Winter Critters

Had to play with Christmas Kickstart and my pal, Darnell, who's the Guest Elf. Not being an elf person, I went with critters from Hero Arts. Created a night sky with a shimmery Aurora Borealis,  while they decorated their tree with the squirrel adding the iridescent star on top.

Gnarly, DUDE!

Time for The Male Room's challenge and this one is a fun one. DUDE!, surf's up...throw the boards in the truck bed and off we go. Used a Spellbinder's kit for the truck and surfboards and Hero Arts kit for the scenery. Added a Picket Fence sentiment and we're off to catch some waves.

Kindly Fox

This little Studio Katia fox serves both a single positivityimage and small image for the AAA Cards and Less is More Challenges, respecitively. He's just 2 inches and so stinkin' sweet I had to use him. Tried no-line watercoloring with markers for the first time (maybe I'll get better at it). This wonderful sentiment is from Sugar Pea. Hoping you consider being kind to be a positive trait, too.

  

Study in Greys

When I first saw Time Out's current challenge, I was drawn to the grey tones in the photo (shown below) so that's where I went with the card. Stamped Concord & 9ths shiplap in Smoke grey on fog cardstock first, then diecut the panel. Since the helm wheel also reminded me of an anchor and the pure white flower caught my eye, I diecut them all and wonkily placed them in squares to emulate frames. Added that touch of blue with enamel dots. An Impression Obsession die provided the sentiments. Done!

CAS Christmas Holly

Maximum white space with an option of Christmas is what's called for at AAA Cards and I think my 2nd entry fits the bill. Just found out that embossed white space isn't considered "white space" so this is my attempt to correct my errror. Used a Sunny Studios layering stamp set to achieve this look. Stamped and masked the greeting from the same set and masked it. Layered the holly/berry and winked them with good old Stella. CAS to the nth degree.

Circle of Life

Shimmer is the order of the day at CASology so applied VersaMark through  through my new Trinity Stamp stencil onto watercolor paper panel. Embossed the resulting silvery fish. Added vaious colors of  Nuvo Shimmer Powders to the panel and let it dry. Diecut a circle from it and a cardbase. Inlaid the circle into the card base and stamped a Simon Says sentiment to call it done.

Feminine Frames

Birthday Girls are the theme at AAA Birthday Game #3 and so I watercolored a panel for the background. Applied ink over an MFT balloon stencil in various colors because what's a birthday without balloons. Diecut the panel using an Impression Obsession multiple frame die. Alternated the height of the frames, popping up the solid ones. For the center, applied two layers of foam tape for more dimension. The sentiment are Create a Smile word dies cut in gold foil cardstock. The bow at the bottom of center balloon is from Pretty Pink Posh. A stamp free card obviously for a girl.

Christmas Cocoa

Did someone say Christmas in July??? I decided it was time to increase my Christmas card stash and The Male Room and Kickstart Christmas inspired me to come up with this card. Sunny Studio provided the image and so I embossed in white and watercolored this one-layer, easy-to-mail little scene. I can just see someone sitting on their deck, watching the first snow of the season begin while sipping their morning cocoa. Brrr!

  

From the Garden

Warning: Photo heavy post.

It's Twofer challenge time again, this theme is "Garden". Pulled out a huge stamp from Simon Says and ended up with these two designs. Let's take a closer look.

After stamping, watercolored a panel and let it dry overnight. Dyecut it with a Penny Black die which created a frame that I adhered flush to a navy card base. The inner panel is popped up on fun foam for some dimension. Stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set.

Alcohol inked a translucent Yupo panel then stamped it with Alcohol Lift-Ink. Diecut the panel with an Altenew die and attached the resulting strips to an A2 white panel. Using a Simon Says sentiment set to stamp the sentiments.

Since this a garden themed challenge, here are a couple of photos from my backyard.

Have a terrific day.

What a Day...

Lucky me! My spirit animal in my favorite color for the Day of the Month Club challenge "Yellow Pig Day". This Katzelkraft pig, who's just been doused with yellow paint, is watercolored with Altenew markers.  Mounted the panel on kraft cardstock and called him done. Can you see the joy on his face? Poor thing.

Joy In July

AAA Cards' new challenge seems perfect to add to my verry short stack of Christmas cards. Used  an embossing folder on 110lb. cardstocl and colored pencils to ombre color in the "Joy". Though that was really CAS, felt in needed some sparkle (it's a Christmas card, after all) so used my Nuvo shimmer marker over the colored pencil. Easy and mass produce-able.

Inspired by Oscar and Mae

Oscar Wilde has always inspired me so when Time Out's "inspired by words" challenge used a quote from him, I just had to play. 

Using Altenew's Nebula washi tape for the background, I diecut a circle for the stamped and shimmered Altenew moon. Then no-line colored the floral (also Altenew) with a combination of ink, Copics and colored pencils. Arranged it all with different heights of foam tape. Thought of one the free-est people I could think of for the sentiment, Mae West, who lived life on her own terms in an era that it was difficult for a woman to do. It comes from Penny Black and is embossed in white. Simple card to put together due to Oscar's marvelous quote. Also linking to Virginia Lu's Show & Share.

Celebratory Pastels

The Flower Challenge is looking for Pretty Pastels and this Altenew set seemed to fit the bill. Stamped first in soft lilac then very light blue attempting to get that lovely hydrangea shade. Then stamped the leaves in equally light greenish colors. Stenciled some pale yellow dots for the background and transparent paste through the same stencil. Dusted the paste with clear glitter for some shine. Added a silver foiled Simon Says line diecut sentiment and Altenew frames. Attached to a grey cardbase and finished with tiny pearls for the flower centers.

Sweet Tea

I love all citrus but lemon is my favorite...probably because it is my favorite color, yellow. So when CASology's cue this week  was "Citrus", it meant lemons to me. Used masking and a new stamps set from The Greetery, a newer company. The sentiment from Wplus9 is stamped in blue ink...blue and yellow are a classic combo and I love this font. 

A Day at the Lake

The happy canoer is enjoying a mountain lake on this multi-layered card. It's a good thing it works for The Male Room's current challenge...which was a real brain buster for me. Had to use a multitude of products old and new including a freehand cut canoe so this guy could row across the lake. Involves paper piecing, watercolor, ink blending, diecutting, stamping and a bunch of foam tape (5 layers in all). Hope you can see the dimension and you like it.

Spot Focus

Finally came up with an idea for the "Spots" challenge at Less it More. Stamped an MFT sentiment in black and started working on the spots. Dyed Dreamweaver white embossing paste in green, red and yellow, you know, like a traffic light. Then applied it over Simon Says stencils. Et voile.

Patriotic Corner

With July 4th, Independence Day here in the U.S., just a week away wanted to lean a bit on patriotism for my theme. Happily, AAA  Cards was doing a challenge that fit in nicely for this CAS card. Stamped blue and red with my new Altenew pattern stamp in the corner to match the challenge. Embossed a Picket Fence sentiment and some strategically placed dots in gold and called it done. 

They Know Me There

Hi, sorry I've been MIA but...ya know...life.

So Time Out wants "Funny" which worked out well. I just received this Hero Arts Vault image and I got it because I thought it was funny. Tried no-line watercoloring with Tombow markers for the frog.  It looked flat to me so foiled the stripe. Still looked flat so glittered the leotard. Finally satisfied, I blended ink in the background, stamped the So Suzy sentiment and mounted on an A2 green cardbase.

Give Me a Ring

Recently, I was lucky enough to win a CASology challenge so I have the honor to be the Guest Designer this week. The cue word is...

...I went the retro route with this:

I've had this unlabeled wood stamp in my stash forever and it needed some inky love. Stamped it twice and fussy cut the receiver (that's the thing at the top for those who don't recognize the image 😉) for dimension. Added the tiny notes and movement symbols (you know...for the "ring"). Stamped the itty bitty sentiment and dry embossed around it to ground the image. Applied Nuvo Crystal Glaze to the phone to make it shine. Done!

I want to thank CASology for inviting me. It's always such a pleasure to design for one of my favorite challenges. 

Blue Embossing

Had this background on my desk  forever...never knowing what to do with it. Fortunately, CAS Watercolor came to the rescue with their "Something Blue" challenge. Dry embossed a white panel with a folder using Catherine Pooler Suede Shoes to watercolor between the raised flowers. Diecut another white panel with an Altenew leafy die and, once dry trimmed the blue panel to fit the center. Mounted all on a cardbase with strategically placed foam tape.