Another Christmas Card

I managed to get another Christmas card done today, this time thanks to the inspiration at Muse Card Club. I realize it's all very cozy, since I'm on the other Muse design team (ChristmasVisions) and the current Muse is Tracey, the originator of 25 Days of Christmas Tags! But it still worked for me to get another Christmas card done. Here is Tracey's inspiration: 

I was inspired by Tracey's overall design, the central grouping, and her distress oxide background. Here's what I came up with: 

Thanks to Tracey's tag event, I'm not lacking in Christmas tags, so I chose to make her inspiration into a card. Tracey has people, I have penguins... close enough to me. ;) My colours of distress oxide inks are limited, so instead of pink and yellow, I used pink, blue and purple. Instead of sponging, I made an ink smooshed background.

I'll be back dark and early tomorrow with another Christmas tag! 

Supplies: Papertrey Ink white & American Crafts textured blue cardstock, Canson watercolour paper, Winnie & Walter Season's Tweetings & Hero Arts Family & Friends Christmas stamps, Versafine onyx black & faded lipstick, tumbled glass & wilted violet distress oxide inks, Ranger clear embossing powder, Zig markers, Winnie & Walter Season's Tweetings & MFT stitched rounded rectangle dies, Gelly Roll white glaze pen, foam tape

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Muse Inspiration

I was intrigued by the card created by this week's guest at Muse, Bunny Vance. Here's what she created: 

More than anything, I was struck by the drama of the black background. I was also inspired by the floral theme. Here is where Bunny's inspiration took me: 

Not a solid black background, but when I came across this piece of patterned paper, I thought it would be fun to incorporate the A.A. Milne quotation as the sentiment for the card. The cluster of flowers still really pops against the dark background. 

Because I can, I'm also adding this to the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Wednesday challenge. ;) 

Supplies: white cardstock, Glitz Designs Finnley patterned paper, Altenew Vintage Flowers stamps & dies, Altenew rouge, crimson, velvet, frayed leaf, forest glades & evergreen inks

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Final Valentines

At least I think these are the final valentine cards for this year. 😉 I didn't want to post them until they were received, which happened yesterday. 
My first card is based on my friend Tracey's card for the current Muse challenge. Here's her card: 

I took my cues from the sponged background, the bear plus heart, the layout and the white on black sentiment. Here's my version: 

Rather than a two-colour background, I used just blue on my main panel, then used a heart stencil and a barely damp cloth to lift some of the colour through the stencil. My little bear is embossed with sparkle embossing powder and watercoloured. 
With a love theme, at least a bit of red, and an ARTplorations stencil, I'm also adding this to this month's STAMPlorations challenge, Paint It Red. 
My next card is inspired by wanting to justify my purchase of a 12"x12" valentine-themed paper pad. 😆 In my defence, it was $4 at Dollarama (thanks, snarky sister Barb for the bargain alert!) and the glitter and foil sheets alone practically make it worth getting. Here's my first card using some of it:

I went with a full postal theme, cutting the patterned paper with a postage stamp border die and adding a little stamped and paper-pieced love note as the focal point, popped up on a white heart. 

Crazy to say, this is my third post today! My reminder card for the current Naughty or Nice challenge is here, and my post for today's new Seize the Birthday challenge here. 

Supplies: (here's a hug) white & black cardstock, Canson watercolour paper, My Favourite Things Bitty Bears stamps, Versamark, Versafine onyx black & faded jeans distress oxide inks, Hero Arts sparkle & white embossing powders, Zig markers, MFT blueprints 24 dies, ARTplorations Hearts All Over stencil, foam tape; (love letter) white & black cardstock, EK Success/Martha Stewart Love Notes patterned paper, PSA Love Birds stamp, Versafine onyx black & Memento Luxe love letter inks, Ranger clear embossing powder, Simon Says Stamp postage stamp border & QuicKutz heart dies, foam tape

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Muse... But Not Christmas

I hope that being on the Muse: ChristmasVisions design team doesn't bar me from playing in the other Muse challenge! Anita Bowden has a beautiful inspiration card, and there's a prize this week, too! Here's Anita's card: 

When I first saw this, I was reminded of pretty patterned paper with gorgeous florals in the corners and beautiful colours. So I decided I wanted to CASE Anita's card using patterned paper. Here's my version:

Along with the corner florals, I was also inspired by the rich colours and embossed central sentiment. I was surprised at how much of my patterned paper I had to look through to find one that would work! Then there was all the fussy-cutting. I tried some solid colours for the background panel, but ultimately liked this coordinating patterned paper best. I could have made the central panel the full size of the card, but like the way the pale yellow card base pulled the colour of the floral and blue backgrounds out. The embossing is done in moonstone powder, which is somewhere between gold and silver, and one of my favourite metallics. The sentiment combines two Simon Says Stamp sets... and their current Wednesday challenge is to use patterned paper, so I am linking up there as well. 

Supplies: American Crafts textured pale yellow cardstock, gold pearl paper, Prima Introspection patterned paper, Simon Says Stamp Essential Greetings & Happy stamps, Versamark ink, Stampendous moonstone embossing powder

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My Favourite Ellen Set: Part 1

Ellen Hutson wants to know what our favourite Essentials by Ellen set is! 

My favourite set is Tis the Season, and not just because it's December. ;) It's fun to use, and lends itself to a variety of styles. For example: 

For this card, I also looked to the latest Muse challenge, and Kimberly Wiener's card with its festively-laden car and non-traditional colours. Being me, I went for purple instead of pink. 
Back soon with a second card! 

Supplies: white & lime cardstock, Doodlebug Frosty Friends patterned paper, Essentials by Ellen Tis the Season stamps & die, Versafine onyx black ink, Ranger clear embossing powder, Copic & Spectrum Noir markers, Paper Smooches Duo Die 4 die, Spica silver glitter pen, Little B silver stripe washi tape

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Muse Guest Designer

I'm excited to be the guest muse at Muse for the newest challenge! If you're not yet familiar with this challenge, the simple rules are here. And this is the inspiration I'm offering: 

I stuck to my usual CAS (clean and simple) but I hope not overly PAB* style. The sentiment is stamped with a Kaleidacolor ink (which I've had for about a year now, and this is the first time I've remembered to use it), while the books are stamped, embossed and coloured with Copics and Spectrum Noir markers. A thin black mat and a wider patterned paper mat sets off the main panel. 

While CAS, I hope this card offers several possibilities for inspiration! Thank you, Ardyth, for the invitation to guest with Muse. <3 

*PAB=Plain and Boring, my own patented card style description

Supplies: white & black cardstock, Basic Grey patterned paper, Neat & Tangled Stories stamps, Versafine onyx black & Kaleidacolor royal satin inks, Ranger clear embossing powder, Copic & Spectrum Noir markers, fun foam

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