Leaf Me Alone!!

 Challenge #480 at Shopping Our Stash is Leaf Me Alone so we want to see Leaves on your project. I did some shopping my stash when I used some photo papers that I bought at a yardsale for 50 cents, they work great for alcohol inky backgrounds. Now my IO die set has been in a drawer for hmmm over 4 years never opened never used until now. First here is the inky sheets I made.

I made 4 sheets of the inky backgrounds. I have a extra large ziplock bag with a piece of cardstock zipped inside then scribble covering the bag with the cardstock as a guide, then spritz with rubbing alcohol and put the photo paper down on in (shiny side down) and pull it up it dries really fast too. When I got the bag out of it's "safe" place and started working I noticed a whole lot of teeth marks all over the one end of the bag, guess my hiding spot wasn't safe enough from my helper.

 

I dry embossed crumb cake cardstock with a fall embossing folder, "something" swirls. layered it on an Early Expresso mini slimline base, added a strip of brown to attach the leaves to and a vertical Happy Birthday diecut. This just might become my youngest grandson's card.

Closer look at the leaves and the EF.

Finished the inside with very vanilla, scrap of early expresso some extra leaves and one of my very first Hero Arts birthday sentiments. (very loved too)

I did finish the "A" planned card, what else would I do with mega leaf die cuts?

I used the same colours, leaves and embossing folder made a top loading A2 card. I attached the leaves to a circle and popped the whole circle up, the sentiment is an Impression Obsession die I've had for a while and never used it, 

Closer look at the wreath of fall leaves.

Inside of the card I thought it would work for a Thanksgiving birthday, The circle is the large one from Elizabeth Craft Designs, I used the smaller one for the front then covered it up. Very vanilla cardstock and Versafine Sepia ink for the sentiment. 

Thanks for completing the marathon of picture, glad you made it, now head over to the SOS Blog and check out the rest of the design team's projects. 

A Tiny Craft (ATC) Challenge ~~ September

 How can it be the 15th of September already? Wasn't labour day just a few days ago? Fall has been beautiful but sadly by the time the October challenge arrives I will have closed the cottage and all my time can be spent in my craft space.  My new to me desk i
working out great, it needs organizing but when I make a card I put it on the top shelf (keeps it safe from "paws")  Since it is the 15th of the month it's a new challenge at A Tiny Craft (ATC) Challenge and the theme is SNARKY!!  I paired stamps from Riley & Company with Chris's sentiments from Stamplorations, added cardstock layers an embellishment and voila they are done.

Since these are retro stamps I went totally retro with Black and White. The "enamel" dots are the last of my homemade black ones. layered the images on black then on a white base added the sentiment and called them done. 

Here is the close up of the individual ATCs.

This is Coffee Lady

This stamp is called Coffee Carl

This Retro stamp is Wondering Midge 

Lastly this one is called Ethel

There are many many more Retro Funny bone stamps in their store. 

Thanks for stopping by today and check out the main blog to see what the rest of the design team have made. 

Hey (h) Ombre!!

 It's time for a new challenge at Shopping Our Stash #479 Hey (h) Ombre, there are a few ways to do an Ombre effect on your project as you will see when you head over to the main blog, paper, ink blending, paint chips, you can do a background or use the technique on your image. I went the easy way as my plan "A" didn't work, but as with all crafters I have saved my "fails" and will use them, I even have ideas but it just wasn't working for me today. So plan "B" I dug through my stash and found some ombre glitter paper and made a Gah Pink Christmas card.

Pink cardstock from my stash, 2 piece snowflake die, gently falling embossing folder (SU) and it's a Mini Slimline card. 

I added two layers of heavy cardstock behind the snowflake and two extra JOY die cuts to elevate both, the Joy die is from Elizabeth Craft Designs 

Finished the inside with some scraps and a very (probably one of my first) Christmas sentiment stamps from Stampabilities 2005.

Since I mentioned Plan "A" earlier I finished it still not 100% but my "critics" think it's great. 

The Sunflower die was a fund raiser for the Ukraine, I used a couple of yellow oxide ink pads and made the ombre cardstock to cut the  Sunflower from and two green oxide ink pads for the leaves and stem (that shows, the background was a very old sample of smooshing that was in my stash and the brown frame too. The front sentiment Stampendous. 

Sentiment is from Impression Obsession. 

Thanks for stopping by today and head over to the MAIN BLOG and check out the ombre effects the rest of the team have made

Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge ~~ September

 Another month has rolled around and it's time for the next installment of HLS Christmas Challenge, the theme is always anything goes but the option this month is Metallic. 

I have a stash of metallic posterboard that I bought at Dollar Tree, I'm glad I have a stash because they no longer carry it. I love metallic on Christmas cards but it is so hard to photograph. So here is my metallic card for the challenge.

I cut my squares of metallic posterboard to the size I needed for a 5 1/2 inch square card and using the wreath die from Gina Marie Designs I cut one from each piece. These were all attached flat. Peace was cut from the blue and several layers of heavy white cardstock to elevate it (hand deliver only card). 

I think I'm going to make a few more of these in some of the other colours, there is a beautiful green and the one that is supposed to be red is more pink but looks great. I also have Gold although that one is used more. The inside of the card is finished but there was a spot in the sentiment that stamped badly (guess I wasn't paying attention that day) it's very noticeable in the photo. Since I'm on a timeline to get done I will fix it later.

Thanks for stopping by today and you know you need to get working on your Holiday cards so stop by to the main blog and enter, it's anything goes with an option. 

B is for Birthday

Summer is winding down and my time at the lake will be put on hold for the winter, it's nice to have a change of scenery for the summer and I love taking the pictures down at the break wall. Well this week I didn't get done in time to use the lake as a backdrop, in fact I think I left my camera there and I have no recollection of packing or not packing it. I have been toting a bag of things back and forth so when the end of September (I have to close early this year) comes I won't have 5 boxes of supplies there. I still haven't managed to make up kits to take so I have everything I need as this past trip I took Christmas patterned paper pads but nothing to make the birthday card with. Without further adieu here is the challenge graphic.

Edna is celebrating a birthday and I'm sure the ginger kitty has been licking the icing.

It's a rather busy background but taking pictures with my camera and then sending them to myself was very stressful, by the time I saw the picture I just couldn't do it over for a third time. Of course I used my AI girlfriends and a sentiment from a set of snarky birthday sentiments which has no label. Patterned paper is from Dollarama as well as the floor planks, I added a white strip to look like a baseboard. 

Finished the inside with scraps of leftover papers and a sentiment.

I'm adding this to:

Seize the Birthday ~~ Anything goes

Thanks for stopping by and head over to the MAIN BLOG to check the rules for entering and to see what projects the rest of the team have made. 

SOS#478 ~~ Animal Antics

What a super cute theme for this challenge at Shopping Our Stash!! Animal Antics ~~ Animals that are acting like Humans so get those cooking mice, sledding bears cycling cats or dogs stamps out and see what you can come up with for the challenge.  Since for three challenges in a row I have used a house mouse, happy hopper or gruffie stamp I went in a different direction.

It's a skating mouse!!! I think this image came in an image swap years ago and I spotted it in a box of images and thought "perfect", but I do not know the stamp manufacturer UPDATE the image is from Whiff of Joy.  I did go to the cottage for the weekend and as always never think through the idea I have in my mind and when making Holiday cards a good plan is to bring holiday sentiment dies, so JOY will have to do. I cut the image out with the original Spell binders large circle die and an off brand circle postage stamp die.

Close up look at the super cute mouse working on his figures.

Last minute throw-in was a package of acrylic Christmas/Winter sentiments. I added a scrap of left over patterned paper. 

I am adding this to.

Rudolph Days (it's been a while) ~~ Anything Goes.

Thanks for spending some time here today and pop over to the Main Blog and check out what the rest of the Design Team's animals are up to. 

Back to Books Reminder!!

 Since I lost a week somewhere along the month and since I didn't get a card made for Shopping Our Stash Back to the Books challenge I decided to finish what I started and make it a reminder post. The Challenge is Back to  Books which means anything school, books or use a book page. I picked a favourite stamp store, House Mouse Designs, I didn't make a card I altered my date book which is something I usually do when I first buy my purse size date book but when I saw the challenge I knew I wanted to get 'er done.

Although the stamp is fairly new the Bo Bunny paper pad is ancient, I also used the original spellbinders oval dies and the date book is almost 1 year old but is still good for 2023, I have tried really hard to use my phone for appointments and reminders but I never hear them or pay attention so I'm old school with a planner.  

Close up of the book loving mousie.

Closer look at the stitched Alph die cuts. 

I am adding this to:

House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge ~~ ATG option Shaped card.

Thanks for stopping by today and you still have until Monday August 29th to add your project to Shopping Our Stash.

Jingle Belles Challenge take #2

 I was working on the slimline cards for the challenge last weekend at the cottage but there were more pressing items to craft. I'm hoping I can get my mojo back. I have a new crafting desk which of course is not organized as well as it should be, it will take some time to find the right spots for things. It has a hanging file folder drawer that holds my cardstock scraps. Now on to my second mini slimline card for the Jingle Belles challenge.

Since the glitter cardstock was still out I backed the Santa scene die cut with it for a twinkling night sky, I did a partial circle cut to make a navy layer for my image. The white layer was embossed with the Gently Falling folder and does have some star dust stickles on a few of the dots, doesn't seem to show up well. Then it was layered on navy and then a white cardbase,

finished the inside with a large Merry Christmas and a few scraps of the glitter cardstock.

I am adding this to:

Jingle Belles Rock ~~ Slimline Seasons Greetings.

Christmas Kickstart Challenge ~~ #65 Never in a Nativity

Thanks for checking back again, now I have two more holiday cards. 

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It's a Mini Slimline Kind of Day!!

 Hello and I hope you are having some sunshine where you are, it's a gloomy, rainy, overcast day in SWO it just means I get to make my own sunshine. And that I did by getting a card done for the Jingle Belles Rock. I haven't managed to find time to make any for the challenge for a few months....gasp, now I'm going to be short when November comes. I do like making Slimline and Mini Slimline cards and the die I used works perfect for one.

Very simple card cutting the image out of heavy white cardstock, attached it to some glitter cardstock I picked up at the $$+ store I thought it was perfect for the sky. I did layer it on white then a blue and on the white base.

Finished the inside with some scraps and a blue layer the sentiment is Hero Arts and was part of a Jingle belles prize package. 

I'm adding this to:

Jingle Belles Rock ~~ Skinny Santa Slimline

Thanks for stopping by today, stay safe stay healthy. 

Ode to Lindsey.

 For the Ode to Lindsey theme at A Tiny Craft (atc) challenge I looked through her posts and found that with most challenges she dug through her stash of inky backgrounds so that was my starting point, she also liked to use die cuts. Although difficult to go through her blog yet again it was a lovely read, her blog posts were always interesting, comical and informative.  I decided to try a drink die I've had in my stash and I might have used it or maybe not. 

I checked out the fancy drinks that are served in a Hurricane glass, and was so surprised at how many there was. I picked one of my favourites (can you guess which one?) and three that were just pretty and interesting.

First I scrounged around and found some oxide ink backgrounds I bordered them on black and then on an ATC base 2 1/2 X 3 1/2. Then I die cut the die 4 times in white, (14 pieces) and coloured the pieces as shown then paper pieces the drink and lemon slice.  The names were computer generated.  

And now a closer look at each one.

Interesting fact a Blue Hawaiian is different than a Blue Hawaii

The original Singapore Sling was created sometime between 1910 & 1915 in Singapore.

Interesting fact is that you won't find 2 recipes the same. 

Hurricane drinks were invented at pub in New Orleans to use up an abundance of Rums in 1940

June Bug or June Bug Annihilator was first made in a TGI Fridays Restaurant in Busan South Korea, and is a favourite in most TGIF restaurants. 

Stop the presses....I found a purple background just the right size and made one more ATC this one is in a favourite colour of Lindsey, Donna and myself, any other purple lovers out there?

Purple Zydeco

Because this was a late entry the name of the drink did not get computer generated at home, not much history on the drink but it's not any less potent than the other 4. I added a few more fruit die cuts in lieu of a type written name. I'm sure Lindsey would get a giggle over the lemon slice with eyes and feelers.

There you are, my Ode to Lindsey who lost her battle with ovarian cancer in July, 

We lost a talented team mate she will be missed by all crafters and friends. 

L is for Lindsey.

The Sisters wanted to honour our sweet, lovely Lindsey that recently lost her battle with and aggressive form of Ovarian cancer, it will be a very difficult post for me today. Lindsey was a fabulous crafter, her CAS cards were awesome, the stenciled cards were great and loved to make cards with Cats on them but always gave equal billing to Dogs. When choosing a card that inspired me I remembered one that I was particularly in awe of and it was a pair of CAS cards I saw on Addicted to Stamps and More challenge blog. Here was my inspiration.

I was so impressed with the blending for card 1, and the CAS of both. So here is my rendition of the cards using one of her favourite colours.

I made the first background and didn't like the pink/plum colour but looks fined behind the diecut white layer. The diecut was used on the second all shades of purple card. 

Closer look at card 1, I thought the sentiment appropriate.

Partially finished inside using scraps cut from the front layer.

Using the off cut of the flower die and the love as a peek-a-boo effect. I rounded the corners with the corner chomper and layered it o Blue, then on a white base. 

I would like to add this to two Lindsey tributes:

Seize the Birthday ~~ Special Tribute to Lindsey 

joining

Color Hues ~~ #46 A special tribute to Lindsey

these were her colour pick.

I chose Clean and Simple as it is something I rarely do I felt this was how I could honour Lindsey to the fullest as I was always in AWE of her designs. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will join us at The Sisterhood Of Snarky Stampers for L is for Lindsey,

Here are a few of her favorite things:  

humour, cats

gardening/flowers

reading

crafting 

wine

tea

Christmas Flowers

 Hello and welcome back to another fantastic challenge at Happy Little Stampers Christmas, the theme is always anything Christmas but if you are so inclined you can put a flower or flowers on your project. 

I really tried to find another Christmas flower for the challenge, I had already made a poinsettia card but even google kept taking me to pictures of poinsettias. Although I had a hydrangea stamp I just wasn't sure if it would be accepted (even though it was on the list with Amaryllis, Christmas cactus and an Orchid. Sooooo Poinsettia it is.

I love taking pictures on the break wall of the beach although by the time I got my card done the  sky was overcast. This week working on my projects has become a comedy of errors, my planning skills seem to have disappeared over the winter and forgot inside sentiments so every card I made I have to remember to finish the inside I brought image stamps and birthday die cuts but tucked into a project case was a couple of dies one being PEACE and the other SNOW, I was in luck. The image I chose is from House Mouse Designs, my favourite guys, I worked with a couple of red markers on a practice stamped image, I didn't like the red at all, I ended up using E93, RV42 and R05 and I was happy.

Close up of the little critters.

I'm adding this to:

House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge~ Anything Goes 

 ~

Thanks for stopping by today and check out what the rest of the design team have made for your inspiration just click HERE