Gerda Steiner Share Your Design Challenge Nov. 2019 Chicken Scratch

 

Hi all! I am submitting a card this month for Gerda Steiner's November Share Your Designs Challenge. My first time with this challenge. I have loved Gerda Steiner's cute, cute designs for many years and have had the stamp and die set in my stash. 

I stamped the background, using my MISTI, on a pre-folded A2 card base from Scrapbook.com. The stamp set is from Impression Obsession: Chicken Wire  and I used Distress Oxide Vintage Photo.

I had cut the frame with Kat Scrappiness' Wood Grain Frame out of Neenah Desert Storm. Using the Scrapbook.com's domed ink blending tool and Distress Oxide Vintage Photo, I darkened up the frame around the edges.

The images were stamped on Bristol Smooth card stock with Scrapbook.com's Hybrid Black Ink. I water-colored with my Kuretake Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers. I did cut them out with my Brother Scan 'n Cut even though I had the matching die cuts! I couldn't find the dies until after I had already cut them out. Isn't that always the way? A few Cave Crystals from Trinity Stamps finished off the front!

This set has such cute punny sayings...just perfect to send to a friend!

For any of the products mentioned in this post, just click on the links below and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Sugar Pea Mix It Up Challenge #61

Another fun Christmas Card Challenge for Sugar Pea Designs. This one is a Mix-Up, so you can be inspired by either the colors on the left, or the sketch on the right, or both!

I used both for my card. I love to watercolor cards and create backgrounds. To start, I cut a 2 -5" X 7" piece of Arches 140 lb. cold press paper and secured it to an acrylic board. I use delicate painter tape. I then wet the entire piece with wide brush and then dropped on the following colors using my Kuretake Gansi Watercolors and a No. 8 Silver Black Velvet:
No. 58 Green
No. 44 Khaki
No. 20 Brown
No. 90 Gold.

I have such a large picture to try to show the center white panel. I used Simon Hurley's Back Splash Stencil over Neenah 100 lb. white card stock. I just dabbed Versamark over and over with the full pad straight down until the stencil design was covered. Then I used Ranger Detailed White Embossing powder over all of it and heat set. Once dry, I ran it through my Big Shot with one of Kat Scrappiness' Never Ending Rectangles.

Once the watercolor paper was dried, I cut out a star with my Scrapbook.com's Nested Star Die set. I also ran the other finished piece through my Big Shot with  one of Kat Scrappiness' Stitched Rectangles to give a nice clean edge.

The sentiment was gold heat embossed on MFT's Mike Chocolate card stock using a Scrapbook.com's sentiment from Holly Jolly and Nuvo Glitter Embossing Powder - Gold Enchantment. Just beautiful, but hard to capture in a photo. The fun shape for the sentiment strip was from MFT's Tag Builder Blueprint #6. A few Studio Katia gold foil pearls finished the front of the card.

The inside is also from the Holly Jolly stamp set with a small water-colored star and the little reindeer from that set.

I've linked all the products used below if you are interested in checking them out. With a few basic supplies, you can get a wide range of cards!

Thanks for sticking to the end!

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Scrapbook.com Handmade Holiday Parade

Hello Friends and Happy Thanksgiving!

I have been graciously invited by Scrapbook.com to take part in their inspiring Handmade Holiday Papercrafting Parade Hop! I was very excited to take part and know it will be filled with fabulously festive holiday crafting. Please join us as we celebrate a week of unbelievable deals on Scrapbook.com's exclusive products. Be sure to leave a crafty comment at every stop along the way of this amazing parade hop to qualify for an unbelievable GIVEAWAY!

20 of your favorite crafters have used tons of Scrapbook.com's exclusive products to provide you with plenty of holiday cardmaking inspiration! You'll love seeing how we used products like the Exclusive Hybrid Inks, the revolutionary Domed Blending Tool, festive stencils, fun die cuts, cheery stamps and so many more! Come join us on this parade of Handmade Holiday Cardmaking Inspiration! 
________________________________________________________________

November 26 - November 30 - Black Friday WEEK

Scrapbook.com Exclusive Products are at their Lowest Prices - 30%, 40% and 50% OFF!

A FREEBIE is offered each day, too!

Nov 26-28: Scrapbook.com Exclusive Doodlebug Pin

Nov 29-30: Scrapbook.com Exclusive Adhesive SAMPLER Pack
________________________________________________________________

Let's get on with the hop!

Have you ever watched Food Network's show "Chopped"? The contestants are given a basket of various and unusual foods and must create a meal out of those items. Well, this felt a bit like that to me! We were given select items that had to be the focus of our cards and we could add a few Scrapbook.com items, if needed. For those of us who are card makers, we had from Scrapbook.com's brand: Nested Star Dies, 2 Christmas Stamp sets, Neehah white 80 lb. flat card front and pre-scored card bases, adhesives, 5 Hybrid Inks and domed blender tools. I've linked all items below so you can get a closer look. 

To begin, I sketched out about 5 different designs and then I stamped all the images onto copy paper in various colors to get a feel for the proportions. I feel that I am basically a Clean and Simple card maker and have to stop when cards get too busy. I tried several different designs, but at last settled on this one.

The design ticked all the boxes: stars, 5 ink colors, stamp set, ink blending and lots of adhesive!

I started with 2 pieces of the Neenah 80lb. pre-cut card base (4 /1/4" X 5 1/2"). One piece I ran through the Big Shot with Lawn Fawn's Rectangle Stitched die to give some interest at the borders of the card. Next, I used Scrapbook.com's "Little Boxes" stencil with Ranger's Translucent Embossing Paste and "painted"  the clear paste through the stencil in a random pattern. Once dry, I cut 3 star shapes from the panel using the 2 smallest the Scrapbook.com's Star dies.  

On the second panel, I ink blended from top to bottom, Ballet Slipper, Cardinal Red, Pine Green and Midnight Blue behind the open areas of the top panel with the stars. I used Scrapbook.com's new foam ink-blending tools. If you have struggle with marks and ridges with other foam blending tools, give these a try. They are domed, so no hard edge!

The next step was to use Scrapbook.com's Tree Stencil with the foam blending tool to blend their Premium Pigment White Ink onto the areas with color. 

I took one of the stamp sets from the Christmas Fun Card Sentiments and cut the first line off from the stamp, so only "It's Christmas" could be stamped by itself. It easy to put it back together to use a one piece in the future, but doing it this way is easier and makes the stamp more versatile. 

Here are my tips for obtaining a good white embossed sentiment:
1. Treat the card stock with powder tool. I even use cornstarch with a paint brush. In this case I used EK Success Powder on Lawn Fawn's Black Licorice card stock.
2) Stamp the sentiment with a white pigment ink. I used Scrapbook.com's White Premium Pigment ink. I used my MISTI and stamped several times, but an acrylic block will work, too.
3) Quickly sprinkle with white detail embossing powder while still wet. I used Nuvo Detail Glacier White. 
4) Preheat your heat tool for about 30 seconds. Heat set the sentiment starting from the back and move back and forth, on both sides.
5) Once melted, stop. Do not heat any more.
6) Let cool and dry. Gently remove the remaining powder/corn starch with a microfiber cloth or gently with your hand.
7) In this case, I trimmed it out with Avery Elle's sentiment strips. I really prefer a sentiment strip die, for I struggle with getting a straight, even cut by hand or cutter.

I added lots of Scrapbook.com 3D foam squares. They pull off the backer in a line so they were easy to add to the back of the card. I wanted to be sure the card will remain flat in the mail. At this point, the card was just put together one layer on top of the other.

The inside was the other "half" of the stamp set: "Eat, Drink & Be Merry (repeat whenever necessary)". Fun card to send to just the right person!

I hope you'll be so inspired after visiting each of the 20 stops that you'll want to create designs of your own! Why not enter to win a Scrapbook.com Gift Certificate for yourself? 

Scrapbook.com is giving away a $100 Gift Certificate to ONE lucky winner! To be eligible, leave a comment letting us know a bit about your holidays at each of the 20 hop stops along with your email. It's that easy! Share a favorite tradition, a cherished memory, or a memorable handmade gift! 

Giveaway closes Tuesday, December 3, 2019, at midnight MST. The winners will be notified and announced no later than Monday, December 9, 2019. The winner will be notified through the email provided and has 72 hours to respond to claim their prize. 

Here are the Handmade Holiday Parade Stops:
(Leave a comment at each of these official stops to enter the Giveaway!) 
 for complete official rules, click here

Alexandra Stapleton-Smith

Jess Francisco

Nicole Watt

Mona Toth

Amy Tsuruta

Terri Burson

Anita Trippi

Laura Volpes

Laura Mooney

Brandi Mahon

Nanette Tracy

Daniel West

Ashley Ebben

Marie Heiderscheit

Erin Reed

Juliana Michaels

-- HOP OVER TO YouTube --

Justine Hovey

Heather Little

Ingrid Blackburn

Lorene Caido

GOOD LUCK!

Here are all the products I used today. Many, many creative cards could be made with these few products. Give it a try!

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Pink and Main Warm Holiday for Freshly Made Sketches 412

 

I saw this funny stamp sentiment from Scrapbook.com's Christmas Fun Card Sentiment set and I knew I just had to make a Santa card with it. I used the layout from Freshly Made Sketches 412:

I started with Bristol Smooth card stock and a piece of Post-It-Tape to create the beach scene. Ink blended Distress Ink Wild Honey for the sand and Distress Oxide Ink Broken China for the sky. I used the corner of a baby wipe to lightly lift some linear lines in the sand for some detail.

Santa and the Sun are from Pink and Main's Warm Holiday stamp and die set. I colored with Kuretake Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers with some White Gel Pen polka dots added on the shorts. Nuvo Aqua Flow Shimmer brush pen added some nice sparkle to the sun and sunglasses.

The sentiment was stamp on Neenah white card stock and die cut with the small Waffle Flower's Dotted Tags. It has a nice dotted edge. Scrapbook.com has Neenah precut and scored A2 card bases. They are great for creating card bases is my least favorite thing to do!

The inside is a simple sentiment from Scrapbook.com's Holly Jolly Sentiment set (Yes, I used it again!). All in all a simple but fun card for the Holidays!

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Thank you for visiting today and if you're interested in any of the supplies mentioned, here are the links:

Trinity Stamps Polar Bear #2 with Color Throwdown 570

 

Another polar bear! Yes, why not? The last Color Throwdown I used this same stamp set and had several more images stamped, but not colored. So I thought let's try with this new set of colors. It would be fun to use the same set with all the Color Throwdown Challenges. That would be a good way to really stretch that stamp set!

When I looked at the colors, I thought they were a turquoise blue, red and grey. I have to admit I didn't read the post and the red color was actually orange. So artistic license...I used a red.

Here is my last card for the Color Throwdown challenge using this same Trinity Stamp set with 2 purples and 1 green:

I won't bore you with the same details as the first bear. I did mix it up and use different products and they are all listed below. This was really fun to make and I love to use Trinity Stamps. They stamp beautifully and have the perfect sentiments. They also have a new tall card line which I am anxious to try.

  I used MFT's Blu Raspberry card stock and matching envelope.

 

The inside sentiment is from Trinity Stamp set Greetings of the Season. Multiple sentiments are in the set and this one was perfect with the candy cane.

Thanks for visiting today and all items I used are listed below if you are interested. 

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Hero Arts Fluffy Stockings for CAS Christmas Card Challenge

 

Hi friends! Welcome to my blog post for CAS Christmas Card November 2019: Warm and Cozy. Puppies and kittens! What is warmer and cozier than that?

This is CAS's last challenge for 2019. They are taking a break until January. I have had this Hero Arts, Fluffy Stockings Stamp & Cut set in my stash since last year. I finally got a chance to use it and I plan to use it a lot more!. They are so darling, these little guys.

To make this card, I simple stamped the images onto Neenah 110 lb. white cardstock (using an alcohol friendly black ink - such as Scrapbook.com's Hybrid black) and colored with my Spectrum Noir Alcohol markers. I colored a bunch, for I sell my cards at my daughter's shop in Wake Forest, NC at The Cotton Company. So when I color and design a card, I usually make several. Be sure to check the Angel Policy of any company that you use, if you make cards to sell. Most are fine with a limited amount, as long as they are created by hand, but I have found a few that do not allow cards to be made for sale. If you check their website, usually at the very bottom, you will find the link to the Angel Policy.

The snowflakes are from Jillian Vance's Delicate Snowflake die set cut with my Big Shot using Neenah 110 lb. white cardstock, really my go-to paper. These snowflakes are just beautiful and the inside parts can be left in or punched out. You can see on the card, the bottom left snowflake, I left the centers in with the fine details.

The background was made also with Neenah, but die cut with a Spellbinders Fancy Edged Rectangle. I really like not only the scallops, but if you look closely there are tiny dots (like stitching with no thread) all around the border.

The sentiment from MFT's Hug in a Mug was white heat embossed on Lawn Fawn's Black Licorice cardstock using Nuvo's Detailed Embossing Powder in Glacial White.

The inside sentiment is from Scrapbook.com's Holly Jolly Sentiments stamped on a Taylored Expressions's card base. I think I've used this set on every card I have made this season. So many different fonts and sentiments! I want to use that little reindeer head in a future card. So cute!

Well, as always, thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings and if you are interested in any of the products mentioned, the links are below. Happy crafting!

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

*Some

Pink and Main Warm Holiday for Fusion Challenge

 

Welcome to my blog post for the Fusion Challenge Thankful:

I decided to use just the sketch with a stamp set I've had in my stash from Pink and Main called Warm Holiday. It has some really cute images and I loved the Santa with suntan lotion. I have some in-laws that have moved to Florida this year from Buffalo, New York and I think this card has their name on it!

The images were stamped with Scrapbook.com's Hybrid Black Ink on Bristol Smooth card stock and colored in with my Kuretake Zig Real Color markers. Again, a lunchtime project at work, using my portable water cup and a Silver Black Velvet #6 brush. The Zigs have such vibrant colors! I always enjoy working with them. They have a perfect flesh color (No. 071 Flesh Colour) and with the addition of a little pink (No.026 Light Pink), you have a nice sunburned Santa! I used the coordinating dies to cut out the images.

The background is a panel of Neenah Solar White die cut with the largest Kat Scrappiness Cross-Stitched Rectangle dies. Next, with MFT's Stencil: Peace Love Joy and using Scrapbook.com's new ink blending tool (domed foam toppers), I ink-blended with Distress Ink Pumice Stone. A nice warm subtle background color for this stencil.

The 3 circles were cut with Neenah Solar White using Taylored Epxression's Peek-A-Boo Circles die. Easy, fun way to make perfectly positioned windows in a card. 

The panels were adhered with Tombow Liquid Adhesive onto an A2 size of MFT Lemon Drop heavyweight cardstock. The sentiment was stamped using my MISTI and Scrapbook.com's Premium Dye Black ink.

I did pop up the cups of hot chocolate and Santa with Scrapbook.com's 3D Square and Round adhesives.

The inside is a subtle stamping of the palm tree with Scrapbook.com's Camel ink and the "Merry Christmas" is from Scrapbook.com's Holly Jolly Sentiments.

I appreciate you visiting my blog posts today and if you are interested in any of the supplies I used, all links are below. Thanks to the Fusion Challenge team for the inspiration and happy crafting!

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.