Out of the Box with Hero Arts

Hey all - was excited to be the random winner for Hero Arts' Stay Crafty Challenge 5!! I'm skating in at the tail end of Challenge 6 (closes tomorrow May 7th *correction*), trying to do something out of the box.

Supplies: Paper - DCWV pink A2 card; Neenah

Stamps - Hero Arts CM256 Flowers for Coloring (retired),

CL272 All Occasion Messages (retired), &

CL342 Everyday Sayings 

Dies - My Favorite Things various Blueprints (retired)

Other - Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Copic Markers;

white & black gel pens; foam tape

Now, I'm not saying this hasn't been done ever before; it has!! Back in the day, someone (Jennifer McGuire or Shari Carroll, maybe?) showed us how to ink up an entire clear stamp set while still on its backing. We then placed a piece of card on top and "walked" our way around it pressing the paper into the stamps. Viola - a background! Well, I'm so accustomed to using a stamping tool that I wanted to try putting the set on its backing right into the tool. I used washi tape (others have probably done the same) - worked like a charm!! Here's a photo:

And here's a photo of the background I did adding some other images. That's another not-so-new technique of taking a bunch of the bitty stamps from mainly sentiment sets to stamp on a background. I liked how the little images filled in the bare spots! I used this piece for my card.

I worked on coloring my floral panel yesterday while participating in Kathy & Lydia's Color & Connect event - so fun to Zoom with other crafters. We all just sat around and colored while in our respective homes. Kathy & Lydia shared their coloring tips for 90 minutes. Other than Kathy, I didn't know a soul but recognized some of the names. One woman had her young daughter coloring right alongside her! I learned a lot but, of course, it hasn't all been mastered yet!! Kathy (The Daily Marker) also has a Coloring Challenge going on so I'll participate there too.

Thanks for stopping and have a wonderful day!!

Another Winter Wonderland Scene

Hello - hope you're all doing well out there!! I'm popping in with another winter wonderland scene for this month's Christmas Kickstart challenge. I'll call this a deconstructed snow globe - LOL! When I made my earlier card for this challenge (see it here), I stamped a bunch of extra pieces so decided to put them to use without the snow globe dies. Would love to hear which you prefer!!

Supplies: Paper - DCWV green A2 card; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Doodlebug Swiss Dot Petite Prints; Poptone Black Licorice

Stamps - Lawn Fawn Ready, Set, Snow (with coordinating dies)

Dies - Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders and Forest Border

Other - Copic Markers, Stickles, foam tape

Thanks to Jo for another fun challenge and thanks to you for visiting! Hope you have a crafty day!!

Holiday Headstart with Hero Arts

Hi all - I'm back to play along with the current Hero Arts' Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge. They would like us to share a Christmas card. Easy for me since I make Christmas cards all year round.

Supplies: Paper - DCWV green A2 card; Paper Studio Holiday; 

Lawn Fawn & Authentique 6x6 patterns

Stamps - Hero Arts Hero Greetings Christmas Messages

Dies - Hero Arts Paper Layering Poinsettia, 

Nesting Oval Infinity Dies & Wood Frame Infinity Dies

My Favorite Things various Blueprints (retired)

Other - foam tape, Stickles; Pine Needles Distress Oxide Ink

My first thought was to grab Hero's amazing poinsettia die. They released it in 2018 but I didn't get a chance to use it until doing my 2019 cards. I used it on a bunch; see them here if desired. But hey, I have a large mailing list so will definitely be able to send a poinsettia card to someone who didn't get one last year. In fact, I was busily cutting poinsettia parts and decided to get a twofer in. Similar design but with only the smaller poinsettia parts and a smaller wood frame.

Supplies - same except pp is BoBunny and

label die is from Spellbinders Elegant Ovals 

Which one do you prefer? Maybe you like last year's models better. I love the addition of the white woodgrain frame to this year's - might make a few more!! Thanks to Hero Arts for great products I can go to over and over, along with fabulous new items!! And thanks for the challenges to keep us crafty in these unsettling times.

Finally - thanks to you for stopping by. Stay safe and healthy!!

Dance in the Rain!

Well, April showers turned into snow showers for us yesterday - unpleasant weather for Easter but the bright side was being locked away in our homes. No need to go out in it!! I had a chance over the weekend to make a pair of cards for the current Twofer Challenge (rain/umbrella). I had a Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kit on the table from a previous card and spotted the little umbrella stamp in the set - perfect. Here's my Twofer (please excuse the odd tint; the colors are better on the individual photos):

My cousin and his wife are expecting a baby girl (due in August) so I immediately thought of a pink umbrella for a baby girl card. The MMH kit has a window die and I had the idea to use the windowpanes to carry a quartet of items. Here's a closer look (colors are true here) with supply list.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Authentique Jubilee
Doodlebug Rainbow Petite Prints (Swiss Dot and Dot-Grid-Daisy-Strip)
Stamps - Hero Arts CL662 New Baby (retired)
Feb 2017 My Monthly Hero kit (umbrella)
Taylored Expressions Simple Strips Background (sentiment)
Raisin Boat Handle with Prayer (retired but digi download here)
Dies - My Favorite Thing Blueprints (stitched rectangle - retired);
Hero Arts Nesting Oval Infinity Dies & 
Feb 2017 My Monthly Hero kit (umbrella & small rectangles);
Taylored Expressions Simple Strips
Other - Copic Markers for shading, foam tape

Next, a card for the current Hero Arts Stay Crafty with Hero challenge to make a self care card. The little rainbow colored umbrella among the storm clouds really gave me a lift. For a fave technique, I did ink blending on a piece of white card. We can all take a moment to find ways to dance in the rain (or I should say storm!) of this dang pandemic!!

Supplies: Paper - Anchor Paper greys; Neenah white
Stamps - Hero Arts Feb 2017 My Monthly Hero kit
Dies - MMH kit and MFT Blueprints
Other - Weathered Wood & Stormy Sky Distress Oxide inks;
Wink of Stella & foam tape

That's it for today - thanks for stopping and have a crafty day!

Happy Easter Wishes!!

Best wishes to anyone celebrating Easter today! I know some celebrate on different days (like my friend Tina who's Greek Orthodox) but we're celebrating today. It's just my parents and I due to the stay-at-home order being extended until May 4th in Minnesota. We're keeping it simple but Mom wanted the traditional ham so I cooked it - yippee!

I thought I'd share the remaining Easter cards I made this year (one was done with the March Twofer; see it here). I'll start off with a card featuring goodies I ordered from Sunny Studio. When I made the Twofer card I didn't have dies to the Good Egg stamp set so I ordered them, plus other things....Mendi was sweet enough to send me a tulip die as a gift - I love it!! Thank you, thank you!!

Supplies: Paper - DCWV pink A2 card; Michael's green

BoBunny Cottontail and Believe Collections 6x6;

Momenta Watercolor print; scrap of grey woodgrain

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Doodlebug Swiss Dot

Stamps - Sunny Studio A Good Egg; Hero Arts Be Happy (sun - retired);

Personal Impressions Springtime 'tinchies' (sentiment)

Dies - Sunny Studio A Good Egg Dies and free tulip;

My Favorite Things Grassy Hills & various Blueprints (retired)

fence from the Hero Arts March 2017 My Monthly Hero Kit
Other - Copic Markers; foam tape, Hero Arts lacquer; white gel pen

This was my "masterpiece" for this holiday and I sent it to my dear friend Connie and her hubby who are like family to me. They too are staying at home - no big Easter dinner together today like we've shared in the past - darn it. Next up, a card I sent to my baby sister in AZ who celebrates Spring. I had to laugh, she texted me a photo of a flowering cactus in her yard right after I mailed her card!!

Supplies: Paper - same as card one (plus Cottontail ephemera - tab)

Stamps - Your Next Stamp Hey Chickie; 

Hero Arts Be Happy, Stamp Your Own Cactus (with dies),

Butterfly Pair Stamp & Cut (happy), and Sending Happy Thoughts (spring)

Dies - My Favorite Things Blueprints (retired);

Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders

Other - Copic Markers, foam tape

I made several simple cards using items from a BoBunny Cottontail ephemera pack coordinating with their Easter paper collection. I was excited to find another pad of the paper, as well as the ephemera pack (both retired), at an outlet store right as the pandemic was reaching us. The store clerks were already talking about people stealing their toilet paper!! But I had fun with these BoBunny products.

I'm sharing my "masterpiece" card at Darnell's NBUS challenge since my Good Egg and tulip dies got their first use. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your Easter!!

Sending encouragement

In these unsettled times, an encouragement card can bring a ray of sunshine. I recently sent two cards I made using some fave products; I'd love to hear which version you like better! First one went to Verna, a friend of Darnell's (mentioned in this post) who needed some cheering up. The second one went to my massage therapist who can't work due to Covid-19 business closures.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Sunshine A2 cards;

BoBunny and Doodlebug patterns; Michael's green

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps - Taylored Expressions Simple Strips Background

Dies - Avery Elle Quilted Frame

Taylored Expressions Rustic Floral and Simple Strips

I really felt for Verna who had to move due to the pandemic. Moving takes such energy and, when you don't want to do it, it can be very disheartening. My massage therapist lost her job when the spa I used closed back in January. Hmmm - in retrospect, I'm betting the owners looked at China and said better get out now! They closed all their spas in the Twin Cities. So my therapist started her own business in her home - a lovely setting and only one suburb over from my house. Our governor closed all spas, salons, gyms etc weeks ago so she has no income. I had to cancel both my March and April appointments since the governor's order has been extended to May 4th! Hopefully she'll be back in business for my May appointment!!

I've made bunches of cards with the quilted frame since I bought it back in February - can't get enough of it!! And I love the rustic flowers from TE - for the first card I added back some of the cut pieces after inking them with Distress Oxide in a darker color. On the second card I left those bits out. Which do you like better? Well, that used up my stock of flowers I had cut in a spare moment. I'll have to find some more fun color combos to try!

Thanks for stopping and hope you're weathering these times - we're in this together!!

Snow Globe Winter Wonderland scene

Hey there - it snowed a bit here yesterday so I was in the Christmas mood - LOL. I had time to play along with Jo and her elf Jane in the current Christmas Kickstart challenge! We need to create a scene this month, something I do all the time. Decided to change it up and make a snow globe shaker using a Lawn Fawn die set I've had for quite a while but have never used. I used one of the sentiments on the stamp set once but the rest of the set had been neglected along with the add-on die set. I will therefore add this to Darnell's NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff) challenge.

Supplies: Paper - DCWV green A2 card; Paper Studio red; 

Tim Holtz kraft metallic; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; 

Avery Elle Holiday Collection

Stamps - Lawn Fawn Ready Set Snow

Dies - Lawn Fawn Ready Set Snow Lawn Cuts & Shaker Add-on;

My Favorite Things Blueprints (retired)

Inks - Iced Spruce and Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide; Memento Tuxedo Black

Other - Avery Elle Holiday Ephemera Pack; Copic Markers;

Confetti mix from the Dec 2018 Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kit (sold out);

foam tape; acetate; Icy Stickles

Had to laugh - I have no acetate with me but I did have an orphaned scrap which should have a cling stamp on it. Thankfully it was a clean, scratch free piece!! Sorry stamp, wherever you are, I used your packaging for my window! Realized after assembly that I could've allowed a bit more room for my shaker bits - some got stuck and won't budge, even if I shake it like mad. Oh well.... I haven't made many shakers so live & learn.

Thanks to Jo and Darnell for fun challenges and to you for stopping by. Have a crafty day!!

Winter Wonderland (Create a Scene)

March Card Chain Challenge Reveal

Hi all - I was able to play in the March Card Chain Challenge. I really enjoy sending cards and you only need to send one card each month. Then you receive one card from another link in the chain - very fun!! Here's the card I sent to Tina in Slovenia. Sadly, she hasn't received it yet even though I sent it timely. The post has been delayed due to the pandemic but I sent her a photo so she'd see the card and she told me to go ahead & reveal. If the card never arrives, we'll try again after the pandemic resolves - hopefully soon!! Luckily, my April card already reached the recipient so I'll be able to reveal on May 2nd. ***UPDATE 4/21/20 - Tina rec'd my card finally - yay!! Took 6 weeks but I'm so glad it made to her safely and she's safe too!!***

Supplies: Papers - various Lawn Fawn petite packs

Stamps - Hero Arts Color Layering Iris (sentiment)

Dies - My Favorite Things various retired Dynamics 

I used the sketch, plus loosely the colors (lime/lemon/sky blue). I also used a winged creature, designer paper and a friend sentiment - that covered all the categories - LOL!

I assume I received a beautiful card from Joanne in the UK - haven't been able to get my mail which is being held while I'm "sheltering". Thanks so much Joanne!! You can see the chain reveal HERE.

A Christmas Song

Hey - why not sing Christmas music in April??! Chorus had to cancel our April 4th Spring show due to Covid-19 but hopefully we'll be able to hold our Christmas show!! Good time to start practicing... Anyway, the current challenge over at CAS Christmas is "Christmas Song" so I'm playing along with this card:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Paper Studio green and red;

BoBunny Yuletide Carol 6x6

Stamps - Hero Arts Color Layering Nordic Tree (with coordinating die)

Dies - Avery Elle Quilted Frame; Momenta Joy die (retired)

Other - puffy star sticker from Target

I had cut a white quilted frame to test it when I first bought the die set. Thought it would be fun to use it in a Scandinavian color scheme. The frame die also cuts a pierced oval and I used the white one long ago. Instead, for the song portion, I cut a frame with oval out of BoBunny Christmas music paper and used the oval in the white frame. Matted with a thin red layer onto a white card. I cut the JOY four times out of the same red and layered them for dimension. Done! The bit of music showing in the oval is Joy to the World so that's why I used JOY for a sentiment, rather than O Christmas Tree (a sentiment in the Nordic Tree set).

Since I had the frame cut out of the music paper, I decided to use it on another card. Although quite simple, I don't consider this one CAS simply because the paper is so busy! I left the oval open to the card base and filled it with the branch and bells. Decided to leave a sentiment off the front. The branch, bells, & bow come from Sunny Studios - a wonderful company out of Washington state whose supplies I've been using for years. I'd seen their Holiday Style set used by my friend Dawn here and couldn't resist ordering it, plus more supplies (check back on Easter for another creation). I'm entering this card into Darnell's NBUS challenge since this is my maiden voyage with this set.

Supplies: Paper - DCWV green A2 card; BoBunny Yuletide Carol 6x6;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps - Sunny Studio Holiday Style (with coordinating dies)

Additional Die - Avery Elle Quilted Frame

Inks - Various Distress Oxide Inks

That's it for today, friends - thanks for stopping! Hope you're staying well and safe!!

  

Cardinal Home Inspiration

Hey all - hope you're still sane after all these stay-at-home days!! One thing to help keep us going - the Stay Crafty with Hero Challenges. Hero Arts' latest challenge is Home Inspiration. Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - American Crafts Christmas A2 woodgrain card;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps with Coordinating Dies - Hero Arts SB125 Vintage Post (retired)

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black; Pine Needles Distress Oxide

Other - Copic Markers; Hero Arts lacquer

Since we're staying at home, the idea is to be inspired by something in the home. I was inspired by two things; first - a beautiful Marc Hanson print I bought for my parents many years ago at Wild Wings in Lake City MN. It's called "Late Snow Cardinals" and was printed by them in 1988. It hangs in my parents' lower level where I stay when I visit. Secondly, my parents have a lot of birds in their yard and in fact are an awarded bird sanctuary (plaque proudly displayed and newspaper article saved!). I'm constantly seeing a flash of red in the trees while I do dishes at the kitchen sink. Here's a photo of the cardinal print on the wall (please excuse the glare):

Wild Wings doesn't sell it anymore but check out Marc Hanson's "Bramble Buddies" which is very similar. I wish I could get a good photo of a real cardinal in the yard but I haven't caught one staying still long enough! We had some snow for them the other day but it didn't stick around for long, thankfully!!

I diecut and stamped the cardinal and a couple branches. When I was coloring the cardinal I blobbed on the white border so I fussy cut him. I used a fave woodgrain card by American Crafts but added the stamped text (in the same set as the cardinal). Kept it very simple and now I have another Christmas card for the stash - yay!!

Thanks for stopping and thanks to Hero Arts for another fun challenge!!

Rainy Day Cat

Hey everyone - hope you're staying sane under the many "lockdowns" or as we call it here "Safer at Home". Making cards definitely helps relieve boredom!! I'm skating in with one last entry for the current (ends at 11:59 PT today) Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge being offered by Hero Arts. I decided to do another one because Darnell (djkardkreations) started a new challenge blog for NBUS (Never-Before-Used-Schtuff) today. It's always anything goes, as long as at least one item hasn't been used before. Yes!! My specialty!!

Along with the February 2017 My Monthly Hero kit (sold out) I bought several of the add-ons, including the Raining Cats and Dogs stamp set with coordinating dies. While I'd used the kit (see my cards here and here), I'd not used Raining Cats and Dogs (now retired) until today. About time, eh? Three years later... Thought it would be fitting to send to a friend during these trying times.

Supplies: Paper - DCWV pink A2 card; BoBunny Believe 6x6 Collection;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps - Hero Arts Raining Cats and Dogs (with coordinating dies) and

February 2017 My Monthly Hero Kit (raindrops)

Other - Copic Markers; Foam tape; 

Distress Oxide inks; Memento Tuxedo Black ink

I die cut the umbrella cat and clouds, then stamped on them using the negative and my stamping tool. I stamped just the umbrella on orange patterned paper, fussy cut and paper-pieced it onto the umbrella cat diecut. Colored the rest of it with Copics & added Wink of Stella to the umbrella. I created an inked background using Distress Oxide inks, stamped some raindrops, matted it and added to a card with a layer of patterned paper. Then I stamped, matted and added my sentiment, the clouds and umbrella cat. Added some lacquer to the raindrops - done! I'm sending this card to a flight attendant friend who just finished flying yesterday and will be off for April. She is self-quarantining for 14 days to be sure she doesn't have covid19. Her mom is the same age as mine, both high risk if they'd contract it.

That's it, friends - thanks for stopping! Thanks to Hero Arts and to Darnell for having challenges to keep our minds engaged on non-pandemic thoughts!!