myasperations 2-23-24

     This month’s Progressive Challenge at Outlawz posed a challenge for me because the digi created by Sandra, one of the Progressive Challenges generous artists, teased my “little grey cells” between themes for my card. I bounce between vintage/shabby chic, rustic/primitive, B&W/dramatic, and a combo of cutesy/playful and rainbow colored. I finally settled on an Anniversary card with a shabby chic card with muted colors and glimmers of gold. The woven pattern in the digi simplified the process of weaving strips of thin satin ribbon. I started by “anchoring” (taping) the end of a long strand of ribbon about 1/3 inch beneath one of the strands of the woven heart on the lower left edge of the heart. Once the end was taped with transparent tape, I laid the ribbon on the digi strand across to the upper right side of the heart. Gently pulling it taut, I taped the ribbon about 1/3 inch above the end of the digi weave, then cut the ribbon. I continued this until all of the left-right strips of ribbon were in place. I next positioned and cut the strips of ribbon for the top-bottom strips and taped one end of each down. Then the weaving took a bit of time… but I following the digi pattern helped in the process. I cut a heart shaped “frame” in glossy paper in a pretty shade of brown (upcycled from an old brochure) that covered all the messiness of the taped down ribbon edges. When finished, I added gold photo corners, an upcycled rose stamp and a pretty digi button with a delicate rose image. (This button is just one of the many on a collage sheet which is FREE! Nab the link in supplies below.)

I’m entering my card into several challenges including The Paper Shelter: Your Favorites  (my cards usually feature fussy-cutting, upcycled items, texture, layers or a freebie item from the web. This card features all of the above!)

Supplies: 

·   Free Digi provided for Outlawz Progressive Challenge Feb 2024 (Sandra’s Woven Heart)

·   Button- From a Freebie (Vintage Altered Art Button Collage sheet) from Free Pretty Things For You  (FPTFY) available HERE

·   Sentiments- Computer generated.

·   Pioneer Gold Photo corners- available from several sources

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Outlawz Challenge- Progressive Challenge (Feb) Woven Heart by Sandra

Outlawz Challenge- Feb 2024 Linky

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #635-636

The Paper Shelter- Your Favorites  

We Love Stamping-Romance 

Emma Everfrost (from Sweet November Stamps) loves her sweet little owl friend. So I just had to feature the pair on a LOVE themed Valentines Day Card. After coloring the digi, I traced Emma’s wings onto a scrap of patterned , then clipped the original wings, and replaced them with the vellum version. I think the vellum wings add a touch of translucent magic to the card!

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Emma Everfrost)

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

·   Front Sentiment “LOVE”- handmade template

·   Inside Sentiment-tag from my scrapbook stash

·   Scrap of vellum and other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Friends of Sweet November (FB) Feb- (Critters) 

Inspiration Station- Challenge #58 Inspiration Prompt 

Outlawz- Tuesday Color Challenge- Monochrome  

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (Feb)    

Colorful Options Monthly Challenge:  Feb-Pink     

I had fun creating this card for the current Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge. A Lawn Fawn stamp set that I’ve had since 2017 was a perfect fit for the Coffee and Hearts theme, especially when paired with coffee-patterned paper and a little puffy heart sticker added to the blue coffee cup.

I’m entering my card into several challenges including Inspiration Station: Photo Prompt (my valentine-themed card features not a cat or dog, but an unusual pet that is much loved!) and Park Hopping-My Happy Place, one of my favorite challenges as it has introduces me to many new amusement parks. The little puff-ball owl in Emma’s hug reminds me of Harry Potters owl. So, this card honors Universal Studios “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” (One added note, Park Hopping is celebrating it’s first anniversary! I am happy- and Thankful- for Makira and her crew!)

Supplies: 

·   Image and front sentiment- Lawn Fawn Clear Stamp set (Winter Fox) retired

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

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

·   Puffy heart sticker- Stickos brand

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge-#25 Coffee + Hearts 

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge FB- #42 Feb 2024         

Double D’s Challenge- Patterned Paper  

The Four Seasons Challenge- Anything Winter (Feb 2024)  

myasperations 2-19-24

    This month’s challenge at  Sheepski Designs  theme is “Anything Goes” and my DT card featured a wonderful design from artist Andrea Norris named, appropriately, “Retro Rocket.” A family member loves old sci-fi movies, and I thought he’d love this fun image that reminds me of a few of the classics we’ve watched together over the years.

   I used starry sky and planet-patterned paper. plus a Faux Step Card tutorial that a friend recommended (and love that it is so much easier to create than the regular Step Card!) The rocket took a little time to make, but I love the result. I printed the rocket digi onto white cardstock to create a template, then cut the pieces apart. I wanted the pieces with “rivets” to have a flat silver finish, and was thrilled that a Silver Sharpie Marker provided that. When finished, if needed, I used a fine-line black Sharpie marker to redraw the panel lines and rivets. Then, to make it look like the old rocket had a few dents and scratches from wayward asteroid, I added some "texture" with white and grey colored pencils and love the way that worked! 

   The smooth shiny surface was added to the rocket fins and other silver fittings by covering the cutouts with strips of aluminum foil tape, then trimming it to size. (I stumbled upon this great item in a hardware store, and it sticks much better than the silver washi tapes I’ve tried. You can also add score lines or other scored decorations to it. Versatile and cheap! You can find a link in my supply list.)

   After piecing the rocket sections together with all the pieces, I added tape to the underside to hold it together, I used an old-school (vintage/retro) paper punch that provides a large hole to punch “windows” into the paneled section of the rocket's cone. I then used the punch to punch circles from a strip of aluminum tape. By spacing them about ¼ to ½ inches apart, I had enough space to trim around the “holes” in the aluminum and create silver portal frames! I positioned then adhered the rocket and assorted planets onto the base, then added a bit of sparkle to “Saturns ring” with Stickles. Because space has lots of natural bling, right? The last touch was to add computer-generated sentiments to the back…. and Shazam! Such a fun card! 

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Sheepski Designs (Retro Rocket)

·   Faux Step Card Base- Tutorial can be found HERE.

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen, white and grey colored pencils, Sharpie Silver Marker and fine-line black marker.

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

·   Patterned papers (related to spacy)- Hobby Lobby

·   Scraps of vellum, paper punch and other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Sheepski Designs- Feb 2024-#83 Anything Goes

          Since I’m a DT for Sheepski Designs, I’m entering just for fun!

Crafty Catz Challenge- Anything Goes #665

       Since I’m a DT for Sheepski (sponsor), I’m entering just for fun! 

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #726: Add some Sparkle

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #635-636

   

     I wanted to make a card for the current Simon Says challenge, “Fun with Foil” but I don’t have access to a foiling machine or supplies. I DO have some wonderful foil papers, and a large “diamond ring” embellishment with both gold and silver foil, that I used on this card. So I hope that qualifies?  The sweet little wedding couple is a wood mount stamp that I’ve had in my collection since the 1990s. I cut a slit around the bride's head, shoulder, and arm, then draped and taped a scrap of pretty lace to create a veil. I love the little bit of filmy texture that it adds to the image.  

     I’m entering my card into several challenges including Park Hopping-My Happy Place (This is a favorite challenge… as it has introduced me to many new amusement parks. I made a wedding card for this challenge because I  did a little research and found a few theme parks that include wedding venues, including Disney (three locations) and Carowinds (in beautiful North Carolina)

Supplies: 

·   Bride & Groom Stamp image- (I pulled the rubber from the wood a while ago so am not 

     sure of the company. But I think it is Denami, Posh Impressions, or Printworks.)

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

·   Diamond Ring embellishment- from a box of wedding announcements I found in the sale aisle at Hobby Lobby last year.

·   Sentiments- computer generated.

·   Entwined pair of silver hearts upcycled from an old card. 

·   All other items from my stash.
Entered into:  
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Fun with Foil
Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greeting Challenge- AG (optional: Add some sparkle!)
Park Hopping-My Happy Place (Feb)   
We Love Stamping-Romance  

Paper Funday- #62 Anything Goes    
      Since I’m a DT for Sheepski (one of the sponsors), please don’t include me in the draw for their prize!

     This card features an adorable bear, named Stanley. He is one of the loveable characters from Beccy’s Place. I kept the card fairly simple so that Stanley got the attention that he deserved. Not only is he ready to celebrate Valentine's Day, he is also going into retirement soon (*see details below) so you might want to invite him to your place soon!

     *Beccy Muir, from Beccy’s Place is holding a retirement sale of several digi sets for 50% off. A few of them are favorites of mine so I’ll be posting cards made with them between now and March 31st. Check them out HERE!)

Supplies: 

·   Digi and inside sentiment are from a Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Valentine Stanley)

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

·   Front Sentiment “Happy Valentine’s Day”- Hero Arts (retired)

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday (Valentine's Day)
Outlawz Challenge- Feb 2024 Linky
Allsorts Challenge- Week 768 AG  (optional-Shades of Pink)
Colorful Options Monthly Challenge:  Feb-Pink  
Beccy’s Place Challenge- Feb 2024  
        Since I’m a Contributor for Beccy’s Place, I’m entering just for fun! 

myasperations 2-16-24

I used an adorable digi from Sweet November Stamps to make this yummy Valentine’s card. Isn’t the little fairy named Josie adorable?!

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Josie’s Cupcake)

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

·   Front Sentiment “Thinking of You”- I can’t locate this digi at present. Please let me know if you recognize it.

·   Inside Sentiment-Conni Fong’s Digi Set (Happy Valentine’s Day)

·   Patterned paper, small heart stickers, and other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Friends of Sweet November (FB) Feb

Cupcake Inspirations- #587 Color Challenge- Red. Pink and White    

Colorful Options Monthly Challenge:  Feb-Pink  

Double D’s Challenge- Heartfelt  

Crafty Catz Challenge- Anything Goes #665 (Optional twist- Valentines or With Love)   

Polkadoodles Challenge- Week #6 AG                                            

I always love using up some of my paper scraps… so the Snippets Challenge is a favorite of mine. For this card, I sketched out a sentiment template that helped me to cut out the name of the jolly little Santa embellishment from my precious Christmas paper scraps.  The inside sentiment digi takes center stage, backed by the upcycled front from a box of Hobby Lobby Christmas cards, and topped by a Santa and his reindeer sticker. So fun! 

I’m entering my card  into several challenges including Park Hopping-My Happy Place (This is another of my favorite challenges… as it has introduced me to many new amusement parks. This card was inspired by Santa’s Village which is now on my bucket list!)

               

Supplies: 

·   Santa Sentiment-Created with handmade template and paper scraps

·   Santa digi- from my scrapbook stash, highlighted and shaded with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·   Inside Digi Sentiment- The Paper Shelter (Vintage Xmas Designs)

·   Santa’s Sleigh sticker, paper scraps and other items from my stash.

Entered into: 

Snippets- Week #473  

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends- #223

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday (Christmas)

Outlawz Challenge- Feb 2024 Linky

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (Feb)   

My favorite Sketch challenge, Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Group (BYSHC) provided my template for this elegant card. The elegant background papers are from a place that offers a nice assortment of freebies (including these two). The sentiment is one I’ve had in my stash for a few decades. Reading it always lifts my spirit. We are so loved!!

Supplies: 

·   Snowflake Digital Background papers- Free digi set of 7 Designs from Free Pretty Things for You (FPTFY) available HERE

·   Silver Snowflake Sticker- Hobby Lobby

·   Sentiment- Computer Generated

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge FB- #42 Feb 2024         

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #635-636

Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greeting Challenge- AG (optional: Add some sparkle!)                  

The Four Seasons Challenge- Anything Winter (Feb 2024)