Falling for the Holidays

I made this card for the 

https://byshcardmakers.blogspot.com/

I love making use of scraps. It is like quilt piecing and seems so fun to work the colors and the patterns into pleasing backgrounds. The dies are from Sizzix and the paper scraps are from various design paper companies. 
 

Color Throwndown #766

 

Wow, I was so honored this week to be the guest star designer over on the Color Throwdown Challenge this week. This is one of my favorite weekly challenges I try to take part in each week. The DT always has such inspiration designs they come up with to share and I love the color combo they come up with each week. I hope you have not discovered this challenge, you will go to their link and check them out:

https://colorthrowdown.blogspot.com/2023/10/color-throwdown-challenge-766.html

Thanks, CTD for all the weekly fun you provide for us all throughout the year. I am honored to have gotten to participate with you this week. 

On my card I made my background with distress oxide inks and used a Gina K stencil. The Thanks die is from Taylor Expressions (I think), and the flower dies are from Momenta. The pumpkin stamp is one of my older ones in my collection that I bought at a stamp shop here in the Houston area probably 20 years ago. I love all the details on it and the wonderful fullness of its shape. I am sorry I do not know the company who designed it.  I did the coloring with colored pencils and Copic markers. 

 

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #547

I love making cards that help me use up some of the pretty scraps of paper I have left over and this one was particularly fun. This was the sketch suggested in the challenge for Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge this week.

https://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.com/2023/10/top-3-for-sketch-546-design-team.html

The sentiment is from Impression Obsessions. 

 

HMFMC 401

This is one of the fun stamps I have in my House Mouse collection that includes a little friend other than a mouse. I love using up any pretty scraps of papers I have left around, so these I used for the pattern for my background. This little sentiment strip from Tim Holtz just seemed to fit this scene and speak also of ourr "human" condition of just trying to find some peace for ourselves when life just gets too busy and hectic. I used colored pencils and Copic markers to color my image. Go check things out over at the House Mouse blog this week:

https://housemouse-challenge.blogspot.com/2023/10/hmfmc401-oct16th-october-29th-hostess.html

 

TicTacToe Challenge #231

Using a wonderful Spellbinder new Christmas die set for this cute card, I decided to enter it in the Tic Tac Toe #231 Challenge this week. I used the middle horizonal line: lace, gingerbread, and gingham. The sweet little gingerbread man is tucked into this fabulous stocking. This is a 5 by 7 card. I am glad to be getting an early start on some of my Christmas cards this year. The lace is gold foil paper cut with a Sizzix die. 

 

                                https://tictactoechallenge.com/tttc231-featured-designer-jeanne/

As you like it and Can you Handle the Pressure?

I am using this card for two challenges this week: 

The As You Like it challenge - and my choice is Halloween because I love fall and getting to use my fall stamps, and the Can You Handle the Pressure and using a 3-D embossing folder from Spellbinders. 

Here are the details of these challenges and their links:

https://asyoulikeitchallenge.blogspot.com/2023/10/favourite-halloween-or-fairies-and-why.html

https://cyhtp.blogspot.com/2023/10/anything-goes-with-twist-of-spooky.html

The big pumkpin stamp I have had for a long time and can't remember the company who made it, but it one of my favorited pumpkins in my collection.  The sentiment is from a retired Stampin' Up set from many years ago as well. I used my newest 3_D embossing folder from Spellbinder to add the over all texture to the card. Then I rubbed some brown distressed oxide ink over the top of it to add the the textured look. I used copic markers to color the pumpkin.  Black cardstock was used for the cardbase and I used some double sided fall design paper for the strips.

 

Allsorts Challenge - add texture

Using up lots of scraps for this card and all having different textures and patterns them. The die cut set is from Spellbinders, and the flower image is from a Unity set designed by Gina K. I am not sure of the source for the big pumpkin, which has been a part of my stamp collection for over 20 years. I used copic markers for the coloring of the images. I am using this card for the challenge over at Allsorts this week, with the details of the challenge below:

https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2023/10/week-750.html

 

Time Out Challenge #249

Graphics 45 has the most wonderful vintage papers. This one highlights Vintage Hollywood. I used both sides of the design paper for the background of this slimline card. I used Tim Holtz paper dolls photos for part of my main image and these pretty flowers from a Unity stamp designed by Gina K called Friendship Blooms.   I used a Tim Holtz's Idea-o-logy strip for my sentiment. I am using this card for the Time Out Challenge #249 for their vintage themed challenge. 

https://timeoutchallenges.blogspot.com/2023/10/challenge-249-vintage.html

The flowers were colored with Copic alcohol markers and fussy cut and attached with dimensional foam tape. The sentiment says: "shine like the whole universe is yours."

 

Color Throwdown Challenge 764

https://colorthrowdown.blogspot.com/2023/10/color-throwdown-challenge-764.html

Fun colors for fall for the Color Throwdown Challenge this week. I used a digital from Sweet and Sassy and colored it with colored pencils and alcohol ink markers. I used a Gina Marie die to cut it out. I added blue, green and orange stripes to the brown plaid paper for the background. Just to add a little more blue, I punched out blue circles to add to the layout design! 

 

Dies, Stencils, and Christmas!

I am sending most of my card making time now getting started on Christmas cards. I have 2 orders to fill and then my own list to get to. I am using this card today for three challenges I found on the Challenges for Days blog site this week:

Happy Little Stamper - the challenge was to use a die 

Creative Knockouts challenge - making use of dies, punches, stencils

Krafty Chicks 685 challenge the challenge was to make a Christmas card

So I have linked these all to their sites so you can get the details and the upload link.

I used a die from Taylor Expressions, I used a stencil from Rubbernecker, and my favorite inks to use for stenciling are Distressed Oxide Inks. The sentiment is a stamp from Impression Obsesssion. As you can tell, I am a very eclectic collector of stamps, dies, and supplies, simply cause there are so many great companies out there that handle the supplies and tools I need for this craft that I love. Thanks for all the creative minds that have a part in my end results. 

 

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge 694 non-traditional Christmas colors

I used distressed oxide inks for the background. Then I spritzed it with water to get the faded dots of color. I put this paper into a 3-D embossing folder by Sizzix. I mounted it onto bright pink card base. I used this two piece die set from Spellbinder as my main image of focus. I added the die cut leaves and flower punch as my embellishment and also two gemstones for the flower center and the star.  This card fits the criteria for the C.R.A.F.T. challenge this week to make a Christmas card using non-traditional colors. It is so good to be getting some Christmas cards done ahead of time before the rush is on!!

You can find the details of this challenge here:

https://trimmiescraftchallenge.blogspot.com/2023/10/challenge-694-christmas-non-traditional.html

 

Jingle Belles Christmas challenge

 

It's time to get going full time on my Christmas cards, so I wanted to include a pink one in my stash. You can find the details and link for this challenge here:

http://jinglebellesrock.blogspot.com/2023/10/were-dreaming-of-pink-christmas.html

I watched a great video by Lydia for Hero Arts this week, and incorporated some of the things I learned on this card for my background. I have had many friends and relatives who have dealt with breast cancer this past year and made a self challenge for myself to do at last one pink card a week to post on my FB page honoring these brave and courageous women in my life. I used various stamps from my collection of stamps, and used some of my favorite shades of pink distressed oxide inks for my background ink blending. I added a few dies as my focus points.  

House mouse challenge #400

I made this for this week's House Mouse challenge #400 to use ribbon or twine. I  colored my mice with alcohol ink markers. I used a die cut door hinge as an embellishment and a sticker. The red grosgrain ribbon was the finishing touch.  You can find the detail of this challenge here:

http://housemouse-challenge.blogspot.com/2023/10/hmfmc400oct2nd-oct15th-hostess-april.html

Thanks, House Mouse for selecting my card as one of the top cards this week. I love my little mice stamps!
 

TGIF color challenge 441

Here's my card using these wonderful fall colors of cajun craze, pumpkin pie, and early espresso fo the TGIF challenge. 

http://tgifchallenges.blogspot.com/2023/10/tgifc441-color-challenge.html

The digital image is from Power Poppy, colored with alcohol markers and colored pencils. 

 

pink October theme

I made this card ffor the Double D challenge of using a pink October theme. I also used this for the Way to Use challenge on Splitcoaststampers to use stickles or Nuvo. The image is from Power Poppy colored with alcohol markers. The die I used is from Momenta that I cut from white paper and I colored with alcohol markers. Nuvo crystal drops were added to the cake stand and Pink liquid pearls were used for the centers of the flowers.  The embossing plate I used is from Stampin' Up.

You can find the details for the Double D challenge here:

https://daranddiane.blogspot.com/2023/10/pink-october-challenge.html

 

Color Throwdown Challenge - 763

I made this card for this week's Color Throwdown challenge that can be found here:

https://colorthrowdown.blogspot.com/2023/10/color-throwdown-challenge-763.html

I used my new Kitchen Sink Stamps layered flower image along with some design papers to make this slimline design. The sentiments were included in that KSS set. I used SU inks and versafine clair black ink. The little butterfly punch is from Martha Stewart.