Christmas Cardinal

Wouldn't this make a fantastic Christmas card paired with some holiday sentiments?

[caption id="attachment_12806" align="alignnone" width="4873"] JFF Stamps Large Cardinal and Birch Trees[/caption]

I've picked a few sentiment stamp images from JFF Stamps for inspiration for future cards.

(Click images for direct links to the store.)

This one is just a beautiful quote and so comforting to those who have lost loved ones, especially during the holiday season.I encourage you to visit the store and check out the awesome selection of seasonal stamps and make some handmade cards to share this holiday season. Handmade cards...because no one displays an email on the mantle, shows off a tweet on the refrigerator or saves a Facebook post in a box of treasures!

P.S. The monthly challenge is still going strong! Link up your project for a chance to win a gift certificate from JFF Stamps!

I'll look for you at the linky party!

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Autumnal Sunshine

All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
I've been for a walk 
On a winter's day

                                                               "California Dreamin' "

Mother Nature seems to have skipped over fall and sent us right into winter...it is 28 degrees in central Louisiana this morning! I haven't even had a chance to enjoy the cool, sunny fall days that I love. I will be taking advantage of the warmer temps next week!

There's a new challenge up on the Southern Girls blog and the theme is to use inks or sprays. The sponsors for this challenge are Neat and Tangled and A Day for Daisies . Each company is generously offering gift certificates to our randomly chosen winners, so be sure to link up your inky creations for a chance to win!

I created an autumn themed art journal layout for my design team project. I found a quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne that sums up exactly how I feel on beautiful fall days!



I used three digital images from A Day for Daisies in my design, A Barrel of Blossoms,  Catching Leaves, and Joy. I love the versatility of using digital images in my designs! I created my design in Photoshop Elements, printed on mixed media paper, and used Gansai Tambi watercolors, distress inks and Prismacolor pencils to color the images.

I can think of so many fun techniques with inks and sprays, but I chose simplicity for this project.  I added some background spatters with an OLD bottle of metallic copper Memories Mist. I haven't used it in years and it still works! The spray mechanism was clogged, so I just took it off and used it to flick droplets onto the background. I also added some water droplets to lift some of the distress ink from the background for added interest. All of the different mediums worked well together. I even blended the colored pencils with Gamsol and didn't get any lifting from the watercolors or distress inks. This is definitely a combination I'll use again! 

Be sure to visit the Southern Girls blog for more inspiration from the Design Team and link up your "inked and sprayed" creation for a chance to win one of our prizes or be one of the Southern Girls' top 5!

I'll look for you in the gallery! 

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Shades of Brown

There's a new challenge on the Cupcake Inspirations blog and it's a color theme!



Our sponsor for this challenge is Poppy Stamps  and they are generously offering a $20 gift certificate to our randomly chosen winner. Link up your project and share our inspiration photo for a chance to win!



Brown is not my favorite color...UNLESS, it's spiced it up with some bold colors or patterns!



Each month Club Scrap hosts monthly challenges on their Facebook group page. The Idea Deck Challenge for November 2018 is the Ace of Clubs. The Club Scrap® Page Formulas are such great tools when I need a little inspiration! Club Scrap originally sold these as a deck of cards with the cutting and assembly instructions listed on the back of each card. Now they are sold as printable .pdf files.



I used the Ace of Clubs card from ALCM Idea Deck Volume 2 to create my set of gate fold cards.  I love that the only thing I have to think about is picking out stamp  images and complementary card stock!



Card #1 



I used card stock, stamp images and embellishments from the new Club Scrap Gone Wild page kit. I needed some type of closure for the gate fold, so I dressed up a gold paper clip from my stash with some of the ribbon from the kit and tied on the tiny bronze binoculars.



Card #2 



This card features Gone Wild stamp images and a cut apart from the page kit. I made the tiger cut apart into a decorative belly band closure.



Card #3 



The lion stamp image needed a little something, so I added some Stickles to make his eyes glow!



I used matching brads from my stash and waxed linen thread to create a tie closure for this card. The bronze giraffe dangles from the end that unwinds.



Card #4



I used more Gone Wild cut aparts for this card. I trimmed the giraffe image to fit the blue panel and fussy cut the sentiment cut apart for interest. I made a simple belly band from one of the scraps I had left and added some Stickles for bling.



Click HERE to see what the rest of the Design Sweeties have created for this challenge and link up your "shades of brown" creation for a chance to win!

I'll look for you in our gallery!

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Happy Fall Ya'll!

The weather is getting cooler here and the time will change this weekend signaling winter is coming!



There's a new challenge on the Cupcake Inspirations blog and the theme is Fall!



Bugaboo Stamps is our sponsor this week and is generously offering a $12 voucher to our randomly chosen winner, so link up your fall creation for a chance to win!

I used the Bugaboo Stamps Autumn Jar digi stamp on my art journal page today. I created the layout in Photoshop Elements and used the lasso tool to copy part of the leaves to add as a border on my page.



I colored the image with Prismacolor colored pencils and added some shading with Copic markers. I forget how therapeutic coloring is!



A little Stickles were added for sparkle and the edges of the page were dusted with Black Soot Distress ink. I flicked some watered down distress ink to create background spatters and my page was done!

Check out what the rest of the Design Sweeties have created and link up your fall project in our linky party. I'll look for you in the gallery!

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Monster-ific!

I've got another art journal layout for you and these guys are adorable scary!



All Dressed Up Stamps is one of the sponsors for the Critter Crazy challenge on the Southern Girls blog and I used their Monsterific digi stamp scene to create my page. I didn't do anything fancy; just some coloring and shading with Prismacolor colored pencils and Gamsol blending. I spattered a little Black Soot Distress Ink on the background for interest and inked the edges of the page with it too. I snagged the quote from the movie Monsters University and created the text using the font Grutch Shaded from Dafont.com.  These little critters were fun to color!

Check out the challenge on the Southern Girls blog HERE and link up your critter crazy project for a chance to win a prize from our sponsors!

  OR 

I'll look for you in the gallery!



CHALLENGES ENTERED:

City Crafter Challenge Blog week 434 - Halloween!

The Paper Girls Challenge Blog #162 Halloween!

Double Trouble Paper Crafting #12 Halloween or Fall

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What does the fox say?

Google searches are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get! I searched for a quote to go with this Sleepy Fox digital image from All Dressed Up Stamps.



I found a sweet quote, "Stay clever, little fox". I'd never heard it before, so I searched for the origin of it and this video popped up. I never did find the origin, but the video is hilarious!

https://youtu.be/jofNR_WkoCE

So, what does the fox say? You'll have to watch the video to find out!

[caption id="attachment_12756" align="alignnone" width="4036"] Sleepy Fox digital image printed on kraft card stock, colored with Prismacolor pencils and blended with Gamsol and a paper stump. Edges inked with Salty Ocean Distress ink, gesso paint spatters and Stickles for a little sparkle.[/caption]

 

 

 

All Dressed Up Stamps is the sponsor for the Cupcake Inspirations fall color challenge for the next two weeks!



Make a project using the the colors from our inspiration photo and link up for a chance to win 2 digital images!



I'll look for you in the gallery!



CHALLENGES ENTERED:

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge Blog #206 Feminine

Aurora Wings Challenge Blog #72 Once Upon a Dream or a Nightmare

Creative With Stamps Halloween or leaves

House of Cards October Challenge Autumn Flowers and/or Colors

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These are the Ghoul Times!

My boss shared this Far Side cartoon with me many years ago and it makes me laugh every time I see it!



Today starts a new monthly challenge on the JFF Rubber Stamps blog and the theme is Halloween!



I needed a little creativity jump start and used the September 2018 card sketch from the card sketch challenge in the Club Scrap Chat group on Facebook.





I used two different Halloween stamps from JFF Stamps to create my design. I randomly stamped the Tiny Black Kat  onto a strip of Club Scrap black print card stock with Versamark ink and heat embossed with copper foil embossing powder.



My Tim Holtz stamping platform came in handy again with the Crooked Old Tree silhouette stamp and Black Soot Distress Oxide ink. I always avoided silhouette or detailed stamps until I started using the platform. I had to stamp both images a few times to get a full imprint, but they turned out perfect! I added some googly eyes to the tree and some puffy sticker letters for my sentiment.



Click HERE for more inspiration from the JFF Design Team and link up your Halloween creation for a chance to win a gift certificate to shop at JFF Stamps! I'll look for you in the gallery!



CHALLENGES ENTERED:

The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog: October's Creative Team Challenge Inktober

Love to Scrap Challenge Blog #114 Fall Back

Love to Craft Challenge Blog #27 October Anything Goes

Hiding in My Craftroom #372 Freestyle!

Cards in Envy Something Spooky Card Challenge

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Bump in the Night

My brother gave my boys the book M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman many years ago. I scared the poop out of them by reading the short story " The Price" one night before bed. This animatic version is narrated by the author himself!

https://vimeo.com/56573423

Talk about some light sleepers after that! Any little noise and we were all wide awake!

The new challenge at Cupcake Inspirations is Bump in the Night. 



I created this tag with the Black Cat in mind!

[caption id="attachment_12734" align="aligncenter" width="507"] JFF Rubber Stamps Tiny Black Kat, Bats and Couple Under a Light Post . Club Scrap card stock and ribbon.[/caption]

I trimmed the Couple Under a Light Post stamp *GASP* to isolate the light post and created a scene using the three stamp images. The Tim Holtz stamping platform came in handy when stamping these silhouette stamps multiple times for full coverage!



I punched a mask for the moon with a 2 in circle punch on a piece of Post it tape, covered my stamped images and dusted the tag with Orange Marmalade Distress Oxide ink. Then I added some Diamond Stickles to the lamp post, inked the edges with Black Soot Distress ink and added an eyelet and some ribbon. Now I have a spooky little book mark for my book!

Click HERE for more inspiration from the Design Sweeties and share your hair-raising creations with us! I'll look for you in the gallery!



CHALLENGES ENTERED:

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog - October Anything Goes Challenge #56

The Ribbon Girl Blog - October Anything Goes

Make My Monday Challenge #81 Animals

Your Next Stamp Fall Fun Challenge #98

ATC Around the World  #46- Halloween! 

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