves, ripe persimmon and shabby shutters; Neenah metallic and HA cardstock; Ranger liquid platinum embossing powder

Thanks for visiting and always enjoy your comments!  Betty

AUTUMN BUTTERFLY

On PTI's Make it Monday this week, Danielle Flanders used a technique of just having the edges of a die cut tipped with gold.  Have seen many gorgeous cards with leaves tipped in gold, but decided I would do an autumnal butterfly.  My friend Cindy had sent me some rice paper which she said was fantastic for watercoloring and I had made some sheets with various distress inks.  It really works beautifully and dries very flat no matter how wet it is.  Then didn't know what to do with the papers - so die cut a large butterfly and designed from there. 

Die cut another butterfly from some gold polka dot vellum and a sentiment from gold card.  The background was dry embossed with another die.  Added some gold thread behind the butterfly and a few sequins and done.  Wish I could have photographed the gold on the edges better.

Supplies: PTI "Life is Beautiful" butterfly, Essentials by Ellen "Zipper Panel" and MFT stitched rectangle dies; WRMK vellum and Neenah metallic gold and astroparche cardstock;  DMC gold thread; Ranger liquid platinum embossing powder; Distress inks - wild honey, seedless preserves and ripe persimmon

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

PEACE

The theme for this week's Merry Monday challenge is "silent night" - so thought "peace" would be an appropriate sentiment for this card done in shades of blue with some silver and glitter.

I made the background by inking a lace doily stamp with distress ink, spraying it liberally with water and then stamping it onto watercolor paper.  The tree was die cut from glitter paper and embossed.  I made the snow just by tearing a piece of cardstock and used a silver glitter pen to outline the snow.  This was a very quick card to make once the background was made - I actually stamped a large sheet so I could make more cards like it.

Supplies: HA S3519 and CL796; Distress ink - tumbled glass; DCWV glitter paper

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

OCTOBER CCC

Every month Deb Nolan hosts a card chain challenge - sign up on her blog and send a card to the person above you on the list - very fun and you meet lovely stampers from all over the world.  There's also a prize randomly drawn every month.   Actually, I started my Flickr page because of this challenge in 2009 so I'd have a place to post the cards I made.  This month I'm sending a card to Deb - I used the colors from the challenge - gold, persimmon and deep iris.  I did the watercolor background with PTI's "Harvest Berries" with distress inks and lots of water.  Made another purple leaf, die cut and added on top with some gold sequins for berries.

No sentiment on this one - Deb can add whatever she likes if she wants to send it on.  Try this challenge - you'll like it!!  Am also entering this in TIMEOUT challenge which features Heather Telford and her lovely watercoloring.

Supplies:
Stamp: PTI Harvest Berries
Inks: Ranger distress - Ripe Persimmon, Wild Honey, Seedless Preserves
Paper: SU "Very Vanilla"

PINK AUTUMN LEAVES

Today as I was looking at Gayatri's blog, I found a challenge to use pink, peach and gold.  As I was still in the autumn leaf mode and the technique using reinkers & baby wipe for the ink pad mode, I created this card.

Entering this in Gayatri's challenge at Winnie & Walter blog.

Supplies: HA E2252 stamp; HA CH187 gold metallic decor; HA vellum (very old); Essentials by Ellen sentiment from Zipper Panel die; Neenah metallic cardstock; PTI melon berry and sweet blush inks

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

AUTUMN LEAVES

Today in the Hero Arts Flickr Discussion Group 90 minute challenge, we were to make a seasonal card for either autumn or spring.  Since HA's leaf stamp was still on my desk, I used it again but stamped it with a technique Julie Ebersole did the other day on The Classroom blog.  Basically, you just use drops of reinkers on a baby wipe as your ink pad.  After I stamped the leaves, I overstamped with the script and then spritzed the whole thing with pearlized water.  Since I hadn't used watercolor paper to begin with (duh!!) it really buckled - dried it with my heat gun and then ironed it on the back to flatten - worked fine.  Think I'll do some more of these this afternoon, now that I have the mess on my desk!!

After doing all that on the card, I used vellum for the sentiment - it would have been just my luck to ruin it by just stamping it on.  Also am entering this in TIMEOUT challenge for making a card inspired by Heather Telford using autumn leaves.

Supplies: Hero Arts stamps, E2252, S1832; Distress reinkers - Old Paper, Antique Linen, Milled Lavender, Peeled Paint; SU reinker - Really Rust

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

SPLATTER!!


Last night I was just playing around making some watercolor backgrounds and today did something with them. 

For the first card I just stamped on top of the dry background and then painted in the flowers and leaves with watered down distress ink.  For the second card, I felt the background was too vibrant for my taste, so adhered a piece of polka dot vellum on top to soften the colors.  Added the die cut leaf (also watercolored) and a few "raindrops" - done and dusted.

I am entering these in CASology's "splatter" challenge, Simon Says Stamp "watercolor" challenge, and TIMEOUT challenge which is "autumn leaves".  The latter challenge used a card by Heather Telford as inspiration - she does such gorgeous watercoloring.  My dabbles couldn't ever compare, but it's fun to try.

Supplies: Hero Arts leaf stamp; Cheery Lynn leaf die;  Penny Black "Softly" stamp; Distress inks - wild honey, dried marigold, seedless preserves, peeled paint, tumbled glass, spun sugar, squeezed lemonade; EZ Runner vellum tape

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

SUNFLOWER

Fusion's challenge with the sunflower as the focus has been on my mind for almost 2 weeks and I knew I would use my very old Hero Arts sunflower but not just how.  So it was stamped and colored with Copics, fussy cut and then lots of seed beads glued in the center.  After that it took awhile to put the rest of it together.  Decided to stay with black, gold and the circle idea and just repeated that all over the card.

Supplies:  HA sunflower stamp; PTI circle die; SU large dot embossing folder; Copics Y15, Y17, Y19

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

NEON TREES

Merry Monday made me do it !!!  Use neon colors on a Christmas card that is!!  Way out of my comfort zone, but did manage to find some glitter paper that fit the bill.

The two side trees are flat and the middle one is raised slightly - then the "merry" is 4 layers of cardstock.  Will also enter this in Virginia's View Challenge for clean and simple.

Supplies:
DCWV glitter paper
Hero Arts "Merry" sentiment - DC116
PTI "Christmas" sentiment
Sorry I don't know the manufacturer of the tree die - might be Impression Obsession

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

SHAKER ORNAMENT

Had another go at making a shaker card today - I find it rather time consuming, but maybe I'll get better at it if I make enough of them.  Also find them very difficult to photograph.  I used acetate with polka dot vellum for the background and sequins from my stash.   The first try on this card ended in the trash because I didn't think ahead to put the gold thread on first - had it all done and then no very good way to add it.

The sentiment is 3 layers of cardstock.  I put a little glue on ends of the thread to keep it from fraying. 

I think this would qualify as clean and simple (even tho I made it quite complicated it looks pretty clean) for Virginia's View challenge so will enter it in her challenge.  White space is a definite quality of clean and simple and if you would like to read a wonderful essay about white space definitely read this by Susan Raihala.

I always have a book going so am going to add "what I am reading" to my blog.  I just finished a wonderful novel - "The Light Between Oceans" by M.L. Stedman - it is a fantastic novel about love and forgiveness - highly recommend.  Now I am reading "The King's Curse" by Phillippa Gregory - if you are familiar with "The Other Boleyn Girl" which she also wrote and was made into a movie, you might enjoy this book.  Most of the time I read British mysteries, but sometime veer off into other stuff.

Supplies:
Hero Arts D1104 (Ornament Die cut); DC116 (Fancy Cuts Christmas)

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments are so appreciated.  Betty

CARVE!!

The theme for this week's Paper Players' challenge is Halloween so of course I had to do it!!  Have had the little bingo card for ages and no idea where I got it, but decided now was the time to use it for a card to send to my son who grew some lovely pumpkins in his back garden in London, England.

This is also a sort of "first" for me as I have never done the "slanty" thing with layering either, but rather like it - don't think I'll make a practice of it tho!  Just not me.

Supplies:
PTI  cat and polka dot paper
Ranger walnut stain distress ink
Jane's Doodles digi pumpkin

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

SNOWFLAKE TAG

This is my next entry for a2z Scrapbooking's challenge for today - make "anything by a card".   Am sort of running out of creativity so did a reprise of a tag I made last year with the same paper for the background.

White embossed the snowflakes and sentiments on the background paper and added it to a die cut tag.  Filled in the left side of the card with glittery pen, added some silver glitter enamel dots and shiny ribbon.

Supplies:
Hero Arts snowflakes and sentiments -sorry I don't know which sets - put all my snowflakes together  in one place:(
Hero Arts white embossing powder
Sakura Gelly Roll stardust pen
MME enamel dots
Graphic45 paper (discontinued)
Spellbinders die

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

The second challenge for World Cardmaking Day from a2z Scrapbooking was "anything goes".  I needed another Halloween card so...

Masked off the moon, sponged the background with distress inks, stamped the spooky tree and sentiment, added some bats - done and dusted!!  Heat embossed the bats with clear to give them a little shine and popped them up.

Supplies:
Hero Arts CG393
Ranger Distress Inks: walnut stain, peeled paint, wild honey, dried marigold, pumice stone
MS bat punch

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

ANOTHER POINSETTIA

Made another card basically using the same paper (explained in my previous card) and embossing the poinsettia in silver this time and adding silver embossed leaves.

Probably should have added a sentiment before I had embossed the front - oh well, it will have to go on the inside!

Will add this to a2z Scrapbooking's challenge for today and also to Merry Monday's challenge to use polka dots.

Supplies:
Hero Arts CL796
Hero Arts silver embossing powder
Hero Arts pewter metallic dots
SU embossing folder

AQUA & SILVER POINSETTIA

It's World Cardmaking Day and there are many challenges today.  a2z Scrapbooking's first challenge today is to use aqua, silver and white.

I made some paper by smooshing pewter liquid pearls on white paper with a piece of crumpled cling wrap.  I then used distress ink sponged over it after it was dry.  Stamped and embossed the poinsettia in white and die cut.  The darker aqua strip is just the same paper with more ink (hard to see in photo that there is pewter on it also).  The card base is 4"x5 1/2" so the poinsettia can be over the edge.

Supplies:
Stamp: Hero Arts CL796; "Joy" is also HA
Ink: Distress - tumbled glass
Other: HA silver embossing powder; Ranger liquid pearls

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

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