myasperations 10-31-23b

    I had fun the last two weeks creating cards to enter into the Sweet November Stamps (SNS)  Halloween Celebration challenge on FB. But life got busy (again!) and I got this last one entered into the challenge with just minutes to spare! 

    It features one of my favorite images from SNS, "Boo Loves Scary Larry"! I often print ghost digis on vellum, but this time I used my trusty Paint.net ap which allowed me to layer Boo atop a beautiful (and free) fall digi. I then changed the opacity of the image to make Boo a bit more transparent. (I provided a picture of what it looks like after I printed it off. It is actually easy to do and I love the result... plus eliminates having to fussy-cut Boo!) A colored and fussy-cut Larry is cuddled safely into her arms for some trick 'n treating! I did add soft highlights with my white gel pen... and used a few smudges of pink chalk to add color to her cheeks.  The inside was also fun to decorate. It features a spook, cut from a scrap of vellum, holding a sentiment. His arms and hands fold over the sentiment when the card is closed, but you can lift them after you open the card... like magic!

    Note- The background scene is freebie I could download it as a member of a FB group named "Printables for your Junk Journaling with TLC". The group offers wonderful freebies and affordable digis. (You can check it out HERE!)

Supplies: 

·   Background- This beautiful scene was free on the TLC FB page on 10-26-23.  Follow the site to access hundreds of free digis!

·   Free Paint.net program can be found HERE (you can add watermarks, layer digis, and more!)

·   Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Boo Loves Scary Larry)

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

·  Front Sentiment- Happy Halloween Freebie from Skogstokiga (Blog now closed)

·  Inside Sentiment- TLC Creations Freebie (Theres Mischief Brewing)

 ·  All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes

Outlawz- Tuesday Color Challenge- Theme Halloween Oct  

    Since Halloween is over, I’m moving on to Thanksgiving/Fall and Christmas cards. This first card focuses on a favorite fall treat… anything pumpkin and spice flavored. (I especially enjoy Dairy Queen Pumpkin Blizzards. Drat… now I’m craving one!!) This card features items from my stash and my collection of free digis.

Supplies: 

·   Front Sentiment and Mug- Verve Digi Set “Coffee Please” (Company no longer in business)

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

·    Inside Sentiment-Freebie from RG Ave (Company no longer in business)

·    All items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Cupcake Inspirations- #581-(Color Theme-Coffee, Denim Blue, Cream)   

Paper Funday- #58 Anything Goes     

    I’m so excited that it’s time to officially ring in the holidays as artist Beccy Muir (owner of Beccy’s Place) is hosting her 11th Annual Month of Holiday Cards Challenge. Every day in November Beccy provides a theme (most based on the letters of the alphabet) and invites participants to create cards for ANY holiday, using images from any company. And… she offers several prizes on a daily and weekly basis. So there is no reason not to get involved!

    I now use digis most of the time in my cards, however, that wasn’t always the case. One of the companies that I found for my first digis was Beccy’s Place. Beccy has a huge number of freebies available, and I have a large collection of them on my laptop.  Over the years, I’ve also build up a wonderful collection of Beccy’s digi sets! If you want to start or build a nice digi collection, November is a excellent time to join in the fun. Beccy provides a theme a day (most based on the letters of the alphabet) and offers prizes on a daily and weekly basis. Her generosity has always astounded me! (Just stop by the challenge and you’ll quickly see what I mean.) And she continues to astound me as I moved from a Guest DT to one of Beccy’s “Contributors.”)

    For that reason, I play along just for fun and also try to make sure that I include Beccy’s images or sentiments on my cards. (I really do love Beccy’s attention to detail. She even names all of her “characters!”)

    My first card features a freebie that Beccy added to her collection last December named “Snowman with Bauble.”  I am featuring him on my first card, “A is for ADORABLE”!  I had fun making this card, and I especially like how I was able to create the look of white fur with my trusty white gel pen. It looks so soft that I almost want to pet it!

Supplies: 

·   Digi-Beccy’s Place Freebie-colored version (Snowman with Bauble)

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

·   Front Sentiment- Upcycled from an old Christmas Card

·   Inside Sentiment- “Jolly Days of Christmas” from Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Making Merry)

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Beccy’s Place: A Month of Holiday Cards- Nov 2023  (Day 1 - "A" is for Adorable)

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #714 Embellish It!

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #619-620 Anything Goes   

Path Of Positivity Challenge- Challenge #116 (Anything Goes Positive)  

myasperations 10-31-23a

I had fun the last two weeks creating cards to enter into the Sweet November Stamps (SNS)  Halloween Celebration challenge on FB. But life got busy (again!) and I want to get them posted before the end of the month. (I'll come back and post more details soon!) 

These first two cards feature  the digital image Fairwee Junie. Her wings were trimmed from the printed images, and traced onto scraps of vellum. After adding a of color and sparkle with alcohol pastel markers and assorted gel pens, then were taped in place on Junie’s back.

                                            

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Fairwee Junie)

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and  Sakura Gelly Roll gel pens (white,

     gold and silver sparkle)

This one features Sweet Junie seated beneath full moon, excitedly waiting for a special guest to

arrive. The inside of the card shows features my idea of what the Great Pumpkin looks like! I

trimmed the features from the digi, and attached it to a yellow background with foam tape to

create the illusion of a light inside.  

I'm entering this card into several challenges including Cupcake Inspirations-Color Theme:

Coffee- hair, Denim Blue- sky, Cream-moon.)

Supplies: 

·  Background Scene- Free from Di's Digi Stamps FB (Join here and find scene on 10-10-23 post) 

·  Sentiments- Computer Generated

·  Digi (inside)- Freebie from Scribbles Designs (Pumpkin1) Leaves are hand-drawn on scraps

·  All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Cupcake Inspirations- #581-(Color Theme-Coffee, Denim Blue, Cream)  

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #619-620 Anything Goes   

Gem of a Challenge- Week #22 AG                                                  

This card features Sweet Junie perched upon curlicues on patterned paper, while little bats fussy-cut from paper scraps menacingly flutter across the card front.

I'm entering this card into several challenges including Outlawz- Tuesday Color Theme Halloween (my card features all of the colors, all are easy to see, except the grey tone that is on Junie's wings!) 

 

Supplies: 

·  Front  Sentiment-Cut from a TlcCreations Bookmark Freebie (Welcome Great Pumpkin)

·  Inside Sentiment- “Trick or Treat?” Freebie from Skogstokiga (Blog now closed)

·  All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Outlawz- Tuesday Color Challenge- Theme Halloween Oct  

Papercraft Challenges- Challenge #99 Halloween

Polkadoodles Challenge- Week #43 AG                                          

I created a fun scene with a story for this last card. A little sweetheart is sitting and waiting for a special guest to arrive. In the original digi she is holding a cookie, swiped from a plate of cookies with the sign “For Santa.” However, she isn’t waiting for Santa this time of the year, instead, she is holding a Halloween Snoopy… possibly hoping that the cute little plushie will attract the attention of the Great Pumpkin!  

Supplies: 

·   Curtain digi (printed on patterned paper)- from Sweet November Stamps (Christmas Is

    Back:Background Builder Set)

·   Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Cookie)

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

·   Snoopy Plushies (on front and inside of card)- Photos of Hallmark Toys, found in Ebay listings

·   Sentiments- Computer Generated

·   Inside of card Jack-o-lantern frame- a Halloween Post-it note

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #714 Embellish It!

Path Of Positivity Challenge- Challenge #116 (Anything Goes Positive)

myasperations 10-31-23

I had fun the last two weeks creating cards to enter into the Sweet November Stamps (SNS)  Halloween Celebration challenge on FB. But life got busy (again!) and I am just now getting them posted

Here are several more cards, this time featuring one of my favorite SNS' sweet digis named Boo Loves Scary Larry! Boo looks great printed on vellum and highlighted with a few touches of a white gel pen (or white colored pencil.) I usually print Scary Larry on white cardstock, color, and then fussy-cut him. (I also lightly sketch in the part of Larry's chest and left arm to  show "through" Boo's arm and add a bit of coloring to it. See photo for an example.) After also fussy-cutting our vellum Boo I trim around the top and left side of her arm, then slide Larry into place for a warm cuddle! Such a cute pair of friends!

An added note- since most types of adhesive show through vellum, I've found a better way to attach them. Before fussy-cutting them, I decide where I'm going to place them I create my background (scene, patterned paper, etc.) I position the vellum spook onto the background, and lightly pencil in little tabs where they won't be very conspicuous. Then, I cut small slits into the background paper, slip the tabs through and tape them in place. If I decide that any tabs are not needed- or are in the wrong place- they can be trimmed off. This takes a little extra time upfront, but I love not having adhesive show through... which kind of destroys the look of a misty apparition! (For this sample ghost, I penciled in random tabs to help provide a visual idea of what the vellum image might look like before you start the fussy cutting.)

     I’m entering this card into several challenges including Inspiration Station: Inspiration photo (both the photo and my card features sweets.)

Supplies: 

·  Ghost Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Boo Loves Scary Larry)

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

·  Halloween Subway Art Background- a Freebie found HERE

·  Candy Corn patterned paper- a Freebie from Scribbles Designs, download HERE

·  Inside Sentiment- TLC Creations Freebie (FaBOOlous Halloween)

·  All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Inspiration Station- Challenge #54 Oct  (Photo) Family Halloween Party

Path Of Positivity Challenge- Challenge #116 (Anything Goes Positive ) 

Paper Funday- #58 Anything Goes  (Optional Twist: Use Yellow, Orange, and Green)

For this card, Boo and Scary Larry are hovering in front of a window. (I slid the vellum flaps behind the window panes, taped them in place, and trimmed off any excess vellum. I also added tape behind Larry to hold him securely in place, since he can’t fly without Boo!)

    I’m entering this card into several challenges including Cupcake Inspirations-Color Theme: (my card features the three color, Coffee- brown shades in the window frame, Denim Blue-Larry’s jeans and a few smudges in the sky, Cream-stripes in the “wallpaper”).

 

Supplies: 

·  Ghost Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Boo Loves Scary Larry)

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

·  Front Sentiment-BOO Freebie from Skogstokiga (Blog now closed)

·  Inside Sentiment-a Freebie from decosses dynamite doodles (Ghoulish Halloween)

·  All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Cupcake Inspirations- #581 (Color Theme-Coffee, Denim Blue, Cream)  

Polkadoodles Challenge- Week #43 AG                                           

For this final card, Boo is waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive and instead of Scary Larry, she is holding a Halloween Snoopy… because we know that Snoopy so loves his GP!  

     I’m entering this card into several challenges including Outlawz- Tuesday Color Challenge: (my card features all the colors in various shades in the images, sky and patterned paper.)

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Boo Loves Scary Larry)

·   Snoopy Image- Photo of a Hallmark Plushie, found in an eBay listing

·  Front  Sentiment-Cut from a TlcCreations Bookmark Freebie (Welcome Great Pumpkin)

·  Inside Sentiment- Happy Halloween Freebie from Skogstokiga (Blog now closed)

·  All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends- #216 LeAnnes World

Outlawz- Tuesday Color Challenge- Theme Halloween Oct  

Gem of a Challenge- Week #22 AG