My Favorite Things Color Challenge #32

Busted this out fairly quickly... and I'm very happy with it.  This will get used!

Here it is:

This card was inspired by the My Favorite Things #32 Color Challenge:

Supplies & notes:

• I stamped a Stampendous "Ranunculous Field" stamp with Tim Holtz's Distress paint in Peeled Paint (green) and Fired Brick (red), then sprinkled with some Custer's Last Stamp clear EP
• I used Tim's Distress Paint in Chipped Sapphire with a toothbrush  (inspired by an awesome tutorial at Tammy Tutterow's blog)
• Added some sweet corner bling and a sentiment,  pre-printed from my computer, then slapped onto a cranberry piece of DCWV cardstock over a kraft card
• Edged the sentiment with Scattered Straw (Tim Holtz) which accentuates the yellow-gold bling

Try It on Tuesday (or Sunday...)

Ahhh, I do love Halloween. I do. With the various blogs hosting Halloween-y (haha: I said weeny) challenges, it's been interesting to read different crafter's takes on their various levels of Halloween enthusiasm. It was thought-provoking because I always say,  "I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!" enthusiastically... but what do I love? I love the dark and macabre to the cutesy and sweet... I've articulated in my mind that I don't really like the scary-gory (chainsaws, gory body parts)... but I do like the scary classic vampire stuff... see? We all have our own grey area! Very neat to consider.  Or maybe I'm just a total nerd. (Yep, that's it.)

I began with this box a month ago thinking I'd bring it to work for the kids to enjoy but never did anything with it but crackle the top.  Then early on Friday morning an idea came to me!  So I've been adding a bit here and there, and now I'm done:

We were so busy Friday and Saturday... I did my crafting in bits, and sometimes that works,  but I think it resulted in a slightly disjointed project here: the graveyard scene doesn't really go with the vintage-feel of the cover, but it is all a little spooky.  At least this little project has inspired me to think about what I would do different next time-- pay attention to cohesiveness, for example...

I want to say that the inside of the lid (the crow side) had a darker background than it apears in the image.  Oooh, and you should know that the moon with the bats is hanging free, so it kind of wobbles! Cute!

I am entering this into the Try it on Tuesday for the "It's Frightening/Halloween" challenge.  I just looked at the projects by their DT and crafters... some people are just crafty devils!

Three-fer Xmas

...fitting crafting in early mornings and late nights... Geez!

Here's a card I started making last night as my youngest was reading Bram Stoker's Dracula aloud... Finally, I'm making a Xmas card and she's reading a Halloween book! Ahhh, irony...

Here it is:

This card was based on this sketch at Freshly Made Sketches by Jen:

I was randomly drawn for the gift certificate for the My Favorite Things store for an MFT Color Challenge last month, and since I am desperately trying to limit my craft-spending due to the building of a craft-shack (lots of money has gone there), I  ordered something that the GC would cover.  I got Gold Texture-luxe paste!

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

• Freshly Made Sketches #209 (sketch above)
• Addicted to CAS #74: Sparkle
• Crafting By Designs: October's Getting Ready For Xmas

Supplies and notes:

• Faber-Castell Texture-luxe gold paste pasted through an old (read "hella-old") Provo Craft stencil and sprinkled with Stampendous Frantage in Shabby White,  heated  over my toaster (ummm, I use a toaster for embossing over 90% of time...that's how my mom taught me in the late 80s/early 90s)
•  Made the sentiment with my Zig emboss writer and some pewter powder, then cut it  out casually (quick, imperfect), edged with metallic Color Box, and popped it up at a cant.

Ahhh, let's look at it again :)

DL Art + Try Stamping...

Let's hear it for BC Awareness... pay attention to your bodies, ladies!

Here's my card:

Darn it all if the tiles didn't stagger like I'd envisioned... but the card served its purpose: gave it to a friend who started her fight in May of 2013. She's growing her hair,  and still meeting doctors multiple times a month... and she completely freakin' rocks!

I gave her the card,  and said, "I'm thinking you're 'over' the whole 'Think Pink' thing,  but I'm going to acknowledge that you've had a helluva ride, and you rock!..." She thanked me for the card,  and I said, "we could pretend like nothing happened,  or we can go,  'yeah, that was a crazy ride, and you're still dealing with it. ..'" (Basically, dude, anyone who goes through it will battle forever. It is life-changing. I respect that.)

Anyway... sorry. So,  is life-changing for the lady going through it,  but also for family and friends. Go, Mrs. T!

I would like to enter this card into Try Stamping On Tuesday #239 and DL Art's Pinky-Linky for Breast Cancer Awareness...

Cheers to you all!

Oh, by the way,  Verve stamps, Ranger mica, Tim Holtz's Distress Ink in Worn Lipstick.  Awesome things!

Nacho Average... #163

Well, this is my second entry into a "Nacho Average Challenge" challenge... #163:

My little card was based on this sketch:

So quick and easy. I had an old K & Company die-cut butterfly and I added some easy gold foil over top of some Zig 2-Way glue. I had a scrap of off-white textured paper and I cut the edges with a paper scorer (a fave technique of mine) and laid it over the top of a gold/mustardy card. This is not what I would call my style, but once I began to assemble it, it reminded me of some of my grandmother's old stationary-- very 1960s. I think this card turned out neat in a retro-sort-of way. It will definitely get used as stationary.

Thanks, Verve! #2

Thanks to Verve Stamps, I have these fabulous Fall-love (Latte Love) digitals! FREE until October 15th... and also: Julee just got a bunch of stamps replenished and is holding a 20%-off sale! 

HERE is the link to the Verve shop.

Here is the second card I made using my new favorites (and FYI, the corugated metal in the background is the roof to my craft-shack...under construction!):

I am linking it to the following challenges as well as the Verve Latte Love gallery:

• Verve's Latte Love link-up...  see other folks' creations with the digital set!
• Crafting By Designs: All About Autumn  challenge
• Try It On Tuesday: Autumn challenge
• Just Us Girls #314: Trend Week-- stencils
  
• The Card Concept #41: Autumn Neutrals... I guess I'd consider this card Clean And Layered... though it has a slightly grungy feel... 
  

Supplies & notes:

• The sentiment is Verve.  I daubed it with Tim Holtz's Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap, then tied it with True Hemp metallic cord 
• Stampendous's frantage embossing powder in Aged Silver set over Theresa Collins modeling paste, which was all used through a Balzer stencil
• The DP is My Mind's Eye

Thanks, Verve! #1

Thanks to Verve Stamps, I have these fabulous Fall-love (Latte Love) digitals! FREE until October 15th... and also: Julee just got a bunch of stamps replenished and is holding a 20%-off sale!

HERE is the link to the Verve shop.

So here is the first card I made using my new favorites (and FYI, the corugated metal in the background is the roof to my craft-shack...under construction!):

I am linking it to the following challenges as well as the Verve Latte Love gallery:

• Verve's Latte Love link-up...  see other folks' creations with the digital set!
• Crafting By Designs: All About Autumn  challenge
• Try It On Tuesday: Autumn challenge

Supplies & notes:

• The sentiment and cups are both Verve. For the sentiment I stamped the woodgrain All Night Media with Color Box metallic platinum (looks brownish though... maybe my label is wrong), and I daubed the lower parts of the cups with Tim Holtz's Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap, then painted leaves and pumpkin with Viva Paper Pearls in Light Moss and Stickles in Mercury Glass 
• True Hemp metallic cord 
• Craft Medley sequins from the Box of Chocolates set
• Craft Loft leaf paper and pearly green paper from DCWV stack

Simon Says... CAS Xmas!

So funny,  my MIL and hubs were asking if I was going to bust out some Xmas cards... then this challenge popped up! Added to my motivation, for sure!

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Clean And Simple Xmas!  This is as CAS as I get... I feel like I always need a little mess.

Supplies and notes:

• I used a Martha Stewart stencil with some Stampendous Aged Gold frantage
• I used Stampendous's Shabby White frantage across it all. 

I have to say,  I had the hardest time choosing the banner color... I could have gone red and white striped, polka dots... anything would have worked! I also considered painting his nose red... ahh, the possibilities! Here,  I'll show you the scraps I considered:

Throwdown #363

Here is my 8th entry into a Color Throwdown Challenge... here is the palette for #362:

And here's my entry:

I used a photo I took at my aunt and uncle's vineyard in Newmarket, Maryland. My aunt Sue is a librarian,so I hope she'll especially love this card!

Cheers! Hope everyone gets crafty today!

My first Wicked Wednesday!

The theme for Wicked Wednesday #179 is Trick or Treat!

Here's my ATC:

Isn't that so cute?  I love all things Halloween, but I just crumble for vintage Halloween stuff, and this witch is so fabulous... see the little black cats on her garb? And check out her broom: I had to fussy-cut her, and so I cut out the broom handle and added a little willow twig! :)

Obviously,  I used one of my library cards (the book title was "The Witch Who Saved Halloween") and I typed the little greeting on my typewriter on a scrap of paper from an antique book.  The witch was from an Authentique DP. (I guess I'm rambling because this card has some cool vintage components that came together! The card, the ribbon, the greeting scrap... hecka old! Neat to wonder where all these parts were 50 years ago,  and how did they end up on a Halloween ATC at my kitchen table...)

MFT #249: Thanksgiving

Well, I came across a non-politically correct book in the library,  and so I thought give it new life with a craft or two! (I always evaluate the use something will get as an item used for its purpose [in this case,  a book], or used in an unconventional way [in this case,  cards!])

... And I know that life is too short to set my favorite clothes aside and keep the china up... use that stuff! Every day is a gift.

Anyway, I was inspired by the My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge #249:

And here's my card:

Supplies:

• Page from "The First Thanksgiving"
• Ranger Liquid Pearls 
• Martha Stewart punch for the band at top
• Fiskars punch for bottom
• Computer-generated sentiment in Dark brown and daubed with Tim Holtz's Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap
• Core'dinations cardstock and DCWV paper

FMS #207

I love scrap-buster sketches! That's what initially drew me in to Freshly Made Sketches #207... though I ended up using Halloween paper that wasn't necessarily scraps... yet...

Here's the sketch:

& here's my little number:

The paper is all mixed up: American Crafts,  Graphic 45, and the image card is from Authentique.  Boom: added some Viva Paper Pearls in Anthracite and I was done with a freshly made Halloween card. I'd usually embellish more, but this will be easy to mail.  (Ahh, the things only card makers consider...)

BTW, this is my 7th entry into a FMS! I just love statistics... 

VLV October Week #1

Well, it's about time I got my craft on!  Lots of motivation, no mojo.

Here's the sketch for VIVA LA VERVE OCTOBER WEEK 1:

And here's my card:

Did this while the girls and I were water-coloring.  I embossed a bunch of sayings that I wrote with my Zig Emboss Writer, using Custar's Last Stamp embossing powder in silver.  The twine is True Hemp. I used a We R Memory Keepers sticker popped up with dimensional over the bow. I cut the pink paper to be the shape of a Polaroid... think it turned out pretty cute. I have lots of friends who need to "Hang in there" now! 

Mojo #418

Omg, Mojo Monday #418 came around and I was like,  "I'm doing it!" I've been so busy, and then lacking mojo... I just needed some Mojo Monday!

Here's the sketch:

And here's my card:

The girls and I were water-coloring the other night and I "duded-up" an old due date card that had some overspray on it... it was in sight when I fired up my mojo. The stars are some wood shapes from Target. Ummmm, perfect for the sketch! Doodlebug twine. Viva Paper Pearls in red. Thickers letters. I also offset the black panel on purpose... I think it looks a little more casual and fun that way.

Simon Says... Autumn is in the air!

I took it literally... see that? Autumn in the AIR...???

Boom! (I'm a bird-nerd, so I'm stoked about this one!)

Hope ya'll like this... I can't believe how perfect the quote is.

SOS September Exchange

I participated in the Society of Stampaholics September Card Chain Challenge last month.  It was my first time,  and it was very cool to make a card for a fellow crafter.  I plan to participate again this month.

This is the card I sent to my recipient (Linda in Michigan):

Here's the folded view:

And I even decorated the shipping envelope a little:

(Unfortunately,  it sounds like my sender had a helluva week... I haven't gotten a card yet,  but when I do,  I'll add it to this post.)

I like the concept of the Card Chain... cool to receive good mail!  

Crafting By Designs in October

The month-long challenge at Crafting By Designs is Anything Goes! Yay! I haven't entered very many "anything goes" challenges,  but I'm glad this came up on my radar because... I was making a card with "dream" as a theme for a CAS challenge... well, I didn't make a CAS card. My craftiness took over and I went with my he(ART).

So, in case it's on the tip of your memory, the words are from The Cranberries song "Dreams"... perfect! Obviously all done on a library card,  then stenciled using Tim Holtz's Distress Inks through Heidi Swapp stencils. I popped up the lyrics with dimensional tape,  then daubed it roughly with Distress ink,  then glazed lightly with Clear Rock Candy crackle paint. .. same with the Thickers "dreams."

Simon says OMBRE!

Alright! Enjoy my entry into Simon Says Stamp Monday: Ombre... because I sure enjoyed making it!  I love ombre, and I love stenciling.  Marry the two? So much fun for me.

Supplies:

• True Hemp metallic cord
• Bulk flowers (which are kind of ombre...)
• A Heidi Swapp stencil with some Tim Holtz Worn Lipstick daubed in an ombre-fashion down the card. 
• The ombre panel was inked on the edges with Galaxy Gold Brilliance ink then popped up on dimensional.
• Sentiment by Tim Holtz,  and then stamped with Tim Holtz Frayed Burlapand embossed with Custers Last Stamp clear embossing powder, then popped up with dimensional.