WWC172 - Anything Goes

I love it when a fifth Wednesday comes along in a month because it means that we have a "wide open" Anything Goes challenge.  Sometimes I've created a fancy box or another type of 3-D project but this time I kept it simple.  But that's the beauty of the Anything Goes challenge.

Like I said, I decided to keep my project simple this time.  I love the Stampendous House Mouse designs.  There are so many adorable little critters, many of whom have been  given names because they have so many adventures together.  I found one which simply "spoke" to me and so, of course, I had to have it.  It's a tiny little mouse, nestled among the pussy-willows, eyes shut and clearly taking a nap. 

Because it's all about the image, I made my card clean and simple.  My base is the Heavy Whisper White, the next layer is Mossy Meadow and the final layer is Whisper White.  First I stamped my image on the Whisper White and then, after it had fully dried, I used my Derwent Coloursoft pencils, bringing the mouse and pussy-willows to life with the colours.  Using the Gamsol afterwards to blend and smooth out the colours was next to magical.  I also added a bit of soft blue around the image and stamped some "bubbles" using Soft Sky, just to finish it off.

The sentiment is one of my favourites and is from the retiring Hostess Feathery Friends set.  I added a few black rhinestones to finish off.

I hope you'll check out the wonderful creations by the other Watercooler Artists at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge blog.

I'm linking this card to the following challenges:

Creative Moments Challenge #144 - Anything Goes/Animals

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Blog - Simon Says Anything Goes

HMFMC #267 - Anything Goes

WWC171 - Heidi's "All About Christmas" Challenge

It's my turn to host our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I couldn't be more thrilled.  My challenge is the "All About Christmas" Challenge this time.  How cool is that?  I can add another card to my growing stash of Christmas cards.

I bought the Apron of Love bundle a few months back and so far only got so far as to open the stamp case, look at the stamps and then put it away again.  For some reason it didn't "speak" to me or get my creative juices flowing.  Until now!  This time I opened that stamp case and began using those stamps.  And those matching framelits.  I had so much fun!

Of course one of the key points to getting my creative juices flowing was that I was sorting my retired Designer Paper.  I had put that chore off far too long, as you can tell from the paper I pulled out to use for this card.  This is the Candy Cane Lane Designer Series Paper which actually retired at the end of December, 2016.  And I still love it!

My colours are all pulled  from the designer paper:  my base is Whisper White.  The layers are Real Red, Crumb Cake and Early Espresso.  Do you see the embossed design on the Early Espresso?  I created that by putting my paper through the Big Shot twice, laying the paper first slanted one way and then the other, using the Simple Stripes embossing folder.

I cut the apron from a piece of the previously mentioned designer paper and the pocket as well.  The baking mitt is stamped on Whisper White using Real Red.  The rolling pin is cut from the gorgeous (and carried over) Wood Textures designer paper while the whisk is cut from Silver Foil.  The spatula and wooden spoon were both cut from Very Vanilla and then coloured.  And finally, the Merry Christmas sentiment is heat embossed in White on Real Red cardstock.

But the fun begins inside the card.  I decided to use the adorable gingerbread people from the Cookie Cutter Christmas bundle.  I stamped them on Crumb Cake cardstock using Crumb Cake ink.  Then I cut them out using the coordinating punch.  To bring out their eyes and mouth, I used black and Real Red.  For the white icing "piping", I used the White Chalk marker.  They're standing on a "cookie sheet" of Silver Foil.  I used the sentiment from their stamp set since it seemed to say it all so well.

For the background, I turned to the same Designer Series paper again.  The diagonal stripes in Real Red, Crumb Cake and White looked great behind those adorable gingerbread people.  I liked it so well that I used a similarly striped piece of retired Washi tape at the foot of the card.

I hope you've enjoyed my little creation.  Pop Up cards are such fun to make and to receive.  

I trust you'll check out the wonderful creations by the other Watercooler Artists over at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge blog.  And then I hope to see your card linked up for my challenge.

I'm also entering my card into the Merry Monday Christmas Challenge #291 - Add sweets, canes or cookies to your card

The Addicted to Stamps and More #293 - Holiday

And in the Fab 'n Funky #395 Challenge - Christmas

WWC170 - Penny's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

It's time for another Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and today Penny is our host.  I love the masculine "anything goes" challenges since I always wind up needing a lot of masculine cards, what with my husband, brother-in-law, son-in-law, grandsons, nephews and friends.  Our masculine challenge is my opportunity to add to my "stash".

I'll admit it was hard to decide what to do for this card.  I had so many different ideas, using current sets, retired sets and even the new ones which I had a chance to pre-order from the new catalogue.  Finally I decided on one of the new ones, the Enjoy Life stamp set, which has some awesome images and sentiments.  Since I had decided not to use the retiring Truly Taylored set, I turned to the gorgeous designer paper in that suite, the True Gentleman Designer Series paper.  I love that wonderful mix of colours and, to compliment the pattern I chose, used coordinating papers and ink.  My base  is Crumb Cake followed by a layer of Tranquil Tide and then the patterned paper.  Then I cut out a piece of the retiring Chocolate Chip using my Stitched Squares framelits and a piece of the Very Vanilla using my retired Squares framelits.

Since the darkest colour in the patterned paper is the Night of Navy, I decided to stamp my image and sentiment onto the Very Vanilla piece using that ink.  The image is so strong and the sentiment is just perfect and so I added nothing else.  Sometimes less is definitely more.

I love the way this card turned out.  I'm looking forward to using it for either a birthday card or "hello" card sometime soon.

I hope you'll check out the awesome cards created by our Guest Designer, Stephanie Lanzalotto and the other Watercooler Artists over at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge blog.  Better still, link up your own for us to enjoy.

I'm also entering this card in the Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge #194 - Men's Hobbies (bicycling)

WWC169 - Charlotte's "All About Occasions" Challenge

I love the "All About Occasions" challenges, don't you?  This week Charlotte is our host and I just know there are going to be some awesome cards for this challenge.

With Mother's Day coming up within days here in Canada, of course I decided to make a card with that in mind.  Since my own Mum has passed on to a kinder, more joyful home, I decided to make this card for my beautiful daughter.  Shera-Lee is an awesome Mother to her two boys and deserves to be celebrated each and every day, especially on Mother's Day.

For this card I decided to use a combination  of products, both brand new to the upcoming Annual Catalogue and, unfortunately retiring with the current Annual Catalogue.  The ones retiring are the gorgeous Myths & Magic Specialty Designer Series paper which I've used for my base.  It has bubbles which are embossed in an irridescent, glittery design.  It looks amazing in this photo but even more so in real life.  The other retiring product which I've used  is the sentiment from the Birthday Blossoms set.

The rest is all new product and it's exciting to showcase it for you.  Don't you just love the heron and water-lilies from the new Lilypad Lake Bundle?  And that gorgeous paper in the foreground under the sentiment is from the new Share What You Love Specialty Designer series paper  which just takes my breath away with those wonderful pearlized pages.

The sun  rising in the distance is from the fun Waterfront stamp set while those clouds are from the Lift me Up set.  I've used my inks and AquaPainter to add the soft colours.

I hope you'll check out the wonderful creations by our Watercooler Artists at the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge blog.

I'm also linking this card up to the following challenges:

Crafty Animals Challenge #14 - Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps & More #291 - Anything Goes

Delightfully Detailed and Overall Fun

There are some fun products coming up in the new Stampin' Up!  Annual Catalogue.  I'm playing with a few now and they're all available to us beginning June 1st.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend our OnStage in Red Deer this year.  OnStage is like a mini convention linked all over the world, in the many countries which have Stampin' Up! Demonstrators.  One of the perks of going to OnStage is getting to see all the new products early.  Another perk is getting a few of those products as gifts or as an early pre-order.  Some of the products which I used for this awesome little card were gifts and I can hardly wait to get more.

The little notecard base which I've used is a new product, the same size as our current notecards, but in Very Vanilla with a gorgeous water-colour wash over them.  The one I've used here has a Mint Macaroon wash and is so pretty even without anything added.  But of course I've had to add things.  One of those things is a stunning laser-cut floral design which has a Very Vanilla side and a Whisper White side.  I've, of course, used the Very Vanilla.

Another new product I've used is the fun and versatile Whisper White Polka Dot Tulle ribbon which is being introduced.  It's easy to colour using our inks, but in this case I've simply attached it over a piece of the new Grapefruit Grove cardstock.  Doesn't that show off the Polka Dots beautifully?

And as a last goodbye, I've added a butterfly cut from the new Share What You Love Specialty Designer Series paper.  I'll miss the Bold Butterfly framelits and the Butterflies thinlits.  If you don't already have them, remember, they won't be in the new Annual Catalogue.

I'm entering my card in the Let's Craft and Create Challenge #137 - Anything Goes

And in the Dream Valley Challenge #178 - Add Ribbon or Lace

WWC168 - Helen's Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge

I'm so glad that we're having a Feminine "Anything Goes" challenge this week.  Helen Finlay is our host and we have some absolutely awesome samples over at the challenge blog.  But this post is all about my card.  I had such fun creating it!

I think everyone has heard about some of our returning colours.  For this card I turned to two of them, since they're featured in the Specialty Designer paper which I've used.  I'm in love with the paper!  Many of the designs have a pearlized finish to some of the images and the shine is wonderful.  For that very reason I've included some silver foil in my card, to match that wonderful shine.

I've had fun including a couple of the new stamp sets and thinlits, too.  This wonderful butterfly, for example, which I've heat embossed in white on Blackberry Bliss is from the Painted Glass Bundle. To add some shine I've used the Clear Wink of Stella in places.

I've used the thinlits from the same bundle for this dainty frame, cut from Rich Razzleberry and attached over a layer of Silver Foil.  The sentiment in the centre is heat embossed in white on a piece of Blackberry Bliss and is from the new Enjoy Life stamp set.

Of course the lovely floral background is from the new Share What You Love Designer Series paper which, as I've mentioned, has a wonderful pearlized finish in places.  Some of those flowers which appear white are actually blue but the light has caught them and they shine as brightly as the silver I've used elsewhere.  In person this is stunning!

My base is the Heavy Whisper White and then I've added a layer of the returning Mossy Meadow, then a layer of Silver Foil and finally the wonderful printed piece.  My butterfly and the sentiment square are both raised on Dimensionals.  As for any other embellishment---well, simply put, I don't think I needed any.

I can see many more projects being created with these products.  I'm in love!

I hope you'll check out the awesome creations created by the rest of the Watercooler Artists over at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  And then feel free to link up your own creation for us to enjoy.

I'm also linking my card to the following challenges:

Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge #18 - Lots of Layers

Fab & Funky Challenges #392 - Wet or Dry Embossing

Double "D" Challenges - May Flowers

Crafting by Designs - Anything Goes May Edition