Shepherd ~ Christmas

Image and sentiment - QKR Stampede; water color with aqua pen, textured blue cs; shimmery champagne cs; gold dp from a gift bag.
Sketch:    Sketch Saturday
Christmas:    Creative Corner
                       Crafters Cafe
                       Christmas Cards All Year Round 
Winter Holiday:    Star Stampz

SCS Falliday Fest - Texas Grammy - Spread and Shine

I have another entry for the SplitCoastStampers Falliday Fest challenges.  Thanks, Bev, (Texas Grammy), for another fun challenge.  To create this background, I used VersaMark on the cs.  I added gold embossing powder, and swirled around a bit of black - I wanted only a few subtle splashes of black. This was then heat embossed.  I got the uneven result I was hoping for.
Both stamps are Verve.  Ink is Eggplant.  Bits of gold edged ribbon and Petaloo flowers complete the card.
Sketch:   Verve - #1
Sympathy:    Creative Corner
Embossing powder:   Sparkle n Sprinkle
Embossed:   Addicted-to-Stamps

Monochromatic Sympathy

Image, sentiment - Paper Inspirations; Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder; sheer ribbon, clear gems, dark grey bg cs; silver sticker strip.  This card is 4.5 x 6.5.
Sketch #1:     Verve Sketches
Monochromatic black and white:   Crafty Friends
                                                            Dragonfly- Dreams
Add a sentiment:     Penny Black at Allsorts
No patterned paper:   Creative Corner

In memory of Flo

A friend passed away unexpectedly on Saturday.  She has been so active at church - she will be missed by many.  I used the Cuttlebug Swiss dots folder and Darice butterflies.  The Bible image is by Sweet n Sassy; the sentiment is Rubber Stampede.  I added a bit of lace.  In my haste to get this in the mail earlier today I forgot to add the gems to complete the sketch!
Sketch:   Tuesday Throwdown
No pattern paper:    Creative Corner
Any, with a real stamp:   Lost Coast Portal
For some one special:   Crafty Sentiments

MMTPT420 -for a fan of pirates.

The recipient of this Tea Pot Party card is Al, who has had severe medical issues and is doing rehap to regain strength.  He is a fun loving guy who enjoys pirates, so this Dearie Doll pre-colored image is perfect.  See details of the Tea Pot Party here:   Splitcoaststampers teapot-tuesdays- mmtpt420
The red, white and blue is one of my favorite combinations but does not always work for me!  I used washi tape, dp that reminds me of ocean water, and Cuttlebug letters.  I used scraps for the DP bg and for the blue letters and strip.
sketch:   Sketch Saturday
Scraps :  Jo's scrapshack
Favorite colors:   Creative Corner
Any:    Polkadoodle

SCS Dare to get dirty bookmark - Stamper Robin

This book mark uses spray starch, powdered chalk and plastic wrap - here on black shiny cs. I need to play around with this idea some more.   I added a Cheery Lynn dragonfly and some cord, then cut in a tag shape.  From my SCS gallery 8-8.
Basically, the technique is to spray cs with starch, add some color medium in colors and "design" desired; spray again with starch. In this example, I used 3-4 coordinating colors of powdered chalk, sprinkled on the starch.    You may choose to top with crumpled plastic wrap, perhaps smooshing it around a bit and allow to dry -this takes a while. I am sure using white glossy cs
Nature:  Cheery Lynn
Make your own background:  Pile it on Challenge
Not a card - mixed media:  Stamplorations
Anything but a card:   Creative Corner
                                        Reasonable Ribbon  
Any, with chalk:    Chalk n Stock
Any:   Incy Wincy

Tea Pot Party for Gabby

Each week the Tea Potters at SplitCoastStampers create and send cards to someone who can use a little cheer.  This week our cards go to Gabby, who is experiencing some health problems.  The suggested theme is "chef".  I have found that the Dearie Dolls freebies are a great source when I need an image and don't have something in my collection that works.  This cute (pre colored) guy is a case in point.  Not sure pizza is gourmet fare, but it is something of comfort food!  It also fits the challenge to evoke the smell of food - the tantalizing pizza is making me hungry right now!  For embellishments I used a Spellbinder set of dies (Blooms Two) I seldom think about using.  On the other hand, the letters are from a Cuttlebug Olivia set - one of my first purchases of dies, and a very useful one. For the 2x2x2 challenge - a double strand of twine; 2 shiny gems, and 2 letters.
CHALLENGES:
Sketch:     VLV Sketches -1
2x2x2:       DRS
Flowers:    Creative Corner
                   Polka Doodle
                    Cut it up
Monochrome:    Crafty Catz
                             Tuesday Throwdown
Baking Smells:   Give a crafter a cookie 
Any:           Cre8tivehands Friends

Don't spill the coffee

The verse inside reads: " I don't do exercise...it makes my coffee spill."
Edna, by Rubbernecker; DP by Beau Papier; Petaloo flowers, shiny gems; Prisma colors; glitter; Fiskars scallop punch.
CHALLENGES ENTERED:
Sketch:           Stella Says Sketch
Coral, aqua:  Classy Cards n Such
                        DRS Designs
Coffee:            Creative Corner
                         Crafty Creations 
Glitter:            Sparkle n Sprinkle
Celebrate:       Great Impressions
Birthday:        Allsorts 
Any:                Whimsy Inspires
                         Crafty-Girls-Creations

Masculine Valentine - for Hal

One more valentine for a guy - using the "gears" folder from Darice, and the Cuttlebug
"You".  For the you folder, I selected certain lines to place at the top and the bottom.  (If you adjust your screen just right, you can actually see the embossing!  The sentiment is JustRite, and I got to use up some scraps of dp, some red and white cs,  and a bit of Washi tape.
Sketch:                   Jo's Scrapshack
Black, white, red:  The House that Stamps Built
Use red:                  Di's Digi Designs
Valentine/love:       Brown Sugar Challenge
                                Creative Corner Challenges 
                                Polkadoodle
                                QKR 
                                Fan-tastic Tuesday
                                Amusing-challenge
Steampunk (gears):  Sandee-and-Amelie 
                               
                                
                                
                  

29 Again

This is a die cut image and sentiment from one of the Art Impressions pop up kits.  This sketch gave me a chance to use bits of some kind of bright dotted dp that a friend gave me   I used this verse inside: " Oh what a relief...  When it's your birthday, not mine!"  The red cs is embossed with the Cuttlebug embossing folder, and I highlighted some of it with orange chalk.
Sketch:   http://tuesdaymorningsketches.blogspot.com/
Birthday: http://creativecornerchallenges.blogspot.de/
Any:       http://www.craftysentiments.blogspot.com/
               http://liastampz.blogspot.ro/2015/06/challenge-89-anything-goes.html
               http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/06/dlart-june-linky-challenge.html

Happy Bird-day

Supplies:  unknown image and sentiment from my Wish RAK stash; scraps of DCWV floral DP (and I used some narrow left over strips for the edging); a scrap of ribbon, gems, Brilliance yellow ink (applied with aqua pen); metallic pens, shimmery metallic (emerald) cs from Classy Cards 'n Such.
Sketch:   http://digisketchchallenge.blogspot.com/
Cute Critter:  http://creativecornerchallenges.blogspot.de/
Umbrella:  http://classycardsnsuch.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2015-04-13T12:00:00-05:00
Scraps:      http://www.hidinginmycraftroom.com/
Spring chicken:   http://www.lunagirlmoonbeams.com/
Bingo grid (gem, ribbon, sentiment):  http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/
2 or more colors:  http://livelaughstamp.blogspot.com/search/label/Monday%20Morning%20Challenge

Backyard Vacation

For some in our country and elsewhere, spring cannot come too soon!  This vintage Dearie Doll is spending her vacation sprucing up the back yard!  Embossing by Cuttlebug, and grass die cuts by Die-Namics.
Sketch:     http://jwscrapshack.blogspot.ca/
Vintage vacation:   http://frillyandfunkie.blogspot.com/
Yellow, pink, green:  http://www.thehousethatstampsbuilt.com/
All tied up:   http://artimpressionsstamps.blogspot.com/2015/03/challenge-154-tie-it-up-challenge-week.html
"B" - birthday, back yard, blonde:  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/
Layers:    http://thestampingboutiquechallengeblog.blogspot.ca/
Spring     http://wagsnwhiskersrubberstamps.blogspot.com/
Nature:   http://creativecornerchallenges.blogspot.de/

Wings of Eagles

This is one of my favorite verses - by Our Daily Bread.  I have some patterned cs with a blend of greens and blues in a harlequin pattern.  It is part of a collection and only about 6x8 - I cannot bear to cut into it yet, so I decided to make my own with chalk and theCuttlebug Argyle embossing folder.  I hope it is ok that I used the same chalk colors to sponge the sentiment layer - the ODB challenge is no colored image. 
Other supplies: vintage lace, washi polka dot tape, pearls, glitter (on mat); Nesties Labels, lifeStyle embossing folder.
Sketch #81:  http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/
No colored image:  http://www.ourdailybreaddesignsblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Shining%20the%20Light%20Challenge
Embossing, stamp  and die cut:  http://ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.com/
Tic tac toe - Lace, pearls, sparkle:  http://fussyandfancychallenge.blogspot.ca/
Spring colors:   http://www.flonzcraft.com/vsc/#
Layers:  http://crafterscafeblogchallenge.blogspot.com/
No rules:  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/
Any:   http://stampedblessings.com/amusing-challenge/

Christmas White

Look closely and maybe you can see:   Snowflake bg Embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Martha Stewart border punch (leaves); Cheery Lynn pine branches (also a border die); circle from Nellie Snellen Christmas embossing folder; computer verse.  From the Nellie Snellen EF I tried something way outside the box for me - just used a circle from the center - showing  a lamppost, houses, and clouds (or are they huge snowflakes?) in the sky.  Now that I broke the ice, so to speak, I know that I do not HAVE to use that entire folder!  (The black mat is only for the photo.)
Sketch #1: http://vlvsketches.blogspot.com/
White on white Christmas:  http://beccysplace.blogspot.com/2014/11/day-12-white-on-white.html#comment-form
 Christmas:  http://qkrstampede.blogspot.co.uk/
                   http://creativecornerchallenges.blogspot.de/\
                   http://christmasstampin.blogspot.co.uk/

I'm back!

I have been MIA for just a month.  DH and I really enjoy cruising, so we were off on another relaxing jaunt.  This time we visited ports in western Europe, then crossed the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale.  It was all very enjoyable on board the Celebrity Infinity.  We did encounter some fairly rough seas, and had to miss Lisbon due to dangerous conditions.  We were not in any of the hurricanes, but we did visit Bermuda in the aftermath of two of them. 
There is still some unpacking to do, and more laundry waiting, but the draw of the craft table is just too great!  I am not much into Halloween (I know, I am bucking a trend...) but I thought this would work.  I used a digi from Anonymous stamps, and some papers from a fall/Halloween stack by DCWV.  I hope you can see the cobwebs and stars and moons.  The bird is a Cheery Lynn die cut from textured cs.
Sketch:  http://sketchsaturday.blogspot.com/
Purple, lime, orange, black with a die cut:  http://cutitupchallenges.blogspot.com/
Halloween colors:  http://melonheadzfriends.blogspot.com/
For the boys:   http://chocolatecoffeecards.blogspot.co.uk/http://chocolatecoffeecards.blogspot.co.uk/
Any:   http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/
Haunted/Halloween:  http://anonymousstamps.blogspot.com/
                                   http://crafts4eternity.blogspot.com/
                                    http://creativecornerchallenges.blogspot.de/
                                   http://deliciousdoodleschallenge.blogspot.com/
                                   http://jwscrapshack.blogspot.ca/   
                                   

 

Say Cheese!!!

In a few months I will probably have a customer who would like several cards featuring cats - time to get started!  I found a website with lots of free cat (and other) images - not sure she is still adding, but I have a small collection!
http://sliekje.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00%2B01:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00%2B01:00&max-results=32
I colored with chalk pencils.  Texture is from the layered ovals, washi tape and flowers.  The dp is also lightly textured.   The scalloped ovals may be purchased at classycards'nsuch. The card is an A2 rectangle.
Sketch:  http://adieforasketch.blogspot.ca/
It's Raining cats (kitty and an umbrella):  http://classycardsnsuch.blogspot.com/2014/03/ccns-challenge-25-raining-cats-and-dogs.html
Digi:  http://www.hidinginmycraftroom.com/
Not a square:  http://eurekastamps.blogspot.com/
Texture:  http://creativecornerchallenges.blogspot.de/
Any:  http://crafts4eternity.blogspot.co.uk/
   http://sisteractcardchallenge.blogspot.com/

Easter White

This is probably not the best choice for a white on white - but once I started, I was resolved to finish!  The image is from my stash - colored with Spica pens and watercolor pencils.  The cross is brown - the color here does not look true.  I used a variety of Spellbinder dies, some lace, ad CB Swiss Dots.  I cut the edges of the main bg layer with a dull cutting blade - it gives a modified torn paper look, and adds dimension, IMO.
Sketch:  http://jwscrapshack.blogspot.ca/
Texture:  http://creativecornerchallenges.blogspot.de/
White on white:  http://suzypantssmarty.blogspot.com/
Any:  http://crafts4eternity.blogspot.co.uk/
       http://stampinfortheweekend.blogspot.com/
Spring:  http://delightfulsketches.blogspot.com/ 
Inspiration:  http://cupcakeinspirations.blogspot.com/
Easter:  http://cagichallenge.blogspot.ca/

Anniversary greeting

A friend bought several of my anniversary cards (and more) - so I have a gap in my stash!  I struggle to make these cards fairly neutral - not too frilly and not too masculine!  I hope this color scheme is not too somber for a happy occasion.  The stamp is an old one by Endless Creations, and I used some cream colored scraps I have had around for a while - the embossing is on a shiny piece.  The dry embossing and die cuts provide texture.  The bird is a Cheery Lynn die.
Sketch:  http://sweetsketchwednesday2.blogspot.com/
Bird:  http://qkrstampede.blogspot.co.uk/
Texture: http://creativecornerchallenges.blogspot.de/
Celebrate:  http://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.com/search/label/challenge

In memory of Mary Lou

This has been a difficult card to make.  Over the years, I have made several cards for our friends - including a 50th anniversary card last summer.  Yesterday, Mary Lou's struggle with Parkinson's and related issues ended, and she has gone to be with Our Lord.  She will be much better, yes, perfect, but it will not be easy for Jerry and many others as they deal with her loss.  If you are so inclined, include a little prayer for family and friends.  I will be making more cards as we have other friends who want to remember her.
I used the freebie from A Day for Daisies - thanks to others on the site who inspired the way I used the image.  I colored with chalk pencils for the soft look I wanted, and I chalked the Swiss Dot layer.
Sentiment - JustRite; chalk, Cheery Lynn die, glitter (flower centers), glittery cs for the bird;  Victoria Embossing folder; dark blue cs.
I will finish later....
Sketch:  http://sketchsaturday.blogspot.com/
Digi:  http://digihaven.blogspot.ca/
Glitter:  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/
Use a bird:  http://creativecornerchallenges.blogspot.de/
No pattern paper:  http://www.4craftychicks.blogspot.com/
Any:  http://adayfordaisies.blogspot.com/search/label/challenges
         http://4kraftygirlzchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/
Any, with chalk:  http://chalknstock.blogspot.com/ 
Dots:   http://cuttlebugmania.blogspot.co.uk/
           http://papersweeties.com/category/blog/page/2/ 
Monochromatic:  http://incywincydesigns.blogspot.com/

spring birds

This card is for a friend to give her mother.  I used a digi image I had printed some time ago - there is embossing, DCWV DP, some small die cuts, ribbon, and coloring with markers.
Sketch:  http://crafts4eternity.blogspot.com/
Inspiration form an umbrella:  http://paper-craftingjourney.blogspot.com/
Color challenge:  http://acreativeneed.wordpress.com/
Mother or special lady:  http://pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com/
Mother:  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/
A little birdie:  http://creativecornerchallenges.blogspot.de/
Any:  http://qkrstampede.blogspot.co.uk/