Monday and the start of another week

Morning readers, 

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend, it's a chilly start to a Monday though, wrap up warm.

I've a make to share with you today ....... a small batch (of two) Christmas cards - Quick, Clean And Simple. I thought I would use up some washi tape on these two "same but different" cards. Soon be time to start writing them!

My C6 double dose of QCAS cards

Materials used:

• Two white, 250gsm, C6 cards and matching envelopes
• Card in white and navy, for my card front, insert and matting
• Snippet of white card, layered with washi tape before die cutting my Pink and Main Trees (from "Oh Christmas Tree)
• Elsewhere on the card I stamped the co-ordinating trees (from PMS0652 "Oh Christmas Tree") using Versafine Clair paradise ink
• Pink and Main concave rectangle nesting dies used to cut my card front panel
• Cuttlebug "swiss dots" embossing folder used to emboss my panel
• Design Series, Julie Heaton, sentiment (from DS-HE-1055) stamped on to snippets of white card using Versafine Clair nocturne ink before die cutting my banner shapes from WRMK banner dies
• Clear dimensional tape used to attach my trees to the card front

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Peace on Earth - challenge No. 52 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) MOOD BOARD, see below
2. Simply CAS - November challenge - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) THANKS
3. Most Magical Time of the Year - challenge No. 14 - ANYTHING GOES (HALLOWEEN or CHRISTMAS)
4. My Time To Craft - challenge No. 521 - GOT TO BE CHRISTMAS
5. Snippets Playground - challenge No. 468 - USE SNIPPETS

One of my favourite "must enter" challenges is taking an indefinite break, so this is my last entry ... for a while. I HOPE you will come back Less Is More ... and SOON!

My C6 card

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6 card and matching envelope
• Card in white and deep green, for my card front, insert and matting
• Crafters Companion tree image (from The Snowman) stamped using MFT hybrid extreme black ink
• Julie Hickey Design Series sentiment (from DS-HE.1055) stamped using MFT hybrid extreme black ink
• Derwent Inktense blocks and Twinkling H2O's used to water colour my image

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. LIM - challenge No. 496 - "D" is for DECK THE HALLS
2. CASonFRIDAY - challenge No. 271 - CHRISTMAS
3. Creative Fingers - challenge No. 266 - ANYTHING GOES
4. CraftyCatz - challenge No. 660 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) CHRISTMAS or WINTER
5. HLS - November WATERCOLOUR challenge - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) EMBOSS

Saturday and some more vacation pix ...

Morning readers, 

I've a make to share with you today ....... a commission from a close friend, for a special birthday

My C6 card

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6 card and matching envelope
• Card in white and DCWV designer paper (from the rockstar stack)
• Snippets of card in white, red and from the sheet of DCWV card above
• Nellie's Choice "men's things" (ref: CSMT004) stamped using 1st and 2nd gen impressions of Versafine onyx black ink
• Fiskars sentiment (from 01-005534) and Stampendous sentiment (from SCS1115) stamped using Versafine onyx black ink. With a black signo uniball gel pen I hand wrote the "70th"
• Recollections stencil (658159) used in conjunction with a makeup brush and Brilliance Mediterranean blue ink, to create some clouds for the background
• Stardust stickles to add a little sparkle for this special birthday card

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Seize the Birthday - challenge No. 273 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional topping) NEUTRALS ONLY
2. LIM - challenge No. 496 - ANYTHING CAS GOES
3. Pattie's Creations - challenge No. 212 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Allie's Angels - challenge No. 76 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Creative Fingers - challenge No. 265 - ANYTHING GOES

Some more vacation pix of our recent trip to Florida .. we took a vacation within a vacation and based ourselves in Naples (about 175 miles south and west of us) for three nights, taking in a trip to the local zoo ..

Gotta love a Capybara

This orangutan was enjoying attention from her keeper

A curious Bongo!

And a curious giraffe! Actually, it was waiting to be fed!

An evening in Clermont, with friends, and a walk around the quaint town and scenic lake

Looks like they're ready for for the holiday season!

Pumpkin carving with friends ..

Mine was, sadly, the rather unambitious one
on the bottom! In my defence, it was my first time

This one was definitely THE most ambitious of the night!

Super Saturday!

Morning readers, 

I've a make to share with you today ....... left purposely blank as per the instructions of my "commissionee" so that it truly will fit "all occasions"!

My C6 card

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6 card and matching envelope
• Card in white and blue, for my card front, insert and matting
• Using washi tape I masked off a panel before using a makeup brush and applying a light application of Memento lilac posies (misleading because it's quite pink!)
• I overlaid my Pink and Main stencil (PMS106 "Paw prints") before applying a further layer of the Memento ink
• Inkadinkado dog image (97985) stamped using Versafine majestic blue ink
• Stardust stickles, to give a little sparkle

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. LIM - challenge No. 495 - COLOUR CHALLENGE
2. Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday challenge No. 111 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Krafty Chicks - challenge No. 687 - ALL OCCASIONS
4. CASonFriday - challenge No. 269 - ANIMAL
5. HLS - Oct STENCIL challenge - ANYTHING GOES

Saturday - Woo Hoo - it's the weekend

Morning readers, 

Welcome to the weekend - ENJOY!

I've a make to share with you today ....... an Artist Trading Card, measuring 3½" x 2½"

My finished ATC

Just inked and stencilled
to better show the detail

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of card in white and grey
• Using a makeup brush I applied Distress Oxide in lost shadow over the entire white snippet and black soot JUST around the edge
• I overlaid my Aall & Create numbers stencil (#111) and applied Distress Oxide in kitsch flamingo
• Momento sentiment (3441) and my Sunday International cone flower (G-PSH016) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Crystal stickles to bling up my ATC

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Stencil Fun - September Stencil challenge - ANYTHING GOES
2. Make My Monday - challenge No. 210 - MAKE YOUR OWN BACKGROUND
3. Creatalicious - challenge No. 268 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) AUTUMN COLOURS

And now for my card make .....

My C6 card

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6 card and matching envelope
• Card in white and light purple, for my card front, insert and matting
• Using a makeup brush and Memento grape jelly ink, I applied colour to the bottom right of my card front
• Overlaying my Dylusions graded circles stencil I added a further layer of the grape jelly ink .. why the circles? To co-ordinate with the little circles on the guitar
• Using my stamping platform I stamped my grey rubber guitar (unknown manufacturer - bought YEARS ago at a stamp show) using Versafine onyx black ink
• Penny Black sentiment (from "tweet tweet") stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• Stardust stickles to bling up the little circles on the guitar 

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. LIM - challenge No. 493 - MUSIC
2. Krafty Chicks - challenge No.683 - ALL OCCASIONS
   
3. The Paper Shelter - challenge No. 569 - CLEAN AND SIMPLE
4. Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday challenge - ANYTHING GOES
5. Seize The Birthday - challenge No. 270 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) REPETITIVE DIE CUTS

Saturday and it's challenge day too

Morning readers, 

I've a make to share with you today ....... a slightly less common colour choice but .. I am liking it and I hope you will too

My C6 card

Materials used:

• White, 250gs, C6 card and matching envelope
• Card in white and grey - for my card front, insert and matting
• Snippets of card in white and grey - for my sentiment panel
• Using a makeup brush and with my card front and Clearly Besotted heart stencil taped in place, I applied Distress Oxide in black soot and lost shadow around the outer edges - coming in toward the middle but not covering the whole heart shape
• With my heart stencil still in place, I overlaid the Creative Expressions scattered hearts stencil (CEMSCAT) and applied Distress Oxide in kitsch flamingo
• Inside the card and on the reverse and envelope I also added the "happy anniversary" sentiment from TCP (S.5845.CL)
• Crystal stickles to add a little bling around the outside of the heart
• Momento sentiment stamped on to a snippet of white card

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. LIM - challenge No. 492 - CELEBRATE
2. Penny's Paper Crafty - challenge No. 555 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Simply Create Too - challenge No. 194 - USE STAMPS
4. Simply Clean and Simple - September challenge - USE A STENCIL
5. HLS - September STENCIL challenge - USE A STENCIL

And now for an Artist Trading Card ... this one uses washi tape (since I have rather a lot) and snippets - always good!

My 3½" x 2½" ATC

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of card in black, textured grey and white
• Aall & Create washi tap #1 "Eclipses" 
• On another white snippet I stamped the Stamplorations sentiment ("Noteworthy") using Versafine Clair nocturne ink before fussy cutting round it and adhering to a snippet of textured grey (self adhesive) card
• Before assembling my ATC I used a makeup brush to apply Distress Oxide in lost shadow to the black matting layer

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Creative Inspiration - September challenge - SENTIMENTal
2. Ellibelles Crafty Wednesday - September challenge - ANYTHING GOES
3. Pattie's Creations - challenge No. 210 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Creative Fingers - challenge No. 261 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Love to Craft - challenge No. 76 - ANYTHING GOES