Slimline poinsettia

Hey crafty friends! We celebrated a fun birthday with my dad yesterday - sorry he didn't win Phase 10 (a card game). My sister-in-law won which was ok as she'll be a birthday girl next week! They both loved the cards I made!

Today I had a chance to play along at the current Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge - #19 already - where they have a slimline theme. Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio Holiday & Brights;

Tim Holtz kraft metallic; Momenta watercolors;

ephemera from 10/2019 Spellbinders card kit

Stamps - Hero Arts CL620 Jolly (retired) and

CG815 Christmas Rose Bold Print

Dies - Hero Arts Paper Layering Poinsettia &

DC195 Christmas Trimmings Stamp and Cut

Frantic Stamper Slimline Frames

Other - Hero Arts and Memento inks, white gel pen

I love the jumbo sentiments in a 2012 Hero Arts stamp set, sadly retired. Any one of the three (Jolly, Merry, Peace) would be perfect on a slimline card! I chose Merry and then added a die cut Christmas from another Hero set. I had a maroon slimline frame already die cut from the other day when I was trying my new set from FS. Thought it would be perfect with a bright green backing, stamped tone on tone with the Christmas Rose. I cut another pink poinsettia (see a previous one here), then added some ephemera - done!

That's it for today. Thanks to Hero Arts for the fun challenge and thanks to you for stopping by! Not enough pink, despite the pink poinsettia, to add to Pink Christmas at Christmas Kickstart but check it out - there are a couple more days to play there!!

Celebrating Masculine and Feminine Birthdays

Hey everyone - hope you're having a great week!! I shared a card earlier in the week for my dad's birthday which is today. Had to laugh - Wednesday night Mom asked me "where's my card?" I said, "huh?" Turns out she wanted me to make a card for her to give to my dad! We're celebrating with my brother and his wife (who's birthday is later in October) tomorrow so Mom wanted a card for Donna too! Guess what I was doing yesterday! Here are my cards with a masculine and a feminine twist:

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio kraft A2 card

and black cardstock;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Dies - My Favorite Things Blueprints 20 (retired)

Stamps - Hero Arts It's Your Day & 

Past Times (both retired);

Stampin' Up In the Pines

Other - Stampin' Up Subtle 3D embossing folder;

Copic Markers; Distress Inks

Simple card - stamped the train & the trees, colored with Copics. I hand drew the train smoke and the railroad tracks and filled in the ground. Blended tumbled glass for the sky & stamped a sentiment. Die cut with a stitched rectangle, matted with black and added to an embossed kraft card. Finally used my Subtle embossing folder - love the soft texture it provided!!

Supplies: Paper - Ms Sparkle & Co A2 pink card;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Paper Studio maroon & glitter

Dies - Poppystamps Spectacular Happy Birthday (retired);

Frantic Stamper Slimline Frames

My Favorite Things Blueprints 20 (retired)

Stamps - Hero Arts Dictionary Greeting & 

Elegant Weeds (both retired);

Other - Memento inks; Crystal Stickles

I was digging through my stamp stash and found two Hero Arts stamp sets - thought they'd be fun together. I just got the FS slimline dies and had tested them all by cutting from maroon cardstock. Decided the littlest frame would look nice behind the sentiment. Added some stickles - done!

I'm sharing the train card at Watercolor Wednesday where Marsha's hosting with the theme of masculine. The sister-in-law card will go to Darnell's NBUS challenge since the little scalloped frame is being used for the first time. The train card would work too since Subtle ef gets first play here.

Thanks for the fun challenges and thanks for stopping!! Off to eat bday cupcakes!!

A Mini Christmas Tree

Hey all - I'm taking a break from cards and sharing a 3D project I made using Concord & 9th's Take a Bough Encore die set. Here's my mini Christmas tree:

Supplies: Paper - Concord & 9th;

Spellbinders gold foil; Paper Studio Glitter;

Neenah White

Dies - Concord and 9th Take a Bough Encore Bundle;

Hero Arts Nesting Circle Infinity Dies

Other - dowel and wood slice from Concord & 9th;

Jolee's Holiday Lights; Duck Tape brand glitter dots

In these days of pandemic, I look for fun things to do online. Concord & 9th offered a class on their mini Christmas trees last night and I signed up. Rec'd my kit in plenty of time and had die cut everything I needed for the largest (finished height about 8.75") of three trees using their Clover cardstock. The other two trees use Evergreen and Sea Glass cardstock - both gorgeous colors. I've only started die cutting the elements for those two. The class lasted 90 minutes, taught by Greg Cottrell with guests Erica AB & Jeff Lindberg. I have several fab Concord & 9th items in my stash but this was my first experience with these Concord and 9th VIPs - very enjoyable! Didn't win any prizes though, oh well.... An extra thing I did for my tree was to use the garland die to diecut an extra garland in white that I inlaid into my red negative and popped onto a green circle diecut to create a little tree skirt. I also added some Jolee lights and a few ornaments I made gluing glitter dots together. The class was done on YouTube live and carried a fee. They have other videos showing how to construct the trees, though - very easy to do (see one here if desired).

I'm adding this to Darnell's October NBUS challenge since my tree & accessory dies are new. There's also a 3D challenge out there that I spotted but couldn't find again to link up. If anyone knows where it is, can you let me know? Thanks! And thanks for stopping!!

Bugaboo Halloween Kitty

 Hi friends - I'm posting at Die Cut Divas today for the October theme of Halloween or Autumn. Our fabulous sponsor this month is Bugaboo Digi Stamps. Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Ms Sparkle & Co orange A2 card;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb;

French Press Poptone Black Licorice;

Doodlebug Pumpkin Party

Dies - My Favorite Things Blueprints (retired)

Digi stamp - Bugaboo Halloween Kitty

Other - Copic Markers; Wink of Stella; 

Distress Inks for edging - Wilted Violet & Black Soot

How could I resist this sweet Halloween kitty dressed as a witch for trick-or-treating?! I resized and printed the image, then colored with Copics. Do you see my little boo-boo? I colored the kitty's ear as part of the witchy hat, oh well... Added bits of Wink of Stella here and there. Matted in black and added to a diecut stitched rectangle with a diecut scalloped border (from different MFT Blueprint sets, both retired unfortunately). The sentiment strips were part of the Doodlebug patterned paper collection - very handy! 

You'd think I'd use more printed digis since I own a Silhouette but I tend to use that more for cutting. Bugaboo has so many fabulous images, though, that I can see myself coloring more of them!! In fact, I will be for the end of month post at the Divas - be sure to stop back!!

You have until 10/31 at 9pm Pacific to enter your Halloween or Autumn card into our gallery. Just remember to use a die cut; you don't have to use a Bugaboo image but we'd love to see one if you have any that fit the theme.

Thanks again to Bugaboo for sponsoring this month and thanks to you for visiting!!

Happy Birthday Truck

Hey there - I'm popping in with a card for dear ol' Dad's 89th birthday coming up later this week! I thought he'd get a kick out of Spellbinders truck die cut - he likes to tell stories of the trouble he and his cousins used to get into with trucks, back in the day.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Sunshine A2 card (retired); 

Paper Studio & DCWV cardstock; Tim Holtz kraft metallic;

Ms Sparkle & Co neutral woodgrain; acetate

Stamps - Divinity Designs Mini Tag Sentiments

Dies - Spellbinders Truckin Through the Seasons & Sunday Drive;

Divinity Designs Mini Tags; Xcut Serif Numbers;

My Favorite Things Blueprints 20 (retired)

Other - Hero Arts clear lacquer; recycled wired string

Originally I had thought of making Dad's card using the convertible die set I used for Darnell's hubby's card (see it here if you missed it). Then I spotted the truck set on sale at Spellbinders and ordered it with plenty of time to spare. Guess most of the guys in my life are more into trucks than convertibles!! The truck was no problem to assemble given my experience with the convertible. I liked the presents in the latter set better for a guy so used those; also used the balloon from that set. The truck didn't come with a steering wheel - say what?? - so I used the one from the convertible set. Acetate went in between a couple layers of the truck for the window.

I'm adding this to Darnell's October NBUS Challenge since my truck is getting its first play today. I think I'm heading for a record number of entries over there this month - gotta get that mountain of NBUS down!! Thanks for the fun, Darnell! Also adding to Tristan's challenge at Watercooler Wednesday All Occasions. Thanks Tristan!

Thanks for visiting - hope you have a crafty day!! Also hope you'll stop back on Wednesday when I'll be sharing a card for Die Cut Divas Autumn and Halloween Challenge!

 

Autumn bird

Hi everyone - hope you're enjoying the weekend! Today I had some time, while attending a virtual convention, to color another Penny Black birdie using the colors for the current Color Hues Challenge. 

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts A2 card; Paper Studio glitter;

DCWV orange; Neenah white

Stamps - Penny Black Peaceful Time;

Whimsy Stamps Autumn Blessings (retired)

Dies - Frantic Stamper Stitched Fall Leaves

Other - Memento inks; Copic Markers (blues and oranges only)

I stamped two bird images yesterday when I made a Christmas birdie card. I spotted the colors at Color Hues - blue and orange . I thought the extra birdie would be great in those colors atop some orange leaves. Stamped the sentiment in blue in directly on the card but didn't like it so I stamped it on a white strip to overlay it.  I will also add this card to Darnell's NBUS challenge since my leaf dies are getting their first play.

I was "attending" my Sweet Adelines International Convention these past three days - first ever virtual one! We're celebrating 75 years of Life on a High Note, even if we can't be together in person. Our worldwide choruses haven't been able to be together since March and our in-person rehearsals, shows, conventions and educational events were all canceled - very sad!!! But we've been sticking together via Zoom and other platforms, continuing to rehearse for the day we can sing together in person. My chorus, City of Lakes, would've been competing in Louisville KY this week had we been able to hold an in-person convention. Instead, hopefully, we'll be competing next year around this time.

I'll also share a card for my friends Heather (Stamping and Stitching) and Philip who had an anniversary last week. Heather emailed me that they rec'd my card:

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts A2 card; patterns by unk;

ephemera by Spellbinders'; Paper Studio ivory and glitter

Dies - Spellbinders label (retired);

Creative Expressions Happy Anniversary

I die cut and embossed the label and layered two more behind it (unembossed). Also die cut multiples of the sentiment to layer, the topmost one being the glitter cardstock. Butterflies and sheet music ephemera came from a Spellbinders kit. Heather said they really liked the combo of patterns. Happy anniversary, my friends!!

Thanks to you for stopping by and thanks to TCH & to Darnell for fun challenges!!

Another Christmas Bird

Hey there - I'm fitting in another birdie card for the current CAS Christmas Challenge with Christine's theme of Christmas Birds.

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio A2 card & glitter cardstock;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb

Stamps - Penny Black Peaceful Time;

Hero Arts Collage Music Background (retired) &

Hero Greetings Christmas Messages

Other - Hero Arts Soft Pool & Intense Black Ink;

Copic Markers

Now, this PB stamp set doesn't seem to have anything to do with Christmas, given sentiments of "happy birthday" and "with love". When I saw the birdie, though, I felt it would be gorgeous on a Christmas card. Die cut, stamped and colored it with Copics then added a couple leafy sprigs from another die in the set. Added it to an A2 card and stamped bits from a music background stamp (after masking the birdie) & then stamped a sentiment. Done!

I'm also adding my card to the October Merry Little Christmas Challenge where Anything Goes and to Darnell's October NBUS Challenge since my birdie stamp is getting first play here.

Thanks for stopping & I wish you a crafty weekend!!