A Bestie & Rudolph Noel

Hello again! In 26 days, our one and only walks down the aisle! I find myself in a near-constant state of anticipation. Thank goodness for my hobby as creating helps to calm me down and zen me out.

Seems like I never get enough time to indulge my love of coloring, but this adorable Sherri Baldy Besties image gave me an excuse to indulge. This is a 4x6" card (made to fit an unusually-shaped envelope I have). I used one sheet of patterned paper from Fancy Pants' Merry & Bright 6x6 paper pad. The card base and the rest of the papers used were found in my paper scraps (snippets) drawers stash.

  

  

I followed one of Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 sketches, but I made sure to twist and turn it as much as possible, lol. Then come to find out I used this same sketch, equally contorted, a year ago! (This is for a special holiday challenge to use a 2019 sketch.) Anyway, you can see that I used the sketch elements plus I added the wide red satin ribbon because I just wanted to. The flower in the lower corner replaces the small oval element and I moved my Noel sentiment to the large center element. And I used 3 pearls top right but I curved them...

...and I used smaller scalloped triangles in the corners instead of squares.

The image coloring actually began weeks ago when bored one night I went through my digi files and printed the black and white images that caught my eye. This was one of them, so I had it laying around. One of my Christmas presents was a box of metallic brush pens that were unfamiliar to me, so I grabbed this image and began using my new brush pens to color her fur hat, cuffs, etc. with silver and her dress and bow in blue. Also Rudolph's fur in brown. Then I quit because there were only 8 metallic markers to begin with and I'd used the only colors in my scheme. I love the markers, though. I finished up the coloring with my ProMarkers and added touches of gold and red with Sakura gel pens.

I wanted build a little flower element since the patterned paper has poinsettias (and greenery and reindeer). I don't have any poinsettia dies that small nor any paper ones, but I did have the large blue pointy leaf so I layered some smaller flowers on and combined with pearly heart brad. I used letter stickers from my sticker stash for the sentiment. I used a Spellbinders Labels die to cut my focal image and MFT photo corners die for the red scalloped corners. Oh, and I used a corner punch on the patterned paper.

On the inside left of the card I stamped the deer and sentiment from Altenew 's Winter Wonderland set. The right side is stamped softly with a Stamplorations sleigh and then a Stamplorations sentiment. I used more of that old lined card stock I found in my paper stash about a month ago. I die cut these using the same die as on the front.

On the back I used scraps from making the front to create a little arrangement like I usually do. My siggie stamp is by EK Success.

I keep looking at the colors I chose and thinking these are not traditional Christmas colors. What do you think? I do like all the blue shades together with the red and a hint of green. I don't care for the size, though. It's only an inch length and width from the 5x7" cards I normally do but I can tell the difference! Guess I'm just used to 5x7 and 6x6 cards.

 A detail shot to show the bradded flower and her glittery love knot braided hair.

And this to show the corner pearls and shimmery silver fur.

All in all, glad I made this card and happy to have my first one for 2020 done! She and Rudolph are definitely cutesy, but you know, I do not care. She makes me happy. Liking cute never bothered me and I see just as much if not more talent in this illustration as in any other. I see more and more crafters embracing and enjoying cute nowadays and that makes my heart smile!

Challenges:

1.  Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 Bonus Challenge - I used Sketch 151 from 2019 (sketch shown above)

2.  Christmas with the Cuties #34: Christmas Cuties

3.  Double D Challenge: Use a Punch -- Happy 4th Birthday to Double D -- I used a Fiskars 4-sided corner punch on the patterned paper on my card front. In the photo, it's the one in the back. 

  

4.  Winter Wonderland Jan. Challenge: Little Friends

5.  Christmas at Sweet Stampin Dec. Challenge: Critters

6.  Sparkles Christmas Challenge #108: For A Child -- my card suitable for a little girl.

7.  2 Crafty Critter Crazies: AG with a Critter -- reindeer

8.  Colour Crazy Week 50: AG with Colouring - I used ProMarkers and Chronicle Books Metallic Brush Pens and Sakura Gel Pens

9.  Besties International Challenge Jan.: AG -- I've used a Besties digital image

10.Passion for ProMarkers Week 523: Mega Christmas Challenge  AG -- I used ProMarkers on my focal images

11. More Mixed Media Jan. Challenge: AG + Opt. BLUE

12. Aud Sentiments #242: Sentiment + Christmas/Winter

13. Outlawz Sundays Songs & Rhymes Challenge: Let It Snow song
14. ABC Christmas Challenge Jan: A is for Anything Christmas Goes AND B is for Bingo -- I chose top row across. Patterned Paper + Coloured Image + Ribbon

15. My Besties Dutch Girls Designs Jan. Challenge: AG + Opt. Winter -- I've played the Winter option and used a Besties image.
16. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #121: 5th Anniversary Celebration

Thanks as always for the visit! You are welcome any time. Here's to a great week ahead,  XOX

Love-Create-Dream for Love To Craft Challenge Blog

Happy New Year Day - It's 2020, can you believe it?

Today I have exciting news: I have joined the design team at Love to Craft Challenge Blog (LTCCB) and my first make is for their January Anything Goes Challenge beginning Jan. 1 and ending Jan. 31. I've been playing there awhile and one thing I find so convenient is being able to enter any crafty make as long as it's new, decent and non-digitally created. I need a few New Year-themed Decos for my home displays, so that's what I went with and here's the first one to share with you.

 

I used a Split Coast Stampers sketch from Oct. 2019 as inspiration, but I flipped it vertically and then resized it to 8x8". From there I followed a loose interpretation of the elements flow. You see the Love-Dream-Dreate vertical die cut element, the round die cut element and the "branch" element, (although much of it is covered by images layered onto it). At any rate, these elements are there underneath the images and create the foundation of my piece.

I have used all Gecko Galz collage sheet images and fussy-cut them out. The fairy with her legs crossed and the January wreath are from the January 2017 monthly subscriber sheet. The cherub on the trunk and the girl sipping champagne in the horseshoe are from Happy New Year Baby sheet. And the clown/jester is from Happy New Years sheet.

I have progress shots and detail pics:

  

I began with an 8x8" chipboard square. I covered the perimeter with some wide washi tape that reminded me of Art Deco. Whenever I use washi, I usually stick some double-sided tape down first, then the washi. I made sure to put my Scor-Tape right up to the outside edges. That way I don't worry about the washi curling up over time.

  

 I cut a smaller square of DCWV glossy patterned card stock for my next layer, but I covered it with some pale pink tissue paper from my stash using a glue stick. This muted the bold dark numbers and gave some cool texture and grab to the background.

 

I've had these MAMBI Art Deco element and border stickers for many years and since they were the right color I decided to add some for added definition and detail. 

I cut tiny stars using the line die from Papertrey's Dangled Stars set. I cut them out of Ferrero Rochet and Godiva chocolate foil wrappers I've saved.

  

I bought this Joanne Fink by Spellbinders die set in 2019 and had yet to use it, so they became my vertical and "branch" elements of the sketch. I cut them from DCWV green patterned card stock I have from various Stack pads. I layered it on top of an old Foof-a-La tag from their Spring Pagentry paper collection. I wanted to accent the "Love Dream Create" so I colored that part with a green ProMarker a tad darker and brighter than the card. I have some very old pink Daisy D's scrapbooking card stock embellies and tags from an old paper collection and pulled one out, trimming it down to the sentiment to layer on top. 

 

I also had this never before used Seth Apter by Spellbinders circular die so that became my round sketch element, cut from the Foof-a-La collection paper. Also never used yet was this Altenew stamp and die set. I used still more Foof-a-La paper to die cut those flourishes to add into the collage. I heat-embossed the stamping on them. I used another tag to stamp the Cornish Heritage Farms New Years Greetings in VersaFine Claire Shady Lane green ink. I added enamel dots in pinks and greens and my foil stars all around.

I really like the subtle texture and pattern of the background on this piece. And the washi tape border picks up the brownish-gold in some of the images while the papers go nicely with the greens in the images. I like the green color vibe as that speaks to me for the new year, green being fresh and life-giving yet calming as well.

Here are a few more detail shots:

  

 I hope you will go over to LTCCB and check out all of the pretty makes from my fellow DT members and I'd love it if you would play with us - you have all month to enter up to FIVE different projects!

Thanks so much for visiting me today. Leave me a comment and I will come visit you!

Happy 2020, XOX

Challenges Entered:
1.  Split Coast Stampers Sketch 770 -- sketch shown above
2.  Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas #470: ACG + Opt. Christmas or New Years -- I've done New Years.
3.  Outlawz Monday Greetings Dec. 23 to Jan. 5: Happy New Year

4.  TTCRD for Dec.3-Jan.7: Anything Goes
5.  Time Out Challenge #151: Inspired by Words --

6.  Art Journal Journey January: Something New -- My theme is the new year, I'm new to a design team, I've used multiple dies that are new to me (aka never used before).

My Entry for Scrapping4Fun's Guest Designer Challenge!

Hello, lovely blogging friends! I hope your week has begun well. Today I am sharing a card I made for a contest over at Scrapping4Fun Challenges where I was a Guest Designer a few months ago. The contest is open to all of the 2019 Guest Designers who want to play. 

  

We were all given this same sketch and told to choose our own theme and create what we want: 

We could flip the sketch, resize it, whatever, think outside the box. When I first saw the sketch, of course I was thinking feminine. But, the next card I needed to make was a birthday card for one of my grown nephews and I'd already picked out my papers and a 6 x 6" card base, so I have made it into a square masculine card:

SUPPLIES:

Papers: Bazzill card stock base, Neenah index stock, 7Gypsies Gypsy Market and Victoria collection papers, Paper House round faux wood frame

Stamps: Artistic Outpost Loverly London, London Elements, London Underground sets, Creative Vision, Pink Cat Studio, Papertrey Ink, Pink By Design, Technique Tuesday, Clear Dollar

Inks: VersaFine Clair

Dies/Punches: Avery Elle Signatures, Lawn Fawn Everyday Banners, MFT Pinking Edge Rectangles, EKS circle punch, Coluzzle circle cutter

Other/Stash: embossing powder

My nephew works in Washington DC, so I needed to keep this flat for mailing. I used multiple layers but nothing is popped dimensionally. He's a bit of an Anglophile loving all things British, so I went with a British Gentleman theme. 

 Here is the left and right hand sides of the inside of the card which I lined with more of the 7Gypsies paper to stamp on. I thought he would enjoy those phrases.

On the back of card, more of the papers, with another banner strip added and my siggie stamp.

I hope you enjoyed viewing my card. I would love for you to go to see all of the entries at Scrappin4Fun Challenges and if you want to vote for 2 cards, just become a follower there and leave a comment with a link to your blog and the 2 cards you are voting for. Voting is accepted from 12/17 to 12/19 and the winners will be announced on 12/20.

Thanks for visiting me today. Until next time, Keep Calm and Make Art!  XOX

Dreamcatching with Gecko Galz

Hello! I'm finally back to the blog after over a week. Honey and I came down with the same cold we probably picked up at Thanksgiving, and we have been hunkered down being sick and taking care of each other. We're now in the cough that hangs on phase, and mine's worse thanks to my GERD. Finally I managed to make a project due for a guest design spot (to be shown on the 17th) and then a birthday card that I'm sharing with you today. Sure has been slow going but it's at least made me feel useful. Honey and I both are just tired of being sick, lol.

SUPPLIES:
Papers/Images: Gecko Galz Chalkboard Sentiments and August 2016 monthly collage sheet images, SU and Bazzill card stocks, Neenah index, SEI Sunny Day collection patterned papers, Scenic Route grid card
Stamps: Pink Paislee, Avery Elle, The Paper Company, Impression Obsession, Verve Visuals
Inks: VersaFine Clair
Dies/Punches: W Plus Nine Dreamcatcher, MFT Jumbo Fishtail Banner Stax, Spellbinders Classic Circles
Other/Stash: embossing powders, ribbon, ribbon slide, flat back rhinestones

I used an Outlawz Wednesday sketch, resizing to 5x7 in PSE and then printing out. I followed the measurements pretty strictly. I did choose to use more matting than the sketch suggests. I was seized with the idea to use black along with white accenting and I'm glad I did now. Just seemed strange at first, like I should choose only one.

 The inside of my card was lined with a grid card stock from Scenic Route, very old. Love this stuff and have hoarded it. Time to work on using it. Makes stamping easier for me, that's for sure.

Back of my card -- once again as I usually do, I made an arrangement from the leftovers and other snippets of this collection paper. Also, threw the unused ribbon from the front in the mix. Die cut a fishtail banner to stamp the siggie onto.

This card was made the way it looks it was. Clean and layered style, I suppose. Being a 5x7 card front and me using 6x6 papers, I had to cut the flowered layer in half at the black ribbon in order to stretch it to be 6.5". This paper collaection has a few sheets that are shimmery and shiny, due to foiling. The pink and white paper behind the dreamcatcher is one. Above you can see some of the shine.

I included a semi-translucent pink plastic ribbon slide I found in my stash drawers. Pulled 3 flat back rhinestones out to accent the top of each feather. Otherwise, kept it pretty flat for mailing.

Final look. Love how bold and bright and eye-catching my card is. That's the SEI papers at work along with the gorgeous Gecko Galz image, but also the black matting and accent pops of white.

CHALLENGES:
1.   Outlawz Wednesday Sketch Nov. 27-Dec. 11 -- sketch shown above
2.   Gecko Galz December Blog Challenge: In Dreams

3.   Gecko Galz December Facebook Challenge: Dreamy  -- theme

4.   More Mixed Media Dec. Challenge: AG + Opt. WHITE -- I've played the option
5.   Love to Craft Challenge #41: December AG
6.   Crafty Creations Challenge #404: AG
7.   Through the Craft Room Door Last 2019 Challenge: AG
8.   Happy Little Stamper December AG with Dies: AG with Dies

9.   Moo Mania Challenge #206: AG
10. Take a Word Challenge: Free
11. Outlawz Crash Your Stash Nov 15- Dec 14: Ribbon Slides
12. Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #70: AG -- I used Gecko Galz collage sheet images.
13. Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge December: AG with PP

Thanks for visiting me and have a great rest of week, XOX.