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