What colour is YOUR umbrella? Dynamic Duos #87

 More multi-media messing with water-colour paper this week! 

Here's the colour challenge from The Dynamic Duos:

Delicious, huh?

I HAD to go with the umbrella option, and what better way than to feature a wet and cloudy sky?

I saw a tutorial by Laurel Beard, where she stamped with water onto Distress inks.

I don't have any Distress inks (markers, yes) so decided to experiment with my CTMH re-inkers, applied with a blending tool onto water-colour paper. 

I used some cute cloud images from this CMTH stamp set,

 spritzing with water before stamping. The inks didn't blend all that much, but the stamps turned a kind of pretty pink!  I added some Smooch spritz in grey, for added splotch and shine.

I love the current trend of angled panels, and used a variation of this sketch for the card:

 

 The umbrella is a stamp-n-die from The Stamps of Life.

A few little grey pearls, and done!

Time to check out the creations by the rest of the Dynamic Duos team:

Anne Marie Hile

Annette Elliott

Angel Johns

Cindy Brumbaugh

Holly Endress

JoAnn Burnham

Julie Gearinger

Michelle Bala

Sarah Fleming 

Tenia Nelson

Hope you'll play along with us this week!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Supplies:

Paper: Black cardstock, Wausau Papers; White Daisy, CTMH; water-colour paper, Ranger 

Inks: Grey Wool & Grey Flannel re-inkers, Black and Hollyhock ink-pads from CTMH

Blending tool: Tim Holtz for Ranger

Smooch Spritz in grey

Stamp set: umbrellas4us and umbrella die from The Stamps of Life

Grey pearls: CTMH

My Punny Valentine... Simon Says Stamp challenge

Still having fun coming up with cards for Kim Kesti's Big Picture Classes "Create and Share Card-making."

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge this week is to create something humourous, or with a play on words. They are featuring Paper Smooches stamps, which have some of the punniest sentiments around!

Here's an example:

 I used up some very old paper, softening the look by layering vellum over the DP. Also used a new stamp set with coordinating dies, Love-Struck. For the fuzzy heart I used some Mulberry paper my son brought back from South Korea, where he was visiting our exchange student and his family. Remember that stuff? Very fun to work with. Had to add a little pink to those cute arrows.

Lots of other fun Paper Smooches stamp sets on display at Simon Says Stamp. Check it out!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

More text-talk for Keep it simple! #31

Here's a peak at the birthday card I made for my nephew back in October.

I CASE'd it from one I found on Paper Smooches' Flickr site. (Sorry! Can't read the watermark to give full credit). The original card had a game-controller as the image in the central panel. Much more appropriate for a 16 year old! I made do with what I had--thought it looked pretty cool; he is an awesome drummer and loves jazz. But we had to tell him what a cassette tape was...

Anyway, I though it'd be perfect to link up with Keep It Simple!'s present challenge: TEXT.

A head-on view:

The words were fun to doodle on!

Make sure to check out Keep It Simple's challenge blog!

And don't forget to check out THIS POST for a chance at some blog candy!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Supplies:

Cardstock in white daisy, pear--CTMH

Ink in black, pear--CTMH and Memento Tuxedo black

Paper Smooches' stamp sets: Digits, Slang Gang, Beboppin'

Copic Markers

Monday, Monday....Atlantic Hearts Sketch #39

(hum some "Mamas and Papas" along with me...)

So today is a little bittersweet.

This is my last posting as a member of the Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge team.

I've had a great time this past six months, playing along with Michelle's sketches, and chatting with Darla and the other gals on the DT. I had the GREAT pleasure of meeting Michelle and Darla in the flesh this past summer, while on vacation out East. They truly are a dynamic duo and the team is well-run; the group is very supportive and the sketches really stretch your creativity. Atlantic Hearts has a design team call open--check it out at:  THIS LINK.

Anyway, I'm trying to simplify my life a bit. The amount of time I spend online commenting, linking, etc was starting to create some friction on the home front. Plus I return to work this week, after several months of only sporadic hours. So I've cut down my DT work to just one team at a time.

SOOO, without further ado or navel-gazing, here is the sketch!

I've used some old, long retired CTMH striped paper for the background. The focal image is a stamp I received for Christmas from the fam-jam (see supply list below), dressed up with some clouds and a sentiment from a CMTH stamp set.

I embossed the vertical red panel with some hearts, and mounted the circular panel on a vellum mat. I've seen this out on the Interwebz--it gives dimension and interest without hiding the other elements on the card.

Sending love to all the Atlantic Hearts gals!

❤❤❤❤❤

Want to try your hand at this sketch? Head on over to the Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge. You have until Sunday night at midnight to link up. Design team inspiration will be posted Wednesday.

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Supplies:

Cardstock: CTMH Cherry-O (retired), black, white daisy, tulip (retired); vellum (Michael's)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo black; CTMH Whisper grey

Hearts embossing folder: Provocraft 

Nestabilities cutting dies: circles, scalloped circles

Copic Markers

Stamps: Frog's Whiskers Ink "Bird Tree"; CTMH "Lifting Spirits," C1570 

Wink of Stella glitter pen 

Just a quickie... for Colour Me...! & Crafting by Design

Wanted to link this one up with Colour Me...!'s challenge this week:

Not sure if my colours are entirely right, but the gals at Colour Me...! can decide.

I'll come back later to fill in the deets on materials and inspiration. Off to bed right now!

Happy snoozing!

Caroline

P.S.: card created for Kim Kesti's Big Picture Classes: Create & Share Card-making.
P.S. 2: As this card features a great big blossom, I'm linking it to Crafting By Design's current challenge: FLOWERS.

Supplies:

Cardstock: CTMH. Champagne, Barn Red and Sorbet; Claire DP (retired)

Ink: CMTH chocolate and Sorbet

Stitched Ribbon: CTMH. Crème brulée

Martha Stewart border punch

Paper Smooches Hickory leaf die

Paper Smooches "We Connect" stamps and die set

Flowers from the stash

Back to Business! Dynamic Duos #86

 

The crafting world gets back to normal after this year's CHA...

It was fun seeing the sneak peeks of products and people. One of my favorites is Jennifer McGuire. This week's Dynamic Duos card is a tribute to her!

First, the colour challenge:

Its soft and subtle week, with an aqua and dusty rose combination.

I reproduced an effect Jennifer demonstrated HERE: she calls it "faux letterpress."

It involves using a cutting plate to emboss onto watercolour paper, then using Distress Markers to "paint" the resulting image. Here's the materials I used:

 The Distress Markers are evergreen bough and tattered rose.

The cutting plate is Lil' Inker's swirls cover-up die.

Here's the card:

I couldn't bear to cover up that lovely organic image, so I heat-embossed my sentiment onto vellum, another technique I've been seeing lately. I used some more Lil' Inker products: Spot On stamp set--great big sentiment words and cute circular accents; and their new On the diagonal die  which has the LID distinctive stitched edge. I machine-stitched the banner onto the card and left the thread ends hanging. Another new thing, but it has me itching to trim them!

Time to check out the creations from the other Dynamos!

Anne Marie Hile

Annette Elliott

Angel Johns

Caroline Bredeson

Cindy Brumbaugh

Holly Endress

JoAnn Burnham

Julie Gearinger 

Michelle Bala

Sarah Fleming 

Tenia Nelson

 

Hope to see you playing with these colours this week! at The Dynamic Duos.

Happy crafting,
Caroline

More thank-yous...

More fun with Kim Kesti's Big Picture class, Create & Share card-making.

a) I am SOOO far ahead in my card-making for all those special occasions this year (feels good!);

b) I am using up LOTS of old patterned paper (feels even better!)

One of my colleagues at work is off next week, taking maternity leave for her second child. I liked the design of the Thank-you cards HERE so much I thought I'd crank out some thank-you-for-the-baby-gift cards for her (above) and below:

Love that little baby carriage! It is another of Close to My Heart's M-size stamps. Cute images and such a bargain at $2.95.  See my post HERE to help me celebrate, and win THREE of these adorable stamp sets.

As I did some dry embossing on the first card, I'm entering these in Simon Says Stamps' Wednesday Challenge: Emboss It.

 

Enjoy a crafty weekend!

Caroline

Supplies:

Card stock and patterned paper: Close to my Heart

Memento Ink: Tuxedo Black

Nestabilities cutting/embossing dies

Martha Stewart embossing board

Washi tape

ribbon: JoAnn's

Enamel dots: Close to My Heart

Orange Gems: Hero Art

Liquid Pearls

Copic Markers

Silver Pen: Signo-Uniko

Wink of Stella pen

Paper doily: Paper Wishes

 

 

 

Many Thanks--KIS #31 Text

Do you own any 6x6 paper packs?

I have bought only a couple, as I like to have full 12x12 sheets for scrap-booking. However I do regularly purchase the 6x6 sampler packs Close to My Heart makes available to consultants. They are cut-down versions of each of the designs in the current CMTH paper packs. They are kind of like a sneak peak; seeing designer paper in the catalogue is just not the same, but having it in your hot little hands makes you want to buy it and play!

So I saw this card by Dena Hughes:

and decided to CASE it for some thank-yous I owe. I never bought the Surf's Up paper pack from last summer, but i DO have some 6x6 pieces of it.

Here's take #1:

Decided the sentiment panel was too small, 

so take #2:

Satisfied with the design; decided to try a more neutral look,

 take #3:

Then remembered the current challenge at Keep it Simple!

So I made a couple more versions, using the paper from another 6x6 sample, Scholastic:

Take #4:

This final one is my fave, 

Take #5:

See the library due date card ? How cute is that? Text upon text.

Also have to say, I LOVE this stamp:

A True Thank You --M1029

So much you can do with it, and the other M-sets with the Framework alphabet: paper-piecing, emboss-resist, colouring, blackboard technique... and what a bargain at $2.95!

It's my birthday month, so how about a giveaway? Comment on this post by January 27th, 2014, for a chance to win A True Thank-you, above

Heartfelt birthday

 and

Dotted Love

That's it for today, folks!

Happy Crafting,

Caroline

Thinking of you...in several different ways

More fun doing my "homework" for Kim Kesti's Create & Share Card-making class, over at Big Picture Classes. The lesson this week featured "thinking of you" cards and some ways to use that ever-growing washi tape collection.

Using up the stash of retired Close to My Heart papers and a Paper Smooches butterfly die. If I did this one over, I'd make sure to center the dots and daisies on the DP panels.

Warm washi! 

Die-cutting shapes from washi-covered card stock works so well!

This card features the stitched rectangle mat from Lil'Inker Designs (extended with some careful manipulation of the Big Shot) and a sentiment from Paper Smooches' First Aid Kit stamp set. Heart dies are from Lawn Fawn. Embossing folder from Sizzix. Tilted banner die from Simon Says Stamp.

 BTW, the colours in this one are perfect for this week's Color Throwdown challenge!
 

Warm hugs.

Just-for-fun pick-me-up card using another Paper Smooches stamp set, Think Fast. This time, I covered the edge of my focal panel with washi tape for an easy border.

Last (and least in appeal for me!), my attempt at an artful, collage-y card. I just don't have a feel for this style. The trendy feather stickers and sentiment are Paper Wishes Dazzles, as is the paper doily. Sequins are from Neat and Tangled. Ribbon from the stash.

Happy weekend, everyone! Hope you get outside to enjoy some winter activities (skating for me).

Caroline

More birthday fun

Hope YOU'RE having a super day...

Just popping by with a couple more cards made for the Create & Share Card-making class, over at Big Picture Classes. There's still time to join! Registration closes at 10:00 pm tonight.

First a masculine card:

 

This could celebrate a "milestone" birthday (get it?) as it features some journey-themed embellishments from a retired CTMH pack called Cruisin'. I cut up the Scrabble letter paper to get the alphas I wanted for the greeting, adding a Sizzix die-cut #2. Putting the "2" on top of the red sentiment zip-strip covered some of the writing, so I just cut the strip and inserted the "2" into the gap.  I haven't finished the inside yet, but it could reiterate the "Happy Birthday" or maybe say "over the hill..."

I'm entering this one in the current "Seize the Birthday" challenge, featuring numbers.

This beauty is intended for my nephew Sam, who has his own blog where he reviews comic books, manga  and cartoons.

I used some Paper Smooches products, the fabulous stamp set Super along with the Bam Bubble die. I cut the Bam, and the superhero's costume out of pearlescent cardstock from Wausau papers. I left the rest of him grey, to maintain the cartoon theme. The strip of washi tape at the bottom hides some stamping mess, as well as providing a "road" for the hero.

Had to add a little bit of fun with Enamel accents (eyes and teeth) and Liquid Pearls.

This one's being entered in the Crafting by Designs Birthday challenge.

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Feeling BL♥E! Atlantic Hearts Sketch #37

Goooood Monday morning, crafty friends.

I'm not really feeling blue. Well, maybe just a little. We put two of our sons back to school on the train/plane Saturday, and a tear or two WAS shed...

This week marks a return to"our  regular programming," which means a new sketch from Atlantic Hearts. Here it is:

Intriguing, eh?

Have to admit, this one had me stumped for a while.

Then I decided to define the diagonal panel by leaving it UN-embossed. The colours and sentiment I'll get to in a minute.

I experimented with some new embossing paste, which I dyed with my Pacifica re-inker. Alas, I added WAY TOO MUCH, and it basically looks black.

Embossing paste FAILURE!

So I went back and sponged over my heart stencil with some Pacifica ink; much better.

I also wanted to participate in a BRAND NEW colour challenge, created by my friend Hayley Kew.

Its called "Colour Me...!" and the concept is quite different. This week (first week of the month) is a monochromatic challenge:

Next week there'll be two colours, the next three, and so on.

 I used CTMH's PACIFICA as a close match to Island Indigo, using that to colour my stenciled heart, and stamping the outline alphas with the same colour. They were then shaded with corresponding Copic markers.

Soooo, TWO fun challenges for you to check out! Atlantic Hearts sketch challenge runs until next Sunday--check it out HERE.  Color Me...!'s first weekly challenge ends today, but you can play all month.

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Supplies:

CTMH Cardstock in White Daisy and Pacifica

CTMH Ink in Pacifica

Copic markers: BG 72, BG75, BG10

Provocraft embossing folder

CTMH Framework Alphabet stamps E1027

Sizzix Primitive Heart#3 embossing folder

Wink of Stella glitter pen