CAS-ual Fridays #33 - Kraft, Twine, and Nautical

 What a great challenge going on at CAS-ual Fridays - Create a clearn and simple project using kraft and twine.  I decided to combine it with another more difficult challenge posed by a new friend of mine ... use a lighthouse image or something nautical on a christmas card. 

I adore making little embellishments like this one to cover bow knots.  The simple sentiment was all that was needed.  I didn't have any green vellum, so I used ink and sponge to make plain vellum the colour I needed. 

Off to see what other creations were made using kraft and twine at CAS-ual Fridays.

Thanks for dropping by.

Donelda

Loonie Stamper's Challenge #118 - One Layer Wonder

The Loonie Girls are at it again this week with a great challenge.  This time it was Regan's turn to pick the challenge and she went with a one layer card.  Well, that's no real challenge for me!!  LOL!!  But I'm pretty sure there will be a few loonies struggling with this one!

I was also looking around on another blog and saw something about a "shape" on the front of the card which reminded me of this cute bear stamp I got from Cornish Heritage Farms (which is no longer in business) and have yet to use.  Can you believe it!!  I knew I wanted to make a shaped card from him and these 2 ideas blended together to result in this one layer shaped card!!!

I stamped the image onto a regular 5.5 x 4.25 folded card.  Then I cut around the top of the image leaving a place at the bottom for a sentiment.  I colored him in with my Copic markers.  I checked out a few tutorials on how to add fur (I clearly need more practice ... and markers!!).  I added some doodling lines around the bottom edge and a sentiment from Everyday Classics (anniversary set from Papertrey Ink). 

I love how this turned out!!  Better than I had even imagined!!   I think I might re-create a few and change up the colors.

Now off to see what the Loonie girls created:
Regan, Dee, Wendy, Jewels, Maria, Char

Thanks for dropping in!  Have a wonderful Sunday, hopefully filled with lots of craftiness!!!

Donelda

One Layer Wednesday (OLW) - Stamp a Scene

So this week's challenge issued by Susan R. on the Simplicity blog is to Stamp a Scene.  I knew instantly that I wanted to use this lovely lighthouse image that I got from Cornish Heritage Farms a few years ago.  However, I didn't know exactly what I would do with it.  In the end, I stamped the image with Close to Cocoa ink and then added the pale brown organza ribbon and a few sea shells for embellishments. 

This was a great CAS challenge becuase I do tend to color in this image (although I have created other cards HERE and HERE where the image is just stamped).  It is always fun to have alternative ways to use your stamps!! 

Off to see what other "scenes" are used in the challenge!

Donelda

Lucy's Challenge #11 - White, Light Blue, and Kraft

Lucy's latest challenge #11 is to use these lovely colors - White, Light Blue, and Kraft. They were so soft and yummy I couldn't resist.

It totally made me feel "nautical" so I went with this lighthouse image from Cornish Heritage Farms (retired).

I stamped the imgage and then punched out a 1/2" circle from a Post It Note. I added the circle and sponged on Soft Sky (Stampin' Up!) ink. Stitched around this panel, added it to a panel of kraft folder paper that was embossed with the Distressed Stripes folder. Then added a sentiment with a great nautical symbol inside.

I guess this is pretty masculine and I didn't even plan on that!! Go figure!!

Supplies: Stamps - Lighthouse (Cornish Heritage Farms), Around and About, Out to Sea (Papertrey Ink); Ink - Jet Black (Ranger), Soft Sky (Stampin' Up!); Paper - Whisper White, (Stampin' Up!), a kraft file folder; Other - 1/2" and 1" circle punch, sponge, sewing machine and thread, dimensionals, Post It Note, Distressed Stripes folder, Cuttlebug.

Well, off to see everyone elses' crations using these yummy colors!!

Donelda

Lighthouse

I got this great lighthouse from Cornish Heritage Farms a number of years ago. I think it might be retired. I love it for making masculine cards. Usually I color it in but I felt like making a quick card so I just stamped it onto some of this yummy BasicGrey Granola paper. No coloring required. then I got to thinking of the background and decided to make my own. I used the compass from Father Knows Best (Papertrey Ink) , and the stars and anchor from Out to Sea (Papertrey Ink). There are also some diamonds on there but they are rub ons (not sure what company, I've had them for years!!). The very small birthday sentiment is one piece of the longer sentiment from Around and About (Papertrey Ink). To finish off the card, I added some basic string, did some matting, and popped up the main panel! Another masculine card!!! I hope you have a great week! The last week and a half have been truely crazy around here. My son has started soccer and badminton and that in addition to his guitar lessons we are a bit busy!! I am hoping to squeeze in some crafting time but it is difficult!! Donelda

Tulip Luck

I love this tulip stamp that I bought from Cornish Heritage Farms (I believe it is retired - I got it on sale), however, I never think to use it!! I stamped this on some glossy paper and colored it in with my copic markers. Because the glossy paper was so thin (not typical cardstock stuff) placing the image on white cardstock washed out all the color. So, I took a piece of white vellum and colored it with oil pastels - orange. Then I used some Japanese Mint Oil to blend the pastel color around on the vellum ... and voila, orange vellum. I adhered the image to the vellum using brads then adhered it to the white cardstock. A simple sentiment and an orange card base finished off the card. Supplies: Stamps - tulips (Cornish Heritage Farms), sentiment is from Paper Tray set (Papertrey Ink); Ink - Black (StazOn), Basic Black (Stampin' Up!); Paper - orange (Bazzill), Whisper White (Stampin' Up!), vellum (Stampin' Up!), glossy paper is a transfer paper for transferring images ot t-shirts (unknown); Other - brads (Making Memories), markers (Copic). Thanks for dropping in. Donelda

Obsessed with Clean and simple - Take 5

So here is another card for the Fall DT challenge cards over at SCS. This challenge is for the Autumn card challenge. It was a really really CAS card. Stamped the wheat image, drew the square with a brown marker, then added the sentiment. Easy peasy!! I love to doodle lines around my cards as they just feel 'finished' that way!! Supplies: Stamps - wheat (Cornish Heritage Farms), Rustic Branches - sentiment (Papertrey Ink); Ink - Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!); Paper - Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!), designer paper scrap from my stash; Other - Chocolate Chip marker. Thanks for dropping in. Donelda

New Fun Toy - Mica!

When I was first started out in this crazy hobby called paper crafting, I would purchase those Creative Keepsakes books that tought you the basics of scrapbooking and techniques. I loved them!! I still browse throught them once in a while!

Anyway, I had remembered seeing a cool project done using something called Mica. When I was at the stamp show in Airdrie a few months ago, I saw a package of the stuff so I bought it! Since then, another stamping friend (Hi Robin!!) has also become interested in this product. So, what is it?? It's actually a rock! But this rock is cool...it is in many many layers that you can pull apart to the point of being transparent. And it is totally heat resistant so you can emboss til the cows come home..if you want to. My Mica is from a company called US Art Quest and it is the regular tile size but you can get it in many different shapes and sizes, all the way down to "dust" !! Go have a peek!

For my card, I wanted to try stamping between 2 thin layers of the mica. So I started by seperating one piece of mica til I got the 2 thinnest pieces I could get. Then, on one I stamped my wheat image using StazOn Black. It is like stamping on a transparency so you need to be careful that it doesn't slip. When it was dry, I used a small bit of Tombow Mono Multi glue behind the black image and along the very edges to glue the two sheets together. I wanted to add some color so I used my alcohol inks in butterscotch and a little caramel and put some color on the back of the image.

The rest of the card is pretty straight forward. I am proud to say that the layout is a Donelda original. I don't often come up with original layouts but I had thought of this and sketched it into my creative journal a while ago so I thought I'd actually use it!

You may wonder where all the texture came from on the Pumpkin Pie and Summer Sun pieces. Well, a long time ago, I made some textured paper by misting it with water, crumpling it, and then ironing it flat. I made A LOT of it a while ago and I'm still slowly using it up. If you were to look, you would noticed it in a number of my projects over the years in my SCS gallery. It is especially great for making leaves and flowers but also for great background paper - you can see some in this project, this project and this project. You will note that on these projects there are some red, purple, and yellow texturized paper. I think the colors you see on my current card came from a different scrapbook page where I made leaves for a fall family photo shoot!

Anyway, that's my first project using Mica! If any of you have used mica and have some great ideas to share, I'd love to hear about them!

Supplies: Ink-Basic Black; Paper-Summer Sun, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black (all SU!); Stamps - Wheat (Cornage Heritage Farms), Simple Little Things (Papertrey Ink); Other - Mica (US Art Quest), Alcohol Inks (Ranger), Stamp a ma jig (EK Success); Coluzzle.

Wow, was I ever long winded tonight! I try to keep my blathering to a minimum....but I guess it got the best of me this time.

Thanks for visiting. Donelda

GREEN

Well, here is a card that I made for the Arty Girlz Challenge -- "GREEN". Do you think I used enough green - hehehe.

I love this image from Cornish Heritage Farms!! However, I think that it is retired -- sorry!!

The image is colored with prisma color pencil crayons and then blended with odorless thinner. That is my favorite way of coloring my images!! If you haven't tried it and want a tutorial, it is called Gamsol Magic on Splitcoaststampers. Have fun.

I made the card extremely simple so that it didn't distract from the awesome image!!

Thanks or visiting!!

Donelda

Nautical Stuff and Lighthouses

Here is my card for Sharon's Stamp Simply Challenge #22 . It is a layout based on Leslie's sketch HERE. I started out wanting to use the lighthouse image. Because this is a "stamp simply" challenge, I decided to simply add a little bit of color using my Stampin' Up pastels. I love them since they are so easy -- fool proof in fact - and make a quick way to add a small amount of color!!

Next, I picked this dark cardstock out of my K&Co. Designer Cards pad (the ones that are pre-scored). I liked the circle images as they reminded me of compasses -- another nautical item. Then I used the lighter green designer paper across the bottom and put the whole thing on some mellow moss cardstock. I didn't want to add ribbon as it didn't fit the nautical theme, so I used some tan colored braiding cord instead. Finally, I couldn't resist the shells along the bottom, even though it wasn't part of the layout (but I know Sharon won't mind, she is not a stickler for rules - she just wants us to all have fun!!).

Being from Nova Scotia, I love all things nautical....it is one of the things I miss the most out here in the middle of the prairies!

Supplies: Stamp-Yaquina Head, Or (Cornish Heritage Farms); Paper-Mellow Moss (SU!), K&Co.; Ink-Basic Black (SU!); Accessories-Pastels (SU!), Braiding Cord (Bead Party), Shells (PEI).

Thanks for stopping by!

Donelda

Sympathy Card for Daniel

Needed to make a special sympathy card. These are so hard to make. I always want to make a bunch so I don't have to make one "in the moment" but I never seem to get to it. Guess it is because they are so sad to make.

I did a lot of sponging on this one. It was fairly simple.

Supplies: Cardstock-Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip (SU), Ink- Basic Black, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip (SU), Stamps- Wheat (Cornish Heritage Farms), Paper Trey (Papertrey Ink); Accessories-Twill, black brads, ticket corner punch, daubers (all SU).

Thanks for visiting.

Donelda

Reflection Technique

One of the techniques we did in my card class last month was the reflection technique. There is an excellent tutorial from the splitcoaststamping forums HERE that was written by Beate Johns. You really should check out her blog as she is the queen of tutorials and an awesome stamper!! Anyway, whatever technique we do that night, we are challenged to make another card using that technique and bring it back the following month to be entered in for a draw. So, I set to work considering a different idea to use the reflection technique with.....I've already done trees, boats, and snowmen. I thought that a butterfly looking into a pool of water might work... and cattails... an image formed in my mind and this is what I ended up with. I'm not really sure I like it afterall... but it took a ton of time and energy to make, that's for sure. I started out stamping the main butterfly in basic black. Then, I cut a mask for him so I could stamp the cattails (a stamp I bought from Cornish Heritage Farms) around where the pond would be. Then, using the acetate, I stamped the reflection image of the butterfly, and some reversed cattails at the opposite side of the pond. Next, I used my Close to Cocoa marker and drew in some extra details around the water's edge. I colored in the butterflies with my prismacolor pencil crayons and used oderless thinner to blend the colors together (called gamsol magic technique on splitcoaststampers). Then, using a watercolor brush and my ink pads (Soft Sky and Mellow Moss) I added just a touch of color to the water, sky, and ground. I added a sentiment from the Happy Harmony set. I cut this image out with my coluzzle, and then added some black cardstock behind the oval. Using a small scallop scisssor, I cut around the image to make a scallop mat. I then placed this onto a Mellow Moss card that was stamped with the retired French Script background using Versamark so that it was a subtle effect. I really thought the image was so busy that nothing more should be added. I'm not sure the reflection image is in the right place... it should have probably gone more directly under the top butterfly but I was thinking of him looking down upon himself... well, anyway... there you go!!

Thanksgiving Card

Well, here in Canada Thanksgiving is over. So why you ask am I posting a thanksgiving card??

Well, the idea for this card has been running around my head ever since I recieved this Wheat stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms. And, pieces of the card have been sitting around waiting for me to bring all the elements together.

The image was inked in Close to Cocoa and stamped, and then inked again and partially stamped to get "more wheat". Then, using my oval coluzzle I cut out most of an oval and used my hobby knife to finish cutting around the wheat. Then I inked the edges in More Mustard and then just the edges with Close to Cocoa. I placed a piece of So Saffron underneath after using a dauber to add a bit of More Mustard across the top and some Close to Cocoa along the bottom. Once this piece was in place under the oval, I stamped this thankful sentiment from Happy Harmony (SU). I finished the front off with some antique brass brads from my Hodgepodge Hardware (SU) and put it all on a Close to Cocoa card.

You can probably tell that these are the colors I love to use most but I continue to try to get out of that creative box and dabble with some of the other color families.

Thanks for visiting!