Midnight Musing at Dynamic Duos #81

Good Saturday morning, crafty friends!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and survived the craziness of Black Friday.

Time for a new challenge from the Dynamic Duos:

As it's the fifth Saturday this month, it is "Your Choice" week, where we specify one colour and you get to choose the other. Midnight Muse is a nice deep blue (altho not so dark as navy).

I chose to go with a complementary color, Goldrush, a soft orangey-yellow.

Here's the card:

This beautiful stamp is a rubber-cling one I won last year. I am a strictly clear acrylic stamper, myself. I find using non-see-through images very challenging. This one is nice and square, however, and fits perfectly into a Stitched Mats-Rectangle from Lil'Inker Designs. The sentiment is also from Lil'Inker.
The snowflake die is a Die-namic from My Favorite Things. And that sequin in the centre? Started out a different colour, but was tinted with an alcohol marker.

So, off you go to the Dynamic Duos blog, to see what colours the other DT gals have picked.

Anne Marie Hile

Annette Elliott

Angel Johns

Cindy Brumbaugh

Holly Endress

JoAnn Burnham

Julie Gearinger

Michelle Bala

Sarah Fleming 

Tenia Nelson

Here's how to participate in the Dynamic Duos challenges.

1. Any project is welcome...paper crafts, scrapbooking, digital, or crafts...
2. Please ONLY use the two colours listed for your project. Neutrals are welcome.
3. Combine us with as many other challenges as you would like, except other colour challenges.
4. Please add our graphic to your blog with a link back to us.
5. Any offensive or inappropriate posts will be deleted.

Hope to see you link up this week!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Supplies:

Cardstock in Colonial White, Goldrush and Pacifica; DP in Pacifica.

Inks: Goldrush, Pacifica

Copic Marker

Dies: Stitched Mats-Rectangles/Lil'Inker Designs; snowflake/My Favorite Things

Stamps: Hero Arts and Lil'Inker Designs

Wink of Stella glitter pen

Merry & Bright! Atlantic Hearts Sketch #31

Yay! It's Monday morning, well, afternoon now... Let's start over:

Monday means another fabulous sketch over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge!

Here it is:

Intriguing, eh?

I've interpreted those sprigs/branches as celebratory confetti. I'm trying to use up my stash for Christmas cards this year (so I can justify a nice long wish-list of items to use in the New Year!), so I broke out some ric-rac trim. 

I put down some double-sided tape to secure it to the card base. I didn't have any ric-rac (how DO you spell that word, anyway?) in Juniper, so "made some" from card-stock with a Sizzix die.

The sentiment was another Sizzix die. I cut out the word "merry" in red and in white and inlaid the white one into the negative/left-over space of the red piece.

This shows the left over pieces!

Here's the finished card:

A few little silver glitter stars, some glass-head pins (in keeping with the sewing notions theme) and just a touch of Wink of Stella.

So, how will you interpret this sketch?

Visit Atlantic Hearts blog to see the sketch, available today. DT samples will be posted on Wednesday; you have all week to create a card, scrapbook layout, 3D item, home decor... let you imagination go!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

hb2u...from the Dynamic Duos!

Happy Saturday morning!

If you are a follower of the Dynamic Duos Two-Color challenge blog, you will notice something right off the bat here, in the photo above: MORE THAN TWO COLOURS!

That's right Dynamic Duos has a new feature this week, the TRIPLE THREAT.

Yummy colours, huh?

So this week, I've been thinking about diagonals, stripes and text-speak, thanks to these cards:

Carmen Mitchell

Karen Day

Jen Shults

Gotta love the INTERWEBZ for unlimited inspiration.

Here's what I came up with:

I stamped a panel with the awesome One-way Borders stamp set in BUBBLEGUM and RUBY, cut it at an angle, added a border in PEAR embossed with chevrons, then layered on some die-cut letters and other goodies.

It's hard to take a good picture; all those stripes trick the eye and make it look crooked!

I'm thinking this would be fun to do in more masculine colours, for a guy B-day card.

Anyway, the Dynamic Duos design team went to town with this one!

Check the blog for some great examples.

Anne Marie Hile

Annette Elliott

Angel Johns

Cindy Brumbaugh

Holly Endress

JoAnn Burnham

Julie Gearinger

Michelle Bala

Sarah Fleming 

Tenia Nelson

 Here's the deets for joining in the fun:

1. Any project is welcome...paper crafts, scrapbooking, digital, or crafts...
2. Please ONLY use the THREE colours listed for your project. Neutrals are welcome.
3. Combine us with as many other challenges as you would like, except other colour challenges.
4. Please add our graphic to your blog with a link back to us.
5. Any offensive or inappropriate posts will be deleted respectively.

I'd love to see what you do with the Dynamic Trio this week!

Happy crafting, and Happy Thanksgiving, my American friends!

Caroline

Supplies:

CTMH card-stock in Bubblegum, Ruby, Pear and White Daisy.

Ink in Pear, Bubblegum and Ruby

Clear embossing powder

Cuttlebug embossing folder

Sizzix Alphabet dies: Nouveau

Nestabilities circle dies 

Corner rounder

Foam tape

Stamp set: One-way Borders (C1561)

Bubblegum bobble trim

Basic Grey: Pink candy dots

Color My Heart...Grateful

Can you believe that we are up to #70 at the Color My Heart Color Dare?

Yes, indeed, and this week's colours are perfect for an autumn-themed card:

OLIVE
AUTUMN TERRACOTTA
BARN RED
   
There is a new twist this week, too. Sarah has provided an optional sketch:

Here's my card:

I wanted to play around with some water-colour effects. 

I used both Distress Markers and CTMH stamp-pads to ink up my stamps, then spritzed a little water on them before stamping. You can see a close-up of this in the next photo. The sentiment was stamped first, then masked off, allowing it to show around that gorgeous chrysanthemum image.

I did more messy colouring, dying my Color-Ready seam binding. I swiped the Autumn Terracotta ink-pad onto a craft sheet, spritzed that, then smooshed my length of ribbon around until it had absorbed the colour. Then dried it with a craft heater. Autumn Terracotta fingers!

The lovely lacy frame die is from Paper Wishes. The strip of DP at the bottom is from the Huntington paper pack from CTMH.
❁❁❁❁❁ 
Now off you go to the Color My Heart blog, to see some more lovely examples by the DT, and for guidelines to participate. We'd love to see your creation with these challenge colours, be it card, scrapbook layout or 3D object. Remember, there are blog badges for our weekly winners and a prize for our monthly winner.

 

Happy crafting, and, more importantly, Happy Thanksgiving!

Caroline

Supplies:

Cardstock in Olive, Barn Red and Colonial White, Huntington paper pack

Ink in Olive, Barn Red, Autumn Terracotta.

Distress Markers in Bundled Twigs and Spiced Marmalade

Stamp Set: 

Paper Wishes: Lacy Rectangles die 

Color Ready Seam Binding

  

Holiday Cards Post #4

Jingle all the way, I say!

Sharing yet another card made for the Caring Hearts Drive 2013.

This one was also a stash-buster--that cute DP was from Bella Boulevard, many moons ago, as is the burgundy Bazzill textured cardstock that I'm sure I bought at the same time. So I used it in small pieces, to stretch it to a dozen cards.

Here's the inspiration: www.juliedavison.com.

And here's my version:

I used a new jingle-bell die and last-season sentiment from Lil'Inker Designs. A little Twinery twine in Honeydew. And more Wink of Stella...

Ho-ho-happy crafting,

Caroline

Holiday Cards--Installment #3

More holiday card-making.

Today, I took my box of 128 cards and sent it to the "Caring Hearts Drive" address for Canada.

This is one of the cards we sent:

Adapted from this card by www.StampwithBrian.com , which I found on Pinterest:

I didn't have a cute little Christmas tree icon, but the images from Paper Smooches' "Warm Hearts" fit the bill (don't you LOVE the Poke-ball ornament?). I tried one version of the card on kraft paper, but it was too blah, so switched it out for a green background. Can you tell I bought a "Wink of Stella" pen? I'm using it everywhere! Should have bought a box of 'em!

The Caring Hearts Drive 2013 runs through the end of this month. Use the link to visit Jennifer McGuire or Vera Yates for details.

Happy crafting!

Caroline

Supplies:

Cardstock CTMH: Kraft, Cranberry, Olive, White Daisy, Pear&Partridge DP

Ink in Cranberry, Memento Rich Cocoa

Copic Markers

Wink of Stella gel pen

Nestabilities cutting dies (scalloped circles); CTMH circle punch

Cranberry Baker's twine.

Stamp sets: Paper Smooches' "Warm Hearts" and "Christmas Sampler"

Its Black Tie Attire at Dynamic Duos this week

Good morning, crafty friends.

Time for another two-colour challenge at Dynamic Duos. The "black and ..." is one of my favorite weeks:

 Black and silver are so suitable as we head into the darkest month of the year. Well, the one with the shortest days, anyway! 

I chose not to go with the dessert option per se, but I did make a winter card with several layers of CTMH grey (Slate, Grey Flannel and Whisper).

The silver comes in with the heat-embossed greeting, and that delicious stitched snowflake die cut from silver linen paper. Serious sparkle! A few stamped snowflakes on the inside, and done.

❄❄❄❄❄

So are you up to the Black Tie challenge?

Head on over to The Dynamic Duos blog for some beautiful samples from our DT.

Anne Marie Hile

Annette Elliott

Angel Johns

Cindy Brumbaugh

Holly Endress

JoAnn Burnham

Julie Gearinger

Michelle Bala

Sarah Fleming 

Tenia Nelson

Here are the guidelines to join in the fun:

1. Any project is welcome...paper crafts, scrap-booking, digital, or crafts...
2. Please ONLY use the two colours listed for your project. Neutrals are welcome.
3. Combine us with as many other challenges as you would like, except other colour challenges.
4. Please add our graphic to your blog with a link back to us.
5. Any offensive or inappropriate posts will be deleted respectively.
6. Link closes next Thursday, November 21st, at noon (PST)

 Hope you'll join us this week!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Card Recipe:

Black textured card-stock: Wausau

CTMH card-stock in White Daisy, Whisper, Slate and Grey Flannel dots

Silver linen paper: Paper Wishes

Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities (Circles); Lil'Inker Designs (Stitched mats-squares, Snowflakes)

Stamp set: Lil'Inker Designs (Winter Greetings, Jolly and Joyful Sentiments)

Bling: CTMH

Versamark Ink; Silver embossing powder

 

Happy Bowf-day, Anne Marie!

{Chorus of canine welcoming!}

Today I am posting to join in the fun, wishing Anne Marie Hile a most happy birthday!
Lesley Croghan has set up a Linky Party HERE; feel free to add your card1.

I have known Anne Marie only a short while; she is the gracious blog manager of the fabulous Dynamic Duos color challenge, of which I am a grateful member. One of the things I have learned about her is that she fosters dogs and cats, until a permanent "forever home" can be found for them. A big heart, eh?

Also, that she LOVES pink.

Here's my card to wish her a happy day:

I used the Woofer and Tweeters stamps and dies from Paper Smooches to create a little scene of dogs behaving badly...

The sentiment and cake image are from There She Goes Clear stamps. 

Embossing folder I bought this summer--can't recall the company!

Inside, more Paper Smooches stamps. The border was made with The Stamps of Life border dies.

Know you are MOST appreciated, Anne Marie! Hope you get some spoiling and some canine kisses today.

Happy Birthday!

Caroline

xoxo 

Other supplies:

Cardstock in White Daisy, Champagne, Blush, Saddle, Slate & Black (CTMH)

Ink: Hollyhock, Saddle, Black & Slate (CTMH)

Washi tape in Slate (CTMH)

Copic markers

Signo White gel pen

Zig Millennium black pen (05)

More Holiday Cards

I had some more fun playing around with the ideas from the first day of Online Card Classes Holiday Card Workshop today.

First off, another of the folded banner tree cards, using the colours from this week's Dynamic Duos challenge:

This time I heat-embossed the "fa-la-la" onto a New England Ivy banner, and left the tree a more natural kraft colour, with wood-grain sequins.

 

The caroling continues on the inside, but I counted the la-las correctly this time.

Then I tried a card design by Kristina Werner, using some  interesting techniques. Firstly, only partially embossing the card panel, leaving a flat space for stamping the sentiment; secondly, using thin strips of washi tape to define the edges of the panel.

My card uses an image and sentiments from Paper Smooches.

The snowman from "Warm Hearts" was given some Enamel Accent eyes; some baker's twine (The Twinery), Aquadots and Houndstooth Washi (Close to My Heart) complete the card.

Can't wait for the second day of class. Enrollment is still open!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Got Snow? Atlantic Hearts Sketch #29

Time for another sketch challenge at Atlantic Hearts!

Doesn't that glittery effect on the top section make you think of frost?

We had a couple of degrees of frost the other night--definite nip in the air now, and all the trees have lost their leaves. 

Anyway, that was my thinking as I put together this card: embossed and distressed snowflake panel, glimmer spritzing (always a gamble--ends up anywhere and everywhere!), subtle Perfect Pearls sentiment (so subtle it's hard to see!), glittery punched border, sequins and that sparkling snowflake, cut from silver holographic paper.

Get your scarf and toque out!

☃☃☃☃☃

Also your scissors and ink, so you can play along with this week's sketch, at Atlantic Hearts!
Remember, your project can be anything, not just a card. Any products are welcome and you can combine with other challenges. Make sure to link up by midnight, Sunday Nov. 17th. Can't wait to see your take on the sketch!

Happy Crafting,

Caroline

Card Recipe:
CTMH cardstock in White Daisy and Outdoor Denim
CTMH glitter paper in silver
CTMH stamp set Scandinavian Wishes (sentiment)
CTMH dye ink in Grey Flannel
Versamark ink
Smooch Spritz
Ranger Perfect Pearls powder
Sizzix border die
Lil'Inker Designs snowflake die
Provocraft snowflake embossing folder
Calico Crafts sequins
Corner rounder

  

Quick "Holiday Card Workshop" Post

"It's the most wonderful time...of the year!"

Yup, time for another edition of Online Card Classes Holiday Card Workshop. It's my third year attending. Last year my sister and I had fun, setting up a Skype crafting session, to do our "homework" together (she lives in Amsterdam, so we had to time it carefully!). I read that one participant has taken the whole week off work so she can stay home and create! Lucky!

Anyway, the idea is to try the techniques and projects demonstrated and share them.

Here's my take on a Z-fold card by Jennifer McGuire:

The banner is cut to appear as one piece when the card is closed.

But when its opened, the message is continued on the inside:

I liked the look of the white pigment ink on coloured card stock. I embossed my tree and used some star-shaped sequins; the original was embellished with a cute die-cut of Xmas lights. Stamps are a mixture of Paper Smooches (sentiment) and Close to My Heart (background stamp).

That's it for tonight--watch for some more cards later this week.

Happy Crafting!

Caroline

A Helping...Hand... yeah, right! Dynamic Duos #78

Time for a "Subtly Yours" color combo from the Dynamic Duos Color Challenge:

 These soft colours called for a more whimsical card this week. Luckily, there is lots of inspiration at home...

Yes, he's been known to help himself to socks and other unmentionables... He gets his own stocking at Christmas, though. Kinda like this:

 I took a class last week from Krista Schneider, on using Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils. Lots of fun! Here, the stamped image is coloured with pencils, then softened with a Dove blender, then further details added with the pencils again. The snap-shot frame and sentiment come from Lil'Inker Designs. That sock stamp is from Paper Smooches, coloured to match the card.

Now that you've admired that card, here's the reject! I tried to make a snow-globe using Flower Soft, but it was an epic fail... I do like the look of the pencils on a coloured background paper, though.

 Now I'm sending you off to the Dynamic Duos blog!
Check out the pretty projects by the other Dynamos:

Anne Marie Hile

Annette Elliott

Angel Johns

Cindy Brumbaugh

Holly Endress

JoAnn Burnham

Julie Gearinger

Michelle Bala

Sarah Fleming 

Tenia Nelson

Here's the deets on how to play:

The challenge ends on Thursdays at Noon (PDT).  Just a few rules to keep things fun and fair!

1. Any project is welcome...paper crafts, scrapbooking, digital, or crafts...
2. Please ONLY use the two colours listed for your project. Neutrals are welcome.
3. Combine us with as many other challenges as you would like, except other colour challenges.
4. Please add our graphic to your blog with a link back to us.
5. Any offensive or inappropriate posts will be deleted respectively. 

  Would love to see you take the challenge this week!
 Happy Crafting!
Caroline

Card Recipe:
Cardstock: Kraft, Olive, Colonial White + Pear and Partidge PP (CTMH)
Memento Ink in Rich Cocoa
Derwent Inktense water colour pencils
Instant Camera Die & Stamp set:  Lil'Inker
All Yule Need stamp set: Paper Smooches
Wood-grain washi tape: Paper Wishes
Uniball Gel pen in gold
Ranger Liquid Pearls in gold
Ribbon: CTMH
Jingle bell: Michael's