Saturday, November 30, 2013

Flip-it Card for Mojo Monday



This week's sketch at Mojo Monday was a circle or square challenge.  Here is the sketch . . .


When I saw the sketch, it reminded me of one of my Flip-it Dies from Sizzix.  So I decided to see what I could do using that die and the sketch above.  It was a bit of the challenge, as I basically "flipped" the layers of the sketch.  My outer mats are side-by-side instead of up and down, and my inner layers are as shown in the sketch. 


It was a bit of a challenge to get the ribbon where I wanted it.  It all came together nicely in the end, and I love the "bling" in this card . . . the chunky glitter and the rhinestones.  Girls love their bling!  



Supplies Used
Bazzill Cardstock
Pattern Paper from my scrap bin
Color Box Ink
Stamps of Life Stamps and Dies
Queen & Co. Rhinestones
Stampin' Up Ribbon 
Sprinkles Glitter (Stamps of Life)


Blessed

This is the one that almost got away.  I created it, took the picture and forgot to post it for the Heart 2 Heart Challenge.  Packing for vacation must have had me off my game. 

The challenge was all about gratitude, and this is what I came up with . . .


I used the Count Your Blessings stamp set and the coordinating product in the Huntington Workshop kit.  I used my Copics to color the images. 

This was a perfect Thanksgiving card to send! 

Supplies Used were all CTMH and Copic Markers.  

Vellum Reflection for SPARKS Challenge

This week's Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge was a photo inspiration.

 

Now, I'm not normally so literal when I look at the photos.  I usually will pick an element or two, and sometimes I will just go for the color combinations.  But for some reason I felt challenged to recreate this scene as much as possible using vellum to get that mirror image.  It was quite challenging, as things weren't working as planned.  But here is my end result . . .


I used a piece of bold yellow vellum for the bottom and stamped on the back side using Ranger Archival Ink.  I then flipped the vellum and stamped the mirror image on the cardstock above.  I inked the top in yellow and the bottom in black.  I colored the balloons with Copic Markers and added rhine stones on the corners of the vellum to hide the glue dots.    


Fun, but challenging.

Supplies Used
Bazzill Cardstock
Graffix Vellum
Paper Smooches Promenade, Metropolis and Sentiment Sampler sets
K I Gems
Ranger Archival Ink
Close To My Heart Honey Ink
Copic Markers

Sweet (and Shiny) CAS-ual Friday Card



The challenge for this week's CAS-ual Friday Challenge was to . . .


Use eight of something on your design.  So I stamped eight pieces of candy onto my card (not counting the piece inside the card), all a little different and full of color.  I used liquid glass so my wrappers would appear shiny.


I was happy to find a sentiment that would fit into the piece of candy inside the card.  Tiny stamps are awesome and handy. They also leave space for a personal note. 



Supplies Used:
Bazzill Cardstock
Neenah Cardstock
Stamps of Life Stamps (candy2share and postmarks2stamp)
Liquid Glass (CTMH)
Color Box Ink
Denami Ribbon



Creating a Scene for H2H Challenge

"Sponging" was the challenge for the 4th Heart 2 Heart Challenge this month. 

I wanted to create a scene using the Christmas Village set, so I started with some Colonial White paper from the Frosted paper set.  I used the smallest snowflake in the Santa Claus set and embossed using a discontinued powder from Close To My Heart that had a bit of a pearl accent to it.  I then sponged the top using Twilight ink, which was perfect.  For the bottom, to give a look of drifting snow, I used Slate ink and tried to go as a light as possible. 


The trees and snowman were stamped directly onto this layer.  I then colored with Copics and used a white pen to highlight the snow on the trees.  I adhered this layer to piece of the pattern paper in the Frosted collection, and then adhered to an A2 card base. 

For the house, I stamped on a scrap of Colonial White and then cut it out.  I colored with my Copics and again used the white pen for the snow.  I used liquid glass on the windows and then adhered 



I have to say this was a tedious, but fun card.  I loved creating that wintery scene. 

Product Used
CTMH Paper from Frosted
CTMH Stamps Santa and Snow Village
CTMH Inks
Copic Markers
Versamark
Liquid Glass
CTMH Embossing Powder

Friday, November 29, 2013

Heart 2 Heart - Game On

I was wandering the Disney parks in Florida when this Heart 2 Heart Challenge was released, and I was stumped to think of what I might have that was game related.  But it occurred to me . . . while on vacation I was missing hockey games.  My husband and I have season tickets.  So what says game on like a skating penguin from the Wintery Wishes set (I was tempted to draw him little stick and puck). 


There are two layers to this card.  A larger layer where I created my own background with the snowflakes.  The smaller layer on top has the penguin stamped on it and I used the Sparkle & Shine Washi tape which is a great accent.  I had a tough time showing the beautify of that silver tape!  I also used scraps of the Sparkle & Shine paper for the hat and scarf. 

Another fun challenge from Heart 2 Heart! 

All product used is CTMH. 

Catching Up w/Heart 2 Heart - Seeing Double

I'm just back from vacation and wanted to catch up with the Heart 2 Heart Challenges this weekend.  Before leaving, I had the Seeing Double challenge in my sights and had put aside some holiday paper and stamps to get started when I returned.  I find it amazing that creativity can change in two week's time.  I completely boycotted my original idea because I just was not in the spirit.  So, no holiday card.  Instead, two little monkeys came into play.


I just had to make a twin card using the little monkeys.  I used the twine for them to hang, and I was originally going to cut them out.  But then I had the idea to punch holes and thread the twine, so I didn't have to worry about fragile monkeys (nothing is worse than fragile monkeys). 



Now, I have been in love with Irresistibles since they came out a few years back.  My biggest problem with them . . . I find it so difficult to use them (mentally, not physically) because I want to hoard them.  They are amazingly adorable because you can color coordinate them to whatever project you're working on and they are so fun.  So I broke open my letter back just for this project. 


And the sentiment that comes with that stamp set is perfect for twins!  Yes - it would get wild. 

All supplies used are Close To My Heart. 


Sunday, November 24, 2013

You're the Bomb



I've been away on vacation, did some unpacking, and then had a selfish moment where I felt the need to be creative.  What better way than to participate in a Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge!

This week was a color challenge . . .


We R Memories had just the shades, and I found myself inspired to make a card with a dachshund in honor of my coworker, whose dog had disc surgery this week and is doing very well (so happy for her).  There will be a day in the future where I will want to thank her for helping me out with something (she's awesome) and this card will be ready for the moment.


Cute little pup!

Supplies Used
Bazzill Cardstock
We R Memories Paper
Paper Smooches Stamps and Dies
  (Woofers & Tweeters, Slang Gang, and He Said She Said)
Stamping Up Ribbon
Versafine Black Ink

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Touch of Twine Blog Hop - Denami Design

I'm excited, as always, to be a part of Denami Design's Touch of Twine Blog Hop.  It combines so many of my favorite things . . . Denami stamps . . . twine . . . ink . . . creativity!  

If you've just arrived after viewing creations from the very creative Barbara Murphy, you are in the right place!  If you'd like to start from the beginning of the hop, please to Denami's Blog to start from the very beginning. 

So first . . . the details on the hop . . .  



When: The blog hop starts on November 10 at 6 AM, PST. However, you have until November 11, 2013, 11:59 pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs (to be eligible for a prize).

Why: To be inspired by fun DeNami Design creations and also the chance to win mini shopping sprees on the DeNami Design website!

Prizes:
They are giving away THREE $20 gift certificates to our website! They'll be giving away one gift certificate to a random participant and then they'll also be giving away TWO gift certificates to TWO people who comment along the hop!

I have two creations for the hop today, and up first is a "Hi!" card using Swinging Chickie. 


For this card, I stamped the chick across the page three times at varying heights and then poked holes and extended the swings using twine.  I originally was going to put the twine all the way to the swing seat, but I felt it took away from my chickies (and it's all about the chickies!).  
  

For my second creation, I used Chickie Train and created a holiday thank you card.  The twine is serving as my track, and I was tempted to create an actual track from the twine using two strands and maybe even laying  track . . . but just laying that second strand was taking away from my chickies!  So I kept it simple. 



 Look close . . . Fun Fluff makes an appearance as snow on top of the train cars.



I'm glad you stopped by and would love for you to visit again soon.  However, you need to hop the train over to your next stop . . . the very talented La-Vie Borde-Perry.  

Enjoy the rest of the hop, and be sure you do some creating of your own when you've finished up!  

Debbie

Supplies Used:  
Bazzill Cardstock
Queen & Company Paper
CLN139 Chickie Train
D146 Swinging Chickie
PF29 Everyday Greetings
Denami Twine
Denami Fun Fluff
Close To My Heart Black Archival Ink
Copic Markers
Rhinestones
Stickles

Friday, November 8, 2013

The Stamps of Life . . . Using My Stash

Over the past few weeks I've been trying to create cards at night, rather than sitting around watching television and thinking about the fact that I should be stamping.  It's not that I don't enjoy stamping, it's that I come home from work absolutely brain tired.

So I pulled out my collection of monthly stamps I've been collecting (hoarding) from The Stamps of Life.  I pulled out some ink and some ribbon and twine.  I pulled out my scrap bin.  My hope is that I would not have to think too much.  I could just create.  Here is a little peek of a few of them . . .

This one used Bazzill Cardstock, Authentique Paper, and stamps, dies and ink from The Stamps of Life.  This was last month's set (I think) - lights4christmas.
 

And the inside . . .


I created this one for a co-workers baby shower at work.  This one here is "onesie4baby", and I got a little crazy with the white embossing powder.  I think that is DCVW pattern paper, Bazzill cardstock, American Crafts Brads and CTMH white ribbon. 


There was a lot of layering on this one . . .


This one was inspired by a sketch, and the fact that I seem to have a lot of yellow card bases from past projects.  I used one of the summer sets that arrived in my mailbox . . . lemonade2drink . . . along with it's counterpart . . . morelemonade2stamp.  I used archival ink on this one and Tim Holtz markers which I embellished with Stickles.  The ribbon is from Denami.  


I actually performed surgery to "amputate" my outside sentiment from my inside sentiment, because they were one piece (and that just didn't seem right). 

 
This one was also inspired by a sketch.  I believe this one was not a monthly set, but rather one that I could not resist and purchased because the main image is a dog.  (Hello!  Paws to Scrap!)  The dog's name is Cookie, and while I didn't use the dog image, (because the card was so small) I used the sentiment, the gift and the little tag.  I did some paper piecing on this one to create that gift.  This was all scraps from a past project of mine.  



And then finally . . . Sizzix came out with the Flip-it Framelits.  I used two past sets along with the Framelit die to create this one.  The paper and ribbon is American Crafts . . . an old collection.  


Better use of time than my television viewing, and way more creative.  And I'm using up some scraps . . . it's been a lot of fun!


Sunday, November 3, 2013

Fall Inspiration Photo from Paper Smooches



So this week's challenge at Paper Smooches was a photo inspiration . . .


There is no rain water in my photo, but my biggest challenge was what Paper Smooches stamp would work when I have no Fall PS stamps.  Just Halloween, no Fall!  Zilch.  Nada!  Nothing!   Now for some reason, this pictures is a lot more red than the actual card.  Fall lighting? 


I used the Winter Groves stamp set (tree) with two of the little images on the Bold Blooms set, and then a sentiment from Sentiment Sampler. This was a fun one to stamp, as I love to layer colors.  I created photo with one inch squares and some folding which kind of popped the design a bit.

Fun challenge!

Supplies Used:
Bazzill Cardstock
Pattern Paper from my scrap stash
Paper Smooches Stamps (Winter Groves, Bold Blooms and Sentiment Sampler)
Close To My Heart Ink
Ribbon from my scrap jar

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Lots of Layers for Heart 2 Heart

The challenge at Heart 2 Heart was to use at least five layers on your creation.  I have a hard time not using layers, so this was like opening the flood gates.  With my newest Sparkle & Shine paper in hand, I created some layers . . .


I may have gotten carried away!  The "December 25" banner is on a stripe banner, which is on a white circle, which is on a Slate scallop circle, which is on a slate rectangle, which is on a hounds-tooth pattern piece, which is on a slate mat, which is on a pattern mat which is on a white mat which is on a card base!  Is that ten?  (I need therapy!)


 I may have just undone years of hard work trying to keep my layers to a minimum.  But I had a lot of fun doing it.

Supplies Used
CTMH Sparkle & Shine Kit
CTMH Inks and Embellishments
Twinery Twine