thinking about more adventures

 I've been thinking recently that I should make more of an effort to create and post cards for challenges in 2021; I've been pretty lax this year.  Today, I was given a sweet treat and I want to send a thank you note, so that's an incentive to practice!  

Before I headed over to the craft table I browsed through the challenge blogs and found a sketch at TGIF Challenges!, a theme at little red wagon (Snow Day!) and a technique at Let's Squash It! that combine brilliantly with the stamp set I had planned to use.  All I needed was a color scheme.  I used the one from TGIF Challenges! from last week.  I probably would have chosen these colors on my own, since they're in the designer series paper from the suite of products that also includes the stamp set, embossing folder, and dies:

all supplies from Stampin' Up!® 

stamp set - Snowflake Wishes; ink - Balmy Blue, Highland Heather, Smoky Slate, Versamark;  embossing powder - White; card stock - Highland Heather, Shimmery White, Smoky Slate; embossing folder - Winter Snow; dies - So Many Snowflakes; other - blending brushes, Wink of Stella, Stampin' dimensionals

Hmm, maybe I should have used white for the individual snowflakes - does the Smoky Slate make them look like they fell in an inner city industrial zone?  Hopefully the Wink of Stella alleviates the effect somewhat.

another adventure in blue

The postcard that I posted this weekend at Lost Coast Portal fit the cold & frosty theme, and I started with stencils and rubber stamps, but I neglected to pay attention to the challenge rule which clearly states that the main focal image should be stamped - so sorry!  I wasn't completely satisfied with my finished product, anyway, so I tried again:

And again:

Both include stamped and hand colored images, and the second one also has a stamped sentiment - much better!  Now if I could just figure out what's wrong with my camera's white balance...

adventure in blue

The prompt at Sunday Postcard Art this week was blue, and seemed to coordinate well with the prompts for cold & frosty at Lost Coast Portal, W for winter at Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers and winter wonderland at Try It on Tuesday.  It took me five days, four different acrylic paints, four stencils (one gifted from another postcard maker, one from Stencil Girl, One from Stampin' Up!, and one I cut myself), three colors of Stampin' Up! ink (one in an alcohol spray), two different rubber stamps (including Imagine-Faith-Destiny-Inspiration from Lost Coast which has nearly disappeared into the background due to an unfortunate choice of ink color), some 5-year-old leftover punched snowflakes and a happy accident with the embossing powder before I had a background I liked.  It took me another 36 hours to decide on a focal point, and I'm not sure this is the one I love:

I started with a 12"x12" sheet of unloved scrapbook paper and cut three 4"x6" postcards and seven ATCs, so I will try again on the focal point.  Next time I work with a 12"x12" masterboard, I'm hoping to remember to cut at least four postcards, as seven ATCs is too many!  If you're interested in receiving one, leave me a comment :)

beautiful blizzard adventures

I am a weather wimp - I very much dislike cold weather, and I believe I have lived in the wrong state for many years.  I appreciate the beauty of snow, though (I just wish it could be warmer), and I loved the new Beautiful Blizzard bundle on sight, when I opened my Holiday Catalog.

I cut the thinlit once with my Big Shot and made four cards by using the negative and dividing the individual snowflakes!

 stamp set - Beautiful Blizzard; ink - Versamark, Blueberry Bushel; Stampin' embosss powder - White; card stock - Shimmery White, Blueberry Bushel; punch - Everyday Label; Big Shot with Blizzard thinlit

 stamp set - Beautiful Blizzard; ink - Balmy Blue; card stock - Shimmery White, Balmy Blue; Big Shot with Blizzard thinlit

stamp set - Beautiful Blizzard; ink - Balmy Blue, Highland Heather; card stock - Shimmery White, Balmy Blue, Highland Heather, Whisper White; Big Shot with Blizzard thinlit

These cards qualify three challenges:

• SUO Challenges - Holiday Catalog
• Addicted to Stamps and More - Holiday
• Cards in Envy - Favorite Holiday

And, yes, I did say four cards - this last one was actually the first one I made after cutting the snowflakes:

 stamp set - Beautiful Blizzard; ink - Blushing Bride; card stock - Shimmery White, Blushing Bride; Big Shot with Blizzard thinlit

I dislike pink almost as much as I dislike cold weather, but it's Breast Cancer Awareness month, and therefore Pink Christmas at Jingle Belles.  Since Lauren and Stef are donating $2 each for every card linked up, I must play along, and you should, too!

snowman & love adventure

I saved a link to this cute card of Laura's earlier this month, and when I saw the Paper Craft Crew sketch this week, I had to try my own version:

stamp set: All Things Thanks; ink - Tempting Turquoise; card stock - Tempting Turquoise, Soft Sky, Whisper White, Peekaboo Peach, Basic Black, Watermelon Wonder; Big Shot with Snow Friends and Layering Ovals framelits and Softly Falling embossing folder; Fringe Scissors

I have one spouse, two grandsons, and three children; I've already made four full-size and three mini-size Valentine cards this year - more than I need - so I almost skipped Libby's Love in Red on White Clean and Simple Challenge at the Watercooler this week.  But, I had an extra strip of the pop-up heart border that I'd cut earlier from Real Red when I wanted Cherry Cobbler, and I wondered what the heart framelit with the extra middle strip was supposed to do, so here they are:

stamp set - My Hero; ink - Real Red; card stock - Real Red, Whisper White; Metallic Sequins; Big Shot with Love Notes framelits

Since I'm pretty sure I'm really done making Valentines, now, I'd like to also link up at Stampin' Royalty for #361. And, I guess I can save one of the cards for our anniversary, since red is Tom's favorite color...

a winter adventure

I remembered to pull out my January birthday calendar before the cards were going to be late, but found the only card already prepared is the one for the 31st; I need masculine cards for the 12th and 17th!  I thought the cold prompt at CASology and the sketch from Hand Stamped Sentiments would work well for a Michigander:

stamp sets - Flurry of Wishes, Guy Greetings; ink - Lost Lagoon (retired), Soft Sky; card stock - Whisper White, Lost Lagoon (retired), Soft Sky; designer series paper - All is Calm (retired); punch - Snow Flurry; Big Shot with Banners framelits 

I seem to have mirror-imaged the sketch - I hope that's not grounds for disqualification, but even if it is, I like the card and think my nephew will, too.  He may not really believe it's from me if it's not late, though. ;)

Since it qualifies, I'll link up at The Male Room and Seize the Birthday, both having anything goes challenges right now!

straight Sunday adventure

"Straight" as in five in sequence, as I noticed that these challenges (which close on Sunday) seemed related:

stamps - Teeny Tiny Wishes, Wonderland; ink - Night of Navy, Versamark; Stampin' emboss powder - Silver; card stock - Night of Navy, Soft Sky, Silver Foil, Whisper White; designer series paper stack - Wonderland vellum; punch - Snow Flurry

Challenges are Vintage Stamping - Winter Trees (for which I remembered to *stamp* this time - sheesh); Cards in Envy - Let it Snow;  Tuesday Morning Sketches - Anything Goes (I used their sketch #39 although that wasn't required); Nacho Average (hanging up their challenge hats - oh, no!); and Stamp, Ink, Paper - Anything But Christmas!

anything goes with snow adventure

Christmas is never really "over", is it?

I had a couple of customers' family members request last-minute Stampin' Up! gift certificates, which I love to be able to provide.  I print them on a quarter-sheet of card stock, so they'll fit inside an A2 card, and I had time to stamp a presentation card:

stamp set - Flurry of Wishes; ink - Versamark, Soft Sky, Island Indigo; card stock - Whisper White, Soft Sky; ribbon - 5/8" Whisper White organza, 1/8" silver; punch - 1/4" circle; Big Shot with Circles Collection framelits; Stampin' sponge

I used a snowflake theme, because as Heidi said at Watercooler Wednesday, anything goes with snow! Also, it could easily be switched to a Thank You, Thinking of You, or winter birthday, by simply replacing the tag.  I used our 2-way glue to temporarily attach the gift certificate inside.  It will detach if the giver prefers to use her own card, or if the recipient would like to reuse the card.

Because I like to keep Christmas in my heart all year, and because these challenges are still open, I'd like to play along at Christmas Cards All Year 'Round (Keep It Simple), Holly Jolly Christmas (anything goes), and The Glory of Christmas Challenge (anything goes).

triplet adventures

I needed a 3D project to share with my upline's Star Struck Stampers team today, and the challenge this week at the Watercooler is 3D.  I'm not very creative when it comes to ideas for 3D; I usually turn to Pinterest for ideas and make adjustments that work for me.  The challenge this week at Stampin' Royalty is to use Pinterest for inspiration - I can do that!  I found this little cutie earlier this year and was waiting for the right time to use it.  Since the white "fur placket" piece is embossed, the challenge at Little Red Wagon, that's a triplet of  challenges for this project:

card stock - Gold Glimmer, Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper White; punch - Decorative Label; Big Shot with Boho Chic embossing folder; Envelope Punch Board; Stampin' Pierce mat, Updated Essentials piercing templates, Paper Piercing tool

And even when I can enter three challenges with one project, one is almost never enough for me, so I have a pair of embossed cards (making all three eligible at Little Red Wagon) that complete a triplet of cards for the other winter holidays at Jingle Belles:

stamp sets - Lovely as a Tree, Holly Jolly Greetings; ink - Mossy Meadow, Sahara Sand; Stampin' Write marker - Early Espresso; card stock - Whisper White, Mossy Meadow, Early Espresso; punch - Hexagon; Big Shot with Woodland embossing folder

stamp sets - Gorgeous Grunge, Holly Jolly Greetings; ink - Soft Sky; card stock - Soft Sky, Whisper White; Big Shot with Woodland embossing folder

more adventures with new stuff

I saw a new challenge recently - not for card-making, but about not buying anything new besides food and petrol (gasoline).  It didn't seem like a bad idea until I realized that would mean no new stamping supplies, and with the wonderful Occasions and Sale-A-Bration catalogs both current now, that will NOT work for me.  Maybe I'll get back to celebrating Discardia; that's much more reasonable.

Meanwhile, I made this with a new stamp set from the Occasions catalog, and I CASEd the sample card because there are so many wonderful samples everywhere that I couldn't decide where to start.  Plus, I wanted to play along at the Watercooler Challenge!

stamp set - Sheltering Tree; ink - Early Espresso, Versamark; Stampin' Emboss powder - Iridescent Ice; card stock - Whisper White, Soft Sky; Big Shot with Hearts a Flutter framelits; Basic Jewels - rhinestone; silver 1/8" ribbon

If you compare mine to the original on page 22 you'll notice I did a couple of things differently. I stamped the sentiment a little too high on the little banner and I thought about trimming it, but then realized that if I added a rhinestone to balance it, I would have used two different embellishments and could play along at the Friday Mashup!

My upline's Star Struck Stampers team met yesterday, and Deb brought this awesomely beautiful card for us to make as her shoebox swap.  It is also a CASE from the Occasions catalog:

stamp sets - Something Lacy, For the New Two; ink - Versamark; Stampin' Emboss powder - Silver, Gold; card stock - Whisper White, Vellum; punch - Scalloped Tag Top; Basic Jewels - pearls; 5/8" organza ribbon

Deb did a couple of things differently than the catalog version, also.  I personally think switching from white embossing to silver was a stroke of genius!

Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention that I was chosen as one of Santa's helpers at CASE-ing Christmas for my Santa hat-wearing Kind Koala and, I was named Top Nacho for my By the Tide card (second in post).  I'm super pleased to say that the loved one for whom that card was created is home & healthy this week! Big thanks to both teams, now I have even less incentive to think about not buying new stamping supplies! ;)

still more wrapping up adventures

While searching for the super-shiny gift wrap paper I used on my second No Time Like the Presents Jingle Belles card, I came across this beautiful snowflake paper.  I  love it so much,  I'm sure I never wrapped anything in it, but simply hoarded it from the time I first set eyes on it.  I have no clue where I found it originally.  I may have made one Christmas card from it in another year, probably for a Jingle Belles challenge.  When I made this card last week, there were several open challenges looking for winter or snow-themed cards; this week my card only qualifies at Jingle Belles, where the challenges are two weeks long, and Christmas Cards All Year 'Round, where the Anything Goes challenge runs through month-end:

I pulled out some long-retired Stampin' Up!® card stock in Bashful Blue and Lavender Lace.  The sentiment is from the retired Joy to the World set, embossed with Pewter Stampin' Emboss powder, although it appears golden in the photo.

Earlier this year, I showed you the shadow box twinchie display I made with a summer theme.  Just before Thanksgiving, I decided it was time to update it - that project is wrapped up and on display in the living room:

The stamp sets and designer series papers are retired, as are several of the embellishments; the colors are Island Indigo, Pool Party, and Coastal Cabana.  Tom liked it so well, he suggested that I should update it for every season. :)

Several years ago I saw this project  in a craft magazine.  It looked fun & easy, so when I found the little silver-colored tray at a thrift store or yard sale, I snapped it up, painted it cream, and found some Antique Gold Rub'n Buff.  The painted tray and the unopened Rub'n Buff stayed together through more than one craft-room reorganization, but during this most recent one they finally made it to wrapped up status, and now the tray has a purpose, holding small things near the sink in the guest bath:

Of course, now I have 99.9% of a 1/2 oz. tube of Rub'n Buff that has no purpose and no home.  I have these little brass angels - another thrift store or yard sale purchase - that I thought about brightening up:

I did try cleaning them; that wasn't what I might consider successful, and I don't know if adding "the original wax metallic finish" will be an improvement, but I'm still thinking about it.

adventures of distraction

Last night as I lay sleeping (not), I suddenly realized that if I'm having a long weekend out of town later this week, and my next Card Buffet Stamp-a-Stack events take place the following weekend, I'd better get something planned.  I have some Christmas cards ready that I haven't offered yet, but it's nice to have a card that can serve other purposes, such as a thank you or a birthday.  The colors at Color Throwdown are a good start for that, as are the snowflakes in Endless Wishes.  I also suddenly realized, just about an hour ago during a period of distraction from buffet planning, that I hadn't left any comment-love for my fellow Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop participants last month, and lo-and-behold, Jean had the *perfect* card, which I jumped right of my seat to go and CASE*:

stamp sets - Endless Wishes, Endless Birthday Wishes; ink - Tempting Turquoise, Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant Memento Tuxedo Black; card stock - Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Tempting Turquoise

Before I was distracted, I was thinking about the Christmas cards we might make, and I flipped through my designer series papers.  I found this beautiful silver-foiled specialty paper that I had forgotten was included in the All is Calm set.  It just called out to be used for the Silver challenge at Stampin' Royalty:

stamp set - Cheerful Christmas; ink - Versamark, Encore Silver (on envelope); stampin' emboss powder - Silver; card stock - Silver Foil, Night of Navy; designer series paper - All is Calm; Big Shot with Deco Labels framelits

There seems to be a bit of reflection making the silver seem like gold in the photo, but it really is silver in real life, I promise - I wish you could see it, it's one of my favorites this year.  I wanted a narrower border for the silver foil mat, and used a craft-knife to trace around the framelit that I used for the sentiment.  That's too fussy for mass production, so we won't making this card at Card Buffet, but I do have another option that incorporates Silver-embossed Cheerful Christmas.

As unusual as it is for me, each of these two cards qualifies at only one challenge - maybe because I was feeling late and distracted, but that seems to be completely normal for me, most of the time, so I'm not sure that's really the cause.  Whatever the cause, I like the effects.

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