The Flying Cat

Today's card was inspired by a challenge photo at Color My Heart Color Dare #365. This is a departure from the usual challenge where we work from a color grid but it's perfect for the upcoming Halloween celebration. This biweekly challenge begins today, Friday, October 18, and runs through Wednesday, October 30, 2019.

The elements for the wreath and flying witch-cat were die cut from white cardstock and colored with Copic markers. A panel of striped paper was applied to the Kraft card base. The colored, die-cut elements were adhered to a square of corrugated cardboard in a light tan color then added to the card. The sentiment was computer generated and adhered. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with a few of the colored bits. A white-inked gel pen was used to add dots to the sunflower centers. Wink of Stella was also applied to the pumpkins, leaves and flowers.

The Design Team looks forward to your take on their inspirational photo. For details about Challenge #365, visit the Color Dare Challenge Blog and play along.

I am also entering my card into the following two challenges:

Creative Knockouts #320 "Halloween" 

The Paper Funday Challenges #10 (October)

(no challenge badge)

Materials
Stamp: Computer generated sentiment
Ink: Copic Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White & Baked Brown Sugar; X-cel for alcohol markers
Paper: Sunny Studio (green stripe) & WRMK corrugated cardboard (light tan)
Dies: Frantic Stamper "Cat on a Broom", "Fall Icon Wreath"
Misc.: ZIG Wink of Stella (clear), Gel pen (white ink), foam tape from stash

Autumn Harvest

10/16/2019 Update: My card was a favorite of the week for the week ending 10/12/2019 at Splitcoast Stampers.

This cute digital stamp seemed just right for Double Trouble Challenge #40, which begins today, Monday, October 7, and continues through Sunday, October 20, 2019. There are always three elements to these challenges with a prize for the winner!

Thing 1:  (Required)  -  Attend the masquerade ball by using a masking technique on your project.

Thing 2: (Optional) - Link your card to the challenge at Kat Scrappiness. (Be sure to check out their guidelines.)

Thing 3:  (Optional) - In your design, include something you would find in a pumpkin patch.

     

 

 

In addition, I entered my card into a new challenge, Artsy Stamper Challenge #1. Be sure to browse in Beverly's digi shop when you visit her blog. The challenge runs from Monday, October 7, through Friday, October 18, 2019.

 

 

 

The sunburst on this card was made by using a scrap of cardstock, a sponge and some ink. The scrap provided a mask as the ink was applied in varying layers. The landscape was also created from a scrap of cardstock. Masks covered the already colored areas and the sky was colored. The image was downloaded from QKR Stampede, resized, printed, colored and fussy cut. A second image was printed and only the pumpkin was colored and fussy cut. It was embossed with clear powder to give it some sheen, then adhered onto the entire image with foam tape. The other items were ephemera or items cut from paper.

 

 

I added the cloud when I saw the ugly orange thumbprint on the blue sky, so if the cloud appears to be placed in a peculiar spot, so be it. The finished panel was adhered to a Kraft card base. The inside was lined with white cardstock and a few little pumpkins were stamped and colored for decoration.

 

 

 

The Design Teams at Double Trouble #40 and Kat Scrappiness invite you to visit their blogs and join in the fun. While you're here, click on Artsy Stamper to visit Beverly's Challenge #1. You'll be glad you did!

 

Materials
Stamp: QKR Stampede "Scarecrow and Jack" (digital)
Inks: Stampin' Up! So Saffron, Hello Honey, Soft Sky, Baked Brown Sugar; Copic Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Baked Brown Sugar; X-cel for alcohol markers
Paper: Carte Bella "Rustling Leaves"
Die: Reverse Confetti (cloud)
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Embossing Powder (clear), ephemera and foam tape from stash

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Trick or Treat

Brown Sugar Challenge #294 is up and running for the month of October. The challenge will continue through Tuesday, October 29, 2019. The theme is Anything Goes and there is a prize!

Our sponsor for October is the QKR Stampede. I love this digital image of a happy witch hanging onto a star.

 

Using a digital image called "Hanging", I downloaded, resized, and printed it. I colored and fussy cut the image. Onto a white card base, I adhered two panels of cardstock. The top panel was decorated along the edges using a die. The large die was die cut and the small stars were punched from white glitter paper. The sentiment was stamped onto white cardstock then die cut and backed with another die cut. The elements were added using foam tape for dimension. I topped off the sentiment with a green heart. The inside was decorated with a few cute toadstools and the words, "Happy Halloween".

We hope you'll visit the blog for Brown Sugar #294 and give our challenge a try!

 

 

Materials

Stamps: QKR Stampede "Hanging"; CTMH  (sentiment)

Inks: Stampin' Up! Wisteria Wonder; Copic Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Wisteria Wonder; X-cel for alcohol markers; WRMK white glitter paper

Dies: Whimsy (Stitched Zigzag Rectangle); Spellbinders Star; Sizzix Layered Labels

Punch: Stampin' Up!  (small stars)

Misc.: Foam tape & ephemera (toadstools) from stash

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Festive Congrats!

Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #363 is up and running today, Friday, October 4, through Thursday, October 17, 2019. Think about playing Tic-Tac-Toe with us! Using the grid below, pick three colors in a row and use them on a paper crafted project. Here's the catch - select your three-in-a-row, then add any other colors from the grid to finish your project. Do not add colors that are not on the color board. You may use black and white as necessary to develop your creation.

I selected Row 2 using papers to represent Pewter, Silver and Ballerina, then adding Julep and Lemonade plus white.

Using dies, I cut the papers for the scalloped effect as well as the sentiment and its shadow. I adhered the scalloped pieces to a silver card base along with some craft foam for dimension, finishing with a panel of green glitter paper beneath the silver scallops. The sentiment and its shadow were adhered using foam tape. Sequins were added to give the card a festive feel. The inside was lined with a panel of white cardstock and strips of Pewter and Ballerina paper.

If you've never played at our biweekly challenge, we welcome you to give it a try by visiting our Color Dare Blog.

Materials
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White and Smoky Slate
Paper: CTMH (Ballerina & Pewter patterns), Dare 2 B Artsy (yellow pattern); WRMK (Silver & Glitter in green)
Dies: Reasonable Dies (Congrats) & Reverse Confetti (scallops)
Misc.: Sequins and foam tape from stash

Scarecrow & Jack's Autumn Blessings

Today's card was made for the October Brown Sugar Monthly Challenge #294. This is an "Anything Goes" theme beginning on Friday, October 4 through Monday, October 28, 2019.

 

Our sponsor for October is the QKR Stampede:

 

 

Using a digital image, I downloaded, resized, and printed "Scarecrow and Jack". I colored the image and fussy cut it, then decided I wanted another image of just the pumpkin. I printed another copy of the image, coloring only the pumpkin and fussy cutting it. I clear embossed the lone pumpkin to make it shiny and adhered it to the original image with foam tape. This image had a leaf drawn across the bottom of it so I covered it up with a green leaf sticker rather than coloring it. I die cut the frames and adhered all of the elements to an embossed white card base. I added a few more stickers, which I don't use often but they fit the fall theme. The inside was decorated with a leaf sticker and a little stamped and colored pumpkin.

There is a prize for the winner so I hope you'll join in and have some fun with at Brown Sugar Challenge #294.

Materials
Stamp: "Scarecrow and Jack" - Digital by QKR Stampede
Ink: Copic Alcohol Markers, Versamark
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Chocolate Chip; X-cel for alcohol ink
Paper: Patterned paper scraps from stash
Dies: Whimsy Stitched Notched Rectangles
TIEF: Diagonal
Misc.: Foam tape from stash; Stampin' Up! EP (clear)

Happy 100th Birthday

Because it's the 5th Monday of the month, it's time for SomeThing, AnyThing and EveryThing at Double Trouble, beginning today, Monday, September 30, through Sunday, October 6, 2019. This is only a one-week challenge.

Thing 1 requires playing along with the main Anything Goes theme.

Thing 2 suggests you to partner with any of our previous partners. I selected Brown Sugar's Anything Goes Challenge #293.

Thing 3 is reminding us to use the color pink in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Reminder: Things 2 and 3 are optional but playing along will increase your chances of winning.

I was asked to make a card for a lady some friends of ours have known since they were children. This lady was about to celebrate her 100th birthday. It was decided we needed a very special card but because the recipient lives in Ohio, it needed to go through the mail easily. After suggesting several ideas, it was decided to make a box card. The card will fold flat for mailing but is easily stood for display.

I started by making the box from heavyweight cardstock, covered with wood grain patterned paper. This is a departure from the usual box design. I added the usual support pieces inside the box then started decorating. I just kept adding flowers and leaves from my stash. The pieces were adhered to a strip of acetate then adhered to the inside supports of the box. Some of the bits are die cuts and others are purchased along with some ephemera. There is even a cupcake with a cherry on top! The "100" badge was die cut from magenta foiled cardstock and gold glitter cardstock. I made a separate for the senders to add a personal note to include with the box or adhere to the side or back. I recently learned that the elderly recipient was thrilled to receive the card.

Join in the Double Trouble Challenge #39 for challenge fun. You could win a prize! And here's a reminder that this is a one-week challenge, rather than the usual biweekly challenge so play along again on Monday, October 7, 2019 for #40.

Materials
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White (heavyweight)
Paper: WRMK Foil (magenta); Stampin' Up! Glimmer (gold) & Window Sheet (clear acetate); wood grain paper from scraps
Die: Reasonable "Numerals with Candles", Spellbinders large label on back (not shown in photos)
Misc.: Ephemera and various flowers, stickers, die cuts, gems, along with a bluebird and a cupcake all from stash; WRMK/SU envelope punchboard for custom envelope.

Grateful & Thankful

The Try Stampin' on Tuesday Biweekly Challenge #427 is open today, Tuesday, September 24, through Monday, October 6, 2019. Here is the sketch with an optional theme. I used the sketch and included a cup with "steam" to depict a warm beverage to meet that optional theme.

The coffee cup was die cut from patterned paper and the edges sponged. The two rectangles were die cut with the larger one embossed with coffee beans. The rectangles and cup were adhered with foam tape. A small flourish die cut provided the steam rising from the cup. The sentiment was cut from patterned paper along with a few other elements. The inside was decorated with a fall cutout. A few gold metallic "gems" were added to finish the card.

Be sure to visit the TSOT #427 Blog to view our challenge. We hope you'll play along!

Materials
Ink: Stampin' Up! Baked Brown Sugar
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Lost Lagoon
Paper: Echo Park "Fall" (leaves, sentiment), Carta Bella "Fall Market" (pattern on cup), Bella Blvd "Barn Yard" (brown plaid)
Dies: Whimsy (stitched notched rectangles) Reasonable Dies (cup)
TIEF: Darice (coffee beans)
Misc.: Foam tape and "gems", ephemera from stash

Frog Yoga - 3-D Window Card

Monochromatic cards? I have never been a fan but here I am with one for the Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #361... and I enjoyed making it. The challenge runs from Friday, September 20, through Wednesday, October 2, 2019 so check it out at the blog. I used several shades of green with dark brown as my only neutral and the color white, which is free.

I used a fun fold called a 3-D Window. This card folds flat into an A2 envelope making it simple to mail to the recipient. I stamped the frog image then colored and fussy cut it, adding the wiggly eyes. Imagine a frog enjoying Yoga! The little cloud is a die cut. The palm tree was a stamped & colored image leftover from a previous project so I embossed it with clear powder for a soft shine then fussy cut and adhered it to the front, making sure that the palm fronds would fit within the measurements of an A2 envelope. The sentiment was stamped and fussy cut. A few gems were added to finish off the card front. Inside the box, I adhered the frog onto green watercolored paper. The back of the card is white cardstock to permit a place to write a personal note. I decorated it with a cartoon-style alligator cut from patterned paper.

Stop by the Color My Heart Color Dare #361 Blog and give us your green projects!

Techniques: Fun Fold, Stamping, Fussy Cutting, Die Cutting, Coloring, Heat Embossing
Size: A2 when folded flat (5.5" x 4.25")

Materials
Stamps: Stampendous "Frog Yoga"; Recollections "Palm Tree"
Inks: Stampin' Up! Lucky Limeade; Copic Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White (heavyweight)
Patterned Paper: Doodlebug (dotted green); watercolored scrap; Stampin' Up! (alligator)
Die: Memory Box (stitched cloud); Stampendous (3-D Window)
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Embossing Powder (clear); Gems and wiggly eyes from stash

Autumn Blessings

Autumn is my favorite season no matter where I reside. I look forward to the subtle changes that we have in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and the end of the triple digit temperatures. For the Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #426, I followed the sketch below and used the optional theme of Leaves. This biweekly challenges began on Tuesday, September 17, and will end on Sunday evening, September 29, 2019.

The Maple leaf was cut from patterned paper using a die then backed with brown cardstock and fussy cut, leaving a very narrow edge. I decided to add shine to the leaf with clear embossing powder (two layers). Clear embossing will always darken the cardstock and the brown cardstock turned to a dark coffee color. Onto a Kraft card base, a panel of brown cardstock was adhered, then a couple of die cut stitched zigzag borders, in keeping with the sketch. Finally, the patterned paper was added. The Maple leaf was adhered using foam tape for dimension, followed by the thin strip across the lower end of the card and a sentiment that was computer generated. Gold metallic "gems" were added. The inside was decorated with a scrap of matching patterned paper.

Be sure to visit the Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #426 and take a look at the Design Team cards for inspiration. We hope you'll play along with the challenge.

Materials
Stamp: Sentiment computer generated
Ink: Stampin' Up! Cajun Craze (interior); Versamark
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Baked Brown Sugar, Chocolate Chip, Hello Honey, Cajun Craze
Paper: Stampin' Up! "Sweater Weather" Collection (retired)
Dies: Mama Elephant Border Die (stitched zigzag); Frantic Stamper Maple Leaf
Misc.: Stampin' Up Embossing Powder (clear), foam tape and gems from stash

Christmas Joy with Tag

Little by little, I am getting Christmas cards made in an effort to avoid a last minute rush. I used the Double Trouble Challenge #38 as inspiration for this card. Double Trouble has one requirement with two options. Playing along with the options increases your chances of winning the random draw for a nice prize. If you opt-in to Thing 2, visit the Use Your Stuff #375 blog and ensure you are meeting their guidelines.

Thing 1: (Required) Create a card using plaid.

Thing 2: (Optional) Enter your card into the challenge at Use Your Stuff #375 ensuring that you have met their requirements as well as ours.

Thing 3: (Optional) Use a tag or frame on your card design.

My card was created from bits and pieces collected from my stash. A white panel and a panel of gold with stars were sized and adhered to a red card base. The plaid tag was created by using a label die then backed in white cardstock. The image of the church was a paper scrap. I trimmed it to size, backed it in gold foiled cardstock and adhered it to the tag with foam tape. The tag was adhered to the card front along with the gold-striped bow and the sentiment. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with matching paper.

The Double Trouble Challenge #38 and our partner, Use Your Stuff Challenge #375, begin on Monday, September 16, and end on Sunday evening, September 29, 2019.

Materials
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Real Red, Gumball Green; Foiled cardstock (gold) from stash
Paper: Stampin' Up! Gold with stars from scraps; image and plaid from stash
Dies: Stampin' Up! Deco Labels; Reasonable Dies (Joy)
Misc.: Bow from stash; foam tape

Halloween Bats - BOO!

Deciding to make a clean and simple Halloween card led me to the weekly Atlantic Hearts Challenge #333, which started on Monday, September 9, and ends on Sunday evening, September 15.

 

 

Finding a stash of Halloween bits, I liked the spiders and web printed onto the newspaper print in this paper design. I sponged the edges with ink going lighter toward the center. Using a black card base, I adhered the sponged panel. Next, two circles were die cut - a larger one in black and a smaller one in white. I wanted it to look kind of mottled like the moon so added a light touch of ink. The circles were offset and stacked, then adhered to the card using foam tape. Finally, the three bats with wiggly eyes and Wink of Stella were added. The inside was lined with white cardstock, sponged along the edges, and stamped: BOO!

 

 

 

Viewing these photos after posting them, it looks to me as if the bats are flying into their cave from a night of eating insects and raiding hummingbird feeders. (They raid my hummingbird feeders at night.)

 

Here's the link for Atlantic Hearts Challenge #333. Hope to see you there!

 

Materials

Stamp: Garage sale find BOO! (inside of card)

Ink: Stampin' Up! Hello Honey and Crushed Curry; Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White and Basic Black

Paper: Recollections "Haunted Manor"

Dies: Spellbinders Classic Circles

Misc.: ZIG Wink of Stella (clear); foam tape; bats from stash