Another Two Challenge Card

Another card for two challenges today! This time I needed a birthday card - funny, I know, considering I'm on a birthday card design team - but sometimes it's fun to make a card with the recipient in mind. I turned to the current CAS(E) This Sketch challenge for my layout inspiration, and Just Us Girls with their Stripes theme to help put the sketch together. I mixed them in a blender, added my own seasoning, and came up with this: 

I rotated and manipulated the size of the sketch panels a little bit, but I think the original is still clear in my adaptation. To keep things clean and simple, I refrained from any mats under the two main panels - I think the double stitching of the bunny panel makes a good stand-in. The grey hare himself is coloured with Copics, with some Glossy Accents on the candle flame, and a touch of sparkle on the cupcake wrapper and (I couldn't resist) his nose. 

Funny thing is... I'll be back on Thursday with my post for Seize the Birthday! 

Supplies: Neenah white cardstock, Memory Box grey card base, Bella Blvd Sunny Skies patterned paper, Taylored Expressions Party Grumplings stamps, Versafine smoky grey ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Copic markers, MFT double-stitched rectangle die, icicle Stickles, Glossy Accents

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A Two-Challenge Valentine

Having the need for another valentine or three for this Friday, I was inspired by two current challenges - CAS Colours & Sketches has a colour challenge this week, while CAS Mix Up is looking for stencils made from die cuts. Combining the two, I was able to come up with this: 

The die that I used for the stencil is a little square array of nine hearts, so I did my best to line them up and space them properly as I cut a stencil out of acetate. Before using the stencil, I lightly blended distress ink to a masked area on my panel - that's the pink of the colour challenge. Then through the stencil, I blended more ink to increase the intensity of the hearts' colour, then also sponged some Versamark through it, so I could emboss them with holographic embossing powder. The sentiment is also masked a bit, as those diamonds are meant to stretch right across a card. With a teeny brush, I added the same ink to the heart in the sentiment. A silver mat took care of the final challenge colour. 

For CAS Mix Up, in addition to the die-cut stencil, I have ink-blending, stamping, heat embossing and panel die-cutting. 

I have whole minutes to spare before the Colours and Sketches challenge ends, so that's it from me for now! 

Supplies: Neenah white & Ranger silver foil cardstock, acetate, (?) sentiment stamp, Versamark, Versafine onyx black & festive berries distress ink. holographic embossing powder, Impression Obsession Conversation Heart Block & MFT stitched rounded rectangle dies

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The Sisterhood of Snarky Felines

Happy Caturday! Our new challenge begins at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers, C is for CATS. Edna has perhaps seen the movie too many times? :D 

I have lots of cat stamps to choose from, and found a perfect match for a snarky sentiment strip from Tim Holtz: 

My Katzelkraft cat is coloured in greys in homage to our cat Duncan. To provide a colourful contrast, I created a background with a stencil and distress oxide inks. 

We have a special guest designer for this challenge, Stephanie! Even the dog-loving sistahs have dusted off their cat stamps, so take a look then join us! 

Supplies: Crafter's Companion Spectrum Noir white & (?) yellow cardstock, Katzelkraft Les Chats stamp, Memento tuxedo black & festive berries, wild honey & fossilized amber distress oxide ink, Copic markers, Picket Fence waffle squares stencil, Tim Holtz Snarky sentiment strips, MFT wonky stitched rectangle die, foam tape

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ABC Christmas Challenge: C & D

The first Wednesday of the month brings a new instalment of the ABC Christmas Challenge! It's still early in the year, so we are only a few letters into the alphabet, and this month we bring you two fun themes - C for CATS and D for DOGS. 

Of course, it would be easy to take any cat or dog stamp and place it in a Christmas setting for these cards. But I figure I have an overflowing collection of Christmas supplies for a reason! It also seemed like a great opportunity to dust off some older stamps. So first up, my cat card: 

And yes, this Penny Black stamp is old enough to be wood-mounted. :D I stamped and embossed my kitty on watercolour paper and gave him some simple colouring with Zig markers. I still haven't decided if I like the zigzag borders I added, or if they're just weird. ;) 

Please don't tell the dog lovers out there, but I am pretty sure I only have one stand-alone Christmas-themed dog stamp - and it had never seen ink. Thanks to this month's theme, now it has! 

This guy came in a grab bag of Christmas stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps. Originally he and the sentiment were stamped onto the same panel, but I didn't like the sentiment placement, so after he was coloured, I cut him out. I stencilled a subtle background on the kraft panel using distress oxides (Versamark for the two pine cones) and my smallest Studio Katia blending brushes. The jingle bell shines with a little gold Smooch.

Now my dog doesn't have wings, but he is channelling one of Santa's magical reindeer, so I've almost got the optional wings theme at this month's Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge! 

Of course, by then I was on a roll, so the dog AND cat cards started:

This was the first stamp that came to mind when I saw our themes, but that would only get one Christmas card made, wouldn't it? :D Judging by hostess Jo's card, I think this has enough red to qualify for her current Christmas Kickstart Challenge. 

And this may be the only other set I have that features a dog: 

I masked the cuff onto each stocking before colouring and cutting them out. Of course the cuffs and the heel and toe of the middle stocking called out for some bling. This card fits the current Jingle Belles' We THREE Kings in two ways: there are three stockings; and cats do usually consider themselves king (or queen) of their domain. ;) 

And look at that - two themes, and four more Christmas cards in the pile! Lots more canine and feline inspiration on the ABC blog, so check out everyone's cards then join us! 

Supplies: (be merry) (?) red cardstock, Craft Town textured green card base, Canson watercolour paper, Penny Black White Slopes & Hero Arts Family & Friends stamps, Versafine onyx black ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Zig markers, Hello Bluebird Basic Border & Spellbinders circle dies; (doggone) Neenah white & desert storm cardstock, Craft Town textured green card base, Viva Las Vegas Dachshund with Antlers & Have a Doggone Happy Holiday stamps, Versamark, Memento Luxe espresso truffle, Stampin' Up real red & bundled sage & festive berries distress oxide ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Copic markers, Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz Festive stencil, Smooch gold ink, foam tape; (joy & love) Neenah white & Recollections red cardstock, Simon Says Stamp Furry Christmas stamps, Versafine onyx black ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Copic markers, MFT stitched scallop rectangle dies, Icicle & Frosted Lace Stickles; (stockings) Neenah white & (?) red cardstock, Sunny Studio Stamps Subtle Grey Tones patterned paper, Newton's Nook Holiday Stockings stamps, Versafine onyx black ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Copic markers, black Sharpie pen, Nuvo white blizzard glitter drops

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Addicted to Stamps and More: Photo

A new challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More begins today! It is Photo Inspiration week, and we have this beautiful, just-in-time-for-Valentine's picture for you. I attempted to be inspired by as much as possible: 

The background in the photo made me think of a bokeh background, so with distress oxides and white pigment ink, I made one. There are roses, so I stamped and embossed a rose and leaves - this is actually a two step stamp set, but I wanted to practice some colouring now that I've been watching Kathy Racoosin's online colouring class! Baby steps, but I'm really happy with how this rose turned out. Kathy wants us to "be fearless" in our colour choices, so I used a purple as my darkest colour to add depth to the "nooks and crannies". I also added fine details with pencil crayons after using my Copics. For the heart element, I used a stitched die cut to add my sentiment. (It's actually a tag, but I cut the top loop off.) And for sparkle, I added a narrow mat of silver glitter paper. I used a recent sketch from Freshly Made Sketches for my card design inspiration. 

While much more CAS than the average make on the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge, I'm going to be fearless ;) and add this to the current Floral Frenzy challenge. And while I'm not sure three quite counts as enough, I'll also enter this in the current Add Leaves challenge at the Flower Challenge.

Lots of beautiful makes from my ATSM teammates, so be sure to pop over to the blog for lots more inspiration! Whether you need a Valentine or just feel inspired by the photo, I hope you will join us! 

Supplies: Neenah white & American Crafts silver glitter cardstock, Canson mixed media paper, Winnie & Walter In Bloom: Julie's Roses, Lawn Fawn Tiny Tag Messages & various circle stamps, Versafine onyx black, Brilliance moonlight white & antique linen, faded lipstick & festive berries distress oxide inks, Hero Arts sparkle embossing powder, Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils,Sharpie pen, Lawn Fawn Tiny Tags die, foam tape

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Happy Little Stampers CAS: Positive

Welcome to the February CAS Challenge at Happy Little Stampers, where our theme for this month is POSITIVE. Of course, my cynical brain saw that prompt and thought, really? What fun is that? But then I decided to take on the challenge of making a positive, uplifting card, and came up with this: 

I used my MISTI to stamp the flowers in opposite corners of my panel before colouring them with Copics. The sentiment is embossed in gold and the vellum wrapped around the panel to avoid that awkward "where can I put adhesive that it won't show through?" dilemma. Mounted on a card base, the card was done - which I think meets the definition of clean AND simple! :D This also gives me another card to add to Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Anything Goes challenge. 

If I can make a POSITIVE card, anyone can! Keep it CAS, and join us! 

Supplies: Neenah white cardstock, The Ink Road Bella Flora & Compliments Vol. 1 stamps, Versamark & Versafine onyx black ink, Hero Arts clear sparkle & Simon Says Stamp antique gold embossing powder, Copic markers, Winnie & Walter Katharine cutaway die

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