WINTER BUTTERFLY

This past week I received some exciting news - a2z Scrapbooking asked me to become a member of their design team - famous first for me!!  And what a crazy day on Saturday - just when I finished the Hero Arts scramble #100, I had an email from Kymona saying that my first post would be due to go live on 13 January!!  So not only did I have to create a card, but also post it using Wordpress which I had never used before.  Good thing I'm a little bit computer savvy and managed to do that after creating my card.  Here's a peek of what I created:

I used a new technique (to me) which I have explained in my post.  So head on over to the a2z blog and check it out.  If you need any Hero supplies a2z is the go to place with my 15% discount for you - BETTY15 - good on a minimum purchase of $25 at their store. Think about joining their January challenge - New to You - and a chance to win a $25 gift certificate. 

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

HERO ARTS SCRAMBLE #100 & MERRY MONDAY CHALLENGE

Today Barb challenged us to use our favorite Hero Arts image and sentiment in a card - and get it finished and posted in 90 mintues.  Have always loved this HA sentiment so started with it and then used the HA butterfly die.  The blue watercolored background was a scrap lying on my desk.  Since the theme this week on Merry Monday is "snowflakes" I am entering it in their challenge also.

Supplies: HA D4236, D1078, CL234; Neenah metallic cardstock

Thanks for stopping by and love reading your comments.  Betty

DIFFERENT COLORS - DIFFERENT CHALLENGES

Virginia's View Challenge this month is "clean slate".  My card is another version of the CASE of Laura Bassen's card that I previously made for Kara's Friday Inspiration File challenge.  I needed some thank you cards so did the same design in different colors.  Since it has lots of white space I think it qualifies for Virginia's challenge.  Am also entering this in Happy Little Stampers challenge of CAS+water coloring (thanks to Loll for suggesting I enter).

Before water coloring the background, I spritzed the paper with water & Perfect Pearls -gives it a  lovely glimmery effect, but difficult to photograph.

Supplies: Memory Box Gorgeous Gardenia outline die and Technique Tuesday sentiment


Thanks for stopping by and making my day with your kind comments.  Betty

KARA'S CHALLENGE

I have been following Kara's Friday Inspiration File on Pinterest for ages.  Since she just did her 200th file, her challenge is use one of her chosen cards as inspiration and post it on her blog.  I chose this card by Laura Bassen.

Here is my card:

I need thank you cards for some Christmas gifts and am planning on making more of these in different colors. 

Supplies: Memory Box Gorgeous Gardenia outline die and Technique Tuesday sentiment

Thanks for stopping and I so appreciate your comments!  Betty

MY FAVORITES OF 2014

I began my blog on 6 January and I'm so glad I got up the nerve to do it.  Will be traveling home from London on the 6th next week so while I have a little time today here am posting my own favorites from the year.  Have had a wonderful time here with my son and family - went to see "Edward Scissorhands" at the Sadlers Wells theatre - fantastic choreography - beautifully done.  Spent some time in Canterbury with my DIL's mom and dad, went to school with DIL Sarah for 3 days - she is the deputy head of a Catholic primary school - worked with year 6 kids on helping them to write winter poems and then took them out in small groups and did watercolor backgrounds for their poems now that I am the watercolor expert:-) from all my great experience - NOT!  But they had fun just playing with the colors and splattering - also taught them how to cut snowflakes - the poems and the snowflakes ended up on a large bulletin board in the hall by their classroom.  Later today I am meeting up for a glass of wine with a stamping friend whom I met online and have been corresponding with for several years.  We have met before but it's always fun to catch up in person.

Below is the winter display from St. Joseph's School in Kingston, London.

And here are my favorites from my first year of blogging.

I haven't figured out how to align the pictures horizontally even after googling how to do it - still greek to me.  So it just has to be a very elongated post.

Also, I am at 999 followers on my Pinterest Boards - wish someone would help me get to 1000 by the end of the year!!!

Best wishes for a wonderful 2015 to everyone who stops by.  Hugs,  Betty

CHRISTMAS CARD FOR 3 CHALLENGES

I started out to design this card for Merry Monday's challenge (bird) and then realized I could also use it for Curtain Call (aqua and lime green) and Paper Players (fancy).

I adhered the silver dot vellum to white cardstock and die cut the tag.  Die cut the bird from silver paper and covered it with glossy accents to give it some shine.  The branch and sentiment are cut from glitter paper.  I colored the silk ribbon with a copic marker. 

Supplies: HA sentiment, MFT tag, MB bird & branch dies; May Arts silk ribbon; DCWV and SU glitter paper and Neenah metallic cs.

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  This may be my last post for the year as I leave for London next Sunday to spend Christmas with my family there.  May you have a peaceful Christmas and a blessed New Year.  Betty

 HERO ARTS SCRAMBLE #99

Today Natalie challenged us to use an "old" Hero Arts holiday or winter stamp.  Took me forever to think of something, much less make a card - which actually turned into a tag.

I recently bought a Tim Holtz die set of pine boughs and holly so cut those out in green. Stamped the tag background with woodgrain in distress ink and rubbed the edges with more ink.  Then I overstamped in white with a spatter background stamp to give the effect of snow.  Embossed the sentiment and ornament (fussy cut), added some gold floss and done - only it took me nearly 70 minutes to accomplish!!!!  And then I still had to photograph and upload - nearly didn't make it in 90 minutes!

Supplies: HA CL551, S5208, CH188; Heidi Swapp splatter stamp; Tim Holtz dies; DMC gold floss; Colorbox frost white and Ranger walnut stain inks

Thanks for visiting today and your kind comments.   Betty

NOVEMBER CCC

For Deb's November Card Challenge I made this card for Heather in Ireland.  The colors were taupe, brick red and dull gold which I used and the card sketch.  Only put "happy" on the card and didn't write inside in case Heather ever needed a quick card,  she could stamp a sentiment to go with "happy" and send it off.

I like to have these kinds of cards on hand just for that reason.

Supplies: MME pp and enamel dots; SU "sahara sand" cs; HA "Happy" die

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

GOLDEN BELLS

The challenge for this week at Merry Monday is Christmas bells and I'm just getting this card in under the wire.

I didn't think I had anything with bells in all my stash of stuff and then remembered some PTI bell die cuts a friend had given me ages ago - didn't like the paper so embossed them (they curled a bit, but I rather like that).  Also just embossed the tips of some pine boughs with white to add the effect of snow.  I didn't add a sentiment on the front 'cause I thought it was "busy" enough with the paper.

I am also entering this in Card Concept Challenge which is krafty Christmas.  I think I would put this in the "classy and elegant" department because of the gold bells.

Edited to add: Card Concept Challenge picked my card as a winner - woo hoo!!

Supplies: PTI "Bells" die and pp; Ranger Liquid Platinum and HA white embossing powder; CheeryLynn pine dies

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

PEACE WITH STARS

Made another card today for the Fusion challenge with a little variation from the first one I made.  This one also follows the sketch somewhat.

I first stamped and embossed the circle wreath and sentiment in silver and then added a single layer of the die cut wreath.  Added the silver stars and shiny red floss and done.  It used to annoy me that the floss frayed so much, but this time I just let it go.

Supplies:  HA silver embossing powder and CG620; MFT wreath die; DMC shiny floss; Teresa Collins silver stars; Essentials by Ellen brushstroke "peace"

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

PEACE

Fusion has a new challenge this week which is so inspiring for a Christmas card.  So designed my card today around the photo.  Also entering this in a2z Scrapbooking's "anything goes" challenge.

 Stamped the circle wreath and embossed it first, then cut out the center circle and added two layers of the silver wreath.  Stamped and embossed the sentiment, then made the shaker part before mounting all on the card base.  Added the shiny floss bow and done.

Supplies: HA CG620 and Essentials by Ellen stamps; MFT wreath die; HA silver embossing powder; DMC shiny floss; Neenah metallic cs

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

JOY SHAKER CARD

I started this card with the colors (blues) from Fusion's challenge in mind - only by the time I finished the deadline had passed.  Oh well, another card for my stash. I saw this card on Pinterest the other day and CASE'd it - the shaker and joy part anyway.

I sprayed the background with silver spray and then put the rest of it together.  Put aqua sequins and glitter in the shaker.

Supplies: HA silver spray; Essentials by Ellen "Brushstrokes" die & sentiment; Neenah metallic cs

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

JOY

Today I made a matching card and tag with a couple of challenges in mind.

Virginia's View challenge is metallic and CAS-ology is festive on a tag.  At a2z Scrapbooking blog the challenge is "anything goes" using Hero Arts.  I used the same stamp, papers, ink, die, and embellishments for both.  Even though the background card is the same on both the lighting makes them look different - both are a pearlized card.

Supplies: Hero Arts CG620 stamp; Essentials by Ellen "joy" and MFT stitched tag and rectangle dies; Neenah metallic cs; DMC gold floss; champagne pearls from Michaels; Ranger liquid platinum embossing powder

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

TREE-MENDOUS TREES II

Another card for Moxie Fab World's tree challenge - basically using the same technique as I did in my previously posted card.

This time though I cut two layers together for the card front.  Then sandwiched the polka dot vellum between the two layers, added the glitter tree and sequins.

Thanks for stopping by and always enjoy reading your much appreciated comments.  Betty

TREE-MENDOUS TREES

Over at Moxie Fab World there is a challenge to use trees.  I had seen Cat's card and wanted to create something similar - I figured she did partial die cutting but that's all I figured out.  So just did my own thing. 

I placed the circle die and tree die together on the cardstock and die cut.  After snipping the bits where the dies had overlapped, I embossed the piece. Next I attached the patterned paper to the back, inlaid the glittery tree, and popped it all up on a card front.  Added the sequins,  rhinestone centers and some dots of glitter pen in the centers of the dots and done.

Supplies: CB embossing folder; SU glitter paper; IO "Fancy Trees" die; sequins and stuff from my stash

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

ANOTHER WREATH

Merry Monday, Festive Friday and Time Out challenges all have a similar rustic theme this week, plus I used the sketch from Freshly Made to design my card.

I stamped and gold embossed the circle wreath and the sentiment before adding the die cut wreath (2 layers).

Supplies: HA CG620 and HACL619 stamps; MFT wreath die; MME enamel dot

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

A WREATH FOR A FEW CHALLENGES

Merry Monday, Festive Friday and Time Out challenges all have a similar rustic theme this week, plus I used the sketch from Freshly Made to design my card.  I die cut two wreaths from gold card and distressed with a little ink - all the other edges were distressed also.  Glued 4 layers of cs together for the sentiment to give a little more texture.

Supplies: HA "Merry" and MFT wreath dies; MME enamel dots; Neenah gold metallic and SU sahara sand cs; Ranger walnut stain distress ink

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

HERO ARTS SCRAMBLE

Today Lin challenged us to make a wreath card in 90 minutes.  Everyone's cards will be posted here.

I had just bought the wreath die so naturally that was a given to use.  Stamped the background for the wreath in versamark and embossed.  Cut two wreaths and layered them, added the bow and sentiment, rounded the corners and it was done.  I think it would be an easy card to reproduce and fun to do with different colored bows.

Supplies: HA CL619 and CG620; MFT wreath and bow die; MME enamel dot; Neenah metallic cs; Ranger liquid platinum embossing powder

Thanks for stopping and always love your kind comments.  Betty

SNOWFLAKE BURST

Merry Monday's challenge this week is snowflakes, neutral colors and dry embossing and Virginia's View new challenge is "metallic" - so made this card to fit both.

The center snowflake is 4 layers of card with a gold gemstone in the center.

Supplies: HA DC116 (sentiment); HA silver shimmer spray; Tim Holtz snowflake embossing folder; MB snowflake burst die; IO snowflake die; SU glitter paper; HA gold metallic gem

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

SUSPENDED SNOWFLAKE
Merry Monday's challenge this week is snowflakes, neutral colors and dry embossing and Virginia's View new challenge is "metallic" - so made this card to fit both.  Awhile back Jennifer McGuire had a tutorial which showed how she suspended a diecut in an opening.  Quite easy to do and very effective. 

First I cut the openings, then embossed and finally lightly sprayed with some silver shimmer spray.  Cut two snowflakes and after putting the gold thread in place, sandwiched the snowflakes.  Jennifer explains the whole process much better in her video.

Supplies: Tim Holtz snowflake embossing folder; SB circle die: Essentials by Ellen "peace" die; HA clear smooth gemstone; DMC gold floss; Neenah metallic cs; IO snowflake die; HA silver shimmer spray

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty