Still plugging away...

Just a quick drop in -lots of crafty projects going on over here! These are using some new-to-me yarn --- scrubby (variegated, plain, and sparkle) from Red Heart.

I used a fun pattern called, "Tribble." I modified the pattern due to gauge of yarn - casting on 16. Quick and cute. Size 6 needles.

Day 7...

I'm back with another card inspired by Justine's12 Days of Christmas series. After a weekend away, and a flurry of planning for an upcoming office event, where I'll be teaching some Christmas tags, I've definitely not been lax in my Christmas card prep... just in posting photos!

Watercolor background with a simple copic colored bear and a heat embossed sentiment.

And onto the tags - I tried to keep these simple, easy to put together, and a variety of styles - two are gift card holders (the santa belt tags and the Lil Inker Designs flap tag with the Poppystamps deer).

A little zig clean color watercoloring...

Paper: Misc. Bazzil, neenah - solar white, watercolor paper (cason xl), bristol, misc dp, gold and silver foil paper
Stamps/Inks: MFT - Merry Christmas greeting and Cooler with You, Mama Elephant - So Many Snowmen and Mini Messages , Paper Smooches - Joyful Greetings, Taylored Expressions -
From the North Pole, Versafine - Onyx Black, Memento - Love Letter, MFT hybrid ink - Black Licorice, Memory Box - Poinsettia Bloom (I think!)
Cutting and embossing: TE - Flap Stacks (rectangle), Matchy Penguin, and Trim the Tag, Lil Inker Designs - Original Folding Tag Die, Poppystamps - Jumping Deer Trio, MFT - Stitched Snow Drifts
Misc: Ribbon, Twine from The Twinery, copic markers, zig clean color markers, white gel pen, Hero Arts silver embossing powder, dimensional adhesive, Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors

Day 4...

I looked and was able to find something close to a plaid stamp! So, here are my cards, playing along with Justine's 12 Days of Christmas... I didn't have a full background stamp, so I modified the design a bit, and I supplemented with adorable plaid accented animals from Clearly Besotted stamps.

Paper: Misc. Bazzill cardstock, Neenah - solar white
Stamps/Inks: Misc hybrid inks (HA, Reverse Confetti, Altenew, and SSS), MFT - Black licorice, Clearly Besotted - In Stitches, DeNami - Gingham Background Stamp
Cutting/Embossing: In Stitches
Misc.: Nuvo crystal lacquer, dimensional adhesive

Memory Box Outside the Box Monthly Challenge

I enjoyed last month's challenge so much at Memory Box, that I decided to play again! This month's theme is very appropriate for Halloween - to create a project that is orange and black. As I am down to the wire in Halloween gifts (at least they don't need to be mailed), I decided to make treat bags and decorate them with die cut Halloween designs.

Here they are...

Paper: Misc. Bazzill cardstock
Stamps/Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black, Lil' Inker Designs - Boo and Faces
Cutting/Embossing: Memory Box - Graveyard Landscape, Poppy Stamps - Swirl Pumpkin and Harvest Pumpkin dies, Lil Inker Designs - boo word die, Stitched Ghosts Die Set, Mama Elephant - Favor Bag XL and Favor Bag Accessory (pumpkin)
Misc.: Dimensional Adhesive

12 Days of Christmas - Day 5 (Nontraditional Christmas colors)

Justine's Holiday series continues, and I continue to try to keep up, as able. I might skip day 4, unsure if I have a plaid stamp.... will have to dig through the stash...

Anyway, day 5 was definitely a posting that I could follow along with... I actually bought MFT's snowglobe kit last month, and it is awesome! Although painstaking to glue everything together... but it gave me a perfect opportunity to take it out and make a few little cards. Some with traditional Christmas colors and some without....

Paper: Misc. Bazzill cardstock, Neenah - Solar White, Echo Park - A Perfect Winter
Stamps/Inks: MFT black licorice hybrid ink, MFT - Snow Globe Sentiments
Cutting/Embossing: MFT Scenic Snow Globe and Snow Globe, Tim Holtz - Snowglobe #2 and Home for the Holidays, MFT - Stitched Dome Stax
Misc.: Copic markers, Nuvo Crystsal Glaze, copic multiliner, glossy accents, dimensional adhesive

12 Days of Christmas, Day 3

Following along with Justine Hovey's 12 Days of Christmas series, and today's card was really neat! Interactive spinning cards are completely new to me. I know that the interactive cards are on trend, but this was a new idea, and I was excited to try it out!

In retrospect, I think I would have done a smaller snowflake, instead of two that are about the same size. It's hard to see the sentiment. I also modified and just used two separate snowflakes, rather than a wheel that spins.

Paper: Neenah - Solar white, silver foil paper, Paper Studio - Polka Dots and Poinsettias
Stamping/Inking: MFT - Black Licorice, Mama Elephant - Season's Greetings
Cutting/Embossing: Lawn Fawn - Slide on Over, Amuse Studio Snowflake Trio, Elizabeth Crafts Design - Ornate Snowflakes
Misc: MFT replenishments, 3M dimensional adhesive (double thickness)

12 Days of Christmas - Day 2

On to Day 2 of  Justine Hovey's 12 Days of Christmas series. In this posting, she made three cards using traditional Christmas colors and some basic stamping.

I went in a similar vein, trying to use one set (plus a background stamp) to create three Christmas cards.

Paper: Neenah - solar white, silver glitter paper
Stamping/Inking: MFT - Black Licorice, SSS - Green Leaf, HA Shadow Ink (Mid-Tone) - Red Royal, Hero Arts - CG522 Edgy Background, Waltzingmous 2011 Ornaments
Cutting/Embossing: Spellbinders 2011 Heirloom Ornaments
Misc.: Dimensional adhesive, silver embroidery floss

12 Days of Christmas - Day 1

I'm going to try to keep up with Justine Hovey and friends for her 12 Days of Christmas series this year. Yesterday's video featured alcohol inks... which, interestingly enough, I just purchased a few shades of green and blue of for a different project.

Here's mine...

I don't think alcohol inks are a necessity for this project... patterned paper or a piece of paper with blended distress inks would work just as well. If the die cut spaces were bigger, I think you could see the glossiness and vibrancy of the alcohol inks better, but this die cut is pretty intricate and the cut areas are pretty small.


Paper: Yupo, misc. Bazzill cardstock, Neenah- solar white
Stamps/Inks: SSS - Merry Everything, Memento - Tuxedo Black, Verve Stamps - Joyous Noel Ranger alcohol inks
Cutting/Embossing: Memory Box - Tisdale Snowflake Collage die

Brush Your Fangs

Just something a little fun for the kids this Halloween... being in the dental profession, this stamp set from Stampin' Up was just impossible to pass up. I think I'll hand out toothbushes, too.

Isn't this treat holder neat, too? Lil' Inker Designs had a sale for World Cardmaking Day, so I decided to get this die. I envision our Valentines will be made using it, too...

Paper: Misc. Bazzill cardstock
Stamps/Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black Stampin' Up - Creep it Real
Cutting/Embossing: Lil' Inker Designs - Lollipop and Pencil Treat Holder Die and Poppystamps - Stitched Batty Collage Die

Ready for Christmas

Not really... but having fun with lots of new stamp sets.

Paper: DP, misc. Bazzill cardstock
Stamping/Inking: MFT- Black licorice hybrid, Stampin Up - Ready for Christmas
Cutting/Embossing: Ready for Christmas Thinlits
Misc: Nuvo Crystal glaze, dimensional adhesive, copic markers

A little knitting

Here's a little project for welcoming a new (and much hoped for) baby...

Yarn - Plymouth Encore
Needles - 7/8
Pattern - Berry Baby hat

And the little bag to go with it...

Mama Elephant Favor Bag XL, Favor Bag Accesory - Pumpkin
PTI - Tremendous Tags
Nuvo crystal glaze (which is still drying in the photo)
Misc. Bazzill cardstock
Twine from The Twinery

More die cutting...

I desperately need to get the stash up in the Christmas card department, so I'm making some more with the same techniques from Merry Making. Here's some die cutting!

The background is a scrap of the blue paper that I made for the MFT challenge - I inked with distress inks and then spritzed with sheer shimmer spray.

Paper: Neenah - Solar White, misc. Bazzill cardstock, silver foil paper
Stamping/Inking: Distress inks - Salty Ocean, Tumbled Glass
Cutting - Memory Box - Whispering Pine Landscape die, Horse sleigh landscape die, and House in the Country die; Penny Black - Merry Christmas die
Misc: Sheer Shimmer Spritz

Merry Making - Faux Snow

I thought for sure that my snow marker would be just the thing after watching Jennifer McGuire's video, but I didn't anticipate it being all dried up. Not surprising, given that it's probably over three years old.

So, I went back into the stash and found liquid applique, which was definitely not something I could splatter with a paintbrush, but I improvised, and here's the end result. I think it was really helped by my silver snowflake. Other than that, it's kind of lumpy. LOL!

Paper: Silver foil, misc. Bazzill cardstock
Cutting/Embossing: Elizabeth Crafts - Ornate Snowflakes, Lawn Fawn - Scripty Joy, Liquid Applique

Merry Making - more die cutting

Since I wasn't terribly happy with Day 4 of Merry Making's die cutting cards, I decided to try another one of the designs.

I have a number of dies that work well layered together, and I'll confess, I've had these for years and never used them! It was time!

Paper: Neenah - Solar white, silver foil paper, watercolor paper
Stamps/Inks: Distress inks - brushed corduroy, festive berries, lucky clover, tumbled glass, and mowed lawn; Versafine - Onyx Black; PTI - Winter Snow glob stamp set
Cutting/Embossing: PTI - Shaker Shapes (snowglobe), Tinsel and Tags kit dies
Misc: Copic marker, diamond stickles, kuretake gansai tambi watercolors

Poppy Stamps Masquerade Challenge

I've been following the Poppy Stamps blog and enjoying their monthly challenges recently, so I decided to play again. I have to give them a shout out on their awesome sale recently (plus FREE SHIPPING?!)... how often do you get both? I definitely placed an order and just received some fun new dies!

This month's challenge is, "Masquerade," with the goal of creating a project using masking (which is pretty wide open to interpretation). I've been coloring a lot recently, so I decided to create a scene with some Poppy Stamps adorable fairies - I've had my eye on all three of their sets (Simon Says had a super cute Stamptember set, and Poppy Stamps still has the Wintertime and Autumn sets). I snagged Wintertime fairies, because I knew my oldest daughter would love to color them with me for Christmas cards.

Here's my contribution to the challenge:

As luck would have it, day 5 of Online Card Class's Merry Making's theme is watercoloring... and masking, so I'll also submit this to the class gallery for that. I was concerned that the masking fluid wouldn't come off, because I'm not very patient... but, thankfully, it did!

Paper: Watercolor paper, red foil paper
Stamps/Inks: Poppy Stamps - Wintertime Fairies and You Keep Me in Stitches, Versafine - Onyx Black
Cutting/Embossing: Coordinating Wintertime Fairies dies
Misc.: Copic markers, Finetec and Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors, Molotow masking fluid, diamond stickles, dimensional adhesive, candycane stickles

Merry Making - Day 4

Same class, just a different theme today at the Online Card Class, "Merry Making."

Today's theme: Die Cutting

I loved Jennifer McGuire's elegant card, and I could envision tucking a family photo in there, so I decided to give it a go. I tried both cutting plates that I have in my stash and quickly discovered that both were arguably too delicate for this technique. I made the birch trees work, but the holly was a no-go, so I just made a second card with the holly intact.

Paper: Neenah - solar white, kraft, misc. Bazzill cardstock, red foil paper
Stamps/Inks: HA shadow ink - Red Royal and Soft Granite, MFT - hand lettered holiday, HA - Designer Snowflakes
Cutting/Embossing: Taylored Expressions- Birch Tree and Holly cutting plates, Poppy Stamps - Tiny Birds and Branches, Spellbinders standard circles
Misc: Ribbon, candy cane stickles, dimensional adhesive

OCC Merry Making, day 3...

Same class, just a different theme today at the Online Card Class, "Merry Making."

Today's theme: Non-Holiday Stamps on Holiday Cards

Loved Gina K's cards for today - elegant and bright. So, I got out the T-square ruler and got to it!

Paper: Neenah - solar white, misc. Bazzill cardstock
Stamps/Inks: Paper Smooches - Reflections, Taylored Expressions - Holiday Florals, HA Shadow inks, MFT hybrid ink - Black Licorice, MFT - Hand Lettered Holiday
Cutting/Embossing: Spellbinders Nestabilities - circles
Misc: Nuvo crystal glaze, copic markers, candy cane stickles

Day 2 of Merry Making...

Same class, just a different theme today at the Online Card Class, "Merry Making."

Today's theme: Holiday Stamping Techniques

I loved Shari's awesome background, so I decided to try that out. I didn't have any metallic paint, so I tried white Distress Paint, and it worked very well! I also decided to try a dotted swirl pattern as the background, rather than a textural stamp.

Paper: Neenah - solar white
Stamps/Inks: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Alpine Christmas, HA October Kit, Impression Obsession - Cover a Card - Fluff, HA shadow ink, Distress Ink - blueprint sketch, salty ocean, adn iced spruce; versamark, white distress paint
Cutting/Embossing: Ranger liquid platinum embossing powder
Misc: Dimensional adhesive

Merry Making Day 1 - Backgrounds

I'm ready to continue plugging away on Christmas cards, so I was anxious for the Online Card Class, "Merry Making," to get started... and it did not disappoint.

Today's theme: Holiday Backgrounds

I'm going to try and go back at some point and do the die cutting, as well, but I tried to combine both Jennifer and Kristina's techniques into the one card. It's also getting to the time of making duplicates to increase the numbers of Christmas cards in my stash, so I'm going to try and make multiples this week, too. These cards really weren't too difficult to make in multiples.

Paper: Watercolor paper (canson xl), Bazzill cardstock and Neenah solar white
Stamps/Inks: Hero Arts - Designer Snowflakes, Distress Oxides - peacock feather, faded jeans, and black soot, Versamark, Mama Elephant - Season's Greetings, MFT - Hand Lettered Holiday
Cutting/Embossing: Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder, Judikins Opaque white, PTI - Wonderful Words (holiday)
Misc: none

World Cardmaking Day... a day late. Challenge 1!

I decided to make a card or two for My Favorite Things WCD challenge - this one has a rainbow. Specifically a distress ink rainbow!

Paper: Neenah solar white and silver glitter
Stamps and Inks: Versamark, HA red shadow ink, MFT- More Monsters, misc Distress Inks
Cutting/embossing: Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder, Surf and Turf Dienamics, Stitched Basic Edges
Misc: 3M foam tape, black nuvo drops, bo bunny gold mist, and star sequins

Penny Black Holiday Head Start

Time to turn those colored images from The Daily Marker's 30 Day coloring challenge into cards...
I decided to start with some entries into Penny Black's Holiday Head Start Challenge.

Here's my first card. I just love snowmen. And penguins. So the combination of both together is just too cute.

This image was colored with copic markers on Neenah solar white paper and stamped wth Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. Diamond Stickles as accents. Paper is Polar Pals from Doodlebug designs. Images and sentiment are both from Penny Black - Mimi's Christmas and Winter Friends.

Here's a second card - pretty simple, again focusing on coloring.

The image and sentiment are stamped on Neenah solar white cardstock in memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with copics. The Christmas lights and star are highlighted with glossy accents. The card base is from Memory Box. Penny Black - Cold Nose Warm Heart

Stamp set is Penny Black's Winter Friends. All colored with copic markers and white gel pen used for snow. Rock candy Distress stickles as an accent. The sentiment was die cut out of silver foil paper and is also a PB die cut - Exultations.

An Overdue Thank You

This is actually a card that should have been made and mailed over a month ago. We decided to do a bike trail ride, ended up with some very odd (and unexpected) bike issues, and were bailed out by a very kind bike mechanic... not once, but twice. So, this is his thank you - overdue, but will be mailed tomorrow, nonetheless. Better late than never!

Supplies
Paper: Neenah Solar white and misc. Bazzill
Stamps/Inks: Memento - Paris Dusk, Distress Oxides - Salty Ocean, Wilted Violet, Fossilized Amber, Black Soot, Picked Raspberry, Distress Inks - Lucky Glover, Mowed Lawn, Peeled Paint, Reverse Confetti Freebie Thank you stamp
Cutting/Embossing: MFT - Stitched Basic Edges, Peek-a-boo Wonky Windows, Taylored Expressions Little Bits - Bicycle
Misc: Adhesive, Sparkle Shimmer Mist

Outside the Box - Memory Box Challenge

This month's challenge at Memory Box's Outside the Box September Challenge is "Falling for Fall."

I don't have a lot of fall dies, so this was a challenge! (And I've been doing The Daily Marker 30 Day coloring challenge on Instragram, primarily focusing on holiday coloring, so this was a bit of a break!). So, I looked through the stash and found some fun dies that I thought would work together for Halloween.

I basically inked up a watercolor panel with the distress inks, spritzed, dried, and then die cut with the star die. Cut and adhered the black graveyard border, and then cut the MB tree frame out of kraft, and glued it all together. Trimmed the edges flush, heat embossed the sentiment. Adhered the die cut ghosts with dimensional adhesive - voila!

Materials:
Paper: Watercolor paper, kraft, Neenah - solar white
Stamps/Inks: Lawn Fawn - Heebie Jeebies, Versamark, TH Distress Ink - Dusty Concord, Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey, and Black Soot
Dies: Memory Box - Orchard Tree Frame Die and Graveyard Landscape Die, SSS - Falling Stars, and Avery Elle - Cityscape dies
Embossing: Ranger superfine opaque embossing powder
Misc.: White gel pen, dimensional adhesive, black copic multiliner, and sparkle sheer shimmer spritz

Thanks for stopping by!

MFT Clean and Simple

Here's my entry for the MFT 2017 Card Design Superstar Clean & Simple Challenge. This was a tricky card for me. I think it's always easier to add more to "dress things up," but not an option in this challenge!

Here's a close up - hard to see all the sparkle!

Paper: Kraft, Neenah Solar white
Stamps/Inks: MFT - Hand Lettered Holiday, Distress inks - Salty Ocean, Tumbled Glass, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, and Lucky Clover, Versamark and Amuse Studio red pigment ink
Cutting/Embossing: Ranger superfine clear and gold embossing powder, MFT - Snow Drifts, Winter Tree Dienamics, and LJD Stitched Peek-a-Boo Window
Misc.: Shimmer mist, mister huey's opaque white mist, tombow brown marker

Thanks for stopping by!

MFT Interactive Entry

Here's my second entry for the MFT 2017 Superstar contest - this time in the "innovative" category. This has been a fun challenge and forced me to really stretch and make very different cards! Here's my slider card...

I don't know that this photo really shows all the sparkle in this card. I took two pieces of watercolor paper (canson xl) and applied blue distress inks to one and green to the other. Both were heavily sprayed with sparkle shimmer spritz. The blue was also sprayed with an opaque white mist. The blue was made into the sky, and the trees were cut from the green (brown marker for the trunks).

The two bears actually spin down the hill, but the idea is that they can slide into a "high five" with their outstretched arms. My kids love that they move.

Details

Paper: Neenah Solar white, misc. Bazzill, watercolor paper

Stamps/Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black, TH Distress Inks - Lucky Clover, Mowed Lawn, and Peeled Paint, TH Distress Oxides - Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers, and Tumbled Glass. MFT - Bitty Bears, Christmas Cuteness, Somebunny

Cutting/Embossing: MFT DieNamics - Hit the Slopes, Bitty Bears, Winter Trees

Misc.: Brown Tombow marker, 3M dimensional adhesive, sheer shimmer spritz - sparkle, copic markers, mister huey's opaque white spray, white gel pen

Thank you for stopping by and taking a peek!