WWC329 - Cathy's Challenge: All Things Masculine

Do you know what is the problem with having a lot of supplies?  Making a choice!  I must have changed my mind a half dozen times before finally deciding to make a humorous masculine card using one of Bonnie Krebs' delightful Sloth images.  Who doesn't love sloths?

I chose to make the card in a slimline format since I wanted lots of room under the sloth which was hanging from a branch as they customarily do.  The base is heavy Whisper White and then I've added a layer of Old Olive to bring out the colours of those little leaves.  I used my Derwent watercolour pencils and an Aqua Painter to colour the image and love the results.  To add some festive sparkle, I heat embossed a series of gold sparkles around the image.  It's a birthday card, after all.

I simply love the sweet expression on the sloth's face.  Don't ask how that party hat is managing to stay on his head.  That was Bonnie Krebs' idea.  I think the card would work beautifully for a guy of any age, don't you? 

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, November 29th, 2021.

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

Use Your Stuff Challenge #435 - Tic Tac Toe (blue, masculine, simple stamping)

Crafty Sentiments Designs - Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #158 - Anything Goes

WWC305 - Helen`s Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twist

Oh, I do love these popular slimline cards, don`t you?  I just got this awesome slimline die the other day and had to find a way to use it.  It's actually several scalloped rectangles, overlapping to fit into a slimline card and as usual I kept skipping from one idea to another until I saw the little owl on my Art Impressions set and suddenly it all fell into place.

I began with a white cardstock base, followed by a narrow matte of Shaded Spruce.  Then I added a piece of patterned paper with snowflakes in several sizes and colours.  My little scalloped frames needed filling and so I cut two vertical pieces and one horizontal piece to fit into the left two and right one.  For the rectangle at the right top, I cut a piece of vellum onto which I heat embossed the sentiment using Black embossing powder.  

For the centre rectangle I decided to stamp the little owl from the Art Impressions Woodland Holiday Set.  Echoing the colours of the treed landscape, I also added a touch of red, yellow and orange.  To finish up and add a bit of shimmer, I used my Nuvo Aqua Shimmer pen to cover the background as well as the owl's eyes. 

It's hard to see in the photo, but in real life there is such a pretty sparkle.  I just love the way it all came together in this pretty die-cut frame, don't you?

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, January 25th, 2021.

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

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #137 - Always Anything Goes

Cardz 4 Guyz #262 - Let it Snow

Dream Valley Challenge #239 - Winter and/or Snow

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

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

WWC260 - Karen's Challenge: All About Occasions

I have some awesome Art Impressions stamps created by Bonnie Krebs which are perfect for a get well card.  Even more perfect, this stamp set has the most adorable cat images.  Why is that perfect, you ask.  Well, this card is for my darling daughter who is having more problems with a  chronic ear infection.  I couldn't resist .

I began with a base of  Heavy Whisper White  and then added a matte of Blushing Bride.  Then I took a piece of  Smoky Slate and embossed it with a Darice embossing folder.  Love, love, love those paw prints, don't you?   I think it's really striking that some prints are embossed and some are debossed. Such a great effect!

I had such fun watercolouring the image.  I used my Derwent watercolour pencils and then went over the colours with my Aquapainter to blend them.  Once it was dry, I used my stitched oval die to cut it out and then used Dimensionals to attach it to the card.

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:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #114 - Anything Goes

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #251 - Embossing

Creative Moments Challenge #185 - Anything Goes

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

WWC182 - Tristan's "All About Occasions" Challenge

This week Tristan Dawes is host for our popular "All About Occasions" challenge.  I know that there are a lot of possible occasions that we celebrate throughout the year, but for this one I had to use one of my brand new Art Impressions stamps.  Who can resist these plump chickens?  Especially when one of them is offering a "coop-cake" for your birthday!

I had a lot of fun setting up this card.  Once the worst was over (fussy-cutting those chickens), the card just came together beautifully.  I watercoloured the chickens using my Aqua-Painter and a mix of the following inks:  Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand, So Saffron, Mango Melody, Smoky Slate, Gray Granite and Poppy Parade.  For my background I used a wide brush and my Balmy Blue and Crushed Curry inks.

 I wanted seeds scattered across the bottom and found that the sand image from the Magical Mermaid set worked perfectly.

The foil chicken wire?  Who knew I had a die for that?  I plan to use this one a whole lot more!

And, of course, I had to create a fun envelope to go with the card.

I hope you'll be joining us by linking up your awesome creations before Monday, August 13th at 5 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.  To see the wonderful creations by our Watercooler Artists, check out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge blog.

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

Seize the Birthday: Water!  (although I've kept to the "anything goes" theme)

Art Impressions Blog Challenge #238 - Card and envelope