Coffee, Anyone? A Winter Coffee Card

Crafty Gals Corner asked me to be a guest designer for the month of December and I was pleased as punch! CGC was actually one of my first Design Teams ever and I'm so pleased to be frolicking around in bloggyland with them again!

This week, we are being sponsored by Faery Ink and when I was browsing through their digi stamps I came across Bella Sweet Tea, which is this warm and cozy girl drinking a mug of joe (or cocoa or tea depending on your imagination). 

Here she is all colored up with Spectrum Noir markers. 

I colored her on some glittery Copic paper that I got from Paper Temptress so she shimmers just a little bit. By the by, just as an aside about the Copic paper - I got a sampler pack because I wanted to try it out and I honestly can't believe how much of a difference using Copic paper makes. I was having pretty big issues with my markers bleeding outside the lines using regular heavy weight cardstock, but now I can even color in small areas and not be worried about bleed. End rant. 


To me, the image seemed juuuuust prissy enough to pair it with the sentiment from my Caffeinated Christmas stamp set that pokes fun at high-maintenance coffee orderers. 

As you can see (maybe), I added a big bow and made the center cutout into a flat shaker with lots of rock glitter. 

Here's an up-close and personal shot of all that glitter! 

Speaking of glitter, I wanted to make certain to use some  because we are playing the fiddles for sweet Virginia Lu. She's run such a classy, amazing, inspiring challenge for the past while, but the last one is her swan song. She's shutting it down her famous Virginia's View Challenge for the time being. 

So here's to you Virginia! Thanks for all you do for the world of cardmaking! 

Make sure you head on over and play along with the talented gang up at Crafty Gals Corner! It's Anything Goes and Faery Ink is supplying a very generous prize this week. 

I'm also going to play along at:

City Crafter - All about Winter (no Christmas) 

Tuesday Throwdown - Snowflakes 

Thanks for popping by! Hope you all are having a very Merry December! 

 

An Adorable Sailor Card - Crafty Gals Corner GD

I've had a dearth of birthday cards lately, and my guy stash has been especially low. So when Crafty Gals Corner asked me to be a guest designer for the month of December, and then sent over Captain Owen from the Paper Nest Dolls, I was pleased as punch!

With images like these, I can't help but to go all cute and bright with my design. 

 I colored him in using Spectrum Noir markers and then made the "water" using some gelatos that I blended together. The sentiment is one that I had from the Inspired By Stamping Ahoy Matey set. I added a little metal anchor and some twine and woop! woop! I had a birthday card to add to my stash! 

Crafty Gals Corner is a weekly challenge and they've got prizes to give away. For the month of December, CGC is making it easy on us by saying it's Anything Goes! 

Speaking of challenges, I'm going to send this cutie over to:
Simon Says Stamp Monday - Gentlemen
Crafting by Design - Anything Goes
Mod Squad - Tic Tac Toe (I chose favorite color {red}, digi stamp, and patterned paper)

Thanks for popping by! I love to read your comments and appreciate all the word smiles you all leave me! :)

A Donut Wreath?! Yep. I Made That.

There I was, staring at a miasma of stamps, trying to get inspired. The fumes of glue and alcohol markers wafted up into my brain nostrils and rather than reaching for the traditional Christmas stamps, I saw some sketchy donuts and thought, "Yes, self. Let's make a wreath out of donuts."

Because, why not?

It's a brand new challenge up at STAMPlorations, and my idea really sprang from the sketch and the theme. 

For some reason, I stared at the sketch and all I saw was a donut wreath. I really think that I'm going to blame nurture for a lot of my decision-making processes... It couldn't be ALLLLL nature. 

Anywho - I started stamping and masking. 

Stamp sets used: STAMPlorations Sugar Rush & Sketchy Coffee Cups

And then I masked and stamped and masked and stamped some more. 

I took my color scheme from the current ColourQ challenge:

I did lots of coloring with Spectrum Noir markers and added some depth to the background using the Mixed Media Elements stamp set.

Sentiment is made from SENTIMENT BUILDERS: Love and HOLIDAY SKETCHES: Candles

Voila! I made my own, very apropos sentiment by pairing words from a couple different STAMPlorations sets. And of course, I had to add some glittery "berries" to finish off the wreath look. :)

For the STAMPlorations challenge, you can choose to play along with either the theme OR the sketch OR both - so many choices! You're definitely going to want to stop by the STAMPlorations blog to see what the rest of the gals made and check out our superstar guest designer - Darnell Knauss!  

I also feel like throwing my design in the ring at the 

following challenges: 

Through the Craftroom Door - Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More - Holiday

Also, this feel like a momentous occasion because I get to enter the One Layer Christmas Card Challenge. I NEVER make things on just one layer, so this is cause for celebration and awe! :D They have an Anything Goes theme with the optional twist of a Snowman.

I pretty proud of my homely little card. It makes me giggle - how about you?

Twas the Night Before Christmas - Words 2 Scrap By Guestie

I always love finding new challenges to play along with and in October, I played along with Words 2 Scrap By for the very first time. And boy was I pleased as punch to have won! And then was I ever honored when they asked me to be a guestie!!!

Their challenge is always just to be inspired by words... whether you're a scrapper or a cardmaker, you are totally welcome!

This month's inspiration words are:

Twas the Night Before Christmas

WELL... I sure instantly knew what to do with that! I took the second line from the poem

"Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." and ran with it. 

Granted, my "creature" was a chipmunk (from Cup of Cheer by Poppy Stamps) and not a mouse, but it still counts. And that little chippy seemed like the perfect pairing for the snarky sentiment from the STAMPlorations Caffeinated Christmas set, designed by yours truly!

It's a totally sweet card and merry in all the right ways! 

I'm going to link it up to the following challenges:

Since this card has a little bitta sass going on, I'm going to link it up to my favorite sassmaking challenge - The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers whose current theme is Naughty Christmas. Not making coffee on the very early Christmas morning is DEFINITELY naughty. 

I'm also going to link it up to Tuesday Throwdown's Cute and Cuddly challenge because have you seen that chipmunk?! And Crafty Cardmakers also just happens to be having a Twas the Night Before Christmas Challenge!

Thanks for popping by and please do pop over to Words 2 Scrap by and check out the other gorgeous creations. 

Just for some added inspiration, here are the full lines of the poem. You can be inspired by anything in the poem!

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Clement Clark Moore

Mixed Media Card Challenge - A Celebration Card with Vellum

When it comes to Christmas cards, I am the quintessential Fiddler on the Roof crazy person shouting "TRADITION!" ...Speaking of, I really need to go watch that movie again. 

What I mean by "tradition" is that I cannot seem to get away from the classic green and red color scheme, and I'm not even sorry about it. It's the ONE time of the year that those colors can go together without someone looking at you all cross-eyed. 

And December 1 doesn't just mean the countdown to all things filled with sugar, family, love, and magic (also known as Christmastime). It ALSO means the start of a new challenge over at the Mixed Media Card Challenge. 

Since we know that everyone in the universe BESIDES good ol' Becca is totally on top of their holiday cards already, we opened it up to "CELEBRATION" cards - whatever you're celebrating, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanakkuh, birthdays, finally potty training your three-year-old -- it's pretty wide open! 

We also have the optional element of adding vellum, which I did. Because I'm awesome like that. Actually, it's solely because I wanted to try out my new Ornamental Add-on dies from Heartfelt Creations. 

I used heavy weight vellum and die cut some of the various ivy (holly?).  Then I spritzed the heck out of them with my Distress Spray Stains (Colors Mowed Lawn and Black Soot). **Please note that when working with spray stains on vellum it is SO important to use a heavy weight vellum or else it will just shrivel up into a little ball.** A big thank you to Jenn Shurkus for teaching me how beautiful spray stains look on vellum! 

Next, I got to work on the background. I used some vintagey song lyrics, added a doily that had been sponged with Vintage Photo and Mowed Lawn Distress Inks, dropped some splatters on it, then added a final layer of gold texture paste through the ARTplorations Confetti Circles stencil. I used my heat tool to dry the paste so that it bubbled and crackled. 

Et voila!

TRADITION! 

As you can see, I finished the card with a beautiful sentiment from the Holly Berry Cling Stamp set from Heartfelt Creations (which also happens to coordinate with the ornamental die. I added some gold curlicue metal things (painted with gesso to tone down their shine) and some red plastic thingamobobs for the "berries". I tied it all together with a gold sheer ribbon from the Paper Temptress. 

 I'm going to add my creations to the following lovely challenges: 

Mixed Media World - Anything Goes

Everybody Art - Music Note Paper 

Cards in Envy - Put Some Extra Layers on

Vintage Stamping Challenge - Traditional Christmas

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Thanks for popping by! On a more personal note... My good ol' trusty Henry who has been with me for years decided he'd wander into the eternal abyss of wirelessness. 

On the plus side, I think I can break him up and make some cool steampunk textures. On the not-so-plus side. Ay ay ay --- now the hunt is on for a new computer.

Giving Thanks Blog Hop + A Woodgrain Tutorial

We at STAMPlorations are having a very special blog hop in honor of Thanksgiving! 

I've got SO much to be thankful for this year. 2015 has been such a monumental one but here are some things I'm EXTRA thankful for:

>I just found out I'm going to be a new auntie again!

>I have amazing, supportive family

>My boyfriend is pretty much the better than Nutella. Yep. 

He's that awesome.

>I reached over 200 blog followers in my first year of blogging!! And you all constantly make my day!!

This week, I particularly felt like getting messy in the craft room. I've been doing a lot of clean-looking cards lately and all of my bits, bobs, and texture-making things have been glaring at me. 

I decided to try out one of those glarers - my NBUS Weathered Wood STAMPlorations stencil. 

But how to go about creating a realistic looking wood grain? I didn't know, so I just started trying things and found a really, really perfect combo! Which, of course, I'm gonna share with you!

Step One

Swipe Vintage Photo Distress Paint downwards, letting the dabber create variegated streaks. Then Spray with Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain, filling in any white spaces. Dry completely. 

Step 2

Position your stencil and tape down. Use an embossing pad to dab embossing ink through the stencil. Do not rub in circles as this will ruin the print AND your inkpad. 

Step 3

Add a dark brown embossing powder. I love this one, which is sooooo old and an inheritance from my grandma. It's actually called rust and dries to a wicked cool texture. 

Heat it all up and voila! Pretty easy, realistic looking woodgrain!

And here's what I did with it!

Lotsa layers! I added some aged pattern paper, as well as some roses from the Blossom Overture stamp set and also put together a sentiment from the same set. I backed the focal panel with some gauze to soften up the overall design. 

I took my layout from the current Retro Sketches challenge:  

I'm also linking this up to Mixed Media World - Anything Goes. I'm also sending it over to Simon Says Monday - Thank You Challenge.

Woot! I'm amazingly happy that I got some mixed media goodness going on again. And I'm so pleased to have been part of such an awesome hop that celebrates the things we all have to be thankful for. 

Please hop along with us! AND you could win a prize! There are some awesome Thank You cards to view!

Guest Designing at Cardz 4 Guyz - Winter Fun Card

Ya know, usually North Dakotans are the ones being buried under feet of frigid snow before the rest of the country even considers the 4-letter word's existence. After seeing winter storm Bella (really? We're naming winter storms now... According to the Google that's been going on since 2011, who knew?)  dump oodles of snow on my neighbors to the south, I went outside and pretended to make celebratory snow angels in my not-so-white neck of the woods. We're not the first ones!

However, the lack of snow has made it decidedly more difficult to get into the Christmas spirit. Hence my lack of Christmas cards. Hence my impending panic.

Luckily, Cardz 4 Guyz came to my procrastinating rescue this week by forcing me to create a card with the theme "Fun in the Snow".

 

 
I started by coloring some texture paste with dark blue gelatos (I did a tutorial on this earlier in the week) I wanted to play with some Christmas goodies that have been stuck in their dungeon since this time last year, so I pulled out my Tim Holtz Holiday Knit stencil.

 

 
Oooooo! Sparkly - After I schhhhmeared the texture paste through the stencil, I naturally had to add some microfine glitter. #notsorry!
 
Then, since the background was already Holtzian, I decided to play with my NBUS Tim Holtz Syled Woodland stamp set. It's so folksy and I thought the deer would look soooooo cuuuuuute with this card.
 

 

As you can see, I sprinkled the background with a little bit of Chipped Sapphire Distress Spray Stains and then added some blue metallic floss behind the reindeer before rounding out the look with a sentiment.

 

 

 
He's so merry! Or unimpressed... I can't tell which. Let's go with mysterious - He's so mysterious!!
 
Anywho - that's my card for today, and I hope you'll consider going to play along in the Fun in the Snow challenge over at Cardz 4 Guyz this week!
 

 
My colors came from the Merry Monday challenge currently underway - Blue and White with Texture! I'm also going to enter it into the Mixed Media Monthly challenge - Texture!