Another CAS Christmas Tree

I'm back with another card for the August CAS Christmas Card Challenge to use a tree.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White:

Paper Studio Holiday Red

Silhouette Design 108565 Xmas Tree Stencil

Other - Copic Markers; Heidi Swapp glitter stars;

Joy ultra thin foam squares

I was playing around on the Silhouette with fonts that have trees. ScrapNFonts created a darling set of Christmas trees with a letter in each. Decided it was perfect for this challenge! I cut the letter trees in white and carefully popped the letter out. Colored the trees and the letters, then popped the letters back. Adhered to a white offset mat and then a red one. Popped onto an A2 card with thin foam squares. Thought the trees needed a finishing touch so I added the glittery stars - done!!

I hope to get another card done before the challenge closes on the 24th. Gotta build up that Christmas stash, right?! Thanks for stopping and have a great week!!

CAS Christmas - Tree!!

Hey everyone - I'm here with a card for the August CAS Christmas Challenge! Gorgeous inspiration by the CAS Christmas DT and they've welcomed a couple of friends from my Merry Monday days - Colleen and Linda - congrats!! Since Merry Monday ended, I've been trying hard to play along with this challenge multiple times each month. Hopefully I'm keeping on pace to complete my Christmas card list long before the holidays arrive!!

When I saw the new challenge was Tree, I was sitting in front of the TV playing on my laptop. I headed over to the Silhouette Online store with the idea to use a font with trees. Here's my first effort:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;
Poptone Black Licorice

Silhouette Design ID 243265 - Hiked it & Liked it Font

Other - Copic Markers; Picket Fence Distress Stickles;

Joy ultra thin foam tape

Funny story - my new laptop isn't as quick on the Silhouette downloads - not sure why but I believe it's because it's considered a secondary machine (old laptop being primary). I'm too impatient so I'm trying to use the new font while it's still downloading - LOL! Not all the letters in the font have trees and some have nothing. From a preview at the online store, I knew the Rs had trees but I wasn't getting them on my design - ugh! Ended up having to close the program and start again.... Finally got the results I expected from the preview of the word MERRY - thought it would make a fun card.

I cut everything from white cardstock as I often do. I didn't find an individual tree that matched the one on the R edge so I cut extra Rs & snipped the tree portion off two of them. Colored the letters and extra trees with Copics and put Stickles on the snowy mountain M. Popped MERRY onto a black panel with foam tape & added to a white A2 card - DONE!!

I already cut another sentiment using a different tree font! Maybe I'll be back with a second CAS Christmas card later this week. Meanwhile, thanks for stopping by and I hope you're having a great weekend!!

Make your own Background

Hey everyone - it's the weekend, yay!! A chorus group sang at a park last night but I had a chance to shop beforehand. Any excuse, right?! I picked up a cute Concord & 9th set so thought I'd play along at this week's Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge.

Simon Says: Make Your Own Background

Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White & Poptone Black Licorice

Stamps - Concord & 9th Furry Friends;

Hero Arts - Thanks a Bunch (retired)

Whimsy Stamps - Autumn Blessings (retired but in a bundle here)

Dies - Concord & 9th Furry Friends - window;

My Favorite Things DieNamics Blueprints 21 (retired)

Other - Joy ultra-thin foam tape; various Hero Arts Inks;

Copic Markers

I started with a 5.5" square white card and, using a MISTI, created my own turn-about pattern. I chose little images from the Concord & 9th Furry Friends set. First I did the outlines four times. Then rearranged and stamped more times. Next I stamped the solid images over the outline ones, not always perfectly aligned. Finally I filled in some spots using a dot stamp from the Whimsy set, then doodled a few more dots.

With my background complete, I cut a stitched rectangle from it and then a window. I stamped the fox head on the piece left from the window (the die cut a frame too which I'm saving). I popped the window back using foam tape and added the little hat which I'd stamped and fussy cut. Stamped "thanks" as the sentiment thinking this would be a fun thank you card for girly birthday.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!!

More Alcohol Inks

Happy Thursday! I'm continuing to play with alcohol inks and created a sky & lake background.

Supplies: Paper - Alcohol Ink Yupo; Poptone Black Licorice;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Inks - Ranger Jet Black Archival; Hero Arts Tangerine

Alcohol Inks - Sailboat Blue, Meadow,  Slate & Stream

Stamps - My Monthly Hero June 2018 (birds & chair);

Clearly Besotted A Little Sentimental;

Tim Holtz trees (came in his Alcohol Ink kit)

Dies - WeR Memory Keepers Rectangle Label - retired;

My Favorite Things Blueprints - retired

MMH kit chair die to match stamp

I created a similar card HERE but without alcohol inks - would love to hear which one you like better! The trees I used on that card were a lot taller - I really liked the scale of the smaller trees on this card. Probably should've popped a fish into the "lake" - I sent the card to a fisherman friend who had surgery and has had some challenges recuperating.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Fun with Alcohol Inks

Hey everyone - I'm back today using more of the flowers I stamped for yesterday's guest designer post at a2z Scrapbooking. I had such fun doing that and thank them again for the opportunity!!

What's the old saying "everything old is new again"? That's what alcohol inks are to me - I have a box of them from years ago. They seemed to go out of fashion but now they're back with new products and techniques. I had to dive back in!! I have two cards for you using the techniques Tim Holtz showed here and Jennifer McGuire showed here - really enjoyed both videos!

Supplies:  Paper - DCWV A2 card; Alcohol Ink Yupo

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Paper Studio glitter

Stamps - Hero Arts CM256 Flowers for Coloring

CM135 Thank You Messages;

Impression Obsession Ornate Floral

Dies - Hero Arts DI503 Flowers for Coloring Frame Cuts,

DI327 Branch Wreath Fancy Die

My Favorite Things Blueprints 13 & 20 - retired

Other - Copic Markers, Joy ultra thin foam;

Hero Arts Black inks; White & black gel pens; 

Broken China Distress Oxide Ink;

Ranger Alcohol Inks from Tim Holtz Kit; Alcohol Lift-Ink

I created the background for card one using Yupo paper with alcohol inks and the new Alcohol Lift-Ink. I used a busy background stamp and couldn't get the detail to show as well as I'd hoped. But I got a usable background, plus a lovely print using the lifted ink stamped onto a plain piece of white cardstock. I used a piece of it for card two:

Supplies:  Paper - Hero Arts Pool Layering Paper,

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Paper Studio glitter

Poptone Black Licorice

Stamps - Impression Obsession Ornate Floral

Dies - Momenta Word Fetti

Other - Hero Arts Pool gem; Ranger Alcohol Inks from Tim Holtz Kit

I'll definitely try this technique again! It's another way to stretch your supplies and get two cards very quickly. Now for one last photo - I couldn't resist sharing. I got this little Tim Holtz storage suitcase years ago and decorated it using alcohol inks. I'm thinking it might have been part of a ScrapFest class? Anyone remember?

Can you see the design in the metal? Fantastic! In the corner it says Tim Holtz by Cropper Hopper. Cropper Hopper is now Storage Studios and they don't sell this item. Ranger sells the Alcohol Ink Storage Tin which has nice slots for the bottles. I'm glad to have the personalized suitcase, even if (as you can see) all the stuff inside is jumbled.

That's it for today - hope you're having a great week. Thanks for stopping!

Guest Designing at a2z Scrapbooking

Hey all - I'm delighted to be a Guest Designer at a2z Scrapbooking today! It's the final day for their July Birthday Bash challenge so, of course, I'm sharing a Birthday card using fabulous Hero Arts products!!

Here's a sneak peek - go to the a2z Blog for the full reveal and card details.

Here's another card using the same techniques I mention over at a2z.

Supplies:  Paper - Paper Studio A2 card; Momenta Marbled Pastel
Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
Stamps - Hero Arts CM256 Flowers for Coloring
CL954 Many Everyday Messages
Dies - Hero Arts DI465 Rounded Rectangle Infinity Dies,
DI503 Flowers for Coloring Frame Cuts
Stencil - Hero Arts SA116 Scrollwork Stencil
Other - Copic Markers, Joy ultra thin foam;
Hero Arts inks; White gel pen;
Tools: Rounded corner chopper; Brayer; MISTI; Vagabond

Since I'm guesting at a2z, I used their links (uncompensated) for any supplies they carry. Other uncompensated links are for wherever I could find the supplies available, starting direct at Hero Arts.

Thought I share a shot of my craft mat full of cut flowers and how I set up my MISTI. If you haven't watch Jennifer McGuire's video about easily lining up the diecuts for stamping, see it on her blog post HERE. I have tried to do it without testing on  a scrap like she does - much better her way!!

At left, see how I took Tim Holtz' suggestion to use magnetic vent covers for storing thin metal dies. When I get a set, I snip them apart (if necessary) and place them on a piece of the vent cover glued to the original packaging for stability. I always cut some negatives to save and use repeatedly with diecuts. I store the dies & negatives with the stamps. As you can see, I stamped a bunch of flowers and will color them as I'm able.

Thanks to a2z for the guest DT slot and I hope you have a chance to pop over there to enter the Birthday Bash Challenge before it ends later today! Happy crafting and thanks for stopping by!!

Final CAS Poinsettia

Happy Friday everyone! Looking forward to a full weekend of fun - how about you? Today I'm getting in one last entry to this month's CAS Christmas Challenge (limit of three).

Seems whenever there's a challenge, I need to shop for more crafty supplies - why is that??! Anyway, I ordered some stuff from Whimsy Stamps and, wow, what service! Ordered on Monday and had them in my hands yesterday, regular mail, all the way from Florida! The poinsettia set (retiring from their 2016 holiday collection) was part of a Holiday Bonus Bundle at a great price. 

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; 

Poptone Black; Paper Studio glitter

Stamp - Whimsy Stamps Joyous Holiday

Die - Hero Arts Peace Stamp & Cut

Other - Copic markers

I stamped and colored the large poinsettia directly on the white card base (I'll cover the bleed through on the inside with a coordinating patterned paper). I played around with several word diecuts and chose the beautiful Peace. The glitter seemed a bit lost against the poinsettia until I added a black shadow. Really love how it turned out!

Thanks to the CAS Christmas crew for another fun challenge and thanks to you for stopping by!!