Monday, September 25, 2023

Bat Gnome Trick or Treat

Hello and Happy Monday!  I hope your weekend was splendid and you found some time for yourself.  I had a nice weekend of catching up with crafting projects.  Today's share features Bat Gnome, part of the Gnome Trick or Treat Series from Polkadoodles.  


Bat Gnome has been colored with Prismacolor Pencils and fussy cut.  The papers are part of a slimline paper pack from Kat Scappiness.  I love the patterns of these papers however they have a coating on them and that's something I don't care for.  I don't like the sheen and the slippery-ness of them when I use liquid adhesive.  With that being said, I have them and I will use them every Halloween until they are gone.


The sentiment strip is part of a pack from Simon Says Stamp.  It has been popped on foam pads as well as Bat Gnome.  No extra bells and whistles have been added, the shiny paper was enough LOL.

That's all for today.  Have a fabulous week ahead and until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:



Saturday, September 23, 2023

Black Kitty and Friends

Happy Saturday Crafty Friends!  It's been a crafty day here and I have a quick share for you this evening.  I've been busy getting my Halloween Happy Mail completed so I can post them by October 1st.  Today's card features another set of images from the Gina K. Designs Haunts and Harvest Stamp and Coordinating Die Sets.


This A2 sized card was a quick and easy project as no coloring involved, just stamping with Versafine Onyx Black Ink and die cutting the images.  The papers are from the Happy Halloween 6x6 paper pad from Carta Bella.  The patterned papers have a Retro vibe which makes them extra cool.


The Sentiment is from a Halloween set of premade strips from Simon Says Stamp. The Kitty and sentiment have been popped on foam pads for dimension and no extra bling added this time.

Thanks for stopping in today.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:


Friday, September 22, 2023

Ghostly Greetings to You

Happy Friday to You!  I have a quick Spook-tacular share today featuring these adorable Ghosts from the Gina K. Designs Haunts and Harvest Stamp and Coordinating Die Sets.


It's all things that go Bump in the night for All Hallow's Eve and I started this card by stamping and die cutting these adorable Ghosts.  I've masked a circle on the card panel and blended distress oxide inks with water splatters for a spooky moon.


I've popped the ghosts on foam pads, stamped the greeting directly to the card base and added bats in the distance.  Lastly. I've lightly inked around the edge of the panel with purple ink and gave the ghosts sparkly eyes with Wink of Stella.

That's all for today!  Have a fabulous weekend, until next time - Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Purple is My favorite color!
Outlawz Songs and Rhymes - inspired by Midnight - the Ghosts and Goblins favorite time
Gem of a Challenge

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Fall Foliage

Hi Crafty Friends and Happy Thursday!  I have a quick share today featuring die cuts from Honey Bee Stamps.  I've used the Fall Foliage and Rattan Basket Die Sets to create a 5x7" card.  


I rarely create 5x7" cards but thought it would be a better choice as these die cuts are large.  I save snippets of colored and patterned card so I had plenty of scrap in Autumn colors for the die cutting.


I've embossed a panel in blue card using a basket weave pattern, die cut the leaves and basket, then inked around the edges of everything to give them depth.  I've tucked the leaves in the basket, popped some on craft foam and curled the edges of some.  Lastly, I've splattered with White Posca Pen Paint; the sentiment is from my box of precut sentiment strips and has been popped on foam for dimension.

That's all I have for today.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:
AYLI - I love the Oranges, Reds and Yellows of Autumn because it's natures last rainbow before winter






  

Monday, September 18, 2023

Mid-Month Inspiration at Jan's Digi Stamps Challenges

Hello and Welcome to Monday!  Today is the mid-month inspiration post at the Jan's Digi Stamps Challenge Blog and I'm featuring one of Jan's newest sets for the month of September:  Pumpkin Pie.  This is a beautiful set that does include a slice of Pie, but I haven't used it here today.


I've colored the image using Prismacolor Pencils and the patterned papers are snippets from an older Snap Color Vibe 6x6 pad by Simple Stories.  I've had this pad for ages and still manage to squeeze bits from it every Autumn.


After coloring the focal image, I've fussy cut and popped on craft foam.  The sentiment is from another of Jan's sets:  Harvest Scarecrow, which has been printed on kraft card and also popped on craft foam.  The Bells and Whistles are gold sequins and gold thread tucked behind the focal image.  

Please visit the Jan's Digi Stamps Shop for the Fall is Falling Sale.  You'll find 10 Autumn themed Sets at reduced prices until the end of September,  Also, please visit the Challenge Blog to see what my teamies have created and join us by entering your projects.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:
SSS Mon Challenge -Fav color during the Fall is Orange!






Sunday, September 17, 2023

Happy Birthday to My Sweetie

Hello Crafty Friends and Happy Sunday!  It's my darling husband's birthday today and I'm sharing the card I've made for him.  Yesterday, I had a difficult time creating this card as he kept coming into my craft room and I had to hide the card in progress.  I finally requested he stay out for at least 30 minutes....poor guy!


I was completely inspired by a card created by Natasha Foote on You Tube.  I have loads of scrap patterned paper and thought snippets from the Bo Bunny "Garden Party" 6x6 paper pad would make a nice masculine card.


I've cut 1.5" squares and adhered Baker's Twine on each to represent gifts, tied bows and adhered with mini glue dots, then popped each parcel on craft foam for dimension.  The embossed panel is a leaf print and the sentiment came from my sentiment box (I keep a box of sentiment strips already done up).  The sentiment has been popped on craft foam and 2 black gems added to represent rivets or nails or something masculine.

Have a fabulous Sunday and week ahead.  It's time for a quiet birthday celebration at home with the family, complete with a Steak and Potato Dinner, Cake and Ice Cream afterwards!

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:
Night Owls - I love using scraps of patterned paper and my husband!
Love to Craft







Saturday, September 16, 2023

Layering Mums in Rattan Basket

Happy Saturday Friends!  We've made it to the weekend and I've spent this lazy Saturday crafting.  I've not had much time lately to sit and relax with my papers, inks, dies and stamps so it feels good to be creative.

Today I'm sharing an Autumn card featuring the Lovely Layers Mums and Rattan Basket Die Sets from Honey Bee Stamps.  I'm ashamed to say I've had these sets in my stash from last Autumn and this is the first time using them.  The larger than life die cuts make a dramatic focal on a card!


I've die cut the florals and leaves from white card and ink blended shades of lilac and orange inks, the Rattan basket was cut from Kraft card.  I've added shading to the basket with a medium shade of brown ink.  The Lilac colors are much richer in person, no matter how many photos I took, I could not get the purples to show properly.


I've arranged the florals and used a trick to keep it all together once I liked the placement:  Glad Press 'n Seal Plastic Wrap. You pick up the bits with the sticky side of the wrap and it stays together so you can place it.

Lastly, I've popped up segments of the flowers and leaves on foam pads, curled the edges of the leaves and petals and splattered everything with white Posca Pen paint.  The small sentiment strip is from a pre-printed packet of strips purchased from Amazon.

That's all I have for you today.  Have a fantastic rest of the weekend and I hope you find some time to get creative.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:






Friday, September 15, 2023

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge #9

Hello Crafty Friends and Happy Fri-YAY!  Today begins a new challenge month at The Beautiful Blossoms Challenge, where the FOCUS is always Florals with an Optional Mood board for inspiration.  The board this month contains rich autumnal colors:


My team project this challenge features the Beautiful Blossoms Stamp Set from Altenew, and a total coincidence to the name of our challenge.


To start, I've stamped these gorgeous florals on a panel of Kraft card and heat embossed using Fine Detail Copper embossing powder.  I've done a bit of coloring with Prismacolor Pencils and diluted inks.


I was careful with the amount of water I used to dilute the inks as the card panel is not paper made for taking loads of water.  I've matted and adhered to the Kraft Card base.  The sentiment, which is part of the set, was stamped using a deep red ink from Catherine Pooler and the strip was popped on craft foam for dimension.  Lastly, a few enamel dots were added for additional interest.

Please visit us at The Beautiful Blossoms Challenge and join in.  You'll definitely want to take a look at what my teamies have created, there's loads of inspiration waiting for you.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:
AYLI - Autumn because of Football, Bonfires, Camping and the start of the holiday season







Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Crown Blooms

Hello Friends and Happy Tuesday!  I hope your week is smooth sailing thus far.  I have a quick share for today featuring the Crown Bloom Stamp Set from Altenew.  This is a "new to me" set that I've had in my stash and today was the inaugural inking!


I've attempted to create a card using an Autumn color palette, the background has been ink blended using Aged Mahogany Distress Oxide ink and embossed with the This Plus This Embossing Folder from Spellbinders.  After the ink dried, I've splattered with water and white acrylic paint from a Posca Pen.

The florals and leaves in this set are layering stamps and easy to line up; I've stamped them using Catherine Pooler inks.  I've trimmed the panel corners with a corner punch and matted with a panel of burgundy textured card.


I've fussy cut the images and adhered flat to the embossed panel, only popping up the sentiment strip on foam pads, but not before adding some gold thread behind for additional interest.  Lastly, I've added brown sequins from Studio Katia.

That's all I have for you today.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:








 


Saturday, September 9, 2023

Fairy Botanicals

Hi Friends and Happy Saturday!  I hope your weekend is off to a great start.  I have a quick share for you today.  I've finally gotten around to using the Fairy Botanicals Stamp and Coordinating Die sets from Scrappy Tails. I've been on a "no spend" status and shopping my own stash; it's amazing what you can find if you dig deep enough and this set is a prime example of that.


I've stamped the images using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored using Prismacolor Pencils.  I've die cut using the coordinating dies and set the pieces aside to work on the background panel.


I have lightly ink blended a shade of Catherine Pooler blue ink to ground the focal image and stamped the sentiment directly to the panel.  The words are separate in the stamp set, so you can build different sentiments, and I had a twitch in my hand and didn't get the "day" word exactly straight but it's a handcrafted card after all!  I've also popped the mushroom with frog and the flower in front on craft foam.

To finish off the design, I've added a black panel and brown sequins from Studio Katia, leaving the inside blank, so when needed, I can make this a birthday card or whatever type of card is needed at the moment.  

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:
Crafting Happiness