Merry Christmas!

Well it's after Thanksgiving and the neighbors are all putting up their holiday decorations, so I guess I'm getting into the holiday spirit too and made another card for Nellie van Leeuwen's "Quick and Easy Christmas Card" challenge over at Stampotique Designers Challenge Blog.

If you'd like the chance to win your choice of $30 worth of Stampotique stamps, you should play along with this challenge. Visit Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and be sure to read the rules so that you'll have the chance to win that great prize!!!  Remember to check to see the deadline for all of this month's Stampotique Designers Challenges!

Here's the card with Cocoa Bird (Kira Nichols). 

Cocoa Bird was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink (Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko) onto Solar Crest White cardstock (Neenah). The image was colored with Copic markers, fussy-cut, then edged with a Black Pitt Artist pen (Faber Castell). Cocoa Bird's eyes, beak, talons, and the coffee lid were coated with several layers of Clear Gelly Glaze pen. Cocoa Bird was set aside while I created a background for him.

A die from an old Sizzlets set (Sizzix) was used to die-cut patterned paper. The interior of the cup and the saucer were colored with Copic marker. Red and white cardstock were die-cut with an old Santa hat (QuicKutz).

Blue cardstock took a ride through the Big Kick (Sizzix) inside the On the Go Alterations embossing folder (Sizzix). The embossed panel was trimmed, matted with green cardstock, then adhered to a sheet of patterned paper from the Eskimo Kisses 6x6 pad (Basic Grey). This was edged with Distress ink, then mounted onto a white card. 

The cup and saucer were adhered to the card front, Cocoa Bird was adhered, and the Santa Hat was added to his head.

Patterned paper from the same 6x6 pad was die-cut with one of the dies from the Chat Bubbles die set (Penny Black) and the sentiment, from the Christmastime Remnant Rubs sheet (Idea-ology), was added to finish the card.

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:
• Crafty Hazelnuts Christmastime Challenges: Use Dies or Punches
• Fab 'n' Funky Challenges: Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenges: Anything Goes

A Very Addams Christmas card!

This week's the challenge at The Outlawz Coloring Challenges is "Anything Goes/Christmas". My Outlawz Coloring Challenge teammates, Carla, Penny, Vannessa, and I challenge you to create a project for this challenge. You should check out their blogs to see their gorgeous artwork. 
Our November sponsor at The Outlawz Coloring Challenges is Vera Lane Studios, who is offering our lucky winner the choice of one of four sets used by our design team during November.  Play along with our challenge and share your artwork with us for your chance to win!

Here's my card using various digi stamps from Vera Lane Studios. I've used Uncle Fester and Thing from the Fester Frump set, Wednesday from the Wednesday and Puggsley set, and the Santa hat from the Boutique Hats set.

PhotoElements was used create this scene. The Santa hat from the Boutique Hats set. was triplicated, resized, and placed atop Wednesday's head,  Uncle Fester's head, and a reduced Thing. When I was happy with the scene, I reduced it and printed it onto Solar Crest White cardstock (Neenah) using my laser printer. 

The image was colored with Copic markers, fussy-cut, then edged with my Black Pitt Artist pen (Faber Castell). Pink Pastel pencil (Derwent) was used to add some blush to both Wednesday's and Uncle Fester's cheeks. White Gel pen (Sakura) was added to Wednesday's and Uncle Fester's buttons. Several layers of Clear Gelly Glaze pen (Sakura) were built up onto Wednesday's and Uncle Fester's buttons and Wednesday's shoes. 

Very old 6x6 Memory Box patterned paper was edged with Aged Mahogany Distress ink, then layered to create the card front.

A tiny skull punch (Studio G) was used to punch white cardstock. The skulls were colored with Copic markers, black punched circles were added behind their eye sockets, then the backs of the skulls were slightly rounded with a shaping tool. Silver thread was tied around Wednesday's hand and the skulls were popped up onto dimensional foam adhesive on the thread.

An Christmas lights die (QuicKutz) was used to die-cut white cardstock. One light was then colored with Copic markers , a Silver Leafing pen (Krylon), coated with a layer of Stardust Glitter pen, then several layers of Clear Gelly Glaze pen were added to create dimension and shine. A slit was cut in Uncle Fester's mouth and the light bulb was added.

Chat Bubbles dies (Penny Black) were used to die-cut patterned cardstock. Two of the bubbles were then edged with Aged Mahogany Distress ink. The sentiments "Jingle Bells" and "Glitter and Sparkle" from Christmastime Remnant Rubs (Idea-ology) were added to the bubbles. "Merry Christmas", a silver foil sticker, was added to the lower right to add a third silvery element to finish the card.

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:
• Crafty Hazelnuts Christmastime Challenges: Use Dies or Punches
• Fab 'n' Funky Challenges: Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenges: Anything Goes
• Papertake Weekly Challenges: Take Your Pick (Red & Green)

Quick and Easy Holiday Cards!

Nellie van Leeuwen is the hostess at Stampotique Designers Challenge Blog and her theme is "Quick and Easy Christmas Cards". Here's what she had to say about her challenge.

"It's that time of the year when you know you should have started earlier with making
your Christmas cards. So now you have to come up with some quick and easy (yet stunning of course :-D ) Christmas cards."

If you'd like the chance to win your choice of $30 worth of Stampotique stamps, you should play along with this challenge. Visit Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and be sure to read the rules so that you'll have the chance to win that great prize!!!  Remember to check to see the deadline for all of this month's Stampotique Designers Challenges!

Here's my card with Stampotique's  Chilly (Jo Capper-Sandon).

Chilly was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink (Tsukineko/Imagine Craft) and colored with Copic markers. White Gel pen (Sakura) was used to add snow to Chilly's arms and hat. Red Spica Glitter pen (Copic) was used to add some glitter to Chilly's buttons. Clear Gelly Glaze pen (Sakura) was used to add some dimension and gloss to Chilly's carrot nose and his glittery buttons. Clear Stardust Glitter pen (Sakura) was used to add some glittery snowflakes to the background.

The patterned papers are all from the Making Merry 6x6 pad (Little Yellow Bicycle) and were layered according to Sketch #27 from Your Next Sketch Challenge. I like to use sketches when I'm feeling a bit rushed. Since this challenge was "Quick and Easy", a sketch was clearly the way to go! All patterned paper layers were die-cut with the dies from the A2 Card Creator die set (Spellbinders) and edged with Hickory Smoke Distress ink (Ranger). Christmastime Remnant Rubs (Tim Holtz/Idea-ology) provided the sentiment.

Here's the sketch so you can see how I did (other than flipping it).

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:

• Copic Marker Europe Challenges: Christmas
• Allsorts Challenges: Three or More Die-cuts
• Your Next Stamp Sketch and Color Challenges: Sketch #27 
• Always Playing with Paper Challenges: Christmas 
• Come and Get it Challenges: Snowmen

Thank You!

It's always a good idea to have lots of Thank You cards on hand, especially as we approach the holiday season. The best thing about Thank You cards is that they can have almost any image on them!

I was in the mood to color scenery, so I got out my Cats and Buildings stamps (Stampinback)  which I got at I Brake for Stamps.  Cats and Buildings is a half sheet that has two different scenes of Dutch buildings (Amsterdam?) and a great cats stamp, which I love and adore.

I stamped one of the two Dutch Buildings from the half sheet onto Solar Crest White cardstock (Neenah) and colored it with Copic markers, after looking up Amsterdam architecture on Google to check if I remembered the colors accurately. After all, it's almost thirty years since I was last in Amsterdam. I was three when I went to stay in Holland for a month to visit my husband, who was doing a short stint there. After coloring the buildings, I added some Clear Spica Glitter pen (Copic) to the windows and glass doors to make them sparkle. I also added some to the strettlight and a few elements of the buildings.

The sky, pavement, and canal were added with Copic markers with a touch of white gel pen (Sakura) to add some white caps to the water.

Since the scene is rather busy, I decided to keep the design CAS. I matted the scene on Kraft cardstock, then added it to a piece of patterned paper from the Maritime 8x8 pad (7 Gypsies). I die-cut kraft cardstock using old QuicKutz dies, then added the sentiment to the label using a equally old rub-on, also from QuicKutz. Jute twine was used to string the sentiment and some staples from my Mini Attacher were used to secure it all.

You really ought to go check out IBFS's collection of Stampinback stamps and all the other great stamps at I Brake For Stamps. Click on my badge below to be whisked over there to check out their fabulous images! Best of all, if you buy something, use this code: SAVE10KATHI  and you'll get 10% off your purchase.

 

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:

• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenges: Thanks/Thanksgiving

• Dragonfly Journeys Challenges: Thanks

Thank You!

This week's the challenge at The Outlawz Coloring Challenges is "Thank You". My Outlawz Coloring Challenge teammates, Carla, Penny, Vannessa, and I challenge you to create a project for this challenge. You should check out their blogs to see their gorgeous artwork. 

Our November sponsor at The Outlawz Coloring Challenges is Vera Lane Studios, who is offering our lucky winner the choice of one of four sets used by our design team during November.  Play along with our challenge and share your artwork with us for your chance to win!

Here's my card with Le Petite Artiste (Vera Lane Studio).

Le Petite Artiste was resized in Photo Elements, printed onto Solar Crest White cardstock (Neenah) with my laser printer, colored with Copic markers, fussy-cut, and edged with Black Artist Pitt pen (Faber Castell). Chalk pencils (Derwent) were used to add a touch of blush to her cheeks and shading to her face. She was set aside, out of paint's way while I created the rest of the card.

A mountain scene was painted onto 140 lb. Mixed Media cardstock (Strathmore) with Cerulean Blue, Titanium White, Viridian Green Hue, Pthalo Green-Blue, Pthalo Green-Yellow, and Green Gold MFA paint (DecoArt). I started to use a stencil with a paint pen to add the sentiment, but that wasn't working, so I free-handed "Thank You" with Primary Yellow MFA paint.

The painting needed a setting, so I created a studio with a scrap of patterned paper, a thin strip of white cardstock, and Copic markers. But then the project told me that the studio needed some lighting, so I die-cut white cardstock with the Large Madison Window die (Poppy Stamps). The two windows were placed on the back of the patterned paper and the apertures were marked, then cut out of the patterned paper. The windows were adhered to the front of the patterned paper over the aperture. The windows told me that they needed glass, so a transparency was adhered to the back of the cardstock behind the windows. The windows then told me they needed a scene, so I quickly painted a mountain scene with the MFA paints listed above, let it dry, cut it in half, and adhered it behind the transparency in the opening of the window. The windows and the studio were now happy.

Le Petite Artiste loved her studio and her inspirational view, but told me that I had forgotten an easel.  I cobbled together an easel using wood-patterned paper from a 6x6 pad (My Mind's Eye), which was die-cut with one of the dies from the Rectangle Nestabilities die set (Spellbinders), and some strips of the wood-patterned paper. The easel looked too pristine, so I dripped some more paint onto it, then wiped it off with my finger. 

The easel, Le Petite Artiste's painting, and Le Petite Artiste were adhered to the card front, and then mounted to a white card.

Thanks for visiting today.

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:
• Fussy and Fancy Challenges: Thankful 
• Chalk N Stock Challenges: Anything Goes 
• Crafty Creations Challenges: Give Thanks 
• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenges: Thanks/Thanksgiving

At The Movies

Corrie Herriman is the hostess at Stampotique Designers Challenge Blog and her theme is At The Movies. Here's what she had to say about her challenge.

"Make something this week inspired by the movies or a move star and as always, have fun!!!!"

If you'd like the chance to win your choice of $30 worth of Stampotique stamps, you should play along with this challenge. Visit Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and be sure to read the rules so that you'll have the chance to win that great prize!!!  Remember to check to see the deadline for all of this month's Stampotique Designers Challenges!

Here's my card featuring Toby (Daniel Torrente) and a hat from Hat Cube (Daniel Torrente).

Toby and the bowlerish hat from Hat Cube were stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink (Tsukineko/Imagine Crafts) onto 140 lb. Mixed Media cardstock (Strathmore), colored with Copic markers, fussy-cut, then edged with a Black Pitt pen (Faber Castell). A mustache and some additional hair were drawn onto Toby, the bowlerish hat was adhered, and a thin piece of cardstock was cut, colored with Copics, then adhered to Toby's hand to complete  Toby's transformation to Charlie Chaplin. Toby/Charlie was set aside while I worked on the background for him.
 
Cerulean Blue Media Fluid Acrylic (MFA) paint (DecoArt) was sponged over onto a piece of 140 lb. Mixed Media cardstock. Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue Hue, Pthalo Blue, and Prussian Blue Hue MFA paints were randomly sponged over top. Diarylide Yellow, Quinacridone Red, and Titanium White MFA paints were stippled on with a Rough Stippling Tool (Momenta/Art C).  This was allowed to thoroughly dry.

When it was dry, my Old Film Mixed Media stencil (Andy Skinner/DecoArt) was taped to the cardstock with Washi tape and the top two designs of the stencil were covered. Carbon Black MFA paint was sponged over the Charlie Chaplin filmstrip design. The stencil was lifted and positioned so that the number strip was at the top edge of the cardstock. Again, the stencil was taped down, the other designs were covered, and Carbon Black MFA paint was sponged over the numbers. The stencil was lifted and washed.

The sentiment was die-cut from white cardstock using the Typewriter Uppercase and Typewriter Lowercase Font dies (Impression Obsession). I had to use my old Mini Katie font (QuicKutz) for the apostrophes and for the exclamation point. 

The painted, stenciled cardstock was trimmed to size, the sentiment was added, and Toby/Charlie was adhered. The card front was adhered to a 6x6 black card and I called it done!

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:
• Coloring in Scrapland Challenges: Inspired by a Book or a Movie
• Country View Challenges: The Colour Blue (Mine's mostly blue!)
• Crafts Galore Encore Challenges: Use a Stamp or Digi

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty!

I seem to be in a catty mood lately so I thought I'd continue my cat streak by using Kibbles and Betts, from the fabulous and funny Humorous Senior Collection of stamps (I Brake for Stamps). If you're a cat person, you know that your house is secretly run by your cat(s). Cats can be finicky, especially as they get older. So this image totally tickled me since I've gotten down on my hands and knees to tempt my kitties with treats.

Kibbles and Betts was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink (Tsukineko/Imagine Crafts) onto white cardstock and onto Eclipse Tape (Judikins). The Eclipse Tape version was fussy-cut to be used as a mask. The cardstock image was colored with Copic markers as was the floor. The Eclipse Tape mask was placed over the image, Removable Scotch Tape was used to cover the floor area, and the background was airbrushed with an E81 marker and the Copic Airbrush System. My Damask stencil (The Crafter's Workshop) was placed over the background and Y32 Copic marker was airbrushed over the stencil. The stencil was lifted and shadows were added with the Copic marker. Pink Spica Glitter pen (Copic) was added to Bett's earring. Black Spica Glitter pen was added to her glasses, then her glasses were coated with a layer of Clear Gelly Glaze pen (Sakura).

The image panel was distressed with the edge of a scissor and matted with solid cardstock. Old patterned paper from My Mind's Eye and Doodlebug were layered and the image panel was adhered in place. A scrap of cardstock from the card base and mat layer was die-cut with a tag die (QuicKutz) and a rub-on (QuicKutz). The sentiment was popped up on dimensional foam squares and baker's twine was threaded through the tag's hole, then knotted.

You really ought to go check out  Humorous Senior Collection of stamps and all the other great stamps at I Brake For Stamps. Click on my badge below to be whisked over there to check out their fabulous images! Best of all, if you buy something, use this code: SAVE10KATHI  and you'll get 10% off your purchase.

 

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:

• Love to Scrap Challenges: Anything Goes

• Crafting with an Attitude: Anything Goes

• Cute Card Thursdays: Birds or Animals (Mine has a cat and an old "bird")