Inkspirational #360 - Word Prompt: XOXO

 It's time for the next Inkspirational Challenge #360!  

My roller skating pup has the XO 'balloon' string in his mouth as he skates down the road!  The XO, dog collar and skates are cut from metallic red so they are shiny IRL. 

The XO is from an old slimline die, Stack Words: Valentine from Tim Holts/Alterarations.  The dog is from a new purchase - Roller Disco Dottie from Spellbinders.

What does XOXO inspire you to create!?   Please link up your creation over at Inkspirational where you'll also find inspiration from the rest of our creative team!  

The challenge ends on Feb 13!

Also sending my card to:

NBUS

1st time using Roller Disco Dottie Die!

Love those Pretty Papers

ends 1/31

Die Cut Divas

Use a new crafty item  ends 1/31

New Roller Disco Dottie Die!

Shopping Our Stash

Love Me Do  ends 2/9

Paper:  White, True Black - Papertrey Ink, Metallic Red from stash, DP Gosh I Love You - Unity.

Other Supplies:  Stack Words: Valentine - Tim Holtz/Alterations (retired), Roller Disco Dottie - Spellbinders, Bakers Twine - JoAnn, foam dots.

Inkspirational Challenge #354 - Word Prompt Knit

 There's a new challenge up over at Inkspirational:

I pulled out a sweater die from The Greetery and a Sweater 3D embossing folder by Eileen Hull/Sizzix for my card. (It's a vertical cable stitch - not sure if you can see it? It flattened a bit when I die cut the framing after embossing Ugh.)  

I cut the sweater pieces out of watercolor paper and colored them with Copics.  I die cut the leaf and acorn out of colored card stock.

I die cut the leaf and acorn using Autumn Side Kick Die by Tim Holtz/Alterations. The Nordic circle die is from The Greetery and the back panel is die cut with a Nested Rectangle with Square Holes die from Rubbernecker - now Brass and Bliss.  The sentiment is from Sending Warm Fuzzies from Unity. The enamel dots are from Altenew.

So please join in with us at Inkspirational - and create a card inspired by Knit/Knitted!

You'll find lots of inspiration from the rest of the Design Team as well as Mr. Linky over at Inkspirational!

This challenge ends November 21!

Also sending my card to:

NBUS

1st time using the Side Kick Dies (acorn and leaf)

Inspired by Challenge

ends 11/12

Just Us Girls

This card would work for Thanksgiving or Birthday 

ends 11/12

Shopping Our Stash

These are a few of my favorite crafty things -  die cuts, embossing folders, enamel dots.

ends 11/17

Stamps:  Sending Warm Fuzzies - Unity.

Ink:  Portobello - Versafine Clair, Ranger Distress Old Paper.

Paper:  Water Color Paper - Canson Cold Press, White, Rustic Cream, Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate, Cocoa Bean, Summer Sunrise - PaperTrey Ink.

Other Supplies:  Hearts at Home Sweater Die, Nordic Circles Die - The Greetery, Autumn Side Kick Dies (acorn and leaf) - Tim Holtz/Alterations, Nested Rectangle With Square Holes Die - Brass and Bliss, Sweater 3D Embossing Folder - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Copics E19, YR09, Blender Brush, enamel dots and star - Altenew, foam dots.

October 2025 Card Chain Challenge Reveal

 Today's the day for the October Card Chain Challenge Reveal - when we see all the cards exchanged around the world for the October challenge.  I sent my card to Lucille in New Jersey and I received a card from Linda W in Minnesota - both in the US this month!  26 cards were exchanged world wide in October!

I used a mix of the suggested colors (Pumpkin, Chocolate and Cherry), and theme option of Trees, sort of (one of my rub-ons is a tree!)

My die cut base is Postage Collage Die from Waffle Flower and the images are rub-ons from Taperlogy.  I used images with a mix of the three challenge colors!

You can check out all of the cards sent and received for October over at The Card Chain Challenge.   You can also sign up to send and receive a card for November here - where you will find all the instructions on how to play along!

Deadline to sign up for November is 11/6!

Also sending my card to:

Time Out Challenges

ends 11/5

Shopping Our Stash

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

ends 11/3

Stamps: Autumn Abundance - Papertrey Ink (retired).

Paper:  Rustic Cream, Orange Zest - Papertrey Ink.

Ink:  Portabello - Versafine Clair.

Other Supplies:  Postage Collage Die - Waffle Flower, Rustic Fall Rub-ons - Taperlogy, enamel dots - Altenew and This Calls for Confetti.

May Group of Seven Cardmakers - Batik

 This month, the Group of Seven Cardmakers are playing with the technique of Faux Batik.  

There are lots of YouTube videos on the technique all using slightly different methods! Several are linked over at the Group of Seven blog.

Here are some photos of the steps.

                       

 

                              

                                                   

I have to say, I found it difficult to choose colors and stamps that ended up with something I liked - it all ends up a bit dark for me.  

The rest of the Group of 7 Cardmakers had greater success than me with this technique!

Please give Faux Batik a try and link up your creations over at The Group of Seven Cardmakers blog.  I'd love to see what colors and stamps you used!  

Also sending my card to:

Shopping our Stash

By the Numbers - use at least one number ends 6/2

I.D.E.A.S

Week 4  Anything Goes

clear embossing

Stamps:  Sparkler Background Stamp - The Greetery, 4th of July stamp/Let Freedom Ring - PTI (retired),  Freedom and Liberty stamp/Army - The Greeting Farm (retired)

Ink:  Warm Breeze, Strawberry, Verdant, Portobello, Nocturne - Versafine Clair, Versamark.

Paper:  White - PTI

Other Supplies: Heat Tool, blender brushes, clear embossing powder, embossing pillow, 1 38" circle punch - SU.

Inkspirational #336 Clean and Simple - Option: Sticker

 Here's my DT card for the Inkspirational Challenge #336 -  

Clean and Simple - with the option of using a sticker or ephemera.

I went with the option -  using a lovely rub-on bunny - from the Easter Collection from Taperlogy.  I die cut an egg out of watercolor paper, rubbed the bunny rub-on with a popsicle stick and stamped the sentiment beneath it.

I die cut a 2nd egg, scored it across the top and adhered it to the decorated egg so it stands up!

Showing scored edge on the back piece - adhering it to the front above the score. 

I cut off a small strip straight across the bottom of the back piece and that will keep the 'egg' from rolling.  My egg is a small 2"x3" size!

Sentiment stamped inside.

So please join us and create a Clean and Simple card - maybe using a sticker/rub-on/or ephemera?

You'll find more inspiration from the rest of the DT as well as Mr. Linky over at Inkspirational!  

The challenge ends on March 14th.

I'm also sending my card to:

Shopping our Stash

One is the loneliest #

one layer  ends 3/10

Little Red Wagon

Tiny Dancer  - my egg card is 2"x3"

ends 3/3

Stamps:  Spring Baskets - Waltzingmouse (retired)

Paper: Watercolor paper - Canson Cold Press.

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Other Supplies:  Easter Collection Rub Ons - Taperlogy, Nested Eggs Die - Spellbinders

A Birthday Ballerina

 A friend asked me to make a card for her grandaughter who is turning 10 and she is a dancer.  I've made Lia other cards with die cut and stamped ballerinas and so went searching in my bottomless pit of a craft room for something different!

I found an unopened bag of Baseboard Dolls from Tim Holtz/Idea-ology that I've had at least for a year but have not used and when I looked through them I found this wonderful vintage ballerina!  So then I searched Tim Holtz YouTube videos on how I could color the image (the Baseboard Dolls are all black and white photographs printed on thick baseboard.) 

I found a video on coloring with Distress Watercolor Pencils (another thing I have had in my room for over a year but have never used -  and totally forgot what to do with them)  I rubbed both Tattered Rose (for the flesh parts) and Tumbled Glass (for the dress, hat and shoes) onto my craft mat in two different spots.  Then I used a water brush pen to pick up the colors brushing over the flesh parts first and then the dress.  It gives a wonderful soft color! You can see, especially on the dress, that the blue doesn't cover the whole dress, which makes it light and airy!

You can brush over these Baseboard Dolls with clear Gesso and let it dry before watercoloring - then the color covers more of the area and is darker- this works well especially if you are coloring a Baseboard Doll that has a lot of black that wouldn't  show the color (like a long coat or pants)  But I digress......

I embossed a white card panel using All Star Burst EF and water-brushed the same Tumbled Glass,  lightly radiating out from the center along the embossed lines.

I popped the ballerina up on foam dots and added a computer generated personalized sentiment for Lia!

I'm sending my card to:

Seize the Birthday

Baseboard Ballerina and Distress Watercolor pencils are new! 

ends 1/21

NBUS

First time using the Baseboard Dolls and Watercolor pencils

Shopping Our Stash

Use Stars  Ends 1/13

Paper:  White - Papertrey Ink.

Other Supplies:  Baseboard Dolls - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, All Star Burst Embossing Folder - Simon Says Stamp, Ranger Distress Water Color Pencils Set #3, water brush pen, Computer Printed Sentiment.

Inkspirational #325 - Word Prompt - Headwear

 We've got a fun new challenge over at Inkspirational today -  #325  Headwear!

I decided to go for a masculine birthday card.

I pulled out the fun Tailored Dies from Tim Holtz/Sizzix which is a set of 3 hats and several options of ties and jacket shoulders!  I also used postage dies, stencils and stamps from Waffle Flower as well as a sentiment from My Kind of Guy, a retired stamp set from Waltzingmouse.  I added a red gem to the top hat.  The stamps and hats are all up on foam dots.

What does the word Headwear inspire in you?   Please join us and link up your cards over at Inkspirational!

The challenge ends on 10/4

Also sending my card to:

Love those Pretty Papers

optional theme FALL

ends 9/30

Shopping our Stash

Don't really need another one  ends 9/23

I buy way too many Tim Holtz dies! 

 Tic Tac Toe

Center vertical row - Gems/free/die cut

ends 10/26

Stamps:  Postage Collage - Waffle Flower, My Kind of Guy - Waltzingmouse (retired)

Ink:  Antique Linen, Gathered Twigs - Ranger Distress, Nocturne - Versafine Clair.

Paper:  Water Color - Canson Cold PRess, Kraft Stock - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, DP Pastel Deco 6x6 Pack - Brutus Monroe.

Accessories:  Postage Collage Coloring Stencil, Postage Collage Die  - Waffle Flower, Tailored dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, red gem, foam dots.

Aug 2024 Card Chain Challenge Reveal - Let's Play a Record!

 Today is reveal day for all the cards exchanged for the August Card Chain Challenge.  This time I sent my card to Mia in Greece and I received a card from Dagmara in Germany! (she sent me one last month too).  Mia hasn't received my card yet even though it was mailed from the US on Aug 8! So frustrating! Update:  Mia finally received my card on 9/9 - yay!!

I used the suggested colors and the themes of  Music and Friendship.

Here is my card closed.

And it opens to reveal a record player.  

You can really spin the record with your finger too!

(No music, but you can sing a tune as you spin it??!!)

I used dies from For the Record by My Favorite things (retired) but search Amazon for Record Player Die and there are a few non brand ones there.

To make the record player base - cut a strip of card stock or DP 4" x 12".  Score at 4", 7 1/2", 8" and 11 1/2".  Fold on all the score lines and adhere the 1/2" end to the 4" panel.  The card will fold flat for mailing in an A2 envelope when you close the 'cover'

To allow the record to spin - I punched a 1" circle, attaching it to the bottom of the record with a small brad put though the center of the record.  I added a few foam dots to the bottom of the circle (not between the record and the circle but on the bottom of the circle) and adhered the record to the player with those foam dots.  Then the record is raised and free to spin.  the SPIN and arrow are from Interactive Labels from MFT.

If you don't want it to spin don't add the circle - just adhere the record to the base with foam dots.

If you'd like to join in this fun card exchange challenge for Sept - you have until 9/6 to sign up.  

You'll find out all the details on how to participate at The Card  Chain Challenge here.

I'm also linking my card to:

NBUS

First time using the Longfellow Quote stamp

Time Out Challenges

ends 9/12

Shopping Our Stash

Just Because  ends 9/9

Allsorts Challenge

Add a Sentiment  ends 9/5

Stamps:  Longfellow Quote - Serendipity,  For the Record - Honey Bee Stamps, Interactive Labels - My Favorite Things.

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Paper:  Raspberry Fizz - Papertrey Ink, Brushed Silver - Stampin' Up, black, green, orange - Kraft Core Core-dinations, DP - Elegant Jungle - DCWV.

Accessories:  For the Record Dies - My Favorite Things, Nested Stitched Scallop Frame - Amazon. foam dots, small brad,  Puffy Hearts - Michaels.