Merry and Bright

Hi there, I’m a day late with this post 🙁  I’ve been really out of it with the cold/flu for the past week and a half, and it’s taking its toll on me.  A new challenge has started over at the C.R.A.F.T. challenge blog.  We have our regular Christmas theme this week, for all of you that might be getting tired of Halloween makes!  Our lovely sponsors are:

All Dressed Up

and

Papernest Dolls Digis

I was given Little Angel, from All Dressed Up to work with.  I colored the little sweetie up with my Prismacolor pencils, then cut her out with a Xyron die.  After inking the edges of the image, I layered it on the poinsettia print card base with a die cut ornament corner and a heat embossed sentiment.  The one corner looked “naked” so I used just one ornament from another die cut to balance it out.  I hope you can dig up some of your Christmas stash, and join us for the challenge 🙂

I’d like to enter the following challenges with this:

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge – #355 ATG Christmas/optional stripes

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Extra Challenge – October Christmas ATG

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper – October ATG with Pattern Paper

ABC Christmas Challenge – U for Unlimited (ATG), V for Vibrant

Pumpkin Harvest

Hi there, one more for me today 🙂  When I think of fall, the first thing that comes to mind is pumpkins, quickly followed by Halloween and colorful leaves.  This image from Ching-Chou Kuik, called Pick a Pumpkin, perfectly showcases two of these themes 🙂  I colored this beauty up with my Prismacolor pencils, then sat wondering about the layout….  I came across this sketch

at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2, and was immediately inspired.  I embossed some yellow core Black Magic paper with a Sizzix folder, then sanded it to bring out the design.  The fence was cut with a die (I can’t remember who made it) from a scrap of black CS.  I cut 2 pieces of burlap for the elements tucked behind the image.  I knew I wanted some pumpkins to finish off this card, but I don’t have a pumpkin die, and when I went to Michael’s, I just couldn’t find the right thing!! I was feeling rather discouraged, until I went through one of my sticker folders and found a sheet of pumpkin stickers!! They had the ugly white edges on them, though, so I stuck them to a piece of CS and carefully cut around them to get the effect I wanted.  I’m so happy with the finished product, and glad that I didn’t let a few stumbling blocks along the way discourage me completely!

I’d like to enter this into the following challenges:

Ching-Chou Kuik Inspiration and Challenge Blog – Halloween/Fright Night

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 – Sketch 123, pictured above

Mod Squad Challenge Blog – Fall Fest

The Sketchy Challenges – #128 Halloween Theme

CCC Digi Creations – #83 Fantasy

Little Witch

Good morning 🙂  Is this not just the most adorable little witch that you’ve ever seen??? This is Priscilla, from the amazing Conie Fong.  I colored her up with my Copic and SN markers, then cut her out, with a big circular moon behind her, and fussy cutting the bottom of her skirt and legs.  For the background, I took some dark purple CS, and sprayed it with a pearl Glimmer Mist spray.  When it dried, I added some accent “stars” with white gel pen.  I cut the grass with a Savvy die, and used half of a “naked” tree die cut that I had on hand.  I printed the sentiment on my computer and added a few sparkly bats to finish 🙂

I’d like to enter this into the following challenges:

The Crazy Challenge -#259 Halloween

Lemon Shortbread Challenge Blog – #52 ATG

Crafty Gals Corner – #144 Make it Spooktacular

Polkadoodles Crafting Challenge – Weeks 40/41 ATG

A Gem of a Challenge – #205 Spots and/or Stripes OR Halloween

Birthday Jazz

Hi there!! This card that I’ve got here features an adorable image from The Paper Shelter, called The Saxophonist.  I merged him onto a music print digital paper from Digital Divine Designs, then colored him up with my SN and Copic markers.  I went with a monochrome scheme, with only the saxophone “popping” with color.  I used another music pattern from the same pack for the card background, then started laying things out, using this sketch from Feeling Sketchy as inspiration:

I used an unbranded die to cut out the musical pattern from a bright CS to coordinate with the sax, then adhered the sentiment that I printed on my computer on top of it.  For the 3 elements on the left side of the card, I dove into my brads, and scored the music notes 🙂

I’d like to enter this in the following challenges:

Feeling Sketchy – Sketch #179 pictured above

Dream Valley Challenges – #165 One for the Boys

Digi Choosday – Week 41 ATG

The Paper Shelter Challenge – #313 Music and Dance

Aud Sentiments – #190 Use a Die Cut and A Sentiment

 

Pansy Congratulations

Good morning 🙂  I just had to take another stab at a CAS card….practice makes you more comfortable, right?  For this, I used one of my first Aurora Wings digital stamps, the Pansy Corner 1.  I love pansies….there are such a wide range of colors in these pretty flowers, so I decided to go with fall colors on this card.  I printed the image up on kraft paper, then colored it up with my Prismacolor pencils.  I may or may not have got a grease splat on the background, which may or may not have caused me to add the black banner under the gold “congratulations” that was cut with a Tattered Lace die.  I sprinkled some gold embossing powder around the image, then matted everything in black 🙂  I’m loving the look of these vibrant pansies with the kraft and black 🙂

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Aurora Wings Challenge Blog – #58 CAS

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – #1741 ATG

Through the Craft Room Door – Week of October 9th ATG

Deep Ocean Challenge Blog – Colors of Autumn

Aud Sentiments Challenge – #190 Use a Die Cut and Sentiment

 

On the Farm

Hello!  It’s time for another challenge over at C.R.A.F.T.  This time our theme is Shaped Cards (not square or rectangular).  Of course we have a generous sponsor for the challenge, and this week it’s

Melonheadz Doodles

I used elements from the Wash Day set for my card. I merged the cow and the barn, then printed them off “card size”.  After coloring them with my Prismacolors, I carefully cut it out, so the card was actually the shape of the image 🙂  I hope you can join us, and show us your shaped cards this week 🙂

I’d like to enter the following challenges with this:

Creative Moments – #128 ATG/World Smile Day

Inky Chicks – #89 Anything But Square

Kitty Bee’s Aloha Friday Challenge – #105 Kiddy Cards

Not Just Cards – ATG

Trick or Treat

Good morning, and Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends 🙂  Best advice for Thanksgiving that I can give: eat the turkey, don’t BE the turkey…..and remember that there is so very much to be grateful for <3

I have another Halloween card here, using one of Aurora Wings‘ Sprites…Pumpkin Sprite. I colored this up with my SN markers, and couldn’t help smiling as I did so, because a memory from when I was a child came to me.  I was playing outside on our farm, and ventured into the garden, when I saw these gorgeous yellow orange flowers.  They were mostly hidden by the big leaves of the plant, so I didn’t see any reason that I couldn’t pick a bouquet and surprise my mom.  After figuring out a way to avoid prickling myself, I managed to pick ALL of the flowers, and ran into the house with my surprise.  The look on my Mom’s face!!!  She wasn’t too appreciative that I had just gifted her with her pumpkin crop…..long before it was pumpkins, or a crop!!  To this day, I love the blooms of a pumpkin, but now, I know better than to pick!!

Ok, enough of a trip down memory lane….after coloring, I fussy cut the Sprite and the kitty out, and set them aside.  I used some Black Magic CS, with the green core, for the background.  I hand embossed around a die to make a simple frame on the card, then VERY carefully sanded it.  I swiped the sandpaper around the edges, then stuck the image down.  I dug out my alpha punches (!!!) for the sentiment, and added a few yellow sequins.  Everything was placed on a yellow orange card base 🙂

I’d like to enter the following with this:

Aurora Wings Challenge Blog – #58 CAS

Digi Choosday Crafting Challenge – Week 40 ATG

Lemon Shortbread – #51 ATG

Inspiration Destination – ATG #135

Double D Challenges – Fright Night Challenge (I used the colors, and the “feel” as inspiration)

Creepy Crawly

Hi there 🙂  In the past, I’ve never been really “into” Halloween cards, as it wasn’t an occasion that my family ever exchanged cards for.  But this year, I’ve ventured into “the dark side” of cardmaking, and am LOVING it!!!  This card features the image “Spooky Blue” from Ching-Chou Kuik.  I colored her up with my Copic and SN markers, then added some Wink of Stella to the spiderwebs in the background.  After distressing the edges, I inked them in red Distress Ink.  A few years ago, I managed to grab some Black Magic card stock from Coredinations, and have been hoarding it ever since.  I dug it out for this project, and used the purple core paper, tearing the edges and sanding it a bit, to provide a matting for the layers.  The background paper is a piece that I had in my stash.  I cut the spiders and spiderweb with an unbranded die, then added Wink of Stella to the web.  The sentiment is one that I printed on my computer….after I went on a search for a spooky font….and ended up with almost 60 new ones!! Ooops 🙂

I’d like to enter this in the following challenges:

Ching-Chou Kuik Inspiration and Challenge Blog – Halloween/Fright Night

Simon Monday Challenge – A Walk on the Dark Side

Through the Craft Room Door – ATG – week of October 3

Polkadoodles Crafting Challenge – ATG Week 40

Crafter’s Cafe – Use Die Cuts and/or Punches

Coffee :)

Good morning 🙂  Today marks the start of a new ATG Challenge at Creative Fingers.  Our sponsor is the one and only Bugaboo Stamps!

For my card, I used the Coffee Word Art image. After printing it out on some tan CS, I cut it out, then adhered it to a coffee bean print DP.  The other side of the coffee bean print was a coffee word print, so I used that as my background.  Everything was matted with black CS, and I added a tag with a cute coffee sentiment stamped on it (can’t remember the maker of this particular set).  A few adhesive embellishments in the corners provided a bit of balance to the card design.

 I’d like to enter the following with this:

Inspiration Destination – #135 ATG

The Crafty Addicts – #41 ATG/Autumn Colors

Crafty Friends – #68 ATG

CraftyHazelnut’s Patterned Paper – October ATG with Patterned Paper

Holy Cow!!

Hi there!  I’ve had a number of digital stamp packs from AMB Illustrations for quite some time now, and it was time to put some to use!  I used both the Farm Animal Faces and the Farm Animals sets with this card.  I had this (not so) bright idea to merge the cow heads on the “O’s” of the sentiment….cool huh?? Not!! Those suckers were smaller than the end of my Copic lid!!! Fun times, coloring them!! LOL  I still love the effect, though 🙂  I cut the sentiment out with a stitched square die and put it aside until I was done the rest.  For the background, I merged the full cow body onto some cow print digital background paper.  After coloring it with Copics and SNs, I outlined it with a white gel pen to give it a bit more definition.  This, I matted with a piece of white, that I’d run over the edges with a sewing tracing wheel (as I don’t have a stitched die that size, and wanted the stitching effect to carry through).  After adhering the sentiment, I decided to go with no embellishments, and leave it CAS.  The inside of the card says “you’re THAT old?”

I’d like to enter this in the following:

Allsorts Challenge Blog – Week 435 – Sentiment in Focus

Cute Card Thursday – #498 ATG

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – #7 ATG with a Critter

The Sketchy Challenges – #127 ATG