Hang in There

This week at Just Us Girls Challenge #668 my talented teammate Nancy chose "Coloring" for our new CAS theme! I have had this Paper Smooches squirrel for a very long time and love how you can have him hang from different things that give you such a chuckle! I wanted to make a silly card to give a smile to its recipient, and that is how this card came to be. 

Products I used:

Paper Smooches: Hang Ups stamp set

My Favorite Things: Watercolor Wash Square and Mini Clouds stencils

Sugar Pea Designs: Stitched rectangle border die

Our Craft Lounge: Sparkly Fluff in Brown Sugar (for the tail)

Versafine: Onyx Black ink

Prismacolor pencils

Wink of Stella pen

Distress ink

Ink blending brush

First I stamped my branch and squirrel on a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" white cardstock panel, then made masks for them. I taped down my watercolor stencil (frame) onto the panel, then made cloud formations with the different edges of my cloud stencil, moving it around inside the "square" to make a sky. I made sure to blend ink on the inside of the borders of the "square" to show its shaped edges. I removed the masks from the branch and squirrel, then stamped the front paws again on another scrap of white cardstock. I colored the branch, squirrel and all of his paws (including the two extra ones). I fussy cut the extra front paws and glued them on top of the original ones so that it looks like his paws are holding onto the branch.

Next I stamped the leaves here and there and colored them. I adhered the soft furry fluff on his tail with a glue pen, then stamped the sentiment while the tail dried. Finally, I added some Wink of Stella sparkle to the edges of the clouds.

I die cut the completed panel to get the stitching around the edges, then mounted it onto an A2 white card base.

We sure hope you join us for this simple, CAS challenge this week! See you in the gallery!

-Carol

Thinking of You

I recently won this Dimensional Rectangles Stencil by Simon Says Stamp and I couldn't wait to give it a try! I LOVE it and it is so easy to use the 4 stencils in the pack. Then I saw this card on Pinterest and it gave me an idea to make a door by cutting apart the rectangles into individual pieces. I chose my colors because they are among my favorites and because Sunday Stamps is using them on their current challenge SSC303, Spring Dreaming!! (Where I live it is already spring/summer-like.)

Products I used:

Simon Says Stamp: Dimensional Rectangles Stencil

Ellen Hutson: All Inside (bear and heart die, bear stamp)

Lawn Fawn: Thinking of You Line Border die

Concord and 9th: mini ink pads

Chalk: (cheeks)

Versafine Onyx Black Ink pad

After I stenciled/cut apart the rectangles, I created a mini mini slimline-ish card to sit on top of an A2 card base. I popped up each rectangle with foam tape on the front of the little card. I die cut the sentiment three times and adhered them together for sturdiness and to stand out. Then I adhered them to the A2 card front. I stamped and die cut two bears and added blush to their cheeks with chalk. Next I adhered the mini card to the left front of the A2 base and adhered the back to back bears to the door on the inside, peeking out. I couldn't bear to put a door knob on the little door and throw off the symmetry of the rectangles. The inside of the mini card could be for writing a message to the person getting this card or for a gift card, as well as inside the A2 card base.

The colors of this challenge are GORGEOUS and I couldn't help but play. Hope it made you smile!

-Carol

Hugs

This shell stencil was a great purchase several years ago because there are endless color combinations to use with it. This week I am so pleased to be a guest designer for The Color Throwdown #731 where we are using Pale Yellow, Aqua, Navy and Pink. 

Products I used:

The Crafter's Workshop: Carmen Medlin's Sea Creatures 12" x 12" stencil

Ranger Distress Oxide inks

Ink blending brushes

Pretty Pink Posh: jewels

Pink and Main: Hugs dies

I used just the four colors of ink from the challenge on a panel of white cardstock. What I like about stencils is how quick and easy they can be...the only tricky part was positioning them on the card so that several shells fit and filled in the space. I was able to fit in five shells and decided to add a large die cut sentiment backed with aqua vellum. Then I added jewels in some of the challenge colors for sparkle. I mounted my stenciled panel on an aqua/teal piece of cardstock and mounted that onto a  5" x 7" card base.

I can't wait to see all the cards in the gallery this week using these colors!

-Carol

Just Us Girls #667 Moodboard

For our second new moodboard challenge of the year, Just Us Girls teammate Vicki has endless choices for you to make into a card. I went with the magazine cover (top right part of her board)/Andy Warhol style with a stamp I have had forEVER.

A Warhol style card by Mary Fish of Stampin' Pretty blog.

My stamp reminds me of the queen in a deck of cards, too. I stamped the image with Versafine Onyx Black ink. Then I pulled colors from all over Vicki's board and used watercolor pens from Artistry by Altenew (I recently won them!) as well as some watercolor pencils and an aqua pen. The watercoloring is a little better in person than it appears in my picture as I am not a master photographer. I decided to made a graphic background for my panel with colors taken from the face. I thought that the card needed a little more detail, so I agonized over where to place some sequins. This is how it ended up. It is a very different style from my usual, but I figured I can use it as a notecard and write my own message inside for whatever the occasion is at the time.

Join us this week...there are flowers, an ombré Hello, a color palette, a tropical scene and many other things as jumping off points for you. We love seeing your creative ideas in our gallery. Hope to see your cards soon!

-Carol

Linked Hearts

I was inspired to make a card like the gift bag my daughter just gave me. After I experienced how tedious it was to make more than one row of these linked hearts, I settled on just one and with the gold frame. I am linking up with The Color Throwdown #729 again with Red, Pink and Gold.

Products I used:

Paper Smooches: Linked Hearts die

My Favorite Things: Inside and Out Stitched Rectangle dies

Love You To Bits: Sentiment stamp (get it, the bits and pieces of this die cut?)

Concord and 9th: Poppy ink

I had a pink, red and orange exact replica of the bag going when I decided to switch to the challenge's three colors. I am pleased with the outcome. Hope you are starting off the week well! I just had flowers delivered as I was noticing that I used my Just Us Girls DT watermark instead of my personal one. Crazy day.

-Carol

Pink, Red and Gold

The current Color Throwdown Challenge 729 is Red, Pink And Gold. So, I used some new dies (to me) from The Greetery and another Valentine is complete for this year! Arranging the flowers was almost like the real job of putting them carefully in a vessel in a way that makes them each stand out.

The Greetery: Market Basket dies and sentiments

Altenew: Into the Blooms II dies

Pretty Pink Posh: gems

Sparkly gold paper

Pink and red patterned papers

Distress Inks

Ink blending brush

I bought the basket dies weeks ago but hadn't used them yet. There are so many colors you can use to look like metals in the real ones. I also haven't used my blooms dies enough, so this was the perfect challenge to utilize them. I ink blended some of the petals but left others to be plain cardstock. You should see my red forearm and fingers after doing so...and trying not to ruin my new pink manicure! I also bent the petals so that they weren't flat, which you can see better in person.

Happy Valentine's Day to you. Be sure to treat yourself!

-Carol

Sparkle!

Since Valentine's Day is on its way soon, I decided to make a shaker Valentine card with heart-shaped openings. As our hostess this week at the Just Us Girls Challenge: Word Week, I chose Sparkle as our word and filled the hearts with bright, shiny, heart-shaped sprinkles. You've also got to go check out the team's ideas!!! It's a fun week! (How do you like my mug rug made by Ameroonie Designs? I love it!)

Products I used:

Ellen Hutson: Spread the Sparkle stamp set

Horizon Group Wood Stamps: Inside sentiment

Simon Says Stamp: Stitched Wonky Hearts die

Stampin' Up!: Embossing powders

Pretty Pink Posh: Jewels

Recollections: Heart sprinkles

My mini slimline shaker card is a pretty easy and straightforward design. The sprinkles in the left shaker have colors, depending on the light, that include green and turquoise in addition to the magenta...but it was hard to catch the light to show all of those colors OR how sparkly they are! (The jewels match them in real life.) I heat embossed the sentiment for more shine. Do you enjoy receiving a shaker or other interactive card? I always have!

We can't wait to see your ideas for sparkle this week in our gallery!

-Carol

You Are My Sunshine

I saw today that The Paper Players PP626 Challenge is A Song In The Air...so I got into my stamps to look around for something. I found some vintage Paper Smooches stamps,  a favorite Ellen Hutson set, then got to work.

Products I used:

Paper Smooches: bird  and musical notes stamps

Ellen Hutson: sentiment

Altenew: flowers and leaves dies

My Favorite Things: cloud stencil

Distress inks

Blender brushes

Copic Markers

Stampin' Up! markers

Versafine Onyx Black ink pad

I started by drawing the wire for the birds to stand on with a Sharpie, then stamped the flamingos and toucan. I stamped my sentiment next, then masked the birds and the bottom half of the card so I could stencil the clouds. I stamped and die cut the sun and colored it in.  Next, I masked the top half of the card to ink blend the green background. I ink blended some scraps of white cardstock in the colors I wanted for my flowers and leaves, then I die cut and assembled them. I played around with the placement, then adhered the flower, leaves and sun on the bottom half of the panel. I made an A2 card base, then popped up my stamped panel on top of it. I guess I am ahead of summer by a lot, but the sentiment directed the whole card.

This was a fun idea for a challenge and it made me use some things that I haven't used in a long time. It also made me look at my stash in a different way to come up with a song theme. And I don't know about you, but now I have this song stuck in my head!

See you back here very soon!

-Carol

Pink Christmas

For our February 2023 Challenge at Christmas Craft Creations our theme is Pink! I added a sparkly gold for a neutral/contrast and used two shades of pink along with white to try to get a soft look overall. This is a 5" x 5" card with the main panel popped up. Will you join us this month? 

Products I used:

Sizzix: Tim Holtz Christmas Minis die set

Stampin' Up!: Sentiment

Pretty Pink Posh: jewel

Lots of die cutting and piecing together. I decided when I got these dies that I would only use them when I had a lot of time, patience and music to listen to while working. That's how I was able to complete this advent calendar a year or two ago.

We hope you will join us with your pink creations this month. Check out all of the design team cards for lots of inspiration!

-Carol

Love You More Than Chocolate

I was away this weekend and didn't want to forget to play along over at The Color Throwdown #728 where the colors are red, brown, pink and green. I didn't mean to copy their picture, but chocolate covered strawberries are very tempting...in person and on paper! 

Products I used:

Stampin' Up!: Stamps and, markers and ink

Concord and 9th: Upper Sentiment

Gossy Accents

Simon Says Stamp: Scalloped rectangle dies

I am also playing along at Simon Says Stamp Monday (here) and Wednesday (here) Challenges where their themes are Love Is In The Air!

I used markers to color the strawberries, then fussy cut them. I added glossy accents to the chocolate for shine. I cut the word chocolate from a sentiment stamp after coloring it with a marker. I played around with placement and card/scalloped rectangle/background panel colors, then finally settled on this combination. The hardest part is waiting for the Glossy Accents to dry!

This is yet another Valentine for this year and I just have to make 10 more strawberries to complete two more cards!

Happy February!

-Carol

A Warm Hello

For our Just Us Girls #665 Color Week sweet Lisa E. has chosen Pink, Kraft and White. I love this color combo!!! Here is my card, using CAS-ual Fridays Coffee Cup Dies...first time using the cute little one! And I didn't try to have the steam attach to the W in Warm, but I am glad it did!

Products I used:

CAS-ual Fridays: Coffee Cup dies

My Favorite Things: Hearts stencil, Perk Up stamp set (steam)

Simply Wood and Rubber: Sentiment stamp

We hope you will join us this week...these colors are great for Valentine's Day and all kinds of cards! See you in our gallery?

-Carol

Love + Hugs

I had to get out Mr. Bear again to play along with The Paper Players Sketch Challenge #PP625. I did a little stenciling/bokeh technique on some white cardstock, then got out some heart dies to add color to the card. He's a cute little Valentine.

Products I used:

 Ellen Hutson: All Inside bear stamp and dies sets

Simon Says Stamp: Wonky Stitched Heart stamps and dies

SugarPea Designs: scalloped rectangle die

Distress Inks

Ink blending burshes

Versafine : Archival Onyx Black ink pad

This was a simple, clean, fun sketch to follow. My bokeh technique got covered up by the bear (the white, final layer) and faded a bit too much, but I know it is there. LOL! I am having fun making Valentines this year. Not done yet!

-Carol