Blessed Creation

I was having fun with my Ken Oliver Colorburst lemon yellow, Alizarin Crimson and orange, testing the puffing method. I started with watercolor paper, wet it, then puffed, I like how it made both swirls and spots - kind of like a blustery fall day. I respritzed a couple of places to get more blending, but it was a pretty quick card, other than drying time.

The tree itself is that fun "naked" stamp from Judith, that you can dress any way you like. Looking at it again today, I am feeling a Charlie Brown Christmas version in its future! I stamped it in Tim Holtz vintage ink, allowing a bit of brown into my fall mix.  The sentiment from Hero Arts Animal Blessings stamp set was put onto a piece of "kraft" paper from a recycled shopping bag
 -- enviro-crafty Mom at work! I love it when things can serve multiple purposes and not get wasted, and can keep the earth cleaner too.

I'm participating in the Classy Cards 'n Such Challenge #111 "Thankful"

Richly Blessed

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and while it's not my favorite holiday -- it allows for some of my favorite cards. I love the idea of being grateful. I personally keep a gratefulness journal to cheer me in sad times, and to even prevent them by forcing me to focus on the positive. Do you? Trust me, it's a great exercise.

At any rate, this card actually started at a MOPs crafting event where I found and cut to size this gorgeous orange paper. It isn't a color I use often - more a beach kind of girl - but I thought it was so pretty. Now I have found its use! I layered it behind a geometric die from Ellentina to create a simple yet elegant background. I stamped my Reverse Confetti Pumpkin Patch with Stampin' Up chocolate chip ink & used the matching dies to cut out the parts. I popped this up on a panel to bring in my last fall color, and tied it all together with green Queen& Co. dotties. 


This is part of the Classy Cards 'n Such Challenge #111 "Thankful"

A Swimmingly Good Birthday

I love oceans and the beach -- that's "my" place. And especially this time of year... so I'm bringing it back with a birthday card for a friend...

The card base was in a nice ocean color, which I embossed with Lifestyle Crafts swirly embossing folder to suggest waves. I then added a Memory Box Oceana corner die.  The turtle and sentiments were stamped in Versafine deep lagoon ink from a Sweet N' Sassy set "happy ocean friends" then colored with Sakura gelly roll pens. I cut them out using Die-namics fishtail flags. I used my pens to add details to the shells on my corner die, and used Stickles to add eyes with dimension. A few water drop embellishments and I was done...



This week I am playing in the SNSS 8th Birthday Party contest.

Turkey in the Straw

The inspiration for the whole card was actually the “straw” – a textured paper I picked up at a scrapbooking expo back in the summer with Thanksgiving in mind. I love the natural look it gives the card. It also is a bit shimmery, which shows not at all in a photo. The card was quite simple actually. I die cut the little IO pumpkins from paper I sponged with a mix of Tim Holtz distress inks. Some were popped up with Joy! Foam pads for depth, while others where glued tight to help hold on my straw. The sentiment was a die from Paper Smooches, and the turkey is just a kids’ sticker made of felt. Again, I liked how it added to the natural fiber texture of the card. The red panel is a much deeper more interesting hue than it looks with the flash photo, and the folder is a nice fallish chocolate.

I’m playing in the CCNS Challenge #109 Gobble Gobble this week.