WWC333 - Dawn's Challenge: All About Occasions

Yay!  I received the "Rising Star Badge" from "A Place to Start Challenges" for this card. 

We've had a real dump of snow lately and so this wonderful stamp of Penny Black's seemed like the perfect one to use for my card.  I love the way the coloured sky leaves patterns of colour on the snowy landscape and so tried to copy that "magic" here.

For my base I chose Very Vanilla.  There are hints of a vanilla/yellow in the card and so I felt a white base would be too stark in contrast.  My matte is Gorgeous Grape and it reflects the  purples on the snow and in the background perfectly, doesn't it?

You can't really see it well in the photos, but I've added white enamel accents to the branches of the tree and along some of the drifts.  I've also use some Wink of Stella on the snow and sky to give it a bit of sparkle.  It's quite lovely in person. 

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, January 31st, 2022.

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

A Place to Start Challenge #012022 - Anything Goes  

Make My Monday #166 - Winter Wherever You Are

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes

WWC327 - Dawn's Challenge: All Things Feminine

So Hallowe'en is coming up and it's time for a Feminine card.  Well, feminine isn't always what you think it might be.

That looks remarkably like a Hallowe'en card, doesn't it?  The key here is the bit of Shakespearean witches' chant.  Sounds a lot like making a brew, right?  Well, my daughter, who adores Shakespeare and requires a daily strong cup of brew, also loves Hallowe'en.  This is the perfect card for her.

I've taken bits and pieces of different Stampin' Up! sets for this card as well as a die-cut moon which has wandered away from its set and featured them all on this awesome Studio Light "Wonderful Autumn" patterned paper.  It all fits together wonderfully, doesn't it?

Of course I wanted something special for inside as well.  After hunting through all my coffee-themed stamp sets (and I do have quite a number), I realized I would have to create my own.  Photoshop to the rescue.  And so the inside pulls it all together.  I am so stoked!  How many days is it until Hallowe'en again?

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, November 1st, 2021.

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

Classic Design Challenge Blog Challenge #10 October

Let's Craft and Create Challenge #176 - Anything Goes + Things With Wings

WWC320 - Dawn's Challenge: All About Occasions

As you know, I love whimsical stamps.  I also love stamps with little animals, especially mice.  How cute is this new stamp I've gotten from Penny Black with three little mice floating along in tiny little walnut shells?

I decided to make a birthday card.  After all, you should be able to do your own thing on your birthday, right?   With a base of bright Pineapple Punch, I needed a nice bright blue as a matte and this one, in a pretty lacy die-cut, is perfect in Balmy Blue.  

I stamped the images using VersaFine Clair Morning Mist.  I love the softer edge it gives, don't you?  Then I used my Aqua Painter and a variety of stamp pads to watercolour my images.  Since the walnut shells are a pretty Soft Suede, I also used the colour for the sentiments.  It's always about balance, isn't it?

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, July 26th, 2021.

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

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #150 - Anything Goes

Penny Black Saturday Challenge PBSC July - Anything Goes

WWC314 - Dawn's Challenge: All About Occasions

 My cat made me do it!  Seriously, I was trying to decide for which occasion I would create a card for our challenge and spied a piece of paper on the floor.  It looked  remarkably like something I had cut out and had put aside to use for a card "someday".  We all do that, don't we?  Well, putting it aside is one thing.  Finding it on the floor is a totally unacceptable thing.  I knew immediately who the culprit was, of course. My sweet, butter wouldn't melt in her mouth Khali had made another trip across my crafting table and, being the clumsiest (and cutest) feline I've ever met, had inadvertently pushed the cut-out onto the floor.    

And that led to the creation of this Birthday card.

I love the "Happy Birthday" die but absolutely hate putting glue onto the die-cut.  By the time you finish going from one end to the other, across all the lines and intricate details, the portion where you began has dried.  But a few months ago I happened to have purchased a roll of Diecut and Bond.   This is thin paper, double sided with adhesive.  You put it onto a piece of cardstock, use your die to cut whatever design you happen to want for a card, and voila.  The backing peels off and it sticks by itself.  While I'm sure this doesn't come as a surprise to a lot of you, it was like magic for me and I will be using my more intricate dies a whole lot more from now on.        

Oh, and that heat embossing on the red?  It just looked so plain when I laid all the pieces out so I grabbed a relatively neutral background stamp (Crackle Paint) and heat embossed the pattern onto the red using my clear embossing powder.   It gives  it just enough interest without taking any real attention away from the sentiment and cute little squirrel, doesn't it? 

You can see the  heat embossing better from this angle.  And, of course, the  squirrel is clearly raised up from the stitched heart with Dimensionals.  I love the way the card 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, May 3rd, 2021.

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

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #144 - Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiments Designs: Anything Goes

Simon Says Monday Challenge:  Bright, Cheerful colours

Dragonfly Dreams April Challenge:  Feature a Creature

WWC309 - Dawn's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twist

 For Dawn's Masculine challenge I decided to revisit the adorable Gnomes in Fran's Stampendous stamp set.  They really adapt well to almost every occasion.

I decided to keep this card clean and simple.  For my base I used the Heavy Whisper White and then allowed a large frame around the actual image, with a Cajun Craze matte around the stamped and watercoloured image.

My little Gnome is sitting in the grass with a present which could be for a birthday, valentine's or even an anniversary.  The sentiment certainly works for any of those occasions.  It's what  gets stamped or written inside which will decide.  I love the way the Derwent watercolour pencils add so much bright colour, don't you?  They're so easy to use with a little bit of water and brush or an Aqua Painter, which is my favourite. 

 In this slanted view  you can see the shine on the silver-coloured bow.   I added a few black dots for interest.  This was an easy card to make but I love the results.

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, February 22nd, 2021.

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

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #139 - Anything Goes

Always Fun Challenges #201 - Anything Goes

Cardz 4 Guyz #264  - Clean and Simple

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

WWC274 - Dawn's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist

As you know, I have an obsession with those adorable little House-Mouse images by Ellen Jareckie.  This little image simply delighted me when I saw it.  Being a bit (a lot) of a choco-holic, I couldn't pass up creating a card with a mouse totally covered in chocolate sauce.

I've kept the design rather CAS.  My base is the Heavy Whisper White and then I've added a matte of Gorgeous Grape.  I stamped the image and sentiment onto a piece of Mixed Media paper using the Versafine black ink so that it wouldn't smear when I watercoloured.

I had so much fun colouring the images, but you know how much I love these little House Mice.  I used my Derwent Watercolour pencils and, of course, my Aqua Painter brush to turn the pencilled colour into gorgeous watercolour.   Once that was totally dry, I put some Crystal Effects onto a pallette and mixed in a bit of water to make it easier to brush on.  Using a very small brush, I covered the chocolate on the Mouse, on the floor, and dripping down the jar with the Crystal Effects mix.  Once it dried, it looked so much like real chocolate that I wanted to lick it.  Thank goodness for self restraint.

The sentiment isn't by Stampendous like the House Mouse image.  Actually, I hunted around to find "the perfect sentiment".  You know how hard that can be.  But finally, in a rather old set which I haven't used for years, I found it.  By Hero Arts, it's called "Friends" and came out in 2010.   Old, but perfect.

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, June 8th.

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

HMFMC #317 - Anything Goes with an Option of Gingham or Plaid

CAS on Friday Challenge #181 - Animals

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #141 - Anything Goes

WWC259 - Dawn's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twist

Oh my goodness!  We have a masculine challenge at our Watercooler Wednesday and it's perfect timing since it's also my grandson's birthday.  It's a very special birthday since he's entering the TEENS!  So, what kind of card will I make for my awesome almost 13-year-old grandson?  I'll give you a hint.  It has a house-mouse on the front.

The backstory to this is, of course, Xavian's obsession with Chinese fortune cookies.  He has loved them from the first time he was given one.  He likes the cute fortunes but he loves the flavour.

You can see why I bought this stamp, under the circumstances.  What could be more cute than a darling house-mouse surrounded by new and broken fortune cookies?  None of the little papers had any writing on them.  I added that myself.  The one being held up is, again, perfect for our talented showman.

 I invite you to check out the awesome samples by the other Watercooler Artists over at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

I've linked this card up to the following challenges:

House-Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge #310 - Anything Goes

Make My Monday #116 - Critters

Animal Friends Challenge #83 - Februar Mause

Addicted to Stamps & More Challenge #377 - Make Your Mark