A Dachshund Twofer

Yikes - I'm back with another Twofer! I can't seem to get enough of the 41st & final challenge!! This time I played with a freebie die Simon Says Stamp sent me - a cute little dachshund, perfect for the Twofer Card Challenge Dog/Cat. I'll also add at NBUS Challenge 29 since Mr. Dachshund is getting his first outing today!

I previously made two sets of cards featuring kitties for the final Twofer so thought it was time to give dogs their due. Here's a closer look with supply list:

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders 8/2021 card kit,

Doodlebug, Lawn Fawn, Neenah

Dies - Simon Say Stamp Lil' Critters: Dachshund;

Honey Bee Bitty Buzzwords

Stamps - Penny Black Birthday Party

Other - Copic Markers, Stickles,

CZ Design Sentiment Strips Reverse Happy

Thanks again to my friend Jean (Right as Rain) who sent me a big box of crafty items she didn't need anymore, including the PB Birthday Party stamp set. I'll use everything eventually but it'll take quite a while!! I thought this cute mouse decorating a cake would be fun with the dachshund looking on. I created a boxy table with some strips of woodgrain paper, then fussy cut the cake image to sit on top, colored with Copics and added Stickles to the candle flames. I cut the dog in white and then cut again with a piece of Lawn Fawn bokeh that gave him a spotted look.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah white,

Paper studio brights & kraft, Ms Sparkle A2 card,

Momenta watercolor print, Stamp-on-it vellum

Dies - Simon Say Stamp Lil' Critters: Dachshund;

Honey Bee Bitty Buzzwords;

Taylored Expressions Birch Tree Cutting Plate;

Lawn Fawn Grassy Border

Stamps - Hero Arts Let's Chill (retired);

Spellbinders August 2021 card kit (friend)

Other - Copic Markers, wiggle eye,

Hero Arts clear lacquer

If you see a shadow on the birch trees, yes - I cut one in kraft to add offset behind, plus the white is stacked twice. I gave the grass two offset layers too. The birdie is from the same set I used for the fish on my second kitty Twofer. I thought she'd be cute in the trees with Mr. Dachshund saying hello!

That's it for today! Many thanks to Darnell for hosting Twofer all these years and to her great team too!!

Thanks for stopping!

More Twofer Kitties!

Hi all - I didn't need Darnell's reminder about Twofer Challenge 41 - I'd already started my second pair! Twofer takes a final bow this month so I had to play a second time!! Go here if you missed my first pair of kitty cards. Darnell chose the theme of Dogs/Cats for her final challenge - yay!

I shopped at JoAnn's last week and found stamping supplies 30% off. Picked up a darling kitty in a teacup set thinking the kitty could be popping out of something else for a second card. Considered a box, peeking out from foliage (Darnell did it brilliantly here btw), etc. before settling on a window. Here's a closer look with supply list:

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders white A2 card;

Paper studio black, Neenah white;

various patterned papers

Stamps - Hero Arts Kit-tea Stamp & Cut,

All Occasion Msgs, It's All Good, & Let's Chill (all retired)

Dies - My Favorite Things Blueprints 32

Other - Memento Tuxedo Black ink,

Copic Markers, foam tape

My thoughts went first to designing the card with the brown kitty I'd cut off its teacup. I had an MFT rectangle that I thought looked like a window so cut it & added kitty, then a backing & mat layer. The patterned papers were loose ones so I don't know their original sets - all I know is, I'm going to have to find different ones for an upcoming Die Cut Diva project. Oops! 

What to do with the rest of the window? Then it hit me - thought bubble with a fish in it & a "thinking of you" sentiment. I considered the fish in a bowl that I used for my previous Twofer but ended up with a free swimming fish from a tropical stamp set. So fun! The thought bubble came from a 2013 Hero Arts set - no dies for it so I fussy cut.

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders white A2 card;

Paper studio black, Neenah white;

Lawn Fawn Gotta Have Gingham 6x6

Stamps - Hero Arts Kit-tea Stamp & Cut,

Birthday Messages (retired)

Dies - My Favorite Things Blueprints 18

Other - Memento Tuxedo Black ink,

Copic Markers, foam tape

I decided to make card two quick & easy. Simply added a gingham "tablecloth" to a white card, popped the kitty cup on top & added a sentiment - done! The inside of this card has a puny sentiments from the set - "Have a tea-rific birthday". The sentiment flag was let over from the "kits" my sister asked me to make up for her. She had fun putting the cards together on Sunday but I totally forgot to take any photos - oh well...

Since my kitty got first play here, I'm adding the thinking of you card to Darnell's NBUS Challenge 29. I have one last entry available at Watercooler Wednesday's All About Occasions so I'll add the birthday card there.

Thanks for stopping and happy crafting!!

 

Waffle Flower Irises

Hey crafty friends - I'm here with an anniversary card for my cousin & her hubby. Spotted Darnell's post linking to the current Waffle Flower Challenge where she's a Guest Designer/Co-host. I just had to play along!!

Supplies: Paper - Neenah White;

Momenta Watercolor Print

Stamps - Waffle Flower Iris You 

Dies - Iris You & Vine Frame Die

Other - Copic Markers, upcycled ribbon,

foam tape; Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Not sure how unexpected my project is but I put a flower bouquet atop a leafy frame - wouldn't normally use the bouquet this way without the challenge! Too much? Would love your opinion! Also, I flipped the die, using the banner at the top, rather than the bottom as Waffle Flower shows it.

We were also to go to our crafty stash and find something unused for a while. Full disclosure - I have used ribbon this year - about 4 times. But not this solid grossgrain ribbon that you'd find on a little girl's dress - it's so pretty and I have various bits that people give me from package wrappings & such to upcycle. Used some way back in January just to close a trifold card. So hopefully that's rarely enough!

I had fun with the Iris You stamps and dies & the Vine Frame Die by Waffle Flower. It took a while to inlay the bits in the vine but I kept reminding myself that it's relaxing - ha, ha. My Waffle Flower stash is limited but building! I just got both of these fabulous sets yesterday at my LSS, Anchor Paper Express. Because they're new, I'll also enter my card to Darnell's current NBUS Challenge 29. And since this is for an occasion, I'll enter the All About Occasions Challenge at Watercooler Wednesday.

** Update - was finishing off the inside and thought I'd share. I took the vine frame I'd cut for the inlay pieces, trimmed off the banner portion and used the remainder to trail around my sentiment! I can see many uses for this vine diecut in this version.

Stamp - Taylored Expressions

The Inside Scoop Anniversary

Thanks for stopping and thanks to Darnell for introducing me to the Waffle Flower Challenge!!

Boo Hoo - the final Twofer Challenge!

Hey friends - Darnell will close her Twofer Card Challenge after this month - sad, but understandable! So much work goes into a challenge blog and I've appreciated Darnell and her team these past four years!! Yes, I was there for Challenge 1 with my Feather cards and for many (sadly not all) subsequent challenges. I close my Twofer Chapter with this pair for Challenge 41 the Final Challenge to use a dog or a cat image:

And yes, I'm a cat lady!! I used the chunky kitty from an old Hero Arts stamp set as my common item. Here's a closer look at each card with supply list:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah White;

Paper Studio navy A2 card

Stamps - Hero Arts I Love My Cat, Frosty Wishes & 

Create your own Snowman (all retired)

Dies - My Favorite Things Blueprints 13 (retired);

Kat Scrappiness Crafters Essentials Winter;

Dies to match snowman set

Other - Copic Markers; Hero Arts inks;

Tim Holtz Prize Ribbon Distress Ink;

Taylored Expressions Salt Water Taffy

Supplies: Paper - Neenah White; Paper Studio black;

Poppystamps freebie dotted

Stamps - Hero Arts I Love My Cat (retired) &

Everyday Sayings

Dies - Taylored Expressions Mini Slim Square Window Cutting Plate

Other - Copic Markers; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Had to laugh - those kitty paw prints look more like a wolf's but they were the only ones in kitty set! I saved the pieces cut out of the windows to make another poinsettia card like the second one on this post if you missed it. The fish bowl just had the fish in it but I added some "seaweed".

If you're still with me, I had to include another photo of my kitty niece Misty. She visited me for a couple weeks this summer and was very "helpful" with card making!

Misty has her eye on those little strips of white paper which she later pawed off the craft mat. Then she discovered the plastic cover to the scissors and she batted it off the table. She played with scissors cover for several minutes (I took video) before she went off for a nap - so entertaining!! Times like that I miss my two kitties who've been gone for over 10 years - time flies! One liked paper and the other liked ribbon when it came to crafty "help".

I'm adding my snowman card to the current Watercooler Wednesday All Occasions Challenge. I'm adding the kitty duo with fishbowl card to the current Sweet Stampin' Challenge to feature an animal.

Thanks for stopping and thanks again to all for fun challenges!!

 

Embossed leather floral

Hey there - I rarely post twice in the same day but I was inspired for Let's Squash It!! Challenge 11 to try embossing leather as Gail (Crafty Nomad) did in this post!!

After making my earlier card with embossed vellum, I went on my usual Target run for a Starbucks and some essentials. Our local Hobby Lobby resides in the next strip mall over so I headed there to look at their leather. Much of it was very thick and inappropriate for my idea, then I spotted this thin, gorgeous lime green stuff! I had so much fun with the Altenew 3D embossing folder earlier that I had to try it in leather. Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio black

Leather -  Hobby Lobby Asst Leather Bright Solids/Naturals

Embossing folder - Altenew Decorative Florals 3D

Dies - Whimsy Stamps Wonky Stitched Rectangles

Other - SSS sentiment strips

First I die cut a wonky rectangle from a leather strip trimmed off the large sheet. Next I embossed it with the Altenew ef & glued to my card. Popped on some sentiment strips - done! Do I ever love this card and it's no thicker than it would be with heavyweight card stock. Hobby Lobby had some other colors of this leather so I'm thinking my future holds a return visit!!

Here's a bonus card that I'm not entering at LSI because the limit is 3 and I've got some cool vinyl I'll try for my 3rd entry.

Supplies: Paper - Lawn Fawn plaid;

Paper Studio pink & black; Crate Paper Pretty Party

Leather -  Hobby Lobby Asst Leather Bright Solids/Naturals

Dies - Whimsy Stamps Wonky Rectangles;

Hero Arts Birthday Stamp and Cut;

Spellbinders Floral Oval (retired);

A Jillian Vance Design Mini Slim Backdrop Set

Sunny Studio Botanical Backdrop Die

Embossing Folder - Sunny Studio Cable Knit

Other - Honey Bee gems

I die cut & embossed this leather panel as a trial piece. The embossing folder I used is not a 3D one so you can see the detail is much softer but still present and lovely. The cable knit reminds me of leaves for some reason so I popped a flower onto it. I have a pile of Spellbinders and Sunny Studio flower pieces laying around, leftover from making "kits" for my sister Tami. She wants to make cards with me but requested pieces to be cut out for her already - she calls them kits. We'll be doing cards with kits on Sunday....

Well, I'd better get something done around the house today. Thanks for visiting - again!!

Embossed vellum

Hello crafty friends - hope your day is going well. I typically start the morning with breakfast at my laptop visiting my friends' blogs. Today I got busy on a card for an upcoming Die Cut Diva challenge (no hints - sorry) and forgot all about breakfast until that card was done!! 

Once in front of the laptop with my Cheerios I spotted Gail's Crafty Nomad post with inspiration for Let's Squash It !! (which is much further down the alphabetical blog list). Quickly finished breakfast and off I went. I made this simple card for August's Let's Squash It!! Challenge 11 - Not Paper, Not Card:

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Dove A2 card; Paper Studio black

Embossing folder - Altenew Decorative Florals 3D

Vellum - Stamp On It Irridescent Mix (sadly retired)

Other - Copic Markers (greys, golds and V05);

CZ Design Sentiment Strips Reverse Happy

Hi I'm Linda & I am a Paper Hoarder!! I have this lovely coverweight vellum purchased at a stamp expo many years ago and I use it sparingly, especially now that it's retired. Luckily I knew right where to find it in my stash - it works perfectly with embossing folders, giving a crisp image with little tearing. The piece I chose has a pale silver sheen to it - so beautiful. I embossed with the Altenew ef and added some Copics to the back. Glued to a black mat. Oops, some of my glue wasn't hidden good enough and showed through as grey. I took some grey Copics and tried shading it on top of the vellum. Looks much better in real life than in the photo (maybe I'm kidding myself...). I also applied a little more gold to the top of the vellum flower centers - done! Makes an elegant wedding card, I think.

The vellum pack contains assorted colors, including a gorgeous gold so I'm sure to be back with another card for this fun challenge. The vellum was a handy choice but I'd like to look around for some other mediums to try. How about you - what would you emboss if not paper or card?

Thanks for stopping!!

Another Bookshelf!

Hey crafty friends - I'm sharing a card for the current Day of the Month Card Club challenge. I was introduced to this challenge by Gundi (papierelle) who I met through the Card Chain Challenge. She's on the Design Team for Day of the Month Card Club and you'd think I'd go there more often. This, however, is only my second time playing.

They're celebrating Book Lover's Day this month - yay! Definitely something I can get into - can't tell you how many books I've read this year - oodles! I'm currently reading the International Bestseller "The Jane Austen Society" by Natalie Jenner & enjoying it immensely! Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Solar White; Ms Sparkle A2 card

Stamps - Hero Arts Bookcase Peek-a-Boo Parts

Other - Copic Markers; clear lacquer; Honey Bee gems

The image fills up an A2 card and takes plenty of time to color and shade. I spent several hours on it yesterday and probably should've done more! I added clear lacquer to the piggy and to anything that would be glass. I stamped the sentiment HELLO in about the only open spot and highlighted it with the 3 gems. If desired, see what I did with this image previously HERE. I did Kathy's (The Daily Marker) 30-day Coloring Challenge last year but I couldn't summon the energy to do the one going on right now. Kudos to those who are doing it, including Bonnie (Stamping with Klass) who's done some incredible pieces of art!! 

And here's a bonus - a bookmark:

Supplies: Paper - Momenta; Neenah

Stamps - A Jillian Vance Design Coffee and Books

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Minnie Pearl Bookmark Set

and Quatrefoil Bookmark Overlay

Other - Copic Markers; upcycled tassel

I made this recently for a friend and hadn't shared it yet. I absolutely love the bookmark products at A Jillian Vance Design (sadly I don't have them all...), especially the Quatrefoil overlay - so pretty!! Gundi made bookmarks for her DT project & asked if anyone would send her a bookmark - I will! I made one similar to this for Gundi. It'll go out to her in tomorrow's mail. 

Thanks for visiting and happy reading (and crafting too!)!!