My daughter requested a sympathy card for the family of a friend of hers who passed away right after Christmas. Her friend left behind two young children, and devastated friends and community. I wanted to make a card that was appropriate for her husband and wanted it be hopeful as well as heartfelt. This stamp by Unity Stamps fit the bill. I added layered label dies by Spellbinders, some jute twine, and die cut greenery by Diamond Press.
As anyone who is seeing my blog knows, I'm on a gnome kick this week. I've been categorizing and organizing my stamp sets, and in the process, found that I own at least five sets with gnomes. One of them is really old, and is one of the first stamp sets I ever won. All of the sets were challenge or blog prizes, so I thank the generous crafters who sent them to live in my stash.
This fine gentleman is Jerome, by Paper Smooches (who are no longer in business, so sad). The sentiment is by Unity stamps, I believe, and just made me laugh. I colored Jerome with alcohol markers and popped him on some leafy patterned paper from my stash. The label die is by Spellbinders. This card will be going to my brother in law, who lives across the street from a collector of garden gnomes. No really, the neighbor actually gives tours of their yard to gnome lovers (pre-COVID of course).
Lost Coast Designs challenge 114, gnomes
Yes, I'm on a gnomie roll (is there such a thing?). I used two different hexagon die sets, one by Gemini and one by Winnie & Walter (no longer in business). The sentiment is by Stampin' Up, the paper is by Lawn Fawn, and the gnome is from Stampendous' set, Holiday Gnomes. I decided to make a shaped card this time and it was somewhat of a chore to hand cut the hexagon card base and the patterned paper. I probably won't make too many of these again, but now that I made one card base, I can use it as a template.
Lost Coast Designs challenge 114, gnomes
Here is another gnome from the Holiday Gnomes set by Stampendous. This time I paired him up with patterned paper by DCWV, and another tag by Pretty Pink Posh. The sentiment hexagon is by Stampin Up and snowflake stamp by Momenta.
Crafty Milka's I Love Math Christmas challenge #18. I used a hexagon as my math element
CHNC challenge 526
CHN January PP challenge
I won a set of gnome stamps (Holiday Gnomes) by Stampendous awhile back and finally took them out and inked them up. The paper is by Lawn Fawn, the sentiment by Stampin'Up, and the tag dies are by Pretty Pink Posh and Gina K Designs. I also used a snowflake stamp by Momenta. These gnomes are fun to color and pair up with assorted papers from my stash.
Crafty Milka's I Love Math challenge #18. I used the number 25, both written and as a numeral.
My blog friend, Janis, gave me this beautiful set of Tim Holtz wildflower dies a couple of years ago and I've started several cards with them, but only now finished one. I die cut one of the wildflower shapes, using thin craft foam, and used it as a stamp. Then die cut two additional flowers with white card stock and adhered them over the stamped images. A few tiny butterflies, from gingham and gold glitter paper, fluttered by and landed as well. The sentiment is heat embossed on white ( Altenew). I CASED the idea from a UK stamping magazine that a friend passed on to me, and just added butterflies and a masked border.
Butterfly Spot challenge #150. I used the colors Geranium, gold and Gingham
Allsorts challenge 608, bloomsSpringtime makes many people think of gardening, but I'm not a gardener, so I think of gnomes! This gnome stamp set is by Marks Finest Papers, which is no longer in business. I stamped the grass with an old wood mounted stamp, and colored the image with watercolor pencils and alcohol markers. I also used a stacked layered technique which involved stamping the image, then using nested rectangle dies by Sizzix to cut it into 3 different layers. Once you stack them, it looks like a whole image. I've had this gnome stamp set for years so I'm happy to see that gnomes are a "thing" this year!
Lost Coast Designs challenge 114, gnomes
Allsorts challenge 608, beautiful blooms
Cut It Up challenge 217, back in time. Garden gnomes became very popular in the US in the 1970's.
I saw a fun challenge recently, on the Crafty Milka blog that combines Christmas projects with math. Now, math is not one of my strengths by any means, but I was intrigued by the concept. After looking at the samples and descriptions, I decided to pull out my hexagon dies by Gemini and made this card. The stamped snowflake backgrounds are by Inkadinkado, and the little penguins are from Penguin Agenda by Mama Elephant. I used a stamped sentiment by Stampin' Up.
I still don't like math, but this almost made it tolerable!
Winter is still here but there are hints of spring in the sunny skies we had last week. So, I pulled out some butterfly dies and stamps that I recently got, and made this. The hexagon dies are by Gemini, butterfly stamps and dies by Clearly Besotted, and greenery by Inkadinkado. The sentiment is by MSE. I'm on a mission to use some of those hundreds of rhinestones that I seem to have collected over the years, so of course I had to add a few here and there.
I won this background die by Creative Expressions a couple of years back, and haven't used it more than once, because most of my friends aren't drinkers. However, I decided to make this version, by embossing the background, rather than die cutting it for a more subtle design. I adhered some of the drink glasses that I had die cut from a bright green card stock, and added a Cheers die cut sentiment by Paper Smooches. A few rhinestones for sparkle, and I'm done.
Let's Create and Craft challenge 167, Cheers to You
Word Art Wednesday 475-476
I needed a thank you card to send to my 92 year old uncle,so I pulled out a stamp set by CTMH, nested labels by Spellbinders, a star die by Paper Smooches, and a tiny button die by Stamplorations. All it needed was some patterned paper and twine to finish it. Quick and easy.
Oops, I almost forgot to make an anniversary card for my son and his wife, who celebrated their 3rd anniversary today. So, I whipped out this champagne flute die set by MFT, along with the adorable little leaping kitty Whittle dies by Poppystamps. The Cheers sentiment is by Paper Smooches. I used glitter card stock for the bubbly, and added rhinestones for extra sparkle. The Wonky Stitched rectangle die set is by Gina Marie. My son and his wife have 4 cats, and they are all either black or gray...so I had to make kitties to match.
I won a set of slimline dies from Kat Scrappiness recently, but hadn't used them on a card yet. So, tonight I pulled them out and made this birthday cupcake design. The cupcake dies are by Paper Smooches, and the paper is a combination of scraps by DCWV and old brochure paper that I hoarded. The sentiment is by MFT, and I inked the card base edges to frame the main design. Thanks to my blog friend, Janis, for motivating me to make this slimline sketch card, inspired by the MFT sketch challenge.
Double D 5th Anniversary challenge. I was inspired by the cupcake and sprinkles mood board.
Cardz TV challenge 132
DL.Art January Linky
I pulled out a very old stamp set by A-muse studio, called Hello Cupcake, and made this birthday card for a friend's daughter. The stenciled background is by Hero Arts, with added stamped dots (also by HA). I made a circle stencil by die cutting with a Sizzix circle die, and inked it over the background.
I offered to make and donate some kids cards, and took the opportunity to ink up a few stamps that I had never used. The rocket ship image was probably at least 8 years old..eek! I didn't have any papers that could be used as a galaxy background so I made my own, whimsical one. Stamps by Club Scrap, Anita's, and a wood mounted one by a company called Stampland, were inked with Brilliance white pigment ink. I heat embossed the sentiment (Lawn Fawn), and stamped the earth. The rocket ship is by Sweet Stamp Shop and was colored with alcohol markers and silver Sharpie. This scene allowed me to use a lot of little snippets from my stash. Even the sentiment is a separate strip that was cut and edged with white pigment ink to make it stand out against that background.
Right after I made 4 of these backgrounds, I realized that my old 2020 wall calendar is filled with galaxy backgrounds so I didn't even have to do this! Oh well, now I know where to go for my next outer space cards.
Lost Coast Designs 113, something starting with a B, blast off and blue
DL.ART January linky
Cardz TV challenge 132
Here is another Christmas card that I made with a set of stamps that a friend gave me (don't know who makes them). The embossing folder was also given to me by that friend and is of unknown origin. The nested ovals are by LDRS. I like the look of an all white background that allows the oval frame and poinsettia to stand out.
I have a lot of card blanks that I prepare with patterned paper bases so I can easily pull out out and add sentiments and image or embellishments. This is one of those. I added a die cut poinsettia by Poppystamps, and some yellow rhinestones, plus a large sentiment from my stash. The papers are from two paper stacks by DCWV and the label dies are Spellbinders.
I bought some sheets of Christmas paper by Cosmo Cricket years ago and finally cut into it to make several cards and tags. The belt was made by cutting a strip of black paper and adding a punched buckle that someone sent to me ages ago. I inked it to coordinate with the patterned papers.
CHNC challenge 524
CHN January PP challenge
ABC Christmas challenge, A is for Advent
