Shivering...

Frosty is the code word at Addicted to CAS and this poor arctic fox seems to fit the bill. Used all Essentials by Ellen, designed by the inimitable Julie Ebersole, products for my tiny scene. For fun and tickles, I ink blended an oval over my stamped and masked critter and iceberg. Light Copic coloring adds to the freezing effect as does the dotted snow. Done. Linking this with AAA Cards Game #157, as well.
  

Stenciled Florals

Playing with CAS Stencil today...with my brand new Picket Fence stencil and I'm so glad I did. Initially, didn't think it would come out this pretty but I'm amazed at the detail. Inked it up and stenciled an Altenew bloom  in the center circle...the sentiment is Altenew, as well.

Cool Cityscape

Playing with CAS Watercolor, Less is More today and all these beautiful cool colors:

Used an Altenew cityscape die to dry emboss on the left side of a white cardbase. Added strips of color graduating the length from the bottom up. Brushed them with a damp paint brush to smooth them out. Stamped the sentiment and called it done.
  

Selfie

This is a slightly different card post because Time Out's challenge is to pick a personal wardrobe item to inspire us.

This is mine...

...which my daughter crocheted for me and that I wear every single day during Winter. It used to be yellow (my favorite) but, I've washed it so many times, it has faded and looks a bit disreputable. Still it's my favorite scarf and I love having a warm neck. Here's the card:

A selfie...and, yes, all that grey hair is mine. Concord & 9th provided the stamps, Copic, the colors, embossing folder is Stampin' Up's and the frame is from my snippets. Done.

Nude-y Cutie

This little Stamping Bella lady is my entry into the Day of the Month  Bubble Bath Day challenge. It's taken me this long to be brave enough to show a card with a hand-drawn bathtub and faucet (can't believe I don't have one in my stash). The nude-y cutie had to be masked a bit but I think she looks OK stepping out of the tub, twirling her sponge. The sentiment is from The Stamp Market....other than that, it's all hand-drawn and Copic colored. Just a few embellishments and call it done.

Double Hearts

Celebrating the two year anniversary , that's right 2, of one of my favorite challenges, the Twofer Challenge, conceived by none other that a popular Darnell. Since Valentine's Day is imminent, this one will be for...

...and this is my entry:

I used a Hero Arts cover die, both the negative and positive parts, to achieve these looks. No stamping was done on either card. See below for individual details. I did notice that the rules for the challenge indicate that the layout of the cards must be different. I hope the use of these dies is enough to still qualify.

I use the positive diecut hearts to create a freeform heart on a Penny Black diecut panel of patterned paper (it's my 2020 resolution to use up some of the ton of it in my stash). Applied some hearts direct to paper and others with foam tape for dimension. The "valentine" Hero Arts word die was cut from Tonic red foil paper and the subsentiment is from Simon Says. A few of red foil circles complete the card.

Used the negative diecut panel as a stencil and applied Nuvo gold Glacier and red Glitter paste on a white panel, set it aside to dry. Meanwhile, diecut a Simon Says' sentiment out of glitter cardstock and it's shadow layer out of red vellum. Glued them together and added foam tape to stick it to the, now dry, panel. Also added the subsentiment strip. Attached to a panel of gold foil cardstock and, then, to a top folding A2 cardbase. Added some red jewels for even more shine. Sorry none of that shows up in the photo.

Snowflake Kisses

It appears I'm already back to Christmas Cards, as you can see. Couldn't resist Christmas Kickstart's Penguin Parade challenge.  So, using a very old Mama Elephant stamp/die set, I Copic colored and cut out the penguins, etc. In addition, the MFT pool die was cut for a skating rink. Set all aside, then masked and ink blended the Northern Light sky. Once that was done, added Copic shading on the snow, arranged the diecuts and created a glitter storm for highlights. Used white pen for the star and some itty-bitty snowflakes, as if it had just stopped snowing. Stamped an appropriate Penny Black sentiment and called it done.

Such a Fungi

Today I'm working with fungus...specifically Altenew's "shrooms". This card is going into the CAS Mix Up challenge. 

Partially diecut the stems out of an A2 watercolor paper, then the circle which created an odd looking aperture panel. On a separate scrap of paper, I lightly stamped the mushroom heads. Using Distress inks I watercolored stems/heads and set all aside to dry. Meanwhile, watercolored white tissue paper (thank you to Loll) with varied ink colors, sprayed it with shimmer and set it aside to dry, too. (See Loll's technique video, here.) Stamped the Altenew sentiment and fussy cut it out. Once everything was dry, attached the background to the apertured panel popping up the stems, watercolored brown ink under the stems for ground. Popped up the sentiment. Diecut the mushroom heads and used foam tape to attach them to the stems. Sounds complicated but it was quite simple.

Nailing It

Dude!...had some fun with CASology's "Repeat" challenge. I'm sure this isn't what they wanted but I'm entering it anyway. Avery Elle provided the image and sentiment (now retired)  of this "boarder" which is Copic colored and dotted with snow spray. Hope it's not too busy for a CAS challenge. I'll also be linking it up The Male Room's "Anything Goes" challenge.
  

Pink HB2U

AAA Birthday Game is looking for a shaker...what an opportunity to use The Stamp Market's cover die. Also, to use pink (not my favorite color) for a girly card. To begin I stacked 5 diecuts to make my sequin wells, diecut the Sunny Studio balloons and EBE hands which I colored. Atamped the sentiments on the balloons and set them aside. Ink blended an A2 panel and over stamped it with EBE's stamps. Glued the stacked diecuts to it and added the sequins into each aperture. Diecut the cover die one more time and glued it to acetate which I then attached to the stacked wells. Glued the balloons to strings, laced them through one diecut hand, added both hands to the bottom of  card and attached the balloons with foam tape. Nuvo glazed the balloons and the fingernails of the hands. A bit fiddly but worth the effort.

Glittery Tag

We're back to CAS Christmas challenges...this time with a tag. Using snippets from my desk diecut this Simon Says die twice. One from silver embossed pale green cardstock and another from a panel of multicolored glitter strips. Inlaid the "Ho Ho Ho" letters into the silvery tag apertures and added the appropriate colored jewels. Also added a glittery blue washi ribbon and called it done.

Brrrrthday

Today I have a winter birthday card made with this adorable Penny Black snowman die for AAA Cards sketch challenge. Lighlty Copic colored the diecut to which I added a patterned paper hat then set it aside. Using EBE stamps I stamped a strip  and stenciled some snowflakes on the cardbase. The sentiment is also from EBE.  I apologize for the photo...it's due to gloomy outside issues.
  

Hearts & Flowers

Playing with The Flower Challenge's Shaped cards. Diecut a huge patterned paper heart with Lil B's die and inked the edges, put it aside to dry. Also diecut Concord & 9th's giant rose. Lightly Copic colored it and attached it to a vellum diecut heart.Popped it up on the patterned paper heart. Diecut the sentiment out of red glitter cardstock and called it done. No stamps were used on the card.

...is all we need

Ooooh, this year's first post playing with Time Out challenge and one I think is appropriate for the first month of the year. The inspiration photo is below.

Using that inspiration photo literally, I diecut with Hero Arts dies a patterned paper striped heart and the surrounding scallops out of a 4x51/4 panel. Stacked the striped heart 4 times, set it aside and applied DreamWeaver glossy white paste through a brick-like stencil. Diecut Simon Says' "love" die and stamped/embossed the sub-sentiment on a grey cardstock strip. Once the the pasted panel was dry, shaded the "bricks" with Copics, arranged the striped heart, white strips to look like molding over the bottom 3rd of the card and attached the sentiments. Applied Nuvo glaze over the focal heart and the "love" sentiment.

Happy and Prosperous New Year to everyone.

Thank You

A special day for me today because I'm Guest Designing for Less is More's color challenge. Yay!  This fortnight we're using the Pantone colors of the year for both 2019 (Living Coral) and 2020 ( True Blue).

That's what I call starting the New Year right...

 ...and since thank you cards are the order of the day, this WaffleFlower mouse fits the bill:

Began by stamping the image and masking it. Using a very old Papertrey Ink stripe and a MISTI, stamped alternate colors of Catherine Pooler's Suede Shoes (blue) and The Stamp Market's Coral Reef. Removed the mask and colored the mouse using the same inks. Stamped an Altenew sentiment and done. These would be very easy to mass produce once the stripes were set up on the MISTI.

Many, many thanks to Less Is More for allowing this opportunity. It was tons of fun.

Dream Big

It's all about C. S. Lewis' words at Time Out this fortnight, "You are never too old to set a goal, or dream a new dream".  Fortunately, I had this previously created alcohol ink on Yupo background that reminds me of an ethereal, dream-like sky. Stamped the Crackerbox & Suzy stamps with Staz-On on the panel and the sentiment on Lawn Fawn holographic vellum and set them aside. Diecut the vellum and a grey cardstock panel with a Trinity frame and cloud die set. Layered them over the Yupo panel and arranged the extra clouds. Added some sequins and bling drops. Done.

Warm Winter Wishes

Welcome to  Winter, fellow crafters. This is my final Christmas card for this season and it's going to Christmas Kickstart...you know, the challenge that helped us have enough cards for 2019's holiday. Anything Goes is the theme so I threw everything on this one. Colored Altenew's pinecone stencil for the panel then applied Art Extra Vagance Snowflake paste. Before it dried, sprinkled holographic glitter over it. I then went to work spattering diluted white gouache, gold spray and green spray over it all. While that dried, used Tonic dies to prepare the sentiment. Diecut silvery vellum for the shadow layer first then the white cardstock words. Applied gold and holographic glitter sparingly over it. Once dry, applied it to the vellum shadow and diecut funfoam to add a little dimension to the back of the assembld sentiment. Diagonally attached it to the card panel. Diecut Lawn Fawn snowflakes and applied gold and holographic glitter to them. Added them to the panel, popping up a few. After that it was finally done.

I want to wish everyone, especially my friendly followers,  a special Holiday. May you receive everything you want in the New Year. See you back here soon.

Branching Out

I know it isn't officially Winter yet, but I'm already sick of it. So when CASology made "Branch" their cue word, my mind went directly to Spring. This card is what ensued, thanks to Altenew. Stamped the branch and sentiment. Added the berries in warm, sunny colors and heat embossed them. Using a stylus dotted the falling berries in various colors. Blended warm, sunny colors over the branch. Have I mentioned I'm looking forward to Spring?

Birthday Balloons

Balloons and Banners are the order of the day at AAA Birthday...do you think this qualifies Used a Neat 'n Tangled stencil and inked up all the balloons in a myriad of colors. Used a die to split the panel and backed the aperture with black cardstock. Concord & 9th supplied the banner which I lined with black pen and personalized with my Grandson's name using rub-ons (remember those?). Then dotted with Hai black, shiny stars and added white pen to reflect the light off the balloons. Done.

Floral Christmas

Diecutting for The Flower Challenge this time. Used fuschia and red cardstock for the roses and interchanged the pieces. Colored pencils added some shading and Nuvo drops were applied to the centers for some sparkle. The background was alcohol inked on Yupo and, once dry, stamped with a Concord & 9th leafy stamp which was heat embossed with WOW!'s diamond sparkle powder. Diecut a silver foil frame and stacked it for dimension. Sentiment from Sugar Pea was matted with silver foil. To assemble, attached 1 rose to panel then the frame and sentiment. Popped up the second rose, glued it all to a blue panel and mounted on an A2 landscape card. If that wasn't enough sparkle and shine, added sequins to balance and finish it off.