Thursday, October 31, 2024

Season's Greetings

While making this card it made me think of the holiday season and how much I like the elements that come along with it. The hot drinks, decorations, Christmas cookies, candy canes and chocolates. My card is for our Just Us Girls Challenge #751, CASE a Design Team member. So if you have stamps or dies of the elements of the season, you could make a grid with them, arrange three or more of them in a row, etc. You can also take the colors, or layout of a DT's card. The design team has a great variety of ideas for you. We like this challenge because we can make whatever themed card we like. Your challenge is to take inspiration from us and explain who/what inspired your card. 

I am also playing along with Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes.







Products I used:

Concord and 9th: Handmade Holidays stamp and die sets

Momenta: Embossing folder and die set

Patterned paper and metallic cardstock scraps

Sequins

Altenew: Obsidian pigment ink

This card actually took me all day to make because there were so many interruptions in addition to repeatedly misplacing craft supplies that I "just had in my hands." I was on my hands and knees feeling around for dies that fell off my desk, digging through my supplies, etc. Know the feeling?

Hope you are inspired by one (or more) of our cards and that you will join us this week! Remember to explain which card(s) inspired you.

Happy papercrafting!

Carol




Thursday, October 24, 2024

Treats

I borrowed these dies to cut the envelope/pocket, cat and candy, but didn't make anything immediately. Then I finally sat down to play around with colors and ideas. This is what resulted. I might put a gift card in that pocket with the tag, too! I am playing along with Inkspirational Challenge #327: Seasonal with my fall tag-on-a-card. I can't get over how cute that little cat is!













Products I used:


Spellbinders: Halloween Gifting stamp and die set, Essential Envelope die

Alex Syberia: Foxtrot Alphabet die set

Hero Arts: Infinity die set

The Paper Studio: Spider embellishment (You can't see the fuzzy bodies - so cute!)

 Stampin' Up!: Star stamp

Altenew" Obsidian Pigment ink pad

Patterned paper  and ribbon scraps

Twine

Distress Oxide inks (orange and green...it looks yellow here)

It was fun to choose the papers and ribbons to complete this card. I received a Halloween card in the mail and copied the idea of a dark grey card base with black stamping on it. I was sort of a quick card actually!

Have a fun Halloween/fall season!


Carol









If you got it, Haunt it

I could not resist this cute Halloween stamp set and stencil...this is my second card using some of the ghosts and sentiments. This card is for our Just Us Girls Anything Goes with a Stencil Challenge #750. Check out each of the team's cards and don't forget to take a look at our guest Kerry Parkinson's blog to read about her adorable card!







Products I used:

Taylored Expressions: Stayin' Alive stamp set, Spiderweb Mini Slim Stencil

Waffle Flower: A2 Nested Domes die set

Versamark ink pad

Gina K: Detail white embossing powder

Ranger: Distress ink pads

Simon Says Stamp: Wonky stitched rectangle die

Stampin' Up!: Star border punch

White sparkle cardstock

Vellum

First I stenciled a white panel, then die cut it to add the stitching. I cut a vellum dome, then used two dome dies to make an outline dome shape to frame my vellum. I stamped and heat embossed my ghost and  sentiment. Then I fussy cut them to fit inside the dome. Finally, I punched out the stars and added them for a "magical" touch.

Halloween is almost here. I miss the days of taking our daughter and her friends out trick or treating!

Thanks for looking!

Carol









Saturday, October 19, 2024

It's Coffee O'Clock

I really wanted to make a chalkboard sign for the Time Out #274 Photo Challenge after I submitted one with just cups of coffee. Here is the resulting letter board (using an actual die set for making signs and sayings). 











I cut a top folding A2 card base with black cardstock. Then I cut out part of a square at the bottom to make the legs of my sign. I die cut several frames for depth and one embossed letter board board (second picture shows the lines), then cut lots of letters to get the ones I wanted in an array of colors.

I arranged the letters, then die cut and adhered the coffee cups to the sign. I added enamel hearts on the mugs and my card was complete!

Products I used:

The Stamp Market: Little Letterboard die set

Concord and 9th: Enamel hearts

CAS-ual Fridays: Mug die

I searched the internet for coffee shop letter board sayings and finally settled on this one with its smile-making message. Good marketing idea!

Time to go clean up the mess from this card session. You have to cut out the whole alphabet for each color you want, so I have a pile of letters left over for next time!

Thanks for stopping by!

Carol

 

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Be Your Beautiful Self

It is Photo/Moodboard week at Just Us Girls Challenge #749 and I took the Jack O' Lantern Halloween theme for my card, but in non-traditional colors. The moodboard has a lot of fun elements for your inspiration that you can take in many directions. I can't wait to see the gallery this week! Check out all of the team's creative ideas as well as the darling card by our guest Kerry Parkinson.







I am also playing with my card over at The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers #255: Halloween. I think my sentiment could maybe be taken as snarky and the card uses pink which goes with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.




My sweet tooth is overreacting to the yummy treats on this moodboard. My favorites are the sugary gummy pumpkins. I wanted this pumpkin die set, Edison, last year when all of the fabulous card ideas first came on the cardmaking scene. I caved this year and am so happy that I did. He is an easy-to-construct Colorize die set from Tim Holtz and Sizzix.

I chose my colors and papers first. The patterned paper is like a dictionary page of Halloween words and definitions. Next, I did all of the die cutting and assembling, then added some bling. Since she is pretty pumpkin I chose a sentiment that becomes her.


Products I used:

Tim Holtz/Sizzix: Edison dies

Spellbinders: Halloween Add-ons Stamp and Die set, Notched Corner Frames Etched dies

Sugar Pea Designs: Card front Element Builder die

Tim Holtz: Idea-ology cardstock sentiments

Rhinestones and sequins

Stampin' Up!: Ribbon and trim, designer series paper (older)


What inspiration will you take this week from our moodboard? Does it make you ready for fall treats and/or Halloween? See you in our gallery!

Carol








Wednesday, October 16, 2024

The Power of Two

You can take my blog post title today as two cups of coffee (for yourself) or two friends having coffee together. I am playing along with Time Out Challenges #274 for their Photo challenge. I took the sidewalk café route for my card from the picture.







Products I used:

The Greetery: Cozy Cup stamp and die sets, Coaster die

PinkFresh Studio: Slim diagonal Stitched Plaid die

Stampin' Up!: Yippee Skippee stamp set

Hero Arts: Core Ink pad

Concord and 9th: mini ink pads

Silver cardstock for the spoon

Who wouldn't like to sit with a friend (or alone having more than one cup) to relax and chat? The placemats and the tablecloth are fall inspired as are the cups of hot beverages. (I am not a coffee drinker but chai is practically my middle name!) What is your favorite fall beverage? 

Hope you are starting to get cooler temperatures,

Carol




Thursday, October 10, 2024

Happy Fall Y'all

For our Just Us Girls Challenge #748 Word Week, Stephanie has chosen a great word: Leaves. I went on a scavenger hunt on Pinterest to get ideas and I just loved this idea (actually both of her ideas) on the I'm in Haven blog. Here is my version.





Products I used:

Spellbinders: Delicious Decorations dies

Pink and Main: Large Sentiment Strip dies

Lawn Fawn: Woodgrain cardstock

Ranger: Distress Ink pads

Aqua painter 

Computer generated sentiment

I "watercolored" my leaf colors with the aqua painter on white cardstock, then dried the ink with my heat gun. 

Then I die cut lots of the little leaves. 

I cut a an A2 panel of woodgrain cardstock, then cut out a piece on the diagonal from top to bottom. 

I made a kraft, speckled card base and drew a faint pencil line where the opening would be between the two woodgrain pieces. I adhered the leaves in that "channel" on the card base. When that step was complete, I popped up the woodgrain pieces on foam tape. 

Since I don't really have fall sentiments, I created one on the computer and die cut it into a banner. I popped it up on foam tape to complete the card. This card looks to me like I am peeking through a white fence at the falling leaves.

We sure hope you will join us this week using leaves as your focal point! See you in the gallery!

Carol