Ornament Inlay

Christmas cards tonight!  I wanted to try the Die Inlay technique challenge at JUGS this week.  I'm favoring the right card more than the left.  Mostly because I wanted the ornaments to all play center stage and so I went with little else.  I also finally chose not to place other ornament tops either and leave them as is. And because I wanted to go minimalist, the left card sentiment just isn't doing it for me. 

SPIES:
STAMPS: Sentiment (right) - Inkadinkadoo.  Sentiment (left) - Taylored Expressions.
PAPER: Red and cream cardstock.  DP - Anna Griffin.
INK: Tuxedo Black and Rhubarb Stalk (Memento).
EXTRAS:  Ornament Framelits die (Sizzix).

Oh Em Gee!

OMG! This poor witch had a bad night!  LOL  I finally got out my fall and Halloween decor and put it up earlier this week.  While decorating, I got some creative ideas for cards and other crafts.  This is one of them.  A couple years ago I made my own witch legs and put them outside upside down in a black iron cauldron that we just happened to inherit with our house.  This year they are in the same cauldron but this time accompanied with some flowers.  And we have yet to purchase some pumpkins.  I know, kind of late.  We do have a plastic carved one that plugs into an outlet that we have had for probably 15 years.  I now call him our "empty nest Jack" as the kids are grown and in college and usually the Hubs works on Halloween so yes, I've slacked off on the jackolantern making!  LOL

I thought this would make a really funny card with the witch legs and funny sentiments.  The sentiments are from Paper Smooches (Gang Slang).  I used the color combo at  Party Time Tuesday and the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch!  The card base is a dark gray.  The photo makes it look black almost.  The conversation bubbles are die cut from light gray cardstock and stamped in Tuxedo black.  The pumpkin is also die cut from the light gray with black facial features.   I stamped some leaves on the dark gray and embossed them in clear powder.   The witch leg die is from Taylored Expressions and comes in a set of three with a stocking pair.  I used the shortest legs and cut them in orange and black.  Then, I cut the tights in the yellow orange and alternated the orange.  Then I embossed the shoes with clear emboss powder, added a layer of glossy accents and then crystal stickles.  I dabbed some stickles on the tights too and added yellow dots on the shoes for the finishing touch.

Party Time Tuesdays #142

SPIES:

STAMPS: Sentiments - Gang Slang (Paper Smooches); Conversation balloons - Delightful Day (Taylored Expressions); Leaf - Simple Greetings (Taylored Expressions).

PAPER: Black, Dark gray, light gray, orange and yellow orange cardstock.

INK: Tuxedo Black (Memento). Clear emboss powder.

EXTRAS:  Pumpkin die (Sizzix); Witch legs die (Taylored Expressions); Conversation balloon dies (Taylored Expressions); Crystal Stickles; Glossy Accents; yellow orange gem dots; black gem dots.

OMG!  Blessings!  ;)

Wobble Ghost

Good evening all!  It's been a busy but good weekend here.  The Patriots won today so I'm happy!  LOL  Now I can get down to my crafty business!  A fun card first tonight.  I've been working on this card all week.  You'd think as simple as it is it wouldn't have taken so long. 

It all started with the orange swirly pattern paper, which is a Dr. Seuss brand paper, and the digital ghost stamp from Bugaboo Stamps.  My plan was to try a wobbler card.  It's more of a 3D card than wobbler.  I think my wire is too thick maybe for it to wobble much.  Still, I think he's a lot of fun.   The Pink Elephant Challenge this week was to use black, orange and purple colors so I chose a purple card base.  I cut a circle out of the black cardstock and placed the pattern paper behind it. To carry the purple to the front of the card, I added a purple googly eye to the ghost.  Then, I took some purple striped washi tape lined it on cardstock and die cut arrows.  I found the sentiment sticker in my Halloween sticker stash (currently piled on the floor) and was perfect for this card.  I added some square sequins that I found at, yes, Michaels!  Finally, I decided to add some sparkly orange gem dots on some of the sequins for a little more sparkle and fun!

The Pink Elephant Challenge #220 - Black, Orange & Purple

SPIES:
STAMPS: Ghost digital stamp (Bugaboo Stamps).
PAPER: Purple and black cardstock.  Orange striped patterned paper.
EXTRAS:  Jewelry wire (for wobbler); washi tape; arrow die (Taylored Expressions); sticker sentiment; purple and orange sequins, orange gems.


Sunday Blessings!

Stella's Cause

Hi again!  Moving right along --- another hooter card!  LOL  It's also another Bugaboo digital stamp --- Stella and she has a cause!  I think she's such a hoot!  I paper pieced again too, this time it's her polka dot skirt.  I chose some bright and cheery patterned paper from My Mind's Eye called "Happy Day".  I wanted a simple layout for Stella to standout.  So, I cut a die label, cut off one side and offset it with Stella on top.  Then,  I added a bright swirly patterned pink silk ribbon and white button! 

CHALLENGES:

 

{PIN}spirational Challenges #78

SPIES:
STAMPS:  Stella - digital (Bugaboo Stamps).
PAPER: White, yellow and light blue cardstock.  DP - Happy Day (My Mind's Eye).
INK:  Copics:  Ice Ocean (BG72), Pink (RV11), Rose Mist (R81), Skin White (E00), Gray No. 5.
EXTRAS: Square decorative Framelit (Sizzix); Pink ribbon; button.

Holiday Notes

Another post today.  I've been away from my crafting room since Wednesday.  I'm beginning to have stamping withdrawals!  :O  I went to my first craft fair Wednesday at a local rehab center near the hospital where my Hubs works.  It was for hospital employees/families to sell.  Unfortunately, it was not much of a success for any of the sellers.  Bad location, bad advertising.  It was suppose to last six hours and within three hours half the sellers had left.  The Hubs went and helped me and I did make three sales and at least made back my entry free.  So, for my first time, it wasn't all bad.  I met and networked with some other crafters, got some good fair tips and even bought something!  I at least now have my feet wet in the craft fairing business.

After the fair, I had to catch up on some much needed sleep and house cleaning.  Now, I'm ready to get crafty again!  So I thought I'd get some posting done first as I have a couple cards for challenges.  Here is another one for Less Is More:

I made for small 3x3 note cards and even made the envelopes to go with them with the nifty envelope maker I bought from Taylored Expressions.

I stamped each image and sentiment in London Gray and then placed a snowflake embossed frame around the stamped image.  Then, I added some diamond stickles to select parts of each image to make them sparkle.  It is hard to see the sparkle in this group shot. Hopefully it shows up better in these individual shots:

Less Is More Challenge #140 - White on White/Christmas

SPIES:
STAMPS: Snowflake-"Very Merry"(Taylored Expressions); Harp, star & wreath; sentiments - "Joy To The World"(Taylored Expressions); Happy Holiday sentiment -"Sparkle & Cheer"(Taylored Expressions); Peace, hope love sentiment - "Seasons Greetings" (Fiskars).
PAPER: white cardstock.
INK: London fog gray (Memento).
EXTRAS: Diamond stickles; Merry Christmas emboss folder (Sizzix).


More to come...

Wings of Joy

TGIF!  Happy Friday everyone!  It's been a crazy busy and exciting week for me and my family!  Tuesday was my almost daughter-inlaw's birthday, Wednesday I participated in my first craft fair as a seller and today my younger brother got married in Key West!  A week bursting with joy and happiness on many different levels!  And that's not the end of it!  In four weeks my oldest son gets married and this Monday I will have even more exciting news!

So, as I jump for JOY at all the good things happening in my family, I will share a JOY card, which is a Christmas card too!  The Less Is More Challenge #140 this week was white on white and Christmas.  I love white Christmas cards!  They are so crisp and clean and elegant!

I decided to pull out my Tim Holtz angel wings die (the older one) and ran it through an emboss folder ("Merry Christmas").  I also have this pack of white feathers and pulled out a couple of those too.  Next, I used the 'joy" stamp and fussy cut it and placed it on top with pop dots.  I love the feathers on the wings!

Challenges:

Less Is More Challenge #140- White on White/Christmas

SPIES:
STAMPS: Sentiment (Fiskars).
PAPER: white cardstock.
INK: London Gray (Memento).
EXTRAS: white feathers; merry christmas emboss folder (Sizzix).

Joy & Blessings!

BUSTin' For Hope

It's Monday!  We've had a soggy one too with TS Karen rolling up the east coast.  This "rainy day and Monday" isn't gettin' me down however!  Lots of stuff going on in the Salkeld abode these days.  Two more days til the craft fair for one!  I can't mention the other stuff yet, kind of a surprise.  Of course the biggest thing is that our oldest son's wedding is now just a month away!  Four weeks from today the Hubs and I will be Oklahoma bound!  Yea!

Today,  I'm pumped on caffeine and excitement, which is a good thing because there's been little sleep.  It's like a deja vu from college days (without the alcohol)!  Oops!  No, I never did THAT--- ever <wink wink>!  Just thought I'd provide a little laugh for everyone this rainy Monday since I  am sure many of you are having a rainy day too.

Here is something else to please you --- another card for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I spotted this stamp in Michaels early this summer and it was just sitting on the self looking pretty, all the while subliminally whispering "buy me", "buy me", "you know you want to buy me"!  So, I did!  At least that's the story I told the Hubs!  :) 

I stamped it in Timber Brown from Staz On and then colored it with Copics.  I've put Copics on my Christmas list this year because I am severely lacking in certain colors --- pinks would be one of them.  Only draw back to the stamp is it's size --- bigger than my dies.  So I had to go old school and use an oval tracing template and hand cut it out!  <gasp>  Then, much to my surprise, I pull out my scallop oval die and lo and behold if that sucker wasn't just about right!  However, I used the "negative of the die by using the striped paper I cut an oval from and used the frame instead. 

I used the sketch from The Sweet Stop this week and pulled out pattern paper from My Mind's Eye  Lost & Found series, the "Madison Avenue" set.  The swirl is cut from the pattern paper with a Sizzix die.  I had a pink banner already cut from the paper left over from another project and decided to use it here.  I  border punched the darker paper with a bracket punch to match the label stamp and die from Taylored Expressions.  I got lucky that the sentiment stamp (Hampton Art) just fit in the label.  And I'm putting it in the Shopping Our Stash challenge too, which is Pink/Breast Cancer Awareness.

Of course when I went to get some pink rose flowers, I didn't have the right shade.  So I took out some homemade glimmer mist (cotton candy pink) and brush painted some on white prima flowers and dried them.  I would have misted them, but the sprayer wouldn't work.  Word to the wise:  don't by the cheap spray bottles from Michaels for $.99, half the time they don't spray.  Dabbing it on with a brush got the result I wanted so I'm happy.  I glammed it up with a pink ribbon, the roses and some diamond Stickles on the flowers and buttons of the image.  Every girl's got to have a little "bling"!

 Shopping Our Stash #121- Pink/Breast Cancer Awareness

SPIES:
STAMPS: Image (Stampendous); Sentiment (Hampton Art); Label(Taylored Expressions).
PAPER: Brown and buttercream cardstock.  DP - Madison Avenue (My Mind's Eye Lost & Found).
INK: Timber Brown (Staz On); Rose Mist (R83) and Pink (RV11) - Copics; Cotton Candy Pink glimmer mist -- homemade.
EXTRAS: Swirl die (Sizzix Big); Label die (Taylored Expressions); bracket border punch (Fiskars); white prima roses painted pink. Diamond Stickles.  Rose ribbon and brown lace ribbon.

Monday Blessings!

Just Married

I'm still trying to get some things posted.  Here is a cute one.  I love this couple stamp from Stampendous, so cute and simple yet elegant.  I haven't done a chalkboard card in a while so I thought I would try it again.  And, I found the dorable easel card base in the  current issue of Paper Crafts Magazine.

I wanted an elegant and simple card so I kept to a black and white theme, except for the red heart hat pin.  I thought the doilies dressed it up.  I added an "I Do" 3D sticker and white silk rose.

This is for The Pink Elephant Challenge #219- Wedding/Anniversary:

SPIES:
STAMPS: Couple (Stampendous); Stars/Confetti (Inkadinkadoo); Sentiment (Our Daily Bread).
PAPER:  White and Black cardstock.
INK:  Versamark; Versa Magic Chalk Ink in white.
EXTRAS: 3D Sticker; heart hat pin; doilies

Smelly Feet

Happy Sunday!  I've been busy this weekend crafting away as it was World Cardmaking Day yesterday and I now have three days left before the craft fair.  So busy, I have forgotten to post!  And, never mind about the Patriots game, I don't even want to talk about it!  LOL  I've been cranking them out and have some to post for challenges so now I am taking a break to do that. 
 
I know I said it the other day, but I just, love the digital stamps at Bugaboo!  They are soooo stinkin' cute (pardon the pun)!  When I first started on this card, I had planned on making a black flower, either with a stamp or painting a Prima flower black with an orange button center.n  I wanted to use the black vegee bag and played around with it and finally decided to use it with the flower.  Thus, the idea of the black flower got derailed for now.  I remembered I had Halloween googly eyes so I used one of them for the flower center and while in my flower stash, I came across the purple feather and added it just because.

This card is for the Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge (see below).

Tuesday Morning Sketch #218

SPIES:
STAMPS: Witch feet and sentiment- Digital (Bugaboo Stamps).
PAPER: Purple and black cardstock.  DP: I don't remember where I got this because it is very old!
INK:  Lightning Yellow; Orange; Chrome Orange; Yellow Green; New Leaf; AMethyst; Cool Grey No.1 and No. 5; Special Black (Copics).
EXTRAS: Border punch (Martha Stewart); Tiny dot emboss folder (Cuttlebug); Flowers (Prima); Feather, googly eye and black plastic fruit bag repurposed!

Sunday Blessings!

Save the Hooters!

As I said earlier today, I've been busy trying to mass produce some cards to sell in an upcoming craft fair at the local hospital, where my Hubs works.  Of course, I couldn't do it without a little inspirational push for my creativity via challenges!  And, I'm early for once for them too!  LOL

Here is another breast cancer awareness project.  This time I made a bookmark along with a card. At City Crafter Challenge Blog the challenge is to make a matching card and gift.  So, As I was putting together the card, it dawned on me that it would look great as a matching bookmark too.  When I started the card, I didn't want to make the stamps too small for paper piecing.  Thus, I chose to make a tallish/slim card.  I haven't done that in a while.  And the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch was perfect.

 This is the same bra digital stamp as in my last card post and I decided to paper piece these also.  I just think it makes them pop off the page.  The sentiment is from Bugaboo stamps again also.  I colored the bra straps  and the tiny hanger hearts all the same color, Copics Pink (RV11).  After coloring, I pieced the bras, then used Copics Spring Dim Green (G8s) and Cadmium Red (R27) to match the back straps to the pattern paper color.  I adhered the stamp sheet to red cardstock.  I cut two tabs from pattern paper with a tab die and then adhered added more pattern paper before setting it all on a light pink card base.  Final touch I added crystal Stickles to the hearts on the hangers.

I repeated the same steps for the bookmark except I just adhered a back layer of red cardstock for the back of the bookmark.  I got out my old Crop-a-dile and set an eyelet, after several practice tries on scrap paper.  I'm afraid my eyelet setting skills have never been up to par, probably why I don't do is more and probably why I should do it more, to get up to par!  LOL  Now all I have to do is find a plastic bookmark sheath for the bookmark because I don't want to laminate it.
























 I then perused Google for a good and quick tassel making tutorial and found this one here.

For Following Challenges:

City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 179 ~ Matching Card + Gift

CAS(E) this sketch #48

SPIES:

STAMPS:  Sentiment and Bras Digital (Bugaboo Stamps).

PAPER: White, light pink and red cardstock.  Patterned Paper:  Bloom & Grow (My Mind's Eye); This & That (Echo Park).

INK:  Computer ink; Spring Dim Green (G8s), Pink (RV11) and Cadmium Red (R27) - Copics.
EXTRAS: Tab die (Taylored Expressions).  For bookmark:  Green eyelet; Pink/white baker's twine tassel; Crystal stickles.  Card:  Crystal stickles.

More Hooter Blessings!

Save The Ta-Tas

Good evening!  Taking a break from the assembly line to post a couple cards.  October means Breast Cancer Awareness.  So I've made a few cards for the occasion.  What I sell of these cards, I will donate part of the proceeds to the Cancer society and what I don't sell, I will donate to the breast cancer center affiliated with the hospital where my husband works.  

Isn't this bra digital stamp from Bugaboo Stamps just the cutest thing?  It came with the sentiment too! After printing it and coloring the straps with Copics, I decided to paper piece the cups with pattern paper.   I also colored the bra side straps and in between center bra ribbon with Copics.  I chose a rose colored cardstock in the same shade as the pattern paper for the decorative circle die and then used two different circle dies to create the pink thin frame on top.  I popped it all up with pop dots on top of a paper banner out of the same pattern paper as the bra.  I made another small banner to place behind the sentiment.  Before I adhered it all to the card base, I embossed the base with a large dot emboss folder for more texture.  It just looked too plain without it.  I finished it all off with a tiny pink crystal on the sentiment ribbon and at the center of the bra!

For Challenges:

I am entering this into Shopping Our Stash for the theme challenge of Pink or Cancer Awareness.  SOS focuses on using supplies already in your craft room for their challenges.  I have to admit the stamp is new but everything else is quite old.  I used the sketch from Unscripted Sketch Challenge.

SOS #121 - Pink or Cancer Awareness/Support

SPIES:
STAMPS:  Sentiment and bra digital stamps (Bugaboo Stamps).
PAPER: White, light pink and rose cardstock.  Patterned Paper:  Fine and Dandy Girl (My Mind's Eye).
INK:  Printer ink.  Cadmium Red and Pink (Copics R27 and RV11).
EXTRAS:

Blessings For the Ta-Tas!