Halloween Fun - I've Got My Eye on You!

As I was writing this, I realized that by the time my blog post is published, Halloween will be over for 2023. Although I am not a big fan of the day, I make a few cards each year and pass out candy to the neighbor children. I have two grand-nephews who enjoy wearing costumes and going to neighborhood events to celebrate, so this card is for one of the boys. (The other card can be viewed HERE.) By the time this blog is published, the cards will have been mailed and received.

I made this card in conjunction with the Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #573, beginning on Friday, November 3, 2023, and closing on Thursday evening, November 16, 2023. The required colors are Pumpkin, Acorn, and Jade. Black and white plus neutrals are free to use but the three challenge colors must all be present in your project. The color board is below.

I decided to use some Halloween paper that has been taking up space in my stash. I still have plenty of it for next Halloween so perhaps I should have made more cards this year. Onto a vanilla card base, I adhered a layer of cardstock tilted to the left that matched the acorn color. Next, I added a layer of patterned dot paper in the jade color, tilting it to the right. I used a cut-apart piece with the big eyeball from the paper collection, backed it with vanilla cardstock, and then a scrap of orange-dotted black paper. This layered cut-apart was adhered directly to the card, again at a slight tilt. 

The eyeball was illustrated with spots that represent light reflection so I added rhinestones for sparkle to those spots and then a black enamel dot for the pupil. Going along with the dots, I added two more rhinestones and two more black dots just for fun. The inside of the card was decorated with more patterned paper and a stick-on spider.

We hope you will join us at Color Dare Challenge #573. The colors are ideal for an Autumn card as well as Thanksgiving or Halloween. Our challenges are biweekly, beginning every Friday morning so there is always an active challenge to join.

I appreciate your visiting my blog and thank you for your comments.

Melanie

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla & Baked Brown Sugar

Patterned Paper: Photo Play "Fright Night"

Misc.: Rhinestones, enamel dots (black)

Let's Get This Par-TEA Started!

Yes, indeed, let's get this par-TEA started and win some Blog Candy!

My aunt is in her 90s and she is a great admirer of my cards, so of course, I keep mailing them to her! She is a tea drinker so I thought she would be the perfect card recipient when I came across this image of a teacup in my stash. The card layout came from a sketch that I used in a previous challenge ages ago.

Double Trouble Challenge #152 is participating in the Fall-Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. It's  worth playing along! Double Trouble lasts for one week only to coincide with the Coffee Lovers Challenge.

There are specific details at the Double Trouble Blog but in summary:

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker is reminding us that the time is here to create at least one card for the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. You are free to enter cards continually for the duration of the challenge at Coffee Lovers but no more than four cards at Double Trouble.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare is asking you to be sure to link your coffee-tea-cocoa-cider project HERE. Then watch on the days that drawings are made to see if you have won a prize.

Thing 3 (optional): Isn't it just like Twisted Sister to change things up? She wants you to include a sentiment that uses a pun. I really did not want to add my pun to the front of my card, so inside of the card, I handwrote, "Let's get this par-tea started."

We've made a change in our routine for this challenge - we have BLOG CANDY! Each Design Team member has a giveaway for those who wish to play along. We hope you'll visit each member's individual blog, view the prize, and leave a comment - BUT - this will not qualify you for the prizes. After viewing each individual blog, go back to the Double Trouble Blog and leave a comment. From those comments, we will randomly select the names of Blog Candy recipients. Please join in the fun. A photo of the items in my Blog Candy giveaway is below. 

To clarify, the Double Trouble Challenge #152 closes on Friday, November 10, 2023, along with the Coffee Lovers Challenge. Be sure to check back at both challenges to see if you have won any prizes.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I appreciate your comments and wish you good luck in winning blog candy.

Melanie

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Basic Black

Paper: Paper Rose "Katie's Tea Party"

Sentiment: Paper Rose Sentiments Sheet

Misc.: Clear droplets and CTMH thin foam tape

BLOG CANDY:

La-la Land Crafts "Astronaut Marci and her Stellar Friends"

(One of the stamps has been gently used, the dies have not been used.)

Includes two stamps with four images and a variety of sentiments.

Also includes three die sets - a four-piece spaceship, a three-piece satellite, and a one-piece  moonscape.

Thinking of You - Autumn Card

11/05/2023 Update: Weekly Favorite at Splitcoast Stampers!

Thank you for visiting my blog. I used a sketch from the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #549, which began on Monday, October 30, 2023, and is a one-week challenge, closing on Sunday, November 5, 2023. The sketch is below.

In keeping with the sketch, the card design is square. Two layers of cardstock, white and tan, were adhered to the jade-colored card base, followed by patterned paper and a gold foil strip through the center. To create the center image, a die-cut square was backed with orange cardstock. The pumpkins were fussy-cut from patterned paper and adhered. The sentiment was stamped on white and backed with patterned paper. 

The focal image and the sentiment were popped up using foam tape over the center gold strip. Instead of using a tied string element across the top of the center square, I decided to add two banners to the upper left corner, and three gold dots to the sentiment to achieve more balance with my color choices. The inside of the card was lined with white cardstock and decorated with a scrap of the foiled gold and another fussy-cut pumpkin.

To learn more about this sketch challenge, stop by the AHSC 549 Blog for details.

I appreciate your visiting my blog and thank you for your comments.

Melanie

Materials

Stamps: Stampin' Up! "Botanical Layers" (sentiment)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Just Jade, Baked Brown Sugar, Pumpkin Pie, Foiled Gold

Patterned Paper: 49th and Market "Art Options - Spice"

Die: Hero Arts Infinity (circles), Kokorosa (Slotted Edge Squares)

Misc.: Metallic dots (gold) & CTMH thin foam tape

Size: Square (5" x 5")

Fall Is in the Air

When the fifth Monday of the month rolls around, it's time for our one-week challenge at Double Trouble Challenges. This challenge, #151, began on Monday, October 30, 2023, and will end on Sunday, November 5, 2023. This "Fifth-Monday" challenge theme is Something, Anything, Everything... meaning that Anything Goes! 

It's always a disappointment when Wink of Stella or other glitter products do not photograph well. My Slimline card has a pretty sparkle to it but the camera captured something that resembles sand rather than the gold "Pop Up Color".

As usual, Double Trouble Challenge has three "Things" to this challenge:

Thing 1 (required): Keep Trouble Maker happy by showing us your "Anything Goes" project.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare is hoping you will take a look at our previous challenge partners and link your project to at least one of them. You could earn extra chances in our Random Drawing and win a prize. I have linked my project at I Spy with My Little Eye #8, "Shades of Autumn".

Thing 3 (optional): If you happen to see circles in this challenge, it's because Twisted Sister has discovered it is "Look for Circles Day" on November 2, and is challenging you to use at least one circle shape on your project. My card is made with layered circles that have been cut in half. The technique is sometimes referred to as Layered Waves or Layered Circles and can be arranged in varying ways. I was inspired by the brisk winds that occur during Autumn when I arranged my elements. I found a sentiment in my stash, "Fall is in the air", and thought it worked perfectly to represent Autumn's sweeping winds. Adding a circle will give you another chance at our Random Drawing.

Onto a bright green card base, leaf-patterned paper was adhered. After arranging my half-circles onto white cardstock, I fussy-cut the arrangement, leaving a white rim, and then adhered it to the leaf-patterned card base front. A few fussy-cut images were adhered plus a stamped sentiment. The inside was lined with white cardstock, a few more fussy-cut images were added, and a sentiment, "In all things, give thanks," was stamped. As a final touch, "Pops of Color" glitter glue in gold was added to a few of the images.

Don't forget to visit the Double Trouble Challenge #151 Blog for complete details and check out I Spy with My Little Eye #8, Shades of Autumn.

Card Interior

 

I appreciate your visiting my blog and thank you for your comments.

Blessings...

Melanie

Materials

Stamps: Newton's Nook "Heartfelt Fall" (sentiment on card front); Colorado Craft Co. "Savvy Sentiments" (sentiment inside card)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: SU! Basic White; Scrapbook.com "Harvest Collection"

Paper: Photo Play "Leaves Are Falling"

Dies: Hero Arts Infinity Circles

Misc.: CTMH thin foam tape and "Pops of Color" (gold)

Size/Style: Slimline

A Delightful Day

 

It's time for another biweekly sketch challenge at Try Stampin' on Tuesday. This is Challenge #630, which began on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, and will be closing on Sunday, November 5, 2023. The required sketch is shown below. This challenge also has an option to include a theme of warm drinks. For example, cocoa, coffee, tea, cider, etc. I went with what could be any warm, steamy beverage, but my personal choice would be coffee.

My interpretation of the sketch is obvious, at least to me. I used the edge of a plate for the large curve of the partial circle shape, hand-cutting it from patterned paper and backing it with blue cardstock. The mug was simply cut with my trimmer. The blue half circle and the mug's white handle were die-cut along with the flourishes representing steam. The sentiment was stamped and die-cut. I popped up several elements with foam tape and then added the white enamel dots. The card front was adhered to a layer of blue cardstock and then onto a white card base. I always decorate the inside of my cards with a little something. This time I used scraps of patterned paper and flourishes.

If you haven't tried our sketch challenges, we urge you to join us at the TSOT #630 Blog and play along in our challenge fun. Every Tuesday, we begin a new biweekly challenge so there is always a challenge underway. 

I appreciate your visiting my blog and thank you for your comments.

Blessings...

Melanie

Materials

Stamp: Brutus Monroe "Daisies for Days" (sentiment)

Ink: Stampin' Up! Boho Blue

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Boho Blue, Baked Brown Sugar

Patterned Paper: CTMH (Toffee mix-in)

Dies: Brutus Monroe "Daisies for Days" (sentiment), Kokorosa "Large Dragonflies"  (flourishes), Hero Arts Infinity (circles)

Misc.: CTMH thin foam tape & Spellbinder enamel dots

Size: A2 (5.5" x 4.25")

Fall Birthday Card

 

This morning I found I had some spare time so decided to spend a while making a card. I went to one of my favorite challenges, the Atlantic Heart Sketch Challenge, a weekly challenge that begins on Monday mornings and ends on Sunday evenings. This is Challenge #548, which is scheduled to close on Sunday, October 29, 2023. Below is the sketch:

Several weeks ago, I cut some patterned paper into strips with a plan to create a card but changed my mind and used a different technique. This morning, I took those strips out of the scrap heap and created my challenge card. I aligned each strip so the patterns were obvious and adhered them to cardstock. I added copper-toned foil strips in between the spaces of the strips. I recently saw someone use these foil strips but found the recommended source to be a bit pricey. I found less expensive ones at Amazon but experienced "Caveat Emptor". The metallic strips didn't adhere as well as I had hoped. All I can say is perhaps I should have paid the greater price!

The sentiment was stamped and added with foam tape. I die-cut two bows, backing the dark one with the white so it would stand out on the page. Foam tape provided additional dimension. Three hexagon-shaped dots were also added. The inside of the card was decorated with a few leftover diagonal strips.

Be sure to visit the AHSC 548 Blog and play along with this challenge.

I appreciate your comments...

Melanie

Materials

Stamp: Gina K "Natural Silhouettes" (sentiment)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Scrapbook.com Harvest Collection (rust color)

Patterned Paper: Scrapbook.com Harvest Collection

Dies: Unbranded Bow Collection

Misc.: SU! hexagon dots & CTMH thin foam tape

Size: A2 (5.5" x 4.25")

Let It Snow

Update: Top Three Winner at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #547. 

It has been more than a year since I participated in one of my favorite challenges, Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenges. This is AHSC #547, which is one week in duration, beginning on Monday, October 16, 2023, and closing on Sunday, October 22, 2023. Below is the inspiration sketch.

I recently received a die set called Skinny Snowmen so I decided to put it to use with this challenge. The die has seven snow people of varying heights plus the scarves and hats. Coloring the details on the snow people was a little time-consuming but I enjoyed making the card. I backed the figures with strips of black cardstock so the tiny die-cut openings for the eyes and buttons would appear black. The die also embossed the smiles, which I dotted with a black fine-tip pen. The hats and scarves were colored with markers and adhered.

Wanting just a light touch of snow on the blue panel, the ocean wave stencil and white craft ink seemed to work just fine. I kept it pale so as not to distract from the images. After arranging and adhering the snow people, I added the vellum banner with the word "Snow" die-cut in blue and backed with white, adding the text, LET IT. A few rhinestones were added for sparkle. The finished panel was adhered to a white card base and the inside of the card was decorated with three extra snow people.

If you enjoy using sketches, then you will enjoy playing along weekly at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenges.

I appreciate your visiting my blog and thank you for your comments.

Blessings...

Melanie

Materials

Inks/Markers: Stampin' Up! Craft (white pigment); markers borrowed from my sister

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black, Boho Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Vellum

Dies: Kokorosa "Skinny Snowmen" & Impression Obsession "Let It Snow"

Stencil: "Wave Strips" by Clear Scraps 

Misc.: Rhinestones

Lapoo Lotus Birthday Card

It's time again for a color challenge at Color My Heart Color Dare. Challenge #571 began on Friday, October 20, 2023, and will close on Thursday, November 2, 2023. The requirements make this challenge one of my favorites. I really enjoy creating black and white cards with a punch of color.

This time, I decided to go with a soft punch by using a pretty pastel pink color. I was inspired by a scrap of patterned paper that I used on the card. The pretty pink and gold hearts in the paper design along with the tiny black keys simply caught my eye. 

To create the card I simply die-cut the flower pieces and circles and adhered them to a card base of layered cardstock. The sentiment was stamped and popped up with foam tape for dimension. The inside of the card was decorated with another gold-backed circle and a pink flower. My sister-in-law will be celebrating her birthday in two weeks so I will be mailing this card to her.

Our challenges are biweekly, with a new challenge beginning each Friday, so we always have an open challenge. Please visit our Challenge Blog for details to play along with us.

I appreciate your visiting my blog and thank you for your comments.

Blessings...

Melanie

Materials

Stamp: Concord & 9th (sentiment)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black 

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Basic Black, Bubble Bath, Gold Foil

Paper: Spellbinders "Love Grows Here" Collection 

Die: Hero Arts Infinity Circles and Lapoo Sacred Lotus

Misc.: CTMH thin foam tape

Size: A2 (5.5" x 4.25")

Field of Wildflowers - Birthday

 

It's always fun to play along at Double Trouble Challenges. Challenge #150 began on Sunday, October 15, 2023, and will close on Sunday evening, October 29, 2023. As usual, our challenge has three "things". For details, be sure to visit our Blog for Challenge #150.

Thing 1, which is required, is to create a project using flowers but patterned paper is NOT permitted on the project. My card is shown above and has no patterned paper. Everything is made from solid color cardstock with stamping, die cutting, and ink blending. I elected to keep the elements simple with little adornment.

Thing 2, which is optional, is to link your project to our partner's challenge. Our partner for this challenge is Crafter's Cafe #302. Be sure to follow their requirements before linking.

Thing 3, also optional, is to add a special twist to your project. The twist is to include at least one garden insect in the project. I added two bees to the front and a bee to the inside by stamping, coloring the bees, fussy-cutting, and then adhering them.

I also decorated the inside of my card with a flower, some leaves, and a sentiment, "May your day be as beautiful as a field of wildflowers."

We look forward to welcoming you to our biweekly challenge and hope you'll play along so you will qualify for chances in our random drawing. Visit our Blog for Challenge #150 to enter your project.

I appreciate your visiting my blog and thank you for your comments.

Blessings...

Melanie

Materials

Stamps: Concord & 9th "Delicate Blossoms" (sentiment on front); SSS "Sunflower Garden" (sentiment inside); MFT "We Beelong" (bees)

Inks: Stampin' Up! Orchid Oasis, Blushing Bride, Garden Green

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White (inside of card base), Lemon Lolly, Orchid Oasis, Parakeet Party

Dies: Stampendous "Floral Bouquet"

Misc.: Foam tape & Rhinestones

Size: A2

Thanks So Much - Fall Card

It's been a very long time since I have been able to join my teammates on Team A in creating a challenge card at Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenges. I am eager to resume my activity beginning with TSOT Challenge #628. For this challenge, participants have the opportunity to choose one of three options:  1. Use only the sketch, or 2. Use only the inspirational photo, or 3. Combine numbers 1 and 2. For my project, I elected to combine the first and second options.

Original Challenge Photo

My Revised Sketch Photo

I took the liberty of tilting the sketch by 90 degrees to the left as shown in the revised sketch photo. I did not have access to the sketch because my Internet was unavailable so depended on my memory (what a risk!) resulting in a card that is not precisely correct but I think it's close enough.

Onto a white card base, cardstock and various patterned papers were trimmed, layered, and adhered. The sentiment was stamped onto a die-cut circle and popped up with foam tape. The inside of the card was decorated with additional patterned paper.

If you enjoy challenges, please visit our TSOT Blog #628 and join in the fun. Our challenges are biweekly, beginning every Tuesday, so there is always an active challenge underway. This challenge, which began on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, will end on Sunday, October 22, 2023.

I also am submitting my card to I Spy with My Little Eye #8, Shades of Autumn.

I appreciate your visiting my blog and thank you for your comments.

Blessings...

Melanie

Materials

Stamp: CTMH "Botanical Shadows" (sentiment)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White

Paper: Harvest Collection by Scrapbook.com

Die: Our Daily Bread "Fancy Circles"

Other: CTMH thin foam tape and metallic stick-ons

Card Size: A2

Mandala Art from India

After a hiatus from card challenges and a lengthy move across the country, I am finally ready to resume my activities and rejoin the Design Team at Color My Heart Color Dare Challenges.

Above is my card for the Triple Play Challenge #569. I had not planned to resume participating until Challenge #571 but at the last minute, I rounded up some supplies and finished just in time. 

My sister, Mary, recently returned to the USA after living and working in Asia for 18 years. She had the opportunity to travel to many places, including the famous Taj Mahal Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, built about 1632 in Agra, India. She picked up an assortment of pretty designs on paper for me, knowing that I would enjoy using them in cardmaking. This mandala is one of those designs, printed in red ink and metallic gold on handmade ivory paper. 

Because mandalas have a spiritual significance, I stayed focused on the image, incorporating the required challenge colors with simple layering. In addition to red, orange, and yellow paper, I added black cardstock. I elected to omit a sentiment simply because I don't think the card needs one. The card base is white and the inside is unembellished leaving plenty of space for a personal note. I rarely create square cards but I like a square shape for the mandala.

We hope you'll join us over at the Color Dare Challenge #569 Blog for this fun color challenge. Our challenges are biweekly with a new challenge beginning each Friday, so we always have an active challenge underway. Our next challenge begins on Friday, October 13, and this challenge closes on Thursday, October 19, 2023.

I appreciate your visiting my blog and thank you for your comments.

Blessings...

Melanie

Materials

Image: Mandala design on handmade paper (a gift from India)

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White & Basic Black

Paper: Astrobrights multi-purpose in Re-entry Red, Cosmic Orange, and Solar Yellow

Size: 5.5" x 5.5"

Not So Scary - Eeek!

Update: Top Five Winner at Halloween Crafts All Year #8!

Welcome to my blog. It's been a long time since I participated in a card challenge. Sometimes life gets in the way and I was unable to get back to my cardmaking until now. As a Design Team member at Double Trouble Challenges, I have been working behind the scenes, although not creating cards for specific challenges.

So here I am - ready to go with Double Trouble Challenge #149, Scrapper's Trick or Treat. This challenge closes on Sunday, October 15, 2023. I am not a celebrant of Halloween but I keep a few supplies in my stash for challenges and I pass out candy to the neighbor children. 

All the details of our challenge are on the challenge blog, but to summarize:

Thing 1 (required): Create an original background for your project. I created a mix of colors using watercolor crayons.

.

Thing 2 (optional): Link your project to our partner's challenge. Our partner is "Park Hopping - My Happy Place". I selected the celebration at Walt Disney World, "Not So Scary".

Thing 3 (optional): Decorate your original background for Halloween. Using seasonal paper with images of candy, I also included ephemera - the ghost, a spider, and the sentiment, "Eeek".

I am also entering my card into the following challenges:

Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge 

Halloween Crafts All Year 'Round #8 

Make My Monday Challenge #210 

613 Avenue Create 

Dream Valley Challenges #302 

Use Your Stuff #494 

Thank you for visiting my blog. I appreciate your comments.

Blessings...

Melanie

Materials

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White (card base), Scrapbook.com "Harvest" Collection

Paper: Photo Play "Fright Night", Strathmore Cold Press Watercolor

Ephemera: Photo Play "Fright Night" 

Other: Staedtler Watercolor Crayons (to create background)

Size: A2 (5.5" x 4.25")

You Brighten My Day

 

After an absence of three months, I was so glad to be able to create a card for Double Trouble Challenge #120. This biweekly challenge begins on Monday, September 5, and ends on Sunday evening, September 18, 2022. As is customary, there are three "Things" to consider when joining in our challenges. Here are the elements for this challenge:

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker has chosen to use the 3-2-1 Recipe. Details can be found on the Challenge Blog.

Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare is partnering with Cupcake Inspirations #552 for this challenge. 

Thing 3 (optional): Twisted Sister is asking that you use the colors, Jade, Yellow, and Brown, which coordinate with our partner's challenge.

I recently made a cross-country move of 2,000 miles and I have been busy with the huge task of getting settled in and all that a move to a new community entails. After I began to unpack my craft area, I decided to change the flooring so that slowed me down in card making. The card I made for this challenge was inspired by a new etched die set I have but because I was unable to find my die-cutting machine, I decided to hand draw lemons and leaves on colored cardstock and fussy cut them. In addition, I shaded them with ink and added the pieces with foam tape for dimension. For embellishments, I used the flowers cut by using a punch.

In addition to the challenge colors, I also used a second green shade of cardstock. The flowers were each decorated with a center of yellow cardstock topped with Glossy Accents. The sentiment was hand-printed and adhered to the card front. The inside of the card was decorated using the same colors, decorated with white flowers and a leaf.

We look forward to seeing your challenge entries at Double Trouble #120 and our partner, Cupcake Inspirations #552,

Materials
Stamps: Hand-drawn images (lemons and leaves)

Inspiration: Spellbinders "Lemon Zest" etched dies

Inks: Stampin' Up! Crushed Curry, Baked Brown Sugar & Pretty Peacock

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic White, Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight, Just Jade, Pistachio Pudding

Punch: Stampin' Up! (flowers)

Misc.: Foam tape and Glossy Accents