Tag You're It! #60

Diane Jaquay has a wonderful tag to inspire us at Tag You're It! 

I usually follow pretty closely with whatever the inspiration is but I went outside the box this time.

From Diane's tag I got: layered tag, all over leaf design, sentiment image layered over greens, bow.

I made a striped backgroud from my CP stamp, and using my NBUS infinity tags from HA I cut out a striped and white tag.  The holly leaves are from a TH set that I cut in scrap paper and used as a stencil.  I used that same set to make the greens.  A tiny tag and sentiment from MCS are tied on with an organza bow.  So you see, all of Diane's elements are there, just in a Christmas tag.

What kind of tag would you make?  There are plenty more on the TYI blog to spark your imagination.

ETA:  Loll has a wonderful Twelve Tags of Christmas event going on and I'm going to send my tag over there.  It's a mixed media challenge and I've stenciled, stamped and die cut.

Tags, Tags and More Tags

There are a number of people who are presenting us with tag ideas for Christmas.  I don't usually use tags but I love making them because they are quick and easy (sometimes) and I can later turn them into cards.

On day 7 of Tracey's 25 Tags of Christmas, which was Ellen Hutson day, I was inspired by this tag by Carolyn Peeler:

and made this one.

I'm also sending this to Loll's 12 Tags of Christmas, which is a mixed media challenge. You must include stamping and two other elements.  I heat embossed on vellum the little tree from EE and colored it on the back.  The background was watercolored with DIs, and splattered with water.

Day 8 of Tracey's tags was sponsored by Uniko and although I didn't use their stamps I was inspired by this tag of Sarah Gray's - the one on the left.

I used a W&W set from SOA and followed Sarah's line stamping.

Tracey has many designers with inspiration on her blog and Loll has friends adding to her inspiration.  You definitely should check out their fabulous work.

Less Is More #301

After 300 challenges, Chrissie is stepping down from the helm of Less Is More.  We're sad to see you go, Chrissie, but know that the rest of the team will carry on beautifully in your honor.

My card for Less Is More's 301 challenge - purple and gold:

I knew I wanted to use this mod ornament from SSS but the dilemma was what to do and still make it CAS.  The solution was a frame I found in my box that I popped up with foam.  It was just what the card needed to add dimension.  Unfortunately the purple foil reads more black in the photo.  I still don't have the hang of the lightbox and/or editing program to make my cards look better.

There's been lots of action in my craft room so I'll be back later with another post.  See you then.

Addicted to CAS #100

I quickly made a card for the challenge at Addicted to CAS when I saw their cue word and knew I had a monster stamp set from YNS.

They're stamped on Bristol board and colored with Zigs with GA on the eyes. Time's a wastin'.  Gotta go link this up.  Thanks for dropping by.

Inspired by All the Little Things #31

This lovely photo at Inspired by All the Little Things stirred me to make a card.

There are so many things to take from this photo but I love birds and had to make one the focal point of my card.

I watercolored the little chickadee from WPlus9 and mounted it on a black panel.  Not having any music paper I got the horizontal design by using a stencil.  The sentiment is from MSE, which continues on the inside to say "that God will keep you in his care".   I'm sure I'll be using it a lot for my homebound card ministry.

I hope your week is going well and thank you for spending a little time dropping by my blog.

Addicted to Stamps and More #219

That's right, crafters.  It's clean and simple week at Addicted to Stamps and More and I have a two-fer for you.

I have to give part of the credit for this to my friend Michele of I Card Everyone.  The day she came to visit she brought me this lovely shimmer cardstock all embossed with the greens.  (She also gave me the embossing folder - lucky me, 'mwah').  The 'joy' die is also hers and I cut it from some ancient paper and layered it on  coaster board.  The tag from SSS is stamped with a PTI sentiment and tied it on with some floss.

Now you know that the paper that I cut the die from was leftover and since I planned it just right I got a second card.

The negative was layered over some green paper and at Michele's suggestion I put one of the poinsettia that I fussy cut from the paper popped up in the middle of the O.  How EZPZ  and CAS is that?

Stamplorations is offering two digital images to the winner of this challenge.  Why not get a card entered into the gallery today?  Need more inspiration?  There's plenty to be had at ATSM.

Happy Birthday, Michele

This is a 'just for fun' post to honor my friend Michele Ferguson of I Card Everyone on her birthday today.  When Michele came to visit a couple of weeks ago, I had a surprise for her - a recently purchased set Brushos to play with.  I did the work that day and turned it into a card for her.

I was inspired by this card from Heather Telford.  I used translucent embossing paste through a stencil and before removing it sprinkled on the Brushos.  I love the way it turned out.

Happy Birthday my dear friend.

Time Out #69 and AAA Cards #77

Talk about frustration.  I should have left well enough alone.  I decided to get a Big Shot even though my Cuttlebug was okay.  It did need new plates and the handle was attached with duct tape but it's been good to me.  The Big Shot on the other hand has been a pain.  One of the plates is so warped it struggles to go through and then the cut marks (or any tape I use to hold the die) leave marks on my cardstock.  It also leaves embossing about the edge of the die - not necessarily a bad thing but not what I'm going for.

Frustration number two is with my cutting devices.  None of the three cut perfectly straight.  Well I guess the Tonic one does but I got the smaller one without knowing any better and it doesn't go 5.5 inches wide so I have to mark it first.  That means I am constantly trimming my cards to get them even.  And don't even mention the T square ruler.  That's warped too.

Okay.  Enough rant for today.  You came here for a card.  Just so you know. This is my third attempt.  Hence the rant.

I used some of Altenew's Spicy Yogurt cs, cut a MFT word from it and then 3 times in chocolate. My original card attempt included some Distress Inking so that ruined panel became my C9 leaves.  They are heart shaped and perfect for the Time Out challenge - Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart.  I'm singing it now. ;)  I'll also link up to AAA Cards for their thanksgiving/thanks challenge.

Now that my rant is over, I'll go make the bed and finish the laundry.  Have a great day!

Merry Monday #220

I'm just squeaking in with this card because the card I posted yesterday wasn't due until later and I should have posted this one.  It's for Merry Monday - How will you decorate your door?

I don't have a red door - wish I did, mine's  rust - and I usually hang a wreath instead of a swag but I had this vision and wanted to see it through.  t took a while to plan but I cut the sections with LF stitched rectangles, mounted the cut panel on black foam and put the inserts back.  The background is brick embossed and the greens are from a TH set of dies.  No room for a sentiment so it will all be inside.

Time's running out.  Thanks for dropping by.

CAS(E) This Sketch #197

I am so bummed.  I made a card for a Monday challenge and did a post yesterday for the wrong one.  I think the deadline has passed. ( I just checked and it's PST so I have two hours to get it in.)  You'll have to check out that post too. Meanwhile I have one for CAS(E) This Sketch.

I'm trying to use some neglected stamp sets and since the Nordic designs are starting to crop up in blogland I pulled out this one from SSS.  Their Winter Warmth set made a perfect scarf banner to go with it.

Thanks for dropping by today.

CASology #222

The lovely Bev of Happy Dance is a guest designer on CASology this week and I had to make a card.  The cue word is "Welcome" and I thought a while about this until I was making a Christmas card and ran across the word "welcome" in one of my stamp sets.  Not the set I used but they all play so well together.

The wreath from WPlus9 is on a woodgrain embossed panel.  The bow and word are embossed in a gold embossing glitter.

I should have taken a picture of my work surface to show you.  I had so many cards going at once in various stages of completion that it looked like Hurricane Bobby hit.  Now they're done, pictures taken and almost everything put away.  Ready to start over. ;)

Tracey's 25 Days of Christmas Tags

I said I was going to try my best to do Tracey's 25 Days of Christmas Tags. She's on day 5 and I have 4 made.  Not bad.

This one was inspired by Tracey's own tag on day 1.  Hers had a red background but I changed it to blue.

This was inspired by Samantha's tag with the green background and deer head on day 3.  Yes I skipped a day.  Haven't thought of anything for day 2 yet.

On day 4 I loved Caryn's soft colored tags

and on day 5 it was Heather's round tag that inspired me.

Red.  Those little flower sequins from my TYI teamie Susan are red. ;)

Now if I can figure out how to link to all these tags I will be doing good. Wish me luck.

Just Us Girls #368

Sue is the hostess for this weeks Just Us Girls and her word for the week is encouragement.

This card could be for anyone going through a rough time and you want to lift them up.  I made my card for my brother Bill who is going through treatment for throat cancer.

I've always liked this stamp set from PIT.  I 'tacked' it onto some cork which is on some woodgrain paper.

Our guest designer for this month is Cecile Ribon.  Go to Just Us Girls to see what she and the rest of the design team have made and then make an encouragement card of your own.  You may be selected Chic of the Week and be chosen as a guest designer for January.

And once you've made it, don't forget to send it. It could make someone's day.

PS: I don't usually enter my design team cards in other challenges but I thought this would be fitting for  the AAA Cards challenge - Masculine Cards.

CAS(E) This Sketch #196

The one thing I like about CAS(E) This Sketch is it is so open to interpretation.  And it challenges me.  This week I even turned the sketch on it's side which is rare for me. ;)

PTI stamps embossed in silver and colored with Zigs.

Another Christmas card for my ever growing  pile.  I'm not crazy about the stores displaying Christmas items this early but we card makers have to get a jump on it if we're going to have our cards ready to send by December 1 or shortly thereafter.

I hope you've gotten a good start on yours.