Blue is the Colour at Cardz 4 Guyz

Guess what!  I am happy to announce that I've joined the Cardz 4 Guyz Design Team.

This challenge, chosen by Cazro, is #235 - Blue is the Colour.  Please check out the blog for details and also to see the wonderful samples by the Design Team.

Since this challenge is all about the colour blue, I chose a gorgeous piece of background printed paper which is in countless shades of blue, from light to dark.  Since the paper has a lot of detail, I kept the design simple.  My base is a Heavyweight white cardstock.  Then I added a matte of Pacific Point cardstock and, finally, the lovely printed paper.

I had a die which I've been dying to use, of birds on a bare branch.  I thought it would be perfect against the background paper and cut it from Pacific Point cardstock.  To finish up, I added a sentiment stamped using my Pacific Point ink.

I hope you enjoy my card as much as I enjoyed creating it.  Have fun with our challenge!

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge CHNC 470 - anything goes with Christmas

Merry Little Christmas Challenge Blog MLCCB#17 - Anything goes with Christmas

WWC252 - Marsha's Special 3-Week "Anything Goes" Challenge

It's almost Christmas!  As a special gift to ourselves, we're taking a bit of time off and so have made this challenge a special 3-week challenge.  As a result, I've created a "twofer" for this challenge.  What's a twofer?  Well, you take a stamp set or dies and create complimentary projects.  Et voila!  A twofer.

 

My gorgeous daughter was a competitive figure-skater until she graduated from High School.  With that in mind and combining Stampin' Up!'s Free Skate bundle with one of the images from the Born to Shine stamp set, I set about creating this card and gift tag.

I began by sponging over my Silver Foil with Pacific Point ink.  Being foil, it did not saturate the paper, but after drying overnight and then rubbing the excess ink off with a soft cloth, I could see the soft blue colouring which reminded me of the ice on which my daughter skated.

I stamped the image of the dancer and added skates to her feet with my Journalling Pen.  Then I carefully fussy cut the adjusted image before colouring it using my Stampin' Blends.

For the holly garland, I used the die in the bundle, cutting it twice from Call Me Clover cardstock.  Then I proceeded to add a bit of Call Me Clover ink to the holly leaves using my Stampin' Blends, before crumpling it into a tight ball and then carefully pulling it into a long garland again.  I added the garland, one on top of the other, diagonally across the foil and then added berries with dots of Red Liquid Pearls.

I love the way my lovely skater appears to be doing some fancy ice work on her toe-picks, don't you?  I decided to have the skate from the bundle set diagonally across from my skater.  The detailing on the image is so beautiful.  For a person who was immersed in the sport for years and wound up cleaning and polishing skates thousands of times, it brings back some wonderful memories.

I love that the sentiments in this bundle lend themselves so perfectly to the card which I created.  The inside is simple but reflects the front.

For my tag I decided to use the fancy die version of the skate.  After cutting it out from a piece of Whisper White, I placed it over a matte of Lovely Lipstick.  This cherry red is repeated both in the tag and in the card.  I've also used the Call Me Clover for the holly image which I stamped, coloured and cut with the corresponding die.

I laced the skate using the retired Candy Lane Baker's twine.  I love the thin red foil running through the white cotton, don't you?  Finally, since I simply couldn't find a sentiment which appealed, I decided to write it myself using a Signo Pigment Ink white pen.  A perfect complement to the card, don't you agree?

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges: 

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #109 - Anything Goes

Jingle Belles:  Taking Back Our 9th Christmas

The Card Concept #HOL19 - Favourite card  (I chose this one because it brings back memories of        my daughter skating in competitions.)

WWC251 - Dawn's "All About Occasions" Challenge

I bought a die set a while back which I keep meaning to use but haven't yet.  It seemed like the right time to pull it out and create a card.  The die is simple.  It shows the silhouette of a wolf singing the song of its ancestors as a sliver of moon shines above him.

For my base I used the Heavy Whisper White.  I wanted a night sky behind my silhouettes but didn't want too dark a blue and so pulled out my Pacific Point cardstock.  To give it more of an effect of the moon rising, I used my Aqua Painter and added Pacific Point to the upper portion of the piece.  To the lower portion, I used some chalk pastels I had lying around.  A paler blue helped to lighten the cardstock without really changing the colour.  I did the same with the moon.  By that I mean I used chalk pastels.  I wanted to have a huge moon but still give the impression of the majority being the dark side, slightly illuminated.  Then I adhered the strip of moon and I think it worked out quite well.

The silhouette of the moon on a rock was perfect but I wanted him to appear to be way up on a mountain.  Having the silhouettes of the upper portion of trees helps give that impression.  After that, a scattering of stars, thanks to some retired Glimmer paper and another die and the card was ready for its sentiment.  The simple line from the retired Nature Sings stamp set is perfect, don't you agree?

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges: 

Cardz 4 Guyz:  Challenge #234 (Christmas Critters)

Simon Says Monday Challenge Blog:  Stars

Mod Squad Challenge Blog - Snowy or Starry Night

WWC250 - Helen's Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge

I love the wonderful images which Bonnie Krebs draws for Art Impressions.  I own enough stamps sets with her images that choosing one for a card becomes increasingly difficult.  This set, however, the Woodland Holiday, reflects the season and allows me to use one of my favourite woodland animals, the fox.  Of course I haven't been delighted with the sight of a fox quite like this during my hikes, but one can hope, right?

For my base I used the Heavy Whisper White.  Then I added a matte of Highland Heather and, of course, the stamped piece.  I kept it clean and simple by stamping the image and sentiment and adding watercolours.  The only embellishment is a bit of Shimmery Crystal Effects gloss over the holly berries and silver bell.  I love the results and hope you do, too.

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges: 

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #108 - Anything Goes

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #61 - Anything Christmas Goes

WWC249 - Karen's "All About Occasions" Challenge

Early this year I came across a delightful Art Impressions stamp set called "Full of Thanks".  It was perfect for Thanksgiving and so I put it aside.  Miraculously I'm actually using it for a Thanksgiving card as planned.  (I don't know about you, but my plans frequently go wonky).  Of course the star of every Thanksgiving is the turkey and for my family, it's all about the dressing.

I decided to concentrate on another definition of the verb "to dress".  Isn't he a handsome young bird?  The colours I've used are all taken from the gorgeous Designer Paper in the background.  I think Stampin' Up! brought it out at least eight or nine years ago (yes, it's retired) and I finally decided to raid my stash.  Hoarding paper is something I don't seem to be able to stop doing.

My base is the Heavy Very Vanilla followed by a layer of plain Designer Paper and then the layer of cross-stitch Designer Paper.  Vertically to the right I've added a strip of Designer Paper featuring corn cobs in a variety of wonderful colours, with a matte of Soft Suede behind it.  My wonderful turkey image is attached with Dimensionals, on a matte of Cajun Craze.

The sentiment says it all!  I love it and hope you do, too.

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges: 

Shopping Our Stash Weekly Challenge #409 - So Thankful

Cutie Pie Challenge #141 - Add an Animal

Get Creative Challenges #86 - Last Challenge of the Year AG with a Holiday Twist

Art Impressions Challenge #271 - Anything Goes

Dare2bartzy Challenge - November - Thankful

WWC248 - Kath's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

I had a whole bunch of half-thought out ideas of masculine cards I could create but somehow nothing really caught my interest.  Then I came across a stamp set which I picked up quite a while ago and put aside.  It's funny!  It's cute!  To my mind it was the perfect choice for this week's challenge.  I hope you like it, too.

The set comes as one stamp with this trio of laughing animals and, of course, a nice selection of sentiments from which to choose.  There is something about these three that tickles my "funny bone".  I had fun colouring them with my Stampin' Blends, too.  For the background, I just "scribbled" around the animals using the Light So Saffron.  The ground is coloured using the Light Gray Granite.  The zebra is coloured with the Basic Black and Light Flirty Flamingo.  The giraffe also has some Light Flirty Flamingo and then the body is Light Crumb Cake covered over with Light Pumpkin Pie.  Finally, the elephant is coloured using the Smoky Slate with touches of Flirty Flamingo.

I used a base of So Saffron, a matte of Gray Granite and then stamped on Whisper White.  It's a light-hearted card.  I love it and hope you do, too.

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

Arty Divas Challenge #9 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations Challenge #402 - Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #107 - Anything Goes

WWC247 - Marsha's "All About Occasions" Challenge

I have a brand new House Mouse stamp that is perfect for our "All About Occasions" Challenge.  And this time I was able to "marry it up" with one of my favourite Stampin' Up! Specialty Designer Series papers, the Feels Like Frost.  I hope you love the results as much as I do!

Isn't that a fun image?  I love the way the mice appear to be swinging on top of those bells, hanging from the snow-laden branch above.  For this card I used a base of Heavy Whisper White and added a matte of Night of Navy.

I stamped the adorable little House Mouse image onto a piece of Mixed Media paper using my Stamparatus.  I left the paper attached with the magnets and proceeded to paint the bells using the Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint.  Once that had dried, I inked up the bell images again, avoiding the mice, and then stamped the lines back onto the bells.  I love the results, don't you?

I used the Stampin' Blends to colour the mice, the ribbons, and the details on the bells.  Of course I had to fussy cut the images and it was simply impossible to cut each hair that sticks out around those sweet mice.  I therefore used my Basic Black Stampin' Marker to ink only the hair around the mice and stamped that where I intended the images to be on the Designer Paper.  You can see how well that worked once they had been glued down.  It looks as if the entire image was stamped in one piece, doesn't it?

I also used the Shimmery Crystal Effects to add sparkle to the snow on those branches.  It adds more dimension, not to mention the pretty shimmer.

Since I had a strip of the Designer Paper left over, I used it inside the card, adding a wide strip to the left side and a very narrow strip to the right.  I think it makes a perfect border for the sentiment, don't you?

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

House-Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge #304 - Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #106 - Anything Goes

Arty Divas Challenge #8 - Anything Goes

WWC246 - Tristan's Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Baby, it's cold outside.  There's a lot of snow out there, too.  So I'm definitely thinking of winter and wintry things as I sit wondering what to do for our Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge.  For some reason the Playful Penguins stamp set keeps coming to mind.  So I'm thinking that there's no reason a penguin can't be feminine, right?

Look at that pink and gold scarf and toque.  Doesn't that just scream "lady penguin" to you?  And the sentiment worked out so well, too.

I began with a base of Heavy Whisper White and then added two thin mattes.  First I added Pool Party and then I added Lovely Lipstick.  The background Designer Paper is retired but I loved the "swirling" snow drifts and flakes.  What a perfect environment for those penguins!

I stamped the penguins onto a piece of Whisper White and then fussy cut them.  After colouring them with my Stampin' Blends, I attached them to the front of the card.  Then I cut out three snowflakes using the Seasonal Layers dies.  Although I just used scraps of Whisper White for those snowflakes, they have a wonderful sheen to them since I painted them with the Frost White Shimmer Paint.  I also added some of that Shimmer Paint to the snow drifts that the penguins are standing on to anchor them.

For the inside of the card, I just added some snowflakes stamped with Pool Party ink and a perfect sentiment from the same stamp set.

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #106 - Anything Goes

Dragonfly Dreams Challenges - Winter/Christmas

Crafty Sentiments Designs - Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #366 - Anything Goes

Crafting by Designs: November Challenge - Anything Goes

WWC245 - Anything Goes Challenge

Oh my goodness!  It's time for one of our awesome "Anything Goes" Challenges.  Just for fun I decided to used the sweet Magnolia Blooms stamp set for a fancy fold.  The Magnolia Blooms set is the "baby sister" to the much larger Good Morning Magnolia stamp set.  It doesn't come with a die set but for my purposes, it's gorgeous (and much, much more reasonably priced).

I used the Heavy Whisper White for my base, added a layer of Highland Heather and another of Purple Posy.  Then I took a piece of Whisper White and embossed the centre using the gorgeous oval from the Heirloom Frames 3D embossing folders set.  I love the depth of embossing as well as the dainty "engraving" that covers the oval.  Finally, I cut a piece of Purple Posy cardstock using my oval stitched die.  On that, I stamped the large magnolia image from the Magnolia Blooms set, using the Gray Granite ink.

I coloured the leaves and the outer portion of the petals with the White Stampin' Chalk Marker.  Once the leaves dried, I coloured them using my Mossy Meadow Stampin' Marker.  For the petals, I added another two layers of the Chalk Marker to achieve as solid white a colour as possible.  Leaving the inner portion of the petals the original colour of the Purple Posy cardstock worked out well for this image.  Finally, for the centre of the flower, I used my gold Nuvo Crystal Drops.

For the inside of the card I cut a piece of Purple Posy cardstock using a stitched rectangle die.  Then I added an outline of the Stitched Nested Labels dies in Mossy Meadow cardstock.  Finally I added a Whisper White stitched rectangle with the sentiment stamped using Purple Posy ink.

I love how beautifully the easel card stands, don't you?

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #105 - Anything Goes

Get Creative Challenges #85 - Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #116 - Anything Goes

WWC244 - Helen's "All About Occasions" Challenge

Since our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge this week is "All About Occasions", I decided to use one of the adorable House-Mouse Designs stamp sets.  Of course it's all about Christmas this time.

I chose a base of Heavy Whisper White and then added a piece of retired Christmas DSP.  Then I cut a smaller piece of Soft Suede, just large enough to frame the stamped and coloured image of my adorable House-Mice.

The image is stamped on a piece of Mixed Media paper using Versafine Onyx black ink.  I intended to watercolour my images and so I needed my ink to be waterproof.  I used watercolour pencils and layered the pigment.  I love the results.  Each Mouse has its own colour and the shading turned out very well.  For my background I took my AquaPainter and used Balmy Blue ink.  It's soft but makes a nice background colour which doesn't "fight" with my other colours.

Of course I had to add a few additional touches.  Those berries, for example, just cried out for some shine and I gave it to them with the Shimmery Crystal Effects.  And the gold halo on our "holly angel" looks authentic with the addition of some Vegas Gold, doesn't it?

Finally, for the sentiment, I wanted something very small which wouldn't cut across my images.  I found just what I wanted in the retired Christmas Magic set.  I inked half the sentiment and stamped it in black.  Then I took the second half and stamped it on a scrap of Whisper White using black ink as well.  I used the retired tiny tag punch to cut it out and then attached it below the already stamped word on the card.  a tiny ribbon of baker's twine, and we're good to go.

It was really a labour of love working with this fun image.  I hope you enjoy the card as much as I enjoyed creating it.

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

House-Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge - HMFMC #302 Anything Goes

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #58 - Anything Christmas Goes

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #105 - Anything Goes

Arty Divas Challenge #7 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations Challenge #401 - Anything Goes

WWC243 - Heidi's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Masculine challenges can be such fun.  I have some birthday "boys" coming up for whom I always make outdoorsy cards.  This is where the "Let it Ride" stamp set comes in handy.  Strangely enough, I also used the gorgeous Pressed Petals Designer Series paper and the Stitched Nested Labels dies added some dramatic detail.

Isn't that a fun card?  I used a base of Heavy Very Vanilla for a change.  It really complimented the layer of Soft Suede and the lovely piece of Designer Paper.  That burlap pattern is one of the "back" sides of the Pressed Petals DSP, and is perfect for the masculine feel I for which I was striving.  Instead of adding the stamped layers to the top, I actually cut out a "window" using the medium sized Stitched Label die, to expose the Soft Suede underneath.  Then I used a much smaller Stitched Label die to cut out a piece of Very Vanilla and stamped the horses onto that.  By mounting the stamped piece to the left, I had sufficient room to stamp the trees from the set onto the Soft Suede.

At the bottom of the card you can see I cut only portions of a piece of Soft Suede and a piece of Very Vanilla using the Stitched Label dies.  After stamping the "Happy Birthday" using Old Olive, I mounted the Very Vanilla to the far right of the die-cut Soft Suede before attaching the whole to the bottom of the card.  I think it balances the card nicely.  The horseshoes?  There's a story.  Remember the Home Sweet Home thinlit dies?  Well one of those dies is a round-topped window so I used that to cut two scraps of the retired Galvanized Metallic paper and then, after cutting off the window cross-pieces and bottom, I had horseshoes.  A few nail-holes added with my black pen finished the job.

For the inside I added two die-cuts of that great burlap paper and then added a special fold as a surprise.  It's an easy fun fold but will give added pleasure to the receiver of this card.  The remaining images and sentiments from the Let it Ride set fit onto the squares perfectly and look great, don't they?

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge #31 - Anything Goes with a Critter

Crafty Animals Challenge #31 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations Challenge #400 - Anything Goes

The Card Concept Challenge #121 - Adventure Awaits (I was inspired by a combination of the colours and the textures in the inspiration photo.  When I think of horses, I always think of adventures).

WWC242 - Marsha's "All About Occasions" Challenge

We're having an "All About Occasions" Challenge this week and I had a terrific idea for a card.  You know how much I love that Feels Like Frost Specialty Designer Series Paper.  Well, I decided to combine that with one of the adorable images from the New Wonders host set.

Isn't that just the sweetest thing?  I've fussy cut her and placed her so that it appears as if she's drawing the snowflake with a magic frost pen.  My base is the Heavy Whisper White and the next layer is the Night of Navy which I've first embossed using that new Hammered Metal 3D Embossing Folder.  I've added three snowflakes cut using the dies from the Seasonal Layers.  My sentiment?  Well, I couldn't find anything that struck me as just right for this card and so I wrote my own using my Night of Navy Stampin' Marker.

You can see more of the details in this close-up.  Unfortunately the shimmery effect of the Wink of Stella on her wings doesn't show very well in either photo.  Nor does the gorgeous shine and shimmer I've added to the closest frosty flower using the Shimmery Crystal Effects.  In real life they catch the light and sparkle beautifully.

I love the way she fits into the scene so well, don't you?  I had such fun with this card!

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #104 - Anything Goes

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #57 - Anything Christmas Goes

Christmas Crafts All Year 'Round for October - Christmas Angels, Fairies or Nativity

Christmas at Sweet Stampin' October Challenge - Anything Goes

WWC241 - Dawn's Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Ooooh!  It's a feminine challenge at the Watercooler this week and Dawn is our host.  I decided to combine that awesome Pressed Petals Specialty Designer Series paper with the terrific Wonderful Moments stamp set.

Doesn't that combination look wonderful?  I used a base of Heavy Whisper White and, after fussy cutting carefully around the inside of the floral wreath image on that pretty wood-grain paper, I was ready for the image which would be featured inside the wreath. 

I took a piece of Whisper White cardstock and, after using my Basic Black Stampin' Marker to ink up everything but the bouquet and ribbon at the back of the dress, I stamped the "bride".  My intention was to simplify the dress and also to have her hold some balloons rather than the bouquet.  I used my Stampin' Blends to colour the image.  The dress is Rococo Rose while the hair is a combination of Crumb Cake and Daffodil Delight.  Her skin is Ivory and the balloons are Daffodil Delight and, again, Rococo Rose.  Then I covered the image and stamped the dots from the stamp set (confetti?) as my background. 

I love the way she fits into the cut out of the wreath, don't you?  And the banner finishes off my card perfectly.

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #103 - Anything Goes

{PIN}spirational Challenges #248 - Photo Inspiration

WWC240 - Kath's "All About Occasions" Challenge

I am finally going to use a stamp set which has retired, the Spirited Snowmen set.  I have no idea why I haven't used this fun set until now, but I plan to make up for the oversight.

I combined the lovey-dovey pair of snowpeople with two designs from my still-favourite Specialty Designer Paper from the Holiday Catalogue:  the Feels Like Frost paper.  What I love is that one side of the two-sided paper has a photographic image on it while the other side has a pattern in white on silver foil.  I decided that the foil with the random white dots was perfect as a background for the pretty "snowfall" image.  And, of course, the snowpeople look perfect against the colours as well.

After stamping the image using my black Memento ink, I fussy-cut it and then proceeded to colour it using my Stampin' Blends.  I used the Pretty Peacock, Basic Black, Highland Heather, Soft Suede, Purple Posy, Old Olive, and Poppy Parade.  You can't really tell, unfortunely, since the camera didn't catch it, but I added some of the Wink of Stella to both of the snowpeople.  The die-cut sentiment is from a fun set of dies with which I was gifted (lucky me, since it works perfectly for this card).

My base is the Heavy Whisper White while the matte is the Pretty Peacock.  I love how this card turned out, don't you?

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #103 - Anything Goes

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #56 - Anything Christmas Goes

Cute N Crafty Challenge #32 - Anything Goes

Get Creative Challenges #84 - Anything Goes

Jingle Belles Challenge - Goodwill to Men (Peace)

Cute N' Crafty Christmas Challenge #18 - Anything Christmas

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Blog #66 - Anything Goes

WWC239 - Helen's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

I had so many ideas for this masculine challenge!  Finally I decided to use that wonderful "A Good Man" stamp set for my card.  With some masking and several other stamp sets, I created a scene that I'm sure would work for a birthday or some other celebration.

I combined the "A Good Man" set with the "Waterfront" set as well as the retired "Carols of Christmas" set.  I used a lot of inks for my watercolouring.  The background combines the Balmy Blue, Smoky Slate, Pear Pizzaz, Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Crumb Cake and Gray Granite inks.  The trees are stamped using Mossy Meadow while the deer is Black.  For the people I've used primarily Stampin' Markers in Cajun Craze, Balmy Blue, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Poppy Parade and the retired Blush Blossom.

My base is the Heavy Whisper White while the matte is Gray Granite.  I love how this turned out, don't you?

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #102 - Anything Goes

Cute N Crafty Challenge #31 - Family

Creative Craft Cottage Challenge #122 - For the Men in your life

WWC238 - Tristan's "All About Occasions" Challenge

I love our All About Occasions Challenges!  It's so much fun to decide on an Occasion and then to create a card for it.  I've chosen to make another Christmas card simply because I'm going to need them sooner than I'd like to admit.  Of course the fact that I was dying to use the gorgeous Nature's Beauty stamp set and more of that stunning Feels Like Frost Designer Series Paper played a large role in my decision.

The photographic images used on this Designer Paper are simply breathtaking, aren't they?  When I saw this piece, I knew it would be perfect for the darling little bunny image in the Nature's Beauty set.  What I particularly love about the paper is that there is enough white and "empty" space near the bottom to allow for an image to be stamped and coloured, integrating it into the paper as if it had been printed there.  In fact, as well as the bunny, I stamped the little bare twigs of the bushes in the lower right corner.  And they, too, look as if they were part of the paper design, don't they?

I used my coloured pencils and Gamsol to colour the bunny and also to add the same blue to the base of the bunny and twigs so that the shadows appeared to be natural.  Continuing with the simple design, I decided to heat emboss my sentiment using the gorgeous Copper Embossing Powder.  I finished the card by mounting the design onto a copper foil matte and then onto the base of Heavy Whisper White cardstock.

A simple design, but I absolutely love it and hope you do, too.

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #102 - Anything Goes

Crafty Animals Challenge #30 - Anything Goes

CHNC Challenge #454 - Anything Christmas Goes

Crafty Creations Challenges #398 - Anything Goes

WWC237 - Michelle's Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Yay!  Michelle is hosting our awesome Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge and I am finally going to put ink to the adorable octopus image from the Sea of Textures bundle.  Over the months I've reached for it many times, but each time found myself doing something completely different.  This time the gorgeous Perennial Essence Designer Series Paper inspired me to use the octopus.

Look at the wonderful colours in the background.  Isn't it just perfect as an undersea cavern?  Of course my octopus is sporting rather unique colours since I stamped the image using Melon Mambo and then coloured the white portion of the underneath using my Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Blends.  Who knew those colours would compliment each other so well?  And don't you just love those sparkling black rhinestone eyes?

I used a base of Heavy Whisper White and then added a layer of the Highland Heather cardstock before adding the Perennial Essence DSP.  The netting in the background is cut from the retired Galvanized Metal foil using the matching Under the Sea dies.

In this close-up you can see those sparkling eyes so much better.  I love all the colours and I believe Madame Octopus is quite pleased with the ones I chose for her.

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #101 - Anything Goes

Get Creative Challenges #84 - Anything Goes

WWC236 - Heidi's "All About Occasions" Challenge

Guess what!  I'm hosting the challenge over at the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge this week.  And I decided to make a Christmas card using the stunning new Feels Like Frost Specialty Designer Series paper combined with the even more stunning new cardinal from the Toile Christmas stamp set.

I love the realism of the Designer paper, don't you?  It comes in a package of 6"x6" pieces with one side showing a gorgeous photographic image and the other side, a pattern in white with silver foil.  No matter which side you use, it's a win/win situation.  Of course, for this card I used the photographic image.  I though the icy branches and the bokeh effect would be a perfect backdrop for my wonderful Cardinal.  He really does show up wonderfully against those neutrals, doesn't he?

My base for this card is the very subtle Purple Posy since the background has some of that colour in it.  Then I added a matte of Basic Black and, of course the gorgeous DSP.  For my Cardinal, I looked up images on the Internet to get a good idea of colouring.  With my Koh-I-Noor coloured pencils and Gamsol, I layered the colours until it looked nearly life-like.  Then I used the matching die to cut him out.  First I thought I'd simple have him stand on a branch and then I changed my mind and used the banner in the stamp set, stamped on Highland Heather cardstock and cut with the matching die.  I thought that he looked great standing on that.  For a bit of added "bling", I die-cut a "swirly" piece of silver foil to go at the bottom of the banner.

In this close-up you can see the glittery ice-like Shimmery Crystal Effects which I added to several of the branches.  I love the way it sparkles subtly and gives the illusion of real ice.

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #55 - Anything Christmas Goes

Cute N' Crafty Christmas Challenge #17 - Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps & More #356 - Anything Goes

WWC235 - Marsha's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Oh I love a masculine challenge, don't you?  Since it's an "Anything Goes" twist, I've chosen to use a Deep Red Stamp Company image.  Doesn't that grizzly bear look realistic?

I kept all my colours neutral, beginning with a Crumb Cake base, adding a layer of Basic Black and then adding the image portion which was stamped on Sahara Sand cardstock.  I used the Waterfront stamp set for the trees and the rock formation in front.  The clouds and the reflections are all just hand drawn with my coloured pencils.  After I finshed, I ran it through my Big Shot, using the Subtle embossing folder for texture and interest.

The bear image was fussy cut and added.  After that I used the Catch of the Day dies to cut out the reeds and grass from a piece of Basic Black cardstock.  The sentiment is just perfect, especially if this winds up being a birthday card.

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

SheepSki Designs Challenges #29 - Animal Madness

WWC234 - Dawn's "All About Occasions" Challenge

I love our "All About Occasions" challenges.  This week Dawn is our host and I've decided to create a Christmas card since I don't want to get into a frantic state when it's time to write my cards, only to discover I haven't enough for everyone on my list.  (Isn't this year just speeding along?)

I fell in love with the sweet images from the Wildly Happy stamp set.  And while I love all the animal images, the fox is closest to my heart.  And so I began by stamping the foxes onto a piece of Heavy Whisper White cardstock, using my Memento ink.  While I was colouring the images with my Stampin' Blends, I was also considering what I would do with them.  Would I cut them out?  Would I create a dark background and add some falling snow?  I don't always have a definite plan in mind but go where my thoughts lead me.

Well, once the images were coloured to my satisfaction, I decided to colour the complete background black, carefully skirting the images without taking away any details.  I had a piece of the wonderful, retired Wood Textures DSP on my table and that inspired me to use it as my background.  As you can see, it's the pile of firewood.  I carefully cut out several of the pieces of firewood, leaving a "cave" or den for my little fox family.  As it happened, the black background I had given them worked out beautifully.  I also took some of the Designer Paper scraps and created a second layer of them, making the foxes appear further inside.

Then I cut two pieces of Shimmery White cardstock to make it appear like snowdrifts at the bottom of the wood piles.  I used the Puffy Snow to outline the drifts and also to "cap" a lot of the pieces of firewood.  After using my heat tool to dry and puff up the snow, I added a shadow of Seaside Spray along the snowdrift using my AquaPainter.  Then I stamped a retired sentiment, Silent Night, onto a piece of Whisper White using Seaside Spray ink and added that to the upper right logs.

I used a base of Heavy Whisper White for this card and absolutely love the results, don't you?

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

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #54 - Anything Christmas Goes

Crimbo Crackers Challenge #190 - Anything Christmas Goes