Christmas Moose

On the last day of this year's Farmer's Market, I went to my favourite scrapbooker's table again and she had some wonderful goodies.  The sweet little Christmas moose die was one that I couldn't resist.  Today I decided to play around with it and am so happy I had that weak moment and bought it.

I made a background on Whisper White using the Festival of Trees stamp set.  Then I cut out my moose and had some fun playing "dress-up" with it before adding it to my scene.  I added some of the Dazzling Details to the trees and to the ground, especially around my little moose's feet, to give the impression that he was wading through snow.  I also added some tiny snowflakes from the Holiday Home stamp set using my Encore silver ink.

My base is Naturals White (yes, I do love using that cardstock as my base, don't I?) with the next layer of Cherry Cobbler.  Then I added my stamped and decorated Whisper White.  To finish off, I stamped my sentiment from the special hostess set, Good Greetings and added some Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details around the perimeter.

For more Christmas themed cards, check out the Fab and Funky Challenge.

For even more Christmas cards, check out the Christmas Card Challenge Blog.

For cards that feature die-cuts or punches, check out Make My Monday.

Communication is key

Sometimes it takes only a word or a few words to convey so very much more that a person is feeling.  By sending a card to a person, the front of the card is the key to communicating what the card is going to be about.  There are easy ones:  happy birthday, happy anniversary, with sympathy, congratulations, etc.  And then there are the cards that we send that go beyond simple meanings.  Words help---symbols help, too.

With my card today, I've used a very simple sentiment.  "Hello" is an everyday greeting and is just meant as a greeting.  Coupled with the heart in the word bubble, it means so very much more.  This card greets someone who means a lot to you.  It may be sent to your husband or lover.  It could be sent equally well to your mother or daughter.  Anyone who holds a piece of your heart knows that you're sending them love.

I kept the card very simple.  My base is Naturals White with a layer of Marina Mist.  Then I've added a layer of Whisper White on which I've stamped the little bird and arrow from the hostess stamp set, Hello Love.  I've coloured the bird with my Blendabilities.

Just above my little bird, I've added a die-cut hello in a word bubble and then another word bubble that simply holds a heart cut from Red Glimmer paper.  And that is my card.  Simple, yes.  But it will mean so very much more to the recipient.

For more cards in which the sentiment rules, check out City Crafter Challenges.

For more cards for which words are the recipe, check out "Less is More" Challenges.

For more cards for which clean and simple are the key, check out Addicted to Stamps and More.

Joy in gold and white

The challenge at Fab Friday is for a project in gold and white to celebrate their 50th challenge.

I loved the idea and, since there were two weeks before the end of the challenge, let the ideas incubate in my fertile imagination.  I wanted something very different from what I usually do, but what?  And then along came another challenge, this time from Inkspirational, and their word prompt was "flight".  

That gave me some great ideas.  I could see golden butterflies or birds flying away.  And so I looked through my stamps.  My first thoughts were to use the Papillon Potpourri but then I came across a non-Stampin' Up! stamp I had bought several years ago and never used.  The image simply spoke to me and, of course, that is the one that I used.

For my base I used Naturals White.  Then I used Versamark to stamp the image on Whisper White and heat embossed it using my Gold embossing powder.  I loved the look but wanted something more and so grabbed my second to largest circle framelit and traced the curve on either side of the image.  That way I emphasized the line of flight and allowed for more of the Gold Foil, that I had already planned to use as my matte, to show through.  

For the Golf Foil matte, I used my Lucky Stars embossing folder to  add texture and interest and then used my Envelope Punch Board to round the top left and bottom right corners.  Then I added my curved piece of Whisper White, using the extra-strong Fast Fuse adhesive to attach it to the Gold Foil.  

For my sentiment, I wanted to use the "Joy" from the Wonderful Wreath Framelit set.  The way I had cut the white to fit on the gold, however, meant that the die-cut word would have to fit across both papers.  I really didn't like the idea of  gold on gold or white on white.  And so, of necessity, I cut two words, one in white and the other in gold foil.  Then I cut them so that the gold would fit on the white and vice-versa.   It was fiddly but worth it.  I loved the final effect.

I am showing the same card twice just to show how pretty the gold is when it catches the light.  The first image, however, shows the details better because I didn't catch as much shine.  It's much prettier in real life but gold and silver aren't easy to capture well in photos.

For more cards showing the 50th Anniversary gold, check out Fab Friday.

For more cards interpreting the word "flight", check out Inkspirational.

Birthday Wishes --- Flight

Remember that adorable pup I had on one of my cards a few weeks ago?  The one parachuting through the clouds and saying "Wheeee!"  Well there were more images with that stamp set and the one I'm using on today's card is perfect for the Inkspirational Challenge, which is "Flight".

The main image and one cloud are stamped on a piece of Whisper White.  The second cloud and birthday banner were stamped on another piece of Whisper White and fussy-cut before adding them, mounted on Dimentionals, to the main piece.  All the colouring is done with my Blendabilities except for the lady's earrings which are coloured with my Gold Dazzle Stampin' Marker.  I added a piece of Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine to the banner and made it look as if it had just slipped out of her hand.

I love the looks of joy on the faces of the images.  That's what makes the entire card such a happy one for me.  This is also a card that I'd happily give to my husband and so I decided it would be a good one to enter into the Paper Players Challenge which is for masculine cards.  It doesn't only have to be about animals, woods, tools or travel to appeal to a man.

Everything used for this card is currently a Stampin' Up! product except for the stamp set.  

For more cards interpreting the theme of "flight", check out Inkspirational Challenges.

For more cards that suit a masculine recipient, check out the Paper Players Challenge.

Ho! Ho! Ho! --- Santa and his "stache"

The sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches caught my eye.  It seemed to me to be perfect for Santa and his "stache".  I love those moustaches and the framelit for them.  What a neat way to make a fun image even more fun.
                                                       
I decided to use Naturals White as my base cardstock followed by a layer of Mossy Meadow and then a layer of Whisper White.  Before attaching the Whisper White, however, I used my Stars embossing folder to emboss it.  For the strips, I used Designer Paper with a Mossy Meadow matte and for the square I did the same.

I coloured Santa's hat and face using my Blendabilities and then mounted him using Dimensionals.  I attached the moustache using Dimensionals as well.  Then I stamped the "ho! ho! ho!" from Good Greetings onto Whisper White and cut around the sentiment to make it into a word bubble.  Before attaching it I sponged around the perimeter using Mossy Meadow ink.

To finish the card, I added some holly to Santa's hat and also some Silver Dazzling Details glitter glue to his beard and moustache.

For more cards using this sketch, check out Freshly Made Sketches.

For more cards showing off fussy cutting, check out AAA Cards.

You Make me Happy --- Celebrating the old and the new

I was looking through some of my retired stamps sets and realized that whether they're current or not, some are definitely here to stay.  The gorgeous Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set, for example, just begs to be coloured using our new Blendabilities.  Since the large rose in the set was perfect for a challenge that I wanted to enter, I was happy to oblige.  No further begging required.  This is the sketch for the challenge I had in mind:

The colours I used are part of a colour challenge that I thought suited the style of card perfectly:

I stamped the rose four times on pieces of Whisper White using my black Memento ink.  I almost went for a fifth, but I think that would have been overkill.  Certainly it took long enough to fussy cut the four images that I had already stamped.  I cut each image out at a different point so that it would like more three dimensional.  Then I coloured all the images using my Calypso Coral Blendabilities.  The finished product, especially when layered, looked gorgeous.

For my card base I used the Naturals White and then layered a piece of the Blackberry Bliss design from the Park Lane Designer Series paper.  Then I cut a much smaller rectangle of Naturals White and then layered a piece of Blackberry Bliss on top of that, leaving a very narrow frame.  After that I cut a slightly smaller piece of Whisper White and stamped that using two of the splatter stamps from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and Blushing Bride ink.  I stamped my sentiment in the bottom right corner using Blackberry Bliss ink and the retired Happy Watercolor stamp set.  I added that to the Naturals White and Blackberry Bliss layers and then centred the smaller rectangle over the Designer Paper.

I glued the first two layers of the rose into place and then used Dimensional to place the third and fourth layers.  Then, to finish of the card, I stamped two feathers from the Four Feathers stamp set onto Summer Starfruit cardstock (retired) using Blackberry Bliss ink.  I cut the feathers using the matching framelit and then glued them into place just under the bottom layer of the rose.

For more cards using this sketch, check out Pals Paper Arts.

For more cards using these colours, check out ColourQ.

Sweet baby girls

A friend asked me to make her two baby girl cards.  Of course I said yes.  I haven't made very many baby girl cards in the past couple of years.  It seems as if baby boys have been in the majority.  Even though the cards are going to different people and different countries, I didn't just want to make two carbon copies.  What's the fun in that, after all?

For card number one I decided to enter a sketch challenge just to get the creative juices flowing.  I decided on this sketch:

It's nice to have a starting point.  After that I went through my stamp options and paper options.  For my stamps I went with "Baby We've Grown" and "Something for Baby" for the front of the card and then the retired sets, "Cuddles and Kisses" and "Best of Brides and Babies" for the inside.  For the paper, I chose Blushing Bride for my base cardstock, then a layer of Whisper White, a layer of Marina Mist and, finally, a layer of Whisper White onto which I did my stamping.  

I decided to do all my stamping on the one sheet and so had to mask the bunny in order to get three good images that appeared to be sitting side by side.  I coloured the bunnies using my Blendabilities. I also traced my Banners Framelit using my Black Project Life Journalling Pen and then coloured it using my Blendabilities.  Then I stamped  the "Oh Baby" to the left side of the images.

For the clothesline I used my White Baker's Twine and punched out hearts and booties.  

I kept up the "cute" for the inside as well:

For more cards using this sketch, check out CAS(E) this Sketch.

The second card wasn't made for a challenge.  I used the same colour palette and used the same stamp sets for the front.  The cards couldn't be any more different, despite those similarities.  I used some retired Designer Paper for which I'm not sure of the name.  I also used the retired Blushing Bride Pleated Satin Ribbon and the retired Bitty Buttons.  The baby carriage is the one from the Something for Baby stamp set but instead of stamping it solid, I just went around the edges of the stamp with my black marker and then stamped it on Whisper White before cutting it out with the matching framelit.  Then I coloured the body and hood with my Blushing Bride marker.

On the inside I used the retired Cuddles and Kisses stamp set as well as the current Baby We've Grown stamp set.

I hope you've enjoyed my two baby girl cards.  If you get a moment, it's great to read people's comments.  Thanks so much.

Tea time

Growing up in Victoria, I was definitely exposed to tea-drinking and the various teas.  I even had a tea "egg" and used loose tea.  Yes, I guess I was a bit of a tea snob.  I did drink coffee as well, but primarily drank tea.  Until after I married and moved from the island.  Strange how we change...

*So thrilled to have this card picked for the Top 3 at {PIN}spirational Challenges*

When I saw the challenge for beverages on "Less is More", the first thing I thought of was a glass of wine.  Then coffee.  And finally I remembered my roots and love of tea.  And so I turned to my stamps and found a set that would work quite well.

For my colour theme I turned to the {PIN}spirational Challenges.  They have a photo inspiration right now that ties in beautifully with the tea theme that I was planning.

And so my card was born.  I used a combination of the retired Morning Cup stamp set and current Sketched Birthday stamp set for the images and the Project Life Remember This stamp set for the sentiment.  Since the challenge at "Less is More" is for a single layer card, my card is simply a folded piece of Whisper White.  On it I stamped the cup and teapot and then masked them and sponged stars over them using my Stars Decorative Mask.  I coloured the images using my Blendabilities with a little help outlining the stars using my So Saffron Stampin Marker.

Near the bottom I stamped the cupcake and the sentiment.  The cupcake is coloured with my Stampin' Markers.

Because I used both my Blendabilities and my Stampin' Markers, I decided that the card should be entered into the Addicted to Stamps and More challenge which calls for "making your mark".  

For more cards showcasing beverages in a single layer card, check out "Less is More".

For more cards interpreting the photo inspiration, check out {PIN}spirational Challenges.

A colourful challenge

The Make My Monday challenge is asking for projects that reflect an Indian Summer.  The more colourful, apparently, the better.  And so I began to create.

For my base I used Naturals White followed by Crushed Curry, Coastal Cabana, Basic Black and a piece of the lovely but retired Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper.  I decided to stamp the patterned paper with a silhouette from the retired Just Believe stamp set.  It made for an elegant foil for the die-cut butterfly which I added.  Don't you just love the pop of colour that the butterfly gives?

For more cards interpreting Indian Summer, check out Make My Monday.

For more cards with Butterflies, check out City Crafter Challenges.

Thankful for you --- through the window

*Proud to be a Spotlight Artist for the City Crafter Challenge Blog*

I've always wanted a window die and couldn't find one.  Finally the lady at our Farmer's Market ordered one in for me and I'm thrilled to use it.  The bonus is that I can enter this card into a challenge that appears to be made for it.  It's called "I see clearly" and requires the use of vellum, acetate, clear plastic, etc.  For my card, I used the acrylic window sheet for the panes of my window.  Besides that, I used some of the modelling paste mixed with a few drops of Smoky Slate ink and my bricks stencil.  Before I added that to my Whisper White cardstock, however, I pencilled in the window shape so that the inside, where the panes would be, would be clear.

For inside the window, I stamped the birds in the nest from the World of Dreams stamp set.  That, plus the sunset colours added with a stamp from the Work of Art stamp set made the perfect view through the panes.

I used a base of Naturals White followed by a layer of Basic Black.  Then I added the Whisper White with the modelling paste bricks and the window on it.  The sentiment from the hostess Good Greeting stamp set was perfect.

 And then I decided that maybe the card would look better with some Autumn leaves added to the white space beside the sentiment.  So I heat embossed two leaves and an acorn from the Falling Leaves stamp set (retired) using Early Espresso embossing powder.  Then I coloured them in using my Blendabilities and attached them with some Snail.

Overall, I think the vellum leaves really give this card a finishing touch.

For more cards that include window sheets or vellum, check out City Crafter Challenges.

For more cards that include Autumn leaves, check out Curtain Call.

For more cards where anything goes, check out Addicted to Stamps and More.

ANYTHING GOES with the optional twist of Get Well / Thinking of You

For another challenge that includes leaves, check out "Just Us Girls" Challenge.

You're Unforgettable -- A dance in pink, blue, green and white.

*So thrilled my dancing froggy was chosen for the Top Picks on Sunday Stamps*

**I made this into a Punch Art card for a challenge at the Watercooler Challenges**

Colour challenges are quite a challenge.  When I'm given a few colours and asked to create something with them, it's not unusual for my mind to go blank.  "Those colours?  What can I do with those colours?"  That's the usual question I find myself asking.  When I saw the colours at Sunday Stamps, it was no different.  I came back to the challenge numerous times only to leave without coming up with an idea.  Today all that changed.  I had that "lightbulb" moment.  You know---where you can finally say Eureka because it all became clear.

I made a very clean and simple card.  It's all stamped on one piece of Whisper White and then mounted first on a layer of Marina Mist and then the base cardstock of Naturals White.  It all began with a frog, or more correctly, a toad.  It was a stamp that I had simply not been able to walk away from, called Tutu Toad.  And when I pulled out that stamp my inability to commit to the colour challenge simply disappeared.  Of course I would use that image.

I've coloured that wonderfully talented little toad with a combination of Blendabilities, Stampin' Markers, and my Silver Stampin' Dazzle marker.  I added three little rhinestones to her tiny tiara.  I added a sentiment using black Memento ink which was simply perfect for the image:  "You're unforgettable" from the retired Henry Says stamp set.

And that's it.  It's a very simple card, like I've said.  I hope it makes you smile.  It makes me grin.

For more cards using these colours, check out Sunday Stamps.

I'm also entering this card into the Addicted to Stamps and More challenge, where it's anything goes.  Marie, you're unforgettable---hope you get well soon.

Playing with watercolours

I enjoy watercolours.  They have such a different look from markers or acrylic paints.  When I saw that there was a watercolour challenge, I jumped at the chance to enter.  I'm just a novice, but it's good to push oneself.

For my sketch I turned to Sketch Saturday and the archived sketch #240

And, finally, for my theme, I entered the "Less is More" seaside challenge.  What could be better than to finally use the sailboat stamp I had bought over a year ago and never used?

I really used a lot of concentrated colour on the front sail because that's what I've noticed, especially on sailboats in warmer areas.  For the sea and the reflection, I used more of a wash.  I liked the result and then went hunting for the right coordinating colours in my cardstock and Designer Paper.

For my base I used Coastal Cabana, then a layer of Basic Black and a layer of Bermuda Bay.  I found some Designner Paper with diagonal stripes that went nicely with the colours in my image and so I used that for my strip.  I cut the Watercolour paper with my Oval Framelits and then handcut around it for two additional layers, one Crushed Curry and the other Basic Black.

As my finishing touch, I stamped the anchor from the Open Sea stamp set onto brushed silver paper and then fussy cut it out to mount beside the oval.  The "sweet moments" sentiment from the Project Life Remember This stamp set seemed just right for my banner.

I entered this card into the Sketch Saturday challenge for the sketch.

I entered this card into the Less is More challenge for the seaside theme.

And I entered this card into the AAA card challenge for the watercolour.

I Love You --- A study in Black and White ATSM 110

Photo challenges are interesting.  They leave a lot to interpretation.  This one, from the Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge, for example:

What do you see?  Do you see a black and white flower or do you see a ballerina putting on her dance shoes?  It really doesn't matter when you're making the card.  It's the impression that one has that one attempts to translate into a card.  

I chose to use my modelling paste and a stencil of hexagonals to put a pattern onto a piece of Whisper White.  Then I stamped a little bee in black Memento ink.  On another piece of Whisper White I stamped the little flower from the Wondrous Wreath stamp set and used the coordinating framelit to cut it out.  I glued that near the bottom left of the paste pattern.  Finally I stamped "I Love You" near the top right of the card.  Love those simple greetings from the hostess Good Greetings stamp set!

I used a base cardstock of Naturals White and then used the Woodgrain embossing folder on a piece of Basic Black before adhering that to the base.  Then I attached the Whisper White piece and the card was done.  Clean and simple and my impression of the photo.

For more impressions of this photo challenge, check out Addicted to Stamps and More.

Hello Fall --- FMS 151

I see as I drive into town that the leaves are turning colour.  It's early yet, on the first day of September, to be watching the beginning of Fall.  I don't think I'm ready for it yet.  It has, however, put me into a mindset where designing cards for Fall feels natural.  I loved this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and so a card was born.

For my base I used Naturals White followed by a layer of Cajun Craze.  Then I used some Modeling Paste mixed with Cajun Craze ink to form the bricks onto a piece of Naturals White.  Onto that I attached a wreath made using the Wondrous Wreath bundle and Hello Honey, Cajun Craze and Calypso Coral inks.  Finally a few acorns thanks to the For All Things stamp set and some Cajun Craze ink (off-stamped once) and a sentiment from the same stamp set and my card was ready.  

For more cards using this sketch challenge, check out Freshly Made Sketches.