WWC292 - Dawn's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist

Who doesn't like hedgehogs?  They're so adorably innocent looking, aren't they?  They look more like a "Gund" than an actual animal.  Well, this week I'm using a sweet image from the Craft Consortium Little Fawn and friends stamp set as well as the sentiment from the Stampendous Peeking Friends set.

For a change I used a base of Blushing Bride.  It compliments the colours in my images as well as adds a bit of a feminine flair, doesn't it?  

For my stamping, I used a piece of Mixed Media paper.  After using my stamping platform to get all the images set up and stamped in black, I  used my Derwent Watercolour pencils and Aqua Painter to colour the images and also to anchor them with some grass.  After distressing the perimeter of the paper, I adhered it to the base.  I don't often use embellishments, but the scene just seemed to call for some pink heart sequins.  They finish it off nicely, don't they?

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, October 12th.   

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #130 - Anything Goes

The Paper Players Challenge PP511 - A Theme from Claire, Fall Critters

WWC291 - Fifth Week Anything Goes Challenge

 Oh my!  We have five Wednesdays in September and so this week we're having our fun, special "Anything Goes" challenge.  I've been looking forward to this.  Of course I've gone back and forth with all sorts of ideas, from special folds to boxes to fancy cards.  And then I suddenly needed a card for a special someone's birthday and my decision was made.  

This adorable birthday card is stamped and stencilled on one layer of Mixed Media paper.  I began with that sweet fox and bunny, stamping the image in the bottom right corner of the paper.  Then I took a scrap of  self-adhesive masking paper and stamped the image on it.  Once it had dried, I carefully cut it out just inside the lines.  Then I peeled off the backing and masked the stamped image on my Mixed Media paper. 

I had decided to use the large Crafter's Companion sentiment and knew it would stamp onto my little fox, hence the masking.  With mask in place, I used my stamping platform to stamp the sentiment in black ink.  It took several passes to get the nice even coverage I wanted (thank goodness for the stamping platform).  At this point I removed the mask from my image and used my heat gun to dry the sentiment thoroughly.  

Since I planned to use a stencil over the sentiment and image, I attached the mask onto the image once again and proceeded to use my Nuvo Blending Brush to stencil the heart-shaped pawprints using Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide ink.  Once that was done I could finally remove the mask for good.

While that dried, I stamped the sentiment inside the card and used the stencil and Blending Brush to add a few pawprints on the left hand side.  I outlined the prints with a thin black pen and like the effect.  I hope you do, too.  

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, October 5th.   

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #129 - Anything Goes

All Fun Challenges #16 - Anything Goes

Crafting Happiness Challenge #68 - Anything Goes

WWC 290 - Michelle's Challenge: All About Occasions

I love owls!  Imagine my happiness at buying an adorable stamp which has FOUR owls, all dressed in scarves and winter caps, holding their Christmas stockings.   

I used the Heavy Whisper White as my base and actually die-cut a piece of Craft Consortium patterned paper: the Grunge in Light Tones.  After die-cutting that wonderful snowflake edge, I stamped the Wild Rose Studio image of the four owls (Owl Family) and then, near the bottom edge, the sentiment.  Because the paper is lighter in the centre, it was easy to colour the owls using my Stampin' Markers.  The colours show up nice and clean and bright, exactly the way I had hoped they would.

Rather than use a matte behind the paper, I attached it directly to the white base.  The soft colours show up well against the white and give a cooler, more wintery look, don't you agree?  To add a bit of dimension, I used my Snow Marker on the "furry" edges of the hats and stockings.  After this dried, I used my heat gun to  make it nice and puffy.  A final bit of bling, thanks to my Silver Nuvo drops, in the centres of the snowflakes, and my card was finished.    I hope you like it as much as I do.

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, September 28th.         

  

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Make My Monday Challenge #131 - Christmas in September    

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #129 - Anything Goes    

CAS Christmas Card Challenge: Christmas September 2020    

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #508 - Anything Goes     

WWC289 - Heidi's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twist

I love the wonderful images created by Bonnie Krebs for Art Impressions, don't you?  In the set which I'm using, Bonnie has brought the adorable Opossum images to life.  I had such fun using them.

 

A lot of little things came together to make this card work.  I began with a base of Garden Green cardstock.  Then I added a layer of Whisper White which I first embossed using the confetti embossing folder and then adhered to the base.  For the background oval I used a piece of Pool Party cardstock to which I adhered three clouds which I had fussy cut from some retired patterned paper .  Then I heat embossed the sentiment using White Embossing powder.   To give it some added interest, I ran the piece through my Big Shot using the Subtle embossing folder.  I like the  way the  embossing makes those clouds appear to be part of the paper and yet still lets the sentiment be legible.  Win/win.  

 After stamping my little Possum on a piece of Mixed Media paper,  I carefully fussy cut it out and then used my Aqua Painter to watercolour it.  I kept the colours neutral but layered them to give a sense of dimension and shadows.  I used Crumb Cake, Gray Granite, Petal Pink, Pink Flamingo (for that sweet little nose), Garden Green and Pineapple Punch.   After the watercolouring had completely dried, I added some Shimmery Crystal Effects to both the balloon and that cute nose.  I love the shimmery shine, don't you?

 The oval is raised above the base and matte with a ring of Adhesive Strips around the perimeter.  I love the effect!

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, September 21st.  

 I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #128 - Anything Goes

 Creative Craft Cottage Challenge #133 - Include an Animal

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Frame It

WWC288 - Kath's Challenge: All About Occasions

I am falling in love with the wonderful images by the Craft Consortium.  The one I've used this week is from the "It's Snome Time', by the talented British illustrator, Helz Cuppleditch.  The stamps are beautiful and the premium patterned paper pads are even more so.  But judge for yourselves.

Isn't that the cutest Gnome ever?  I had such fun watercolouring him with my Aquapainter and stamp pads.  The red is Real Red, the blue is Pool Party, the tips of his boots are Gray Granite, the lowlights in his beard are a very pale Smoky Slate and, finally, the nose and hands take their colour from the Petal Pink Stampin' Marker.

I used a base of the Heavy Whisper White.  Actually I had meant to use a base of Garden Green but when I checked out the layers against both the white and the green, the white made it look lighter and more festive, so that was an easy decision.  Behind the adorable Gnome is a strip of patterned paper with a matte of Real Red and then a layer of another design of the patterned paper.   It's difficult to see in the photo, but those snowflakes all look as if they've been heat embossed onto the paper.  It's a lovely effect.

While the layers of paper are all adhered directly onto each other, the Gnome is raised up on Dimensionals.  I thought a very small sentiment was best so that no attention was taken away from the gorgeous colours and design.  I love the way it turned out, don't you?

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, September 14th.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #128 - Anything Goes

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #78 - Anything Christmas Goes

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #506 - Use some patterned paper

WWC287 - Helen's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist

Oh my!  I just bought a gorgeous stamp set from the Craft Consortium and had to use it.  The set is called The Riverbank and the images are simply beautiful.

I decided to use the retired but absolutely lovely Perennial Essence Designer Series paper as my background.  The look of the artist's brushstrokes and the bold mix of colours compliments the swan image which I've used as well as the water lilies in the foreground.

My base is the Heavy Whisper White and then I've used a matte of the Gorgeous Grape to accent the colours in the patterned paper.  I fussy cut the swan as well as the water lilies since, alas, there are no matching dies in this set.  For the swan I used a light watercolour wash of Smoky Slate to add form to the body and neck.  For the water lilies, I began with watercolouring the blossoms, using the pretty Powder Pink.  Layering the colour in places, adds form to the blossoms, too.  The leaves, however, were coloured using my Stampin' Blends.  I used both the dark and the light Call Me Clover to give them form as well as carry the colour from the background.

While I adhered the swan directly to the background, I used dimensionals to pop up the water lilies and thus add dimension to the card.  A quick heat embossing of the sentiment using white embossing powder, and the card was done.  I love the way it turned out, don't you? 

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, September 7th.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #127 - Anything Goes

Crafty Hazelnut's September 2020 Patterned Paper Challenge

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #262 - Things With Wings

Simon Says Stamp it in STAMPtember

WWC286 - Marsha's Challenge: All About Occasions

Oh my goodness!  If you've been following me for a while, you know all about my House-Mouse obsession.  Unbelievably, I found a stamp for our strange and weird 2020, created by Ellen Jareckie to acknowledge the COVID 19 restrictions.  Of course I had to use it right away!

Is that not the most darling image?  I love little Muzzy and her sweet mask.  Because I didn't want anything to draw attention away her, I made this card clean and simple.  The base is the Heavy Whisper White while the matte is Coastal Cabana.  

I stamped the image and sentiment on a piece of Mixed Media paper and then drew in the lines to ground the image.  (Can't just have Muzzy floating in the middle of a piece of paper, can I?)  For the background I used my Aqua Painter as well as the Smoky Slate and Soft Sea Foam re-inkers.  While I  have been watercolouring my images most of the time lately, this time I reached for my Stampin' Markers.   I used a layer of Crumbcake and a layer of Gray Granite for Muzzy's fur.  Then, for her face, ears, paws and tail, I used the Blush Blossom.  I had fun with the mask.  For the outline, I used the Coastal Cabana and then for the two inside colours, I used the Calypso Coral and the Crushed Curry.    

I love the way the card turned out and hope you do, too.  Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday,  August 31st.

I've also linked my card to the following challenges:

HM&FMC  #322 - Anything Goes With an Option of Flowers

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #127 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

WWC285 - Karen's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twist

I fell in love with this adorable set of "Frenchie" pups enjoying all sorts of summer activities.  The only problem was choosing which image to use for Karen's fun masculine challenge this week.  In the end I couldn't resist the one of the pup enjoying a swim.  I suspect our hot weather made me decide to live vicariously through him.

I used the Heavy Whisper White as my base and added a matte of Granny Apple Green.  Then I embossed a piece of Pineapple Punch using the Darice Pawprint embossing folder.  I love the vibrant colours together, don't you?

I stamped the image on a piece of Mixed Media paper using my black Versafine ink.  I fit the fancy stitched die over the image to get the placement of the "Just Chillin" right and then cut it out.  As a matte backing, I used the next size up die to cut a piece of the Granny Apple Green.  I love how the watercoloured image just "pops" against the bright colours, don't you?

I love the way the card turned out and hope you do, too.  Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday,  August 24th.

I've also linked my card to the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #126 - Always Anything Goes

Make My Monday Challenge #129 - On the Beach

AAA Birthday: Fame #16 - Tic Tac Toe  (I used "bright, embossing, masculine")

WWC 284 - Dawn's Challenge: All About Occasions

This week Dawn is hosting our awesome All About Occasions Challenge and so I've created a fun Christmas card for my stash.  Time is marching on and I need those cards!  What could be better than combining one of those popular Gnomes with a gingerbread man?

 I've  used some very old, retired Designer Paper along with this adorable Gnome.  I think the patterns work together beautifully, don't you?  And I took inspiration for the colours in the card from the patterned paper.  For my base I used the heavy Whisper White and then added a layer of Early Espresso.  After adding a different pattern to each side, I cut out a stitched oval from Whisper White and embossed that using a Falling Snow embossing folder.  Then  I added a stitched rectangle of  Cherry Cobbler and embossed that using the Subtle embossing folder.  

I attached the Gnome using Dimensionals after colouring him (and his sweet friend) with my alcohol ink Blends.   

I love the way the card turned out and hope you do, too.  Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday,  August 17th.

 I've also linked my card to the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #126 - Anything Goes

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #76 -  Anything Christmas Goes

WWC283 - Tristan's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist

For Tristan's challenge this week, I decided to get in touch with my inner "cat person".  Seriously, I've been accumulating a lot of cat dies of all kinds lately and am happy to be able to use one.  

Isn't it darling?  For my background I used a Darice embossing folder with a combination of debossed and embossed pawprints.  I love the variation, don't you?

For a change my base is Basic Black which make the embossed Whisper White layer stand out beautifully.  I used the little "cat in the square" die to cut out a piece of Basic Black and then used my stitched square die to cut out a piece of Whisper White which I used as a backing.  That allowed me to colour the background a very soft green, the inside of the ears a very soft pink and the eyes a warm yellow.  The sentiment from the retired Pretty Kitty stamp set works perfectly, doesn't it?

I love the way the card turned out and hope you do, too.  Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday,  August 10th.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #125 - Anything Goes

Show Us Your Pussycat Challenges #57 - Furrything Goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge #41 -     Dry or Hot Embossing

Crafty Creations Challenges August #412 - Anything Goes

WWC282 - Fifth Week Anything Goes Challenge

Every month which has five Wednesdays we have a special challenge for our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  It's an Anything Goes challenge and I decided to create another special fold.  This time it's very simple.  It's a gate-fold but is made special  by the gorgeous Designer Paper which I used.

I used the Heavy Whisper White for my base, cutting it to 5 1/2" x 8  1/2".  The gate-fold is created by scoring first at 2 1/2" and then at 6 3/4".  I purposely made an uneven gate.  The Designer paper seemed to want to be cut at that point and so I went along with it.  My matte is the lovely Highland Heather cardstock.  The Designer Paper is the retired but, nevertheless stunning, Perrennial Essence.

 At this slight angle, you can just see how I've added some sparkle to the centres of the blossoms  with my Sheer Shimmer Stix Dauber.  It compliments the sparkle of the scalloped circle mattle under the stitched circle of the sentiment.  I stamped the sentiment using  Rich Razzleberry ink which is close to the warm tones in the blossoms.  The little butterfly is sparkly as well, cut from glitter paper. 

For the inside of the card, I kept it simple.  I cut a piece of 4 1/2" x 3 1/4" Highland Heather cardstock and then added a piece of 4 1/4" x 3" Whisper White on which I stamped a little butterfly and blossoms, leaving lots of room for a written greeting.

I love the way the card turned out and hope you do, too.  Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday,  August 3rd.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

 Lemon Shortbread Challenge #125 - Anything Goes

A Place to Start July 2020 Challenge - Flowers (Flowers, Floral Papers, etc)

WWC281 - Heidi's Challenge: All About Occasions

It's my turn as host for our awesome Watercooler Challenge this week.  One occasion for which I'm always needing more cards is when I'm sending thanks to someone.  I always seem to run out of Thank You cards.  So that's what I decided to make using some fun retired patterned paper as well as those adorable little House Mouse images.

This is a special fold which I saw on Mary Brown's blog and had to try myself.  If you're curious about Mary's, just click here.  It's actually an easy fold (which is always nice, right?) and helps to use up some of the patterned paper we all seem to wind up hoarding.

You begin with a piece of 5 1/2 x 12 patterned paper.  It works best if your paper isn't strictly "one direction" on one side.  From there you score at 2", 4", 8", and 10".  At each end, you cut diagonally from the fold line to the centre of the edge, as you can see from the pic:

Keep those little triangular pieces.  You're going to glue them onto the uncut end of that last fold as you can see from the pic:

Once glued on with all the folds in place, you will have a special fold card ready to decorate:

On a piece of Mixed Media paper, I stamped the adorable little images from Ellen Jareckie's Acorn Cap House Mouse set.  Perfect for the patterned paper which I used, right?  After using my stitched oval die to cut out the image, I proceeded to watercolour it using my favourite Derwent Watercolour Pencils and Aquapainter.  When the colours were dry, I added some Sakura Glaze to the nut portion of the acorns.

 To finish up I cut a 3" x 4 1/4" piece of Very Vanilla cardstock, added two fussy-cut acorns, and glued it to the centre of the inside of the card. 

I love the way the card turned out and hope you do, too.  Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, July 27th.

I've also entered this card in the following Challenges:

 HMFMC #321 - Anything Goes ( Option: use a number)

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #124 - Anything Goes

WWC280 - Kath's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twist

With Kath's masculine challenge, I thought it was the perfect time to play with the fun (and new) stamp set I bought from Art Impressions.  The images are by Bonnie Krebs and reflect her usual humorous look at life.

This is what happens when men go hunting.  If one of them is celebrating a birthday, all bets are off.  Clearly both the birthday boy and the birthday cake have gone missing.  Are they carrying their guns for any reason other than protecting themselves from wild bear and disgruntled deer?  We'll never know.   What happens in the woods, stays in the woods.

I had such fun watercolouring Bonnie's terrific images.  Keeping each of the men separate and giving each a bit of a different look took a bit of time and a lot of thought, but I think, in the end, it worked out well.  I used Mixed Media paper for the watercoloured image and, of course, my favourite Derwent watercolour pencils.  I used a matte of Gray Granite and the base is simply white.

In this slightly off centre photo, you can just see the sparkle of the Shimmery Crystal Effects on the glass of the binoculars and the soft sheen of the silver buckles.

I love the way the card turned out and hope you do, too.  Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, July 20th.

 I've also added my card to the following challenges:

  Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge #249 - No patterned paper

 Lemon Shortbread Challenge #124 - Anything Goes

The Male Room Challenge #140 - Sport

WWC279 - Helen's Challenge: All About Occasions

I'm so glad this challenge is All About Occasions!  I'm ready to begin building up my Christmas card stash and what a perfect way to begin, with those adorable little House Mouse designs.

I began with a base of Heavy Whisper White cardstock and then added a lovely die-cut matte of Garden Green.  I stamped the adorable Ellen Jareckie House Mouse image onto a piece of Mixed Media paper and then proceeded to colour it using my fabulous Derwent Watercolour Pencils.  Because I decided those little Christmas lights should be lit, I added a light wash of colour around each bulb.  You can just see it on the paper and  beside the bulb, but this is the way the colour would naturally spread.  After colouring the image, I took the next smaller die and cut out the image with it so that it would fit perfectly inside that green matte.

I added a layer of the Shimmery Crystal Effects to the Christmas Lights and some silver to the end of the pencil.  You can see that more easily with the slight angle of this photo.

For the inside, I inked up only the one Christmas bulb and stamped it in the upper left corner.  Then, after watercolouring, I added some Shimmery Crystal Effects to the bulb as well.  The sentiment is from an old, retired set which I've kept simply for the assortment of sentiments. 

I love the way the card turned out and hope you do, too.  Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, July 13th.

I've also added my card to the following challenges:

HMFMC #320 - Anything Goes with the option of stitching

Shopping Our Stash #424 - Hanukkah/Christmas in July

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #123 - Anything Goes

Fezziwigs Festive Frolics - Anything Festive Goes

WWC278 - Michelle's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist

I love Coneflowers (also known as Echinacea)!  They have become a popular garden addition and boast a whole lot of colours now.  I bought a die set with three sizes of Coneflowers which I've been wanting to use.  And, finally, I've used the dies for this week's challenge card.

I decided to use a slightly cream coloured base and then added two mattes.  The first is a very narrow Daffodil Delight followed by a wood patterned paper.  On top of that, I added a lovely retired piece of Designer paper which has a Heat Embossed finish to it.  Not only does that add interest and weight but it also has a wonderful shine to it, almost like mosaic tiles.

I cut the pieces for the Coneflowers from Watercolour Paper.  When I first cut the pieces, I intended to check on the internet to see the possible  colours.  To my surprise there were many from which to choose.  I think I changed my mind half a dozen times and then, finally, decided on yellow.  Watercolouring them allowed me the opportunity to add shading, which I prefer to simply using a yellow cardstock.  Of course, seeing the close-ups of the cones showed me that there was more of a pattern and more colours to them than I had anticipated.  For the additional dots of red, I used a paint brush to add some pearlized Nuvo Drops.  

As you can see from this picture, I created an easel card.  I added an outline of the same patterned paper to the inside as well as a little die-cut bee.  Not only is the bee perfect for the flowers, it provided that very important little "stopper" for the card, forcing it to stay put in the easel position.

I love the way the card turned out and hope you do, too.  Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, July 6th.

I've also added my card to the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #123 - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #460 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations July Challenge #411 - Anything Goes