Retro Rubber #193...Guest Designer...Happy Birthday

 

Today I am so happy to be playing along with one of my favorite challenges, Retro Rubber, as their Guest Designer.  I love this challenge because it reminds me to look through my stash for some older stamps I may have forgotten about.

Because I am guest designer, I decided to pick one of the oldest of my oldies....PTI Dot Spot.  This set is so old that it is in a CD case.  I'm thinking more than 10 years.  I pulled out out and was reminded all over again about why I love this stamp set so much.  I did a bit of inlaid die cutting, an old technique that I haven't used in quite a while.

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My Crafty Weekend

Hello, hello.  This post is going to be heavy on photos and light on the chit chat.  As you will see, I had some BIG FUN in my craft room this week.

First up is a card using some fabulous CASual Fridays stamps gifted to me by Tracey when I went to see her in Canada earlier this month.  They are called Floating, and I don't know how she knew that this stamp set had been on my wish list for so long.  I pulled out my Inktense Water Color pencils for the first time in forever, to color some of the flowers in the challenge color scheme.  I am entering this card at CAS-ual Fridays 198: April Showers bring May Flowers, Calling All Sistahs #12 and Addicted to Stamps and More #289: CAS.

I stamped the Concord &9th floral image while I was at Tracey's and colored it with Copics at home yesterday, and I am entering this next card at Where Creativity Meets C9 #20: Spring.  I am also entering this card at Simon Says Monday: Flower Power.

My next card is inspired by the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches #334 and the challenge at CAS on Friday #131: Black, White & Pink.

Next up is a pretty literal interpretation of the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch #269, using the leaves from PTI Meadow Green.  I am also entering this card at Simon Says Wednesday Anything Goes.

This week's Make it Monday #320 is all about Spot Color Die Cut Words, and I used Folk Art Floral and a Happy die for my card.  I won't say anything about this card other than I did my best to use the technique.

I did not have to look far to find a card I wanted to do over for this week's PTI Transformation Tuesday.  It is the card above.  I wanted to try to play around again with die cut words and colors, and came up with something else that I think works better on my next card.

I think that the die cut word I used for the MIM card was too small, and it was getting lost in the busyness of the image.  I played around with the idea, and ended up using Doodlie Do to stamp an all over background pattern, then inlaid a solid die cut word into the pattern, and used a Copic marker to color all of the non-stamped area.  I am much happier with how this second card looks.

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Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends who are celebrating today.  And, happy Thursday to everyone else!  I am so grateful for the friendships I have made out in blogland.

Today I am posting a batch of holiday cards, inspired by various challenges.  I somehow left all my holiday crafting until the last moment, so I've been a whirling dervish of craftiness.

First up is a card inspired by this cute card by my friend Kim at Muse #243.

Kim's Inspiration Card

I was inspired by Kim's use of patterned paper, the window and her cute critters.  I am also entering this card at Retro Rubber #76: Anything Goes.  The penguin stamps are either from last Christmas or the year before.

Next up is a holiday card inspired by several challenges.

I used the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches #314, the Food and Drink challenge at Simon Says Wednesday Challenge, and am also entering at Christmas Card Challenges #26: Candy Cane.

CAS Colours and Sketches #250 has a color challenge and is also celebrating their birthday--happy birthday!!  I have used their colors for another holiday card.

I am also entering this card at Addicted to Stamps and More #269: Clean and Simple.

I broke out some festive washi tape for CAS on Friday #121: Washi Tape.  And, since I had to tear the Washi, I am also entering this card at Simon Says Monday Challenge: Tear it Up.

Last up today is a pair of cards inspired by the Paper Players #371: Warm and Cozy.  

I made two versions, because I could not decide if the tree should be in front or behind the reindeer. I am thinking I like the one best with the tree behind.

OK, that's it for me.  Off to eat some turkey. 

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Time Out #63...Reminder...Peace

There is still time to play along with the current challenge at Time Out.  Our challenge this week is a theme challenge with an optional twist.

The theme is holidays with the optional twist of no stamping (sentiment stamp allowed).

I used a word die cut for my sentiment, and framed it with a Winter Floral Cover Plate die cut.  CAS with lots of detail, but still no stamping.

Please head over to Time Out to see more inspiration from our Design Team and Guest Designer. Our Guest Designer this week is Aileen.  We are sponsored this week by Uniko.

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Birthday, Sympathy and Anniversary

Hello there.  I have three cards to share today, and they are for lots and lots of different challenges. First up is a graphic birthday card.  I had a lot of fun piecing this one together--kind of like a puzzle.

The challenge this week at Simon Says Monday is to use any one Simon Says Stamp brand product, so I pulled out the Mod Circle Frame Die and the Sending and Wishing stamp set to make this birthday card.  I cut the Mod Circle Frame die in each color, and used 3 layers of black for the 'wishing' word.  I used the colors at ColourQ #291 and am also entering at Seize the Birthday with toppings:  use the negative, Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge Die Cuts / Punches and AAA Cards #39 birthday extravaganza.

I used the serene color scheme at the Paper Players #244 as my inspirational jumping off point for my next card.  These colors said 'sympathy card' to me, so that is the direction I went.  I started by sponging Distress Cracked Pistachio ink through a screen stencil on to Sahara Sand card stock.  I stamped my bird image (from PTI Iconic Images) in WPlus9 Ocean Drive ink on the stenciled area, and then added my sentiment.  Looked a little too stark, so I impressed it with a woodgrain impression plate.

I am also entering this card at Addicted to CAS #63 Birds, Addicted to Stamps and More #144 CAS, and CAS on Sunday #58 Cheer Up, Buttercup.  

And, I am still making anniversary cards for my mom.  Here is one I made using the sketch at Happy Little Stampers--I know I keep using this sketch, but it is a very fun one and quite versatile.  I pulled out an old favorite stamp for this one--remember PTI Dot Spot?  I paired it with Wet Paint and Happy Everything for a fun mod look.

I discovered a new-to-me challenge at Craft Stamper Take it Make it May Challenge Anything Goes: must use a stamp, so I am playing along there for the first time today.

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