Happy Fall ~ Always Use Rubber, Challenge #6

Hello friends! I'm presenting a card for the Always Use Rubber Design team, challenge #6, in the theme of summer or autumn.  We would be THRILLED if you joined us! In fact, if you'd like to check out my teamies creations, Jane & Zoe, I'll wait here. 

And, as always, once the challenge ends (two whole weeks from today) we will choose a top 3.  Then, at the end of the month all of our top 3 winners have the chance to win a gift certificate from our fabulous sponsor, Alleystamp. 

Unfortunately this is our last challenge.  A few of our members will be pursuing other adventures and I hope to be able to keep in touch with them.  I wish them both the best of luck!  I want to thank all of our guest designers and participants XO

Our faithful & generous sponsor:

If you are looking for something, be it the newest goodies, or perhaps something that hasn't been around for a while, I urge you to go to Alleystamp.  If what you need isn't in stock they can get it for you SO fast - and the prices can't be beat! 

If you are familiar with me you know I love cats (truthfully, I love all animals, but I have a special place in my heart for cats) and I am amassing quite the collection of cat stamps.  The stamp company Newton's Nook makes some of the cutest cat stamps, well, adorable stamp sets in general, but I totally fell in LOVE with Newton when I saw him.  Plus, the stamps are easy to color!

What I Used to Make my Card:
Brown Card Base
Newton's Nook Newton's Antics Stamp Set
Newton's Nook Newton's Antics Die Set
Watercolor Paper
Derwent Inktense Watercolor Pencils
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Alphanumerics, #660056
Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 17
Glitter Cardstock
Vanilla Cardstock
Adirondack Archival Ink by Ranger, in Jet Black
Bag of Fall Leaves 

The very first step I took in making this card was to stamp & color the kitty. You can see how I altered him a bit so he'd sit in the leaves:

I basically just cut him out of his box. I used the matching die cut to cut him out and then just snipped off the box.  I can SO relate to this stamp because Bud (one of my four current fabulous felines) is a total box kitty.  He will try to get into any box, no matter the size.  And it's your typical "buy them $1,000 worth of toys and all they want to do is play in the box" situation.  He does favor the square USPS Priority boxes the best.  Anyway, I could seriously talk about my cats all day and I will blather on if I am not careful.

So I stamped, colored and cut my kitty.  Then I set him aside and began to glue each leaf on the card to build the pile of leaves.  For some reason I have a hell of a time getting these to stick to the card base - it's almost as if they resist the glue, so I have to go very slowly and let each leaf that is glued on dry before I pile more leaves on or they will just stick to each other and all come off (ask me how I know this!).  I've had this bag forever and there are plenty left.  I wish I could recall where I purchased them from, but, nope.  I re-bagged them ages ago so I can't even recall what company they came from, but I do know they were made to make model train landscaping and they are made from fabric, but are a stiff fabric and a bit shiny.  

While I was in between leaf gluing, I cut out my letters for the sentiment.  I am really lacking in sentiment stamps so if anyone has a good set that they use over and over, please let me know!  I used glitter card in a copperish brown color for the letters and glued them onto a label from Spellbinders cut out of the vanilla cardstock.  I went back and forth between leaf gluing and trying to get

those letters straight for a good while.  I finally decided to use removable tape on the letters (with the letters on the sticky side, backwards, so I could glue them down while keeping them straight - I hope that makes sense) and then when the glue was dry, I carefully peeled the tape off.  I actually use a lot of removable tape, I've been using it long before washi tape became a thing and the removable tape is much cheaper (and I didn't get the "fall" as straight as I would have liked, but, like I always say, that's the charm of handmade!).

Finally, the card was finished.  I am very pleased with how it came out, even if the letters are a bit wonky.  Thank you so much for reading my very long, full of information that I told you about even if you didn't ask, blog post.  Please consider joining us at Always Use Rubber but PLEASE check out our very reasonable rules first! I hope you all have a very happy holiday, however you choose to celebrate! Hugs, Christi

I would like to enter my Happy Fall Card in the following challenges: 
Crafty Catz - #351, Anything Goes
Through The Purple Haze - #115, Anything Goes
Crafty Gals Challenge - #101, Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday - December - Use Dies
Tuesday Throwdown - #323, Anything Goes
Try it on Tuesday - Celebrate!

Things with Wings ~ Always Use Rubber Challenge #4

I hope this post finds everyone happy and healthy! Personally, this time of year is not good for my poor old body, but nothing I can't handle!  Today's theme, chosen by Jane, is Things with Wings - you can use anything with wings that you want to as long as you use rubber/polymer stamping! Please take a peek at our simple rules to ensure your entry fits with our challenge.  If you play, you have the chance of becoming our monthly winner of a gift certificate from our fabulous sponsor, Alleystamp!

What I Used to Make my Card
White Card Base
Homemade Background Paper - various washi tapes
Archival Ink in Jet Black
Distress Ink in Antique Paper
Tim Holtz Crazy Bird  Stamps #CMS212
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Crazy Birds Dies #660954
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Crazy Things Stamps #CMS237
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Crazy Things Dies #660953
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Labels, #660060
Zig Clean Color Markers
Dove Blender Pen
Sentiment from Hampton Art, PS0806G (discontinued but Available)
Scrap of Vanilla Card
Black Photo Corners from Xyron (they are shiny) Discontinued but Available

I confess I made the washi tape background eons ago - all I did was take all my white & off white tapes and stick them to some cardstock, then I "dyed" them with Distress Ink in Antique Paper (I smooshed some ink on the tape and used a baby wipe to clean off the excess and dye the tapes).  It's been sitting in my "Use This ASAP" basket since I made it.  I thought the background went well with my dapper bird and sentiment that is done in a vintage sort of font.

I colored my Crazy Bird with Zig Clean Color Markers and a blender pen.  The jaunty little hat was originally going to be part of a Halloween costume, but it never made it - it, too, was colored with the Clean Color Marker.  I cut a slit in the hat and put it on the birds head.  I attached the bird onto the washi tape background.

I then stamped my sentiment on cream (vanilla) colored cardstock, cut it out using the Labels Die Set and edged it in black to give it a bit more oomph. I

Another Look

attached that to the background paper also.  Lastly, I adhered the homemade background paper onto the card base using shiny black photo corners (and a bit of glue).  

I really think his eyes look like he's been out on the town and is just realizing how the sentiment is speaking to him - I'm thinking it's time for him to head back to his nest!

I hope you enjoyed my Things with Wings card and I sincerely hope you'll join in the Always Use Rubber challenge! I appreciate you stopping by and reading all about my card - if you decide to follow me, please leave me a comment with your blog info, I'll pop over and gladly follow you ~ fondly, Christi

I would like to enter my Things with Wings card in the following challenges:
The Amusing Challenge - (M) Anything Goes
Crafty Boots - Things with Wings
Creative with Stamps - #8, Use a Bird Stamp
Critters & Creatures - (M), #9, Must Have a Critter or Creature on Card 

Always Use Rubber ~ Destination Paris (#3)

I know this post is late - I got my dates messed up.  Ah well,  Better late than never, right? I made this card for the Always Use Rubber Challenge, #3, the theme this go round is Destinations.  You can use any type of destination, real or imaginary, as long as you use rubber/polymer stamps.  We'd love to have you join us!

I decided I'd like to go to Paris - I wanted to make this card look like an old fashioned post card.  What do you think?

What I Used to Make my Card:
(Most of these products are discontinued but readily available online)
Kraft Card Base
White Cardstock
Adirondack Ink in Latte, Currant & Caramel
Tim Holtz Stamp Set French Market, #CSS25863
Tim Holtz Washi Tape (I think it's Correspondence?)
Martha Stewart Pastel Mini Pearls
Basic Grey Bling It Rhinestones
Dresden Star in Gold

I have had these Adirondack Ink pads since I started stamping back in the '90's - they were the first ink pads I ever bought and I still love the color palette.  I know Ranger is discontinuing and revamping their inks, but you can still get these beautiful earthtone inks from most places online.  So, thinking about the vintage postcard look I wanted, of course I turned to these ink pads.

Another Look

I began by stamping the diamond pattern from the French Market set using the caramel ink and a very light touch.  I then stamped the Eiffel Tower over the background using the currant ink.  To blend the background and the image a bit better, I stippled latte ink over the entire piece.  I added the washi tape to the top and bottom of the panel and blinged it out a bit.  I cut the Dresden star in half and added that to the sides of the main image.  Lastly, I mounted the stamped panel to a Kraft card base. 

I enjoyed "getting back to my roots" with the ink choices and stippling (something I haven't done in SO long).  I hope you'll break out some of your long lost rubber and join us at Always Use Rubber! ~ I hope to see your stamped cards and projects there ~ Christi

I would like to enter my Destination Paris card in the following challenges:
Everybody Art Challenge - #387, Vintage
Brown Sugar Challenge - #223, Anything Goes
Craft Stamper Magazine (November) - Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting my blog.  I'd love it if you'd follow me (please let me know in the comments!) and I'd be thrilled to add your blog to my blog list.

Always Use Rubber ~ Winter and/or Spring Challenge (#2)

Thank you so much for popping by my blog.  This post is for Challenge #2 at Always Use Rubber, a new challenge blog run by the same three gals as Twofers was.  The fabulous Alleystamp are staying with us as Sponsor but we have changed things a little there will be a top 3 for each challenge and one monthly winner chosen by the team from the months top picks.  Thank you Alleystamp we are delighted that you chose to continue to support us.

Alleystamp

So, winter is just beginning here in Colorado, we actually have had some days still make it into the high 80's, even broke a few records, but, you can smell the winter coming in the air, the leaves falling off the trees and of course the temperature dipping down to 35 degrees at night!! Brrrrrrr - good thing I have the Fabulous Feline Four to keep me warm ~

While making this card I wanted to convey a sense of chill in the air, and the way the sky looks just before it does snow.  I hope you like it!

What I Used to Make my Card:

White Card Base

Light Blue Paper

Navy Blue Sparkly Paper

Embossing Fluid

Simon Says Stamp Fine Detail White Embossing Powder

Quietfire Design, #6399, Warm Winter Wishes

Impression Obsession #F13376, Snowflake Flourish

Small snowflake punch

Pop Dots

Can I just say that the Snowflake Flourish is a STUNNING stamp in person - I was lucky enough to snag one at a show I recently went to, the vendor had bought too many and was selling them at a fabulous price. Lucky me!  And, I have to shout out to Quietfire Designs - I must use this "Warm Winter Wishes" stamp at least 50 times during the holiday season.  Honestly, I don't know the faith of a lot of people I like to send cards to and this sentiment takes all the guesswork out of holiday cards.  Love it! OK, on to how I made the card.

I stamped the Snowflake Flourish with embossing fluid and embossed with white embossing powder on light blue paper - I used fine because there are some very delicate wisps and snowflakes on the stamp.  I then did the same with the sentiment.  After I was done I felt a little pop was needed, so I searched my stash for some metallic, sparkly navy blue paper and found just the right shade! I punched a teeny snowflake out of the navy paper and then framed the sentiment with the same paper.  I pop dotted the sentiment up just a wee bit and I was done.  Funny how the details can really make a card sing.  Thanks ~ Christi

I hope to see your creation linked up to our challenge - we have an amazing team behind this challenge, and, frankly, you aren't going to get rid of us, so you might as well break out some rubber stamps and join!

I would like to enter my winter/holiday card in the following challenges:
Sweet Stampin' Christmas (M) Glitter & Sparkle
A Snowflake's Promise #31, Anything Goes
Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Use Snow or Snowman
Addicted to Stamps - #133, Embossing (wet or dry)

Always Use Rubber Challenge #1 ~ Snarky Cat

Welcome to my first post for the Design Team at Always Use Rubber!  Zoe has chosen our first challenge theme, It's Not Always Black & White, using this photo for inspiration:

And, yes, that beautiful kitty in the middle picture is Harley, one of Zoe's furbabies :)

If you know me at all, you know I ADORE cats.  I actually love all animals, but, cats own me, so I have a soft spot in my heart for them.  And being I haven't made anything in months, I went to my comfort zone, my cat stamps.  What's better than cats? Snarky cats! Here is my project:

What I Used to Make this Card:

White Cardstock

Black Cardstock

Pop Dots

Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black 

Grumpy Cat Rubber Stamp (SO old - and I didn't mark the manufacturer - sorry!)

"You know it was a good day if you didn't. . ." - Inkadinkadoo, 99176 DD (retired but available)

Washi Tape

I started with stamping my image directly on the card which is fairly nervy for me - I am always afraid I'm going to muck up a good piece of cardstock - but I got the image fairly straight.  

Confession time (it's been SO long you guys!) I recently found this site called Peach Paperie  (part of the Peachy Cheap websites) and I ordered a bunch of $1 washi tapes and some cool wooden icon sets. Then I realized that washi tapes had become something (another thing!!) I collect but don't use.  I even got a cute little washi tape holder. So I decided to use some of the new tape I bought and I sort of grounded the cat on the bottom strip, added a top strip for some balance. I am saying it here, publicly, that I vow to use my washi tape (ha ha ha - we'll see)!

Finally, I stamped my sentiment on white card, mounted that on some black card and pop dotted that to the card.  Hmmm, the more I look at that tape, the more I like it.

We would LOVE you to join us at Always Use Rubber - the challenges are 2 weeks long, lots of time to play and there will be guest designers, top 3 and winners! I urge you to check out our rules page and dig out those wonderful rubber stamps!  Thanks ~ Christi

I would like to enter my Snarky Cat in the following challenges:

STAMPlorations  - October CAS Challenge, Optional Twist Black

Inky Chicks - #73, Animals

Scrapbook Stamp Society -  #101, Anything Goes, Option Animal

Aud Sentiments -  #165, Anything Goes & A Sentiment