Twofer Guest Designer for Challenge #20-Critters

Hello everyone!! I hope you are all having a FABULOUS day!!

Today I am a the guest designer for this months Twofer Card Challenge.

This month the challenge is "critters."

I created a birthday card and a Christmas card for my cards. I used a mouse from Hello Bluebirds "Field Mice" as my repeat critter. The mouse on the left is the same mouse but colored in a different color for each card.

Here are the rules for the challenge:

CARD DETAILS

For the birthday card I used Distress Ink in Twisted Citron for the grass and Tumbled Glass for the sky.

All the small details, like the butterfly, hats, flowers and the cupcake are small stamps from different stamp sets that I combed through to make my scene.

The grass was a stencil I created using an MFT die that I had. I used a craft knife to cut into it in two places to tuck the feet of the mice under it.

The finishing touches are using Glossy Accents on the balloon and hats, and Stickles glitter glue in a variety of colors.

For my second card I created a Christmas card.

I layered different patterned papers from Basic Grey and Prima. I added some snowflakes that were "extras" from a previous project that I tucked behind a pre-made Prima tag.

The "Merry" sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp that was another "extra" in my stash, that was already colored in. I used Antique Linen Distress Ink on all the white accents because the background paper was not a true white.

All the little mouse accents, from the cheese "present" to the hat and scarf are from Lawn Fawn.

I have to admit that this IS NOT my favorite card. The mice are a bit too close together on the tag but I had to do it this way because of the size of the tag. It is also busier then I usually make my cards. All in all, it was fun to create but not my usual style.

That is all from me today. I thank you so much for taking the time to stop by. Have a wonderful day!!

Nautical Themed Cards

Happy Monday!! I hope you all are having a FABULOUS day!! It has been BEAUTIFUL day here today. I DID NOT enjoy the nice weather, though but instead spent it inside finishing some cards and piecing together some die cuts for future cards.

Today my two cards I created for the Twofer Card Challenge #19. I created a birthday card and an encouragement card.

The theme was a nautical theme.

The first card I used a Neat and Tangled stencil, some Distress Ink and Copic White to create an ocean. It wasn't actually supposed to be an ocean stencil but I decided I would make it so!!

I then stamped images from Simon Says Stamps "Your Light" stamp set.

I used Copic markers to color in the light house and the sky.

I added some red twine and a sentiment that was heat embossed from the same stamp set to complete my card.

My next card, I used the same stamp but stamped the light house on a circle.

I used used a dot coloring technique to color in the lighthouse with Copic's and colored in the ocean with no shading at all.

I then masked the scene and used Distress Ink in two colors to create a night sky. I used Gel Pen and Spika markers for the "stars."

I mounted the circle on a vellum circle that I had stamped the image on as well. I then mounted both on an A2 card base that I had covered with patterned paper.  The sentiment is from My Favorite Things.

I am entering this second card in the Fab Friday Challenge #169, which was a sketch that was the jump off point for the design of this card.

I am entering my first light house card into Simon Says Stamps Monday Challenge which is Midsummer Blues.

On another note, I only have two free Mondays left and I am dreading going back to work. I am using my last days to go do some things that I haven't gotten to this summer. I go to visit my Aunts that I haven't seen in a long time. Very excited to go away for a few days by myself. Sometimes a longish car ride (5 1/2 hours) by myself is kind of fun. Then we take Charlotte to my niece's house, which is outside Boston, and will spend Saturday in Boston with my husband. I have to enjoy my time when I have it!!

Well that is all from me today. I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Please tune in tomorrow. I am up on the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Blog with my first VIDEO tutorial for a card!!! 

Have a FABULOUS night!!

Twofer Challenge #18

Happy Wednesday!!

I missed making cards when I was away on vacation and have been itching to do so. I am not sure if it was due to jet lag or what, but I caught something and have been sick for the last week or so. While I was sick, I didn't feel like creating BUT I did a lot of shopping. Shhh...don't tell my husband!! I have had a lot of crafty packages come in the mail over the week and finally felt healthy enough to use them yesterday!!!

I knew when I saw the theme for the Twofer Challenge that I had to participate.

The theme this month was "garden."

I created two cards using NBUS "Sweet Berries" stamp set from Clearly Besotted and my newly acquired "Label Black" from the Ink Blot Shop for my two cards.

Can I tell you how much fun I had coloring these raspberry images? I did a bit of research on what Copic colors to use and took some photos while I was coloring to show you the colors I used.

The first color set was the berries:

Then the flowers:

And the leaves were the last thing I colored in. I actually did a bit of under coloring with a B34 for shadowing and I was amazed at how it came out!!

For my first card, I stamped the raspberry image, colored it in and used the matching die cut to cut it out.

Underneath my berries I used the Geometric Circles stencil from Neat and Tangled with Dusty Concord Distress Ink. I then layered the Fab Frame from Paper Smooches that I had die cut from Neenah Solar White cardstock.

I popped the berries up with foam adhesive and used foam adhesive under the sentiments as well.

My last step for all the cards on my blog took hours. I added Glossy Accents over each part of the berry, doing every other section, letting it dry, then doing another section. I wanted it to feel like a real raspberry when you touched it. It came out REALLY cool!!!

Supplies:

Stamps: Ink Blot Shop "Label Black," Clearly Besotted "Sweet Berries"

Paper: Neenah Solar White

Ink: Ranger Dusty Concord Distres Ink, Memento Tuxedo Black

Dies: Paper Smooches "Fab Frames," Clearly Besotted "Sweet Berries"

Other: Neat and Tangled "Geometric Circles," Copic Markers, Glossy Accents, Foam Adhesive, Sizzix Big Shot

For my second card, I colored in a white panel of Neenah that I had stamped the berries on.

I was originally going to make one card from this panel but I couldn't figure out how I would put the sentiment on it so I cut it up and made TWO cards out of it. Yup, so I actually made THREE cards but since the third card is also a birthday card, I am considering it a bonus!!!

I used an old Fiskars Scallop punch to add a black scalloped border on the colored panel and adhered it onto a card front that was covered in My Favorite Things patterned paper. 

I added the die cut sentiment, which I die cut out of black three times and layered it together. I then used foam adhesive on the sentiment strip. 

I added a few sequins and then did the Glossy Accent treatment on the berries.

Supplies:

Stamps: Ink Blot Shop "Label Black," Clearly Besotted "Sweet Berries"

Paper: Neenah Solar White, My Favorite Things Black and White Stripes

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Dies: Clearly Besotted "Sweet Berries," My Favorite Things Hugs 

Other: Neat and Tangled "Geometric Circles," Copic Markers, Glossy Accents, Sequins, Foam Adhesive, Sizzix Big Shot, Fiskars Scallop Punch

Now for my bonus card!!!

I used the other part of the panel from my second card and laid it over a wine colored card base. 

I used a bit of striped paper at the top for a border. I used foam adhesive for the sentiments and added some sequins.

Again I did the Glossy Accent treatment to the berries. I think you can tell from the photo above how it looks.

Supplies:

Stamps: Ink Blot Shop "Label Black," Clearly Besotted "Sweet Berries"

Paper: Neenah Solar White, My Favorite Things Black and White Stripes, Wine Cardstock

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Dies: Clearly Besotted "Sweet Berries," My Favorite Things Hugs 

Other: Neat and Tangled "Geometric Circles," Copic Markers, Glossy Accents, Sequins, Foam Adhesive, Sizzix Big Shot

Well, that is all from me today. I had a BLAST with this challenge and so much fun coloring and creating these cards. 

I hope you have a FABULOUS night!!

Happy Monday and Cards for Some Challenges

Happy Monday everyone!! I am back to work today after a week long vacation. In some ways I am glad to be back as I do not get paid when I am not at work, but in other ways, I enjoyed my down time. One thing I was able to do was get in the craft room. I should have CLEANED it but I decided to use the time to make some projects.

The first two cards I created were for the TWOFER Card Challenge. Here are the cards I created:

The idea of this challenge is in the badge below. The theme this month was zoo animals.

I almost didn't start this challenge as I had no idea what I could do. I do have animals but I always have a difficult time using them on cards. I decided on the elephants from the WPlus9 "Unforgettable" stamp set because I had some already colored in and die cut. This is what I used for the purple card.

I added the purple balloon and friend sentiment, and the happy birthday print out, because each was in my little box of leftovers. 

I used a bit of glossy accents on the hearts in "friend" and on the balloon.

I am also entering this card into the Seize the Birthday Challenge #163: Anything Goes.

For my second card, I thought I was all set as I had the same elephant colored in a blue, with polka dots. As it always goes, I could not find any cardstock to match it and so I wound up stamping another one and coloring it in. I chose to make a baby card from it.

The background is a stencil and I die cut the layered circle out of cardstock scraps. The sentiment on a tag are tiny stickers that I have from my scrapbook days. LOVE how this came out.

Well, that is all from me today. I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!