Spooky Night !

JustRite has a colour challenge up this week. I love these colours !
Warning ! This is a long post because I had WAY TOO MUCH FUN with this card!
(Note to my sister, don't show the kids and don't you look either!!)
I decided to do a Halloween card, strangely because of one of my beautiful new Spellbinders dies. When I got Majestic Labels Twenty-five, I took some scrap cardstock and cut out all the pieces just to see how they looked. Today a piece I cut was sticking out from under something else and it reminded me of the fancy top on wrought iron cemetery gates. These are seriously beautiful dies, how I got cemetery gates from that I have no idea! (Sorry Spellbinders :) )
Of course then I just had to follow through and figure out how to make it work.
I used Co'ordinations cardstock for the card base and folded it to 41/2 x 61/4. I took two dies from the set and taped them to the cardstock, making sure they were centred at the top of the cardstock base. I only wanted half to cut, so I taped the base and the dies on the plate so 3/4 of the card was hanging over the edge and the edge of the plate intersected the centre of the dies. I then hand cut the window out of the front, following the curve of the die at the top.

I drew the pumpkins and cut them from patterned paper and added some Copics and Twinkling H2Os. I had to do the back of them as well, because behind the fence is acetate to support it. The spooky house and crow were cut with one of my favourite Spellbinders sets, Halloween Fence Scenes and Shapes, but the fence here was cut with a Slice. I sanded the edges of the crow, I think it makes him look ghostly.The patterned paper hill is Graphic45, and I painted over the already violet sky with Twinkling H2Os.It's so pretty IRL, sometimes it looks more blue and others, more purple, but it's hard to capture in a photo.
The moon is the same patterned paper as the pumpkins, but I added white Gelato and yellow Twinks so it looks more like a Harvest moon. I sanded the black lightly in places for a more worn look and on the inside I drew some gravestones as a place to sign the card.
Now, sadly, I don't have any of the incredible new JustRite Halloween stamps (But I did see that they are on sale !). I used great JR Fall set "Autumn Words" for the sentiment. I love Halloween stuff, but I only do one card a year, but I always have more fun with it than any other card I do!
Here are some more photos showing the set up of the dies, the interior and the painting.

So, I'm entering my card in the following :
JustRite Friday Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes
Die Cutting Divas, Fall
Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday Linky Party

Stamped Window, Insider Homework

So based on something I learned in the Insider class, I decided to try something completely different. They called it a Stamped Window card, it requires the same image to be stamped on the inside and outside of the card, but you only colour the inside image.

I made a hinged card using the Spellbinders A2 Floral Ribbon Threader die, and Labels Twenty-Three. The stamps are Flourish's Nasturtiums. I needed a little more colour on the front, so I added the striped Washi tape (YAY! I actually used some.), and a little butterfly.
Although this card is too plain for me, I think the technique is really interesting and fun,and I will certainly try it again, only with more layers! LOL!!
'

Red, White and Kraft

My LSS, The Cutting Garden has a challenge this month to use red, white and kraft on a card. I noticed that The Twinery had a sewing themed challenge, and together I saw the perfect opportunity to use my Impression Obsession Dogwood Dress Form yet again. This time, however, I didn't cover up the dogwood flowers with 3D flowers. Sadly, though, what I did use won't really show up in the photos with the light conditions tonight. I used Sakura glitter pens and it looks so pretty in real life.

 

I used the Spellbinders A2 Floral Ribbon Threader dies, but I hand cut around the kraft piece, so the red paper would show. I used red&white twine to sew around the inside. I stamped a ruler, added lace behind the frame and a piece of ric-rac. The daisy is actually cut from a piece of vintage trim. I tied more of the pretty twine through the button. The paper is from the MME Collectable collection and I really think I need more ! :-)
I'm entering the following challenges:
The Twinery, You're Sew Fine

Simon Says Stamp, Anything Goes

Insider Day One

I'm taking the online Insider class and the homework is to finish the inside of a card that you previously made. I decided to use this one based on Kristi's design as I was sending it to my friend for her B'Day and I really think she'll like it.
Note: This card was shown on my September 1st blog post with a link to Kristi Schurr's original.

Here's what I did:

 

I added more of the paper from the collection and die cut the centerpiece using a smaller die from the Spellbinders Locking Loops set that I used on the front. I added a piece of the same ribbon and some pearls I coloured with Copics to echo the brads that are on the front.
This is the second one of these classes I've taken, the first one was called Pattern Play. I am fascinated by how beautiful the cards are without 10 layers on them. These classes really favour the Clean and Simple style. I think I'll need to take a whole lot more to get the hang of it! LOL ! I always pick up some great tips that work no matter what style you like.

Snowy Village

I'm feeling rather guilty. I haven't had a chance to catch up on all my favourite blogs lately, and (oh horrors!) I didn't even check out the Impression Obsession's DT 's projects for the "Things That Fly" challenge. I know all my favourite card-makers have probably been posting the most fabulous cards, and as soon as I get a chance, I'll be checking out all I've missed.

I did manage to get a card made today. I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder that is one of the first I got. It is still a big favourite of mine. I used Cor'ordinations cardstock and sanded it, and then added Liquid Pearls and glitter. Normally I would have used foam tape between the layers, but I knew the pine boughs would add a lot of bulk and I'm trying to cut down on that. I used an Impression Obsession die (DIE021-N) for the main pine boughs and added little pine boughs cut with another IO die from the Twig Wreath set (DIE023-X). I used some stuff that puffs up when you heat it to make snow. The Chickadees are an IO stamp set ( C8589), and I covered them in Glossy Accents. I just used a Copic to colour a gold Peel-Off for the sentiment.
I'm excitedly waiting for the  new IO dies I won, I have so much fun with their dies because they have such cute designs! What did card-makers do before dies? It's really too horrible to think about !
I'm entering this in the following:
IO "Things That Fly" challenge
Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes"

Autumn Splendor

I was playing with my new Spellbinders Exquisite Labels Eleven and made another Fall themed card.

I was really thrown off my day because I didn't need to rush around to do my JustRite challenge entry at the last minute, so I'm doing it anyway ! LOL!
Thank you to JustRite for giving me the beautiful Grateful Hearts stamp set I used on this. I also used the JR Ticking b'ground stamp.
Besides the Exquisite Labels Eleven ( which is perfectly named), I also used Spellbinders Curved Rectangles, a die from Botanical Swirls and Accents and Classic Ovals.
I thought it was kind of neat, how the curly bits of the Labels eleven hold the Curved Rectangle piece in place !

I'm entering this in the following :
JustRite Friday Challenge "Autumn Splendor"

Autumn Friendship

This card was inspired by a fabulous sheet of Bo Bunny paper from the Autumn Song collection.

I used Spellbinders Gold majesty Circles to make the frame for the card front. I used another die from the same set to cut out the centre of the wreath design that was on the paper in order to pop it up. I used that same circle die and the inner embossing die to cut a piece of vellum. I applied Antique Linen ink to the vellum to tone down the whiteness of it. I then heat embossed the sentiment from the JustRite Shabby Chic Autumn Leaves stamp set.
I inked up a corner stamp from the JustRite Doilies and Lace set with Perfect Medium and then applied gold Perfect Pearls to the corners.
I applied different colours of Distress inks to a white card scrap, stamped on it with leaves from the JustRite Autumn Words set and clear embossed them. I rubbed over them with Walnut Stain for two reasons, one being that I wanted to cut them out and needed to define them on the card so I could see them. The second reason was that the dark ink rubbed into the embossed leaves brings out the crackle effect the stamps have. I fussy cut them and applied Krylon gold pen to the edges.
Here's the fun part !

I covered the leaves with Versamark Dazzle in Frost and heat embossed them multiple times with UTEE. The Versamark Dazzle adds the most fabulous but subtle sparkle. I spent a ridiculous amount of time on these leaves, but they are so gorgeous in person that it was totally worth it.
I am entering this card in the following challenges :
JustRite's Autumn Splendor
Loves Rubber Stamps, Have a Sentiment on Front 
Simon Says Stamp, Emboss It
Tuesday Throwdown, Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp, Stamp on Anything but Plain Paper

All About the Dies

Impression Obsession's challenge is All About the Dies. Sometimes when I pick a challenge to focus on, I add a challenge of my own on top. This week I wanted to work with a colour scheme I am not comfortable with. I thought I would have lots of time to finish this project after Agility practice this morning, but things didn't work out well. I actually had the oh-so-brilliant idea to stop a dog from attacking another, by getting my ankle bone in the mix. ( I know my sister is reading this and nodding her head thinking, "Yep, just brilliant(insert sarcasm here), and so typical !) We don't usually have problems with the dogs, but stuff happens. Neither dog involved was mine, but I'd rather not see anyone hurt. except me, apparently. Some very hard part of the aggressor hit, NOT bit my ankle bone, and it's all swollen and hurts like blue blazes. So long story over, I didn't get a lot of time to finish this quite the way I wanted to, I always think everything needs more!

 I used some older Webster's pages paper and the following IO products :
Dogwood Dress Form E13084  ( I LOVE this!!)
C-A-C Rose Lace CC087
Small Spiral Flowers DIE042-I
Layered Floral Set DIE047-J
Butterflies DIE046-A

I also want to thank Mitra at IO for her incredible generosity. I just won three Dies or die sets of my choice on the blog hop and I am thrilled! IO has some really cute dies and I am having a hard time choosing !
I would also like to enter this is a challenge blog that I just recently found called Totally Gorjuss. Their challenge this week is Anything Goes.

A Bit of Sparkle !

Decided I should make a card I can afford to pay postage on ! I had so much fun playing with my old Sakura Glaze pens, that I dug them out again and made this!

I used Stazon ink on acetate and coloured the back with the Glaze pens. You have to do a section at a time or it will dry and the glitter won't stick. You use coloured Glaze pens and white glitter. I attached the acetate to the Prima Zephyr paper with one glue dot behind the butterfly's body where there is no glitter and it won't show. The eyelets also attach it to the paper at the bottom.
The sentiment is on a Spellbinders Vintage Lace Motifs piece that I cut out twice. The white piece I cut in half lenghtwise and glued it to the back of the blue piece, so it shadowed the blue piece.
The sentiment is a Flourishes stamp, the butterfly is from Hampton and I don't know what the flourish is.
I wish shiny cards were easier to photograph!

I'm entering the following challenges:
Allsorts Butterflies
Loves Rubberstamps Anything Goes
LittleScrapPieces

 

                                     

 

 

 

 

Just GorJuss !

 

This A-frame card is made using one of the super cute Gorjuss stamps. This is the first time I ever tried using and colouring a stamp like this. I would normally never use this type of stamp, but never say never!
I used my fabulous Cheery Lynn Reflection die to create the card base. I only wanted it slightly larger than the aqua layer, and the next die up was a little bigger than I wanted. So (this is cool), I was able to use the exact SAME die to create both the aqua AND the white card base, and no, it's not by turning it sideways. they call this die Lace Square Heart, but I keep making it into a rectangle! :-)

I used Spellbinders Labels 23 to cut one centre panel and as a pattern for the other. I used Cherry Lynn Flourish Leaf strip and painted the leaves with Glimmer Glam, and used Cheery Lynn Miniature Rose strip to create my flowers. I watched their video and used Crepe paper which i coloured with Copics to match the girl's dress. (RV00, R81,83&85). The tiny flowers are from an Impression Obsession die. the paper is Prima.
A double loop bow, a heart and a tag finished off this card.

I'd like to enter this in:
 Cheery Lynn's Heart's a Glow
Loves Rubberstamps Anything Goes
Crafty Ribbons Anything Goes
Totally Gorjuss Anything Goes

JustRite Friday Challenge #104

The challenge for JR is a CAS sketch.

 

YIKES ! Two things I really don't do well combined! I wasn't going to try it and instead was making a type of card that I have made before and really enjoy playing with.

I wanted a bright and happy looking striped paper, but couldn't find quite what I wanted in my stash. I remembered I have the JR Ticking Stripe  and I inked it up with four pigment inks going from red through to yellow. I clear embossed the paper and cut my kite out. I use round toothpicks attached to another kite shape cut out of fun foam to shape the kite around.

I hand cut some clouds and used two to mask the b'ground and sprayed with two blue Glimmer Mists. I used a glue pen to outline the clouds and added some glitter. I used a C'Bug Divine Swirls folder to emboss a sheet of acetate, which I attached with glue dots that are hidden under the kite and the cloud that's on top. I cut and attached some tails to twine and guess what ? It looked a lot like the JR sketch. The kite and its tails looked like a banner and all the stamps I used happened to be JustRite!
The sentiments are from the Banners and Buntings set and the Grand Sentiments set.

This is such a fun card to make, but a nightmare to photograph!
You can find the JustRite Challenge here : http://justritestampers.typepad.com/justrite-inspiration/2013/08/justrite-friday-challenge-104-clean-and-simple-sketch.html

Copy Your Favourite Designer Challenge

The Kraft Journal has a challenge to copy your favourite designer. The trick is how do you choose a favourite when there are so many wonderful, talented card makers? I have lots of favourites many of whom I discovered through doing challenges.One of my all-time favourite designers is Kristi Schurr. I discovered her work when she played at the JustRite challenges, before she became one of their DT members. Kristi amazes me with the all the details and layers in her work and her ability to take a sketch and turn it into something wonderful. I copied one of her cards to create this one for the Kraft Journal's Challenge.

I used Kraft cardstock, Carta Bella Traditions paper, a Magenta stamp coloured with Copics
Spellbinders Locking Loops, Sizzix Postage frame cut from chipboard and painted, AC Sentiment stamp, jute twine and assorted ribbons and flowers.

I am entering this card in the following :
The Kraft Journal Challenge #135
Simon Says Stamp  Anything Goes
Loves RubberStamps Favourite Colour Combo
Thanks to the Kraft Journal for picking my card as one of the winneres!