Baking Spirits Bright

Hi all - I'm back with my second card for National Gingerbread Cookie Day over at Day of the Month Card Club Challenge #69. I'm using new Simon Says Stamp dies with a newly used sentiment stamp I bought last season.

Supplies: Paper - Recollections A2 card;

Sunny Studio Critter Country; TH silver kraft metallic;

scraps of kraft and white

Dies - Simon Says Stamp Holiday Baking Essentials 

& Cookie Sheet;

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set;

Stamps w/dies - Taylored Expressions Season's Sweetings (dies HERE)

Other - foam tape; white gel pen; Copic RV16 & E50

I die cut a rectangle from a Sunny Studio buffalo plaid paper & added to an A2 card top fold card from Michael's. I die cut the baking elements from various scraps. Stamped and die cut a sentiment. Added everything to the card after detailing with a gel pen and a Copic. Done! I thought it was fun to combine the rolled & cut out dough on the left with the baked cookies on the right.

I'll also add my card to Merry Little Christmas Challenge #59 where Anything Goes Christmas (5th entry of 8 max if I'm counting correctly) & to Darnell's November NBUS Challenge #68 since the sentiment and some of the baking elements were newly used.

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by & have a crafty day!!

A Thanksgiving Z-fold for Craft Roulette #241

Hey all - Happy Monday! I finally got a chance to watch Craft Roulette #241 which aired Friday night while I went to a party. Here's my creation:

Supplies: Paper - Recollections yellow 65lb cardstock;

Sunny Studio Critter Country; scraps

Dies - Impression Obsession Patchwork Turkey (retired);

Simon Says Stamp Holiday Baking Essentials

Other - Paper Studio Thanksgiving ephemera and stickers;

foam tape; Taylored Expressions Sweet Corn, Latte, & Hot Fudge inks

Host Mary Gunn FUNN had Jessica Vasher (Jessica Vasher Designs) as her guest. Jessica has been cardmaking for 10 years and posts process videos whenever she can. The wheel gave us another set of interesting parameters to use on our cards:

• Project - Z-fold card: I formed a double Z-fold from cardstock.
• Colors - Scarecrow: Yellow & brown, plus orange and blue commonly for clothes.
• Element - Bake: Baked pie, plus there's a rolling pin on another section of the Z.
• Random - Crinkle Inkle: This is what Mary Gunn calls inking with something crinkled, be it plastic wrap or paper. On the front Z panel I crinkle inkled the whole thing with some plastic packaging & 3 different TE inks.

I watched a YouTube video on creating a triple Z-fold. Decided I only wanted two layers. The instructor didn't give the dimensions of her 2nd and 3rd layers but you could really use however deep you want them. Length always starts at 11 inches to fold to an A2 size. I tried some TE Sweet Corn cardstock but it was too heavy. Found a lighter weight yellow in a Michael's pack. Back layer is 4.25x11" long scored at 2.75 and 5.5". Top layer I cut to about 3x11"; scored at 4.25 and 7". Here are a few other views:

I had just started my Thanksgiving cards by assembling a bunch of IO's Patchwork Turkey, sadly retired. They have another turkey die set but I think Mr. Patchwork is cuter. I decided I could make a turkey work for my Craft Roulette project, thereby getting a Thanksgiving card finished! I only make 6 so it should go quickly but I'll keep the rest to normal A2s.

That's it for today, friends - thanks for visiting!!

Pink Ornament on Aqua

Happy Sunday, everyone - I spotted Color Hues Challenge #99 yesterday and just had to play along! Marcia is hosting and chose Pink/Aqua as her color combo - so yummy!! Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Recollection top fold A2 card; 

scraps; striped by unk; Betterpress Porcelain;

Dies - Simon Says Stamp Reeded Ornament;

My Favorite Things Blueprints 26 (bow);

Impression Obsession Pine Branch (retired at IO 

but a couple left at Frantic Stamper HERE);

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set 

Press Plate w/die - Spellbinders Seasons Greetings Evergreens

Other - foam tape; Hero Arts enamel dots

I just received an order from Simon Says Stamp last week. I couldn't resist their Reeded Ornament set from the new Festive Fun collection. It's getting first play on this card. I used a tried & true sketch of an ornament hanging from pine boughs. 

I die cut some aqua striped paper (it was a rogue piece, not with a pad so brand unk) using a stitched rectangle. Added to an A2 card. Next I cut two pine boughs from some aqua scraps (paper brand unk - might be MFT) & then the ornament from pink scraps (again, maybe MFT). The ornament hanger was cut from scraps of a neutral silver Tim Holtz kraft metallic. Assembled and added to the card. The Betterpressed sentiment came from the Christmas bits box. Die cut a bitty bow from a fave MFT Blueprints set & added it to the ornament along with a gem - done! 

I'll also play at the Tic Tac Toe Challenge #260 using the bottom horizontal row - Die Cut, Metallic Element & Festive Sentiment. And also at Darnell's November NBUS Challenge #68 since my ornament is newly used.

That's it for today, friends. I'm very behind on Craft Roulette - went to a party Friday night so missed the LIVE. Haven't watched the replay yet but hope to get to it later today...

Thanks for stopping by & have a crafty day!! 

Joy for a Christmas Card!

Hello & welcome! It's Thursday so I checked out the new Just Us Girls challenge after I caught up on the Young & the Restless (US television soap opera). Sue is hosting Challenge #753 where she chose the word JOY for Word Week. I love using the word joy whether stamped or die cut - here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Bermuda;

Sunny Studio Critter Country;

My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Christmas;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps - Hero Arts K5852 Joy Burst

Dies - Hero Arts Tag Frame Infinity Dies (retired)

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set 

Other - Copic Markers; 3M foam tape

I immediately thought about a woodblock JOY stamp I've had for over 10 years & haven't used in quite a while. Took some searching through the stamp boxes but I found it!! Stamped & colored the image, then die cut with a tag frame. Die cut a buffalo plaid panel and added it to an A2 card with a strip of gold striped paper that matched the coloring. Popped the JOY label atop with foam tap. Quick and easy!!

I'll also add my card (third and final) to the November We Love Stamping Challenge where they're doing Christmas & to Merry Little Christmas Challenge #59 where Anything Christmas Goes.

Thanks for stopping & enjoy your day!!

A Bunch of Christmas Cards!

Hey there - I'm back with a bunch of Christmas cards, definitely needed for the stash! First up a card using a darling snowmen stamp I picked up in Kansas City a couple weeks ago:

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Bermuda;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps - Woodware Craft Collection Snow Balls;

Hero Arts Christmas Holidays Stamp Cut,

North Pole Express, & Cozy Penguin (all retired);

Sunny Studio Snowman Kisses

Dies - AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Copic Markers; Memento Tuxedo Black ink;

Hero Arts Creamsicle, Dusty Blue, Emerald Green, & Red Royal inks;

Glossy Accents; Hero Arts Sparkle Lacquer

When I was in KC for the Sweet Adelines International convention (more on that in future), I had a free morning. Of course, I sought out a craft store! Found the charming LS Scrapbook Boutique in Lee's Summit, not too far from downtown KC. I had a lovely chat with owner Stacie &, though they focus on scrapbooking, found some card-making goodies, including the snowmen stamp.

I stamped the image onto a piece of Neenah white that was already die cut into a stitched rectangle. Colored it with Copic Markers. I stamped a sentiment  & snowflake from the same set, then added snowflakes from 4 other sets to get different sizes. I used ink colors to match my coloring. Finally, I added sparkle lacquer to the star and Glossy Accents to the heart. I did a second version of this card that I'm not sharing. I used some stamped/die cut snowflakes and found I liked the ones stamped directly on the panel better.

I'm adding this card to the November We Love Stamping Challenge where the theme is Christmas or Anything Goes. I'll also send my card to Darnell's November NBUS Challenge #68 since my snowmen stamp is getting first play here. 

Next, I have a set of cards using some gorgeous Graphic 45 papers I also bought on my trip. For the first two I die cut panels from the patterned paper using my fave dot stitched rectangle, then added ephemera. I added items to a gold Park Lane A2 card. The Graphic 45 collection is called Merry & Bright (12x12 paper pack/ephemera pack).

Then I made three cards using the "Stack and Whack" technique shared by Natasha Foote (video 1099). My friend Dawn (Dawn's World) shared her cards with this technique yesterday and I had to try it! I put them all in one photo:

Basically you stack 3 pieces of paper and tear the stack into three pieces randomly, then put them back together mixed up. I glued my piece to a A2 piece of typing paper & die cut the results into various stitched rectangles. I topped them with Graphic 45 ephemera; quick & easy!

That's it for today, my friends! So glad you took time to visit & I hope you have a wonderful day!!

Gingerbread Couple

Hi everyone - it's been a while since I joined Darnell and her IDEAS program (see her beautiful cards HERE) so I thought I'd jump into D is for Dies this week. And the designers are celebrating National Gingerbread Cookie Day over at Day of the Month Card Club Challenge #69 so I got out a die set to play along. Thought it was past time to use a darling Spellbinders set I bought last year but hadn't even opened yet. 

Here's my gingerbread couple:

Supplies: Paper - Taylored Expressions Hot Fudge & Latte;

BoBunny Snowfall Collection 6x6"; vellum;

scraps of blue and glitter paper, plus pink for the cheeks; 

Spellbinders Betterpress Pebble

Dies - Spellbinders Dancin Gingerbread;

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set;

My Favorite Things Stitched Oval Scallop Frames (retired)

Press Plate w/die - Spellbinders Merry & Bright Sentiment Strips; 

Other - Spellbinders Betterpress Thunder ink

I die cut a rectangle from a BoBunny patterned paper pad & added to an A2 card formed from Latte cardstock. I die cut the gingerpeople from the same Latte. Their frosting and clothes were die cut from scraps. I adhered scraps of Hot Fudge cardstock behind the faces and inlaid the peachy cheeks, die cut from scraps. Assembled the gingerpeople.

Next I die cut a piece of vellum using a scalloped oval frame. What's left is a zig-zag edged oval which I used as my cookie platter. Added this to the card then popped the gingerpeople atop it. A Betterpressed sentiment finished the card.

I'll also add my card to Merry Little Christmas Challenge #59 where Anything Goes & to Darnell's November NBUS Challenge #68 since my gingerbread set is newly used.

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by & have a crafty day!!

Thanks a Bunch!

Hey friends - I'm back with my card for Episode #240 of Craft Roulette which aired last night:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Solar White;

Paper Studio kraft; Tim Holtz jewel kraft; scrap of green

Stamps - Hero Arts Thanks a Bunch Monkeys &

Owl-oween (retired)

Embossing Folder - Spellbinders Scattered Tropics (3EOM-May24)

Dies - Lawn Fawn Grassy Border;

Hero Arts Tag Frames Infinity Dies (retired);

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Copic Markers; foam tape

Host Mary Gunn FUNN had the delightful Eileen Hull as her guest. Eileen designs for Sizzix; you can find her current products HERE. I wish I would've had one of her dies for last week's parameters!! Here's what the wheel spun for us:

• Project - Card For A Helper: I made a thank you for a neighbor who took in my mail and watered my new landscaping while I was with my sister and dad for nearly a month.
• Colors - Cereal Box: Just about any colors would work! I pulled Green & Yellow from Lucky Charms & many cereals are Brown, eg Grape Nuts.
• Element - Jungle: I embossed with Jungle foliage & included a jungle critter.
• Random - Paper Sack: Stamped sack is from a Halloween set I had sitting out.

I die cut a stitched rectangle and embossed with the tropical background. Sanded the 3D embossing to reveal the kraft core. Die cut a strip of grass and added to the panel, then adhered to an A2 card.

Next I stamped the scene elements and die cut or fussy cut as needed. Colored with Copic Markers. Stamped and die cut a sentiment label. Assembled elements on card with glue and foam tape - done! I checked the CR gallery this morning and several people had the same idea with monkeys & bananas - great minds, right? My card was a lot simpler than some of them! I didn't manage to finish during the show but it was only 30 minutes later - maybe it needs something more? Anyway, here's a close-up of the scene:

I'll add my card to Darnell's November NBUS Challenge #68 since my monkey stamp set got first play here.

Funny thing - I was working on my blog early this morning in my pjs when I realized I had to pick up a decorated cake and head off to a brunch! Needless to say I had to get ready quickly, head to the bakery then the event! I made it, even picking up two friends along the way!! So I finished this post when I got home....

That's all for today! Thanks for stopping by!!