Sunday 29 December 2013

Owl Old are You this Year?


It's almost a new year! Time for resolutions and celebrating new starts. My resolution is to keep up with blogging, learn new blogging skills and MOST  importantly, reaching out to learn new paper crafting skills while sharing with others. Happy New Year everyone! Thank you to everyone who has left a comment. It's a bigger world than I thought it was, here in my cozy chair. 

The Happy Birthday card was made for a friend who loves watching owls in nature. I stamped, coloured with marker and fussy cut the owl. I dry embossed him to look 3 dimensional. The panel behind the scallop is also a stamp. Unfortunately, I can't find it to tell you which company made it. All the panels are layered with CS. I stamped HB and fastened it with a brad. Hope you like it and THANK YOU for looking. I love hearing from you. Leave a comment and join my 1 follower so she doesn't get lonely.  LOL!


Stampin' Up: Ink, CS, scallop punch, markers, and DP. 
Colours: Night of Navy, Really Red, shades of green. 
Owl Stamp: Inkadinkado

Challenges entered:


Papertake Weekly Challenge Pick of the Yearhttp://papertakeweekly.blogspot.ca/2013/12/pick-of-year.html








Thursday 26 December 2013

Post Christmas Relax Mode

Did you have the kind of Christmas Day you desired? Ours flew past as fast as Santa and his coursers. With no little ones around, we all slept in and didn't get around to opening gifts until after lunch! I never entertained the thought of being so laid back, decades ago.(smile) I remember (as a kid) being puzzled that my Dad didn't seem concerned to open his presents in a "timely" fashion! Now, here I am....longer on patience and savouring the anticipation of receiving a gift.
What I loved best this year was a card. My 20 something sons drew pictures inside it, depicting scenes from their youth. I told them I will treasure it forever!
My wish for all is that you had people with which to spend Christmas, and that you have happy memories to sustain you in the new year. 
I want to thank Darnell of http://www.djkardkreations.com/ 
She is encouraging me along my journey by the kind things she said, and featuring my site on her blog. I aspire to create a blog that is as funny, witty and engaging as her blog. Beautiful cards too! Check it out. 


Tim Holtz reindeer die on sticky back foil that I stuck to cardstock after running through the Big Kick with a swirls embossing folder. Then it was fussy cut.  I sponged ink on it to give a little definition, and tied on the ribbon to help give the illusion of flying through the air.
The background is a snowflakes embossing folder. I inked the folder with shades of blue and sponged around the edges with a darker hue. 
The tag is stamped with a SU greeting (I love this stamp). Here's a hint someone gave me: place your tag into a corner punch in such a way as to make the fish tail on the end. Easy and economical! 
As always,THANKS for stopping by




Challenges entered:


Coffee, Chocolate and Cards #54

Christmas Card Challenges#4 Make it Masculine

Charizma Cardz Challenges #49 Anything Goes

Sister Act Card Challenge #38

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Bling it On 















Thursday 19 December 2013

Counting the Days to Christmas with Treat Holders! Yum!

Hello to all and hope you are celebrating the season with those you love. I made these matchbook holders to hold a single treat. Stick them in with pop dots and watch the smiles as they are opened. Thanks to Alicia from SU, who originally taught me how to make them. 
Make someone in your life smile with a small treat. 




To make a matchbook, cut a piece of cardstock 3"x 6.5". Lay lengthwise along a scoreboard and score at 3", 31/4", 6". Fold on score lines to make matchbook shape. Staple the bottom fold and cover with a strip of paper to hide the staple and embellish with scraps. I was happy I could use up odds and ends to decorate mine. Have fun. They all turn out differently. Thanks for looking! Come back again.  

I entered Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #76 Anything Goes

http://addictedtostamps-challenge.blogspot.co.uk/

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge extra
http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/chnc-challenge-extra-for-december.html






Sunday 15 December 2013

Some Mostly Paper Crafting Cards (I needed to make in a hurry)

Made from BoBunny designer paper. The lantern was fussy cut and popped up. Sentiment is SU. 

SU snowflake punch, DP scraps and SU sentiment


Recollections "City Sidewalk" paper pad for DP and sentiment, Sizzlets Snowflake dies layered with Dollarama jewel in centre. MS edge punch. 

Recollections "City Sidewalks" paper pad and Cricut cut reindeer

DP from Lens Mills discount store. fussy cut the edge and added die cut from TH die. 

Recollections "City Sidewalks" paper pad and SU sentiment.

It took 15 to 20 minutes per card. I MUST remember to do this next year. It certainly takes the stress off. 
Thanks for looking. I'll be entering some challenges:



Chocolate, Coffee & Cards  Challenge #54 HappyHolidays http://chocolatecoffeecards.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/challenge-54-happy-holidays.html

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #299






Snowy Trees


Hi all. Welcome to my blog today. Do other people love evergreens as much as me? The stamp I used here is one of my originals when I started stamping. I still love it! The acrylic paint dabber helped add some texture. 
I'm entering into some challenges. Thanks for stopping by and I hope the snow in your neck of the woods is sparkly and bright. 

Stamps: AI, Christmas Tree G 2770
              SU, Elementary Elegance, Itty Bitty Backgrounds.
              Stampendous, Let it Snow
Inks: SU Old Olive, Night of Navy, Mellow Moss
Adirondack Paint dabber, Snow Cap
Memory Box: Frostyville Border Swirl
Stamp Positioner
Techniques: sponging and masking

Challenges: 
Simon Says...Let it Snow

Charisma Card Challenge... #48 Your Favourite Word   http://www.charismacardz.blogspot.ca/

Crafty Catz Challenge 211 Anything Goes  http://www.craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.ca/



I have to say a huge thank you to Hazel at http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.ca/ 
I have won a prize from  Ooh La La Creations, thanks to her and Ooh La La Creations.

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Christmas Magic


To delight in the magic of Christmas brings a warm feeling to the heart! Who remembers planning for Santa to come and watching the snowman we'd made earlier in the day, waiting to spy the slightest motion under the night sky? I remember finding buttons for the eyes and mouth from my mother's button box,  a carrot sneaked out of the fridge for the nose and rummaging around in closets, searching for just the right scarf for him or her to wear. Wasn't the hat the trickiest part to plan? It seems to me that I always wanted a top hat, but settled for a knitted toque! 

I bought this cheerful snowman stamp set last year and finally used it this year. What I liked about it, is that there are so many arrangements you can make, because the pieces are all separate. You can decide your own placement. (stick arms, candy cane, hat, bird, sign.) There are other pieces in the set that I didn't use.

This card is for a special friend and her family. They have had many challenges in the last few years. I was specifically thinking of her darling little son when I made this card. I hope it makes him smile when he sees it. 

To make the background scene, I masked the snowman and the snow. Sponging took care of the shading. I wasn't too happy with how my Inktense pencils worked on the paper, but that can be remedied with more practice on my part! 
I wanted the whole design to look uncluttered, childlike and simple. I hope seeing this card brings back the warmest childhood memories like it did for me. :)

Stamps: AI "Mouthfuls Snowman", Amy R stamps "Big Christmas Wishes"
Inks: Versafine black, TH tumbled glass.
Other: holiday ribbon, Inktense pencils, black Sharpie, SU markers, Laurentian grey marker, Glossy Accents, Aleene's tacky glue, pop dots, snow pen, white gell pen, mini snowflake stickers, Stamp Art cloud stencil.
Techniques: masking, sponging, fussy cutting, paper piecing, watercolour. 


I'm going to enter this card into the #124 "Merry and Bright" challenge at Art Impressions stamps, http://artimpressionsstamps.blogspot.ca/2013/12/challenge-124-merry-and-bright-new-ai.html

Simon Says, "Make Your Own Background",

CHNC challenge #154, "For Someone Special".
.


Sunday 1 December 2013

Inspired by Loll Thompson Autumn Leaf





I've had this card for quite awhile, so couldn't find the direct page for this similar card on Loll's site. You will enjoy seeing all of her other cards as well. 
For the circle background, I used SU and TH inks and blended them with water. I spritzed on some water drops to get the "rained on" effect. The Maple leaf was stamped and fussy cut. I sponged with TH inks and used a TH dauber with copper metallic paint. I inked the edges of the leaf with a darker ink. The oak leaves were punched out from paper. Nestabilites were used to cut out the oval. Thanks for looking and hope my American friends had a lovely Thanksgiving.