Snowman Christmas Joy

Hump Day already? I'm still having problems telling what time it is! I've been in witness protection hibernating with my Arthurs, so please bear with me {winkwink}. Our high today was 48F degrees! Last night was downright frigid with a low of 29. I know you Northerners are either chuckling or eyerolling me. That's okay, I would too! We are sissies down here when it comes to cold weather, ice or snow. Speaking of which, I have a Snowman card to share with you today.

SUPPLIES:
Papers:  Recollections 110# heavy card stock, Neenah index stock, Lawn Fawn Snow Day patterned papers, Paper Palette gold metallic textured mulberry paper
Stamps:  Beccy's Place Boxed Snowman digital image, Cornish Heritage Farms, Stamplorations, Sweet Stamp Shop
Inks:  ProMarkers, Versafine Clair, VeersaMark
Dies/Punches:  Spellbinders Square Postage Stamp Nesties (2 sizes), Lawn Fawn Everyday Banners
Stash/Other: red/green/gold ric-rac,  gold enamel dots, gold embossing powder, Sakura Gold Shadow metallic gel pen, Wink of Stellas (gold, red, clear)

  

I used one of Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2's current challenge sketches, resizing to 5.5x5.5 in PSE. I have some nice envelopes for this size of card (ordered the wrong size thinking 6x6 cards would fit), so I thought I'd try to make some of this size. The advantage is you can cut your card base from a letter size sheet of card stock. That's what I did here with Recollections 110# heavy card.

I just love this snowman I got over at Beccy's Place's blog 2 years ago. It was a freebie and it's still there to grab if you're interested. Here's the link to Boxed Snowman if you are. Whenever I look in my Beccy's folder of images on my computer, I see this guy. So today I decided to use him, finally! I chose my patterned papers first and then I matched 3 green and 2 red ProMarker shades to the papers I chose. I die cut the image with the largest postage stamp die and then I colored the snowman image, ornament and frame with my ProMarkers. I also wanted to incorporate some metallic gold, so I went to my papers and found this cool stuff:

Stickyback Metallic Mulberry paper! I cut a square the same measurements as the outer parameters of my diecut image so you would only see it peeking out. It's very textual, reminds me of 3D terrain like on a globe when you feel the mountains. It's mulberry paper painted with metallic paint. Had it for years and forgot all about it, lol.

Here's a close-up showing all the shine. I colored the snowman's background with my yellow Wink of Stella (the gold one is just way too dark for me). Then after coloring the ornament red, I coated that with red WoS and then clear WoS.

The inside of my card uses a mix of sentiments, but I wanted Joy to be in the message since it's on the card front.

For the back of my card, I fell back on something I've done before and like to do when using a paper pad: use the scenes. The colors are complementary to the front and it's such a sweet soft scene.

I like how this card turned out. I think it's a good sketch...a bit of work with the paper layers, but I guess I enjoy picking out the patterns on the paper as well as the pattern created by layering the paper patterns. Say that 3 times fast! heeheehee

CHALLENGES:
1.   Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2: A Sketch or 2 for Nov. -- sketch is shown above.
2.   Beccy's Place Nov. Month of Holiday Cards Challenge: Day 12 J for Joy --  and I used a Beccy's digital image, Boxed Snowman.    

3.   Stamping Sensations Nov. Challenge: Traditional Colours Red, Green and Gold -- I have hand-coloured my digital stamp focal image, and have used red, green and gold in my colouring and papers/ribbon.
4.   12 Months of Christmas Link Up #59: ACG + Opt. Red and Green -- I have played the option.
5.    Split Coast Stampers 2019 Christmas Challenge: March Bundle Up -- Snowman is bundled up in wintry clothing.
6.    Christmas Crafts All Year Round Nov.: Stockings or Winter Clothes -- See #5
7.    Jingle Belles JB:19:23: Baby It's Cold Outside (Winter Clothes) -- See #5
8.    Merry Little Christmas Challenge #16: ACG
9.    Outlawz Festive Friday Nov. 1-14: Christmas theme
10.  Christmas Kickstart Challenge #23: Snow -- Snowman   

11.  Through The Craft Room Door Nov. 12-18: AG
12.  SAS4KIDS: Nov. 2-Dec. 6: AG-Kids or Holiday-Kids
13.  Passion for ProMarkers Wk. 519: Ribbons and/or Bows -- brown ribbon and my focal image is coloured with ProMarkers.
14.  House That Stamps Built Challenge DCC N619: Frame It -- my focal image has a striped frame around it
15.  Crafts Galore Encore #69: AG -- I have used a Beccy's Place digi stamp
16.  Your Scrapbook Place Nov: Always AG
17.  Crafty Creations #402: AG
18.  Take A Word: Stripes
19.  Try It On Tuesday: Cold, Cold, Cold
20.  Happy Little Stampers Nov: AG with Dies

21.  ABMTTC #103: Always AG
22.  Time Out Challenges #148: Home Sweet Home Photo Inspiration -- I took the colors as my inspiration  

23.  Crazy 4 Challenges C4C510: Add a Textural Element -- I added 3: 1) the gold textured metallic mulberry paper behind the focal image, 2) the glittery ric rac, and 3) the sparkly gold enamel dots.  (Below is a photo of the textured metallic mulberry paper.)

24.  Colour Crazy Challenge Week 43: AG with Colouring -- I colored my focal image with ProMarkers and Winks of Stellas.

Thanks for visiting and have a lovely rest of the day! xoxo

Cleaning Up from Halloween

Hello, hope you've had a happy Sunday. I was picking up all my Halloween card making bits and bobs today, and found 3 box lids with card parts that I had not gotten to and one of them was an almost finished card. So, I stored away the other 2 in baggies for next year and completed one to share with you.

SUPPLIES:
Papers:  SU and Neenah index card stocks, DCWV patterned paper
Stamps: Bugaboo Chubby Ghost digi, Crafty Secrets, Pink By Design, EK Success
Inks: ProMarkers, Versafine Clair, Versamark
Dies/Punches:  Fiskars 4-in-1 punch, Spellbinders Classics Circle Nesties, MFT Pinking Edge Rectangles
Stash/Other:  embossing powder, ribbons, Cuttlebug Mini-Monsters Candy embossing folder

  

 I used Mojo Monday's current A2 sized sketch as is, printing out for measurement proportions. My focal circle element had to be larger because of my image, which I believe was originally printed that large to accommodate another sketch I was going to use but didn't. One material way I deviated from the Mojo sketch was that it did not call for the horizontal ribbons that were used for that same discarded sketch. So, call me crazy but I think the ribbons (mini ric rac on orange twill with yellow edging) add to the design quite nicely, as does the addition of the sentiment. Especially since the white dry-embossed rectangle beneath the flags (embossed with a Cuttlebug Mini-Monsters Candy folder) gets completely covered up!

 My candy corn patterned paper was the inspiration for my colors, of course. Doncha love it? It's my Honey's favorite Halloween candy. Too sugary for me and let's face it: no chocolate! haha The paper layer and the orange mat underneath were punched with a corner punch I thought looked good with the pinking edge die-cut rectangles I used.

I have done anything yet with the inside so no photos, but here is the back of the card, using leftovers from the front as is my general habit. The corner punch and pinking edge rectangle dies were again employed, and the siggie is an EK Success stamp.

So, I now have my first card in my 2020 Halloween inventory. And one less box lid in the UFAP UnFinished Art Projects) stack.

CHALLENGES:
1.   Mojo Monday Sketch #526 -- sketch is shown above
2.   Catch the Bug November Theme Challenge: Thankful -- thankful it's no tricks. ;-) I used Bugaboo's Chubby Ghost digi.
3.   Paper Girls Challenge #187: Mix Up Manufacturers -- see Supplies list above
4.   Outlawz Crash Your Stash Challenge Oct. 15-Nov.14: Corner Punches
5.   Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge Nov: AG w/PP
6.   A Bit More Time To Craft Challenge #103: AAG
7.   LTCCB #40: AG
8.   LTSCB #127: AG
9.   Aud Sentiments Challenge #239: AG + Sentiment
10.  Paper Babe Stamps Challenge #106: AG
11.  613 Avenue Create Challenge #227: AG + Opt. Scrap Your Stash -- I have played the option. Everything I used except for the digi stamp (which was newly purchased) was from my stash and I used paper scraps leftover from previous projects.
12.  Beccy's Place November Month of Holiday Cards Challenge: Day 3 C for Candy -- can be any holiday and use any stamps.

Thank you as always for visiting and allowing me to share my creativity with you. XOX

Teas the Season!

Hello, Thursday. This week is just whizzing right by me. Only two more days left of

While I love to look at and make coffee/tea/cocoa theme cards, I have no idea who to send them to as people's drink choices are so unique nowadays. Oddly enough, this does not stop me from collecting more supplies. Just yesterday I ordered more coffee stamps and dies! Well, the only thing to do is use them and hope for a happy ending, LOL.

Here is another go at a CAS card with mainly brown colors and an Oxidized (Tarnished) Metal technique. This card was fun to make, but so completely out of my style element. I tried being really mega-strict with the CAS design. I used a very pared down sketch and no... zip... zero mat layers! WUUUUT? See what I mean? Out of my element. That bottom mat layer's my security blanket, y'all!

  

SUPPLIES:
Papers: Silver Foil paper, Recollections 110# card stock, Neenah index stock
Stamps:  Stamplorations, Impression Obsession, Sugarloaf, Cornish Heritage Farms, Lawn Fawn
Inks:  VersaMark, VersaFine Clair, Brilliance, Ranger Archival, ProMarkers
Stencils:  Dusty Attic Starry Night
Dies:  Stamplorations Coffee Cup Silhouette, Spellbinders Labels 2, I/O Peppermint Block
Embossing Folders:  Cuttlebug Candy Cane Stripes and Swiss Dots
Other/Stash:  Cropadile Corner Rounder, Washi Tapes, gold and copper embossing powders, Sakura Metallic glitter gel pen

I used PaperBabe's current sketch, sizing to 5x7 A7 in PSE before printing out. The next thing I did was dig out all my foil papers, all foiled card stock except one. That one was a lone 12x12 sheet of foil on one side and paper on the other. I took a pic of it for you, the smaller piece on top is the paper back.

I cut some and Xyroned it to some Neenah index stock to give it a bit more stiffness and weight. I cut that into two pieces and embossed one piece with the Candy Cane embossing folder, and embossed the other with the Swiss Dots folder. I rounded the corners of the Candy Cane embossed piece and put it aside.

FYI -- The Candy Cane embossed piece is very hard to reliably photograph. This photo looks the most true. Many of the other photos make this piece look green but it isn't. It's silver...just silver dry-embossed foil paper.

Here's a close-up to show how much shine is on this card. For the second foil piece that became the framed tea cup silhouette, I colored it using the Oxidized or Tarnished Metal technique. This is basically dry embossing your paper, then swiping it randomly with an embossing inkpad, then applying metallic embossing powders and melting until you achieve the look you want. I used gold and copper powders, finally swiping a bit of Archival Watering Can grey over the raised embossed dots. Then I cut the piece using the tea cup die and gave it a coat or two of hair spray to keep anything from flaking off. Also, in the photo above and below you can really see the embossed dots on the tea cup (very subtle as opposed to the candy cane stripes underneath it).

The peppermints, peppermint stick and holly are all hand-stamped and colored by the stamping ink. The peppermints come with dies and I fussy cut the holly. I also applied some metalling glitter gel pen to the holly leaves and put Glossy Accents on the holly berries. All that remained was assembling the parts of my little tea cup cluster collage and securing it to the card front.

Before doing that, though, I rounded the corners of the card base and then applied the washi tape at a diagonal. I stamped my sentiment with VersaMark and heat-embossed it with copper powder. I then took my starry night stencil and a few metallic shades of Brilliance ink in the little dew drops, and I stenciled some stars using copper, silver and gold inks. I let that dry and then I adhered my tea cup piece and was done with the front.

 I kept the inside simple, just stamping some senTEAments. ;-)))

 On the backside, I stamped my siggie on a die cut label of the silver paper and heat-embossed it in copper but it was not legible in parts due to the paper being very slick and I failed to keep my stamp from moving. So I took a black ProMarker and wrote over the original lettering so it stood out clearly. The embossed powder outlines the sentiment nicely now. More Washi Tape is laid down behind it.

A final view. I really do not know how I would ever be able to get used to making cards this simply or quickly. And I'm LOL'ing at myself as I say that. I don't think it hurts me one bit to occasionally practice this style, though. I might get more comfortable with it and better at it, who knows? As for this metal technique, I liked it because I love melting powder!

I will say one thing I learned for sure: all that white space is terribly difficult to keep clean! ;-)

CHALLENGES:
1.   PaperBabe Stamps Challenge #105: Sketch -- sketch shown above
2.   CAS Mix Up Nov. Challenge: Oxidized Metal + Stamping + Your Choice -- my card is CAS, my sentiment is stamped and my tea cup is die cut, so Die-cutting for my choice.

3.   A Place to Start Nov. Challenge: Photo Color Inspiration -- my spot colors are green and red

4.    Coffee Lovers Fall/Winter 2019 Blog Hop

5.    Outlawz Color Tuesdays Nov. 5-18: Photo Inspiration  -- I added some red and green instead of blue to some of these browns and golds, and I also include a cuppa hot beverage.

6.    12 Months of Christmas Link-Up #59: ACG + Opt. Red & Green -- I've played the option and used those colors.
7.    The Sisterhood of Crafters: Make It Clean and Simple -- my 3rd and final entry
8.    Winter Wonderland Nov. Challenge: Use Holly and/or Ivy -- I used some holly.
9.    Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge #462: ACG + Opt. Something Beginning with H -- I've played the option. I used some Holly
10.  Christmas at Sweet Stampin Oct. Challenge: ACG + Opt. STARS -- I've played the option.
11.  Merry Little Christmas Challenge #16: AG
12.  CAS Christmas Challenge Nov: Warm & Cozy -- Drinking hot tea makes a person feel warm and cozy!  

13.  Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge Nov: Tis the Season

14.  TTCRD Challenge Nov. 5-11: AG
15.  Aud Sentiments Challenge #239: AG + Sentiment
16.  Crazy 4 Challenges #C4C509: Candy -- Peppermints
17.  Stamplorations Never Ending Anything Goes Challenge  -- I used the sentiments from Caffeinated Christmas and the coffee cup silhouette die.

18.  Caffeine Fueled Paper Play November: AG Caffeinated UE -- Sponsor: Stamplorations

19.  Rainbow Card Challenge #11: Magically Metallic 

As always, I so appreciate your visits. Come again real soon and find some happy today! xoxo

A Warm & Cozy Scrappy Vintage Christmas

Hello there! Long time no see, eh? Ugh, I have been down with my Arthurs last few days. Just unplugged and went AWOL until I felt better today. So, Happy November!

Gosh, I sure love this "deer" little card, now that it's done. It's my attempt at a monochrome brown CAS design in a vintage style. And except for the Kraft card base and the brown base mat layers front and back, all other papers used came out of my scrap drawers!

  

SUPPLIES:
Papers: Kraft, SU & DCWV card stocks, Neenah index stock, Junkitz, Urban Lily & DCWV patterned paper snippet scraps
Stamps: Artistic Outpost, Lawn Fawn, Flourishes, Leave Memories
Inks: ProMarkers, Brilliance, VersaFine Clair, VersaMark
Dies: Avery Elle Dotted Elle-ments, Stamplorations Two Reindeer, Clear Dollar Labels
Other / Stash: Darice Deer A2 Embossing Folder, wax colored pencils, photo corners, Wink of Stellas, Sakura metallic gel pens, Signo Uni white gel pen, white Posca pen, embossing powders

I used the current Atlantic Hearts sketch, resizing to 5x7 A7 in PSE and printing out. I just love that little cabin in the snow stamp from Artistic Outpost's Midwinter set. I've had it for years and this is the first ink-up. After stamping it on a Kraft snippet with VersaFine Clair and heat-embossing, I colored the snowy parts with white wax pencil and a touch of yellow Wink of Stella for the inside cabin lighting. For the sky, I stamped and white-heat-embossed a few stars and then used white Wink of Stella, white Brilliance ink and a finger dauber, along with all my pens listed in the Supplies to paint the night sky.  I just used one colorant after another, like wonder what this would look like, etc. I used my grey ProMarkers to add shadows and dark accents. Simple and low-tech, but oh how I like an opaque white on Kraft!

 You can see the white card layer peeking out here and there. It's been embossed with a deer head folder to echo the focal point one. There's also a little deer in the stamped scene, which is stamped on a snippet scrap of the Kraft.

 I kept everything clean (no edge or ink distressing) and simple (minimal layers, no bling and uncluttered space to rest the eye around the focal). Looking at it is calming to me.

 Inside, I got a little reddish-brown with some Urban Lily paper scraps. The stars and deer on the left are part of the paper pattern, as are the white flourishes.

 For the back, I embossed more deer heads on another scrap of white and paired it with more snippets from my brown scraps drawer.

A final look. I hope I did that snowy cabin scene justice with this card. I love the deer head silhouette die and really should use it more since that design motif is still popular.

CHALLENGES:
1.   Atlantic Hearts Sketch #341 -- sketch is shown above
2.   A Place to Start Nov. Challenge: Caffeinated Tones 

3.   CAS Christmas Nov. Challenge: Warm & Cozy

4.   Happy Little Stampers CAS Nov. Challenge: Tis the Season

5.   Stamplorations CAS Nov. Challenge: AG + Opt. Any Shade of Brown -- I have played the option.

6.   The Sisterhood of Crafters: Make It Clean and Simple CAS
7.   Artsystamper Digital Challenge #3: Monochromatic -- I created my card in Browns.
8.   Outlawz Color Tuesdays Nov. 5-18: Photo Inspiration

9.   Christmas at Sweet Stampin Oct. Challenge: AG + Opt. Stars - I have played the option.
10.  Pixie's Snippet Playground #364: AG with a Snippet -- This card is made with almost all snippets this time, and yes please and thank you to the draw! xoxo
11.  Merry Little Christmas Challenge #16: ACG
12.  613 Avenue Create Challenge #227: AG + Opt. Scrap Your Stash -- I've played the option and details are in my post. 
13.  Colour Crazy Week 42: AG with Colouring -- I've used wax colored pencils on my focal image.
14.  2 Crafty Critter Crazies Nov. Challenge: AG with a Critter -- DEER
15.  Joy Of Sets Tic Tac Toe Challenge JOSTTT011 --  Top Row Across: CAS / Winter / Heat Emboss

16.  Use Your Stuff Challenge #381: Use Scraps -- Details are in above post.
17.  Country View Nov. Challenge: Hand Stamped Focal -- Details in post.
18.  Love to Scrap Challenge #127: AG
19.  Aud Sentiments Challenge #239: AG + Sentiment
20.  Paper Girls Challenge #187: Mixed Up Manufacturers -- See SUPPLIES above for all different ones used
21.  Scrapping 4 Fun Challenge #152: AG
22.  Jingle Belles Challenge JB:19:22: Rudolf and Friends -- linked to there from my Flickr after having Blogger uploading problems earlier today.

Well, that is it for me this time but I'll be back again tomorrow with another Christmas card. Behave and stay safe! xoxo