Still Time! October CAS Christmas - Poinsettia's

 I'm here today with my DT mid-month reminder card for the October CAS Christmas Challenge.

CAS: Lot's of white space, minimal layers.

Embossed the hammered white card panel using Poinsettia Texture Fade EF from Tim Holtz/Sizzix and stamped the sentiment from Wreath for All Seasons (retired) from Papertrey Ink, right on the panel. 

So please join us and get some of your Christmas cards done!  

We're getting close to December are you ready??!!

You'll find the challenge here.

Challenge ends Oct 31st!

Also sending my card to:

Peace on Earth Christmas

ends 10/15

Inspired by the poinsettia ornament

Merry Little Christmas Challenge

ends 10/15

Krafty Chicks Challenge

Christmas ends 10/13 (just made it!)

Stamps: Wreath for all Seasons (retired) Papertrey Ink.
Paper: Hammered White Cardstock - Amazon (from England)
Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair
Other Supplies: Poinsettia Texture Fade 3D Embossing Folder - Tim Holtz/Sizzix.

Card Chain Challenge - July 2026 Reveal!

 Today's the day all of the cards exchanged world wide for the July Card Chain Challenge are revealed over at the blog!

This month I sent my card to Alice in Austria and I received a beautiful card from Greta in Oregon!

Twenty-six cards were exchanged in July.

Each month we are given options to inspire our card designs, colors, sketch, themes, product and technique options.   You only have to use one of the suggested ideas but you can use as many as inspire you!

I was inspired by the Theme - Cocktails this month!

I have had this wonderful cocktail die set Cheers to You by Elizabeth Craft Design for over a year and this challenge gave me the push to finally use it!

I die cut all the pieces out of Water Color Card from Spellbinders and sponged the color on using Ranger Distress Inks. (it's quicker than cutting each piece out of colored papers).  The water color paper adds nice texture to the drinks.  I pretty much copied the samples on the die packaging to help with colors and what goes with what. (!)  

I just love how they came out! 

Would you like to join in on this fun card exchange - you can try it out for August and decide?  You sign up each month so your not committed to do any more than you want to.  You send to the person in front of you on Mr. Linky and the person after you on Mr. Linky sends to you!  You'll find all the details on how to join in at the Card Chain Challenge blog here.

Sign up closes on August 6th

I'm also sending my card to:

NBUS

1st time using these fun cocktail dies!

Allsorts Challenge

Colors of Summer  ends Aug 14

Krafty Chicks  ends Aug 4

Cardz 4 Galz

Word Inspiration: Rainbow  ends 8/5

Stamps: Simple Strips: Background - Taylored Expressions.
Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair, Ranger Distress - Saltwater Taffy, Fired Brick, Peeled Paint, Twisted Cintron and Tumbled Glass.
Paper: Water Color Card - Spellbinders, DP Bitty Big Smokey Shadow - Papertrey Ink.
Other Supplies: Cheers to You Die set - Elizabeth Craft Designs, Edge die - Unknown, Simple Strips - Straight Edge die - Taylored Expressions, foam dots, Mini ink blending tool and sponge daubers - Ranger, Copic R29 for the dot on the olive.

Inkspirational #373 Visual Prompt - Beach Scenes

 Time for another Inkspirational Challenge!  #373 Visual Prompt - Beach Scene - a great challenge for the middle of August when we'd all probably like to be at the beach! (Unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere!)

I was inspired by the ocean waves!

First time using this wonderful Making Waves Stencil, Hey Honeycomb Fish Die and Hey Honeycomb Summer Sentiments all from The Greetery release in June.  Inside I stamped "You're FIN-tastic" from the same sentiment set.

I die cut the fish out of water color card and sponged with Ranger Distress Inks.  I punched the sentiment with a 1" circle, then punched a 5/8" and 1/2" circle to look like bubbles floating up.  I added an enamel dot for his eye. The fish and bubbles are popped up on foam dots.

We hope you'll join us and show us your inspired card design using our Visual Prompt!  You'll find inspiration from the rest of the team as well as Mr. Linky over at the Inkspirational Blog!

This challenge ends on Aug 14th.

I'm also sending my card to:

NBUS

1st time using the stencil, fish die and sentiment set!

Cardz 4 Guyz

Summer Theme  ends Aug 17

Time Out Challenges

ends Aug 5

Krafty Chicks

ends Aug 4th

Allsorts Challenge

Colors of Summer  ends Aug 14

Four Seasons Challenge

August - Summer  ends Aug 25th

Stamps:  Hey Honeycomb Summer Sentiments - The Greetery.

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair, Carribean Sky, Persian Blue - Altenew, Peacock Feathers, Twisted Cintron - Ranger Distress.

Paper:  Water Color Card - Spellbinders, White - Papertrey Ink.

Other Supplies:  Making Waves Stencil, Hey Honeycomb Fish Die - The Greetery, 1", 5/8",1/2" circle punches, enamel dot - Altenew, foam dots, blender brushes.

Inkspirational #362 - Word Prompt: Use Stencils

 The latest challenge is up over at Inkspirational! Use Stencils

with the optional twist of Plaid: 

I just went with stencils, using a new stencil set from Waffle Flower called Postage Collage Woof and I made a loss of dog Sympathy card.

 The frame and hanger are from Postage Collage Frames Dies/Waffle Flower, and the embossing folder is 3D Molded Frame/Spellbinders. 

I just used one of the dogs from the stencil set for my card.   

Here is the full panel which has a good variety of breeds represented!

So please join us over at Inkspirational and show us your creation using Stencils (optional twist: Plaid)!

Also sending my card to:

NBUS

1st time using the Postage Collage Woof Stencils

Just Us Girls

ends 3/4

Krafty Chicks Challenge

ends 3/3

dark colors and dog theme make it masculine

Stamps:  Pet Sympathy - Miss Inks Stamps.

Ink:  Nocturne Versafine Clair, Ranger Distress Weathered Wood, Black Soot, Tea Dye and Barn Door.

Paper:  White, Cocoa Bean - Papertrey Ink, Metallic Gold - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, DP Pawsome Prints 6x6 - MFT.

Other Supplies:  Postage Collage Blocks Die and Postage Collage Frames Dies - Waffle Flower, Postage Collage Woof Stencils - Waffle Flower, 3D Molded frame embossing folder - Spellbinders.

Group of Seven Cardmakers - April Technique - Gilding Flakes on Acetate

This month, the Group of Seven Cardmakers is playing with Gilding Flakes on Acetate.

I watched this YouTube Video to learn this technique - it is also linked to, over at The Group of Seven Cardmakers blog.

This was my first try with the technique.

I'm not sure everyone looking at my card would immediately realize it's King Hopkins (a frog!) sitting on a pile of stones?

You can see how clear and detailed the stamp is below.

I found with both of my cards - you couldn't really see detail and might not know what you were looking at, on first glance.     

So, for my second try, I went a little rogue and created my own technique - Stamping on Acetate with Gilding Flakes and a Shadow Behind It -  I have to work on the title - it's a bit long!?!  

So I thought I'd try stamping the image on a white panel and layer the acetate panel with the gilding flake image over it - slightly off set.   And I really love the dimensional look it gives it!  It shows some of the detail of the stamp that didn't show up on the stamping with gilding flakes on the acetate.

A few pics on how I did it:

On the video I watched, the woman had a stiff net-like sponge to apply the tacky glue and to rub off the Gilding Flakes.  I did not have an item like that so I used a sponge brush, pressing it into a pool of tacky glue and then pressing the sponge lightly over the stamp - the idea is to just get the glue on the image, not down into the crevices.  I recommend pressing your gilding flakes over the stamping and then quickly washing the stamp off  before the tacky glue dries on your stamp.  Then I rubbed off the gilding flakes with the clean side of the foam sponge and my fingers.  I scrubbed it pretty hard so that just the image is left.

photo on right shows the stamped image in glue on the acetate

So - gilding flakes -  still not my favorite thing to use - it flies everywhere - and for this technique it was difficult to find an image that would work well, but I am happy with my two acetate panels -  particularly the one I shadow stamped behind!

  

We'd love to see cards you make trying this technique!  There's a Mr. Linky over at the blog!

Also sending my Kiss Me card to:

NBUS

first time using King Hopkins

Sending my trees card to:

Krafty Chicks Challenge

ends 4/29

I.D.E.A.S.

Week 4  A - Anything Goes

I just have 2 more weeks of wearing the sling after my shoulder surgery! Then I'll be back to full blown crafting!

Kiss Me 

Stamps:  King Hopkins - Lavinia, Kiss me stamp from Heroines Fairy Princess - Waltzingmouse (retired).

Ink:  Gold Pigment Ink - Color Box

Paper:  Acetate, True Black - Papertrey Ink, Kraft Metallic Gold - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.

Other Supplies:  Inca Gold Gilding Flakes - Cosmic Shimmer, embossing powder brush, Stitched Rectangle Scallop Frame Die - MFT, Tombow Tacky Glue, foam brush.

The Creaking of Trees

Stamps:  Silhouette Trees #1 - Rubbernecker (retired), Creaking Trees - Technique Junkies.

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair.

Paper:  Clear Acetate, White - PTI, Hammered White - Amazon.

Other Supplies:  Inca Gold Gilding Flakes - Cosmic Shimmer, embossing powder brush, Stitched Rectangle Scallop Frame Die - MFT, Tombow Tacky Glue, foam brush, foam dots

Inkspirational #329 - Word Prompt: Santa!

 There's a new challenge up at Inkspirational and it's a Word Prompt: Santa!  

And this is the card I created.

The Santa die is from Rubbernecker (now Brass and Bliss), the HoHoHo is a die from Impression Obsession and the DP is from a great paper pad from Waffle Flower called Seasons Greetings.  The die cuts are all up on foam dots.  I added 3 red enamel dots.

Inside I stamped: Here Comes Santa Claus

We'd love to see all of your 'Santas'!  Please link up your creations over at Inkspirational!

This challenge ends 11/29

I'm also sending my card to:

NBUS

First time using the HoHoHo die

Love those Pretty Papers

Anything Goes using DP

ends 11/30

Krafty Chicks

ends 11/20

Inspired By

Big text, Santa, colors  ends 11/20

Die Cut Divas

Any Holiday in the Year ends 11/30

Paper:  Hammered white - Amazon, DP Seasons Greetings - Waffle Flower

Other Supplies:  Santas Face Die - Rubbernecker (now Brass and Bliss),  HoHoHo die - Impression Obsession, foam dots, red enamel dots - Altenew.