Quirky Falling Leaves

Another in my recent spate of making sympathy cards so I might have a few on hand if there was the unfortunate need for one. This time, I went seasonal:

I've been admiring some cards recently that use watercolour crayons on stamps, and was inspired to try the technique again... even though I'd not liked any of my previous attempts. I do like how it turned out this time, however. I was able to stamp the leaf twice before cleaning it off to add the colours a little differently. The sentiment is from what I think is the first clear stamp set I ever bought. And the embossing powder I used just happens to be the second gold powder I ever bought -- with age it has mellowed to a not-too-shiny golden brown, which very occasionally is just what I need. (My very first gold embossing powder finally got so very old that it was too ugly to use. :D) 
I am entering this in three challenges with similar themes. Quirky Crafts Challenges has a quirky falling leaves (leaves or autumn colours) challenge, while Simon Say's Stamp's Monday challenge (yes, I'm entering a challenge on the very day it's posted!) has a falling in love with autumn inspiration challenge. And for old times' sake, I will link up with my former team at Crafty Creations Challenges, where this week they are looking for projects that use orange. 

Supplies: Stampin' Up soft suede textured cardstock, Strathmore multimedia paper, vellum, GCS Artstamps The Leaf & Inkadinkado Garden Flower stamps, Versamark ink, (really old) gold embossing powder, watercolour crayons

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Anything Goes at Crafty Creations Challenges!

It's an Anything Goes challenge at Crafty Creations Challenges this week! And with just a week to go until a certain holiday... we're giving you two weeks to enter! You will see a variety of great inspiration projects from the design team this week. As for me, I'm still in the Christmas mode:

Usually I keep my colours fairly realistic, but I really like this fun green background! The kraft card base seems to set off the Christmas colours nicely, too. This is actually a remake of a card I made a couple of years ago, but don't seem to have ever posted:  

I should mention that it's worth checking my fellow design team members' blogs... there's a rumour that a few of them may be sharing special treats for lucky commenters. And of course there will be prizes up for grabs if you enter the challenge, too.
And finally... this is my last post as a member of Crafty Creations Challenges. It has been a fun two years working with my great teammates and images from our generous sponsors. 

Supplies: white, red & Stampin' Up kraft cardstock, Studio Calico Wonderland (green) & DCWV Holiday Stack (blue) patterned papers, Amuse Polar Bear Fun & Hero Arts Holiday Conversation & Get Merry stamps, Memories black & passion red & Stampin' Up real red inks, clear embossing powder, Sharpies, black Enamel Accents, Stardust clear glitter pen, dimensionals 

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It's Not Christmas at Crafty Creations Challenges

Not only are we into December, but it's already Wednesday! No idea how these things happen. At least this means a new challenge at Crafty Creations Challenges. This week we are ignoring the fact that it's the first week of December, and challenging you to make something that's Anything But Christmas. Our sponsor this week is Oak Pond Creations. I decided to get as far away from Christmas and winter as I could:

I printed this beautiful sunflower image on watercolour paper and broke out my watercolour pencils. This Basic Grey paper seemed to bring out the flower's colours without overwhelming the image. 
Are you ready for a break from all the holiday crafting? Why not check out the rest of the design team creations then join us! 

Supplies: white & Recollections dark green linen cardstock, Aquarelle 90 lb watercolour paper, Basic Grey PB&J patterned paper, Oak Pond Creations Baxley's Sunflower image, watercolour pencils, Creative Memories corner-rounding punch

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Holidays at Crafty Creations Challenges

At Crafty Creations Challenges, we want to help you get ready for the upcoming holidays! This week, we are looking for your Christmas or (American) Thanksgiving cards or other handcrafted creations. Our former teammate Deena, through her Etsy shop A Creative Need, is sponsoring this week. I used her beautiful Christmas Wreath with Bow image.

I do like that you can heat emboss a digital image printed on vellum. In this case, I printed on green vellum and embossed with gold. I die cut a window in both the raised panel and the card base to take full advantage of the translucent property of the vellum. Gold square brads in the corners hold the vellum to the cardstock without worrying about using adhesive that might show. 
If you need a last-minute Thanksgiving craft, or are hard at work on your Christmas cards, why not join us this week? 

Supplies: Stampin' Up very vanilla cardstock, green vellum, A Creative Need christmas wreath with bow image, pirate gold embossing powder, Spellbinders circle die, $ store square brads, pop-dot tape

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Autumn Colours at Crafty Creations Challenges

Wednesday already! Halloween is past, so of course all the stores seem ready for full-on Christmas. But we're taking time at Crafty Creations Challenges this week to celebrate fall, with an Autumn Colours challenge. (Or Colors, whichever you prefer. :D) Our sponsor this week is Beccy's Place, and I have used a pretty sentiment panel that was generously provided to the design team. 

I tend to gravitate more to bright colours than to the muted tones of autumn, but I do like how this turned out. I printed the sentiment panel on natural cardstock, then painted the flower with Twinkling H2Os. The green panel is inked with Versamark and embossed. I found patterned paper that picked up on both the colours of the flower and the background. My corner punch also echoes the pattern of the paper. 
Be sure to check out the rest of the design team's projects, then create your own autumn colours creation! 

Supplies: Stampin' Up naturals ivory & old olive cardstock, Echo Park For the Record patterned paper, Beccy's Place happy birthday image, Hero Arts large plaid pattern stamp, Versamark ink, clear embossing powder, Twinkling H2Os, Fiskar's threading water border & floral corner punches

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Crafty Creations Challenges... and Characters!

It's a brand new challenge day at Crafty Creations Challenges, and this week we are looking for your Halloween Characters. They can be cute, they can be spooky, they can be scary! We are generously sponsored this week by Clearly Besotted stamps.
I have a few of the more traditional Halloween characters in stamp form -- witches, vampires and the like -- but I wanted to use some new images I'd die cut and stamped last time I went for a crafty afternoon at my friend Emily's. 

I know that black cats are traditionally associated with Halloween; my shading just leaves this one a little ghostlier, perhaps. If I'd been at home with all the time in the world, I might have masked the cat on the broom and cut them out together. But then, of course, I couldn't have taken advantage of the matching die. :) The purple background is distress inks patted on an acrylic block then smushed on watercolour paper. The moon? A scrap of the inside of a charity Christmas card I'd saved that had just the right amount of distressing already done. After the purple panel had dried, I sprayed it with vanilla Smooch Spritz for shimmer. Here's a close-up:

Don't forget to check out what the rest of the Crafty Creations challenges design team has made -- there's a fun variety of creatures! Then link up your creature creation with us! I'm also adding this card to this week's Shopping our Stash Halloween or orange and black challenge. 

Supplies: white cardstock, Canson 140 lb watercolour paper, vellum, Lily Bee Design Pinwheel patterned paper, scrap greeting card, Lawn Fawn Critters in Costume stamps & dies, Memories black, Ranger milled lavender & dusty concord distress inks, distress markers, vanilla Smooch Spritz, Spellbinders circle die, Queen & Co lavender half pearls, pop-dot tape

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Easy as 1, 2, 3 at Crafty Creations Challenges

This week at Crafty Creations Challenges, we have a recipe challenge that's as easy as 1, 2, 3 -- one ribbon, two embellishments and three papers! So let me say, not my favourite type of challenge, being a relatively clean and simple stamper. Paper-piecing to the rescue!

Our sponsor this week is Robyn's Fetish, and thinking ahead to Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend, I decided to use this sweet preserves jar to create a label for a box holding some homemade treats. My recipe: one ribbon (twine), two embellishments (sequins, chipboard tag) and three different papers from my scrap bin. A little white gel pen helped make the cord around the jar lid stand out. 
What are you cooking this week? Check out the rest of the design team's creations, then link up your own tasty recipe treat! 

Supplies: white cardstock, DCWV Holiday Stack & Amber Ink plaid picnic gingham patterned papers, Robyn's Fetish jar image, My Favorite Things layered labels dies, Twinery stone twine, Darice sequins, Colorbok chipboard tag, white gel pen

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Split It Up at Crafty Creations Challenges

Wednesday already! Must be time for a new challenge at Crafty Creations Challenges. This week the challenge is to SPLIT IT UP -- split up the sentiment on your card or other creation. Our generous sponsor this week is Stitchy Bear's Digital Outlet. I was able to use images from Stitchy Stamps as well as patterned paper from Panda Bear Designs on the birthday card I made this week. 
The outside...

And the inside...

That patterned paper? It's actually from a Christmas collection, but cropping out the wintry flourishes in the corners gave me just the look I wanted. I resized, angled and overlapped three instruments over top. The outside sentiment is computer-generated so I could coordinate it with the inside. 

For more inspiration, be sure to check out the rest of the team's projects this week, then link up your creation! 

Supplies: black & white cardstock, Stitchy Stamps Jazz Band & Panda Bear Designs Christmas Papers images

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KRAFT-apalooza!

You don't generally see a lot of kraft cardstock used here in my little corner of the card-making blog world... partly because the joint card-giver in the house doesn't really like it. (And here everyone says kraft is PERFECT for masculine cards...) But this week Crafty Creations Challenges is asking to see everyone's creations using KRAFT. So out came my sheets and scraps of kraft. 
First up, I wanted a housewarming tag for friends:

Kraft base, and some kraft-toned patterned paper, too! Plus, papers from three different paper pads! That's unusual for me. I'm linking this up to CAS on Sunday's current "Welcome Home" challenge. 
Then, while I had my kraft scraps out, I made a few quick and simple tags with an old Stampin' Up set and a bit of watercolouring:

Each had to be shaped and designed just a little differently, of course. Finally, I decided to get the *busy* season started with a couple of Christmas cards:

I was pleased enough with the design of the first card that I used it again for a second one! The second time, I decided to try the negative die cut of the tag. Looking at them now, I think I like the overlay of the tag just a bit better.
Our sponsor this week is Bunny Zoe's Crafts, with a £10 gift certificate to our winner -- and there is a great selection of products and companies to choose from! So share your kraft craft with us! 

Supplies: (housewarming tag) white, blue & Stampin' Up kraft cardstock, My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Rosy & Miss Caroline Dilly Dally & Studio Calico Memoir patterned papers, Hero Arts Wish You Were Here &Waltzing Mouse Stamps Cottage Home stamps, Stampin' Up crumb cake, Versafine onyx black & Memento Paris dusk inks, Zing! clear embossing powder, white & natural raffia, pop-dot tape; (small tags) white, Stampin' Up kraft & assorted scraps of cardstock & patterned paper, Stampin' Up Little Hellos stamps, Memories black ink, watercolour pencils, Paper Trey Ink tag sale die, Stampin' Up ticket-corner punch, hole punch, Twinery maraschino, lemon drop and mandarin twine, May Arts hemp & scrap red cotton string; (cardinal) white & Stampin' Up kraft cardstock, Rubber Stampede cardinal, Unity Christmas Eve chowder & Hero Arts collage music background stamps, Versafine onyx black & Stampin' Up real red inks, Zing! clear embossing powder, watercolour pencils, Stampin' Up garden green stampin' pastel, Spellbinders circle & Lil' Inkers stitched sentiment flag dies, dimensionals; (reindeer card) white & Stampin' Up kraft cardstock, Stampin' Up Dasher, Unity Christmas Eve chowder & Hero Arts collage music background stamps, Versamark & stampin' Up real red inks, Ranger rich red embossing powder, spellbinders circle & Lil' Inkers stitched sentiment flag dies, dimensionals

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Pick a Number at Crafty Creations Challenges

This week at Crafty Creations Challenges, we want you to add a number to your project! Lots of possibilities here: stamps, patterned papers, stickers, die cuts... I recently bought my first ever Thickers, and broke them out for this birthday card:

I had to play around with my lighting a bit to make sure the "happy birthday" embossing showed. Aren't these multi-patterned numbers fun? I thought the patterned paper in the background added an extra-festive touch to the overall design.
We have a terrific sponsor back with us this week... Whiff of Joy. So why not take a number and join us? 

Supplies: white cardstock, Echo Park Everyday Eclectic patterned papers, chipboard, Cuttlebug Happy Birthday embossing folder, Spellbinders circle dies, American Crafts patterned Eric Thickers, pop-dot tape 

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Doing a Double Take at Crafty Creations Challenges

Wednesday! Halfway through another week. Of course that means it's time for a new challenge at Crafty Creations Challenges. This week we are asking you to Make Two: whatever you make, make two of them! While they don't have to be identical, they should have similar designs, images, colours... Here's what I came up with using an image from this week's sponsor, Stamp Fairy:

Same image and sentiment, similar colouring and layout; the differences are in the details. I made this one first:

I coloured Lenny the bear with Prismacolour pencils, die cut and layered him, then added the sentiment. Then I went to work with Glossy Accents, Enamel Accents and Stickles for lots of texture and shine! 
Then I moved on to my second version:

Same image, same size, but this time I used my watercolour pencils just for comparison. (I go back and forth as to which pencils I prefer. :D) I wanted to highlight the cherry on the sundae, so went with this cute patterned paper and some extra cherries as well. I was going to layer the circles the same way as the first card, but they happened to land on my work space this way, and I liked it! I went with stamping the sentiment directly on the card base this time, instead of on a banner. Rock candy distress Stickles on the sundae, cherries, and just a hint on the bear's nose. 
Join us and link up your double creation this week! 

Supplies: white and brown cardstock, Echo Park Little Girl & My Mind's Eye Six by Six Honey Cake patterned papers, Stamp Fairy Lenny Ice Cream & Unity Mix Up of Cuteness stamps, Versafine onyx black, Versamagic red & Hero Arts neon blue inks, Prismacolor & watercolour pencils, spellbinders wonky reverse rectangles & circle dies, Glossy Accents, black Enamel Accents, frosted lace & rock candy distress Stickles, pop-dot tape

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A Pointed Post

It's Wednesday, and... wait? What's that you say? It's the last day of July? How is that possible? A few days in Ottawa, ten days in B.C. and an amazing weekend-long summer student work reunion and the month is over? Wow. :D 
Back to the topic at hand. It's Wednesday, and that means a new challenge at Crafty Creations Challenges. This week we are asking you to add an arrow to your card or other crafty project. Our teammate and Close to My Heart consultant Jaime is offering a terrific prize this week, and also generously sent some stamped images to the design team members to use. She sent me a sentiment that was just what I needed to make a birthday card for a certain person in my life. 

The sentiment of course made me think of Broadway musicals, so the music panel, sponged with pastels (a new love!) came first, followed by a few elements to set off the sentiment.
It's fun to see the different ways arrows can be incorporated into a design, so be sure to check out the rest of the design team's creations, then show us yours! 

Supplies: white, mauve & blue cardstock, Local King Rubber Stamp music background, Paper Smooches A Little Lovin' & Close to My Heart sentiment stamps, Memento tuxedo black Versafine onyx black & Memories passion red inks, Zing! clear & Ranger ruby red embossing powders, Stampin' Up pastels, small heart punch, Studio Calico wood veneer, pop-dot tape

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Magic Mushrooms

It's time for a new challenge at Crafty Creations Challenges! This week, it's Time to Sparkle. Use glitter, bling, or any other way you can think of to add a little sparkle to your crafty item. Our sponsor is Stitchy Bear Stamps, who offer a variety of stamps and papers by great designers. I'm using an image called Mushroom Town by Alipeeps Art for my card today:

In my ideal world, all magical mushrooms would have red caps with sparkling polka-dots. The caps are paper-pieced, and the stems shaded with watercolour pencils. For the dots, I first coloured them in with a white gel pen, then painted them with iridescent paint for the shine. The windows have black gel pen with silver mullions (why yes, I did look that up) as well as sparkle. And I'll admit, I did come up with the sentiment all on my own. ;) A half pearl in the sentiment and tiny ones for the doorknobs add a different bit of bling. 
Whether you add a bit of sparkle, as I did, or decide to go all out, come and join us! 

Supplies: white & red cardstock, Alipeeps Art Mushroom Town image, watercolour pencils, black, silver & white gel pens, Winsor & Newton iridescent medium, Recollections black half pearls

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Baby Time at Crafty Creations Challenges

Happy Wednesday! It's time for another Crafty Creations challenge, and this week we are looking for your baby-related projects. Our challenge this week is generously sponsored by Beccy's Place, and I've used one of her digis for my card: 

As soon as I saw this image, I knew I wanted to paper-piece the letters and shape the card around them. All the many patterned papers come from Echo Park's Little Girl line, and I so like that I could make a card suitable for a girl OR a boy using them. I played with a few ideas to make the balloons more, well, balloon-like, but in the end decided I liked them best keeping them the same as the rest of the design. I did trace the balloon strings with a clear glitter pen. With so many happy patterned papers, I think I'll enter this in Moxie Fab World's Mixy-Matchy style challenge.
Link up your baby-inspired project for your chance to choose three images from this week's fabulous sponsor! 

Supplies: white cardstock, Echo Park Little Girl patterned paper, atyou Spica clear glitter pen

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Happily Ever After...

If it's Wednesday, it must be time for Crafty Creations Challenges! This week we are looking for a project inspired by your favourite fairy tale. I do seem to have trouble sticking to the letter of a challenge. :P I went for a favourite part of a fairy tale... the happily ever after part! This led me to a wedding card:

As I was pondering what I wanted to create for this challenge, I remembered this cute sentiment from a Unity Kit of the Month. I tried a number of different images to go with it, and settled at last on this bride and groom from PSA Essentials. I played with using different colours to highlight words of the sentiment, but the popped-up heart in red looked best to my eye. I used a clear glitter marker on all the dotted-i hearts as well as the brides bouquet and veil. 
Do you have a favourite fairy tale? show us this week! You could win a great prize from this week's sponsor, Guylou's Inimitability. 

Supplies: white cardstock, Unity & PSA Essentials stamps, Brilliance graphite blac, Memories black & Stampin' Up real red inks, clear embossing powder, circle Nestability, atyou Spica clear glitter marker, pop-dot tape 

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Crafty Creations Challenges: One for the Boys

Here we are, Wednesday again already. That of course means it's time for a Crafty Creations challenge! This week's theme is One for the Boys, perfectly timed with Father's Day on the horizon. Now I don't personally make Father's Day cards, but luckily the theme allows for any masculine creation. Our sponsor this week is Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps and More, and I used one of their images for my card:

The design of my card was actually inspired by the way the image is presented in the Robyn's Fetish shop. I went for minimal colouring; and paired it with a Paper Smooches sentiment. While not specifically a Father's Day card, it would certainly work as one if needed. 
You really should check out what the rest of the design team has to offer this week, and then join us! 

Supplies: white & Stampin' Up Naturals ivory cardstock, unknown patterned paper, Robyn's Fetish Jake in the Country & Paper Smooches Thankful digital stamps, Memento bamboo leaves ink, Chatterbox antique gold snap-on tacks, May Arts jute twine, pop-dot tape

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Crafty Wild Creations

Wednesday already, so it's time to introduce a new challenge at Crafty Creations Challenges. This week's theme: BORN TO BE WILD! Use a wild animal image or wild print as part of your creation. Our generous sponsor this week is Whiff of Joy. At first, I was planning on using a giraffe stamp, but then remembered a Unity stamp that hadn't seen ink yet:

Watercolouring AND paper-piecing? Wow, practically mixed-media. :P I am rather pleased with my elephant's colouring, and love the understated font of the sentiment. I even managed a perfect dot of Enamel Accents for his eye, and the pom-pom and his tail simply called out for some Stickles.  
What wild items do you have tucked away in your craft supplies? 

Supplies: white & teal cardstock, My Mind's Eye Lime Twist Fly a Kite patterned papers, Unity It's a Party stamps, Versamark, Versafine onyx black, Memento grey flannel & tangelo inks, clear embossing powder, watercolour pencils, Lil' Inkers stitched sentiment flag die, black Enamel accents, frosted lace Stickles, pop-dot tape

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Old and New

This week at Crafty Creations Challenges, we are asking you to use something old and something new! Our sponsor is Inky Impressions, and I used a (new) sentiment from their store, paired with an (old) image from Paper Smooches to make a gift tag:

While I was on the old/new theme, I decided to look at it another way. I looked through my collection of previously stamped, die-cut and patterned paper scraps, and combined a few to create a new card: 

The diecut daisies, embossed panel, and patterned paper are all "old"; the ribbon is being used for the first time. 

I've shown two different ways to interpret "something old, something new"; I'm sure you can come up with more! Remember to link up your creation by next Tuesday evening.

Supplies: (tag) white cardstock, Simple Stories Summer Fresh patterned paper, Paper Smooches and Inky Impressions images, Prismacolor pencils, hole punch, paper raffia ribbon, pop-dot tape; (card) white cardstock. watercolour paper, Recollections patterned paper, Simon Says Stamp fresh daisies die, Cuttlebug Swiss dots embossing folder, tumbled glass & peeled paint distress inks, Creative Memories corner-rounding punch, May Arts ribbon, pop-dot tape

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Pink Plus at Crafty Creations Challenges

           

This week at Crafty Creations Challenges, we are looking for cards or other projects featuring pink along with one other colour. Easy if you love pink, perhaps not so much if you don't. ;) I fall somewhere in between, so it wasn't too onerous a task.

Inspired by yesterday's Tuesday Trigger photo at Moxie Fab World, for my second colour I went with rich razzleberry. It seems to be one of those shades you either like or loathe; you can guess which side I'm on. And if you check the other design team creations, you'll see I'm not the only one! I decided to go classy with this card, and that often leads to me using this gorgeous rose image. I second-generation stamped it on the patterned paper as well as embossing one to cut out and pop up. 
Our sponsor this week is Bunny Zoe's Crafts. This store was new to me, but it looks like there is a great selection of crafting products, and one lucky winner will receive a £10 credit to the store! 

Supplies: white & Stampin' Up rich razzleberry cardstock, American Crafts Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm patterned paper, Stampin' Up Fifth Avenue Floral & Judikins Calligraphic Sentiments stamps, versamark & Stampin' Up rich razzleberry inks, clear embossing powder, Spellbinders small oval die, Recollections pearls, ribbon, pop-dot tape

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Don't Be Square!

Wednesday means it's time for a new challenge at Crafty Creations Challenges. This week's theme? NO SQUARES. Seems to me that's open to a wide variety of interpretations! I decided that for me, it meant a shaped card. I don't do a lot of shaped cards; I like the shape to be integral to the overall theme of the design. I hopped over to Pinterest and searched "shaped cards" for a little inspiration. And that's where I rediscovered that Paper Crafts magazine had featured a spool card template several months back. That led to this: 

If you look very closely, you can see where I scored the (not quite square! In case that counts) white linen-textured cardstock to give it a thread-like look. The two pins I think are saved from one-time corsages. 
While I was avoiding squares, I also made a quick tag, this time with nary a square in sight:

You can only imagine how happy I was the day I found this copper cardstock that is an exact match to my copper pearl embossing powder. The stamped layer is diecut; then I traced the outside of the die for the base layer. All I felt it needed was some watercolouring. I was going to punch a hole and add ribbon, but then I thought what a lovely addition this would be to some thank you flowers, and left it the way it is.
Both these projects have embossing, so I'm adding them to the current challenge at Playing in Paradise. 
Now it's your turn! Don't be square; link up with our challenge! 

Supplies: (spool) white linen-texture &  Stampin' Up kraft & real red cardstock, Memory Box brioche patterned paper, The Girls' Paperie Paper Girl stamps, Versamark & Stampin' Up crumb cake inks, silver embossing powder, Spellbinders potpourri die, corsage pins, silver elastic cord, pop dot tape; (thank you tag) white & Recollections copper cardstock, Hero Arts Art of the Card Le Journal stamp, Versamark, copper pearl embossing powder, Twinkling H2Os, Hero Arts scallop frame die

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