WTF

this is for a co-worker who also is a card-making friend.  She and I attend Stamp-Camp together.
I used the colors from Curtain Call where the theme is Boho Bright

The sketch is from Sketch Saturday  I rotated it to fit the sentiment:

at Seize the Birthday the topping for this challenge is orange, but I am putting this in for Anything Goes:

As always, thanks so much for looking!  Hope you are having a nice day.

Chester's Home sweet Home

When my son and daughter-in-law bought their first house this year, I wimped out in the card department -- and gave them one from my stash.  It has weighed a bit on me that I did not create a just-for-them creation.  So I've been trying to think of what to do.  

Here is my thought process:  the outside of the house is made of brick painted an off-white.  So I created the brick panel with a stencil -- first stamped the Home sweet Home onto the stencil.  Then I used translucent embossing paste.  This gave a really nice texture while letting the words show through.  Next distress ink filled in the "cement" area.   So I made a whole panel of that and then  . . . . time went by again.. . .. 

what to do with this brick wall???  Until I found this dog-on-a-charir stamp (in my stash)--- a NBUS stamp, I think from Whipper Snapper.   

And I knew I had to create it into Chester on his favorite chair.  So again I looked through my stash, and found this pattern paper.  I colored Chester with copic markers; and cut him out and put him onto the paper-pieced chair. I flocked his ear -- so cool.

I am using this sketch from Deconstructing Jen

And this week at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday blog - it is Anything Goes,

Perfect card for them -- One of a Kind!

Work has kept me very busy -- my crafting time comes in just minutes here and there.  So I've not done much card-making (which makes me sad), but I am also not buying as much (which makes me a bit happy).

As always, thanks for looking.

Sweet Sixteen

I have the sweetest husband.  Let me explain:  I make cards for the fun of it -- it's a hobby, pure and simple.  It makes me happy.  Making cards relieves stress - and most of my family appreciate them . . . at least I think they do :)

So that being said -- back to the sweet husband. . .  After I made this card, I realized the balloons and the car were waaayyyy out of proportion.  My darling hubby took one look at it, and said, "It's supposed to be that way.  It's a cartoon."  I love that man!

This is for niece #5 's sixteenth birthday.  She will be taking her road test soon.

I used the same technique as the Engagement Card card I made for my son.  You'll recognize the hill and cloud.  The car is from PaperTrey ink.  I am not sure where the sentiment stamp is from.  

I used the colors from Color Me Scrappy.  I hope you can see that the paper I used for the hillside does indeed have lines in it, as per the challenge.

I used the sketch from Sweet Sunday Sketch , with a few liberties.

That's it for today.  I am thrilled to have gotten some crafting in -- it's been a while.  I hope you are enjoying the end of summer.

Congratulations on your Engagement

My son is asking his lady to marry him.  I hope she says, "Yes!"  She has a small collection of snails -- not real ones - garden ornaments mostly.  She and my son also have a fist bump, that turns into a snail of sorts.
This is for them.

I recently took an online card class, Stretch your Stamps 2.  The teachers of this class offer amazing ways to really use the products you already have (at least I have -- as I am a bit obsessive about collecting products)  :)

One of the techniques is using your sentiment stamps with a stencil.  I used that technique here.  Now, I don't have a stencil of a hill or clouds.  But I do have cloud dies, so I used one to cut a cloud out a piece of hard plastic packaging.  And I free hand cut the hill out of the same material.  Then I use these as my mask; to stamp the sentiment and sponge around the cut-outs to give more definition to the shape.

The hearts stencil is from Heidi Swapp.  The snails are from Outlines stamps; a company that is now, sadly, out of business.  The sentiment is from a Paper Trey Ink set.

I watercolored the snails with distress inks, then used Wink of Stella for some sparkle.  I used crystal effects on top of both shells to give them a smooth shell-like feel.  I think you can see it in this close-up.

I am putting this into the following challenges:

1. Less is More - the theme is "Animal"

2. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge "Anything Goes"

3. Color Throwdown 

4. Clear it out Challenge - Anything Goes, Just use your Stash.  Since the snail stamps are quite old, I think this qualifies! I didn't buy anything extra for this card (I do have a lot of "stash".  

5. Try it on Tuesday - Use your Stash!  I also found the heart-shaped crystal floating around . . . and only one!  Perfect!

6. Crazy Challenge - Cute Little Animals.  Don't you just love the eyelashes on the girl snail.  I drew them on, they are not on the stamp.

7. All Sorts Challenge - use Masking and/or Stenciling.  In addition to the hand-made stencils, I also masked the snails, so they would be place better on the hills.

Thanks so much for looking and taking your time to leave a comment.  I love reading them.

Have a great day!

Thank You Bandaids

The back story for this card:
You may recall that I have a grand-nephew, Caleb, who was born very prematurely on May 7. He was actually considered a "micro-preemie" as he was only 1 1/2 pounds.  He is doing well, and just reached 5 pounds today.  His due date was yesterday.  He is still on oxygen, and not completely on bottle feedings yet, but getting there.  He is in an open crib.  We hope he will be able to go home by the end of August.

Caleb is still getting blood transfusions on occasion.  I made several of these cards, which will go to the people (friends and family) that have donated blood for him.

Now for the card:
When I create a card, I like to look for a sketch and a color challenge.

The colors from Cosmic Strawberry are a bright summery palette.  And I've wondered for days what I could make with all these yummy colors.    Collette makes amazing beautiful (and colorful) cards.  And she makes other things as well.  A beautiful doll for her Mom.

As it happens, another blog I follow, One Layer Simplicity, has a color challenge hosted by Susan Rahalia.  Actually several color selections.  One is very similar to Collette's :

I based my card on the sketch from Seize the Sketch .  I rotated it 90 degrees, and swapped the placements of the images and the sentiment. 

I'll also place this card into the Paper Pretties Challenge - THANK YOU . 

And I am "taking" an online card class: Stretch Your Stamps 2 - one segment is coloring lined images.  They have lots of new techniques.  

supplies: images: Paper Smooches; sentiment: Paper Trey Ink; coloring: watercolor using distress inks.  

Here is a photo of Caleb from last week.  It is so nice to hold a "baby-sized" baby.  He looks so sweet.  He's actually been giving the nurses a "hard time", being very fussy.  We've been taking turns going to the hospital to hold him.  Babies grow best while sleeping.  And he sleeps better while being held.  So we hold him, and comfort him.  And he gets better and bigger!

Thanks so much for looking and reading about Caleb.  I hope you are enjoying the summer!  

I do appreciate that you've taken the time to read this, and I love your comments.  

Birthday Flowers

Woo hoo!  My second post for the day.  I love summer -- so much more time to craft!  How about you?  When is your best time for crafting?

My Stampin Up demonstrator is having her Hostess Appreciation Event next week.  We usually bring a card (or project) we made on our own to share.  This is for that.  

The products are from Stampin Up.  The flowers are from "Flower Shop" - white embossed on vellum, and then colored (on the back) with Stampin Up markers.  

I followed the sketch from Seize the Sketch and the colors from Color Throwdown

 

Thanks for looking!  Have a great day!

Live in Color

I had a "play date" with my friends this week.  We had a really fun day paper crafting.

I made this for no one in particular -- just to play -- and it was wonderful!!

The brushes are from PTI, the sentiment is from Reverse Confetti.  I used Distress inks and a "swish"-type stamp to watercolor.  You can't see it in the photo, but I added some Wink of Stella to add some sparkle.

I used the colors from Cosmic Strawberry which has these rainbow colors.  And this sketch from CAS Colours and Sketches

That's all I have for today.  Summer is speeding by too fast!  Hope you are enjoying  yours!