myasperations: July 2024

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

myasperations 7-3-24

I want to get one more lighthouse card entered into the current Time Out Photo Inspiration (lighthouse) Challenge before the deadline this AM.

This digi stamp is from Impression Obsession. I used decorative chalks to give the coloring a soft feeling and added a few highlights with a white gel pen. Strips of vellum and thin strips sparkly/holographic self-stick laminating sheet creates an illusion of the lighthouse beams.

I’m entering this card into several challenges including Outlawz Sunday Poem: My Country (my card reflects the line “I love her jewel-sea.”)

Supplies:

· Background Dig with sentiment- Freebie from- TLC Junk Journal on FB- Lighthouse

Postcard May-12-2019

· Digi- Impression Obsession Digital Stamp (Lighthouse View)

· Colored with Decorative Chalks and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

· I bought the sparkly/holographic clear self-stick laminate several years ago at a craft

show. I have seen it on Etsy, and other sources on the web.

· Scraps of vellum and other items from my stash.

Entered into:

Time Out Challenge- #266 Photo Inspiration

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #655-656

Outlawz Sunday Challenge- My Country

Double D’s Challenge- Nautical

This is my final entry into the current challenge at Di’s Digi Stamps named “Sun and/or Sand and/or Water.” The digi I used is named Sammy’s Surprise. After printing, coloring, and fussy-cutting the little squirrel named Sammy, I trimmed off the large acorn he was carrying. Then, to meet this challenge theme, I hand sketched, colored, and fussy-cut a colorful beach ball that I perched atop his little paws. The beachy background was created with torn strips of tan parchment paper (sand) to the bottom of a beach digi that is a freebie! (See below ** for details!) I finished the card by adhering Sammy and a sentiment that fits the smile on his face. So Fun!

** I signed up several months ago to receive free downloads from artist Sande Woodson’s original patterned paper (including this vintage beach scene), plus related sentiments and ephemera. You can sign up to receive weekly freebies (HERE) You can also find some of Sande’s freebies on her FB page (Sande's Poema Card Making Community)

Supplies:

· Background digi scenery- from Sande's Poema Freebies (June 2024-Week 2 Vintage Tropical) Details to sign up for weekly freebies (HERE)

· Squirrel Digi- Dis Digi Stamp (Sammie’s Surprise) Retired NOTE- I swapped the acorn out with a hand-sketched beach ball

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

· Front Sentiment “Happy Day”- a freebie from maxammadestudio.com

· Colored photo corners available from several web sources (WXJ13 Photo Mounting Corners)

· All other items from my stash.

Entered into:

Di’s Digi Stamps- Sun and/or Sand and/or Water

Inspiration Station- Challenge #63 Inspiration Prompt (my card features a fun beach scene!)

Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greeting Challenge (Summer Fun)

The Four Seasons Challenge- Anything Summer (July 2024)

Outlawz Challenge- July 2024 Linky

Tomorrow is a national holiday here in the USA, and this fun collage card went together quickly with scraps of paper and napkins, upcycled postal items, star stickers, a few digis and a sentiment.

I’m entering this card into several challenges including Park Hopping-My Happy Place (a favorite challenge that has introduced me to many new amusement parks. I used the “inspirations” option on the Happy Place website to find a listing of parks with an Americana/USA theme and found three, all tied to Disney- Disney’s America, Liberty Square, and American Adventure), Allsorts Challenge: Way to Grow (over a few centuries, the USA has grown from 13 colonies to a country with 50 states. I’ve visited many of them and love the variety of accents, foods, traditions, and even critters that each holds. My state is known for it's vicious badgers), The Paper Shelter: Three Times Anything (my card holds many stars, including three that are gold), and Snippets (another favorite because it encourages me to use all the lovely paper scraps, upcycled treasures that I hoard… I mean… save… for later use)!

Supplies:

· Front Digis- “Declaration of Independence” and "Waving Flag" from Eureka Digital Stamps (Currently not available)

· Inside Sentiment “Wishing You a...” WeAre3 Digital Stamps (Sadly Etsy Shop is closed)

· Upcycled postage stamp, star stickers, and other items from my stash.

Entered into:

Colorful Options Monthly Challenge: July-Flags

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (July)

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Stars and Stripes

The Paper Shelter- #603-Three Times Anything

Allsorts Challenge- Week 787: Way to Grow (Option AG)

Snippets- Week #483

Monday, July 1, 2024

myasperations 7-1-24

I had fun creating this card… but it was actually kind of a “comedy of errors” during the process. If you follow my blog, you’ll know that I fussy-cut a lot… mainly because I find it calms me. A few years ago I learned a trick to prevent accidentally trimming off any small pieces and use it all the time. I attach strips of Scotch tape, packing tape, or clear self-stick laminating sheets on the backside of a printed digi before cutting them out. For some reason, I accidentally placed all three of the digis from The Paper Shelter “Treasure Hunt” set, face-side down onto a sticky laminating sheet. I had done this one other time about a year ago, and learned that the laminates bond is VERY sticky, as in PERMANENT! I didn’t have to throw them away… but I had to change the markers I used to color them. Luckily, I had a set of permanent markers that I used with a local after-school program when the middle schoolers made window Sun Catchers last Spring.

I embellished the trunk (I added to the sentiment on the inside of the card) with many assorted “treasures” I’d inherited from my mom, who collected old jewelry/broken jewelry and all kinds of bling to use in her many craft projects! The little gold nuggets are from my stash. I found them on clearance at Hobby Lobby, where they were selling off all of their “Diamond painting” supplies for dirt cheap a few months ago. I wasn’t sure how I’d used these at the time… but I knew I would find a use for them. And this is perfect!

I’m entering this card into several challenges including The Paper Shelter’s: Let’s Get Physical (digging for buried treasure would definitely demand some muscle-building work!) and Cupcake Insprirations: Anything Goes (the photo makes me laugh as the cupcakes in the photos for this challenge are usually beautifully decorated. How fun that their AG photo is of an undecorated cupcake. Ha!)

Supplies:

· Digis (pirate, trunk, and Parrot) - The Paper Shelter (Treasure Hunt)

· Clear Self-Stick Laminating Sheet (I use the Avery brand, but there are other options on the web)

· Colored with Bic Mark-it permanent markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

· Front Sentiment “Ship Ahoy” from Desert Diva Digi Stamps (Company out of business)

· Inside Sentiment “Shiver Me Timbers… Birthday” Polkadoodles digi set (Pirate Dude)

· All “treasures” and other items from my stash.

Entered into:

The Paper Shelter- #602-Let’s Get Physical

Cupcake Inspirations- #597 Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes

Polkadoodles Challenge- Week #26 AG

I’ve always loved lighthouses, and have a few stamps in my digi and wood-mount collections, so I wanted to make a card to enter into the current Time Out Photo Inspiration Challenge. This digi stamp is from Impression Obsession. I let the beautifully sketched lighthouse stand out by using decorative chalks and a white gel pen to keep the coloring soft and minimal. A bit of texture and a glint of gold was added with a foliage die-cut, and a scrap of metallic gold paper to frame the sentiment.

I’m entering this card into several challenges including Outlawz Sunday Challenge Poem: My Country (my card reflects the line “I love her jewel-sea.”) and Path Of Positivity Challenge: Anything Goes Positive with Twist-Power of Words: Dreams/Goals (I strive to be optimistic and to find and share whenever I can. It's the reason I’ve been a teacher/public educator for the last 40 years. The world today can be a very difficult place to live and grow… or in some cases to just survive! Anytime I can spread some light and joy into someone's life, I pray that I'm helping to make the world a better place one person at a time!)

Supplies:

· Digi- Impression Obsession Digital Stamp (Lighthouse View)

· Colored with Decorative Chalks and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

· Front Sentiment “Let Your Light Shine…”- Lili of the Valley (Inspirational Sentiments)

· Fancy Foliage Dies- Spellbinders Our Daily Bread Designs

· All other items from my stash.

Entered into:

Outlawz Sunday Challenge- My Country

Path Of Positivity Challenge- Challenge #122 (Anything Goes Positive)

Time Out Challenge- #266 Photo Inspiration

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #653-654

For at least 10 years, I've loved the sweet critters drawn by artist/owner Diane Carubia at Di’s Digi Stamps. I have many in my digi collection, including this cute one! I wanted to make a few cards for Di’s current challenge, and even though “Kitty’s New Friend” isn’t a beach-related digi, I decided that Kitty, and his new friend might just like some Vitamin Sea! So I colored, fussy-cut, and adhered the two friends to a beachy background digi I just added to my collection (and it’s a freebie! See below ** for details!)

I’m entering this card into several challenges including Allsorts Challenge: Way to Grow (spending time together enjoying the great outdoors has helped my hubby and I to grow closer for nearly 47 years!) and Inspiration Station: Photo prompt (Ocean scenes like the photo and the digi on my card thrill my landlocked/sea lovin’ soul!!)