myasperations 7-31-23

I created this card several weeks ago for the monthly sketch challenge at the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers FB group, and just realized that I haven’t entered it yet. Yikes! So, with a few hours to spare, I’ll do that NOW! (I like this sketch, but flipped it to hold the gold heart!) 

Supplies: 

·   Heart Image- Stampendous Wood Mount Scribbled Heart (no longer available)

·   Front Sentiment-“Celebrate” sticker from my scrapbook stash

·   Inside Sentiment-Freebie from LoveSVG (All Hearts Come Home)

·   Gold embossing pad, gold EP, and all other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge FB- #34 July 2023 

{BYSHC} Challenge FB Christmas in July  

Polkadoodles Challenge- Week #29 AG                                          

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #605-606 Anything Goes   

This is the time of the year that I miss living in a state where sunflower crops abound. I used to love seeing all their bright “faces” following the sun as it moves across the sky. They are almost magical to see when in full bloom as they can grow pretty tall. And, of course, they produce sunflower seeds, which are a yummy, salty/crunchy treat! 

     The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine, and this digi is one of many sunflowers that is available FREE from Power Poppy, as owner/artist Marcella Hawley encourages us to create cards using the digis to show support for Ukraine. Marcella also created a beautiful FUNDRAISER - Peace Offering Digi and Coloring Page that you can find HERE for just $5.

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Power Poppy Digital Stamp ((Bring Home Some Sunflowers)

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

·   Sentiments from SnapClickSupply.com digi set (Sweet As Can Bee Word Art)

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into: 

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #700 Summer in Full Bloom

Scribbles Designs Challenge- #122 Say it With Flowers

Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge- Elegant or Rustic 

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday (Floral Delights)

The pretty blue sunglass shades are created with scraps of colored plastic index divider sheets. (These wonderful items- sometimes called document file folders- come in a pack of assorted colors and can be found in the office supply section of most stores. They're cheaper than colored vellum and more translucent. Punches and dies don’t work on these sheets, but they are easy to fussy-cut with a sharp pair of scissors. And you can trace shapes onto them with a permanent fine line marker- which Is how I created these lenses. After printing and fussy-cutting the star-shaped glass frames, using an Exacto blade to cut the inside of the frames out, too. I attached thin strips of double-stick tape onto the frames, then laid them, sticky side down, onto a piece of blue file folder slightly larger than the frames. Press the frames and blue plastic together, then fussy-cut around the outer edges. Add depth and shine to the sunglasses with a layer of Glossy Accents. (If small air bubbles appear, gently poke them with a sharp pen. And add a rhinestone or other decoration if desired while still sticky.) Set glasses aside and allow them to dry before attaching to the finished card.

Supplies: 

·   Digis (Glasses, Eyechart, inside sentiment) from Jans Digi Stamps Set (Glasses)

·   Shine on sunglass lenses added with Glossy Accents

·   Pioneer Blacj Photo corners- available from several sources

·   Cardstock, blue plastic index divider sheet, and other items from my stash.

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Jan’s Digi Stamps- July 2023 Anything Goes    

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- AG

Allsorts Challenge- Week 739: Anything but Square

Patties Challenge- Anything Goes (July #208)

myasperations 7-29-23

I used pieces from three Sweet November sets to create this fun Christmas card. After printing the digis, I colored the Gnome houses, trimmed the sky from the digi, adhered the digi to a piece of starry background paper, and set it aside. Next, I trimmed the windowpanes from the indoor scene, colored the curtains and wooden window sill, and used a few paper scraps to add “carpet” and “wallpaper.” I used a scrapbook template to add a circle (moon) behind the silhouette of Santa and his sleigh on white cardstock, then added “moon craters” with a white gel pen and used a red gel pen to add Rudolph’s famous nose. Then came the fun part, putting all the pieces together. After positioning and taping them in place, I finished the card by adding whispy clouds of vellum to the sky, and tendrils of smoke to the chimneys (white gel pen), then colored, fussy-cut, and attached the pup and sentiments. So fun! Can’t you just hear the magical sound of jingle bells in the night? 

     I’m entering this card into several challenges including Park Hopping-My Happy Place (I discovered this challenge several months ago and it has become a favorite of mine as I’ve learned lots about amusement parks. Since I love the magic of Santa and all his friends and frills, Santa’s Village is a theme park I would like to visit… and possibly where I’d enjoy working after I retire. I’d make a good Grandma Elf!)

Supplies: 

·   Outdoor Digis (Scene and Santa)- Sweet November Stamps (Gnome Homes)

·   Indoor Digis (Curtain/Window and Pup)- Sweet November Stamps (Christmas Is Back:Background Builder Set)

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

·   Inside Sentiment- Sweet November Stamps (Sentiment Pack: Christmas)

·   Front Sentiment- “Christmas When All Roads Lead Home” from Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Home for the Holiday)

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into: 

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (July)    Santa’s Village

Friends of Sweet November (FB) July Challenge  

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- AG

Allsorts Challenge- Week 739: Anything but Square  

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday (Christmas)

{BYSHC} Challenge FB Christmas in July  

This beach scene started with a free digi from a wonderful  FB group named "Printables for your Junk Journaling with TLC". Even though I’ve never made a junk journal (yet!) I do love the many freebies and affordable digis sets that I’ve purchased since joining the group. (You can check it out HERE!)

I decided the scene was the perfect fit for this adorable House Mouse stamp named Umbrella Nap. Scraps of beachy colored papers helped me to extend the scene across the entire front of the card. I would love to join the little guy (named Bumble) in vacationing at the beach (although I know that I’d get a horrendous sunburn if I ever napped while sunbathing!)

     I’m entering this card into several challenges, including the Sunday Outlawz': "Who Has Seen the Wind? (my cards shows the wind with swelling and crashing waves), and Inspiration Station's July photo (the ocean on my card is not nice and calm like the water in the photo, but I do think that it would be fun to watch a beach ball skip and bounce across those waves, possibly even being launched airborne to the next continent!) 

Supplies: 

·   Beach Postcard- Free Printables for your Junk Journaling with TLC (FB) Join HERE

         (Note- after you join, you can find this digi posted on 6-7-23)

·   House Mouse Stamp- Umbrella Nap (retired)

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

·   Sparkly Heart Stickers- Hobby Lobby

·   Front Sentiment- “Missing You” from Gina K’s Sentiment Set- Mixed Messages

·   Inside Sentiment- Freebie from Desert Diva (You Add Color To My Life)

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Outlawz Sunday Challenge- Who Has Seen the Wind?

Inspiration Station- Challenge #51 July 

The Sisterhood of Crafters- Tropical  

Art Impressions Challenge- #356 V is for Vacation

Di’s Digi Stamps- Animals Acting like Humans

Papercraft Challenges- Challenge #96 Summer Fun

I loved creating a card for a recent Progressive Challenge at Outlawz with member/artist Sandra's beautifully drawn owl digi. So, I was happy Sandra generously created another bird drawing for the current challenge. My husband and I have been enjoying birdwatching since COVID, and especially love the flocks of house sparrows that entertain us a few times a day. So, I opted to color this little chirp to resemble one of our friends! (Note- I’m cleaning my craft room… again/still/always?... and found the pieces that make up my background scene. The pieces were the result of me trying to save a card front that I couldn’t quite get to “work” to my satisfaction. I tried several options, including a puzzle, but got frustrated and just tucked them away (I seldom throw such things away. Hence,  my regular need to organize and clean my craft room!) This time, when I pieced it together, I noticed the trio of ducks… and my brain clicked into gear. I positioned the little sparrow to be looking at the ducks, and he appeared to have such a look of longing that it stirred my spirit. So I dug through my file of scripture and inspirational sentiments and found this one that turns the card into one of Hope!  

I’m entering this card into several challenges, including the Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge (my card includes three of the five colors, as required- blue, gold and tan.)

 

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Sandra’s Little Bird (Freebie for July 2023 Progressive Challenge)

·   Background created with Stampscapes stamps years ago including Duck Trio in Flight

·   Hope Sentiment- From TLC Creates Scripture Set (now retired, but others are available HERE- click shop and then click Bible)

·   Patterned paper, washi tape, and other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Outlawz Challenge- Progressive Challenge (July) Little Bird  

Outlawz Challenges- Tuesday Color Challenge- July 

Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge- Rustic 

Outlawz Challenge- July 2023 Linky

Jan’s Digi Stamps- July 2023 Anything Goes    

Let’s Craft and Create Challenge- #197 July AG 

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #605-606 Anything Goes   

myasperations 7-28-23

Earlier this year I won a challenge and was excited to learn that the prize was a gift card for LeighSBDesigns. I soon learned that artist/owner Leigh Snaith-Brunton is not only talented, she is also kind. I am pretty tech-impaired… or the better title might be tech-surprised since it is always surprising when I DON’T have problems with all things tech! That is what happened when I attempted to shop in Leigh’s Etsy shop. I couldn’t get the gift card to work no matter what I did. Leigh was so very helpful in resolving the issue. So, when I learned that being invited to a Guest DT gig was part of the challenge prize, I quickly said yes! Below is the second card that I had fun creating for Leigh's Challenge HERE.

      This one features a framed image of a group of cats. (I did a bit of research and www.veterinarians.org noted that a “clowder of cats” is the most commonly used term for groups of cats. A few of the other terms used to describe three or more felines is “cluster of cats”, “destruction of cats”, “glaring of cats” and my favorite, “pounce of cats!”) I used a modified version of an Eclipse Technique, fussy-cutting a printed “JOY” sentiment, positioned it in the middle of the pounce, and pencil sketched the three letters. A sharp Exacto knife helped me carefully cut these letters from the digi. I dropped the letters back into place, and used a light gray marker to add shading to all of the cats before adding additional coloring to many of the cats that appear within the letters, and any of their bodies that lay outside of the letters. (Not sure if I’m explaining it very well, but my card might help clarify this step!) When the coloring looked good to me, I slowly lifted the three letters, added a few squares of foam tape to the underside of each, and gently positioned them over the cutouts in the Pounce! A few Santa hat, and fun sentiment finish the PURRfectly festive card!

     I’m entering this card into several other challenges, including Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge (my card includes three of the five colors, as required- blue grey, gold and tan), Park Hopping-My Happy Place (I discovered this challenge several months ago and it has become a favorite of mine as I’ve learned lots about amusement parks. Many I never even knew existed, and others I learned a few fun facts. The challenge host, Makira, provides a listing of “inspiration” to help learn more about Amusement Parks around the globe. That is where I learned about “The Cats of Disney.” As a grade school student, I remember seeing the always sweet and gracious, Walt Disney, talking about the park he had built in far-off California, and it looked both amazing and magical. Little did I know that there were cats that actually got to live there! Thanks to a link that Makira posted, I learned about them… and you can, too!)

Supplies: 

·   Digi- LeighSBDesigns (Cats Galore & Senti Set)

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

·   Eclipse Technique Tutorial- many examples are available online/on Pinterest

·   Santa Hats- Fussy-cut from a scrap of patterned paper

·   Front Sentiment- “Joy” from Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Christmas Candy)

·   Inside Sentiment- Eureka Digital Stamp (Currently Not Available)

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Show Us Your Pussycats Challenge- Furry Thing Goes (#90 July) 

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (July)    The Cats of Disney

BYSHC 2023 Christmas in July Linky Party

Gem of a Challenge- Gem of a Challenge- Week #15 AG              

Outlawz Challenges- Tuesday Color Challenge- July 

This sweet little fairy from Sweet November Stamps was the June freebie in their Newsletter members. I decided to turn the little cutie, named Fairwee Junie, into a festive Christmas fairy. She looks perfectly happy perched on an ornament wearing shiny red holiday shoes! I created the ornament with some holly-decorated paper, topped with a metal hanger made with a few small strips of aluminum foil tape (I stumbled upon this great item in a hardware store, and it sticks much better than silver washi tapes I’ve tried. You can also add score line or other scored decorations to it. Versatile and cheap! You can find a link in my supply list.) I also traced Junie’s pretty wings onto a scrap of vellum. I then clipped the original wings, and replaced them with the vellum version, which I had “dressed up’ a bit with light pastel markers, before high lighting the markings with a white gel pen. I love the touch of translucent magic the vellum wings add to the card!

 

Supplies:   

·   Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Fairwee Junie)

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

·   Aluminum Foil Duct Tape- search on the web. I found the one that I use HERE.

·   Front Sentiment- “Thinking of You” from Gina K’s Sentiment Set- Mixed Messages

·   Inside Sentiment-“Wishing You a Magical Christmas“ (Freebie from Birdscards.com found HERE)

·   Sparkly Star Stickers- Hobby Lobby

·   Santa Hat and other items from my stamping and scrapbooking stases.

Entered into:  

Friends of Sweet November (FB) July Challenge  

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- AG

The Paper Shelter- #564 Anything Goes 

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday (Christmas) 

Outlawz Challenge- July 2023 Linky 

Polkadoodles Challenge- Week #29 AG 

{BYSHC} Challenge FB Christmas in July 

Many years ago I stumbled upon a source of wonderful digital images, named Little Scraps of Heaven (LSOH) Designs. Artist/owner, Tricia Moore, is creative and the cost of her amazing digis and sets are so affordable. As a result, I have over 100 of her digi sets (many with sentiments and/or patterned paper assortments)  and dozens of her single digis in my collection. This digi appears to be retired. However, you can find hundreds of equally sweet images on the LSOH site. Tricia offers a weekly free digi file, and the current one is an adorable HoHoHo Bear (in Santa garb) you can find him HERE  I just nabbed him, along with a few images (currently all of the files on the site are just $1.50. So you might want to grab a beverage and spend some time shopping and not ever spend your entire “craft allowance” whatever that may be. Ha!)

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Little Scraps of Heaven (Cookie Monster) Retired

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

·   Front Sentiment- Eureka Digital Stamp (Currently Not Available)

·   Inside Sentiment- from Imagine That Digital Stamps! (company no longer in business, and I miss Kris, a lot!))  

·   Paw Print Stickers- Hobby Lobby

·   Googly eyes and all other items from my stash.

Entered into:  LSOH Cookie Monster

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #605-606 Anything Goes   

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog: ATG #259

Paper Funday- #55 Anything Goes