Santa's Naughty List

Sorry I’m a bit late posting this week. I was notified on Monday that a continuation application for one of our federal grants is due tomorrow. It's required in order to be awarded another $125,000 for the coming year. So…. it is consuming my time.  I’ll post the card I made for Pennys with a few details and add the supplies list once I get the grant report submitted hopefully later today. 

UPDATE- Thursday PM- Got the application finished and submitted with five hours to spare. Yay! Now am heading to bed then have a few days off to play!

It's Wednesday! So time for another challenge at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog where challenges are always Anything Goes and prizes are awarded from one or more sponsors.  Stop by the blog to check it out! The sponsor this week is Bugaboo and my DT card features a fun image from a set named “Stella ‘I Tried’” Christmas List” I had fun coloring Stella Spectrum Noir markers and a Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen. Plaid paper, some bright photo corners, and rhinestones on her eyeglasses and earrings give the card a festive feeling. The inside sentiment is from a Beccy’s Place digital set named “Grumpy Goose.” (It seemed appropriate for Grumpy Stella, too!})

 

 

Supplies: 

·    Christmas digi- Bugaboo (Stella ‘I Tried’ Christmas List)

·    Inside  sentiment- Beccy’s Place (Grumpy Goose)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Assorted background papers and rhinestones  from my stash

·    Photo corners from Amazon (WXJ13 13 Sheets 13 Colors Photo Mounting Corners)

Entered into:  

Outlawz Challenges- Tuesday Color Challenge- Color Wheel 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes                                               

Lemon Shortbread Challenge- Anything Goes #118

Cute Card Thursday- Challenge #633 Feminine

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                       

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- #487 Anything Goes

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- April                                

I fell in love with this wonderful scripture card when I saw it. And, since it is from TLC Creations and is a freebie, I quickly added it to my digi collection. I added a bit more depth to the flowers by shading them with a grey marker, tore along the edges and layered it atop several colors of cardstock. Sheer ribbon and a lovely silver key finish off the work of art!  

Am entering this card into several challenges including Incy Wincy Designs (my name starts with K… so I used a Key!)

  

 Supplies: 

·    Scripture Card- TLC Creations (Walk By Faith)

·    Inside sentiment- Beccys Place Digi Set (Seasonal Windows)

·    Shaded with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers

·    Assorted background papers and sheer ribbon from my stash

·    Silver Key Charm- Paper Studio brand (Hobby Lobby)

Entered into:  

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends- #130 Anything Goes

Incy Wincy Designs- Use An Embellishment Or Image Starting With Your First Initial       

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #436-437 Anything Goes                   

Outlawz Challenge- Twisted Thursday- Anything Goes 
Bugaboo Stamps- Color Challenge       

Baby, Bear and Mom Cards

I needed a baby card and gift… so decided to make a card/gift holder combo! I learned how to make a gift bag out of an envelope back in the late ’90s. I cannot count how many I’ve made in the last 20 years. They are so fast and easy to make. (You can find a link to instructions in my supplies list below.) I had fun layering cuteness onto this card, starting with the adorable baby image, plus pastel ribbons, sweet sentiment tags,  plastic doily, and even the little tatted (or maybe crochet) flower that I found in a baggie of treasures a while ago at our local Goodwill. The final touch was to add beads to a little silver safety pin to dress up the bow with a bit of pearly bling! I found instructions on Pinterest (posted in the supply list below.) It was a little tedious to make, but I like the results. To keep the beads from falling off when the pin is opened, you have to use small jewelry pliers to open the safety pin so you can them on the side that doesn’t open. I think I’ll try making another one and just slide the beads on the open side since I don’t think anyone will want to remove it.  A touch of superglue would make sure that it doesn’t happen!

I’m entering this into several challenges, including The Sisterhood of Crafters (the gift bag is my fancy fold item…. Plus since it is a new baby gift…. It might also fit into the birthday category?) and the Path of Positivity Challenge #79 (This card reflects a bit of my style as I like cutesy images plus like to upcycle and/or use things in out-of-the-ordinary ways. The envelope gift bag is an example of that!)

 

Supplies: 

·    Baby Stamp- Biblical Impressions (stamp/image no longer available)

·    Colored with Tombow Watercolor  markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Front  sentiment “So Cute” tag from a Lili of the Valley set (Everyday Sentiment Tags)

·    Assorted background papers, plastic doily, lace medallion, ribbon, safety pin and bead  from my stash

·    Instruction for making a gift bag with an envelope can be found HERE

·    Instructions for the beaded safety pin can be found HERE

Entered into: 

Simon Says Monday Challenge- Not A Card                                          

Bugaboo Stamps- Color Challenge       

Di’s Digi Stamps- Diecuts and/or punches                                            

Outlawz Challenge- Crash Your Stash- Ribbon                                      

The Sisterhood of Crafters- Happy Birthday Or Fancy Fold Or Both

Path Of Positivity Challenge- Challenge #79 (Optional Twist- Style)

I organized my craft room last week. Okay… I started organizing it until I got distracted with things like this wood-mount PSX stamp that I inherited from my mom. I wasn’t in the mood to color, so I kept that to a minimum by using the Spotlight technique. After spending some time on Pinterest, I played around a bit and ended up with a variation of the technique, using a kraft base and white spotlight… times two!  Actually, how fun is it that my card ended up having a spotlight within a spotlight?!  (You can find links to the instructions that inspired my card  in my supplies list.)

I used a StazOn Black ink pad to stamp the image onto the kraft base then added color to the bottom of the tree with a watercolor marker.  I stamped it again, twice, onto white cardstock, and cut out the two squares. I added color and depth to the larger image with a green marker and white colored pencil. I then colored the small square- bear and lights- with chalks. After I layered and put the card together I realized that I hadn’t colored in the lights on the larger white section… but I kinda liked leaving them white. So, just added a star… and called it done! 

Supplies: 

·    Bear Stamp-PSX (no longer available. Company out of business)

·    Stamped with Black StazOn ink pad.

·    Colored with Decorative Chalks, green Tombow watercolor marker and a white colored pencil

·    Assorted papers from my stash

·    Instructions for Basic Spotlight Technique can be found HERE

·    Instructions for Double  Spotlight Technique can be found HERE

Entered into:  

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                       

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- #487 Anything Goes

Christmas Crafts All Year Round- Anything Christmas/Winter Holiday

Rudolph Days Challenge- April

Cute As A Button- #55 Anything Goes

My final card was super quick and easy to make. I used a freebie sentiment, assorted paper scraps, a few pretty pink rhinestones, and a wowzer pink heart sticker. The inside sentiment is from a fun Imagine That digi set. I’m adding a pic of that set because it has a nice assortment of sentiments- a few are “punny” and has rainboot with or without the frog face. How cute is THAT?!

 

Supplies: 

·    Front Sentiment- Handmade by Paula Free digi (L*VE you Mom)

·    Inside  sentiment-“Happy Mothers Day”  Imagine That digi set  (Frog Pansies Boot Planter)

·    Assorted background papers, pink rhinestones and heart sticker are from my stash

Entered into:  

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #436-437 Anything Goes                   

Cute Card Thursday- Challenge #631 Dotty

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- April                                

Crafty Catz Challenge- Anything Goes #503 (Optional twist- Add a Sentiment) 

Polkadoodles Challenge-Week 17 Anything Goes                                   

A Trio Of Cards

It’s Friday, so time for another challenge at QKR Stampede!  Stop by the challenge, which is always “Anything Goes” and several prizes are awarded. Maybe you’ll be inspired to enter a card or two yourself? This week I decided to make a card that highlights a wonderful Eureka Digital Stamp sentiment, “Beary Special.” I made this card for a friend's little girl, so of course, I had to use her favorite color which is… you guessed it- PINK!

I am entering this card into several challenges, including Bugaboo's Stella Says Sketch (I did flip the sketch, but kept all the key ingredients.) 

 

Supplies: 

·    Front Sentiment- Eureka Digital Stamp (Beary Special)

·    Little Bear Stickers- Recollections (from my stash)

·    Assorted background papers and sheer pink ribbon from my stash

Entered into:  

Bugaboo Stamp- Stella Says Sketch Challenge #808                             

Di’s Digi Stamps- Pretty In Pastels                                                            

Cute As A Button- #55 Anything Goes + (Option) Baby Blue or Pretty Pink

Outlawz Challenge- Crash Your Stash- Ribbon                                      

Back in the late 90’s when a friend and I owned a stamp store in South Dakota, a wonderful company named Northwoods Rubber Stamps was one of our bestselling companies. We loved their intricately detailed stamps and especially their wildlife images and sentiment stamps. This owl image has been one of my favorites to color these last few decades. (I was excited to find that the company is still in business. You can find them HERE.) I stamped the owl image onto kraft cardstock and tore the edges for a rustic touch. A bit of coloring, wood grain paper, die-cut foliage and a humorous sentiment pull the card together.

 

Supplies: 

·  Image- Northwoods Rubber Stamps (retired image)  

·  Sentiments-Computer Generated

·  Colored with Aquarelle Watercolor pencils, Tombow Watercolor markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·  Assorted background papers from my stash

·  Fancy Foliage Dies- Spellbinders Our Daily Bread Designs

Entered into:  

The Sisterhood of Crafters- Happy Birthday Or Fancy Fold Or Both

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                       

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- April                                

I wanted to make a card with a Victorian feeling to enter into the Outlawz Saturday challenge named “Romantic Garden.”  I dug through my stash and found a few sheets of white embossed stationary that reminds me of delicate clothing adorned with Battenburg Lace. The addition of a pretty sentiment circle and plus some flowers and leaves fussy-cut from patterned scrapbook paper finished the lovely card.  I crafted the card to resemble a letter, perhaps an invitation to a Garden Party?  I made my card to resemble an invitation to a romantic garden party... for two! Sounds really nice during this time of uncertainty! I would love to one day have a big flower garden. For now, I am thrilled to have a few patches of dirt in front of our apartment where two kinds of flowers spring to life as soon as the snow melts and before I can even weed the area. I'm not sure what they are... but I do love them! 

Supplies: 

·  Front Sentiment- Romantic Sentiments Set from JustRite Stampers (no longer in business)

·  White embossed stationery and assorted background papers from my stash

Entered into:  

Outlawz Challenge- Saturday Paper Ala Mode- Romantic Garden         

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Flower Power                                                 

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #436-437 Anything Goes                   

Swinging into Spring

I wanted to make a card for the current Art Impressions Challenge “Kid At Heart” that has the requirement “cards that feature children, a design that makes you feel playful, or something that perhaps you would give to your child or grandkid.”  I dug through my AI stamps and found this adorable bunny on a swing. (This is a rubber stamp that I pulled from the wood years ago. It looks like it is no longer available.)

I stamped, colored and fussy-cut the bunny, trimming the swing ropes from the image and replacing them with real “ropes.” I created the background by lightly sketching tree branches across the top of an A2 sized piece of white cardstock, stamped clumps of leaves with a green dye ink pad, then drew and colored tree branches over the leaves. (These leaves were also made with an AI wood mount stamp. Although it is no longer available, there are several clear stamp sets in the AI webstore that would work- Foliage Set 2, Flowering Mailbox, Blooming Birdhouse, and Chest of Flowers.) To add more depth to the card, I fussy-cut across the top of the card front, and made an extra strip of branches and leaves to fit across the top of the card front. Using a cloud template cut from scrap paper, decorative chalks, and a makeup sponge I created a nice Spring sky.

To “hang” the swing, I positioned it where desired on the larger sky/tree card front then cut two little slits on the bottom side of tree branches to thread the “ropes” through. After adjusting the length, I taped the ropes to the underside of the card front. Finished the card with a bit of trimming, some foam tape, a few sentiments, and sparkly flower stickers.   

 

Supplies: 

·    Bunny on Swing Stamp- Art Impressions (No longer available)

·    Leaf Branch Stamp- Art Impressions (No longer available)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Leaves stamped with SU ink pad.

·    Front Sentiment- Beccy’s Place Basic Branches Set (Retired)

·    Inside Sentiment- Beccy’s Place Digital Set (Easter Joy)

·    Sparkly Flower Stickers- Hobby Lobby

·    Assorted background papers and white string from my stash

·    Cloud template cut from scrap paper, chalks and makeup sponge

Entered into:

Art Impressions- #280 Kid At Heart                                                     

Simon Says Monday Challenge- Create a Scene                                     

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Flower Power                                                 

Scribbles Designs Challenge- #88 B is for Birds or Bunnies
Lemon Shortbread Challenge- Anything Goes #118

Polkadoodles Challenge-Week #16 Anything Goes                                

I love the look on the face of this bear. I can’t decide if he looks wise, sarcastic or maybe a mix of both?! I just know that I had fun coloring him and adding a humorous- and slightly snarky- sentiment. I'm entering this card into several challenges, including Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge  (using the light blue from top of color wheel plus complimentary colors, fuchsia and apricot on the bottom) and Outlawz MOnday Challenge (card features light pink, light blue and white.)  

 

Supplies: 

·    Bear Digi- Beccy’s Place Bear With Me Set (Retired)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Sentiments- Computer Generated

·    Assorted background papers from my stash

·    Puffy Heart Stickers- Sticko’s from Walmart (The pack contains 113 assorted puffy hearts for just 99 cents!)

Entered into:  

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends- #130 Anything Goes

Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greeting Challenge- Light pink, light blue and white

Outlawz Challenges- Tuesday Color Challenge- Color Wheel                  

The Sisterhood of Crafters- Happy Birthday Or Fancy Fold Or Both

Pattie's Creations Challenge- #169 Birthdays

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                       

Beccy’s Place Challenge- April      

For my final card this posting, I made a get- well card with a free digi of a Mason canning jar from one of my favorite vintage digi sites, the Graphic Fairy. I printed it off on an acetate transparency sheet [a purchase back when I used an overhead projector to make presentations. Yep. I'm OLD.] Since tape would show through the acetate if I taped it to the card, I opted for a different process that was a little time-consuming but well worth the trouble. When I trimmed the acetate, I cut little "flaps" [½ -1 inch wide and 1-2 inches long] on each side of the jar. I attached a scrap of grey cardstock to the back of the lid on the jar with a few small strips of double-stick tape and trimmed it to fit. When finished, I laid the jar onto the card front and lightly sketched around it for later placement, then set it aside.

I made the dragonfly with a strip of black cardstock (body), scraps of pastel vellum and sparkly sticker paper from my stash (wings) and adhered him to the “inside” of the jar. I cut small slits in the card front where the flaps would be, slipped the flaps in, folded them open on the inside of the card and taped them down with transparent tape. I die-cut a few sprigs of foliage from a scrap of the acetate to make a clear stencil, which I used to sponge green sprigs of on the inside of the card. Added a sentiment on the card front (circles cut from several scraps) and the inside (layered with scraps) then added the final touch- sketching a dragonfly” flight path” with a fine-line marker. (That bug got around before he was caught!)

  

Supplies: 

·    Vintage Mason jar digi- a freebie from the Graphic Fairy. You can find it HERE.

·    Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Front Sentiment- Computer Generated

·    Inside Sentiment- Hero Arts wood-mount rubber stamp (retired)

·   Fancy Foliage Dies- Spellbinders Our Daily Bread Designs 

·    Assorted background papers, scraps of vellum and sparkly sticker paper from my stash

·    Circle templates- from my scrapbook stash.

Entered into:  

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #436-437 Anything Goes                   

Pixie's Snippets-Week #376                                                                              

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- April