myasperations 7-2-22

Hello all, I just got an email from a dear friend asking if I was okay because my blog has been so quiet. I told her that I'd actually just opened my laptop for the first time this week to post a note to my blog. I'd had hip replacement surgery scheduled for the end of July, but the bone-on-bone pain was so high that the doc moved the date up when he had an earlier slot open. Several days post-surgery later and I'm still in quite a bit of pain, but at least I have the cutest-live in care provider EVAH. Neither of us has whined… at least not very much!

I’ll try to start posting more regularly when I have some energy… and foggy brain issues have dissipated!

Until then, prayers are appreciated!  

It’s a new month, so I had fun making a DT card for the 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?

Annual “Christmas in July” challenges are popping up all over the web, so I opted for a whimsical Christmas card using a fun digi and sentiment from QKR Stampede. I know that the string of lights isn’t plugged into any electrical source… but am thinking that Rudolph and Santa might have some Christmas magic of their own, aka Bluetooth?! Yea Haw!

Supplies: 

·  Digi- QKR Stampede (Roping Santa) Also available in unmounted or cling-mounted

·  Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Sakura Gelly Roll white & silver gel pens

·  Front Sentiment-Computer generated

·  Inside Sentiment- “Merry Christmas” QKR Stampede Digital Stamp (Barbed Wire) Also available in unmounted or cling-mounted

·  Cardstock, patterned papers, red gem (Rudolphs nose so bright!), standard office stapler, and other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- #601 AG (optional-For Man or Boy)

Dare 2 Be Artzy–July Challenge: Christmas In July

Last year I created two vest cards (you can see them HERE and HERE) that are a few of my favorite ever shape cards! So when a recent wecraftcards challenge had a Western theme, I decided to make another vest card with a scrap of vinyl wallpaper that looks like hand-tooled leather.  I added silver brad “buttons”, flap pockets, and “stitching” (hand-sketched with a fine line marker.) The plaid kerchief was created with scraps of a paper napkin, and I love how it adds a bright shout of color to the card. A touch of red is also found on the inside sentiment.

Supplies: 

·   Vest pattern created by moi! (inspired by some Pinterest and web searching)

·   Front Sentiment- Computer Generated

·   Inside Sentiment- Papercrafts Magazine Freebie (no longer available)

·   Shirt color and bandana created using We Are Three papers (Howdy Cowboy)

·   Kraft cardstock, vinyl wallpaper, “button” brads, other items/supplies from my stash.

Entered into: 

wecraftcards Challenge- Movie Theme: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Colorful Options Monthly Challenge- July: Red, White and Blue      

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- July                        

The current challenge at wecraft cards has a baby theme so I pulled out my favorite hand-drawn BABY template and got busy. (PS I did provide a copy of my template here for you!)  The adorable elephant is from Bugaboo, which sadly is no longer in business.  I added a free sentiment, a pink vellum balloon and a puffy heart sticker.

Supplies: 

·   A2 sized Baby stencil- sketched by moi!

·   “Stitching” on Baby- hand drawn with pencil

·   Elephant Digi- Bugaboo Stamps (Company no longer in business).

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

·   Front Sentiment “Welcome”- Papercrafts Magazine Freebie (no longer available)

·   Pink vellum, scrap of gold thread and all other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

wecraftcards Challenge- Movie Theme: Dirty Dancing (line “don’t put Baby in a corner.”)

Gem of a Challenge- Week #14 Anything Goes                              

Papercraft Challenges   Challenge #83 For the Girls

My final card was made for the Lift Challenge, which includes an unusual concept called “hitchhiking” which intrigues me. Here is how the site defines the concept- “Every three weeks, our team chooses a sample card from someone who inspires us and we recreate that card (with reference to the source of course). Because we want to try a certain technique, because it's different from what we do normally, or just because a card is so beautiful. We like to challenge ourselves. Of course, we give it our own twist by choosing different paper, different decorations etc., but basically, the map remains the same. That's hitchhiking in our eyes.”  The “map” for the current challenge is “Make a frame with inks and stamps on it, on it a white image…you do not have to use a flower, but of course the choice is yours. “The selected card inspired me to create a card featuring a scene from a coloring book named “Creative Haven A Garden of Quotes." I'd signed up for a weekly newsletter a while ago from Dover Publications and have appreciated that it regularly emails links to a half dozen coloring books and activity books, each offering 4-5 pages that are available for a short time as free downloads. This friendly scene was one of the pages available in a recent newsletter. After copying the image, I used my Word program to reduce it in size to fit an A2 card.

Supplies: 

·   Image from Dover Publishing-Creative Haven A Garden of Quotes Coloring Book (Sign up for the sampler newsletter to start getting your own treasures!]

·   Colored with assorted ink pads and sponges, Roll white & silver gel pens

·   Front Sentiment- fussy-cut and layered atop card front. Additional items from the digi were fussy-cut and layered with foam tape to add contrast and depth.

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into: 

Lift Challenge- #171 Card Inspiration               

Allsorts Challenge- Week 683: Flora and Fauna   

Polkadoodles Challenge- Week #27 Anything Goes