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!

TGIF challenge # 104

The current TGIF challenge is "wonderful trees." Here's mine, done with a sentiment stamp from Quietfire Design and a tree using a Dreamweaver brass stencil, Sookwang double sided tape, and glitters.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Challenges

Oh my, I am SO enjoying this late summer/beginning of fall weather! I don't enjoy artsy endeavors during the heat and humidity of the summer, so I'm spending hours and hours in my happy room these days.

Today's challenge over at Created by Hand is to use stitching on your work. This first card uses machine stitching over a watercolour-resist with Ecoline inks, and the second uses hand stitching. Both cards use Quietfire Design stamps. The last card for the CBH challenge is a birthday card I finished this morning for a dear artist friend, hand stitched corner scroll with Kaisercraft pearls. I think the stamp might be Stamp It Australia, although the name on the tin box is long gone.

The challenge over at Our Creative Corner is to use stars and stripes. This card uses an old stamp from Peddler's Pack, and a sentiment stamp from Impression Obsession. The sentiment stamp is the one on the bottom, which actually says "Merry Christmas to a Special Hero," but I masked out the Merry Christmas, and added a computer generated "Happy Birthday" above the stamped image instead.

This card is for the Crazy Amigo challenge...hats! The image stamps is a House Mouse, the hat is All Night Media, and the sentiment is Quietfire Design.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Impression Obsession Designers' Challenge!

Oh my, it's been three weeks since I posted here. I've been enjoying long, lazy summer days at the lake, where internet is forbidden (lol).

Today, the IO designers are posting challenges to use stamps for "other than their intended purpose." Well, hmmm, I think I interpreted this a little differently than other designers did. Because I'm a card maker, MY feeble brain interpreted the challenge as "Don't make a CARD Deborah." So I didn't. Ummm...I used the tree...as a tree! (lol) BUT...I did use it on a different project though, so I hope the IO gals will let me away with it.

I used this beautiful tree to design a votive candle shade. After creating four panels from green cardstock with Nestabilities scalloped and square dies, I stamped the image on vellum, colouring the stamp with a green watercolour marker, then added accents of Aleene's "True Snow," and sprinkled Aleene's clear glitter over it while it was still wet. Then I rummaged through my bead stash and fashioned bead strings to sew on to tiny organza bows, and added paper roses to hide the stitching. I just LOVE this particular little tree!

If you like trees, Impression Obsession has five full pages of them for your pleasure, starting here.

The first image is unlit, the second shows it with a battery operated flickering candle inside.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to take a few minutes to see the beautiful work from the other talented Impression Obsession designers...you'll find links to their blogs on the right sidebar here.