Christmas Plaid

Dear Ones~
Well, Michigan State lost to Michigan. I always like watching that game. Course I cheer for State, so there's that, but oh well. It's just a game.

I was so happy to find a little time to play today. It's been several days. Here's what I created:

I didn't have a lot of time, so I kept this fairly simple. I like to make rustic cards once in awhile and I think that's what this is. I just got the new GKD Nordic Winter Stamp set and wanted to get it inky. Here I heat embossed it with white on some GKD Dark Sage card stock. I always forget about this Dark Sage color, and I find it quite pleasing.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Kraft, Dark Sage and Red Hot Card Stock

GKD Nordic Winter Stamp Set

GKD Compliments of the Season Stamp Set for Greeting

DCWV Christmas Plaid Patterned Paper

SU Oval Dies

GKD White Embossing Powder

Stash Ribbon and Gems

I will be entering this card in:

Stamp TV Monday Challenge - Just a Touch (use a touch of red)

Simon Says Wednesday - Anything Goes

Double D Challenges - Plaid

So that's it for me today. It certainly is fall - very dreary and damp. Hope you are having a good weekend. And thanks for all your nice comments, they mean the world to me!!

Just Us Girls #367 - Wild Card

Dear Ones~

This is the fifth Saturday of the month, so it's WILD CARD week over at Just Us Girls. Maria is our host and she has challenged us to MAKE THE SENTIMENT THE FOCAL.

Here's my example:

I love this greeting from Hot Off the Press. It says it all, don't you think? I just layered some patterned papers and then stamped and heat embossed the greeting in gold. I used the Fleur de Lis Squares die from Spellbinders behind the greeting. The flowers and leaf fronds are punched.

Here are the Ingredients:

HOTP Simply Susan Stamp Set

GKD Innocent Pink, White and Fresh Asparagus Card Stock

DCWV Butterfly Garden Patterned Paper 

DCWV Neutral Card Stock

Spellbinders  Fleur de Lis Squares Die

Stash Punches

Stash Pearls

Please visit the JUST US GIRLS blog to see the wonderful cards that our October Guest Designer, Jaydee, and the rest of the team have made this week. And remember, if you win Chic of the Week in any of our October challenges, you will be in the running to be chosen as our Guest Designer for the month of December!!   I hope to see you there. 

Good luck, and thanks for stopping by!!

Just Us Girls #366 - Photo Week

Dear Ones~

This week is PHOTO WEEK over at Just Us Girls. Our host, Chris, has found this awesome photo for your inspiration. Isn't that cat amazing???

Here's my example:

I have absolutely zero cat stamps, but I do have this cute kittie die from Sizzix. I love the way he is after those little bats. The background was done with acrylic paint and alcohol. HERE is a video to show you how it's done. My background is subtle, but it's great fun to do....try it!! These photos are really, really bright. The card is NOT this bright in real life...stupid camera!!

 Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Black Onyx Card Stock

PTI Terracotta Tile & Summer Sunrise Card Stock

GKD Harvest of Wishes Stamp Set

GKD Wicked Stamp Set

Poppystamps Friendly Kittie Die

Martha Stewart Web Punch

SU Layering Circles Framelits

Copic Markers

Studio G Punches for Spider and Bat

Please visit the JUST US GIRLS blog to see the wonderful cards that our October Guest Designer, Jaydee, and the rest of the team have made this week. And remember, if you win Chic of the Week in any of our October challenges, you will be in the running to be chosen as our Guest Designer for the month of December!!   I hope to see you there. 

Good luck, and thanks for stopping by!!

Golden Madonna

Dear Ones~
Well, today is Thursday, but it has seemed like Saturday all day to me. But then that's what it's like when you are retired. EVERY DAY is Saturday...lol.

Today I made a card for The Stamp TV Weekly Challenge. This week Sylvia has invited us to CASE (Copy And Share Everything) one of the designers on the Design Team, and she has picked Karen Hightower. Karen's work is FABULOUS!! Just go HERE and take a look at her fantastic creations.

Here is Karen's card I chose:

And here's my card:

I am such a fan of heat embossing on vellum, so Karen's card really caught my eye. I have to make a confession - I'm really, REALLY lazy. Karen had stitched the vellum to the patterned paper, and I just didn't feel like pulling out my sewing machine for one stitch line. So, I hand stitched the vellum to my patterned paper with gold thread. I kind of love how it turned out, and it really wasn't too much of a hassle. I used a tool called the Scor Bug Embosser. The Scor-Bug is a rotary tool which is used with a scoring board and embosses a row of pearl like little bumps adding texture and relief to your card stock. Oh, and I think the gold foiling on the background patterned paper is so elegant and matches the platinum embossing powder I used for the focal.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Sandy Beach Card Stock

DCWV Copper Foil Card Stock

DCWV Cup of Cheer Patterned Paper

PTI Vellum

GKd Christmas Joy Stamp Set

Stash Gold Thread

Ranger Platinum Embossing Powder 

Martha Stewart Stars Punch

So that's it for now. Wonder what I will be doing tomorrow, when it feels like Saturday again....ha ha. Hope your week is going well. And thanks for your comments, they mean the world to me!!!!

Mod Squad Challenge - The Way We Were

Dear Ones~
This week Vicki Dutcher and I are hosting the Mod Squad Challenge. Our challenge is THE WAY WE WERE.  We want you to take one of your old creations and CASE YOURSELF. Use your favorite card and put a new twist on it.

One of our sponsors is the wonderful stamp company  

Kitchen Sink Stamps

 

Kitchen Sink Stamps offers us a discount CODE: ModSquad15.

  These stamps are amazing. Most have a multi-stamp feature that lets you get great detail in your images using several colors. There is real dimension with a 3-D effect! And one of the best features of this stamp company is that there are color recipes for most of the multi-step stamps, so you don't have to guess what colors to use. There are even alternative colors if you don't have the inks that are suggested. Maria from Kitchen Sink Stamps is a member of our Mod Squad Challenge Facebook Group so feel free to say Hi or ask any questions.

 

THE PRIZE

A $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE to the store. 

You can pick your own goodies and there are lots of choices!

Here is the card I chose to CASE:

And here my CASE'd card:

I discovered a new product by Heidi Swapp called Minc Reactive Paint. It's a sticky paint that you apply with a brush and then run through your laminator with foil. I love it because it's clear and you won't get any black residue showing through from the toner. The butterflies were stamped with the 3 Step Butterflies Kitchen Sink Stamp Set and fussy cut. Then I painted the Reactive Paint around the edges and ran it through my laminator with Rose Gold Foil. The leaves are die cut from the Paper Smooches Foliage 2 Dies (thanks, Donna).

Here's a close up. It's my first attempt, so my lines are kind of thick. I think this is going to be a lot of fun to play with. There is also a mist that reacts the same way.

See more about the paint HERE.

See more about the mist HERE.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Dark Chocolate Card Stock

DCWV Neutrals Card Stock

My Minds Eye Fancy That Patterned Papers

Kitchen Sink Stamps 3 Step Butterfly Stamp Set

Paper Smooches Foliage 2 Dies

SU Blushing Bride Ink

GKD Innocent Pink Ink

Minc Reactive Paint

Minc Rose Gold Foil

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to head on over to The Mod Squad Blog Challenge and play along. I can't wait to see your wonderful creations, and I adore your comments.

Just Us Girls #365 - Color Week

Dear Ones~
 

This week is Color Week over at Just Us Girls, and I am the host. I have chosen the colors Olive, Gold and Rust.  As usual with color challenges, you are to use all three of the chosen colors as well as any neutrals that you need.  Neutrals are white, ivory, kraft, black, brown or gray.

Here is my example:

 Here I used Altenew's Beautiful Day Stamp set and Stampin' Up's Diagonal Stripes Background Stamp. I splattered with gold paint to add some shine.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD White and Fresh Asparagus Card Stock

Altenew Beautiful Day Stamp Set

Various Stampin' Up Inks

SU Diagonal Stripes Stamp

Gold Watercolor

Stash Enamel Dots

Please visit the JUST US GIRLS blog to see the wonderful cards that our October Guest Designer, Jaydee, and the rest of the team have made this week. And remember, if you win Chic of the Week in any of our October challenges, you will be in the running to be chosen as our Guest Designer for the month of December!!   I hope to see you there. 

Good luck, and thanks for stopping by!!

Happy Snowman

Dear Ones~
This is my second post today....wow! I'm on a roll! This offering was made for the Stamp TV October Release Challenge. Gina has invited us to make a Christmas card using the wood grain background technique. I have chosen to use Gina's technique called Carved Wood. You can watch a video she posted showing how to do this technique HERE.

Here's my card:

I decided to go with a blue color palette this time. The Carved Wood Technique is so much fun and I plan on doing it more. And don't you just LOVE that happy snowman? This is one of my favorite GKD stamps from a past kit, Merry Little Christmas.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD White and Blue Denim Card Stock

GKD Blue Denim, Ivory and Powder Blue Ink

Paper Studios Lattice Circles Embossing Folder

GKD Merry Little Christmas Stamp Set
Spellbinders Circles Dies
Spellbinders Pinked Circle Die

Various Stash Snowflake Punches

Stash Gems
Stickles
Nuvo Crystal Drops in Blue

Thanks for stopping by again, your comments mean the world to me. Now go rake some leaves or something....lol!!!

CASEing Heather

Dear Ones~
Hope this finds you in a good space, looking forward to the weekend. It's a nice sunny fall day here.

This offering was made for the Papertrey Ink Create Along with Us Challenge. I LOVE this card by Heather Nichols and thought it would be really fun to copy.

Here's what I came up with:

Here I have used the PTI Tinsel and Tags stamp set. I just drew a circle on the Rustic Cream Card Stock and then stamped the pine fronds around. Easy peasy. Thanks for the inspiration, Heather. I thought I would stamp the squiggly line from a Fiskars border stamp set onto the kraft to add a little interest.

Here are the Ingredients:

PTI Rustic Cream Card Stock

GKD Kraft Card Stock

PTI Tinsel and Tags Stamp Set

SU Inks In:

*Cucumber Crush

*Cherry Cobbler

*Soft Suede

SU Linen Thread

Christmas Red Stickles

Fiskars Border a Plenty Stamp Set

Thanks for stopping by, I adore your comments. Enjoy your weekend!

Altenew October Inspiration Challenge

Dear Ones~
Another post tonight. I really enjoyed playing in my craft room today. This offering is for the Altenew October Inspiration Challenge.

Here is the inspiration:

 

And here is my card:

 I decided to stamp the 3-step leaf stamp from Altenew's A Beautiful Day on kraft card stock with white pigment ink, and then use colors for the details. I did the Rock and Roll technique with Delightful Dijon and Cherry Cobler for the detail image, and the outline was done with Cajun Craze. I really like the look. The stripe is a background stamp from Stampin' Up. 

I love it and use it a lot.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Cranberry Tart and Kraft Card Stock

PTI Rustic Cream Card Stock

Altenew A Beautiful Day Stamps

W Plus 9 Happy Birds Stamp

SU Diagonal Stripes Background Stamp

GKD White Pigment Ink

SU Inks In:

*Cherry Cobbler

*Delightful Dijon

*Cajun Craze

 So that's it for me tonight. Hope you had a lovely day. Tomorrow is Friday and the weekend will be upon us. Thanks for stopping by, your comments mean the world to me!

Power Poppy - Make It Move

Dear Ones~
A beautiful day in Northern Michigan. Our apples are ready and we will soon be making apple sauce. I'm taking advantage of this lull before the work begins to make a couple of cards. This one will be entered in the Power Poppy Power and Spark Challenge - Make It Move.

Here's my card:

The challenge was to make a card that had movement. I was kind of stumped! Not because I don't do interactive cards, LOVE doing those, but all my Power Poppy stamps are florals and I just didn't know what to do with those where I would create movement. Then today I watched a video by Dawn Griffith and I had my answer....a slider card. See her video HERE. A slider card has movement, right?? I kind of like how it came out. The rose is a digi stamp from Power Poppy and it was fussy cut after coloring with Copics

Here are the Ingredients:

DCWV Trade Winds Patterned Paper

PTI Rustic Cream Card Stock

Power Poppy Short Stacks Stamp Set

Power Poppy Springtime Love Stamp Set

Power Poppy Rose and Chamomile Digi Stamp

Copic Markers

SU Island Indigo Ink

Prima Dies Forest Leaves Die

Gold Stickles

This card was a lot of fun to make, and it's very clever I think. Thanks for stopping by. Stay tuned for another post tonight. I'm on a roll...ha ha. Oh, and I adore your comments.

Mummy-fied

Dear Ones~
This is my last post of the day.

Another card made from the Jar of Haunts stamp set from Stampin' Up. This little mummy just makes me smile.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Moonlit Fog Card Stock

Paper Studios Trick or Treat Patterned Paper

SU Jar of Haunts Stamp Set

SU Circles Framelits

Stash Sequins

Black Crystal Drops inside the Sequins

I will be entering this in:

Simon Says Wednesday - Halloween

That's it for me. Guess I better go do something productive. As always, I adore your comments, thanks for stopping by.

Fall Basket

Dear Ones~
Another Autumn card. I love making them because of all the wonderful, vibrant colors.

I love this stamp set by Stampin' Up. It's alled Basket of Wishes, and has several containers with images that can be inserted as you wish. Here I colored the basket and fall vegetables with my Zigs.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Dark Chocolate & Ivory Card Stock

Paper Studios Natural Botanicals Patterned Papers

Stampin' Up Basket of Wishes Stamp Set

SU Circles Framelits

Zig Clean Color Brush Markers

Stash Twine and Enamel Dots

I will be entering this card in:

Double D Challenge - Pumpkin Time

Simon Says Wednesday - Halloween/Fall

So this is another one on the books. I have one more to post today. Hope your week is going well. Thanks for looking, your comments mean the world to me.

Pumpkin Time

Dear Ones~
I have a couple of Halloween cards to make, so thought I would get busy.

Here is the first one:

I love this happy guy. Also love using all the wonderful bright Halloween colors, so fun.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Black Onyx & Ivory Card Stock

SU Rich Razzleberry Card Stock

Paper Studio Trick or Treat Patterned Paper

SU Jar of Haunts Stamp Set

GKD Wicked Stamp Set for Greeting

Copic Markers

Studio G Spider Punch

I will enter this card in:

Double D Challenges - Pumpkin Time

Simon Says Wednesday - Halloween

Thanks for stopping by, your comments mean the world to me. It's a beautiful fall day here, albeit kinda cool. Hope you  have a great week!!!

 

Background Building with Frames

Dear Ones~
This will be short tonight. I wanted to get a card in to the Papertrey Ink Make It Monday Challenge. See more HERE.

Here is my Card:

I'm not crazy about this card, but there you just are. The challenge was to use frames to create a background.  I don't have any frame dies, so I made my own with the Spellbinders Labels 4 Die.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Ivory Card Stock

SU Flirty Flamingo and Mint Macaron Card Stock

SU Blooms and Bliss Patterned Paper

PTI Friendly Flowers Stamp Set

Flirty Flamingo, Mint Macaron & Sweet Sugar Plum Ink

Black Crystal Drops

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you had a good weekend and are looking forward to the week ahead. Thanks also for your sweet comments, they mean a lot to me!!

Just Us Girls #364 - Trend Week

Dear Ones~

It's Trend Week over at Just Us Girls, and our host Sue has chosen PINEAPPLES. Yum!!
 

Here's my example:

Thank goodness I have one pineapple stamp. It has never gotten inky, so this was it's maiden voyage.  I kinda like it, will pro'ly use it more often. Here I stamped it three times and paper pieced it with some cute patterned paper. I used the Botanical Gardens patterned paper from Stampin' Up for my background, and the leave fronds are from SU's Botanical Blooms.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Fresh Asparagus & Ivory Card Stock

SU Botanical Blooms Patterned Paper

Fresh Squeezed Stamps Friendly Folk Stamp Set

GKD Sunkist Autumn Stamp for Greeting

SU Botanical Blooms Dies and Stamps

Spellbinders Circles and Pinked Circle Dies

Nuvo Crystal Drops

Please visit the JUST US GIRLS blog to see the wonderful cards that our October Guest Designer, Jaydee, and the rest of the team have made this week. And remember, if you win Chic of the Week in any of our October challenges, you will be in the running to be chosen as our Guest Designer for the month of December!!   I hope to see you there. 

Good luck, and thanks for stopping by!!

Angel Friends

Dear Ones~
This is my last post of the day. I am getting ready to have my Dear Sister as a guest for a few days. Can't wait for her to get here, we are gonna play and shop. Traverse City, here we come!!

This card was created for the Stamp TV World Cardmaking Day Challenge. It's Challenge #4, use a stencil on your card.

Here's what I came up with:

I don't have many stencils and don't use them often. So I decided to use a Tim Holtz die by Sizzix called Mixed Media 2. I die cut it on card stock and used it as a stencil. I kinda love the way it turned out.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD White Card Stock

SU Mint Macaron & Flirty Flamingo Card Stock

SU Blushing Bride Ink

Sizzix Mixed Media 2 Die

GKD Primitive Blessings Stamp Set

SU Layering Layers Circle Framelits

Ranger Platinum Embossing Powder

Stash Punches for Flourishes

Stash Gems and Silver Thread

Okay, I gotta go vacuum. Thanks so much for stopping by, I adore your comments.

 

Non-Traditional Christmas

Dear Ones~
Here's another card created for the Stamp TV World Cardmaking Day Challenge. This is Challenge #3 - use non-traditional colors on a Christmas Card.

Here's what I came up with:

I decided to use navy, kraft and copper on this card. 

I kinda like the combination.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD In the Navy, Kraft, & Copper Card Stock

GKD Merry Little Christmas Stamp Set

Ranger Copper Embossing Powder

WE R Memory Keepers Gems Embossing Folder

Stash Gems

Thanks for stopping by, I adore your comments. I am very busy today so this is short. Hope your weekend has been fabulous!

Lovely Foiling

Dear Ones~
Another card I created to celebrate World Cardmaking Day.

This is another card for the Stamp TV World Cardmaking Day Challenge. This time we were to do foiling, or metallic heat embossing. The butterfly and dotted background have been foiled with silver. We all know how difficult it is to photograph shiny things, so most of the foiling looks black, but trust me, it's shiny silver. After I foiled the elements I sponged with GKD Ocean Mist and Applemint Inks. In hindsight I would have sponged before I foiled, because the foiled was rubbed off slightly. We learn from our mistakes.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD White and Ocean Mist Card Stock

Stash Silver Card Stock

GKD Birthday Blessings Stamp Set

GKD Sending Love STV Kit for Background

GKD Ocean Mist and Applemint Inks

GKD Dogwood and Butterfly Stamp for Greeting

Darice Brick Wall Embossing Folder

This will be entered in:

Stamp TV World Cardmaking Day Challenge 2 - Foiling

Simon Says Wednesday - Anything Goes

So that's it for me today. Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping by, I adore your comments!

Faux Hand Carved Wood

Dear Ones~
Happy World Cardmaking Day!!! Who knew there was a day set aside especially for us cardmaking junkies? I feel so honored.

Here is one of cards I made to celebrate:

The background is a special technique I just learned from Gina over at Gina K Designs. To see how it's done, click HERE. Using several different inks, an embossing folder and a scoring tool we can get the look of old hand carved wood. I think it's really cool. I stamped the leaves and fussy cut them, and punched that cute little dragonfly out of copper card stock.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Tomato Soup and Ivory Card Stock

GKD Fall Foliage Stamp Set

GKD Sunkist Autumn Stamp Set for Greeting

GKD Inks In:

*Charcoal Brown

*Kraft

*Ivory Pigment

*Tomato Soup

*Prickly Pear

*Cranberry Tart

Darice Fall Leaf Embossing Folder

This will be entered in:

Stamp TV World Cardmaking Day Challenge 1 - Carved Wood Technique

Simon Says Wednesday - Anything Goes
Simon Says Work It Wednesday - Use Red, Orange, Yellow and Brown

Stay tuned for another card today.....after all, it IS World Cardmaking Day!! Thanks for stopping by, I adore your comments!!

Just Us Girls #363 - Word Week

Dear Ones~
It's WORD WEEK over at Just Us Girls, and our host Sharyn has chosen the word LEAVES.

Here's my Example:

Here I have used a lovely leaf stamp from the SU stamp set Thoughtful Branches. I sponged some of them, others I partial stamped with a couple of different colors. The background is a stamp by SU called Hardwood. I love that stamp, there are so many possibilities when you use different card stock colors with different ink.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Warm Cocoa and Sandy Beach Crd Stock

GKD Inks In:

*Prickly Pear

*Sweet Mango

*Fresh Asparagus

*Warm Cocoa

*Faded Brick

SU Hardwood Background Stamp

SU Thoughtful Branches Stamp Set

GKD Sunkissed Autumn Stamp for Greeting

I would like to welcome our Guest Designer for the month of October, Jaydee. She is over-the-top talented and I can't wait to see what she creates for us this month. Go visit her BLOG and see what I mean.

Please visit the JUST US GIRLS blog to see the wonderful cards that our awesome Guest Designer  and the rest of the team have made this week. And remember, if you win Chic of the Week in any of our October challenges, you will be in the running to be chosen as our Guest Designer for the month of December!!   I hope to see you there. 

Good luck, and thanks for stopping by!!