A "safe" card...

...for my little grandson. I'm in "Grammie trouble!"

I created several Halloween cards to send to each of my four grandsons, and five year old Avery called me last night to say "Gwammie that witch "thweaked" me out, I don't like it."

So he's asked for a snowman to replace it, and this was first on my card agenda for today (lol).

I incorporated these challenges: Wednesday Stamper's chocolate (I used chocolate cardstock); Craft Challenge's don't use backing paper (I used one of the new Impression Obsession background stamps instead); One Powerful Hour's orange (carrot nose); Friday's alphabet challenge is "C" for circles.

I chalk-coloured and pop dotted parts of the Inkadinkado snowman stamp, used a Nesties border and some ribbon...and voila! My "safe card" for my grandson, which will go in today's post along with a new hat and scarf and mittens. Hope I've redeemed myself!

This card, with an Impression Obsession sentiment stamp, and a Judikins background stamp, is for the SPCC Finally Friday colour challenge:

Challenges...gotta love 'em!

Don't you just LOVE challenges!? Whenever I have a special card to create, I check online card challenges for the day, and find such inspiration! I need a special baby girl card to send in the post, to a young couple who's just had their scond daughter. I followed several challenges, starting with Project Tuesday's (create a stairstep card). I incorporated Papertake Weekly (use stripes or spots) and Flourishes Timeless Tuesday (use border punches).

This is the result. I'm tickled pink with how it turned out. I used some Basic Grey paper scraps, stamps from Hearts in Touch (little girl) and Quietfire Design (sentiment).

For this next card, the gauntlet's been thrown! Catherine, a stamping friend, has challenged us to participate in the MoJo Monday challenge this week. It's a nice sketch, so I decided to try it. I paired it with the current Created by Hand challenge...Halloween.



The crow stamp is from Quietfire Design; the trees backgrounder is from Cornish Heritage Farm. I used Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed distress inks, Versafine Black Ink, Ranger Super Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder, and Gold Krylon Ink.

Challenges!

I really enjoy combining challenges...it just adds to the pleasure of creating! This card was created for the following challenges: this week's Gothic Arch challenge is to use orange and black; TwoPeas Stamptoberfest challenges are Fall is Fabulous, Marianne's last minute Halloween Card challenge, Sue and Tanya's Earth challenge; Saturday Surprise wants us to do something autumn themed; One Powerful Hour wants something spooky; Finally Friday's challenge is to emboss and layer; Secret Crafters want us to use orange and another colour; Our Creative Corner wants us to use a favourite holiday book or movie title in our card. I based this card on the book "Owl Moon," by Jane Yolen, a beautifully illustrated book for the 4 to 8 age group. I bought it for my grandson, who loves to have it read to him. I'll actually send this card along to him in the post tomorrow.

The background tree stamp is Cornish Heritage Farm; the owl and flourishes are from Crafty Individuals. I used Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink with Versafine Onyx black with a resist for the owl arch.

The current SAWO challenge is to make your own jewelry. Here's a set I made for my "Pink Lady Challenge" over at TwoPeas. If you haven't participated in the fabulous Two Peas stamp extravaganza all week, there's still time...you have till midnight tonight to play! Happy pea members have posted all kinds of great challenges with generous RAKS, and the grand prize from American Crafts is spectacular. Go visit the stamping message boards, play today!

LOTS of Challenges! Playing catch-up!

I've been away for several weeks, enjoying sights and sounds and smells and tastes of France and Italy...FABULOUS vacation...but it's OH-SO-GOOD to be home and in my happy room again, where I'm catching up on challenges and cards due for special occasions.

This week's Wednesday Stamper challenge is to create a Halloween card. This little owl uses Halloween colours, but a non Halloween sentiment, hope he still fits the challenge! The stamp is from Heather's Stamping Haven in Ottawa, and the sentiment is computer generated.

This week's Timeless Tuesday challenge over at Flourishes is to watercolour. Here's a scrapling I created, and also posted over at TwoPeas , where they're hosting a week long stamping extravaganza called "Stamptoberfest..." check out the message board...great challenges, delightful member RAKS, and a SUPER GENEROUS grand prize package! The tree stamp is from Rubber Stamp Avenue, coloured direct to rubber with Tombow watercolour markers, and misted with water, then stamped on watercolour paper. The sentiment stamp is from Amuse.

This is a card I did to fit Charisma Cards distressed challenge, and "Theme Thursday's," which is faces. I LOVE this stamp, it's an oldie from Magenta. The dainty gold embossed flourishes are from Crafty Individuals.

The current "Cute Card Thursday" challenge is "Candy Corn," and over at "One Powerful Hour," we had to create something spooky. I did this wee Halloween thing for my grandson, whose current obsession is spiders! The wooden coffin is from Michael's Arts and Crafts.

For this project, I used the Dreamweaver spider brass stencil , the Dreamweaver spiderweb brass stencil, and Dreamweaver embossing pastes, all from Quietfire Design.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by my blog today! I'd love to come see YOU too!

Created by Hand Challenge

This week's CBH challenge is to use the word "trust." I used a photo I took just last Friday, of a lovely painting in a wonderful artists' market in Piazza Navona, in Rome. (The painter gave me permission!) This piazza is a beautiful and famous square where you can admire sculptural masterpieces by Bernini, Borromini and G. della Porta, who were important baroque artists. We took literally HUNDREDS of photos here, then sat...for several delightful hours in warm sunshine...to eat lunch and consume copious amounts of red Italian wine! These wonderful sentiment stamps are from Quietfire Design.

Created by Hand Challenge

So I'm hoping this post works. I set it to post on October 6th, while I'm away enjoying the sights and sounds and tastes of Paris! We left Nova Scotia Sept 26th. After Paris, we're on our way to the south of France, then to Rome...exploring and eating and sipping our way through our travels. Aaahhh, retirement is wonderful!

Sooo...the challenge this week over at Created by Hand is to use stencils...one of my very favourite artsy tools...so I made several! (lol) This first card uses Dreamweaver stencils with Glitter Ritz, double sided tape and one of the brand new stamps over at Quietfire Design. I stamped the sentiment with Versafine Black Ink, then thermal embossed with Ranger Super Fine Clear Embossing Powder.

For this next card, I used another new Quietfire stamp also uses a Dreamweaver stencil (Swirl Background), wet embossed with white embossing paste. I first stamped on a scrap of paper, cut a mask, then stamped and thermal embossed the same sentiment on cardstock, masked it, then paste embossed over the masked image. I cut it with one of the new Spellbinders Nestabilities (Labels Six), then layered it with dimensional foam squares onto black cardstock, previously paste-embossed with a Dreamweaver Thank You stencil.

Here's another one, using the Cypress Tree Dreamweaver stencil with two sided tape and Glitter Ritz again, with the Spellbinders Scallop Ovals and a Quietfire Design sentiment stamp. I posted this one for an earlier TGIF challenge too. :)

This last card was just for fun. The stencil here is the small square Spellbinders Shapeabilities Fleur de Lis pendant die, cut and embossed with gold mirror cardstock, then cut in half and affixed to the top and bottom of a Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Six die, paired with another one of Suzanne's beautiful new rubber stamps.

So, that's it for this post. If you'd like to read more about using stencils, here's a link to an article I wrote, which was published in Stamp and Scrap Art last year...also posted on the Quietfire website. Thanks again for visiting today! I wish you a happy and creative week!