Fall is on the Way!

 It's difficult to think in anther few weeks fall will be upon us as when I am writing this we are expecting another few days up in the high 90's! I can tell the difference in the evening and it has cooled down significantly so sleeping is not a problem, thank goodness!  I wanted to give this card a fall feel and I think I achieved my goal! You can find this beautiful die, as well as so many more, at Dies R Us and I hope this inspires you to join in our challenge.

What I Used to Make my Card:
Vanilla Card Blank
Poppystamps Adriana Oval Frame Die, #2327
Sue Wilson Mini Sentiments, Just For You Die, #CEDME028
Watercolor Paper {I use this}
Zig Clean Color Brush Markers
Wink of Stella, Gold
Nuvo Dream Drops, Indigo Eclipse, #1796N
Dark Brown Card

No stamping on this card so I put my coloring skills to work trying to make the leaves around the oval look like fall leaves as much as possible.  I took some pictures of my process so you can see that I actually colored over some of the leaves quite a few times

The Leaves

.  Once the leaves were finally to my liking, I colored the inner oval with the gold marker and used the Nuvo drops on the berries. These are not your regular drops, they actually have an iridescent shine to them that is beautiful, so beautiful I bought all three colors!  Once the gold and the berries were dry, I attached the oval to a cream colored card base {white just looked too stark} and adhered the sentiment die which was cut from dark brown card in the center.  I am very pleased with how this card came out; I hope you like it as well!

The Nuvo Drops

Don't forget that you have until the end of the month to join in the Dies R Us challenge, all the important links can be found below. All you need to enter is to use a die from a company they carry and you could win!  Please do pop by to see the design teams wonderful inspiration; there is a new post every day.  Thanks so much for stopping by and see you soon! Christi

Don't forget to come join in the fun at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog. There's a new challenge theme offered on the 1st and 15th of each month and one lucky randomly drawn winner will receive a gift voucher prize to the Dies R Us Store.  

 For your convenience, all the important Dies R Us links are provided below.

 click below for:

STORE

CHALLENGE BLOG

FACEBOOK

INSPIRATION BLOG

FRIENDS OF DIES R US PINTEREST PAGE

I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Glimmer & Sparkle
Use Your Stuff, #430 - Anything Goes
Path of Positivity, #93 - Anything Positive Goes w/ Option of Enjoying Nature
A Place to Start, #8 - What's your Style {I love using die cuts & water coloring!}

So Thankful Fall is Here at Paper Funday!

I made this card to celebrate the fact I am no longer sweating to death in my craft room! I love the fall - I love the weather, the colors, and getting to wear clothes I had forgotten I had {and that, amazingly, still fit!} It just so happens that this months challenge {aside from Always Anything Goes} at Paper Funday is Autumn/Fall! September is here already {gasp!} so it's time to get cracking on those colorful fall cards!

 

What I Used to Make my Card:

White Card Base

Watercolor Paper {I use this} 

Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black

Zig Clean Color Brush Markers

Lawn Fawn Leafy Tree Backdrop: Landscape, #LF1237

Lawn Fawn Stitched Windy Backdrop, #LF1425

Lawn Fawn Jump for Joy Stamps, #LF1212

Lawn Fawn Jump for Joy Dies, #LF1213

Lawn Fawn Mushroom Border, #LF1919
Brown, Green and Blue card

 I started this card like most of my others, stamping, coloring, and cutting out my critters and accessories. I added the backdrop and windy backdrops to really make the fall weather come alive. I glued all the elements together, starting with the scenery and ending with the owl holding the rake. I wanted it to look as if the owl had just spent time raking those leaves when that pesky hedgehog jumped in them but it is impossible to make a Lawn Fawn critter look annoyed or angry! I took a risk and stamped the sentiment right onto the sky {something I rarely do since I have ruined SO many projects by messing up the sentiment.} It is much easier to do now that there are so many things to help us stamp over and over and keep our cards in place, but I can still mess up a perfectly good card very easily.

I hope you like my card. :) I invite you to take a look at my various social media pages and please consider following me ~ if you do, leave me a message so I can return the favor! I hope to see your creations over at the Paper Funday Challenge; it runs the whole month which gives you plenty of time to join in the fun! Also please do check out my teammates creations for some more inspiration. I hope all is well with you & yours! Fondly, Christi

I am entering my card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Stamp it in STAMPtember
2 Crafty Critter Crazies, #54 - Anything Goes with a Critter
Country View Challenges - The Leaves Begin to Fall
Die Cut Divas - Anything Goes
The Four Seasons - Anything Goes FALL

Your Own Magic

 While I have long admired all of the fairy cards other artists have made I didn't jump on that bandwagon until recently.  I love colorful backgrounds, pre-made and hand made, and these fairies just pop! Dies R Us now carries most of the Fairy Hugs brand of stamps, glitter and background paper and I just think everyone needs some fairies to play with!  I used nothing but Fairy Hugs stamps on this card, I hope you enjoy it!

What I Used to Make my Card:
5" x 7" white card base
Watercolor Paper {I use this}
Gina K Amalgam Ink Pad in Obsidian Ink
Fairy Hugs Tree Condo, #FHS-107
Fairy Hugs Condo Dwellers, #FHS-060
Fairy Hugs Condo Dwellers 2, #FHS-108
Fairy Hugs About You, #FHS-129
Tutti Dies Nesting Stitched Rectangles, #TUTTI-217
Oxide Inks Background - Mermaid Lagoon, Kitsch Flamingo, Squeezed Lemon & Salvaged Patina
Gansi Tambi Starry Colors, Light Gold {available all over}
Nuvo Embossing Powder - Fine Detail Black
Simon Says Stamp Embossing Ink
Trinity Stamps Fairy Rocks

I had made the Oxide ink background especially to use these stamps on so I used light ink colors and lots of spritzing.  I colored and spritzed this background probably 4 times so I could get just the right look; I wanted the background to look whimsical and colorful but not over power the stamps.  Once I was done, I splattered light gold watercolor paint onto the background.  You can see the background before I stamped on it in this picture.

Once the background was dry I proceeded to stamp my images directly onto it.  That is when I learned I should have waited to splatter the gold ink as my stamping ink refused to cover the metallic paint.  The worst part was where I was placing the tree trunk but since I know I was going to be covering it with a sentiment, I wasn't too concerned.  I'm not sure if an ink such as Staz On would have covered the gold; I didn't want to take the chance of not being able to line up the card in the exact place to try another ink. I stamped my tree with black ink and then embossing ink and

The Products I used

embossed the tree, leaving the fairies stamped only.  I stamped the sentiment on a piece of white scrap card and cut it down with a stitched rectangle die adhering to the panel in the middle of the tree.  I then trimmed down the watercolor panel and adhered it to the 5" x 7" card base. For a finishing touch I embellished the card with some fanciful clear gems.

I hope you enjoyed my card! Remember, these products as well as MUCH more are available at the Dies R Us store! Please make sure to check out all our pages; links below.  Thanks SO much!! Christi

Don't forget to come join in the fun at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog. There's a new challenge theme offered on the 1st and 15th of each month and one lucky randomly drawn winner will receive a gift voucher prize to the Dies R Us Store.  

 For your convenience, all the important Dies R Us links are provided below.

 click below for:

STORE

CHALLENGE BLOG

FACEBOOK

INSPIRATION BLOG

FRIENDS OF DIES R US PINTEREST PAGE

I am entering my card in the following challenges:
Cute Card Thursday, #691 - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Unicorn Challenge, #68 - Anything Goes
Cupcake Inspirations Challenge, #526 - Take Flight
Love to Craft, #60 - Anything Goes
NBUS, #29 - Anything Goes w/ New Stuff (all the stamps are new!)
DL Art August Challenge - Anything Goes

A World of Thanks for River of Creativity Challenge One Earth

 Hi everyone! Now, I have to admit, this months theme at River of Creativity had me stumped.  I wanted to make some sort of ecological statement with my card, the subject being One Earth; I could not think of a good way to convey my message.  I literally lost sleep over it! But once I started looking through my stamps and dies I realized card making is supposed to be fun and I ended up making a few cards for this challenge! I see a definite correlation between struggling with the challenges and then once I get started, making cards like crazy! Here is my second card:

What I Used to Make my Card:
Square Card Base
Trinity Stamps Hopeful Flower Stamps and Dies (retired - this set would work as well)
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Globe, Mini, #661598
Watercolor Paper {I use this}
Zig Clean Color Brush Markers
Gina K Amalgam Ink Pad in Obsidian Ink
Distress Ink in Blueprint Sketch
KaiserCraft 6.5" x 6.5" Wandering Ivy Paper Pad (retired but available)
WOW! Embossing Powder, Hologram Sparkle
Concord & 9th Globe Greetings Stamp Set (retired but available)
Vellum
Simon Says Stamp Embossing Ink

I started this card by stamping, coloring and die cutting the flowers.  I wasn't really sure at this point how I was going to use them, but I recently found them again {from 2018 - it pays to do a little cleaning out of your art supplies every once in a while!} and really wanted to use them.  I knew I also wanted to include the globe die; so I went through my paper stash and picked out a paper that is lightly embossed with green leaves and cut the globe out of that.  I attached the globe to the center of the square card and arranged the flowers around it.  The sentiment is embossed on vellum, carefully attached so there is no visible adhesive and the card was done! All that worry and concern about the subject of the challenge for nothing as every challenge at River of Creativity is YOUR interpretation of the challenge.  And since we welcome all type of crafts it really isn't as nearly complicated as I had made it.  Sometimes we are our own worst enemies!   

I hope you stop by to see my other creations as well as my very talented teammates. And if one of the examples sparks your creativity, we'd love to see you enter! We are on Twitter, Instagram and of course, here on Blogger.  In order to make it easier for us to find you please tag your entry with this tag #ROConeearth04.  Thanks so much for stopping by! Hugs, Christi

I am entering my World of Thanks card in the following challenges:
Crafting Happiness, #110 - Anything Goes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies, #2134 - Anything Goes
Allsorts, #637/8 - Add Some Sparkle
Cut it Up, #232 - Space
Cardz for Galz - Texture
Mod Squad Challenge - Thanks
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Add a Sentiment
Die Cut Divas - Watercoloring & Die Cut

World's Best Sister Card for River of Creativity

 Hi friends! I struggled with this month's theme at River of Creativity - I just could not think of a way to incorporate the theme - One Earth - into a project! But, since we really want to see interpretations on the theme, once I got going I made two cards!! You can see the other one on the 23rd.   My sister is the best and I like to show her how much I appreciate all she does for my mom and the family.  Here is my card:

What I Used to Make my Card:
Top Fold A2 Card
DCWV Maps, Texts & Ledger 8" x 8" Stack {retired but available}
Concord & 9th Globe Greetings Stamps & Dies {retired but available}
Distress Oxide ink in Salty Ocean and Gathered Twigs
Simon Says Stamp Embossing Ink
WOW! Embossing Powder Primary Ebony

 I had the globe part of this card already stamped {I used salty ocean for the water & then over-stamped the land with gathered twigs} so all I needed to do was cut out the background paper and emboss the sentiment and globe stand.  I used embossing ink and then embossed both with black powder. Simple!

I hope you do join us this month at River of Creativity! We accept all crafts, not just cards, and we'd LOVE to see your creations! Thanks! Christi

You're Dog-Gone Awesome!

As some of you may remember, I have a good friend who is absolutely dog crazy and I made this card just to brighten her day a bit. And, it just so happens that the August monthly theme for Paper Funday Challenges is Cute Critters {you can also choose Anything Goes}!

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
DCWV Playful Pets 6x6 Stack, #PS-006-00154 {not on DCWV site, but available}
Reverse Confetti Double Stitched Window Cover Panel
Avery Elle Furry Friends stamp set, #ST-15-13 {retired but available}
Avery Elle Furry Friends die set, #D-15-13 {retired but available}
Lawn Fawn Howloween Die Set {crown}, #LF1207
Sizzix/Tim Holtz Mini Bird Crazy & Things die set, {bow tie}, #660949 {retired but available}
Watercolor Paper {I use this}
Zig Clean Color Brush Markers
Gina K Amalgam Ink Pad in Obsidian Ink
Small Piece of Mirror Gold Card
Small Piece of Glitter Pink Card
Red Sparkle Gel Pen

The Inside

As usual, I started this card by coloring and cutting all the pieces of the dog, including the crown, bed, and bow-tie.  Then I used the cover die to make the window panel out of the patterned paper.  I adhered the paper to the card base, placing the items where I wanted and gluing them, too.  I finally stamped the sentiment in the front of the card and inside.  Fairly simple card considering all the elements I used.  :)  I used the mirror card on the crown to pick up the foil accents on the paper and the pink bow because Lola is always dressed to the nines; she has more and better clothes than I do!

I hope this card gave you a smile!  I enjoyed making it and got to use some new {to me} stuff, like the cover panel. I hope to see you at Paper Funday entering your own Cute Critters cards! Have a GREAT day - fondly, Christi

 

I am entering my card in the following challenges:
Crafty Animals, #53 - Anything Goes with an Animal
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes
Die Cut Divas - Watercolor, Real or Faux {the dog is water colored}
Creatalicious Challenges, #216 - Anything Goes w/ Option of Animal{s}

Colorful Love Card

 I have SO many patterned paper pads; I buy them with good intention, but then they end up sitting in my stash, forgotten.  It was actually the background paper that inspired me to get a bit tropical for this card, I hope you like it!

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Sue Wilson Caribbean Island Collection, St. Kitts, #CED5204
Impression Obsession Love Die, #DIE385B
KaiserCraft Fly Free 6.5" x 6.5" Paper Pad #PP975
Teal Blue Card

One of the best things about Sue Wilson dies is that you get so many options in one package! Using the St. Kitts die I started this card by cutting out the background in the patterned paper, then the outline in the teal blue, I continued with the patterned paper and then layered the teal blue onto that.  There is also

a pink paper in the paper pad that has epoxy detail and it since it's from the same pack, it matched the patterned paper so that is what I cut the sentiment out of.

You may not know that the Dies R Us challenge is always Anything Goes with a die that they carry - and they carry LOTS of dies so it should be easy to enter! All of the links are below so you can easily find the store and then the challenge! Thanks so much for stopping by! Christi

 For your convenience, all the important Dies R Us links are provided below.

 click below for:

STORE

CHALLENGE BLOG

FACEBOOK

INSPIRATION BLOG 

FRIENDS OF DIES R US PINTEREST PAGE

I am entering my card in the following challenges:
Crafting Happiness, #107 - Anything Goes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies, #2131 - Anything Goes
Get Creative Challenges, #104 - Anything Goes
Cardz for Gals, #152 - Use Dies and/or Punches
Little Red Wagon, #613 - Just Because!
Word Art Wednesday, #503-504 - Anything Goes

Clean & Simple Birthday Card

I needed to make a more masculine birthday card than usual and I had just gotten this stamp from Unity Stamps so I thought I'd use it and see what I could come up with.  I hope you like it!

What I Used to make My Card:
White Card Base
Unity Stamps . . . say it big May 2019 Sentiment Kit
Picket Fence Studios Gem Mixers, Reflections, #GM-104
Imagine Crafts Kaleidacolor Pad - Spectrum
Gina K Amalgam Ink Pad in Obsidian Ink

Before I get into the making of this card, I need to toot some product horns. First, it's a shame that the Kaleidacolor pads have fallen out of favor as the one I used to make this card I've had for the last 20 years {!} and I've never had to reink it and it has never let me down. If ombre or rainbows find themselves in your art on a regular basis I can't recommend these pads enough. Second, I typically don't write about gems or sequins; there are so many out there and they all serve to brighten our cards. But, on a whim, I ordered the Reflections Gems from Picket Fence Studios and they are stunning!! I can't even describe the colors you get in this mix, but it is literally breathtaking. Honestly, I had balked at the price as it is a bit more than I typically spend for bling, but I am SO glad I took a chance. I am finding myself looking for ideas to make cards so I can use these gems! Fantastic quality! Now, on to the card, it was super easy! I inked up the stamp with the spectrum pad and stamped it directly on the card, then stamped the sentiment, trimmed it and adhered it.  After placing the gems, the card was done.  Whilst maybe not your typical masculine card, I like it.  Most of the men in my life don't do "men" things like hunt and fish so I can tell you I will be using this design to celebrate their birthdays! And who doesn't like rainbows? I was inspired by the challenge at Inspiration Station to use my Kaleidacolor pad to make this easy card!

I hope you don't mind my little sales pitch at the beginning of the post. I know I appreciate it when a fellow crafter recommends something, and I hope you do too. Thanks so much for popping in and I hope you have a wonderful day! Fondly, Christi

I am entering my card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Birthday {Happy 11th Birthday!!}
Inspiration Station, #11 - Color my World
NBUS Challenge, #29 - The stamps & gems are new :)
Sisterhood of Snarky Stamps, #190 - C is for Colorful
Try it on Tuesday - Keep it Simple