Let's Craft & Create Challenge #186 - Frame It!

 "Frame It!" is the theme of this month's Let's Craft and Create Blog Challenge. 

I knew my Taylored Expressions Frame in Frame Cutting Plate would come in handy for my card.  I ended up choosing the largest of the four possible frames in the set for the pink frame at the edge of the image. The background is Altenew's Gradient Stripes Cover Die.  I think it's actually the first time I have used it on a card, but it's been in my stash for a few years!  One of those "must have" purchases - and then it sits unloved in my stash!!  I love how the Altenew die and paper color work together to highlight the star of the show - Pinkfresh Studio's Handpicked Flowers.  It's a suite of products that was part of their May Stamp & Create event and includes stamps, layering stencils, and a die. It hasn't been released but if my card inspires you, there are many other Pinkfresh sets like this you could use to achieve the same effect. 

For my card, stamped the image and then heat embossed it.  To get the foiled look, I used gold Deco Foil and a Minc on setting #2.  I have been playing around with foiling over heat embossed sentiments and stamped images both with a laminator and Minc.  I am still experimenting to try and have consistent results.  Ideally, I would have liked the lines of this image to be a little crisper, but it was still useable.  I then brought out the stencil from the set and added layers of Taylored Expressions inks, die cut the image, and popped it out with foam strips.  Finally, I added two colors of pink enamel dots and a Pinkfresh foiled ephemera sentiment.    

I hope you will have time to play with our challenge this month. I am looking forward to seeing the way folks interpret the theme in the LC&C Challenge #186 gallery!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.  

In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

The Flower Challenge #72 - September - Add Sparkle

NBUS #42 / September

Tic Tac Toe #177 /Diagonal top left & down - fall floral, leaves, metallic

 

Wildflower Florals & Joy Clair DT

I am excited to share my first post as a member of the Joy Clair Designs DT.  Creating the card came at the same time I went to Blue Sky Flower Farm, a pick your own wildflower flower garden.  The bouquet I created at their Friday Night Flower Night inspired my card.  

The image is from Joy Clair's Sending a Little Message Digital stamp set which includes two flower images and three sentiments. I printed the flower vase and the sentiment on kraft colored paper and colored it with my Prismacolor Premier colored pencils. 

 I splattered the colored vase image with white, brown, and dark pink ink.  When using kraft paper, I like to bring in white to brighten things up, so I used a white frame and another frame for the patterned paper.  Some embellishments and a bow tied to the sentiment flag finished off the card.

You can see the way the real bouquet influenced my coloring.  I was drawn to the yellow and red flowers because they were so vibrant and had purples, magenta, red and yellow.  The photo is four days old and their  magenta has started to fade.  There were tiny white flowers with yellow centers, which I used in my card, and then purple and blues for another flower.  

Be sure to sign up for Joy Clair Designs newsletters.  you will receive notifications of new releases, sales, and exclusive offers for subscribers.  You can also follow the Joy Clair creations on the Facebook Page, the Joy Clair Stamp Projects FB Group, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and You Tube!

Thanks for stopping my my blog.                                                        In kindness, Cathy 

Challenges Entered:

NBUS #42 - September

Colorful Options September - Beautiful Brown

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge #26 - Winter Shaker

This month's Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers sketch was inspired by a card DT member, Jacinda Chen, created for our BYSHC Christmas in July Linky Party.  

I used stamps from Snarky Cat Christmas by Stamper's Anonymous for my card. I was playing around with comparing black foil with black embossing powder for this card.  I honestly didn't see much of a difference.  The width of the green mat for the rectangle panel was the same size as the largest die from Lawn Fawn's Small Mini Slimline Stackable Rectangle set, so I was able to take advantage of the stitched detail for the sides.  After mounting the panel onto the background paper, I cut the circle element of the sketch using Lawn Fawn's Reverse Stitched Scalloped Circle Window die. From there, I added foam strips to the front of the cat panel and used sequins and a piece of clear acetate from my stash to create a shaker and mounted the whole thing to a card base.  A "hello" speech bubble die from my stash, some small sequins on the sentiment strip, and a black foiled bow finished off the card.

Hope you can play along with the BYSHC challenge this month.  It's a great way to work ahead on your holiday cards!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.  

In kindness, Cathy

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge #25 - Mini-slimline

 I decided to try a mini-slimline version of the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Challenge #25 sketch.

I went to my Vicki Boutin stash of 12x12 Christmas cardstock for the polka dot card base paper and added a couple of other papers for the rest of the sketch.  The cluster of trees is from the Twinkling Trees Stamp Set from Papertrey Ink - foiled with silver foil, fussy cut, and tied with red baker's twine.  I added a "peace" die cut that has been sitting on my desk for months and a few gold embellishments around the card.  Simple card, but I love the combination of papers and the overall look of it!!  Hope you are inspired to add a card to the {BYSHC} Album for Challenge #25 in out FB Group.  You have a few more days!

Thanks for stopping my blog!

In kindness, Cathy

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge #25 - Foiling and A Day for Daisies

 I am back with my second Challenge #25 card for the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Blog and this one is full of shine and shimmer!!

It's hard to capture all of the shine in a foiled card, so I was thrilled with how this one photographed.  The background is a gold foiled Unity toner card front called Wild Garden.  I LOVE this pattern because it is really versatile.  I have used it a few times and haven't even tried to color it yet.  

The sketch stripes are die cuts using Gina Marie's Pleated Lace Slimline die.  The horizontal stripe uses gold glitter paper and the vertical is made from gold foiling MFT's Lined by Hand Background stamp (using heat embossing and Deco foil with my Minc).   

The beautiful big-eyed image is Wild Star Nymph from A Day for Daisies. I bought her thinking she would be perfect for a Christmas card.  I colored her with Copics, painted a little gold glitter gel over her clothes and stars and used Wink of Stella on her wings.  The white behind her is Gina Marie Pleated Lace Rectangle die that I shortened into more of a square and is textured with Taylored Expressions Pierced Circle Cutting Plate.

The card is finished with gold embroidery thread, clear sequins,  TE's Drip Drops and a sentiment from TE's Simple Strips in reverse- Christmas.  Hope you are inspired to build your stash of holiday cards and add it to the Challenge #25 Album in the {BYSHC} FB group.  I will be back next week with a third card - this one is a mini slimline version of the sketch!

Thanks for stopping by my blog.                                                                                                        In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

613 Avenue Create:  August - AG

NBUS- August 

Addicted to Stamps & More #436 -Make Your Mark

Little Red Wagon #667 / Embellish It!

Christmas Kickstart #65 - Never in A Nativity

ABC Christmas P for Pink, Q for quarters, R for Reindeer - P for pink

Let's Craft & Create Challenge #185 - Distressed

 I am excited to say I have been invited to join another DT - the Let's Craft & Create Blog.  The monthly anything goes challenge  (with an optional theme) run from the 5th to the last day of the month.  This month's theme is "Distressed".  I was a little loose on the interpretation - and went back to my roots when I first started making cards in 2007 . . . remember when inking the edges was called "distressing"?!?!  That's way before Tim Holtz changed how the term was defined!!

I do love how this card turned out.  The background and sentiment are from a stamp and stencil from Taylored Expressions.  I foiled the leaves with Deco's Emerald Watercolor foil.  After stenciling the lemons, I heat embossed them with TE's White Pearl Embossing Powder, which gives a sheen and a dimpled look! 

The image is called Lemon Girl and I bought in from Andrea LaGafotas' Etsy Shop. She is an artist in Spain and has darling images - most of them wearing glasses!! I was just looking for something to go with my background and found her work!  

I hope you will join the LC&C Blog AG challenge this month.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.   

                   

In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

Paper Funday August Challenge #44 - AG with optional twist of friendship

Creative Fingers #236 / AG

Double Trouble Challenge #117 / Thing 1 Gimme S'More

Playing with Colors . . .

 . . . and new-to-me stamps and a stencil!

I have been in my craft room today playing with color challenge #507 from the Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge Blog.  These aren't colors I would usually put together and the challenge's rules that you have to use only the three colors with their permitted neutrals provided just the right amount of mental gymnastics and problem solving for me today.  

I had to think of what might only use the three colors and chose the Penny Black Social Butterfly stamp I recently used from bought in a Restash group.  I was surprised to see it was released in 2012!!  Then I inked up PTI's Weather Tile Stencil (on sale through the end of August) with the trio of challenge colors and a little Delicata Golden Glitz pigment ink.  There is a shimmer to the background in a few spots, even though it doesn't show in the photo.  The main butterfly is heat embossed in black before the colors were blended and popped up with foam tape.  The sentiment is from Pinkfresh.  A few clusters of clear sequins finished off the card.  I love how this turned out!  Butterflies are not my "go-to" - but I do love polka dots!!  This stamp set has more than one beautiful butterfly - I know I will bring it out again.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  

In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

Color my Heart Color Dare:/ Challenge #507

Paper Funday Challenge August #44 - AG w/optional twist Friendship

Retro Rubber #188 /
AG (stamp released in 2012)

Addicted to Stamps & More #435 - Die cuts and stencils

Double Trouble Challenge #117 / Thing 1 Gimme S'More

 

{BYSHC} August - Sketch Challenge #25

Back with first looks at the August sketch for the 

Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Blog. 

Crystal's "any shape" on this sketch made me think of using this sweet Snowman with Bird image from the Whimsy Stamps digital collection.  I fell in love with it as I was looking through their digital stamps during their recent Christmas in July sale.  The non-traditional colors folks used in the recent BYSHC Linky Party inspired me to try some new combinations.  I found some beautiful papers from Maja Designs' Winter is Coming collection  in my stash (and cut into the 12x12 pieces - eeek!!) to pair with the Fa La La background stamp from Ellen Hutson I foiled. I wanted to take a playful approach to coloring the snowperson, so I pulled out BV000 and RV000 Copics for the shading and shadows. To keep with the color theme, I used deeper RVs and Rs on the hat and scarf. Making the bird a female cardinal tied in with some of the colors in the patterned paper.  The image is fussy cut.  The card is finished off with some TE drip drips and another sentiment of her Sentiments in Reverse - Christmas collection and the color blended on the background is TE's Mulled Wine ink.

Hope you will join us this month and add you card 

to the {BYSHC} album for Sketch #25 

in our FB group.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

Colour Crazy Challenge Week #29/ AG 2/2

NBUS - August

Peace On Earth #20 / AG

MTTCC#39 / Cutesy Christmas

Merry Little Christmas #39 - AG (runs through 8/15)

Snippets Playground #433 / Christmas in July (sippet=fussy cut the snowman image)

{BYSHC} Christmas in July Linky Party - Final Day

 The last day of the {BYSHC} Linky Party has finally arrived!  

My card features a stamp and die set from sponsor, Colorado Craft Company.  It's from Anita Jeram and called Gingerbread House slimline .  The die set has all of the little pieces from the house, so they can pop out and give it dimension. I used it on some of the candies, the door, the roof pieces, and the mice.  It's colored with Copics and then the house face has a splatter stamp in darker brown. The background paper is Vicki Boutin's Warm Wishes and cut with Reverse Confetti's Postage Stamp Cover Plate.  

                           This was one of those cards that I kept adding to as I went, so I grabbed my roll of Snug Hug Seam Binding ribbon for a bow, added a white sparkle paper oval behind the gingerbread house, pulled out my Tim Holtz Rock Candy glitter and added a variety of bling around the card. 

Even though the {BYSHC} Linky Party closes tonight at 11:59 pm PDT, you have more than 12 hours to enter!! The prizes and sponsors are fabulous!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

  In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

Double Trouble #116 / Christmas in July- Thing 1 and Thing 3

Peace On Earth - July 17th / AG

NBUS #40 / (CCC stamp and die - 1st use)

Little Red Wagon #664/ Stitching Sensations

Colour Crazy Challenge Week #29 / AG

BYSHC Christmas in July Linky Party - Day 5

We are at the half-way point of the BYSHC Christmas in July Linky Party!  Four more days to load your Christmas creations into the gallery for a chance at the prize drawings.  Did you see there is also a random drawing with a prize for one lucky person who leaves comments and another one for a hashtag user?  The hashtag is #christmasinjuly2022byshclp

Today's card uses some new purchases - a cute Holiday Snowglobe stamp from Stamping Bella and a 12x12 Frosted Floral from Echo Park Paper's Winter collection.  I wanted some help when it came to my card, so I went into the BYSHC album to look at the sketches.  Sketch #17 from last winter was perfect!  I love using sketches as a framework and Crystal's sketches always deliver!! The big, bold graphic of the patterned paper helped make the image shine and anchored it with non-traditional Christmas colors.  Some TE Drip Drops, another one of her Sentiments in Reverse- Christmas strips (the best $4.50 I have spent in a long time), Distress Rock Candy Glitter and some gold foiling on MFT's Lined By Hand stamp finish off the card.

Remember to add your card to the BYSHC Linky Party! You have time to make more than one before the festivities close on Friday night!  Hope you are building up your stash of holiday cards along with us!  I know it will make the holidays easier for me this year - plus I might get my cards in the mail before December 20th!!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.                                     In kindness, Cathy

BYSHC Christmas in July Linky Party - Day 4

 It's Day 4 of the BYSHC Linky party.  My card features this month's sketch.  The stamp is a retired red rubber stamp in my stash from Purple Onion Designs and colored with Copics. I combined it with some papers, die cuts and sequins.  The sentiment is one of the Simple Strips in Reverse - Christmas from Taylored Expressions.  PTI's Melissa Phillips gave me the idea for the whitewashed corrugated cardboard from her card here. I love the way it added texture to the card.

I hope you are having fun with our Christmas in July Party and posting your cards in the gallery on the BYSHC blog!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.              In kindness, Cathy